If I Were You (Inside Out #1) by Lisa Renee Jones

Okay. So this review is totally out of order. I kinda missed reviewing it somehow even though I'd read it ages ago. The rest of the series has been reviewed on the blog and, well, yall are getting this one now too :)

When Sara McMillan finds a stack of journals in a storage unit, she’s shocked and enthralled by the erotic life the writer led. Unable to stop reading, she vicariously lives out dark fantasies through Rebecca, the writer—until the terrifying final entry. Certain something sinister has happened, Sara sets out to discover the facts, immersing herself in Rebecca’s life.

Soon she’s working at the art gallery Rebecca worked at and meeting Rebecca’s friends. Finding herself drawn to two dangerously sexy men, the manager of the gallery and a famed artist, Sara realizes she’s going down the same path Rebecca took. But with the promise of her dark needs being met by a man with confident good looks and a desire for control, she’s not sure anything else matters. Just the burn for more.

Type: Erotica
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 5 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | Goodreads 

It took me a really long time to convince myself to read If I Were You after seeing the dreaded "Fifty Shades" comparison--which is always an instant mood killer for me--but I'm damn glad I finally dove into it because Jones is an incredibly talented writer and put together an amazing and intriguing story that drew me in completely and left me panting for the next installment. (yes, this is a trilogy and Jones is well known for her killer cliffhangers so be warned) And, seriously, absolutely nothing like Fifty Shades. Not sure how they came up with that other than it's a trilogy and he's rich and a little kinky.

The gist is that the heroine, Sara, finds a set of darkly explicit journals written by a missing woman named Rebecca and decides she needs to find the woman and make sure she's really okay and in doing so steps into Rebecca's life in an art gallery and gets kind of lost in it which was really interesting to watch happen. The mystery of it had me turning the pages so blasted quick it was ridiculous. lol

What I loved was that I found myself just as curious and fascinated by the journals as Sara and worried about Rebecca's fate as well. I mean, Jones, totally pulled me in on this one. I needed to know what happened to her, ya know?

I was just as captivated by the multiple alpha males involved as well. These men. Well, they're a force. Between her boss at the art gallery and one of the painters there was some serious alpha male swagger flowing everywhere. I really enjoyed the very slight love triangle and the dynamic between the men. They...butt heads to put it mildly. But Sara falls for Chris the painter and I can't say I blame her. He's pretty damn sexy and has just the right amount of dark in him to be intriguing but not a turn off. And, well, this...

“I'm going to lick you all over before this night is over, Sara, ... Suck your nipples until you are crazy with need, then spread you wide and lick you until you come and then, I'm going to do it all over again. I'm going to make sure you are so thoroughly fucked that being fucked has a new meaning.” 

Whew, alright then. LOL Yeah. This one has some heat to it. It's not a full out BDSM read but it's got some elements and can get steamy.

Basically? Everything about this one caught my attention and drew me in. It had the perfect blend of mystery and danger, romance and bone melting chemistry that had me turning the pages as fast as I possibly could to see what happened next. If you like hot, steamy reads that are a little edgy and have a bit of mystery mixed in it's one to pick up.

More Lisa Renee Jones on herding cats...

Review--Being Me

Review--Master Undone

Review--Revealing Us

Interview

Have you read Jones? Ever read one set in the art world?