***Traveling to the Terminus***
Ever since reading Twilight, I've been a series reader. I somehow got into too many series though and am behind on more than I count. One thing I challenged myself to do this year in reading is to catch up on some of them. I will be posting reviews of these books under the post title Traveling to the Terminus. (yes, I wracked my poor brain trying to come up with something bookworm-y and witty...my oldest daughter came up with the name!)
Here's my first effort towards that self-challenge: The Inside Out Trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones.
This is a series that I sooo wanted to keep up on, but, of course, haven't for whatever reason. I reviewed If I Were You over a year and a half ago (you can read my review here) and just now read Being Me. And then went to Lisa's website to see that she suggests reading two of Rebecca's novellas in between. *sigh* Well, I'll get back to those but here are my thoughts on Being Me. And by the way, I really hope to catch up on this series soon!
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Being Me by Lisa Renee JonesInside Out Trilogy #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Suspense
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Source: I purchased a copy from Amazon
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Synopsis
Fascinated by the dark fantasies in the journals she's discovered, and the two men who have now found a place in her life, Sara McMillan finds herself torn between her new life and her past. Now, more than ever, Sara identifies with the lost journal writer, Rebecca, and is certain that something sinister has happened.
In the arms of the sexy, tormented artist Chris Merit, Sara seeks answers about Rebecca and ends up discovering things about herself she never knew existed. Chris forces Sara to reconsider who she is and what she truly wants from life, but not before his dark desires threaten to tear them apart. Her boss, Mark Compton, offers her the shelter to understand just what those needs mean to her, and what they might have meant to Rebecca, but can she trust him to lead her to a final conclusion to Rebecca's story?
Being Me was a thrilling and satisfying sequel. Not only was I once again fascinated with Sara's story but I reveled in the storytelling. Ms. Jones' lush prose creates a visceral reading experience.
Sara and Chris continue growing closer even as Sara questions her continual avoidance of removing all secrets between them. Of course, Chris is doing some avoiding of his own. And I, believing honesty is the best policy, wished they'd both clear the air between them. Some revelations are made on each side and I was thankful for that. However, Chris is still hiding the darkest part of himself.
The disappearance of Rebecca is still a key element to Sara's story and Chris aids Sara in the investigation. Everything seems to lead to dead ends though. This mystery provides added tension to the story not only because of wondering over who and/or what happened to Rebecca, but also because of the danger posed to Sara for looking into it.
I think the underlying theme to Being Me is whether or not love is enough - enough to help people understand and accept flows, enough to allows such a trust that you'd be willing to make yourself vulnerable by exposing all parts of yourself. It's an intriguing question and one I'm enjoying reading about as Sara and Chris try to answer it for themselves.
Being Me was a beautifully written, well-paced, and enormously satisfying follow up. It's ending is a cliffhanger of sorts, although not as suspenseful as that of the first installment. And since I waited so long to read this one, the last of the trilogy has already been released. So no waiting to continue. :) I really do find myself hoping Sara and Chris find the answers they're looking for and that those answers lead them to one another.
