Ok. I'm assuming that virtually everybody who is reading I
BELONG TO YOU has been along for the whole ride. If not,
go
back and get on board the roller coaster at the entrance,
starting with book one. There's a complex back story, and
you'll want to be conversant with all the intricate
details
before picking up this novel. I Belong to You is book
five in
the Inside Out series. There are not only five
novels to
date but also seven novellas, from five different
character's points of view. The mystery of Rebecca's
disappearance and who killed her are still being slowly
dribbled out. If you've read all the previous books, you
know what to expect: A crazysauce plot with over the top
people doing whacked things. If that's what you picked up
this book for, you're in luck. Jones has a way of writing
that sucks you into the middle of the maelstrom.
Book five focuses on Mark Compton and Crystal Smith. Mark
is
owner of a high end art gallery as well as a BDSM club in
San Francisco. When his prior submissive, Rebecca, was
murdered by a prior lover, Mark was utterly shaken. His
mother's ongoing fight with breast cancer leads him to
leave San Francisco to be by his family's side in New
York. Mark is juggling so many issues- Rebecca's death,
Mark's treatment as a suspect by the police, the true
murderer's escape, the threats against Mark's family and
friends, the impending implosion of his gallery. It's
overwhelming for Mark, and frankly, it was somewhat
overwhelming for me as well.
Crystal is the manager of Mark's mother's gallery in New
York. Like Mark, Crystal is a control freak, which makes
the sparks fly off the page as they vie for power. Mark
and Crystal's physical relationship is progressing, but
Mark continues to try to force Crystal to agree to become
his submissive, where he can exercise some personal power
over something while the rest of his world spirals out of
control. The push-pull between Mark and Crystal left me
feeling dizzied and annoyed. A therapist would be so
beneficial to some of these characters! I did feel sorry
for the devastating demons that Mark and Crystal struggle
with, but my tolerance with the main characters in this
story has been waning as the story stretches out. The sex
scenes crackle with intensity, driven by the force of Mark
and Crystal's personalities and by Jones' exquisite
detailing.
Readers who like outrageous dramatics will probably enjoy
the seesaw of emotions in Jones' I BELONG TO YOU, as it is
impossible not to get caught up in the drama. The series
has a very soap opera feel, appealing on many levels.
There is one more novel to come, slated for arrival on
Valentine's Day 2015. Despite my frustration with the
characters and the drawn out nature in its telling, I
admit
I can't wait to see how it all ends.
Being that person, that man, is
how I define myself, how I allow the rest of the world to
define me as well. And now, with a terrible loss shredding
me inside out and someone trying to destroy my family to
punish me, control is more important than ever. It is
everything. It is what I need. It is all I need. Or maybe I
just need...her.