Review: If I Were You – Lisa Renee Jones

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.

Series:  Inside Out Trilogy #1
Release Date:  September 13, 2012
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Source:  NetGalley
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

When I saw the tag line for this book, “Fifty Shades meets Basic Instinct”, I was instantly intrigued.  I loved the twists and turns of Basic Instinct and eagerly wanted to see how Lisa Renee Jones incorporated that into an erotic romance.  The results….I’m still waiting for the Basic Instinct part.

I loved the story, don’t get me wrong.  Sara, a teacher on summer break, finds herself in possession of a storage locker containing the effects of Rebecca.  After reading Rebecca’s very erotic, very dark journal, she decides to track the woman down and return her items to her.  Sara suddenly finds herself becoming Rebecca, as she’s offered the woman’s job at an art gallery and begins a “relationship” with the dark, mysterious and famous artist, Chris Merit, that mirrors what Rebecca wrote.

While this installment set up the trilogy, it didn’t have the crazy twists and turns that I was expecting…at least from the suspenseful intrigue angle, based on the tag line.  But it did lay the foundation for the kind of work Sara and Chris were going to have to climb over if they were going to attempt any kind of relationship.  While we don’t fully understand exactly what happened with Sara or Chris to cause they to write off ever having a HEA, we are given glimpses into why they’ve formed the opinions they have.  Neither of them has had an easy life and seem to be irreparably damaged by earlier events. My hope is that we get more insight into both Sara and Chris’ past in the next book.

This being the first Lisa Renee Jones book that I’ve read, I have to say I love the way she creates characters.  They are complex and can’t be taken at face value, especially gallery owner Mark Compton.  The majority of the time, the guy comes off as a complete ass, but there is that tiny little something that makes me wonder if he’s a bad guy or a misunderstood good one.  I can’t wait to see where this character goes as we move through the trilogy (I have my suspicions, but I’m going to keep them to myself).

Even without the intrigue I was looking for, this was still a story I enjoyed immensely, mainly because of Chris and Sara.  I’m emotionally invested in them trying a relationship and learning to open up and trust the other.   I feel like we’ve just scratched the surface with them and I crave more (too bad I must wait until next year)!