EYES WIDE OPEN (The Blackstone Affair #3) by RAINE MILLER
15 May, 2013
Our Review
Jenny: In Eyes Wide Open we witness Brynne and Ethan going through big changes in their lives and once again this passionate pair deal with past demons, current issues and life changing experiences in their own way. You feel the intensity of their relationship and the heat…..woe! The sex is HOT and for these two sex is what binds them, it’s how they communicate their inner most feelings, so for those who love a bit of nookie in their books…you won’t be disappointed!
“Eyes on me, baby.” He commanded on a harsh breath. “You know I have to have your eyes when I take you”
Now, I may go against the grain in saying this and I’m not sure if you’ll agree Gitte, but for me The Blackstone Affair series has never been about Ethan. I know….shock, horror…since when does a dirty talking, hot alpha man not drawn me to a book? Well, of course Ethan is at the crux of it all, but for me, these books have always been about Brynne and her journey and the larger than life Ethan never overshadowed that for me, none more so than in Eyes Wide Open. Brynne is the character that has me picking up this series every time, though of course we do love Mr Ethan Blackstone!
In Brynne, the author created a heroine whom I love and admire greatly. I admire how she has stayed so compassionate to others despite the ugliness that she has seen and experienced in her life and I love her sensitivity and inner beauty. I revel in how this woman stands up to the blustering Ethan Blackstone and how she is so delicate yet never weak. Yes, at times, alpha, possessive Ethan may think he has all the winning deuces, but let me tell you, this woman is no pushover and it’s easy to see how Ethan fell in love with this feisty, yet soulful woman.
“My girl faced her fears head on. I should take her example and do the same”
Oh and Ethan’s niece!……Gitte, how much did you love that child? She completely stole my heart! You really did get to see another side to Ethan when these two interacted didn’t you?
Gitte: So, the rollercoaster ride continues for sure Jenny. We saw so much more of Brynne and Ethan’s characters, different sides and under different circumstances. The scenes with Ethan and his niece stole my heart, absolutely. They highlighted just what an amazing man Ethan really is. He is not only dangerous and fierce, he is funny and sweet and amazingly passionate.
I understand completely what you’re saying Jenny in regards to Brynne and I have to agree. I think Brynne is one of the better written heroines out there. She is so delicate and compassionate by nature yet underneath that exterior lays a strength and sense of survival that is so fierce. After everything life has thrown at her or even continues to be, she is never fragile or weak at heart, if she stumbles she picks herself up again without fanfare.
The balance of her sweet adorable qualities combined with her independent streak is commendable and so well written. Don’t get me wrong, she does have her issues, in the sense that she can’t quite comprehend the extent of Ethan’s love for her and she needs to realise that it’s okay to reach out and place her trust in Ethan.
Ethan broke down Brynne’s barriers sure, however Brynne broke down many of Ethan’s in return and it takes a strong woman to do just that.
“It pained me to see him hurting; even more so that I couldn’t do anything about it because he refused to share it with me….”
Brynne definitely does not go gently into that good night; rather she faces it head on.
Jenny: In this installment we do get a lot answers about Ethan’s past but there is still so much to know – so much to delve into and I have to say I really was secretly hoping for more on that front in this book. Ethan is a closed book about his feelings and plays everything close to his chest, yet the one thing he is very demonstrative about, the one thing he leaves us in no doubt about and that is the fact hat he has found the love of his life in Brynne and you feel…..no, you KNOW that this man would lay down his life for her – without question. So deep is his love for her.
But make no mistake, for all this man’s strength and belligerence; I felt Brynne was the stronger of the two. She has the will to heal not only herself but, Ethan as well. She also has a past to deal with and has suffered yet she is there for Ethan, who has himself suffered unimaginable horrors, but you know it will be Brynne who will bring him out of himself.
But Brynne herself has to learn to trust.
It’s called trust, Brynne and it is by far the hardest gift to give away”
Brynne didn’t realise how lost she was and how life had become about merely about existing before Ethan came along. He broke down (well, more like he used a battering ram) her defences and the emotional barriers she had so carefully constructed and made her feel alive again. Watching these two broken souls heal and save each other is what will have you turning the pages.
“I feel the same way about him in a lot of ways. Ethan really saved me from myself.”
Whilst I did find it a little predictable at times, this in no way impacted on my enjoyment of the story and the ride it was to take me on. EWO delivers and Blackstone fans will devour and love this one! I know we can’t wait for more! What about you Gitte, did you enjoy this one?
Gitte: Ethan is a force to be reckoned with and he wants Brynne to let go of her insecurities and understand that she is everything to him. Ethan loves her with such passion and no doubt Jenny, he would die to save her.
“My position was simple, really. I didn’t care about her past. It changed nothing in my feelings for her. She was the one – the one person I needed. Now it was just a matter of convincing her of this fact.”
Ethan may have saved Brynne but he needs saving in return. Did he let her in, did he acknowledge that he needed saving….well a strong alpha male like him; this path is not going to be easy.
We learn more as we are taken on an emotional ride, but we are left with many questions also. At times I would have liked more on Ethan’s background in regards to details and depth as I didn’t feel we were completely let in, neither was Brynne. There was an abundance of hot intense moments which in the first half threw the balance a bit.
Saying this, I have really enjoyed this series and I know this third instalment will be a huge hit with all Blackstone Affair readers. A beautiful ending….
“I was immersed in the complete and total sensual haze of Brynne and my love for her…”
Synopsis
The third part in The Blackstone Affair series: A love on the brink of being destroyed. The fight of a lifetime to keep it alive.
Big surprises are on the horizon for Ethan and Brynne as they struggle to adjust to what life has thrown at them. Demons from the past are threatening to destroy the passionate bond they’ve forged despite their vow that nothing will ever keep them apart. A truly devastating loss coupled with the promise of a new hope opens their eyes to what is most important, but is it possible for the lovers to move on from the painful histories that continue to haunt them? A stalker is still lurking in the shadows, plotting evil amidst the distraction of the 2012 Olympic games in London. Brynne and Ethan are on the cusp of losing everything as the stakes rise. Will they yield to circumstances beyond their control or will they give every ounce of fight they have left to save each other and win the ultimate prize of a life together?
Eyes Wide Open is a passion-wrought story that shows us what pure love can achieve when tested and what the heart can accomplish despite danger and adversity.
Other Books By This Author
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kgagnon2013 said:
This is so exciting, I have been waiting so impatiently for this release! =D Thank you for the post and the giveaway!
SBookLover said:
Awesome giveaway 🙂 Can’t wait to read Eyes, God Ethan :O drooling already!
glam009 said:
Thank you for this amazing giveaway!!!!!!
homas1104 said:
Thanks for the great giveaway! I need more Ethan:)
bevz747 said:
Thanks for the giveaway! I’ve been waiting for this book
Kim said:
Thanks for the giveaway!! I loved Naked and All In, so I can’t wait to continue the story of Ethan and Brynne!!
Leslie T. said:
Awesome review! I love this series 🙂
klangston said:
Awesome giveaway!
Jen P said:
Have these on my TBR…time to get busy on them…now that they are all out.
ataleoftwobooks1 said:
These books have been on my tbr for a long time need to own them soon!
mdewell said:
I am so excited to read this. This is one of my faavorite series. Glad there will be another one.
susan sunderlin said:
These books have been on my endless TBR list forever!
jsill914 said:
I’m greatly looking forward to reading this book, especially after reading this review! I have to go back and re-read the first two books before I read the last one. I better get busy!
janice1231 said:
Can’t wait to read this!
jayme said:
Super excited to read these books!!!
pararommom said:
LOVE LOVE LOVE this series! Hope to win!
Thanks for the giveaway!!
Mary Mooney said:
Fantastic book and awesome giveaway! Just found there is going to be a forth book, OMG what can it be!!!!
eahbalice said:
I’m so excited to read this book! I’m even more excited to hear there will be a fourth! Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway. Your reviews always rock!
angelalove40 said:
I cant wait to read this book and thank you for this giveaway as always love seeing your reviews…. You Ladies Rock!!!
KVella said:
I’ve been anxiously waiting for this book! Can’t wait to read it. Thanks for the giveaway!
abshonk said:
So excited about this book – thanks for the giveaway!!!
megan.mgm said:
I haven’t gotten a chance to read these yet, but I’ve been dying to get my hands on them. Thanks for the chance to win one of them!
cahmmerritt said:
How did I miss the first books in this series? I am so excited for this and will get right on the first books!
Thank you!
Aleksandraaaa said:
Ahhh Ethan <3
jennred782 said:
Great giveaway.
dawnbushemail said:
I love Ethan & Brynne!! I need to read this! Thank you for the chance!
DWells06 said:
Loved this series….still haven’t read last book but I’m so looking forward to it
cindy said:
Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway! Absolutely LOVE Ethan & Brynne! Can’t wait to read Eyes Wide Open 😀
summer0407 said:
Great giveaway I enjoyed the first 2 books very much!
mmalavec said:
I can’t wait to read this! More Ethan please!
lea said:
Thank you for the giveaway!!! *fingers crossed*
Yvesha said:
Ooh nice giveaway, thanks! 😀 Love your blog <3
MarisReads said:
Looking forward to reading this!! dsr002(at)gmail(dot)com Damaris
RoxanneG said:
Thank you for this giveaway! One of my favorite series!!
Tera C said:
I want these books…haven’t read them yet..been on my TBR list…love giveaways!!!
crystal0213 said:
Can’t wait to read this series!!
ammalek said:
I love Ethan. Can’t wait to get more of him. Thanks
zashi629 said:
thanks for the giveaway! : )
aznangel_dd said:
Thank you for the giveaway!! 🙂
lindafield said:
Fab giveaway Ladies I have yet to read these books so would love to win 🙂 x
Sandy Lion said:
This is an amazing series that I have yet to be able to start the 1st book because I wanted to read all 3 books together. I would love to have them in print since I own the electronic copies and will be starting them as soon as I can finish the series I am currently on. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com
Chasity Morris said:
thanks for a chance, it wouldn’t let me log in for a while and I had to come bk 3 days later to post my darn comment lol
I lurv me some Raine Miller woot woot!
Lee said:
thanks for the giveaway, can’t wait to read this
bwsmith816 said:
I need to read this series! I am so behind! Thanks for sharing 🙂
book_junkie said:
I’m super excited for this book. The first two were great!
glandavazo said:
I haven’t had the chance to read this series yet, but the way you all talk about it makes me want to so bad!!!!
lou gut said:
Loved this series, loved Ethan. Can’t wait for book 4