If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

 He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.

 

Grace's Review!

When fantasy collides with reality...

High school teacher, Sara McMillan, had no idea her life was about to change when her friend leaves her the contents of a storage unit won in an auction. Sara also can't help but become obsessed with the journals that were in the storage unit. The journals contain Rebecca Mason's deep, dark thoughts, and the more Sara reads them and gets to know Rebecca through her belongings, the more Sara feels a connection to Rebecca, especially through their shared love of art. Sara wonders what happened to her and vows to find Rebecca if only to return her things and make sure she's OK.

Attending an event at the art gallery Rebecca worked at unexpectedly leads to Sara being offered a job there...Rebecca's job! Sara is more than capable with her art background and knowledge, but on a personal level, she has been waiting for a career opportunity like this to get her foot into the world of art, even though it's only for the summer months. As Sara steps into Rebecca's “shoes” the mystery surrounding her is more alive. Sara is more determined to find her.

“...I'd forgotten there's a price for overindulgence. And there is a price. There is always a price.”

At the art gallery we meet its manager, Mark Compton. He is sexy, intimidating, and has a commanding presence. Could he be the man Rebecca writes about in her journals? We also meet Chris Merit, a famous artist whose work Sara knows all about. She finds it surprising that this handsome and charming artist is fascinated with her. Chris is moody and controlling and warns Sara of his dark side before they embark on something intense and intimate. Could Chris be the man in the journals? Sara is wondering what exactly she is becoming entangled in when she began this mission to find Rebecca.

“He's dangerous and I've never wanted to live on the edge more in my life.”

Oh my goodness! I honestly could not stop reading this! It's mysterious and thrilling all whirled into one delicious, seductive story! I loved how the setting is in and around San Francisco, a city rich and proud of its art, food, and people. Jones incorporates all that very well into this story. Sara is such a strong, capable heroine. She knows what she wants and goes for it! Right away, you'll find the mystery surrounding Rebecca to be dark and intriguing; however, this is mostly Sara and Chris' story with just enough of Rebecca's story right there lingering on the outer edges, enticing the reader. Just when a little more about her is revealed, and Sara goes digging for more information...BAM...book 1 ends, leaving you yearning for book 2!!! It's not even funny. The end left me shaking a little bit.

This is a fantastic start to the Inside Out trilogy! I recommend this for erotica fans who like a little splash of BDSM with mystery. There is only a glimpse into the BDSM world in book 1, but with how this one ended, I'm wondering now how dark the next stories are going to get. It left me feeling like something big is going to happen. I'm looking forward to finding out! Thank you to Lisa Renee Jones for letting me read an ebook ARC of this story for an honest review.