If I Were You Review

If I Were You (Inside Out #1) by Lisa Renee Jones

What they say: 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.

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What I say: Adult contemporary fiction comes in many different forms these days and I have to say I found the journal entry concept really intriguing (albeit in a different way to Sara). In a very general and rather small nutshell: Sara finds some er smutty diaries and makes it her mission to track down the owner Rebecca, who has apparently gone missing. The diaries desrcibe Rebecca's life working in an art gallery and how she becomes a Submissive for a guy known as 'Master'. In her hunt for Rebecca, Sara finds herself drawn into Rebecca's world and seemingly faces the same danger.

Along the way Sara meets hottie and grumpy artist Chris Merit and begins a relationship with him - is he the Master? Another candidate is gallery own Mark, who definitely screams dominant!

I actually read If I Were you a while ago but haven't fully been able to decide how I felt about Sara. On the one hand I can sorta understand her fascination with finding out what happened to Rebecca, but on the other I often found her obsession and Rebecca-like transformation disturbing!  BUT and it's a big one, I think this is kinda the point! As readers we're supposed to question everybody and any sane person would wonder if Sara was getting too involved. 

Sara and Chris's relationship is super steamy (I personally hope the window scene makes it into the TV show), but be warned although there isn't any real BDSM YET (or at least in this book) it's mentioned and the books belong in the smutty category. Chris is super mysterious and potentially dark. I loved the whole tortured artist thing he had going on. I did find his over confidence a bit overbearing at times but everybody loves an Alpha, right?! 

If I Were You is the first in a series so there are a lot of unanswered questions. What is Chris up to? Where is Rebecca? Who is the Master? What's up with the club?

On a side rant...I'm really bored of this or that book being described as "the new 50 Shades of Grey." It's never something which would make me read a book and as much as I love CG, 50 Shades isn't exactly up there with the great works of literary fiction. That being said I do love the story but would never read a book because it was described as being similar to 50 Shades. I read If I were You because it was recommended to me by a trusted blogger and I heard the TV rights have been sold.

4 Stars in my Sky!