Eyes Wide Open: The Blackstone Affair Part 3

Written by Raine Miller and Deacon Lee

Narrated by Grace Grant and Shane East

Following Naked and All In, in the third part in the Blackstone Affair series Brynne and Ethan find their life together riddled with conflict.

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? Still lurking in the shadows is a stalker, plotting evil amidst the distraction of the London Olympic Games. 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jun 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781442366404

Raine Miller

Raine Miller is the New York Times bestselling author of the Blackstone Affair series: Naked, All In, and Eyes Wide Open. She lives in California with her husband and two sons.

Reviews for Eyes Wide Open

[msromanticreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eyes Wide Open is by far my favorite of the three books. Not only is it longer, but the story finally picks up and rolls on full steam ahead. I can't review this without revealing something that may or may not be considered a spoiler.

**Spoiler**

Ethan and Brynne are going to be plus one. Yes, there's expecting. Surprise! This new development in particular was the best thing that could happen to this story. Brynne has to find a way to adjust to her new reality, as does Ethan, but he takes it better than she does, for obvious reasons. The pregnancy dialogue was the best part about this book, the way they talked or joked about the fetus was just adorable. I'm used to hearing people refer to the fetus as "peanut" or "little bean", so hearing blueberry, raspberry, little live, prune and peach just brought tears to my eyes. Yes, I am a happy sap. Sue me.

**End Spoiler**

The agony and the ecstasy.

After the shake-up at the end of book two, I loved the slight change of pace at the beginning of the story - meeting Ethan's family and seeing him so relaxed around them, and seeing Brynne be accepted into the fold as well. There's a surprise announcement, and then just like that, tragedy struck. If I ever had any doubts about Ethan being able to be the rock he longed to be, amidst his own personal demons, they were wiped away during that whole ordeal. There were some wonderful emotional scenes that followed immediately after, some soul-searching and some realizations on Brynne's part. I'm still of the opinion that a story can not sustain itself on sex and angst alone, so even though the sex remained as intense and copious in this book, there was also a lot more communication between them than ever before, much to my delight. The reveal of the villain didn't surprise me, but what pleasantly surprised me was Brynne's inner strength and quick thinking. Phew, this book drained me in a good way. My favorite moment was definitely Brynne's wedding gift to Ethan. It was perfect.

My only complaints would be 1) Since Brynne told her therapist practically everything, she probably also talked about taking birth control pills and why. Said therapist still prescribed antidepressants without telling her they could interfere with her birth control pills. How would the therapist not know this, and if she wasn't sure, she should have told Brynne to check with her gynecologist. 2) Use commas to connect two independent clauses.

Since I read all three books back to back, I will say this about the trilogy: I loved it more than I thought it would, and definitely more than that "other" book. Like I said before, I loved that the characters weren't one dimensional. It didn't surprise me that the heroine showed more character growth than the hero. This was built around Brynne's past and the consequences. Ethan was a war hero who decided to use his knowledge and contacts to do good, instead of flash his wealth and status around. The author didn't resort to using past flings to rub it in Brynne's face, and she managed to make each sexual encounter scorching hot without being boring. And considering how many sex scenes there were in this trilogy, that was quite an accomplishment. There were a few hiccups along the way, but I would definitely recommend The Blackstone Affair to anyone and everyone. I would give the trilogy 4 stars.

Disclaimer: My thanks to Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for providing a review copy via NetGalley.

[theresa schliff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the characters and the journey they took together. Life can be messy it’s those we have with us that help us through those times and that’s exactly what this author showed us.

[Alex · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

DNF! Too dull and monotonous. Lost the will to live!

I'm giving it 2 stars just for Shane because he did try but he couldn't even save it!!

[judy griffin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Was ok

[ftbooklover · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story was almost as disappointing as All In. The third book in the Blackstone Affair series was similar to the second, All In. The two main characters struggle with new challenges, but the emotions seemed dimmed by the characters' lack of maturity. There is more story here because of personal danger to Brynne as well as loss, but the randomness of the things that happen in the story make it hard to identify with. This will probably be the last book in this series that I read.

[mrslabraden · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story was almost as disappointing as All In. The third book in the Blackstone Affair series was similar to the second, All In. The two main characters struggle with new challenges, but the emotions seemed dimmed by the characters' lack of maturity. There is more story here because of personal danger to Brynne as well as loss, but the randomness of the things that happen in the story make it hard to identify with. This will probably be the last book in this series that I read.

[kate.good · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh Mr. Blackstone...the things I would like you to do to me. Full review to come.

[gloria.herrera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Blackstone rules! Few characters have affected readers as much as Ethan Blackstone. He is caveman, tender lover, supportive friend, flawed human... but in the end he is loyal and honest. Brynne and Ethan's story concludes in this third book. Raine Miller has taken all the "loose ends" and tied them in a gripping and unrelenting package. Start reading early... you won't be able to put it down!

[arthistorychick · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eyes Wide Open by Raine Miller(Book #3: The Blackstone Affair)Source: PurchaseRating: 3/5 stars**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!**Oh, my! So, round three of The Blackstone Affair Trilogy is all about the death, despair and, destruction. And fruit! Eyes picks up pretty much precisely where All In ended, with Brynne and Ethan finally safe at his sister’s country home and still reeling from the madness of the night. In a very real way, Brynne’s life has been threatened and Ethan and his crew are on high alert. Frustratingly, Ethan is no closer to understanding the nature of the threat against Brynne and/or who is behind it. So, with no information to go on at the moment, let’s just have sex.While the time in the country is meant to be a sort of mini-vacation/keep Brynne safe trip, it quickly devolves into complete madness and despair. In an effort to continue to protect Brynne in the best way he knows how, Ethan “proposes” to Brynne and tells her they will be announcing the wedding quickly so that it will all be very public thus making an attempt on her life much less likely. He also decrees that Brynne will be moving in with him as soon as they return to London. Though Ethan assures Brynne that he very much wants to marry her for real, he understands if the proposal and announcement aren’t real and won’t become so until she is ready. WOW!!! Just the type of romance every girl is looking for. Adding to the mess is the fact that Brynne is, quite unexpectedly, pregnant. While Ethan is quick to wrap his head around this news, Brynne behaves like a child, runs away and, texts Ethan their bail out/safe word! As you might have already figured out, I am completely frustrated with these two and their respective behaviors at this point!Once the show moves back to London, everything seems to come to a head quickly. Brynne’s life is again threatened in a tangible way, Ethan once again devolves into a jealous, overprotective cave man (the photo shoot, UGH!!!) and, Brynne ignores the safety features that have been put into place to protect her. Seriously?? Again?? Thrown into the mix are the ugly nightmares related to Ethan’s military past which he can apparently only be comforted about through lots of intense sex and smoking clove cigarettes. By the time you head toward the end of the read, there is a ton of tension building and the proverbial sh*t hits the fan. The big bad finally plays his hand and in a dramatic and somewhat odd ending, Brynne is saved and the threat to her life is eliminated once and for all. The Bottom Line: Let me be absolutely clear: I desperately WANTED to love this trilogy especially after seeing so many bloggers and reviewers whose opinions I trust and respect having really loved this series. It just didn’t happen for me and as I continued to read each book, I became more and more frustrated with both Ethan and Brynne and their respective behaviors. Furthermore, I found the reveal and wrap-up of the big bad to be awkward and a bit rushed. Though, to be fair, I wasn’t sure about the identity of the big bad until near the end. So, the ultimate question becomes, did I like this series? Honestly, I am in the middle where the series as a whole is concerned. I really did enjoy the first book and never once considered DNFing any of the reads. There are certainly no complaints where the author’s writing style, the plot in general, editing, etc. are concerned. For me, it all just boiled down to me being very disappointed in two characters I started off liking. BOO!! And yes, I now feel like a complete boob for being in the minority on this one but, at least the review is honest :(

[jrcook1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One Word ... Astounding

[lisa.hines · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You can find this review at My Favorite Things (heffroberts.blogspot.com)Eyes Wide Open by Raine Miller is the third book in what is planned to be a four book series. Book four is still untitled but is scheduled to release as an ebook at the end of this year.Oh My Lord!!! Raine Miller, you have forever burned the image of Ethan Blackstone on my mind (and libido)! Thank You! What a perfect choice. And while I feel a little apologetic for objectifying the gorgeous model that Ethan is based on, I just cannot seem to help it. You are a beautiful man David Gandy, just beautiful!This story continues the tale of Brynne Bennett and Ethan Blackstone. It opens with a creepy prologue, we don't know (but can maybe make some guesses already) who this person is. At this point in the story Ethan has still not divulged the details of his tragic past to Brynne. She still desperately wants to know so she can help chase away his nightmares. Book two, All In, ended with them on their way to Ethan's sisters manor house and B&B. This book picks up with them in the throes of passion shortly after their arrival at Hannah's home. Very HOT!Various emotional and life changing events unfold as the beginning of the olympics draws closer. We see them get closer to, and more interested in, each other. However, this book is where the confrontation happens. This where the bad stuff happens. The person who sent the video message, he's still around, and he's more trouble than anyone realized.The book has somewhat of a Happily Ever After and no big cliffhanger but we will get more of Brynne and Ethan when book four comes out!I am definitely looking forward to that!Audible Audiobook "Review: The Blackstone Affair # 3: Eyes Wide Open"Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?Yes - This is a fantastic series full of heat, passion, desperation, and is all tied up in a happy ending.What did you like best about this story?I like Ethan - He has been my favorite part of all these stories so far. He is so bloody British and alpha and sex on a stick!Have you listened to any of Grace Grant and Shane East ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?I have heard both of these narrators perform before. This was just as great as the others. Grace can become each of the characters without her performance sounding forced. Shane's voice is sexy, and where I NEVER love a male doing a female voice, his wasn't terrible and did not take away from the performance.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?The moment at the restaurant with her friends Benny & Gaby when Brynne answered her mothers call and Benny ends up on his phone with Ethan. That was a tough moment.Any additional comments?Read the series - just read it!

[mybookaddiction_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the third book in the Blackstone Affair and highly anticipated to continue with the wonderful love story between Ethan and Brynne. The story picks up where All In ends with Ethan and Brynne are on their way to his sister’s house in the country to protect Brynne from her stalker. There Brynne gets a chance to see a different side of Ethan and how he interacts with his family especially his niece Zara. Zara is a little vixen, who says things she shouldn’t but is absolutely adorable. In order to keep Brynne safe Ethan decides they should get married but Brynne isn’t so sure. Then Brynne discovers something that will change their lives and runs from Ethan by using the safeword. Ethan is devastated but gives her space.Their relationship is one of the things that makes this story. The way the author took these two lost souls and made them one is beautiful. The sex scenes are HOT but romantic and tastefully done. Every woman is wishing she could be Brynne. Ethan is warm, compassionate, playful, and sexy. Brynne is sexy, strong, and more than Ethan can handle at times.Ethan is still having his nightmares from Afghanistan but does not want to share with Brynne because she has already seen and been through the ugly and doesn’t want her to know about this. Brynne is hurt that he won’t share and when Ethan decides he is going to tell her, it could be too late. Brynne knows that Ethan is her love and life but will she get a chance to let him know?This story is everything I was expecting and more. I love how the author tied up the loose ends and gave us the happily ever after. Rumor has it there with be a fourth book and if that is the case, it also will be highly anticipated. I hope there is another book as I am not ready to let go of these characters.Rating-5Heat rating:HotReviewed by: Donna McClaugherty