Release Me

by J Kenner

Published by: Bantam

My Rating: 

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who’s never heard “no” and a fiery woman who says “yes” on her own terms. 
 
He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist. 
 
Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me.

Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressures of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bare the darkest truth about my past—and risk breaking us apart.

But Damien was haunted, too. And as our passion came to obsess us both, his secrets threatened to destroy him—and us—forever.

Release Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

Book Savvy Babe’s Review:

If you are like me and very into the new contemporary erotic romance craze, then you will be interested in Release Me by J Kenner.  Release Me is very similar to books like 50 Shades or Bared to You.  There is a hot billionaire with issues determined to win over and possess a beautiful woman.  The pair have sizzling chemistry and their  attraction heats the pages, but their romance is not easy.  Their issues threaten to tear them apart.

The brief summary I just gave describes not only Release Me, but several other popular contemporary romance books as well.  Here lies my issue.  I love these types of books with their complex characters who have much to overcome to find happiness.  However, the story lines are all so similar.  Release Me is a great read, the characters are interesting, the story engaging, but I feel like I’ve read it before.

Release Me is in no way a bad book, I actually really enjoyed the book and the characters.  I love that Damien is so determined to be with Nikki, to help overcome her insecurities and to develop a solid relationship.  I also love that they do not fall into bed easily, they have some hot moments, but their actual relationship takes some time to develop.  Damien has to work to pursue Nikki, and the art elements added in are fun to read.  After reading Release Me, I am intrigued by the characters and will likely read the next installment to their story.

Release Me felt like a cross between 50 Shades and Bared to You, like the other 2 books were combined and given new characters.  I would have liked more originality from this story.  I am okay with the similarities, but this one did not have much to set it apart from previous similar books.  As I said, I will likely read the next book in the series, in part because I love this new contemporary romantica genre and partly because I am interested to see what comes next for Damien and Nikki.

Readers, if you enjoyed 50 Shades or Bared to You and are looking for a similar read, then you will likely enjoy Release Me.