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Stewart Realty #7
Mutual Release
Can two dark souls ever make a light?
As president of her own distribution company, Julie Dawson has all she ever wanted -- money, power, and respect. But her carefully crafted façade conceals a torment of abuse and helplessness. After years remaining emotionally aloof, she is finally independent, but alone. Because she refuses to rely on anyone but herself ever again.
Evan Adams is no stranger to success, or personal demons. The horrific trauma that destroyed his twin sister, and tore his family apart, forced him to craft a new life from the ashes of the old. He's content enough, focusing ahead and not dwelling on his murky past. But something important is missing. He knows what that thing is but refuses to acknowledge it.
When a chance encounter brings these two strong-willed but damaged people together , what seems like a long, erotic journey through hell could lead them to a match made in heaven.
Mutual Release: A coming of age novel about trust...on the long road to love. Disclaimer: 18+ - Content contains mature situations, explicit language and erotic sexual scenes.
As president of her own distribution company, Julie Dawson has all she ever wanted -- money, power, and respect. But her carefully crafted façade conceals a torment of abuse and helplessness. After years remaining emotionally aloof, she is finally independent, but alone. Because she refuses to rely on anyone but herself ever again.
Evan Adams is no stranger to success, or personal demons. The horrific trauma that destroyed his twin sister, and tore his family apart, forced him to craft a new life from the ashes of the old. He's content enough, focusing ahead and not dwelling on his murky past. But something important is missing. He knows what that thing is but refuses to acknowledge it.
When a chance encounter brings these two strong-willed but damaged people together , what seems like a long, erotic journey through hell could lead them to a match made in heaven.
Mutual Release: A coming of age novel about trust...on the long road to love. Disclaimer: 18+ - Content contains mature situations, explicit language and erotic sexual scenes.
444 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2013
14 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
About the author
Liz Crowe
100 books1,231 followersLiz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in South Carolina. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a digital marketing and fundraising consultant, in addition to being an award-winning author.
The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
Her favorite things to do when she’s not scrolling social media for cute animal videos is walk her dogs, cuddle her cats, and watch her favorite sports teams while scrolling social media for cute animal videos.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
June 2, 2013
I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review of this book.
As a first timer reading Liz Crowe, I have to admit all of her novels are now on my radar. Mutual Release is the 7th book in the Stewart Realty series but I think easily stands alone.
Though I thought the book was steady to begin with I really enjoyed the build up to the point where Evan and Julie met. It made a nice change to learn the reasons behind their broken souls early on rather than having snippets I've often read in other books. Though I wasn't sure how to categorise Evan being more a bad boy Alfa fan, I actually loved both his and Julie's characters and I can't wait to read more from Liz Crowe, Jack Gordon in Floor Time is next on my TRL
As a first timer reading Liz Crowe, I have to admit all of her novels are now on my radar. Mutual Release is the 7th book in the Stewart Realty series but I think easily stands alone.
Though I thought the book was steady to begin with I really enjoyed the build up to the point where Evan and Julie met. It made a nice change to learn the reasons behind their broken souls early on rather than having snippets I've often read in other books. Though I wasn't sure how to categorise Evan being more a bad boy Alfa fan, I actually loved both his and Julie's characters and I can't wait to read more from Liz Crowe, Jack Gordon in Floor Time is next on my TRL
March 25, 2013
******NO SPOLIERS*********
I don't normally write reviews, because I am afraid of sounding like a rambling idiot...with that said, I was given an ARC of this book for my honest opinion. Here goes, so please hang with me while I turn into that rambling idiot..
Let me first start by saying that I found Liz & her books by "accident" on my Kindle. If you haven't read this series yet, please take the time to do so- You WILL NOT be disappointed. I fell in love with her & her books from the first page of Floor Time, each book got better & better. Here she is 7 books later and I truly do believe that Mutual Release is the best one yet. I love how Liz gives the back story to each of her main characters, Evan & Julie, in this case & how each of the secondary characters are brought in for the long ride to a happy ending. There were times where I wanted to slap the ever loving shit out of Evan & Julie, but I truly believed all along that they were what each other needed.
Romance Books For Real Life is how Liz Crowe's books are described. I agree 100%. I must add, that after reading this book, I do have a bigger soft spot for Evan, but Jack, the full-on pussy magent, will always be my fave!
Mutual Release
I don't normally write reviews, because I am afraid of sounding like a rambling idiot...with that said, I was given an ARC of this book for my honest opinion. Here goes, so please hang with me while I turn into that rambling idiot..
Let me first start by saying that I found Liz & her books by "accident" on my Kindle. If you haven't read this series yet, please take the time to do so- You WILL NOT be disappointed. I fell in love with her & her books from the first page of Floor Time, each book got better & better. Here she is 7 books later and I truly do believe that Mutual Release is the best one yet. I love how Liz gives the back story to each of her main characters, Evan & Julie, in this case & how each of the secondary characters are brought in for the long ride to a happy ending. There were times where I wanted to slap the ever loving shit out of Evan & Julie, but I truly believed all along that they were what each other needed.
Romance Books For Real Life is how Liz Crowe's books are described. I agree 100%. I must add, that after reading this book, I do have a bigger soft spot for Evan, but Jack, the full-on pussy magent, will always be my fave!
Mutual Release
April 17, 2013
As posted on http://jessysbookclub.wordpress.com/
This is my first ever Liz Crowe book and I was wowed! I’ve never read a book that actually goes full circle… you know, teen to adult and learning about life and love in between… otherwise known as ‘coming of age’ books… this is definitely my first go at it and I was lucky enough to not only find this sub-genre, but also to find the amazing Liz Crowe.
The story is about two people; Evan and Julie. Both of them coming from such horrific pasts…. Evan is unhappy with his home-life His father is distant, his mother is neglectful and even more so with his twin sister Olivia. Things get worse when his parents adopt Damien. Damien is about the same age as Evan, and though Evan immediately distrusts him, Damien is actually the one who introduces him into the BDSM lifestyle. While the lifestyle gives Evan the control he needs, he realizes that Damien uses it to abuse women. And hard as he may try to let this fact known to his family, they don’t listen to him. Damien has ingrained himself so far into his family, that Evan feels as the outsider. And all this leads to something so so tragic I cried
I want to say so many things about Evan’s part of the story. It's so incredibly heartbreaking . But I feel like one of the most incredible things about the book is that it slowly guides the reader into the BDSM lifestyle. As one who enjoys BDSM erotica, it was interesting to understand the psyche behind it… at least behind Evan’s choice, his need for control (to counter the lack of it at home), his shame for needing the lifestyle, his attempts at vanilla… it was really an eye-opener for me.
The book has managed to create a really good juxtaposition between an incredibly heartbreaking story and incredibly steamy steamy scenes! Evan as a Dom was hot but Evan as a switch was even hotter! There were places I thought, okay that’s not typical Dom behavior (yes me of the no knowledge of the actual lifestyle) but then he switches into a sub… then back… and I think… holy hotness!
But back to the story. We then get Julie’s story… another heartbreaking one, which of course shapes the Julie Evan meets. Tough, no nonsense, wants nothing to do with men. Evan however recognizes the submissive in her. Recognizes the fact that she has been hurt and that there’s nothing he wants more than to take care of her, soothe her, maybe even ‘heal’ her… and possibly heal himself in the process. I absolutely loved this man, the things he went through could break any person, yet he grows up to be so strong… with a strong need to protect others… and let’s not forget his absolute yumminess!
“So the things you need to know about me relative to this are,” he held up fingers as he counted, “one. I like it rough. Two. I’m in control in the bedroom. I set the stage, I call the shots. You will have an orgasm – several of them, but only when I tell you to. Three. I don’t share. You’re mine. And four. You have to trust me. Completely.
“Yes sir!” Is what I would say, but with Julie’s past Evan knows this will be difficult.
…Someone’s submissive. She stopped, put her hands on her hips, and tried to let the word not sound foreign, so weak and victim-like. That was her issue, she knew.
I LOVED this book. The entire story from childhood to adulthood was an incredible journey. One that had me restraining myself from reaching into my psych books and going into that Freudian theory again!
The tragedy of it all broke my heart, the steamy scenes were exactly what they should be… HOT! But something else that amazed me is the realness of the story. Especially Evan and Julie together. I loved their journey, hurt for them and cheered for them.
I realized later that its part of a series but I read it as a standalone and didn’t feel like I missed a thing. Highly recommended to especially those of us who love BDSM erotica.
4.5 stars!
Finally I’d like to thank the author and Goddess Fish for providing this copy for my review.
This is my first ever Liz Crowe book and I was wowed! I’ve never read a book that actually goes full circle… you know, teen to adult and learning about life and love in between… otherwise known as ‘coming of age’ books… this is definitely my first go at it and I was lucky enough to not only find this sub-genre, but also to find the amazing Liz Crowe.
The story is about two people; Evan and Julie. Both of them coming from such horrific pasts…. Evan is unhappy with his home-life His father is distant, his mother is neglectful and even more so with his twin sister Olivia. Things get worse when his parents adopt Damien. Damien is about the same age as Evan, and though Evan immediately distrusts him, Damien is actually the one who introduces him into the BDSM lifestyle. While the lifestyle gives Evan the control he needs, he realizes that Damien uses it to abuse women. And hard as he may try to let this fact known to his family, they don’t listen to him. Damien has ingrained himself so far into his family, that Evan feels as the outsider. And all this leads to something so so tragic I cried
I want to say so many things about Evan’s part of the story. It's so incredibly heartbreaking . But I feel like one of the most incredible things about the book is that it slowly guides the reader into the BDSM lifestyle. As one who enjoys BDSM erotica, it was interesting to understand the psyche behind it… at least behind Evan’s choice, his need for control (to counter the lack of it at home), his shame for needing the lifestyle, his attempts at vanilla… it was really an eye-opener for me.
The book has managed to create a really good juxtaposition between an incredibly heartbreaking story and incredibly steamy steamy scenes! Evan as a Dom was hot but Evan as a switch was even hotter! There were places I thought, okay that’s not typical Dom behavior (yes me of the no knowledge of the actual lifestyle) but then he switches into a sub… then back… and I think… holy hotness!
But back to the story. We then get Julie’s story… another heartbreaking one, which of course shapes the Julie Evan meets. Tough, no nonsense, wants nothing to do with men. Evan however recognizes the submissive in her. Recognizes the fact that she has been hurt and that there’s nothing he wants more than to take care of her, soothe her, maybe even ‘heal’ her… and possibly heal himself in the process. I absolutely loved this man, the things he went through could break any person, yet he grows up to be so strong… with a strong need to protect others… and let’s not forget his absolute yumminess!
“So the things you need to know about me relative to this are,” he held up fingers as he counted, “one. I like it rough. Two. I’m in control in the bedroom. I set the stage, I call the shots. You will have an orgasm – several of them, but only when I tell you to. Three. I don’t share. You’re mine. And four. You have to trust me. Completely.
“Yes sir!” Is what I would say, but with Julie’s past Evan knows this will be difficult.
…Someone’s submissive. She stopped, put her hands on her hips, and tried to let the word not sound foreign, so weak and victim-like. That was her issue, she knew.
I LOVED this book. The entire story from childhood to adulthood was an incredible journey. One that had me restraining myself from reaching into my psych books and going into that Freudian theory again!
The tragedy of it all broke my heart, the steamy scenes were exactly what they should be… HOT! But something else that amazed me is the realness of the story. Especially Evan and Julie together. I loved their journey, hurt for them and cheered for them.
I realized later that its part of a series but I read it as a standalone and didn’t feel like I missed a thing. Highly recommended to especially those of us who love BDSM erotica.
4.5 stars!
Finally I’d like to thank the author and Goddess Fish for providing this copy for my review.
August 19, 2013
Rating: 1 out of 5.
I did not enjoy this novel. This novel hit several of my pet peeves in the worst way possible.
The story mostly consisted of the characters’ sexual history, which was very stereotypical. As in the hero was obviously very free with his body, went to clubs, did BDSM and slept with just about a different woman (if not more) every night that he went to those clubs. Whereas the heroine has never been pleasured properly and has been abused.
Of course, the story basically goes on to show how such a promiscuous man like Evan can help a woman like Julie with her life. He introduces the inexperienced her - inexperienced with regards to kink - to the BDSM life. They fall in love…
I do have to say, that the secondary plot line about Evan’s sister Olivia made for a slightly different story, but regardless, such stereotypical features of the characters’ sex life is a huge pet peeve of mine and as such, I just couldn’t enjoy the novel.
Give this novel a try if you don’t mind the characteristics of the main characters.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley and TriDestiny Publishing.
I did not enjoy this novel. This novel hit several of my pet peeves in the worst way possible.
The story mostly consisted of the characters’ sexual history, which was very stereotypical. As in the hero was obviously very free with his body, went to clubs, did BDSM and slept with just about a different woman (if not more) every night that he went to those clubs. Whereas the heroine has never been pleasured properly and has been abused.
Of course, the story basically goes on to show how such a promiscuous man like Evan can help a woman like Julie with her life. He introduces the inexperienced her - inexperienced with regards to kink - to the BDSM life. They fall in love…
I do have to say, that the secondary plot line about Evan’s sister Olivia made for a slightly different story, but regardless, such stereotypical features of the characters’ sex life is a huge pet peeve of mine and as such, I just couldn’t enjoy the novel.
Give this novel a try if you don’t mind the characteristics of the main characters.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley and TriDestiny Publishing.
March 22, 2013
This is a "can't miss" and "can't put down" book. My first entry into the Stewart series, I had no idea what to expect, but this book packed everything I ask for in a book between it's covers. I laughed, cried, and was utterly unprepared for the twists and turns it took.
I will absolutely read the rest in the series and look forward to the last book, Good Faith, with bittersweetness if it's anything like Mutual Release.
I can honestly say this book, in terms of literary craft, ranked up there for me with classics such as "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute.
I will absolutely read the rest in the series and look forward to the last book, Good Faith, with bittersweetness if it's anything like Mutual Release.
I can honestly say this book, in terms of literary craft, ranked up there for me with classics such as "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute.
April 17, 2013
Wow! What another amazing addition to the Stewart Realty Series. I was blown away from the first chapter. I'm not a critic or reviewer, just a fanatic Liz Crowe fan. I have read everyone of her books and will continue to as long as she keeps writing. The books just keep getting better and better. Mutual Release is her best yet. I love her "romance for real life " mantra and its what keeps me reading. I was so very honored to be given the opportunity to read this book early. So thank you Liz Crowe, I will forever be grateful. If you are a fan of Liz Crowe already and have been in her Romance for Real Life group on Facebook, then you know how she loves to pump us up for her next release. I have never been so excited about a story in my life. I have been dreaming of Evan for quite sometime. I even wrote this little poem for Liz to prove my excitement:
Dreaming
My anticipation of a date with you has left me wanting
The writer loves the taunting
I met you long ago in book one
Little did I know I would come undone
You were the great friend
Something I could comprehend
I know you never thought you could drop to your knees
I also know how you love to please
In my slumber I can feel your touch
I never imagined a need so much
In your arms I find a safe place to hold
Our bodies combine and mold
You are the strong and tough
I know i'll never get enough
You are the book boy friend I've never met
EVAN, I can't wait for you to make me wet!
OMG, did Evan live up to every word and more. This is a story of two torn souls who find each other trying to heal. Mutual Release touches on the BDSM lifestyle and the elements of such a powerful relationship.
Evan has been playing in this realm since he was a teenager. He has witnessed the violence of someone masquerading as a Dom to hide his own sick evilness. Evan has learned about control and the importance of trust in a Dom/sub relationship. He has even "Switched" for the right Domme. When tragedy strikes home he finds himself unable to face what he truly is a Dom.
Julie is by far Liz's strongest female character to date. She has faced severe parental neglect as a child and has had to endure such a violent horrible event. She builds a wall around her heart so strong just so no one can ever hurt her again. She uses her strength to manipulate the corporate world so she can be successful.
The meeting of Evan and Julie will have you cheering in your seats saying " just go for it, your made for each other". The chemistry is so strong, the sex is sizzling steamy, however this book is about the romantic journey to peace. Evan is so strong, protective, romantic, and loving. Julie is so strong, stubborn, and guarded. Evan has to bring everything he can muster up to conquer Julie's wall of steel.
If your a new fan of this remarkable series or a fanatic fan like me you will have a favorite book boyfriend or "Team". I am laying claim of Captain Team Evan forever! Why? Simply
I have a great passion for a Dom but a "Switch" is amazing! I feel it only makes the Man more real in my eyes. It brings a certain reality to the fantasy concepts of the Alpha Dom. It just does it for me all the way around. Liz captures this well with Evan. Evan never once sees "switching" as a weakness. Evans Dom was so romantic. I was in love with him in book one when Jack constantly teases him. I always thought he was stronger than him. Evan just goes and gets what he wants. TEAM EVAN¡!!
We all know Liz Crowe can write a banging Epilogue! I promise you all this one will have you on the edge of your seats begging for Good Faith the 8th installment!
Mutual Release is awesome guys. Don't miss out on one of the most Romantic journeys you can ride on!!!!!
Dreaming
My anticipation of a date with you has left me wanting
The writer loves the taunting
I met you long ago in book one
Little did I know I would come undone
You were the great friend
Something I could comprehend
I know you never thought you could drop to your knees
I also know how you love to please
In my slumber I can feel your touch
I never imagined a need so much
In your arms I find a safe place to hold
Our bodies combine and mold
You are the strong and tough
I know i'll never get enough
You are the book boy friend I've never met
EVAN, I can't wait for you to make me wet!
OMG, did Evan live up to every word and more. This is a story of two torn souls who find each other trying to heal. Mutual Release touches on the BDSM lifestyle and the elements of such a powerful relationship.
Evan has been playing in this realm since he was a teenager. He has witnessed the violence of someone masquerading as a Dom to hide his own sick evilness. Evan has learned about control and the importance of trust in a Dom/sub relationship. He has even "Switched" for the right Domme. When tragedy strikes home he finds himself unable to face what he truly is a Dom.
Julie is by far Liz's strongest female character to date. She has faced severe parental neglect as a child and has had to endure such a violent horrible event. She builds a wall around her heart so strong just so no one can ever hurt her again. She uses her strength to manipulate the corporate world so she can be successful.
The meeting of Evan and Julie will have you cheering in your seats saying " just go for it, your made for each other". The chemistry is so strong, the sex is sizzling steamy, however this book is about the romantic journey to peace. Evan is so strong, protective, romantic, and loving. Julie is so strong, stubborn, and guarded. Evan has to bring everything he can muster up to conquer Julie's wall of steel.
If your a new fan of this remarkable series or a fanatic fan like me you will have a favorite book boyfriend or "Team". I am laying claim of Captain Team Evan forever! Why? Simply
I have a great passion for a Dom but a "Switch" is amazing! I feel it only makes the Man more real in my eyes. It brings a certain reality to the fantasy concepts of the Alpha Dom. It just does it for me all the way around. Liz captures this well with Evan. Evan never once sees "switching" as a weakness. Evans Dom was so romantic. I was in love with him in book one when Jack constantly teases him. I always thought he was stronger than him. Evan just goes and gets what he wants. TEAM EVAN¡!!
We all know Liz Crowe can write a banging Epilogue! I promise you all this one will have you on the edge of your seats begging for Good Faith the 8th installment!
Mutual Release is awesome guys. Don't miss out on one of the most Romantic journeys you can ride on!!!!!
March 23, 2013
I want everyone to know that this is Liz Crowe best book to date. From someone who is unsure about this BDSM lifestyle but is intrigued and wanted to learn more.. ( I find their lifestyle interesting and wanted to learn more). I think Liz does an excellent job of giving the reader a picture into the life and relationships they can have. I loved the journey that Liz Crowe takes the reader through with Evan and Julie. I really couldn't put it down .. I was intrigued from the first page and it is well written and their never a dull moment .. Everyone must read it when it's LIVE!! Thank you Liz For the opportunity to win an ARC of this book. You write amazing books and what else can I say we are Michiganders..
May 9, 2013
Holy smokin’ hot reads! Mutual Release by Liz Crowe, Number 7 in her Stewart Realty Series still has me reeling, two days after I finished it! Talk about intense, romantic and did I mention INTENSE? Two tragically damaged people find what they need in each other on every level, in the most intimate of ways, creating a soul-deep bond that many would love to have. Mutual Release touches on the BDSM lifestyle and the elements of such a powerful relationship in such a way that it brings the story together without overpowering it. Evan was introduced to the lifestyle as a teen by someone he learned to hate and vowed to never be like. He often wrestled with his choices, but they taught him to truly feel and protect, to know what he wanted and to hang in there, no matter what. Enter Julie, with a brutal childhood, who found a way to make something of herself without losing her soul, her biggest short-coming, was a lack of trust in humanity. Business brought them together, but a hard-won, gut-deep trust cemented their hearts and their lives.
I think maybe Liz Crowe has created one of the most dream-worthy heroes in Evan that I have ever read! He knows who he is, his past only makes him better and stronger with a larger than life sense of right and wrong. Most important, he is willing to act on his convictions. Ms. Crowe’s ability to bring ALL of her characters to full Technicolor 3-D life with her gift for words ALMOST leaves me speechless. They are who they are, they give no apologies, they are strong in their passions, yet, we could sit together and talk over a good micro-brew, talk about breathing life into a character!
The entire story from childhood to adulthood was an incredible journey. Its tragedies will break your heart, its erotic scenes sizzle, and yet, it feels real and you will find yourself wanting the best for both Julie and Evan!
Definitely an adult read that delves into the minds and worlds of those who prefer ‘more than vanilla sex,’ Mutual Release may not be for everyone, but the story told is one of a true romance and is worth stepping out of your comfort zone!
May 9-16!
Mutual Release Giveaway and Interview with Author Liz Crowe!
USA - Enter to Win a Paperback Copy of Mutual Release
Internationally - Enter to Win an Ebook Copy of Mutual Release
Click Picture to Enter Giveaway Post
Enter to WIN an eCopy of Mutual Release by Liz Crowe!
http://tometender.blogspot.com/2013/0...
I think maybe Liz Crowe has created one of the most dream-worthy heroes in Evan that I have ever read! He knows who he is, his past only makes him better and stronger with a larger than life sense of right and wrong. Most important, he is willing to act on his convictions. Ms. Crowe’s ability to bring ALL of her characters to full Technicolor 3-D life with her gift for words ALMOST leaves me speechless. They are who they are, they give no apologies, they are strong in their passions, yet, we could sit together and talk over a good micro-brew, talk about breathing life into a character!
The entire story from childhood to adulthood was an incredible journey. Its tragedies will break your heart, its erotic scenes sizzle, and yet, it feels real and you will find yourself wanting the best for both Julie and Evan!
Definitely an adult read that delves into the minds and worlds of those who prefer ‘more than vanilla sex,’ Mutual Release may not be for everyone, but the story told is one of a true romance and is worth stepping out of your comfort zone!
May 9-16!
Mutual Release Giveaway and Interview with Author Liz Crowe!
USA - Enter to Win a Paperback Copy of Mutual Release
Internationally - Enter to Win an Ebook Copy of Mutual Release
Click Picture to Enter Giveaway Post
Enter to WIN an eCopy of Mutual Release by Liz Crowe!
http://tometender.blogspot.com/2013/0...
May 9, 2014
"I will be your Dom, Julie. That means so much more than just your lover. I won't be anything less, so you have to decide if you are willing to go there with me. If not, fine, but I am not about to touch you, or even kiss you again until you are fully on board with all aspects of this. I need it. You need it. And it will be beyond your wildest dreams from the start."
Oh, if only all the entire book was as good as this quote.... Unfortunately it was the only passage I highlighted.
I rather enjoyed the first 50% which delved into the characters history, but really lost momentum after they got together. The last 50% felt rushed, poorly linked and left me rather confused.
Only just managed to hit 3 stars.
Oh, if only all the entire book was as good as this quote.... Unfortunately it was the only passage I highlighted.
I rather enjoyed the first 50% which delved into the characters history, but really lost momentum after they got together. The last 50% felt rushed, poorly linked and left me rather confused.
Only just managed to hit 3 stars.
April 20, 2013
A special thanks to Tri Destiny Publishing for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read more of this review and check out the interview for Evan Adams @
The Book Wranglers
Where to start...
The Story:
Evan Adams:
The intensity that rolls off of Evan in waves leaves me jittery and breathless and totally delirious. He's by far one of my favorite characters.
Intelligence, success, and wealth mean very little for Evan as he struggles to come to grips with his past and except his future. Growing up in a home where his dad worked most of the time, his mom's flighty personality seemed almost bipolar at times, and his twin sister Olivia gradually disappeared into a shell, Evan learned pretty quickly that he was on his own.
** I like to think that the lack of good parenting and love is the catalyst that causes of both Evan and Olivia to seek some sort of balance and control in their lives.**
It's Evan and Olivia's senior year in high school when they receive news that their mom's close friend has died and left her teenage son in their care. It's at this moment that an already struggling family dynamic begins to crumble. Damien, the British stud that's able to bend anyone–adults and peers–to his will, has come into their lives like a hurricane and attempting to destroy everyone. The results of this are immediately devastating, but also life altering when Olivia embraces Anorexia and Evan turns to BDSM. After the years of neglect, the wedge between Evan and his family is severed.
(A bittersweet ending and a new beginning)
A decade has past and Evan has experienced major loss. But despite all of the pain and struggle for control and order he so desperately seeks in his life, he's determined to move forward. Everything seems to be moving into place when he finally meets Julie Dawson, the owner of the distribution company he's pitching to work with.
Julie Dawson:
CEO of a successful distribution company lend money, power, respect, long hours, and plenty of lonely nights, but it's everything she's ever wanted. Julie's model image of control is just smoke and mirrors for what's really happening inside her head and heart.
Living with a mother whose only concern was elevating her status by marrying the perfect man, Julie learned the hard way about what her beauty meant. This is another sad sad story of a selfish mother obsessed with herself and neglecting her daughter. When Julie is abused by someone close to her and her mother doesn't step up to keep her safe, her trust in people is shattered creating a broken shell of a girl, but building a hard woman in return.
**After reading this much my mind is like scrambled eggs**
Lust and hope spring to the front of Julie's mind when she encounters the perfectly handsome, charming, persistent, and headstrong Evan Adams, and once again life as she knows it changes.
The Connection:
These two stubborn, emotionally damaged, and lonely people have somehow found one another through all the BS. Evan and Julie have this strong, weird, and sometimes volatile relationship, but they have fallen in love.
**God... their issues with control and trust, and baggage for days, and tempers is enough to push anyone over the edge. I know because I felt like I was on the edge every time Evan made the wrong move or said the wrong thing and then Julie would fly off the hook.**
It takes a few years for them to get their act together and get on the same page, but when they do it's good, real good.
FINALLY!
The Best Thing:
I'm a big fan of Liz's work!! She's able to capture humanity at it's best and worst, especially in the story of Evan and Julie. At first I was really on the fence about Evan, but as the story progressed I really appreciated his determination to be better than his past experiences. For someone who has been beaten down a few times over the years, he's still open and willing to find happiness and he's still able to forgive. I love how he shows both strength and weakness when you least expect it–it makes him more realistic and relatable. By part III in the story I'm totally smitten, lock and key, I'm swooning for Evan!
Early into the story I'm able to pick up on 'TRUST'being the main point, the catalyst for everything that unfolds in the book. And I think it was perfectly executed, how easily TRUST was broken and how difficult it was to re-build.
The Worst Thing:
First, I have to say again that I really did like this book! That being said, at times I felt like I just wanted to walk off a cliff. For me, there was an overload of pain and trauma and heartache and I felt like I couldn't get a grip. While this sounds negative, to me it just means that Liz wrote a story that totally captured my mind and placed it somewhere outside of my body. There aren't many authors that are able to pull this off without the readers hating the book, but Liz does. It's such a catch 22! I mean I really admire the characters that Liz creates (enjoyed reading about Evan and Julie) and really like how she sends you through the ringer and makes you work for the HEA. At the same time, while I'm reading her stories (specifically this one) I feel totally devastated throughout the book.
Second, I'll have to admit that reading through all of these decades was a bit much for me. I mean we literally follow Evan and Julie from teenagers to soon-to-be grandparents, and there's not a lot of jumping in years. I feel like to know absolutely everything there is to know about these two. (Which is a good and a bad thing.)
Read more of this review and check out the interview for Evan Adams @
The Book Wranglers
Where to start...
The Story:
Evan Adams:
The intensity that rolls off of Evan in waves leaves me jittery and breathless and totally delirious. He's by far one of my favorite characters.
Intelligence, success, and wealth mean very little for Evan as he struggles to come to grips with his past and except his future. Growing up in a home where his dad worked most of the time, his mom's flighty personality seemed almost bipolar at times, and his twin sister Olivia gradually disappeared into a shell, Evan learned pretty quickly that he was on his own.
** I like to think that the lack of good parenting and love is the catalyst that causes of both Evan and Olivia to seek some sort of balance and control in their lives.**
It's Evan and Olivia's senior year in high school when they receive news that their mom's close friend has died and left her teenage son in their care. It's at this moment that an already struggling family dynamic begins to crumble. Damien, the British stud that's able to bend anyone–adults and peers–to his will, has come into their lives like a hurricane and attempting to destroy everyone. The results of this are immediately devastating, but also life altering when Olivia embraces Anorexia and Evan turns to BDSM. After the years of neglect, the wedge between Evan and his family is severed.
(A bittersweet ending and a new beginning)
A decade has past and Evan has experienced major loss. But despite all of the pain and struggle for control and order he so desperately seeks in his life, he's determined to move forward. Everything seems to be moving into place when he finally meets Julie Dawson, the owner of the distribution company he's pitching to work with.
Julie Dawson:
CEO of a successful distribution company lend money, power, respect, long hours, and plenty of lonely nights, but it's everything she's ever wanted. Julie's model image of control is just smoke and mirrors for what's really happening inside her head and heart.
Living with a mother whose only concern was elevating her status by marrying the perfect man, Julie learned the hard way about what her beauty meant. This is another sad sad story of a selfish mother obsessed with herself and neglecting her daughter. When Julie is abused by someone close to her and her mother doesn't step up to keep her safe, her trust in people is shattered creating a broken shell of a girl, but building a hard woman in return.
**After reading this much my mind is like scrambled eggs**
Lust and hope spring to the front of Julie's mind when she encounters the perfectly handsome, charming, persistent, and headstrong Evan Adams, and once again life as she knows it changes.
The Connection:
These two stubborn, emotionally damaged, and lonely people have somehow found one another through all the BS. Evan and Julie have this strong, weird, and sometimes volatile relationship, but they have fallen in love.
**God... their issues with control and trust, and baggage for days, and tempers is enough to push anyone over the edge. I know because I felt like I was on the edge every time Evan made the wrong move or said the wrong thing and then Julie would fly off the hook.**
It takes a few years for them to get their act together and get on the same page, but when they do it's good, real good.
FINALLY!
The Best Thing:
I'm a big fan of Liz's work!! She's able to capture humanity at it's best and worst, especially in the story of Evan and Julie. At first I was really on the fence about Evan, but as the story progressed I really appreciated his determination to be better than his past experiences. For someone who has been beaten down a few times over the years, he's still open and willing to find happiness and he's still able to forgive. I love how he shows both strength and weakness when you least expect it–it makes him more realistic and relatable. By part III in the story I'm totally smitten, lock and key, I'm swooning for Evan!
Early into the story I'm able to pick up on 'TRUST'being the main point, the catalyst for everything that unfolds in the book. And I think it was perfectly executed, how easily TRUST was broken and how difficult it was to re-build.
The Worst Thing:
First, I have to say again that I really did like this book! That being said, at times I felt like I just wanted to walk off a cliff. For me, there was an overload of pain and trauma and heartache and I felt like I couldn't get a grip. While this sounds negative, to me it just means that Liz wrote a story that totally captured my mind and placed it somewhere outside of my body. There aren't many authors that are able to pull this off without the readers hating the book, but Liz does. It's such a catch 22! I mean I really admire the characters that Liz creates (enjoyed reading about Evan and Julie) and really like how she sends you through the ringer and makes you work for the HEA. At the same time, while I'm reading her stories (specifically this one) I feel totally devastated throughout the book.
Second, I'll have to admit that reading through all of these decades was a bit much for me. I mean we literally follow Evan and Julie from teenagers to soon-to-be grandparents, and there's not a lot of jumping in years. I feel like to know absolutely everything there is to know about these two. (Which is a good and a bad thing.)
April 18, 2013
This was my first introduction to Liz Crowe’s work, after hearing that her books were a “must read” from others, I jumped at the chance to read this book. While it is the seventh book of an ongoing series, this book does stand on its own quite comfortably, although I now will be reading more of this author’s work.
Two souls, damaged by life and afraid to trust must fight their own personal demons, and learn to share their burdens and hearts. Julie and Evan are totally relatable characters, the author begins the book by sharing Evan’s story: bringing us to the tragedy that so changed his life and his subsequent introduction to the BDSM lifestyle. A highly emotional story, you will find yourself viscerally connected to Evan’s pain, anger and frustration as we follow him from high school through mid-twenties. His curiosity, attraction to and experimentation with BDSM practices are clearly defined and detailed, and we see him transform as he starts to accept and learn to integrate his darker side.
At this point, the story focuses on Julie and her struggles with a mother who was distant and removed, and the horrific circumstances Julie withstood after her mother’s remarriage. Following her until her mid-twenties as she is a successful, yet curiously unemotional businesswoman, readers are provided information that reader’s require to understand her reactions to, and attitude about men, and Evan in particular.
From their first meeting, sparks fly – both are defensive and sharp tongued, and seem to just never find a smooth path to just give in and accept they are meant for one another. Frustrating bouts of missed communication and quick to judge from hurt rather than reality did side-track this story at times, but each argument was perfectly realistic and relatable: this author pays attention to those around her and can write a dysfunctional relationship! Fortunately for readers and the characters, Evan and Julie do manage to not only steam up several scenes that are both emotionally charged and erotic, they also manage to find common ground that gives them both what they so desperately needed in their lives: Love and Acceptance.
Certainly a worthwhile read for 18+ readers who want to see an example of the cause and effect relationship of personal circumstance leading to entrée into the BDSM lifestyle, and those who want emotional scenes with characters that live and breathe in the room with you. Liz Crowe has another fan in this reader, and I will be reading more of her other titles.
I received an eBook from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Two souls, damaged by life and afraid to trust must fight their own personal demons, and learn to share their burdens and hearts. Julie and Evan are totally relatable characters, the author begins the book by sharing Evan’s story: bringing us to the tragedy that so changed his life and his subsequent introduction to the BDSM lifestyle. A highly emotional story, you will find yourself viscerally connected to Evan’s pain, anger and frustration as we follow him from high school through mid-twenties. His curiosity, attraction to and experimentation with BDSM practices are clearly defined and detailed, and we see him transform as he starts to accept and learn to integrate his darker side.
At this point, the story focuses on Julie and her struggles with a mother who was distant and removed, and the horrific circumstances Julie withstood after her mother’s remarriage. Following her until her mid-twenties as she is a successful, yet curiously unemotional businesswoman, readers are provided information that reader’s require to understand her reactions to, and attitude about men, and Evan in particular.
From their first meeting, sparks fly – both are defensive and sharp tongued, and seem to just never find a smooth path to just give in and accept they are meant for one another. Frustrating bouts of missed communication and quick to judge from hurt rather than reality did side-track this story at times, but each argument was perfectly realistic and relatable: this author pays attention to those around her and can write a dysfunctional relationship! Fortunately for readers and the characters, Evan and Julie do manage to not only steam up several scenes that are both emotionally charged and erotic, they also manage to find common ground that gives them both what they so desperately needed in their lives: Love and Acceptance.
Certainly a worthwhile read for 18+ readers who want to see an example of the cause and effect relationship of personal circumstance leading to entrée into the BDSM lifestyle, and those who want emotional scenes with characters that live and breathe in the room with you. Liz Crowe has another fan in this reader, and I will be reading more of her other titles.
I received an eBook from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
April 5, 2013
Liz Crowe…..where have you been all my life??? Even though I have downloaded some of Crowe’s books - I had yet to read them. WOW - I have been missing out on an amazing author and series!!
Evan……he has a typical life for high school senior. Just trying to ‘make it’ to graduation. His father isn’t around much, and his mother is always paying more attention to ‘pet projects’ than her children. Evan has a twin sister Olivia. Evan wants to become a lawyer, and Olivia is a dancer with an amazing future. Things change when Damian - the son of a family friend - comes to live with them after the death of his mother.
Evan discovers his need to be involved in the BDSM scene. His ‘urges’ drive him to explore his darker side. During his experimentation - he discovers there are some people that want nothing more than to hurt others.
After a tragedy changes the course of his life, Evan finds himself as the owner of a Brewery. His desire to learn everything he can about the business and make it successful - leads him to cross paths with Julie Dawson. From the beginning - fireworks are evident.
Julie……she had such a traumatic childhood. The child of a mother that cared more about ‘finding a man’ than the interests or well-being of her daughter. After struggling in life to be a success, Julie works her way to the top of the business world. She is very successful, but with success comes loneliness.
When Julie meets Evan - she finds herself thinking about him constantly. Evan is persistent in his pursuit of a relationship with Julie. These two must overcome the trauma from their pasts to carve out their future. Will they find their ‘happily ever after’? Or are they both so damaged that a future together is impossible?
This was a great book!! The character development is so detailed in this book. You feel every high, low, and will even find yourself wanting more. You can read this book as a stand alone or as a part of the series. One this is certain - you will not stop reading Liz Crowe books after ‘just one book’.
Thank you to the author for providing me an ARC for my honest review!!
Evan……he has a typical life for high school senior. Just trying to ‘make it’ to graduation. His father isn’t around much, and his mother is always paying more attention to ‘pet projects’ than her children. Evan has a twin sister Olivia. Evan wants to become a lawyer, and Olivia is a dancer with an amazing future. Things change when Damian - the son of a family friend - comes to live with them after the death of his mother.
Evan discovers his need to be involved in the BDSM scene. His ‘urges’ drive him to explore his darker side. During his experimentation - he discovers there are some people that want nothing more than to hurt others.
After a tragedy changes the course of his life, Evan finds himself as the owner of a Brewery. His desire to learn everything he can about the business and make it successful - leads him to cross paths with Julie Dawson. From the beginning - fireworks are evident.
Julie……she had such a traumatic childhood. The child of a mother that cared more about ‘finding a man’ than the interests or well-being of her daughter. After struggling in life to be a success, Julie works her way to the top of the business world. She is very successful, but with success comes loneliness.
When Julie meets Evan - she finds herself thinking about him constantly. Evan is persistent in his pursuit of a relationship with Julie. These two must overcome the trauma from their pasts to carve out their future. Will they find their ‘happily ever after’? Or are they both so damaged that a future together is impossible?
This was a great book!! The character development is so detailed in this book. You feel every high, low, and will even find yourself wanting more. You can read this book as a stand alone or as a part of the series. One this is certain - you will not stop reading Liz Crowe books after ‘just one book’.
Thank you to the author for providing me an ARC for my honest review!!
May 7, 2013
Review coming April 24th which is my stop for the blog tour!-Stop by to enter a giveaway!!
This book takes you through Evan's life up until he meets Julie then switches to Julie's life as a teenager until she meets Evan. The Author really covers everything about each of their lives. They have their issues so we are taken on a journey as they figure out how to love each other and deal with their past's. Lot's of Hot Steamy Sex! Fabulous ending and a Fantastic Epilogue which has a little mystery to which will be revealed in the next book due out in November.
Quote:
"Stop fucking me with your eyes, pretty boy."
Follow My Blog
This book takes you through Evan's life up until he meets Julie then switches to Julie's life as a teenager until she meets Evan. The Author really covers everything about each of their lives. They have their issues so we are taken on a journey as they figure out how to love each other and deal with their past's. Lot's of Hot Steamy Sex! Fabulous ending and a Fantastic Epilogue which has a little mystery to which will be revealed in the next book due out in November.
Quote:
"Stop fucking me with your eyes, pretty boy."
Follow My Blog
April 7, 2013
I am usually a huge fan of Liz Crowe but for some reason this book did nothing for me. I was thoroughly disappointed.
May 7, 2013
Can't wait'!
Want to read
April 15, 2013ARC provided by Tri Destiny Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
April 20, 2013
When many books are left with cliffhangers or switching to serial format, it's a satisfying treat to read a complete novel. Mutual Release by Ms. Crowe is a complete three part story detailing the lives of Evan Adams and Julie Dawson. Full disclosure, this book was sent to me by the publisher for a review. I was hesitant and asked the publisher to look at my two reviews I've written for Ms. Crowe before deciding to send me the book to read. After my warning, the ARC showed up in my inbox.
This is a story of two very messed up people coming together into a toxic relationship. Honestly, I think in a few years after this marriage, I'm seeing a crime of passion in the form of War of the Roses style. Evan and Julie will be the death of each other, literally. Let's start with Evan first. It is refreshing to read from a male's point of view. Evan is lured to the dark side of BDSM through a foster brother. Evan's introduction seems to be dark yet I'm not sure exactly why. Now, I am very familiar with Ann Arbor where Ms. Crowe's brewing company exists. So all these places she mentions, I know with the exception of the BDSM clubs.
Now I'm not sure about the other BDSM groups in the Southeast Michigan area, but Ann Arbor TNG and the BDSM organization I attend are both heavy in the edge players. When I say edge players, I mean blood play and some serious temporary and permanent marks. They tend to be a bit heavier in the SM side of BDSM. So it is quite possible for Evan to fall into a group of extreme edgeplayers. What I do find interesting is the guilt and inner turmoil. It shows his complete lack of understanding of BDSM. It's as if he only Tops instead of dominates yet he equates the two as the same thing. Yes, he's shown as someone who "uses the voice" to command. Personally, I didn't really see much of his commanding. He seems out of control more oft than not. And this is quite confusing since his nicknames are POTUS or prez. I would have expected more demonstrations of his leadership rather than being told he is such a great leader. For me, Evan screams of sensation whore which as a Top is a bad thing to me. I expect a Top to be in more control of himself in order to handle a scene safely. For a Top to want a D/s relationship and exchange erotic power, then he better be in control of himself in order to handle more power shifting to him. In each case, it is very questionable whether or not Evan is able to handle the Dom side of it. In fact, it seems Ms. Crowe deliberately shows how poorly Evan fails at it. This is okay. It's not all a smooth ride with rainbows and unicorns when a person is first starting to learn how to Dom. However, the amount of baggage Evan carries with him into the lifestyle is alarming. Let's put it this way. There is no way in hell I'd ever submit to someone like Evan. He's emotionally unbalanced and conflicted in his role as a Dom. He's not safe and not someone I can trust. Without trust, there is no D/s for me.
Generally I love the angst filled books. They seem to add a depth to the character. In this one, there doesn't seem to be any balance to the darkness. It is one punch after another to the gut. If Evan could rise above this and be a survivor it would be one thing. Throughout the book, he comes across as a victim over and over again. He never owns it. He is the one who is constantly getting the shaft. It's like he never learns from his mistakes. He only hides from them. He avoids them by his unhealthy BDSM celibacy and then falling off the wagon and straight into the sadistic dungeon of kinky fornication. His predictable manner of gluttonous and starvation cycles become trying to the reader.
Then there is Julie. Julie is the woman, loving mothers warn their sons about. Julie became her mother. She is yet another victim who cowers from resolving a conflict. There is actually nothing redeeming about her. I can't fathom why Evan wants her. She's manipulative, arrogant and emotionally stunted. This one sentence sums up Julie. "Julie was through being used, disrespected, simply because she possesses a body that sent the wrong messages." Seriously? It's always someone else's fault, never hers. I can't stand people like this. Perhaps it isn't her body sending the wrong messages. She's sending the wrong messages. Her actions definitely scream slut loud and clear. Perhaps not when she was a teenager, but as an adult, she became exactly what she hated. I have no patience for people like this. While I like my main characters to have a bit of flaws, to have no redeeming qualities is hard to swallow. Perhaps she is the villain in this tale and I just missed it. She is brings out the worst in Evan. It's sad.
Despite the characters, the story is interesting and captures my attention. Each time when I think it can't become any worse, Ms. Crowe stomps on her characters some more. The BDSM scenes are okay. They are smexy fun for the most part. The abuse ones from the "villain" are clear. Overall, I would categorize this as an erotic novel with elements of BDSM to give it a kinky heat. This contemporary romance novel is recommended for readers who love angst filled pasts and characters who attract drama.
This is a story of two very messed up people coming together into a toxic relationship. Honestly, I think in a few years after this marriage, I'm seeing a crime of passion in the form of War of the Roses style. Evan and Julie will be the death of each other, literally. Let's start with Evan first. It is refreshing to read from a male's point of view. Evan is lured to the dark side of BDSM through a foster brother. Evan's introduction seems to be dark yet I'm not sure exactly why. Now, I am very familiar with Ann Arbor where Ms. Crowe's brewing company exists. So all these places she mentions, I know with the exception of the BDSM clubs.
Now I'm not sure about the other BDSM groups in the Southeast Michigan area, but Ann Arbor TNG and the BDSM organization I attend are both heavy in the edge players. When I say edge players, I mean blood play and some serious temporary and permanent marks. They tend to be a bit heavier in the SM side of BDSM. So it is quite possible for Evan to fall into a group of extreme edgeplayers. What I do find interesting is the guilt and inner turmoil. It shows his complete lack of understanding of BDSM. It's as if he only Tops instead of dominates yet he equates the two as the same thing. Yes, he's shown as someone who "uses the voice" to command. Personally, I didn't really see much of his commanding. He seems out of control more oft than not. And this is quite confusing since his nicknames are POTUS or prez. I would have expected more demonstrations of his leadership rather than being told he is such a great leader. For me, Evan screams of sensation whore which as a Top is a bad thing to me. I expect a Top to be in more control of himself in order to handle a scene safely. For a Top to want a D/s relationship and exchange erotic power, then he better be in control of himself in order to handle more power shifting to him. In each case, it is very questionable whether or not Evan is able to handle the Dom side of it. In fact, it seems Ms. Crowe deliberately shows how poorly Evan fails at it. This is okay. It's not all a smooth ride with rainbows and unicorns when a person is first starting to learn how to Dom. However, the amount of baggage Evan carries with him into the lifestyle is alarming. Let's put it this way. There is no way in hell I'd ever submit to someone like Evan. He's emotionally unbalanced and conflicted in his role as a Dom. He's not safe and not someone I can trust. Without trust, there is no D/s for me.
Generally I love the angst filled books. They seem to add a depth to the character. In this one, there doesn't seem to be any balance to the darkness. It is one punch after another to the gut. If Evan could rise above this and be a survivor it would be one thing. Throughout the book, he comes across as a victim over and over again. He never owns it. He is the one who is constantly getting the shaft. It's like he never learns from his mistakes. He only hides from them. He avoids them by his unhealthy BDSM celibacy and then falling off the wagon and straight into the sadistic dungeon of kinky fornication. His predictable manner of gluttonous and starvation cycles become trying to the reader.
Then there is Julie. Julie is the woman, loving mothers warn their sons about. Julie became her mother. She is yet another victim who cowers from resolving a conflict. There is actually nothing redeeming about her. I can't fathom why Evan wants her. She's manipulative, arrogant and emotionally stunted. This one sentence sums up Julie. "Julie was through being used, disrespected, simply because she possesses a body that sent the wrong messages." Seriously? It's always someone else's fault, never hers. I can't stand people like this. Perhaps it isn't her body sending the wrong messages. She's sending the wrong messages. Her actions definitely scream slut loud and clear. Perhaps not when she was a teenager, but as an adult, she became exactly what she hated. I have no patience for people like this. While I like my main characters to have a bit of flaws, to have no redeeming qualities is hard to swallow. Perhaps she is the villain in this tale and I just missed it. She is brings out the worst in Evan. It's sad.
Despite the characters, the story is interesting and captures my attention. Each time when I think it can't become any worse, Ms. Crowe stomps on her characters some more. The BDSM scenes are okay. They are smexy fun for the most part. The abuse ones from the "villain" are clear. Overall, I would categorize this as an erotic novel with elements of BDSM to give it a kinky heat. This contemporary romance novel is recommended for readers who love angst filled pasts and characters who attract drama.
August 4, 2013
Wow, this was an incredibly tragic, sexy, and beautifully-written story! Mutual Release was so much more than just a steamy erotica story, and a hell of a lot more than I was expecting. Liz Crowe proves that it’s possible to take an honest, deep look into the BDSM lifestyle when you have a gripping storyline and memorable characters that can carry the weight of a heavy plot.
I love the fact that we get THE WHOLE story here. This book is broken up into sections, divided into the significant periods of Evan and Julie’s journey, the first of which was Evan’s story. There were no flashbacks to Evan’s past explaining how he went down the path he did in life, because we get to see firsthand how Evan grew into the world of BDSM at such a young age. It was so neat to actually understand the reasoning and psychology behind Evan’s sexual proclivities, this was something so entirely different from any other book I've read in this genre. To have all of the background knowledge of his experiences made this story so much more complete and well-developed, you really feel like you know him inside and out.
It was surprising that Evan started out into the erotic and darker side of sex at such a young age, but nowhere near as shocking as the actions of Damien Slate. Talk about your born psychotics, this boy was taken in by Evan's family after his mother died, and from the very start he had a creepy vibe. It infuriated me that no one else believed what Evan saw in him, and it sickened me when it went unnoticed. While we see Evan delving into discovering what satisfies him and how to go about getting what he needs from a partner, you can almost feel the evil seeping off of Damian as they live parallel but completely different lives. What Evan took from his experiences, whether good or bad, he learned from and grew into a better Dom for it. Damian, in the mean time, was busy honing his vile behavior so that he could perfect the pain he inflicted. Looking past the signs was something Evan's family would forever regret.
We get to see a lot of Evan's life before Julie Dawson is introduced; by the time Julie’s part of the story comes around, we’ve seen Evan through several failed relationships. I loved seeing him learn from the mistakes he made, it really made him ready for what he and Julie would have. Julie had a sad and disturbing past of her own, and when we see the life she suffered through it makes her strength so admirable. She and Evan shared such heartbreaking and shattered pasts, and there are definitely times I questioned whether or not either of them could take on any more for each other. But one’s weakness allowed the other to find a strength they didn’t know they had, and it made them both stronger.
It will probably come as no surprise when I mention that Mutual Release was full of intense and passionate sex, but Liz Crowe did a phenomenal job of making it not only incredibly erotic, but real. Throughout the story, Evan matures not only as a man, but also as a Dom, and this evolution gives the story a more honest feel. I loved the complexity and emotion behind the story just as much as I enjoyed the steamy moments that had my pulse racing! This story is definitely a must-read for erotica fans, so grab it up if you haven’t already!!
Quotes:
The extreme dysfunction of their blindness to the guy’s evil never ceased to amaze Evan. But he played along, going home for a few requisite holidays and pretending with them that “All Was Well and Perfect in the Adams House.” ~ p. 57
Men were not her friends and never would be. Pretending this one was somehow different was a recipe for disaster. No matter that he was so comforting, so…absolutely fucking perfect. ~ p. 204
“I know you, Julie Anderson Dawson. I know your daredevil façade is bullshit, but very sexy. Someday,” he pressed his lips to her neck, making her close her eyes and inch nearer, needing the warmth of this body against hers, “I want you to show me who you really are.” ~ p. 214
I love the fact that we get THE WHOLE story here. This book is broken up into sections, divided into the significant periods of Evan and Julie’s journey, the first of which was Evan’s story. There were no flashbacks to Evan’s past explaining how he went down the path he did in life, because we get to see firsthand how Evan grew into the world of BDSM at such a young age. It was so neat to actually understand the reasoning and psychology behind Evan’s sexual proclivities, this was something so entirely different from any other book I've read in this genre. To have all of the background knowledge of his experiences made this story so much more complete and well-developed, you really feel like you know him inside and out.
It was surprising that Evan started out into the erotic and darker side of sex at such a young age, but nowhere near as shocking as the actions of Damien Slate. Talk about your born psychotics, this boy was taken in by Evan's family after his mother died, and from the very start he had a creepy vibe. It infuriated me that no one else believed what Evan saw in him, and it sickened me when it went unnoticed. While we see Evan delving into discovering what satisfies him and how to go about getting what he needs from a partner, you can almost feel the evil seeping off of Damian as they live parallel but completely different lives. What Evan took from his experiences, whether good or bad, he learned from and grew into a better Dom for it. Damian, in the mean time, was busy honing his vile behavior so that he could perfect the pain he inflicted. Looking past the signs was something Evan's family would forever regret.
We get to see a lot of Evan's life before Julie Dawson is introduced; by the time Julie’s part of the story comes around, we’ve seen Evan through several failed relationships. I loved seeing him learn from the mistakes he made, it really made him ready for what he and Julie would have. Julie had a sad and disturbing past of her own, and when we see the life she suffered through it makes her strength so admirable. She and Evan shared such heartbreaking and shattered pasts, and there are definitely times I questioned whether or not either of them could take on any more for each other. But one’s weakness allowed the other to find a strength they didn’t know they had, and it made them both stronger.
It will probably come as no surprise when I mention that Mutual Release was full of intense and passionate sex, but Liz Crowe did a phenomenal job of making it not only incredibly erotic, but real. Throughout the story, Evan matures not only as a man, but also as a Dom, and this evolution gives the story a more honest feel. I loved the complexity and emotion behind the story just as much as I enjoyed the steamy moments that had my pulse racing! This story is definitely a must-read for erotica fans, so grab it up if you haven’t already!!
Quotes:
The extreme dysfunction of their blindness to the guy’s evil never ceased to amaze Evan. But he played along, going home for a few requisite holidays and pretending with them that “All Was Well and Perfect in the Adams House.” ~ p. 57
Men were not her friends and never would be. Pretending this one was somehow different was a recipe for disaster. No matter that he was so comforting, so…absolutely fucking perfect. ~ p. 204
“I know you, Julie Anderson Dawson. I know your daredevil façade is bullshit, but very sexy. Someday,” he pressed his lips to her neck, making her close her eyes and inch nearer, needing the warmth of this body against hers, “I want you to show me who you really are.” ~ p. 214
March 25, 2013
This was my first experience reading any of Liz Crowe’s books, even though I have several on my Kindle. After reading Mutual Release, I seriously wondered why I hadn’t yet read the ones I bought. This was an amazing story, and Liz has an incredibly beautiful and descriptive writing style.
This story starts out with high school senior Evan Adams whose family life is anything but pretty. His father isn’t around much and his mother seems to care about everything more than her children, especially his twin sister Olivia. On top of that, his family has agreed to take in Damien, someone who, it seems, has stepped directly out of hell and into their family life. I despised Damien immediately. I was feeling Evan’s frustrations, his anger, and his concern for his sister Olivia. We follow Evan’s story until his mid-twenties. He experiments with BDSM, and we see his darker side through this discovery and transformation of himself.
Then, we meet Julie….to be honest, when I got to that section of the book and realized that I was starting over with Julie’s life as a high school senior as well, I was frustrated. It’s like starting a new book again, when I was already so invested in Evan’s life. But once I started reading about Julie, it was apparent that we needed to see Julie’s life from that point forward to understand who she has become and why. Her life is equally as bad as Evan’s. Her mother is more interested in marrying a rich man than caring for Julie. My heart broke for her at some of the horrific events that occurred after her mother remarried Bart, a scum of the earth kind of man who is way too interested in Julie. After reading this and seeing Julie as a twenty-something business woman who is cold and heartless, it makes you better understand why.
Then Julie and Evan meet and the sparks fly! Both are damaged, independent, stubborn, and huge control freaks, so there are all sorts of problems from the start.
Evan is persistent, Julie is a continual bitch to him, and at times I wanted to strangle her for her behavior toward Evan.
I loved Evan’s personality, his calmness towards Julie’s snarky attitude made me laugh.
The characters were so alive on these pages, and I laughed, I cried, and held my breath at times. This is an emotionally charged, well developed story that had me never wanting to put it down! Mutual Release is a definite must-read!!!!
I was provided an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
Disclaimer: While Stephanie is now working with Tri-Destiny Publishing, she was hired after the book was given to LLL to review. However, the review was posted after her hire date.
This story starts out with high school senior Evan Adams whose family life is anything but pretty. His father isn’t around much and his mother seems to care about everything more than her children, especially his twin sister Olivia. On top of that, his family has agreed to take in Damien, someone who, it seems, has stepped directly out of hell and into their family life. I despised Damien immediately. I was feeling Evan’s frustrations, his anger, and his concern for his sister Olivia. We follow Evan’s story until his mid-twenties. He experiments with BDSM, and we see his darker side through this discovery and transformation of himself.
Then, we meet Julie….to be honest, when I got to that section of the book and realized that I was starting over with Julie’s life as a high school senior as well, I was frustrated. It’s like starting a new book again, when I was already so invested in Evan’s life. But once I started reading about Julie, it was apparent that we needed to see Julie’s life from that point forward to understand who she has become and why. Her life is equally as bad as Evan’s. Her mother is more interested in marrying a rich man than caring for Julie. My heart broke for her at some of the horrific events that occurred after her mother remarried Bart, a scum of the earth kind of man who is way too interested in Julie. After reading this and seeing Julie as a twenty-something business woman who is cold and heartless, it makes you better understand why.
Then Julie and Evan meet and the sparks fly! Both are damaged, independent, stubborn, and huge control freaks, so there are all sorts of problems from the start.
"But just to clear the air, I want you to know I am not married. I have no girlfriend nor am I in any way attached to anyone, unless you consider the ten or so people who count on me for paychecks every month as dependents. So you can stop cursing me under your breath, like you are right now, for being a cheating, typical man-whore.”
Evan is persistent, Julie is a continual bitch to him, and at times I wanted to strangle her for her behavior toward Evan.
“What makes you think I’ll drop everything and spend half a day having overpriced coffee in an annoying hippie college town with a cold, boring brewery tour after?"
I loved Evan’s personality, his calmness towards Julie’s snarky attitude made me laugh.
“I mean, really, Julie, we are having a picnic just friends sharing some great beer and snacks, and you’re sitting there like there’s a flagpole up your ass. Relax, Boss Lady, for real.”The rest of the book is a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs for Evan and Julie. Every challenge has you wondering how these two people will end up. Just when they are able to resolve one big problem, something else crops up. Damien continues to make Evan’s life a living hell, and Evan has trouble getting over the guilt and regret he harbors over Olivia. Damien’s reappearance only messes with Evan’s feelings even more.
The characters were so alive on these pages, and I laughed, I cried, and held my breath at times. This is an emotionally charged, well developed story that had me never wanting to put it down! Mutual Release is a definite must-read!!!!
I was provided an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
Disclaimer: While Stephanie is now working with Tri-Destiny Publishing, she was hired after the book was given to LLL to review. However, the review was posted after her hire date.
April 3, 2013
This was my first experience reading any of Liz Crowe’s books, even though I have several on my Kindle. After reading Mutual Release, I seriously wondered why I hadn’t yet read the ones I bought. This was an amazing story, and Liz has an incredibly beautiful and descriptive writing style.
This story starts out with high school senior Evan Adams whose family life is anything but pretty. His father isn’t around much and his mother seems to care about everything more than her children, especially his twin sister Olivia. On top of that, his family has agreed to take in Damien, someone who, it seems, has stepped directly out of hell and into their family life. I despised Damien immediately. I was feeling Evan’s frustrations, his anger, and his concern for his sister Olivia. We follow Evan’s story until his mid-twenties. He experiments with BDSM, and we see his darker side through this discovery and transformation of himself.
Then, we meet Julie….to be honest, when I got to that section of the book and realized that I was starting over with Julie’s life as a high school senior as well, I was frustrated. It’s like starting a new book again, when I was already so invested in Evan’s life. But once I started reading about Julie, it was apparent that we needed to see Julie’s life from that point forward to understand who she has become and why. Her life is equally as bad as Evan’s. Her mother is more interested in marrying a rich man than caring for Julie. My heart broke for her at some of the horrific events that occurred after her mother remarried Bart, a scum of the earth kind of man who is way too interested in Julie. After reading this and seeing Julie as a twenty-something business woman who is cold and heartless, it makes you better understand why.
Then Julie and Evan meet and the sparks fly! Both are damaged, independent, stubborn, and huge control freaks, so there are all sorts of problems from the start.
“But just to clear the air, I want you to know I am not married. I have no girlfriend nor am I in any way attached to anyone, unless you consider the ten or so people who count on me for paychecks every month as dependents. So you can stop cursing me under your breath, like you are right now, for being a cheating, typical man-whore.”
Evan is persistent, Julie is a continual bitch to him, and at times I wanted to strangle her for her behavior toward Evan.
“What makes you think I’ll drop everything and spend half a day having overpriced coffee in an annoying hippie college town with a cold, boring brewery tour after? “
I loved Evan’s personality, his calmness towards Julie’s snarky attitude made me laugh.
“I mean, really, Julie, we are having a picnic just friends sharing some great beer and snacks, and you’re sitting there like there’s a flagpole up your ass. Relax, Boss Lady, for real.”
The rest of the book is a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs for Evan and Julie. Every challenge has you wondering how these two people will end up. Just when they are able to resolve one big problem, something else crops up. Damien continues to make Evan’s life a living hell, and Evan has trouble getting over the guilt and regret he harbors over Olivia. Damien’s reappearance only messes with Evan’s feelings even more.
The characters were so alive on these pages, and I laughed, I cried, and held my breath at times. This is an emotionally charged, well developed story that had me never wanting to put it down! Mutual Release is a definite must-read!!!!
Disclaimer: While Stephanie is now working with Tri-Destiny Publishing, she was hired after Mutual Release was given to LLL to review and before she was hired by Tri-Destiny. However, the review was posted after her hire date.
This story starts out with high school senior Evan Adams whose family life is anything but pretty. His father isn’t around much and his mother seems to care about everything more than her children, especially his twin sister Olivia. On top of that, his family has agreed to take in Damien, someone who, it seems, has stepped directly out of hell and into their family life. I despised Damien immediately. I was feeling Evan’s frustrations, his anger, and his concern for his sister Olivia. We follow Evan’s story until his mid-twenties. He experiments with BDSM, and we see his darker side through this discovery and transformation of himself.
Then, we meet Julie….to be honest, when I got to that section of the book and realized that I was starting over with Julie’s life as a high school senior as well, I was frustrated. It’s like starting a new book again, when I was already so invested in Evan’s life. But once I started reading about Julie, it was apparent that we needed to see Julie’s life from that point forward to understand who she has become and why. Her life is equally as bad as Evan’s. Her mother is more interested in marrying a rich man than caring for Julie. My heart broke for her at some of the horrific events that occurred after her mother remarried Bart, a scum of the earth kind of man who is way too interested in Julie. After reading this and seeing Julie as a twenty-something business woman who is cold and heartless, it makes you better understand why.
Then Julie and Evan meet and the sparks fly! Both are damaged, independent, stubborn, and huge control freaks, so there are all sorts of problems from the start.
“But just to clear the air, I want you to know I am not married. I have no girlfriend nor am I in any way attached to anyone, unless you consider the ten or so people who count on me for paychecks every month as dependents. So you can stop cursing me under your breath, like you are right now, for being a cheating, typical man-whore.”
Evan is persistent, Julie is a continual bitch to him, and at times I wanted to strangle her for her behavior toward Evan.
“What makes you think I’ll drop everything and spend half a day having overpriced coffee in an annoying hippie college town with a cold, boring brewery tour after? “
I loved Evan’s personality, his calmness towards Julie’s snarky attitude made me laugh.
“I mean, really, Julie, we are having a picnic just friends sharing some great beer and snacks, and you’re sitting there like there’s a flagpole up your ass. Relax, Boss Lady, for real.”
The rest of the book is a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs for Evan and Julie. Every challenge has you wondering how these two people will end up. Just when they are able to resolve one big problem, something else crops up. Damien continues to make Evan’s life a living hell, and Evan has trouble getting over the guilt and regret he harbors over Olivia. Damien’s reappearance only messes with Evan’s feelings even more.
The characters were so alive on these pages, and I laughed, I cried, and held my breath at times. This is an emotionally charged, well developed story that had me never wanting to put it down! Mutual Release is a definite must-read!!!!
Disclaimer: While Stephanie is now working with Tri-Destiny Publishing, she was hired after Mutual Release was given to LLL to review and before she was hired by Tri-Destiny. However, the review was posted after her hire date.
April 12, 2013
4.5 stars review and awesome character interview
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*Please note this book can be read Stand Alone or as part of her Stewart series.
Mutual Release the latest release from author Liz Crowe and is a wonderful well written story.
Mutual Release tells the story of Evan Adams and Julie Dawson. Ms Crow provides these two characters with well developed backstories that are told in vivid detail to the reader, allowing them to see how deeply these two souls have been wounded by events and circumstances of their lives prior to meeting each other.
Mutual Release starts by the telling of Evan’s story. This first part of the book was really really well done!! Evan’s experience with the death of someone close to him was very powerful and will touch you deeply, yes have tissues near by. My heart broke for Evan and the use of this incident to craft the more adult Evan was character development at it finest. I truly felt Evan’s conflict, his pain, his desires, his torment, and his personal journey to find himself. I throughly enjoyed the construction of Evan, the Dom.
Evan does not take entering the lifestyle easy, he struggles with what it means, he struggles to find his own acceptance of his needs and a balance that works for him. I adored Evan as a switch learning and interacting with two Dommes. These scenes for me were some of the hotness and most telling in the book.
I also really like how Evan’s good friend Jack Gordon was not judgmental, it truly felt real to the Jack Ms. Crowe created in the prior books (again you do not need to have read those books for this friendship to touch your heart). Jack’s lack of judgement was true to the Jack developed and bonds their friendship at a deeper level.
When Evan and Julie meet you can feel the chemistry. The banter these two engage in put a smile on my face and their email exchanges early on were both fun and felt true for two professionally focused and driven individuals.
As Evan pursues Julie you will fall in love with him all over again, Evan knows what he wants and is determined to show Julie what he can offer her.
Evan and Julie opening up to each other will pull at your heart strings and have to rooting for them to find a way to be what the other needs.
Ms Crowe built a wonderful and pivotal secondary character in Damien. The nature of his dark soul plays into keys scenes and events in this story. Evil affects those around it and Damien’s character became a contrast to the love around him.
When the evil that has surrounds Evan returns with a vengeance, will love survive?
Well, No I am not going to tell you. You are going to have to read Mutual Release to find out!
The epilogue to this book was heart warming, it brings the family full circle and provides the reader with huge range of emotions in just a few pages; it was truly masterful and will leave fans of the series wanting Good Faith the next book in the series. And will leave those new to series likely wanting to pick up more Liz Crowe.
If you are reader who chose to read this book as a stand alone, I think it is a wonderful introduction to Ms Crowe’s work.
Though be warned you will likely be one-clicking Floor Time, Sweat Equiry and Closing Costs to get an inside view of Jack Gordon and Sara’s story.
http://shhmomsreading.com/blog-tour-a...
Shh Mom's Reading
www.shhmomsreading.com
www.facebook.com/ShhMomsReading
@shhmomsreading
http://pinterest.com/ShhMomsReading/
*Please note this book can be read Stand Alone or as part of her Stewart series.
Mutual Release the latest release from author Liz Crowe and is a wonderful well written story.
Mutual Release tells the story of Evan Adams and Julie Dawson. Ms Crow provides these two characters with well developed backstories that are told in vivid detail to the reader, allowing them to see how deeply these two souls have been wounded by events and circumstances of their lives prior to meeting each other.
Mutual Release starts by the telling of Evan’s story. This first part of the book was really really well done!! Evan’s experience with the death of someone close to him was very powerful and will touch you deeply, yes have tissues near by. My heart broke for Evan and the use of this incident to craft the more adult Evan was character development at it finest. I truly felt Evan’s conflict, his pain, his desires, his torment, and his personal journey to find himself. I throughly enjoyed the construction of Evan, the Dom.
Evan does not take entering the lifestyle easy, he struggles with what it means, he struggles to find his own acceptance of his needs and a balance that works for him. I adored Evan as a switch learning and interacting with two Dommes. These scenes for me were some of the hotness and most telling in the book.
I also really like how Evan’s good friend Jack Gordon was not judgmental, it truly felt real to the Jack Ms. Crowe created in the prior books (again you do not need to have read those books for this friendship to touch your heart). Jack’s lack of judgement was true to the Jack developed and bonds their friendship at a deeper level.
When Evan and Julie meet you can feel the chemistry. The banter these two engage in put a smile on my face and their email exchanges early on were both fun and felt true for two professionally focused and driven individuals.
As Evan pursues Julie you will fall in love with him all over again, Evan knows what he wants and is determined to show Julie what he can offer her.
Evan and Julie opening up to each other will pull at your heart strings and have to rooting for them to find a way to be what the other needs.
Ms Crowe built a wonderful and pivotal secondary character in Damien. The nature of his dark soul plays into keys scenes and events in this story. Evil affects those around it and Damien’s character became a contrast to the love around him.
When the evil that has surrounds Evan returns with a vengeance, will love survive?
Well, No I am not going to tell you. You are going to have to read Mutual Release to find out!
The epilogue to this book was heart warming, it brings the family full circle and provides the reader with huge range of emotions in just a few pages; it was truly masterful and will leave fans of the series wanting Good Faith the next book in the series. And will leave those new to series likely wanting to pick up more Liz Crowe.
If you are reader who chose to read this book as a stand alone, I think it is a wonderful introduction to Ms Crowe’s work.
Though be warned you will likely be one-clicking Floor Time, Sweat Equiry and Closing Costs to get an inside view of Jack Gordon and Sara’s story.
May 9, 2013
EMOTIONAL, SEXY, SWEET..... A VERY DIFFERENT BDSM STORY
I will be honest.... I almost gave up on this book. There is a lot of background – I mean A LOT of background on Julie and Evan starting from when they were teenagers – and, I wasn't sure where it was going. At 30% we were only through Evan's past and still had Julie's to go, I just wanted to get to the part where they finally meet. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. Then IT happened……. the Ah-ha moment when it all fell into place….. the moment the silly grin appears on your face and doesn’t leave….. the moment you start to get a bit giddy….. the moment that puts you on the edge of your seat and keeps you there until the very end. Now, I am kicking myself for ever having had the thought of giving up. DO NOT GIVE UP ON THIS BOOK -- YOU WILL BE SORRY! You will miss out on a wonderfully crafted story.
This isn't what I thought it would be which is probably my own fault. I went into this with an idea in my head of what I wanted it to be -- I thought I was diving into a steamy, hot, sex filled story. It was that in part, but it is much much more. The real story is about two emotionally damaged people with carefully constructed walls taller than Empire State Building that somehow find each other and end up on the road to love. It's a story about their emotional relationship and their journey together. The book spans over 15 years so it really does take on the journey along with Evan and Julie.
“Someday… I want you to show me who you really are.”
The best part of this book …… Evan and Julie. It was very easy to connect and become attached to these characters. I really fell in love with Evan. Yes he may be a Dom, but he is very caring and very much wants a relationship aside from the play. BDSM and a relationship on a personal level aren't separate for Evan - they co-exist. Evan isn't as damaged as thinks he is and has a huge heart with a tendency to be very protective. Julie on the other hand has more issues than she is willing to admit (initially). This is where Evan plays a key role in her life. He's the one that forces her to face her fears and acknowledge out loud what happened to her and admit what she has done to compensate. I loved following this pair and enjoyed seeing how they changed along the way.
“you have made me into someone I actually like. And I love you for it.”
This was my first book by Liz Crowe and it definitely won't be my last.
ARC provided by Tri Destiny Publishing via Net Galley
I will be honest.... I almost gave up on this book. There is a lot of background – I mean A LOT of background on Julie and Evan starting from when they were teenagers – and, I wasn't sure where it was going. At 30% we were only through Evan's past and still had Julie's to go, I just wanted to get to the part where they finally meet. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. Then IT happened……. the Ah-ha moment when it all fell into place….. the moment the silly grin appears on your face and doesn’t leave….. the moment you start to get a bit giddy….. the moment that puts you on the edge of your seat and keeps you there until the very end. Now, I am kicking myself for ever having had the thought of giving up. DO NOT GIVE UP ON THIS BOOK -- YOU WILL BE SORRY! You will miss out on a wonderfully crafted story.
This isn't what I thought it would be which is probably my own fault. I went into this with an idea in my head of what I wanted it to be -- I thought I was diving into a steamy, hot, sex filled story. It was that in part, but it is much much more. The real story is about two emotionally damaged people with carefully constructed walls taller than Empire State Building that somehow find each other and end up on the road to love. It's a story about their emotional relationship and their journey together. The book spans over 15 years so it really does take on the journey along with Evan and Julie.
“Someday… I want you to show me who you really are.”
The best part of this book …… Evan and Julie. It was very easy to connect and become attached to these characters. I really fell in love with Evan. Yes he may be a Dom, but he is very caring and very much wants a relationship aside from the play. BDSM and a relationship on a personal level aren't separate for Evan - they co-exist. Evan isn't as damaged as thinks he is and has a huge heart with a tendency to be very protective. Julie on the other hand has more issues than she is willing to admit (initially). This is where Evan plays a key role in her life. He's the one that forces her to face her fears and acknowledge out loud what happened to her and admit what she has done to compensate. I loved following this pair and enjoyed seeing how they changed along the way.
“you have made me into someone I actually like. And I love you for it.”
This was my first book by Liz Crowe and it definitely won't be my last.
ARC provided by Tri Destiny Publishing via Net Galley
April 9, 2013
This is Liz Crowe at her best. Not only is Mutual Release an amazing part of her incredible award winning Stewart Realty series (it's #7 in the series), but it's written so that it can serve as a stand-alone novel! Readers new to Stewart Realty can read Mutual Release and then leap into the first six books afterwards (how could they not?). What better way to delve into the intricate plot showcasing the male and female protagonists, Evan Adams and Julie Dawson? We meet them in their (late) turbulent teens, and we grow with them and understand their developing thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
The underlying BDSM nature in the novel, and their characters, allows us as readers to see what we don't normally see in other BDSM erotica: the journey of how and why this nature develops. We are with Evan as he discovers his need to control and to give up that control - we watch the "Dom" become a "switch" and understand the connection between the two based on his life experiences and inter-personal relationships. We also watch Julie grow, understanding how this fiercely independent woman, protective of her own interests as well as her heart, needs to submit in order to hopefully attain the one thing her heart and soul have craved for so long - true soul-enveloping love and acceptance. All this is bound in a plot of dramatic and romantic suspense, leading to an epilogue that is, quite simply, a stunning glimpse into the future of the Stewart Realty family.
I must also mention the Crowe vernacular, so to speak - the tone, the attitude, of her writing is whip-smart, cheeky, brutally honest and wickedly dominant in its own right. It pulls the reader into her story, into her character's lives, and into the world her imagery creates, and it feels so incredibly "real."
This is truly a novel that can't be put down until it is completed. Congratulations, Liz Crowe, on a wonderful creation that will titillate readers' minds...and hearts.
The underlying BDSM nature in the novel, and their characters, allows us as readers to see what we don't normally see in other BDSM erotica: the journey of how and why this nature develops. We are with Evan as he discovers his need to control and to give up that control - we watch the "Dom" become a "switch" and understand the connection between the two based on his life experiences and inter-personal relationships. We also watch Julie grow, understanding how this fiercely independent woman, protective of her own interests as well as her heart, needs to submit in order to hopefully attain the one thing her heart and soul have craved for so long - true soul-enveloping love and acceptance. All this is bound in a plot of dramatic and romantic suspense, leading to an epilogue that is, quite simply, a stunning glimpse into the future of the Stewart Realty family.
I must also mention the Crowe vernacular, so to speak - the tone, the attitude, of her writing is whip-smart, cheeky, brutally honest and wickedly dominant in its own right. It pulls the reader into her story, into her character's lives, and into the world her imagery creates, and it feels so incredibly "real."
This is truly a novel that can't be put down until it is completed. Congratulations, Liz Crowe, on a wonderful creation that will titillate readers' minds...and hearts.
July 25, 2013
There are very few books that I won't finish. This was one of them. I got mad at the parents for not believing Damien was evil, for the sister for never believing her twin brother and for Evan for, well, being Evan. Seriously. I get the whole coming of age thing, but dude wallowed in self-pity. It took way too long to learn anything about Julie. I know everyone has a past, but if I'm reading a book, I don't really want to read the entire past in one story. Perhaps this should have been a series, with mini cliffhangers? I'm just speculating. I'm from Michigan. I was excited to read a story that was supposed to take place there. Sadly, the author didn't really describe the towns at all. By Chapter 19, I couldn't remember what Evan looked like because I was too busy pondering why I was even still reading the book. There wasn't any character evolution. Evan hadn't grown up during this time...he got older, but he never really grew up. The death of his sister should have helped him grow or mature. Sadly, it didn't. He objectified women before that, never really getting to know them, and after her death as well. In the end, I'm glad this was a free copy for me to review, not one that I bought. I haven't read anything from this author in the past, but do hope that her books get better in the future.
July 23, 2016
I was really hesitant on reading this book when I saw it was broke up into three parts. Evan, Julie and then them together, other books I have read that were written that way made me scared. I almost stopped reading the book once I actually started because it just didn’t seem to go anywhere but I am glad I stuck with it. The book is really good, not every book has to be all hearts and flowers, life isn’t like that. I will admit there are times when Evan and Julie are both so full of drama I just wanted to scream. And the characters flip and flop, it is enough to make you want to just slap someone. Evan is a dom, then doesn’t want to be a dom, Julie is a strong woman, then she just does whatever Evan says, it all seems so unrealistic but then how often is what we go through in our everyday lives any different?
Characters: I think I connected more with Evan and felt his pain and suffering but I didn’t feel that way about Julie for some reason, I just didn’t connect with her. Julie’s character didn’t seem as well written or something.
Sex: lots
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: part of the Stewart Realty series
Genre: Romance/Erotica
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
Characters: I think I connected more with Evan and felt his pain and suffering but I didn’t feel that way about Julie for some reason, I just didn’t connect with her. Julie’s character didn’t seem as well written or something.
Sex: lots
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: part of the Stewart Realty series
Genre: Romance/Erotica
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
June 11, 2013
The only thing I can say about this book is WOW!!
This is the first book I've read by this author and it won't be the last. She paints such a vivid picture of two broken people who need each other so much. I was a little skeptical about the book being in parts but within the first chapter I forgot all about it. If she hadn't written it the way she did I don't think it would've worked.
I loved both Evan and Julie, but at times wanted to throttle them both. They both overcame so much and I loved watching it play out. I enjoyed them both coming full circle. I absolutely loved the epilogue and it was the perfect ending to such an amazing book. I'm certainly a fan of Liz's now and plan on reading her other works.
I received this book for netgalley in return for an honest review
This is the first book I've read by this author and it won't be the last. She paints such a vivid picture of two broken people who need each other so much. I was a little skeptical about the book being in parts but within the first chapter I forgot all about it. If she hadn't written it the way she did I don't think it would've worked.
I loved both Evan and Julie, but at times wanted to throttle them both. They both overcame so much and I loved watching it play out. I enjoyed them both coming full circle. I absolutely loved the epilogue and it was the perfect ending to such an amazing book. I'm certainly a fan of Liz's now and plan on reading her other works.
I received this book for netgalley in return for an honest review
May 4, 2013
*Caution: "Mutual Release" includes graphic language, HOT sex scenes, and violence :) *
This is my first Liz Crowe book and I loved it!!
The story is involves two ordinary people with fairy difficult and dysfunctional situations coming together.
I was impressed by the complexity of Crowe's writing and how we as reader's are given the such a sensitive and emotional plot line that will have readers hanging on to the very end.
I'm normally the type of person who favors one character then the other but "Mutual Release" you can't help but fall in love with both Evan and Julie.
VERY WELL WORTH READ!!!
This is my first Liz Crowe book and I loved it!!
The story is involves two ordinary people with fairy difficult and dysfunctional situations coming together.
I was impressed by the complexity of Crowe's writing and how we as reader's are given the such a sensitive and emotional plot line that will have readers hanging on to the very end.
I'm normally the type of person who favors one character then the other but "Mutual Release" you can't help but fall in love with both Evan and Julie.
VERY WELL WORTH READ!!!
April 7, 2013
LOVE! I loved this series from the start and this book just cemented my addiction!
November 20, 2021
Okaaaay...well
Julie and Evan are...well to be frank, they're a mess. This book is pretty well broken up into three parts. Evan's youth, Julie's life, and their life together.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The first bit of the book with Evan made him a rather unlikable character for me. Cheating is something I can read and get over most of the time but this was just so excessive it was impossible to forgive. He is not a great guy. Didn't really have any remorse for his actions or care about how it could have effected his girlfriend. Just yuck.
Then we get to Julie who has her life together...until Evan. She loses dang near all sense and gets pretty derailed. She went from being a character that I liked pretty well to wanting to kick her in the knee. It was kind of sad.
When we get to them together it was like they'd be on the same page and then one or the other would get impatient and trample on any progress. As I said, they're a mess. I wanted to like them, I wanted to be on their team, I just didn't find myself there in the end.
***END SPOILERS***
The steamy bits were great, there was a bit of everything with this book. It's written well, I enjoyed the writing. I just did not care for the characters. I'd say if cheating isn't something that bothers you this book might be okay for you, it just really ruined my connection to the male lead for me.
Julie and Evan are...well to be frank, they're a mess. This book is pretty well broken up into three parts. Evan's youth, Julie's life, and their life together.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The first bit of the book with Evan made him a rather unlikable character for me. Cheating is something I can read and get over most of the time but this was just so excessive it was impossible to forgive. He is not a great guy. Didn't really have any remorse for his actions or care about how it could have effected his girlfriend. Just yuck.
Then we get to Julie who has her life together...until Evan. She loses dang near all sense and gets pretty derailed. She went from being a character that I liked pretty well to wanting to kick her in the knee. It was kind of sad.
When we get to them together it was like they'd be on the same page and then one or the other would get impatient and trample on any progress. As I said, they're a mess. I wanted to like them, I wanted to be on their team, I just didn't find myself there in the end.
***END SPOILERS***
The steamy bits were great, there was a bit of everything with this book. It's written well, I enjoyed the writing. I just did not care for the characters. I'd say if cheating isn't something that bothers you this book might be okay for you, it just really ruined my connection to the male lead for me.
February 20, 2021
What a wild ride!!
Oh Miss Liz! This series has been so incredible!!! I have not been able to put even one of these stories! They have all been intense and perfect, awesome and wonderful! I love Evan and Julie’s story. It was absolutely perfect on all points! I love it all. You are such a gifted writer and I loved reading these stories because they really took me in. I’d start a book and the next thing I know it would either be 3a or I’d be reading the Epilogue!! Well done and thank you so very much!! I will continue to be a fan forever!!
Oh Miss Liz! This series has been so incredible!!! I have not been able to put even one of these stories! They have all been intense and perfect, awesome and wonderful! I love Evan and Julie’s story. It was absolutely perfect on all points! I love it all. You are such a gifted writer and I loved reading these stories because they really took me in. I’d start a book and the next thing I know it would either be 3a or I’d be reading the Epilogue!! Well done and thank you so very much!! I will continue to be a fan forever!!
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