Freedom

by Cassidy Langue

Naive lawyer Francesca Coleman doesn't really know what her husband Will does when he disappears for weeks at a time for his government job, but she trusts him. She has no reason not to.

Bertie Wilson works as a federal cybersecurity expert, and she's been tasked with surveilling the Colemans. Will's been acting secretively on his missions, and his superiors want to know what he's up to. She moves into the apartment next to them and becomes friends with the flirty wife.

Less than a week after Bertie moves in, Francesca gets the news that her husband is missing and presumed dead. Surprised and shocked that, as the agent on the case, she hadn't known about this, Bertie does her best to comfort her new friend. As their friendship deepens into more, Bertie fights growing feelings for the beautiful widow. Is Will still alive? Would he be happy that she's helping his wife grieve, or upset at the way she's going about it?

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Lesbian, Thriller, Mystery, Lesbian Romance

Unknown Binding

Published August 12, 2024

Reviews

[Della B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freedom is a conundrum for me to review.

As early as page thirty-eight the author starts using the word “tits” to describe her one night stand’s breasts as she caresses them. Langue uses tit again two pages later ““Her tits are pale” in describing her neighbour. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of tit is a vulgar slur for breasts. I did not know the official definition when I read the usage but my hackles immediately went up. To me it is degrading to the women and especially so because it is being used by a woman. There were other times when the author’s attempts to make Bertie seem casual and noncommittal in her love life came across as crass and offensive. "She's drop-dead gorgeous. Very fuckable”. I almost stopped reading the book right there on page thirty-five.

But if I had stopped then I would have missed out on a creative mystery.

The packaging needs work.

I received an advance review copy from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freedom is, despite its incongruous cover, a romantic suspense full of mystery and intrigue, and a good bit of spice, told from the dual perspectives of protagonists Bertie and Fran. I really enjoyed the storyline, it was engaging and I felt emotionally invested in Bertie and Fran, and in wanting to know what happened to Fran's husband Will. I appreciated that nothing in Freedom seemed so outside the realm of possibility that it was unbelievable, and the characters were realistic. There aren't a ton of side characters here, but Sarge in particular is well written and well rounded. I ended up getting so invested that I stayed up way past my bedtime just so I could find out how it ended, which was a satisfying conclusion to me.

I received a free ARC from BookSirens, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

[Emily G · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story suggested steam, suspense and romance. All the elements were there. The suspense story line was good. The romance storyline was also good. But personally, I'm 50/50 about the execution - I wasn't ecstatic about the way it all came together. I was also thrown off by the cover, which did not match the general tine of the book. The cover art suggests a light-hearted romance which this is not.

That said, I do recommend the book for the storyline. And the steamy scenes also deliver! The need to know what happened to Fran's husband made the book hard to put away.

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anneka Giddings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not entirely sure what I expected when I downloaded this book - I will admit that I misread the description and thought it was a male/female lead so I was pleasantly surprised when I learnt it wasn't.

From the very beginning, I felt myself getting heavily invested in the story as the author transported me into this world full of secrets and half-truths which me feel like I was walking alongside Fran as she undertakes this complex journey of discovering what happened to her husband of 20 + years.

Along the way, we get introduced to Bertie who lives in the flat opposite, but holds her cards very close to her chest and Sarge, a enigmatic individual who has his own skeletons hiding behind a tightly locked door.

The entire story is written from a first person point of view as the author tells us the plot through Fran's and Bertie's eyes - the author absolutely nailed the separate POVs as they were well written, easy to read and added an additional layer to the character which made them both relatable and strong in their own unique way.

There were moments along the way where I laughed, cried, got angry and even flabbergasted at what was uncovered - there were various twists and turns I didn't expect and it was a beautiful story; I honestly wish I could read this for the first time again, I loved it.

Disclaimer: I did receive an advanced copy of this book for free on the basis of a voluntary review being left, however this does not impact my review of the book and I stand by the above comments.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francesca is shocked one evening when three military men come to her apartment to notify her that her husband, Will, is missing, and presumed dead. They leave her with a copy of her husband’s will and other documents to assist her. Dissolving into a near-catatonic state, Fran is surprised again when her neighbor knocks on her door. Bertie is a woman working as a security analyst – not ordinarily a field agent. Still, she saves Fran – and the apartment – and agrees to go with Fran to explore a remote cabin of Will’s that Fran didn’t know about.

Thus begins an intriguing thriller/puzzle/romance. Is Will still alive or truly dead? What was he working on when he disappeared? Can Fran move on without knowing Will’s true fate? How does Sarge – a mysterious person living next to Will’s cabin – fit int? I found it fascinating, as I do most good puzzles, and read late into the night to discover the ending! This is the first book I’ve ready by Cassidy Langue, and I look forward to more!

I received a free copy via Booksprout. This is my voluntary, fair, and honest review.

[Jordan Miller]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Following our two main characters (Fran and Bertie) and their mission to uncover Frans's husband's past. While we dive deeper into a marriage built on love and secrets, we also find that our main characters are learning more about themselves along the way. Langue does a good job at character development and helping her characters discover new aspects of themselves.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I admit I was not 100% sold on the first few chapters, but as their friendship bloomed and our story had more meat, I found myself flying through each chapter.
I look forward to reading more from Cassidy Langue and am happy I finished my first book of hers.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this one. It was an enjoyable story of spying and intrigue and secret agents in addition to being a spicy yearning romance. Sometimes I find the plot of books like this isn’t great, is cheesy or poorly written or not actually suspenseful but this one delivered! I was invested in the outcome and impressed by how the connections and threads came together in the end. The hurt/comfort and the mortals of getting involved just added to it. I like stories where they know (or think they know) they shouldn’t want each other but they just can’t help it and this is one. Also, I don’t read a whole lot of sapphic romance but this one was hawt!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kasley.K · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the book description of Freedom, I expected a lot of suspense and a slow burn romance. While the first half of this expectation came true, it wasn’t the case for the other half.

Bertie and Francesca quickly reached a level of familiarity and intimacy that felt weird to me. Everyone deals with grief and loss differently, but I’ve never been unsettled like this.
I honestly wouldn’t mind the way Bertie and Fran talked and flirted with each other if it wasn’t for the missing/dead husband plot. All the sexual aspects present this close to Fran discovering that her husband is missing and presumed dead seems strange, especially since she claims to be head over heels in love with him.
The way she “used” Bertie as his substitute at first kind of felt like she was not considering Bertie as her own person.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the suspense part of the story and how Bertie managed to connect the dots Will left to discover the truth.

[Michelle Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Cassidy Langue was well done. The relationship grows from strangers to friends to lovers. The chemistry is strong. I loved the storyline and all the emotions brought forth in this book. 

Mystery, some suspense to romance. I enjoyed how it was all brought together beautifully.  

I appreciated how the repercussions were addressed. It was not a free pass, yet it gave leniency suitable for the situation. 

I enjoyed the entirety of this book. It kept me enthralled to the point that I didn't want to put it down. I look forward to more books by this author.

[Clare Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - a little different to what I would normally read, but I loved the storyline, the relationship between Bertie and Fran and the twists and turns along the way.

No spoilers here, but a great read that I would definitely recommend.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this one. It had a nice balance of suspense and romance. The plot kept the story moving and wanting to see what came next but the novel didn’t feel complete to me. They was just something missing in the end for me but still very much worth reading.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read from this author, and I will happily read her work again. The story was more of a romance than I was expecting and while I don't generally enjoy that genre, I enjoyed this story. The storyline was engaging, it was well written and characters were three dimensional. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[MyBookNest7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The suspense in this one was done so well! Most of the time, I wasn’t sure which side I want to root for and that just made the experience more fun. Truly well-written!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Siobhan Keenan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a great book, I liked the plot. Personally wanted more action but understand Fran's grief and how can she have noone but her husband in her life? Felt sorry for her with that.
I'm glad she had her hea.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

yeah this was awful character development wise