An ARC was received in return for an honest review.
Once again, please note that ‘To Catch a Flame’ is the third and final book in the trilogy series RED. It is not a standalone novel and should not be read by itself. You will thank me for telling you to go back and start with ‘A Little Band of Red’, to be closely followed by ‘Fire in the Blood’ before you get yourself totally immersed here. The character growth and storyline unfolding in these two previous books are imperative reads prior to this one.
Those of you who have done the right thing and already read the first two books will know and understand my excitement when I say Thank Freaking God it’s finally here, because this one, people, this one, is Mika and Elliot’s book. Not much else needs to be said, but since I agreed to write a review, I won’t ask the Lily Freeman Roller Coaster Ride to stop and let me off just yet – in fact, I think I might just hang around and see how many more times this author is going to take me through the loop de loop with her future books, because she is well and truly on my New Books From an Author Not to be Missed list. So, with that said, here’s my review:
Reeling from shock, devastation and guilt, Mika and Elliot set out once again to show PJ that she’s not alone. Destroyed by the consequences of Luke’s actions, they surround her with all the love they know she will need if she is to have any chance of recovering, not only physically, but emotionally from her ordeal.
‘Whatever it took, however long, she was theirs and together they’d get through this.’
The problem is, PJ still thinks her love for them isn’t returned (at least not the same way), and never will be. The more they tempt her with every touch, the more conflicted PJ becomes. Mika in particular feels cut up about it inside, knowing that they’re deceiving her, even if Elliot has convinced him it’s for the right reasons.
‘What he wouldn’t give to tell her, to set her free from all the angst he knew she must be feeling, all the confusion they’d caused by seducing her into loving them before she even realized she could…’
Gradually, PJ starts to heal and in the process gets to know her sexy gay neighbours more intimately than she ever would have dreamed. When Elliot opens up to her about his past in an effort to help her with her own inner turmoil, she can’t quite believe the gift he’s given her, and her heart cracks open just that little bit more.
‘She trusted this man, with her body and with her heart. What she wasn’t expecting was for him to trust her with his.’
Ultimately, when the time comes for Mika and Elliot to finally put their hearts on the line or risk losing her once again, they are forced to reveal their own deception before they want to; before they think she’s ready. They only hope the love they have for her will be enough to retain her trust.
“None of it matters anymore, Tesorino. That night you became ours. I don’t think either of us could have felt more for you than we did when we walked through your door and found you.”
‘For the first time PJ looked at them not as her gorgeous gay neighbors, but as two men who wanted her in their lives, wanted her between them in every sense of the word.’
Despite her misgivings and the utter sense of betrayal she feels at being lied to, again – especially by these of all men, PJ can’t help but fall and resolves to give herself into their care.
‘She’d never known anything like it, never imagined it was possible to be so completely taken over by another, by two.’
But after a blissful week of passion, PJ can feel that they’re holding back, each denial only hurting her more until in the end, when more lies and deceptions, secrets and omissions come to light PJ can’t see a way through it. In trying to protect the most valuable thing in their lives, Mika and Elliot may just have lost her for good. Stubborn and unrelenting to the last, Elliot’s final ultimatum may be all it takes to break what they have together.
‘She knew dominant men, knew the all-consuming heat of their love. One had almost destroyed her. How was she going to deal with two?’
Lily Freeman’s debut trilogy utterly stands out in its field, and this final book To Catch a Flame, is an amazing conclusion to PJ’s story. The writing is phenomenal, the characters so real, the story draws you in, completely immerses you in PJ, Mika and Elliot’s lives and the whole is put together with an all-consuming passion that will keep you coming back for more. Enthralling, original and with a realistic progression that just lets you believe, I think the conclusion to this story will finally leave you satisfied.
I have loved this trilogy from beginning to end and I would recommend Lily Freeman as a new author who will more than reward you for the time and effort you put in to reading her books. If you love a bit of kink and spice along with outstanding romance and characters to dig your fingers into, these books are for you – read them, love them and pass the word on.