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quinnreads2's review against another edition
5.0
He's Mine, Ladies!
I have read this book two or three times over the past several years and I still love it! Damien Stark is my book boyfriend for life. I may try newer models but I always come back to him.
Don't worry. It's an open relationship.
I have read this book two or three times over the past several years and I still love it! Damien Stark is my book boyfriend for life. I may try newer models but I always come back to him.
Don't worry. It's an open relationship.
meeks3's review against another edition
2.0
I am always game to read whatever new erotic novel series is out there, but I am getting really tired of the whole “high powered billionaire being overbearing on the young girl who just completely bends to his will” plot. How about we write a woman with some backbone? This is not to say that "Release Me" is a terrible book. It has the makings and basic outline of a good story, but unfortunately the follow through is not there.
My biggest issue with the book is that none of the characters are held responsible for their actions. Nikki finds out that Damien has been stalking her since she was 16? She gets angry, marches over to his place for an explanation, brings up his ex instead of the stalking, they talk about that for five seconds, and then have sex. Nikki finds out that Damien had her ex fired from his job, oh well who really cares? Nikki finds out that her two best friends had sex. Let’s be disappointed in Ollie for a few minutes before going back to being exasperated by his big brother attitude. And let’s not even bother talking to Jamie about it because well they’re besties so it doesn’t matter. These are legitimate conflicts which end up being meaningless because the characters (mainly Nikki) choose to use things like sex to make everything better.
I do wish Nikki would have been a stronger female protagonist because in some respects she is a strong female character. She was controlled by her mother growing up and learned to stand up for herself. Like many people, she suffers from a mental illness and while for the most part her self harming tendencies are under control it is something that she continues to deal with. Nikki is a woman who wants to make a name for herself in the male dominated tech world of computer coding and app creations. All of these give her a great backstory and the ability to be a phenomenal female lead. Unfortunately, though, Damien makes her lose so much of that. It’s disappointing to me that for someone who fought so hard to break free from her mom’s control, Nikki is more than willing to let Damien do it. He wants to be controlling in the bedroom? Fine, but he should not be allowed to do whatever he wants just because he’s a billionaire and used to getting his way.
Overall, this book was very “meh.” I doubt I will continue reading the series mainly because I did not care enough about the leads to want to follow their story any more.
My biggest issue with the book is that none of the characters are held responsible for their actions. Nikki finds out that Damien has been stalking her since she was 16? She gets angry, marches over to his place for an explanation, brings up his ex instead of the stalking, they talk about that for five seconds, and then have sex. Nikki finds out that Damien had her ex fired from his job, oh well who really cares? Nikki finds out that her two best friends had sex. Let’s be disappointed in Ollie for a few minutes before going back to being exasperated by his big brother attitude. And let’s not even bother talking to Jamie about it because well they’re besties so it doesn’t matter. These are legitimate conflicts which end up being meaningless because the characters (mainly Nikki) choose to use things like sex to make everything better.
I do wish Nikki would have been a stronger female protagonist because in some respects she is a strong female character. She was controlled by her mother growing up and learned to stand up for herself. Like many people, she suffers from a mental illness and while for the most part her self harming tendencies are under control it is something that she continues to deal with. Nikki is a woman who wants to make a name for herself in the male dominated tech world of computer coding and app creations. All of these give her a great backstory and the ability to be a phenomenal female lead. Unfortunately, though, Damien makes her lose so much of that. It’s disappointing to me that for someone who fought so hard to break free from her mom’s control, Nikki is more than willing to let Damien do it. He wants to be controlling in the bedroom? Fine, but he should not be allowed to do whatever he wants just because he’s a billionaire and used to getting his way.
Overall, this book was very “meh.” I doubt I will continue reading the series mainly because I did not care enough about the leads to want to follow their story any more.
ashkwtf's review against another edition
3.0
I read this about 3 days ago and I honestly don't remember what happened but it was alright while I was reading it. I was more boggled by the fact that the heroine's name was actually spelled like mine (a weird spelling of the usual Nicole). Anyway, I found myself skimming some of the sex scenes and then wondering, 'wait, where did the blindfold come from?'. I found the heroine's cutting problem an interesting difference in this style of story so I think I wanted to care more than I did. I just never managed to make a connection with the H/h.
jaynemae's review against another edition
1.0
Like 50 Shades, but with less abusive/unhealthy interactions and extra stalker tendencies. I barely made it to the finish line and won't be reading the rest of the series.
anasatticbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Read more of my reviews and ramblings at Ana's Attic Book Blog
I was asked by Random House to review this book and host J. Kenner on her blog tour because I tend to review erotic contemporary romances, and books to read if you enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey and The Crossfire Series. Release Me by J. Kenner is definitely for the audience that enjoyed those books, and the many other trilogies that have been coming out since.
Well, I will say this, it was way closer to Bared To You than Fifty Shades. The theme is the same…rich, young, dominant, gorgeous, possessive, closed-off, never had a serious relationship, probably abused billionaire meets and pursues a young woman (with a best guy friend and a wild roommate) until she can’t refuse. I’m not saying this is really a bad thing, but the theme is getting a little worn out. Still, I enjoyed this book.
“Possess. Have. Hold. Enjoy. Control. Dominate. Pick your verb, Ms. Fairchild. I intend to explore so very many of them.”
The story is told in the first person POV of Nikki, former pageant queen trying to make it on her own merits in the science and technology field in L.A.. In fact, she has recieved fellowships for her aptitude in college in those fields, and has already released a few smart phone apps. Nikki is the product of an awful mother who saw her as a pageant queen only, and cared nothing about her. It became so bad, that Nikki resorted to some awful things to deal with the pressure.
…she hasn’t met the real Nikki Fairchild. She’s met social Nikki who, much like Malibu Barbie, comes with a complete set of accessories. In my case, it’s not a bikini and convertible. Insetad, I have the Elizabeth Fairchild Guide for Social Gatherings.
I have it all down, every trick, every nuance, And I wear my practice pageant smile like armor against the world.
Damien Stark is the professional tennis player turned billionaire tech whiz who’s foundation granted the fellowship, and many others. He and Nikki met briefly at an event 6 years earlier while she was on the pageant circuit and he was on the tennis circuit. They meet again at a party for an erotic artist, where Nikki is supposed to “woo” Damien to secure a meeting for her boss.
He’s tall and so handsome that the word is almost an insult. But it’s more than that. It’s not his looks, it’s his presence. He commands the room simply being being in it, and I realize that Evelyn and I aren’t the only looking at him. The entire crowd has noticed his arrival he must feel the weight of all those eyes, and yet the attention doesn’t faze him at all.
“No, Damien Stark is just one of those dark quiet types. He’s like an iceberg…The deep parts are well hidden and what you do see is hard and a little bit cold. “
They hit it off almost immediately, and the sexual tension oozes off the page.
“I’m smart enough to know that you feel it, too. This isn’t just heat, it’s a goddamned conflagration. Not Chemistry, but a nuclear fission.”
Damien has an indecent proposal for Nikki–he wants a nude painting of her and will pay her one million dollars to pose and be his completely for one week (I’ll do it!!!!). Nikki has scars from her past that she thinks will drive him away. But the million can go a long way to help finance her new apps. And after all, the heat between them can’t be denied.
There are some really hot scenes, but no full-on sex till about halfway through. This story was BDSM lite. There was no red room, and it was more about control than about punishment.
‘You’re mine,’ he says.
‘I know,’ I reply, and I mean it completely.
Though I must say, I want a pair of these:
Damien and Nikki actually have a lot in common. Both were forced by parents to compete at a young age, and they had no say in the issue. Both are strong characters as well.
“Sorry. But I’m afraid you’ve met your match Mr. Stark.” “I certainly hope so, Ms. Fairchild,” he says.
But there is no question about who has control in the bedroom.
“Tell me, Ms. Fairchild. What should your punishment be? What should I do to a naughty girl who touches herself when she’s not supposed to?”
Likes:
-I liked both Nikki and Damien very much. Nikki was flawed and dealing with her problems. Damien has some mystery surrounding him, but he clearly sees that Nikki is his match and will do anything for her.
-This was more about the relationship than the BDSM sex.
-There is a little mystery.
-Though it’s the first in a trilogy, we aren’t left with a huge cliffhanger, just some loose ends.
Dislikes:
-Way too many similarities with the other books it is compared to.
-They both use the word “cunt” all the time.
-I didn’t connect as deeply as I have to other similar books.
Rating: 3.75 stars, 4.75 Heat
If you are looking for another tension-filled, hot billionaire book with romance, angst and hot sex, this is the book for you. It was a quick read, and I am looking forward to the next two in the series, Claim Me, and Complete Me.
.
“That wasn’t just nice. That was rocket ship to the moon. That was fucking amazing. Guinness World Records quality. Hell, that fuck was a thousand times better than those shoes you were wearing the night we met.”
I was asked by Random House to review this book and host J. Kenner on her blog tour because I tend to review erotic contemporary romances, and books to read if you enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey and The Crossfire Series. Release Me by J. Kenner is definitely for the audience that enjoyed those books, and the many other trilogies that have been coming out since.
Well, I will say this, it was way closer to Bared To You than Fifty Shades. The theme is the same…rich, young, dominant, gorgeous, possessive, closed-off, never had a serious relationship, probably abused billionaire meets and pursues a young woman (with a best guy friend and a wild roommate) until she can’t refuse. I’m not saying this is really a bad thing, but the theme is getting a little worn out. Still, I enjoyed this book.
“Possess. Have. Hold. Enjoy. Control. Dominate. Pick your verb, Ms. Fairchild. I intend to explore so very many of them.”
The story is told in the first person POV of Nikki, former pageant queen trying to make it on her own merits in the science and technology field in L.A.. In fact, she has recieved fellowships for her aptitude in college in those fields, and has already released a few smart phone apps. Nikki is the product of an awful mother who saw her as a pageant queen only, and cared nothing about her. It became so bad, that Nikki resorted to some awful things to deal with the pressure.
…she hasn’t met the real Nikki Fairchild. She’s met social Nikki who, much like Malibu Barbie, comes with a complete set of accessories. In my case, it’s not a bikini and convertible. Insetad, I have the Elizabeth Fairchild Guide for Social Gatherings.
I have it all down, every trick, every nuance, And I wear my practice pageant smile like armor against the world.
Damien Stark is the professional tennis player turned billionaire tech whiz who’s foundation granted the fellowship, and many others. He and Nikki met briefly at an event 6 years earlier while she was on the pageant circuit and he was on the tennis circuit. They meet again at a party for an erotic artist, where Nikki is supposed to “woo” Damien to secure a meeting for her boss.
He’s tall and so handsome that the word is almost an insult. But it’s more than that. It’s not his looks, it’s his presence. He commands the room simply being being in it, and I realize that Evelyn and I aren’t the only looking at him. The entire crowd has noticed his arrival he must feel the weight of all those eyes, and yet the attention doesn’t faze him at all.
“No, Damien Stark is just one of those dark quiet types. He’s like an iceberg…The deep parts are well hidden and what you do see is hard and a little bit cold. “
They hit it off almost immediately, and the sexual tension oozes off the page.
“I’m smart enough to know that you feel it, too. This isn’t just heat, it’s a goddamned conflagration. Not Chemistry, but a nuclear fission.”
Damien has an indecent proposal for Nikki–he wants a nude painting of her and will pay her one million dollars to pose and be his completely for one week (I’ll do it!!!!). Nikki has scars from her past that she thinks will drive him away. But the million can go a long way to help finance her new apps. And after all, the heat between them can’t be denied.
There are some really hot scenes, but no full-on sex till about halfway through. This story was BDSM lite. There was no red room, and it was more about control than about punishment.
‘You’re mine,’ he says.
‘I know,’ I reply, and I mean it completely.
Though I must say, I want a pair of these:
Damien and Nikki actually have a lot in common. Both were forced by parents to compete at a young age, and they had no say in the issue. Both are strong characters as well.
“Sorry. But I’m afraid you’ve met your match Mr. Stark.” “I certainly hope so, Ms. Fairchild,” he says.
But there is no question about who has control in the bedroom.
“Tell me, Ms. Fairchild. What should your punishment be? What should I do to a naughty girl who touches herself when she’s not supposed to?”
Likes:
-I liked both Nikki and Damien very much. Nikki was flawed and dealing with her problems. Damien has some mystery surrounding him, but he clearly sees that Nikki is his match and will do anything for her.
-This was more about the relationship than the BDSM sex.
-There is a little mystery.
-Though it’s the first in a trilogy, we aren’t left with a huge cliffhanger, just some loose ends.
Dislikes:
-Way too many similarities with the other books it is compared to.
-They both use the word “cunt” all the time.
-I didn’t connect as deeply as I have to other similar books.
Rating: 3.75 stars, 4.75 Heat
If you are looking for another tension-filled, hot billionaire book with romance, angst and hot sex, this is the book for you. It was a quick read, and I am looking forward to the next two in the series, Claim Me, and Complete Me.
.
“That wasn’t just nice. That was rocket ship to the moon. That was fucking amazing. Guinness World Records quality. Hell, that fuck was a thousand times better than those shoes you were wearing the night we met.”
emotionalbookreport's review against another edition
3.0
I’m waffling between ratings here. It started out promising but then was just....meh? Like I have no feelings about it now. It was like a mash up of a few different romance novels I’ve read, and it’s only saving grace was that Damian is actually kind of likeable? I know in a lot of these types of novels there is “the control freak man who needs to dominate.” But here it’s like a suggestion, he is pleasant and likes to joke around and truly apologizes when he does something wrong. So it was refreshing. *shrug* overall, no strong feelings either way, so it’ll get a 3.
jgilge's review against another edition
3.0
This series is really similar to the Crossfire series, but was still different enough to enjoy it. The characters are actually somewhat relatable and the plot was enjoyable.
meganramirez13's review against another edition
5.0
This book has all the makings of a book like 50 Shades of Grey or the Bared to You with its own little twists. Of course there is the too gorgeous, super wealthy male lead and the amazingly beautiful female lead but J. Kenner gave this book her own little flare. There are small details that set this book apart from similar books in this category. I appreciate the little things that the author did to separate Damien from other hottie mchotpants like Christian or Gideon.
I do have to say that I loved the fact that Nikki is intelligent but I feel as though the author didn't really touch too much on that fact, she made her seem kind of ditzy at times when in actuality she's not. I also felt as though the author rushed through the dramatic scenes. Normally I don't like angst because, seriously its depressing after a while but I feel like a little more time to actually come to terms with what happened would be nice too.
Overall it was a great book and I cannot wait for the second!
I do have to say that I loved the fact that Nikki is intelligent but I feel as though the author didn't really touch too much on that fact, she made her seem kind of ditzy at times when in actuality she's not. I also felt as though the author rushed through the dramatic scenes. Normally I don't like angst because, seriously its depressing after a while but I feel like a little more time to actually come to terms with what happened would be nice too.
Overall it was a great book and I cannot wait for the second!