Review: A Beautiful Read...Intense and Sexy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 21, 2013
Mutual Release tells the story of how a young man struggles with and develops over years his need to dominate and cause pain in his sexual relationships. This is not just a BDSM story though. The book stores are filled with those and this is something much more. Mutual Release is intense, many times heartbreaking, and real. It is a saga that follows Evan through loss, pain, immaturity into adult-hood, and finally to his meeting and relationship with Julie. The first part of the book gives reader a chance to understand how and why Evan becomes what he is. We learn what happens to Evan's sister Olivia and we meet Damian, who eventually changes the course of the families life foreever.Half way throught the novel we are introduced to Julie, a successful business woman Evan proposes to work with. We learn of Julie's abusive past and what role she has allowed sex to play in her life. Both characters are damaged and both struggle to find strength and love in each others lives. The dialogue between the two is sometimes funny, sometimes very deep. Their relationship is sexy for sure. The struggle to find balance between Evan's need to dominate and Julie's need to protect herself is beautifully portrayed. Above all else, Mutual Release is a love story, wonderfully told. Liz Crowe's talent as an author has never shined through more than in this book.Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.