Free Me

By: Laurelin Paige

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

Her story began long before she started working at The Sky Launch... Screw fairytales. The only reward Gwen Anders got from her rough childhood was a thick skin and hard heart. She's content with her daily grind managing a top NYC nightclub - Eighty-Eighth Floor. So hers isn't a happily ever after. She doesn't believe in those anyway. Then she meets JC.

The rich, smooth talking playboy is the sexiest thing that Gwen has ever encountered, but she's not interested in a night-in-shining latex. But when a family tragedy pushes her to the brink, it's JC who's there to teach her a new method of survival, one based on following primal urges and desires. His no-strings-attached lessons require her to abandon her constant need for control. Her carefully built walls are obliterated. Gwen discovers there's a beautiful world outside her prison. Freedom is exhilarating - and terrifying. When she starts to feel something for JC, she fears for her heart. Especially as she realizes that he has secrets of his own. Secrets that don't want to set him free.

©2014 Laurelin Paige (P)2014 Audible Inc.

THIS WASN'T JUST GOOD... IT WAS G R E A T

I'm going to review both books in this Duet partly because I just couldn't wait to hear more when it came to the dreaded cliffhanger so I dove straight into book 2 - and partly because the glowing previous reviews have said it all before.... this was, for me, a perfect 10 star listen and a wonderful wild ride.

And wow, what a ride it was...... I feel like I've been to Hell and back (several times) but this was a powerful, emotional, heartbreaking, very very hot, tumultuous and drama-filled ride that had twists, shocks, tension, danger, secrets by the bucketful and, in the epicentre, was a beautiful twisted romance that, thankfully, withstood it all. Gwen was a strong heroine, yes she was mixed up and emotionally closed off which only took one handsome, charismatic and sexy Playboy named JC to break through her carefully erected walls. But it would take Gwen far longer to break through his..... and to finally have all the answers too.

Great story told from Gwen's POV (except the touching Epilogue) good narration by Tanya Eby as usual as I really enjoy her male voices and the cherry on top of this wonderful cake was that I didn't have to wait weeks, months or a year for the second book, nope... just a few seconds, hit play and let the unfolding drama and catapulting emotions resume..... purrrfection.

Worth a credit? Oh boy YES it was and these characters, together with their beautiful and torturous romance that I've lived with now for hours and hours, will haunt me for quite some time and I'm sure it'll take me all day to come down from my book high too

I Feel Cheated

Spoiler Alert

This was my first book by this author. I was impressed with her writing style, characterization, story development. It's listed as contemporary romance, but it's clearly erotica, though I found it to be very tastefully done. The narrator did a great job. But it's not a romance. Also, I do not like soap operas, television series, or the like. It seems publishers are now extending this "cliff-hanger" strategy to get people to buy more books.

I have nothing against book series, but I do expect each book to have a complete and satisfying ending in its own right. This book did not. The reader is left completely hanging, with no seeming choice but to buy the next book. It's the second book like this I've read in recent months (different authors), and quite frankly, I feel cheated. Cheated and misled enough to vow NOT to buy the next book in the series. Or any others, sadly, by this author, who really did impress me with her storytelling abilities.

Would you buy a paperback with the last chapter cut out? Pay full price for only half a movie? Doubtful. But I paid full price for a book that's really only half a story. The definition of a romance: there is a satisfying, HEA or Happy for Now. None of that here.

The publisher's strategy is obviously to lure me into buying the next book, to find out if J.C. ever does come back for Gwen, and how it all plays out. But I'm just annoyed enough to do precisely the opposite. This marketing strategy does not work on me. I'm certain I can't be the only one who feels this way.

Does J.C. come back for Gwen? Is there a HEA? Is this truly a romance and not just poetically written erotica?

Quite frankly, I don't care.

Too Weak and Whiny!

OMG! She was way too whiny!! She needs to get a backbone!! Very disappointing characters.

Amazing story

Free me was a book I didn't expect to love so much! I mean, I love Fixed series and Laurelin is one of my favorite authors, but this story was so good! Love the characters, Gwen and JC are perfect for each other, and despite the didn't know the details of their lifes, they knew each other, so well that they fall in love with each other
I totally relate to Gwen. That has happened to me, I mean the "let's just have sex and don't fall in love" arrangement. And guess how it ended up!
I totally understand Gwen's decision at the end of the book and maybe that's why I am not so upset about the cliffhanger, because IT IS A CLIFFHANGER, ugh! But I am ok with it. Now I only have to wait for the next book
Amazing performance in the narration. Love the voice of the girl, it fitted Gwen's personality. And her voices for the male characters was good too.
100% recommended!

I could not take it.

I am a big fan of this author. and I really was enjoying the series. but I could not finish this book. and I won't read the 2nd.

the constant internal monalouge was completely overdone. the love interest was confusing. and I got through 15 chapters and could not connect with these characters. this was not a win.

how many hours do want to spend inside someone..

elses head listening to conflict & indecision? its got sex too, even romance but was thrown... drowned out by so much of her inner thoughts it became redundant

Whine, moan, whine

Holy cow, the heroine is a horrible whiner. The narrator highlights that fact by whining as well. No, just no. I did finish the book but I had to take breaks because I was grumbling "stop whining!" too often.

Poor narration and simple story

I had high hopes for this book after finishing Laurelin’s fantastic Dirty Duet series. The glowing reviews for this duet led me to give “Free Me” a go, but sadly it fell very short of my expectations.

The first hurdle was the narrator, who was very hard to engage with. Once I was able to get past the narration, I realized the writing was very simple and the characters felt half-baked. Maybe it would have been more entertaining if I had read the Fixed series first, but I think I’m going to stick with Laurelin’s more recent work from now on.

I'm free at last

The narrators voice was terrible. The story was decent. The twist was stupid with JC. it seemed like an afterthought.

Not bad, not as good as fix me though. ..

I couldn't put put fix me trilogy down... Free me left a lot hanging. .. I'm not sure what, but it was missing something. and the narrator spoke to fast in the first half of the book. ..

Captivating

Enjoyed this! Good read if you like 50shades trilogy!
Narrator was very engaging will get next book now I'm hooked!

absolute dross

I have never listened to anything so awful in my life, avoid at all costs. The author should be paying me to read this drivel not the other way around !!!

HOT BUT I WOULDN'T READ BOOK 2

Hot read!

Free Me is a spin-off story from Laurelin Paige’s Fixed Trilogy. It can be read as a standalone.
Told in Gwen's pov and is part of a duet.

I listened to the audio edition of this book. The narration was good, giving the impression both characters were very laid back people with the steady narration and very little drama.
Free me was extremely hot and an ok read, I just got frustrated with the characters.

Gwen has had a hard life growing up, a father who physically abused her, a brother who is gay which fueled her father's abuse, both of them are taken care of by their older sister when their father was put into prison for child neglect.

Gwen now older, a manager of a club is someone who is very by the book and little or a lot uptight at times. Gwen doesn't go out socializing, she works or has the company of her sister who works for Hudson Pierce.

Gwen meets JC at her club. On a night Gwen doesn't normally work she walks into a room of men gambling and smoking and half-naked women. Gwen isn't impressed at all and doesn't know this has been going on for a long time an arrangement with the owner who has never mentioned it to Gwen obviously knowing how Gwen would react and so when she does discover what is going on she protests to what is happening.
Gwen becomes bewitched by JC instantly after the shock and he see's a kindred spirit in Gwen. JC Plays on Gwen's uptight demeanor and from there with a little taunting J.C gets Gwen to agree to an arrangement to help Gwen discover herself, be more at ease with herself, free her.

A sexual arrangement, sex. Just sex. There are rules though not to get close emotionally. The more time they spend together, the easier those rules start to break and Gwen’s walls start to fall, she falls in love with JC.

Gwen doesn't even know JC'S real name the arrangement has never allowed them to know each other personally but when Gwen's father is released from prison and Gwen is in danger, their relationship moves to the next level but there are conditions to JC revealing who he is. I was excited about this but it ended up a bit of a flop and not exciting at all really, secretly I was hoping he was some Mafia boss or something.

The characters:
Gwen is uptight at first, the sort of boss were none of the staff go to except to receive orders, she comes across as cold and closed off. JC begins to change that about her but love begins to also make her naive accepting whatever JC gave her, she wants to ask questions but doesn't want to scare him away, in her thought she sounds too needy. Gwen is just satisfied with spending time with him, Gwen isn't getting any younger and given her none relationship history and upbringing I didn't like this for Gwen who I thought deserved more than just a sexual arrangement.

JC; he's laid back, a man of mystery obviously sexually experienced, not sure where that comes from the story never goes into it or about what the gatherings were weekly at the club, we find out very little about JC until the last chapter which is still sketchy.

The Epilogue is mainly about Gwen getting a new job and starting afresh.

Would I read book two? honestly, I have very little to be curious about what may happen next and with very little drama or angst in this story, it didn't give me enough to want to, the hotness kept me going.

VERY ENJOYABLE

I have really enjoyed this book, a good story and characters. Very much looking forward to the next book, the sooner the better. I preferred the more subtle body parts language of 50 Shades though.

I loved it!

The intrigue, angst, and steam had me entertained throughout! It’s book one of a fantastic duet.

Tiresome

Would you try another book written by Laurelin Paige or narrated by Tanya Eby?

Yes

What will your next listen be?

Have not decided

What does Tanya Eby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Her narration was the only part of the experience that gave me hope the story would move forward

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not really, I made it to 9hrs but when the story returned to the female character continuously over analysing everything I just could not continue.

Any additional comments?

I prefer long running stories and purchased this book knowing it continued into a second book but I got so frustrated with the female characters never ending over analysis of every sentence and situation of the male character that I decided to close it down.