Relentless Liberation by J.L. Fine

Hello Readers! I was recently accepted as a Book Reviewer on NetGalley so reviews of a bunch of different Romance novels will randomly being showing up on my blog in between my regular programming hehehe To get this reviewing party started I'm be posting my very first one tonight!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review for Relentless Liberation by J.L. Fine:


I'll start off by saying that I do not normally read contemporary romance or "erotica" so this novel was bit of a change for me. One thing is sure, if all contemporary authors are as good as J.L. Fine, you better believe I just found myself a new genre to fall in love with!

This book was wonderful. It had everything I could have hoped for when diving into a new genre! An honest heroine, a brooding but sweet hero, antagonists that make you want to wring their neck, and the very best kind of support characters.

We'll start with the Heroine, Mina Roper. I'll be honest, for a lot of this novel I was more than frustrated with Mina's "Debbie Downer" attitude. She has major self-esteem issues and it comes through in one way or another in almost every single scene in the book. After a while you just sort of get use to it. As she explains her reasonings throughout the book, you really do start to understand and feel for her, but man, every once in a while it just grates on the brain. Otherwise, I adore her. She is mostly logical. If she happens to fly off the handle, she acknowledges it and talks herself down. Her thought processes were some of the most honest that I have ever read (i.e. "She just couldn't, for the life of her, think of anything relevant to say to this man...") which makes you instantly bond with her. I laughed, blushed, and cringed through all of her major struggles right along with her. I am, for whatever reason, incredibly overcritical of heroines. I have just met so many terrible ones and now I have minimal patience with them. If I could, I would make Mina my forever Heroine and put her in ever book I read. Unfortunately I can't, so I just wallowed in her greatness while I could.

Our Hero, Tyler Serano, is what all of us want from a hero. Damaged (of course), honest, brooding, tall, dark, and handsome. He's got some sexy tattoos (*LICK!*), a couple of fantastic jobs, isn't afraid to admit he's wrong (even though it may take a little convincing), and defends "his woman" without prompting or fear. His family is big and happy though I wish I'd gotten to know then a little more (maybe they'll have their own books soon?...nudge...nudge...). He is written as such a straightforward, genuine character that you can't help but fall in love. There is something so lovely about a man who is completely unafraid of showing the world how much he cares about someone. Throughout the book, Mina talks about feeling comfortable and safe whenever Tyler is around and J.L. Fine takes you there every time he is around.

This was the first romance novel that I have ever read that was in third person with a single major character viewpoint (I know, right?). It took me a while to figure out why the book was making me uncomfortable and antsy but once it dawned on me, I was able to get comfy and enjoy the ride. It is so disarming not knowing what all the characters are thinking and doing at all times. I know, I've been so spoiled. It was fun to expand the mind and revel in a new writing style and J.L. Fine uses simple but precise descriptions so you don't even feel like you need to know what everyone else is thinking. It's all right there on their faces and in their actions.

The thing that I enjoyed most of this book was how honest and realistic everything was. The road blocks for the Hero and Heroine were legitimate. The standard "break apart that helps with a realization of love" was done in a way that didn't make you want to strangle one of the characters or poke your own eyes out waiting for them to just get over themselves. In my opinion, this can be a critical and defining moment for any author and J.L. Fine freaking rocked it! My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, I was right there with them through the whole thing with bated breath and complete comradery! So much fun!

So I'll wrap this whole thing up with the thought that, though it had it's trip ups (rare grammar issues, occasionally grating heroine, rare awkward phrases used during intimate scenes), this book is a ride worth taking!

Hero:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Heroine:  ★ ★ ★ ★
Plot:  ★ ★ ★ ★
Steam: ★★★ 1/2
OVERALL RATING:  ★ ★ ★ ★

Favorite scene: Tyler's Birthday!

Favorite Quote: "Instead she liked to exist in a world where the fantastic could happen, the lines between good and evil were clear, and happy endings prevailed."

Fun Fact: If you're transitioning from Paranormal to Contemporary this is a great book! The heroine consistently uses animalistic descriptions when talking about the Hero. I kept waiting to find out he was some kind of werewolf. Fun fun!    

***I was given a free copy of this novel by NetGalley for an honest review***