Freeing by E.K. Blair Series: Fading #1.5
Published by Self-Published on September 13, 2013
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook
Source: ARC
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Knowing who you are and accepting who you are come at different prices.
Jase Kinrick grew up in your typical, all-American household. But after the death of his sister, his parents shut down, forcing him to deal with everything life throws his way alone. Terrified of the person he’s discovering himself to be, Jase has his way with every willing girl to try and rid himself of what he fears he is—gay.
Escaping California and moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, Jase frees himself to the reality that he likes men. Never staying with any guy long enough to get to know them, he doesn’t realize that he’s still hiding from who he is until he meets Mark. Scared of having real feelings for another guy stirs up the questions and fears he’s fought hard to bury.
To strip away the barriers to the heart of what is real, and to be okay with what lies underneath, will be Jase’s moment of truth. But he’ll need Mark to lead him there.
**This is a companion novel to the USA Today Bestseller, FADING.**
Liezel’s Thoughts:
I read Fading a while back and I have to tell you that I would list it as one of my top 5 for this year. It is also one of the most emotional and moving books that I’ve ever read and to find out that there was a companion novel written in Jace’s point of view… of course, I jumped at the opportunity to review this one.
Freeing isn’t your typical point of view story.Most are retells of the same book but for me, this one was a lot more. It is Jace’s own story that coincides with Fading. And I have to say that even if this can be read as a standalone I would highly recommend reading Fading first to fully grasp the unique relationships that the characters possess.
So about Jace, I loved his character from the very beginning. He is such an all around nice guy. The relationship he had with Candace was astonishing. I can’t even put a label on such a relationship. He was so loving and affectionate, gentle, supportive and protective too. The man had such a big heart that I knew once he found his “one” that that relationship would be just as breathtaking.
It doesn’t come that easy for Jace though. He isn’t quite as comfortable with his sexuality. He avoided relationships at all cost afraid that if he fell for someone it would solidify that he was truly gay. He played the field for years but once he met and got to know Mark better he knew that whatever was brewing between them had so much potential. The first thing he does once he realizes this? Jace pushes Mark away, hurting him in the worst way possible.Immediately he regrets what he did. Because of the guilt, he thinks that he doesn’t deserve a guy like Mark who is already in the right place in life.
Mark is just as great as Jace and I thought their pairing was fitting. I loved how sincere and genuine he was with Candace. Not everyone would understand that unique relationship and instead of alienating himself he was accepting and took it upon himself to play just as an important role in that friendship.
What I also loved about this book was it was told in a man’s point of view. As much as it was entertaining I found it educating too. I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to romance books and if you glimpse at my booklist you can tell that I don’t usually go for M/M romance but this one book just might be the one that changes my whole perception and affect my book choices. I have to thank E.K. Blair for influencing me in such a way.
Like Fading this book was just as amazing. The way the author describes every detail and was able to capture every emotion just tore me apart even more so in this book than the first. The writing flowed smoothly, had the perfect amount of tension and also had some very interesting and heated chemistry. Loved it and I am looking forward to the next one in this series.
The Verdict:
Alternate Point Of View:
Mark Catches Jase and Kyle
Picking up my cell, I quickly call Kyle.
“Hey, man,” he answers.
“Hey. Jase is on his way over. I’m running late, but heading home now. I should be there in fifteen or so,” I tell him.
“No problem.”
“Thanks.”
“Yeah,” he says before hanging up.
Traffic is backed up as I make my way home. Something about knowing that Jase is at my place waiting on me causes my heart beat a little quicker, but that’s nothing new. I really like this guy. I could tell he was hesitant with me the other night, but the fact that he didn’t skip a beat when I asked him to hit the gym with me today reassures me that maybe I was just being paranoid.
Pulling next to his car in my drive, I park and hop out. When I walk in and toss my keys onto the bar, I turn around. My beating heart wanes.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Jase is on top of Kyle, tongue shoved in his mouth, before Kyle jumps off the couch from underneath him.
“Shit, man,” Kyle pants out, and I can’t even focus on him as I’m watching Jase, disengaged from the scene playing out in my living room. Completely void of emotion, he walks to grab his keys, and his demeanor is so irritating.
“You’re not gonna say anything?” I snap, and he doesn’t as much as look my way.
Asshole.
“Jase! What the hell, man?”
Nothing.
He walks past me and out the door. I should have trusted my gut when I first saw him. I knew about him. How he hops from bed to bed. But something about him, something I should have been more cautious of, told me that he felt differently with me. Who the hell am I kidding? I barely know him at all.
“Dude, I’m sorry,” Kyle says and when I turn around, I let my frustration play out on him.
“What’s your problem, man?”
“He said you guys weren’t anything, so I . . .”
“So you what? Forget it. You know what? I don’t give a shit. You’re just like him, always dragging ass in and out of here,” I sling at him as I start making my way to my room.
“Don’t be a fucking bitch, Mark.”
Turning around, I throw back at him, “Fuck you, Kyle. Just get your shit and get the fuck out.”
He laughs, as if I’m kidding.
“Serious. I want you out.”
Slamming my door, I’m beyond pissed. I don’t even know how this guy, in a brief period of time was able to get underneath my skin the way he had. Foolish of me to think that I could have had feelings for him, but I do. Shit.
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About E.K. Blair
USA Today bestselling author and International Amazon bestselling author, E.K. Blair takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster with her FADING series. A former first grade teacher with an imagination that runs wild. Daydreaming and zoning out is how she was often found in high school. Blair tends to drift towards everything dark and moody. Give her a character and she will take pleasure in breaking them down, digging into their core to find what lies underneath.
Aside from writing, E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and spending time with her friends. She’s a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and everything in between.
