When life holds them captive, can love be their release?Selling his body since he was a fifteen-year-old runaway, rent boy Sean Farrell has learned the hard lesson that the only way to survive the streets is to act tough and cocky. But an act is all it is, as underneath he’s never felt more adrift as he struggles with crippling self-doubt. Sean’s distilled life into three simple rules: earn … Sean’s distilled life into three simple rules: earn enough cash to get by, stick close to the friends who have become his family — and don’t let anyone steal his heart.
Art is Laurie Cassell’s profession and passion. His calm and ordered life is just how he thinks he wants it, but it’s becoming harder to ignore the creeping feeling that calm and ordered has become dull and predictable. Laurie craves more but doesn’t know what, or not until a man with dark hazel eyes and a bad attitude swaggers into his life — and leaves with his heart.
Two men who should never have met, let alone fallen in love. Can Sean and Laurie release the other from lives that are holding them captive?
*** Release is a slow burn, opposites attract MM romance. Found family, good friends who give advice our men don’t want to hear, and the redemptive power of love can all be found between the pages. No cliff hanger, and a guaranteed HEA. ***
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Do you believe in fate? If you don’t, maybe you will after reading this book.
Because it seems that it was fate that made Sean go to a bar that he didn’t usually frequent and,through all the noise,hear Laurie try to free himself from the unwanted attention of a drunk man. And then,surprisingly, the urge to help Laurie,because before,Sean has always abided by his rule to always mind his own business.
And it certainly was fate that guided Sean to be in front of the Lady Cecily Archer Gallery right when a deluge happens. And when he goes inside, who do you think works there and will be his tour guide? Why,yes,none other than Laurie.
The attraction is undeniable. Tentative dates,special hours together, and Laurie is ever more fascinated with the prickly,defensive yet so smart Sean. Poor Sean,needing so much,hungry for affection,slowly and surely falling for the sweet,beautiful art curator.
But Sean is a prostitute and,despite how much he tries to better his life, doesn’t think himself worthy of Laurie. He knows they’ve grown to care deeply for one another but still,Sean is terrified of telling the truth about his occupation,scared of loosing Laurie.
When he eventually does reveal the truth,waiting to see if Laurie can get past what Sean has been doing to gain a living was heartbreaking. Because really, never has a man needed a chance at happiness as much as Sean does,and I was anxiously waiting for the moment when Laurie opened his eyes and realized that loving and being loved by Sean is more important than anything else.
Reading Release by AE Ryecart certainly wasn’t easy because Sean’s painful past and some of his present experiences are difficult to live through. But now he has an amazing found family,special chosen brothers he loves with all his heart,new supportive friends,a brighter future and most of all,Laurie and love.
I loved everything about this book,the painful and the joyful moments,the ones full of hate or full of love,the pain,the sorrow, the hope and despair. I loved the characters and the romance…just everything… It’s beautiful and absolutely a must read.
OMG – This one is worth 10 stars.
5 stars – wish it could be 10
Sweet – one blow job between M/Cs no on page sex even though Sean is a Rent Boy
OMG – this one is worth 10 stars.
Release is the first book in a new series, Rent Boys, by A E Ryecart. It is a deliciously angsty, slow-burn story that had me bawling my eyes out more than once. This story seriously broke my heart and put it back together again.
The blurb is great so I won’t try to restate it. Release made me feel so much that sometimes it hurt – but in a good way, if that makes sense. Sean and Laurie come from two different worlds but fate brings them together, more than one time. Sean is prickly, and ashamed of what he does. Laurie doesn’t know Sean’s secret and he’s attracted to him in spite of their obvious class differences.
I just know I’m not going to do justice to this story. A E Ryecart drew me in from the very beginning and held me captive right from the start. When one of my favorite characters from another series showed up, I couldn’t stop the tears. I was a little overwhelmed and had to stop for a bit; again, this was a good thing, not a bad one.
You don’t need to have read any of the Barista Boys books to enjoy Release but I can almost guarantee if you’re a fan you will love visiting that café in this story. If you haven’t read that series, I think Release might just make you want to. You will also find the MCs from Company for Christmas that came out in November 2018. I’d kind of call it a prequel to this series but again, you don’t have to have read it to enjoy Release.
There is so much I’d like to say about this story but I’m afraid it would give too much away. After a couple of things try to derail Sean and Laurie’s relationship, the author throws another zinger at us. She’s a devious woman, yes, she is, but it makes her stories all that much better!
I really can’t guess who the next story will be about but there are a few secondary characters I hope will get books. There’s even a thoroughly evil, nasty character that I wonder if she will try to redeem. ??
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
Release is A Rent Boys Novel by A E Ryecart. This is a fantastic book that really held my attention. The romance is slow burn, I love how the characters’ relationship evolves in this story. Sean and Laurie are fascinating characters who are broken but who you root for. The supporting cast of characters are amazing… like the family you build not by blood but by choice…. they are protective, loyal and caring. This story had a touch of drama and alot of love. Definitely worth reading.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
Wow. Not an easy read. Gritty in the best ways, Sean is as compelling as he is damaged. Laurie is intrigued by Sean, a cynical, hard man who judges art and life around him in ways a university-trained scholar could never see. As a pair they made zero sense on paper, but once stripped of all the labels and trappings, there was so much to pull them together and keep them there.
When Sean finds his apathy for his job is mostly because of the frustrating and alluring Laurie, he’s thrown for a huge loop. But his life is never as simple as just giving up one profession for another. I really, really loved him and his whole evolution. As a character he gave so much life and reality to not only what he does for a living, but to the whole story. I loved him right from the start and hoped so hard for him to find a way to his own freedom and stability.
Laurie…Laurie. At first I was interested in getting to know him, but it was very quickly apparent that he was not as solid as Sean. There were many moments that I was hoping he would see what Sean could see and then not judge him or his views, that he would really look at what the man was saying and value it beyond mentioning how different it was from his studies. He was just so judgmental and obliviously arrogant in his views of so many things, but Sean especially. I just never warmed up to him. And then near the end when he did what he did and said what he said to Sean and then for Sean to do all the changing, apologizing, and work to make things happen between them…I was pretty much done. He wasn’t a bad guy, just not the best guy and I wished for so much more from him to be the kind of partner Sean really needed.
So it’s 3 stars for Laurie, 5 for Sean, and 4 for the story as a whole. I really enjoyed reading this story and especially liked the casual reappearance of the Barista Boys. If this book was set in their world and their safe haven wasn’t included it would have been a mistake. It was a perfect connection and it added a fantastic feeling of hope and happiness to an otherwise gritty and downer of a tale as Sean finds redemption, forgiveness, and acceptance within and for himself.