NEWLY REVISEDSet Me Free is a dark romanceI do not advise anyone who is sensitive to certain subjects or sexual situations to read it as it does contain certain situations.Set Me FreeTorn and betrayed by her family, Emmalyn is taken and forced to live with her mother and stepfather, who happens to be the leader of one of the biggest human trafficking rings around.Thrown into a world of sex and … one of the biggest human trafficking rings around.
Thrown into a world of sex and slavery, Emmalyn is roomed with Kodah. A hot-headed boy, whose only weakness is her.
Both lost and tortured in this endless hell, they cling to the hope that one day they will make it out, that one day they will be set free.
more
Words cannot express how I feel about this story but I will try.
It’s a love story like no other I have read. It’s a horror story of sadness and the true monsters that humans can be in the dark that people don’t talk about!
MR Leahy brings the monsters out of the closet to shine a light in the dark and show you that even in the worst of times you can indeed find love and it can be your saving grace!
Kodah and Emmys story is that story that will keep you wanting to know if they are ok and will they make it!
Not a disappointing moment in this story!
Love, love, love this book. It was hard to put it down. The character development made you easily love them or hate them. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
Set me free is not for the faint hearted.. This book is dark, twisted, raw leaving you captivated and wanting more.
Emmalyn and Kodah are trapped in a world full of nightmares and injustice. The torture these two endure is heartbreaking but their love for one another is just beautiful. Can they survive the nightmare they are living? Can they be set free??
One click guys its a definite 5 star one click read!!!
Love this story about pain and heartbreak a lot of mystery. Dark read but so good if you like dark books you will love this one.
´¨)
¸.•´¸.•´¨) ¸.•’¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`
~~Five “LOVE BURNS ETERNAL” Stars! ~~
“FATE HAS PUT THIS GIRL IN MY PATH FOR A REASON, I FEEL IT.”
You know when you pour yourself into a novel and fall hopelessly in love from page one?! Well, it happened to me. With. This. Book. SET ME FREE, a STUNNING dark romance debut by talented newcomer M.R. Leahy had my heart in a vice grip, gave me shivery tingles throughout and packed an emotional wallop!!!
THE STORY:
This is a dark, suspenseful and soul-shattering love story about Emmalyn and Kodah, two young soulmates who have been imprisoned in a “high class” training facility since they were children and are being groomed to be the best submissive sex slaves money can buy. They meet as children when they are roomed together after Emmy’s evil mother abducts her from the only home she’s ever known and whisks her away to the remote, heavily-guarded compound run by her stepfather, Marx Nixon, the dastardly ringleader of the sex trade establishment. To say he has nefarious plans for the innocent young “princess” is an understatement.
Life has beaten Kodah Mason, an angry, hotheaded young man into a bloody pulp. He has been imprisoned since the tender age of 8 and has nothing to live for. Until Emmy. The moment Kodah locks eyes with his new roomie, their souls collide and they forge a powerful, everlasting connection. Although he knows for both their sakes he should keep his distance from the ringleader’s stepdaughter, he can’t help but be powerfully drawn to the scared, trembling, grief-stricken young girl who stirs emotions in him he thought were long eradicated.
From the very first moment he sets eyes on Emmy she arouses his fierce protective instinct and he offers her safety in his tender, soothing embrace. Over next six years he becomes her formidable protector and she in turn gives him a reason for living…to find a way out of this torturous hellhole. But time is running out because Emmy has just turned sixteen and all the years of EXCRUCIATING training are about to come into devastating fruition as plans are made to sell her to the highest bidder.
But Kodah will maim, kill, and even lay down his own life before he sees that happen. Despite all the pain and suffering and agonizing oppression, together they find light in the darkness and their soul-deep love burns bright as they fight with every fiber of their beings for hope, dignity, freedom, survival–and ESPECIALLY for each other–as they bravely face harrowing odds. Kodah is not only Emmy’s closest ally and her ALPHA protector, but he is also her lifeline. Her anchor in the dark turbulent, storm-swept sea that threatens to engulf her. But can they combat the heinous evil that looms overhead?
MY MUSINGS:
Gah! I was truly BLOWN AWAY by this POWERFUL, PASSIONATE and PALPABLE tale of innocence lost and love found. SET ME FREE delves into the dark gritty world of the human sex trade with such chilling impact it has you biting your nails, quivering uncontrollably, choking back tears and feeling ALL THE FEELS!!
M.R. Leahy is definitely an author to watch!!! This stellar debut novel is brilliantly crafted with precision and care. Her engrossing, vibrant narrative scintillates, and the alternating point of views and the perfectly timed flashbacks truly resonate–they provide a solid foundation of love and tenderness and trust between Kodah and Emmy and shed a lot of light into their lives and tumultuous personal backstories.
Emmy and Kodah are BREATHTAKING together!!!! I was so swept up in their story that I would get giddy butterflies in each and every scene they had together. This tortured duo have enormous rooting value and I love books that feature couples who are a united front against the cruel hardships of the world…and this is that kind of book. It truly underscores the remarkable resilience of the human spirit. They are stronger together than apart and truly cannot exist without one another. The powerful bond that is forged, and the flames of love that ignite, between Kodah and Emmy is beautiful and heartbreaking and so enthralling it gave me GOOSEBUMPS!! Relationships among the trainees are strictly forbidden but the pull between them is impossible to resist. Their eternal love and slow burning lust for each other pulsates off each and every page and you feel the cosmic fusing of their hearts and souls from page one!!!!
And Kodah… omfg he OWNS my heart!! He is so strong and virile, PRIMALLY sexy and FIERCELY protective he makes me swoon! But man does he have a badass temper…and you never know when he will detonate! He is filled with seething rage and his violent outbursts and acts of defiance put him at the receiving end of the guards’ lash more time than he can count. But, on the flip side, his truelove, Emmy, brings out the best in him. This sweet, pure-hearted, emerald-eyed girl calms the beast inside of him and gives his life purpose. He literally transforms from reckless loose cannon to a gentle besotted lover whenever he is around his precious girl. He just has the SOFTEST, MOST SOOTHING TOUCH and I fell so hard for him I was kinda jealous of the way he cherishes, protects, shelters and adores his beloved Emmy!!
Nothing means more to him than staying alive so he can protect his girl. She is his greatest strength but also his Achilles heel. He will fight for her with his very last breath if that’s what it takes. And Emmy…my heart just broke for this poor lost young girl who was betrayed by her own mother and torn from her beloved father, brother and uncles to face a life of sexual slavery, torture and utter misery.
BOTTOM LINE:
SET ME FREE is by no means a mushy, flowery romance and it is NOT for the faint of heart. It is dark and brutal and sadistic…and so harrowing it times it will leave you gasping for breath, and fair warning it does end on a CLIFFY! But when you clear away all ugliness and depravity and grit, at its core it is an achingly beautiful, heart wrenching love story that will take your breath away and, in my opinion, is so worth the TORTUROUS ride!!
FLoved this book..
I read a lot of dark romance book, this is hands down one of my top 3 favorite series. There is so much in this book – let’s start with emotions – sadness, happiness, hate… to name a few. We get to know the two main characters – Emmalyn and Kodah as small children who are stolen or sold into a human trafficking ring. You feel every lash, hear every cry, smell the spilled blood and see every tear. We know Emmalyn and Kodah are each others rock even as small children. We all want a Kodah in our lives, who loves us unconditionally and is so selfless. This book made me ugly cry – cry for the pain, the freedom, the undying love, the passion and, the goodness of a man in so much pain. If you have a heart, this book will make you feel so many emotions. I know this dark book/romance may have triggers for people who have experienced human trafficking – but these books show that there are survivors – victims who heal. Bravo, Ms. Megan…I wish I could give her a thousand stars.
My goodness this book was dark and captivating. It was one of the darker reads I had read in awhile, and I absolutely loved it. Every haunting, heart-wrenching, and chilling chapter intercepted by brief snippets of hope and love.
This story displayed the horrors of the sex slave training countless children go through. It will suck you in and leave you breathless and wanting more when it’s over.
Emmy’s hardships broke my heart over and over again. It was incredible how she found a safe haven in Kodah in that retched place. I also enjoyed the certain double agent aspects of the novel; always keeping you on your toes – who’s side is someone really on, and so on.
The narration was very interesting (in a good way), going back and forth in time from the first year at the training facility to her last. It really added a different level to the story, revealing the past only when necessary and piece by piece. This added to the intrigue of the novel and further demonstrated the growth and character development of Emmy. This also deepened our love for her.
As soon as this book goes live, you better start reading!
Dementedly good! I absolutely couldn’t seem to put this book down. Nor, did I want to. Leahy does a spectacular job of drawing you in and making you feel every emotion the characters are experiencing from rage, hate, humiliation, despair, pain and abject misery to longing, hope, joy and love.
When an author can make me feel down to my soul everything that I felt, when I read this book, they have struck gold! And, because I know that evil like this really does exist in our warped and depraved world, it made my rage towards Marx and the other sickos that much stronger and my grief for Emmy and Kodah and the others like them that much deeper.
Great character definition and relatability. Hard to put down.
OMG! This book! I’m in love! Though the suspense was totally killing me!
This book is quite dark, dealing with human trafficking, child labor, abuse and torture. The story is told from a dual POV and goes several times back and forth in time which didn’t bother me although I usually get confused with timelines.
The writing – albeit the serious themes – is really good and pulled me into the story right from the beginning. I was absolutely captured by the agony and the heartbreak of what Emmy and Kodah had to go through.
The Story:
Emmalyn is barely 10 years old when her mum takes her away from her dad’s and forces her to live in an abusive world of sex and slavery. Her stepdad Marx Nixon is the leader of one of the biggest child slavery rings. He makes the world believe that Emmy is his daughter and she will be trained to be one of the best submissive sex slaves that will be sold to the highest bidder once she turns 16. She is going to be the example for the other slaves and also for the bidders to show Marx’s unending power and that he has no weakness.
Emmy and her roommate Kodah develop feelings for each other in this world full of cruelty and abuse. They pull strength from each other to keep from falling apart in this dark place but how long can they pull through until they will eventually break? How long can Kodah watch Emmy be abused until he does something that will backfire and get him punished or even killed?
Thoughts:
This is one of just a few books I wish I could read again for the first time although the tension throughout the whole book was driving me crazy. (In a good way =P)
I absolutely loved the extraordinary names of Kodah and Emmalyn. They made this story’s experience all the more special and unique because it didn’t taint the story with the familiarity of names and comparisons to characters of other stories.
While this book contains some serious topics I still found some beauty in it and was caught by surprise that I wasn’t much put off by the fact that the story took place in a child trafficking world. Though this was probably because I was focused on the love that Emmy and Kodah found in such an awful place. It was about how they grew together and helped each other pull through and never gave up despite the ugliness and hopelessness that surrounded them.
I was totally captured by the writing and the way I got to experience how despite all the bad and ugly there’s always something good which just had to be found and believed in.
Despite my expectations the book was not all about sex. Yes it was about sex slaves and there was a lot of abuse but it wasn’t all written in glory details because some things were just mentioned by Emmy or hinted at. This gave me as a reader some kind of distance to the horrible events going on but there were still enough brutal things that happened to Kodah, Emmy and also to the other slaves. Sometimes I just forgot how young those kids still were.
I could not believe how the guards and all the people working for Marx extenuated what went down at this place. Forced sex, punishments as well as all the ‘activities’ the slaves had to undergo was nothing else than pure training. Sometimes I just forgot what place they were at because Emmy and Kodah captured me with their bittersweet love story until I was brutally brought down to their reality when Emmy had to endure another torturous meeting or training.
The abuse taking place in this book wasn’t like I’ve never read before but the raw, gritty and honest way of the story and its way it was written was exceptionally powerful and stunned me.
The ending of this first book was kind of a closure of some parts which made me happy because I was worried that there’d be a huge cliffhanger. Nevertheless, I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
(This book is perfect for those of you that don’t like cliffhangers or are worried about starting a series that ends every book in the middle of an important event. This is not the case here IMO even though the story does not end with this book. )
from beginning to end, this entire story was absolutely captivating. great story, great plot, and very well written. this book is a dark thriller involving slavery no less and the two main characters are just trying to live through it all unbroken. they are each other’s life line and the scenarios and obstacles that are thrown their way just keeps me at the edge of my seat, tugging at my heartstrings everywhere. the first book really stayed with me and I absolutely loved it.
MUST READ
Set Me Free is a very dark romance and is not for anyone who is sensitive to books including scenes of sexual assault. That being said, it is a well written story focusing on the relationship between teens caught in a sex trafficking ring.
Kodah is sold at the age of eight to pay off his father’s debts. He is caught in a constant cycle of darkness and abuse with nothing to look forward to but death until Emmalyn enters his life. Emmalyn is brought into the sex-trafficking ring at the age of ten, when her mother gifts her to her husband, and leader of the organization. She is stripped of her prior identity and begins her training as a sex slave. One that will be sold to the highest bidder when she turns sixteen.
While there is much darkness is this book, there is beauty and light in the relationship that develops between Kodah and Emmalyn, roommates, who become one another’s safe place in the hell they endure in. Both will do anything they can to offer solace and a moment where they feel free of the life they have become trapped in.
The plot has a few twists and turns that I did not see coming and kept me reading to see if Kodah and Emmalyn would find a way out or be lost to slavery forever. The characters were well written and had extreme depth. I do not think it is easy to bring light and love into a story with such darkness, but M.R. Leahy did just that.
This is a good read for anyone who enjoys a dark plot. 4 stars.
Ever read a book that you know will stay with you for your life? This book from start to finish has invaded and stomped on my soul. You will feel the character’s and wanna reach into the book and help them. Yes this is a dark story that will make you angry and gasp and pace and even cry at some parts but with all that you will be aching for wanting more. I was a very lucky person to beta read this book and still after couple weeks later I can’t stop thinking about this book. No I won’t post any spoilers because this is a book you need to go into reading with open mind and enjoy all the shock value it details. This is the authors FIRST book she had written and I’m still blown away that it is. Emmalyn and Kodah I can’t wait to read more about there story! If I could give this book 10 stars I would it’s my favorite dark story of the year! *** I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book ***
I Give this Book a 4-4.5/5 Star Rating, Listing as 4.
Cliffhanger(?): Yes
Dark Heat: 3/5
Heat: 4/5
Romance: 4.5/5
Drama: 5/5
Suspense: 4/5
Dark Rating: 3.5/5, explained below.
*Also Note: There are some tiggers in this book, but I have ZERO triggers so this book was perfectly fine for me 🙂
I have to give mega props to this author because I don’t read books like this as much as I used to, just because in all honestly I get bored very fast.
Once I opened this book, just to take a mere glimpse of the first page.
I found myself captivated and just kept reading and I really enjoyed this book.
Near the ending though it did seem a bit more rushed (the>I couldn’t really absorb what I just read, fast) but I most definitely will read the next book.
Dark wise you don’t really SEE that much, but you do see a bit, but mostly it is usually done in past tense/happens behind closed doors but you see the after effect as well as a undertone. Since majority of the scenes weren’t….current(?) > happening while reading.. My Dark rating can’t go really high (but that’s just me, cause I do read and LIKE to read really dark & gritty stories) so for this book I’ll give it a decent Mid-Dark Rating: 3.5/5. But I won’t list it as Dark-Lite.
Serve me darkness on a platter and I’ll eat it right up, I really wanted something stomach churning and teeth grinding, but this book didn’t really give me that.
Otherwise, I Look forward to reading more from this Author!
So far 2017 has been a stellar year for books. The debut novel Set Me Free by author M.R. Leahy has definitely made an impression on me. It’s hard to believe that this is the first published work from this talented author. I will definitely be reading more of her working in the future.
If you’re looking for hearts and flowers, flirty banter, or sweet romance, THIS IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU! This story is raw and gritty. Dark and Ugly. But the beauty that shines through the characters Kodah and Emmy is simply stunning. They definitely burrow their way into you heart and stay there.
Emmy and Kodah are soulmates. Without the other, I’m sure neither of them would’ve survived the horror show lifestyles that were forced upon them as young children. Even as a young boy, the moment Kodah’s eyes landed on the broken little girl he knew that she was his, and he was never letting go. His gentle nature, and protectiveness toward Emmy endeared him to me. But he also had this alpha streak when it came to her as well. He was jealous and possessive of her, which led to him getting into trouble on several occasions. It was flipping fantastic.
I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to ruin this amazing story for you, but I will tell you this, it ends in a cliffhanger. GAH! Why, M.R. Leahy? I have so many questions I need answers to. The list is too long, but the most important one is, how does Kodah and Emmy’s story end?
I need book two like yesterday. Please do yourselves a favor and 1-click this unbelievable tale of love and survival. You will not be sorry.