**This series contains explicit language and sexual content. 17+
HOLDING YOU
Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong.
Free-spirited Addy Brecken is Milwaukee’s most talented vegan chef and co-owner of Sage Leaf Café. She has a genius IQ, a padded savings account, an amazing view of Lake Michigan, and a heart that won’t stop beating.
Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong.
An early April … peaceful, I am strong.
An early April morning finds her drowning in the seductive fragrance of lilacs and the warmth of the morning sun when she’s nearly hit by a car in front of her café. The peaceful existence she’s desperately tried to maintain after the horrific loss of her family is suddenly shaken by the Range Rover driving, arrogant, sex-on-legs Quinn Cohen.
Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong.
A successful, Latino businessman from New York, Quinn has a taste for the finer things in life. A typical playboy, he has the money, the houses, the cars, and the women. Quinn is everything Addy avoids. Where she lives simply and prefers to help the less fortunate, he has no problem spending an obscene amount of money on a briefcase. Their opposite personalities lend to several heated encounters, and Addy finds herself propositioning Quinn for the one thing she never imagined needing … sex.
Offering only her body, Addy tries to keep Quinn at a safe distance from her heart and a world away from her past. Their passion-filled connection makes Addy feel something unfamiliar, alive. But with passion comes more feelings: anger, jealousy, love. When Addy surrenders to the unimaginable and lets go of her past, she’s faced with the impossible … holding on to her future.
Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong.
RELEASING ME
A tragic accident. A hidden past. An unbreakable love.
Never goodbye …
I thought Addy stole my soul.
Her beauty blinded me.
Her heart called to me.
Her touch healed me.
She gave everything and asked for nothing. Then I broke her. The depths of her pain were veiled by the reflection of my own. I didn’t deserve her, but I wanted her––I needed her. In my darkest hell, I heard her voice. That’s when I knew …
Addy was my soul.
Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong.
Quinn was worth the risk.
He took away the numbness and gave me unfathomable pleasure. Every emotion felt magnified, every moment felt like the last.
My heart found purpose.
My body came to life.
My soul returned.
His weakness gave me strength, and his past held my future. He saved me by … releasing me.
more
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll keep repeating like a parrot Jewel can write NO wrong!!
Even when she started out, her earlier works are far ahead in feels and narration than veteran authors of now. Goes to show she’s always been a master of churning literary fantasies.
Half a Duet done, fell in love with Quentin Cohen, obsessed over vegan & environmentalist Billionaire Adler Sage Brecken, got my heart broke, flew up on the wings of emotions and got thrown down on the rocks…Splat!!! All between the pages full of soul touching words that Jewel writes. She manipulates human hearts, rearranges mere 26 letters of the alphabet again and again till they draw out every smile, every groan, every orgasm and every tear from her readers.
Adler is the one who’s above in status, finances and dedication than Quinn. She shocks and stuns him at every step. Owner of Dinky loft & mismatched furniture, she drives a 10 year old car- Karma while a million dollar yacht stays parked. A conundrum…a puzzle to solve for Quinny, who falls deeper in love with her with every encounter.
I loved this concept of Addy being in a strong place but vulnerable at the same time. Trusting but reluctant. She manages to break her own heart with her inhibitions.
Ever since I read her first book, I’ve been worshipping the ground she walks on, my Jewel In The Crown
This story is her comfort zone. Full of sass, humor, wit and sarcasm…abundance of sentiments and unexpected coupke pairings that just can’t help but fall in love.
Now to finish the Duet with the last book of hers, cause my heart stopped beating when book 1 ended
Th-Thump…Th-Thump…Th-Thump
If you haven’t, you MUST READ THIS DUET!!
5 stars for Planet Awesome
Holding You
Where was I when this was being released? No clue, but there is no doubt I would have been a fan from the get-go. Jewel E Ann is a phenom when it comes to writing romance and while I should be shocked that this is her debut, I am not. I should also be shocked that she completely rendered me useless and that I stayed in my chair reading for a good portion of the day. Again, I am not.
There are a few things I want to say and then I’ve got to jump into Releasing Me which is the conclusion to the Holding You duet. Jewel E Ann knows how to slay with words. She leaves the reader (yes, I’m that reader) an emotional mess with a love story that digs deep. Addy and Quinn are all well developed, beautifully complicated characters. I both loved them and wanted to wring their necks throughout their story. Keeping secrets, even with good intentions, is never good.
My best advice when it comes to reading romance? Never pass up the opportunity to read a Jewel E Ann story. Holding You is a clear example of her stunning storytelling.
Releasing Me
I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy ride. Tragic repercussions from the cliffhanger were inevitable. Addy shows such strength and grace throughout the story. Quinn had me equal parts swinging and swooning. It goes on for a bit. There is a lot to cover. Some of it heartbreaking, some of it frustrating.
It’s always hard to review the second book in a duet without giving spoilers. So know this. Holding You/Releasing Me is a fantastic duet and even more amazing, it is Jewel E Ann’s debut. So take a chance and read them. You won’t regret it.