Release Me: The Stark Series #1

RELEASE ME is the first storyline (January 2013 release) in J. Kenner’s new erotic romance series featuring Damien Stark and Nichole (Nikki) Fairchild. Like many of latest popular serial erotic romance storylines such as Fifty Shades of Grey and The Crossfire Trilogy by Sylvia Day, Nikki and Damien have secrets from their pasts, overcome insurmountable odds, and are pursued by the ghosts of painful childhood memories. But wait…before you say….”oh no, not another one.”..it will suck you in from the very start. A billionaire who knows what he wants- Damien Stark is our hero. Starting at four years of age Damien became the poster child for junior tennis but a manipulative father and a controlling coach destroyed Damien’s life leaving him with some issues of control. Damien wants Nikki. As the story progresses, we learn that Nikki and Damien had met six years previous and Nikki believes that Damien does not remember their meeting. But like many of our stalkerish type heroes, Damien has kept up with Nikki’s life, so much so, that most of her adult life has been choreographed through Damien Stark. And with their latest ‘accidental’ meeting, Damien pursues Nikki to make her-his own. If you are a fan of Fifty Shades or Crossfire Trilogy you will like Release Me. Damien likes his games of sex. From phone sex to light BDSM, Damien is a man who gets what he wants, but he will not hurt Nikki knowing the horrific past she has had to endure. But along with Nikki’s secrets Damien has a few of his own that he is reluctant to reveal. Nikki Fairchild is our heroine. Forced into the pageant circuit at a young age, Nikki and her sister became their mother’s ticket to fame and fortune. But pageant life and life at home were never easy for Nikki and her sister and in the end guilt will weighed heavily on Nikki Fairchild’s shoulders. Release me follows a similar path as the other well-known and successful series written the same genre. We have the requisite BFF, manipulative and vindictive boss and an ex-boyfriend who wants nothing more than to become something more. I enjoyed RELEASE ME because there were some differences if only in the actual content and overall story outline. J. Kenner has written a sensually seductive storyline that catches your imagination and pulls you in because of its’ familiarity and recognizable premise. Either way, a tortured and brooding hero is always high on my TBR list.

I kept seeing this book was so much like FSOG and some other book I haven't read. I know I am in the minority but I also have no desire to read it or see the movie. The thing I liked about this book was it wasn't all sex. It was about exploration. A man who has wanted a woman for years and finally has the chance to get it. He's into control and she fights against it. She awakens him in ways no one else has. She challenges him and wants him just as badly. But there are secrets. There may be lies. There might be so much more to deal with to love him. The author does a great job of mixing it up and it not being just about the sexual exploration. These two have many demons in their past and we have only had a peek at the complicated man behind the mask. It's a trilogy so of course it isn't a standalone and you will need to read all three books for the resolution. Forget about comparing it to any other book and just read it for what it is, then you can enjoy it on it's own merit.

WOW! This is the first book that I have read by J. Kenner and LOVED it!! I cannot get enough of Mr. Stark!! The storyline grabbed me and kept me interested (Personally I see very little in common with FSOG as other reviews suggest). The characters are fully developed, flawed, and very realistic. I am very intrigued by the flaws that Kenner chose for the characters, especially Nichole “Nikki”. I thought the writing style evoked emotion and had me invested in the story as well as the characters. I look forward to reading Claim Me the next in this series and other books by this author!! I definitely recommend this to others! Disclosure: I PURCHASED a copy of the book for my reading pleasure. I was not compensated to write a positive or favorable review. This is Keeping Up With The Rheinlander’s personal opinion. Also since first publishing this review on KUWTR on 8-6-14, I have started working for J.Kenner - regardless of my professional relationship - this review is of my own personal opinion.