Title: Release Me
Author: Faith Gibson
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: April 30, 2016
For fifteen years, Cade Anderson, drummer for the world-famous rock band 7’s Mistress, has been in love with his best friend, the band’s lead singer. Even though it’s been years since they were lovers, Cade still wants the man. When his best friend falls in love with someone else, life as Cade knows it is over. The band breaks up and Cade has to figure out how to move on.
Ten Years…
For ten years, Mal Wilson has hidden who he really is from the small-minded people of Arlo, Kentucky. The family farm is dwindling down to nothing, and the bar he owns is draining him dry. When it looks like he’s going to lose both, Mal has to figure out where to go from here.
Three Months…
For three months, Cade has been drinking and f*cking his way across the country, trying to forget about his former friend and lover. When he finds himself at a redneck joint in the middle of nowhere, he is drawn to the handsome roughneck tending bar. Something in the man stirs Cade for the first time in years.
One Night…
When Mal ends up in a hotel room with the handsome blond man who sat in his bar for hours, the man asks for one night together. When Mal wakes up, he knows that one night will never be enough, but it has to be.
Two men…
One musician, rich and famous, out and proud of his sexuality. One cowboy, poor as the dirt under his boots, hiding who he is from the world. It’ll never work. Or will it?
“Faith is an amazing author!!! This is not the first book I've read by this author and certainly will not be the last.” ~Ashley (Goodreads Review)
“I really loved this book! It was so much more than I ever dreamed it would be! I love opposites attract book and this one was perfect!!” ~Melissa at Alpha Book Club
The Neurotic Prophets were finishing up their encore, and it was almost time for Cade to take his seat. Never had he been more nervous playing a show than he was tonight. Mal had heard him play guitar and piano and knew how he sounded when he sang. But this was Cade in his element. Cade baring his soul to the world. Mal would probably never see this again, and Cade wanted it to be perfect.
Finally, the sets were swapped out, and it was time. Cade inserted his ear monitors and adjusted the box on the back of his jeans. The guys huddled as they did before every show and wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders. No words were said; they allowed their combined adrenaline to seep into the person next to him. Reed released his arms first as always, and Cade walked over and took his place behind his massive drum kit. Mal was somewhere in the crowd. Since the floor was standing room general admission, he could be anywhere. Or nowhere. Cade cleared his mind of Mal, and set up the beat for the first song as the others made their way to the stage.
Time crawled, yet at the same time, it flew by. As the band stood on stage after their encore, Cade tossed sticks into the crowd. He didn’t try to find Mal or Bryan in the sea of bodies clambering for a souvenir. He waved at no one in particular and headed to the side of the stage. The men walked to their dressing rooms together with their body guards. Too many crazy fans were able to slip by unnoticed no matter how good security was. Before Cade stepped into the room Carl had secured for him to use privately, he told Reed, “You’re probably not going to see me at the after party.”
“No problem. We’ve all had those nights,” he responded and cupped Cade behind his head. “You do what you have to do.”
Carl opened the door for Cade, and he was immediately accosted by an excited Bryan. “Man, what a f*cking show! You were phenomenal. And your drum solo? Oh my god! How do you play for that long without needing a break? Seriously, that was the sh*t!”
Cade couldn’t help but grin at his friend’s excitement. He considered both Bryan and Andy friends. They had kept in contact these last few weeks even if they wouldn’t elaborate on Mal’s well-being too much. Cade grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead and neck. “Practice, my man. Lots of practice and gym time. How are you?” Cade asked. He turned toward the sofa in search of the cooler he kept full of Gatorade for after the show. Mal was leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
Cade couldn’t move. Mal was even more handsome than he remembered. Seems like he wasn’t the only one who took extra care with his looks for this moment. Mal’s normally smooth face was scruffy, like he intentionally forgot to shave for a couple of days. His dark hair was cropped close on the sides but longer than it had been on top. His jeans gripped those slim hips snugly, and his Divining the Dark t-shirt stretched taut over his chest and biceps. Cade was pretty sure he was drooling. Mal was picture perfect and would put any cover model to shame. If he’d really wanted to be tormented, Cade would’ve asked him to turn around so he could get a good look at his ass. There was something about his cowboy in a pair of Wranglers.
When he raised his eyes to Mal’s face, the blue orbs staring back at him took him by surprise. This wasn’t a man who looked like he was going to break things off. Mal looked like he was ready to drop to his knees and blow Cade. He looked around to make sure Roarke was nowhere near, and it was then he noticed Bryan and Carl had left the room.
Mal found his voice first and said, “Hi.”
That one word just about knocked Cade to his knees. It was music to his soul. His soul that was soon to be crushed.
“Hi,” he croaked. Cade cleared his throat and tried again. “Hi, Mal. You look good.”
Mal pushed off the wall, and before Cade knew what was happening, Mal had his neck in a vice grip and was crashing their mouths together. Surprise had Cade gasping, and Mal took advantage of the opening to slide his tongue home. Home.
You know when you finish a book and you just sit for a few minutes thinking, “Wow, that was a truly satisfying read!”? That was me when I finished Release Me. This was an all-around wonderful story with characters I loved, a well thought out and executed plot, a perfect blend of emotion, drama and heat…and an ending that put a huge smile on my face (even if the epilogue was a little sappy-it still had me grinning!). And even though there’s apparently some backstory to be found in the author’s book Deliver Me, Release Me can be read as a standalone—I haven’t read the other story and enjoyed this one just fine on its own…but you can be darn sure I’ve added Deliver Me to my TBR because if it’s as good as Release Me, I already know I’ll enjoy that one too.
Oh, how I loved these characters. They’re opposites in so many ways, but still fit together like they’re made for each other. Both have alpha characteristics, while also having their own vulnerabilities that leave them each open to heartache. Cade thought he’d lost his love when his best friend and sometime lover Tag found someone else, and even though I gathered from the circumstances as Cade revealed them that he was a bit of an ass when all that happened, you could clearly see he was hurting. Mal never really has any time to find someone of his own due to his responsibilities with his farm, bar and taking care of his mother. The odds seem like they are against Mal and Cade coming together right from the start.
The story progresses at a nice, natural pace with the relationship between Mal and Cade developing over time until it becoming like a fierce blaze between them. But there’s a secret that Cade hides from Mal, and we all know how secrets go…even when the best of intentions are behind them. Between the buildup, the time the two spend apart due to Cade being away working with a band, exposure of Cade’s secret, and the resolution of everything, there’s plenty of emotion and tension which kept me furiously flipping the pages trying to find out how everything turns out.
I also want to mention the great supporting characters. They are all solid, well developed and do a great job of adding depth to the story. I’m hoping we’ll get to hear more about some of them (like Andy and Bryan) in a future book.
I really loved this story, and give it 4.5 stars, and for me, Release Me is definite re-read material. I highly recommend this to M/M romance fans 18+ (for adult language and some hot and steamy M/M sexual content)…if this isn’t on your wish/TBR list already, it really needs to be!
Faith Gibson lives outside Nashville, Tennessee with the love of her life, and her two-legged best friends. She began writing in high school and over the years, penned many stories and poems. When her dreams continued to get crazier than the one before, she decided to keep a dream journal. Many of these night-time escapades have led to a line, a chapter, and even a complete story.
When asked what her purpose in life is, she will say to entertain the masses. Even if it’s one person at a time. When Faith isn’t hard at work on her next story, she can be found playing trivia while enjoying craft beer, reading, or riding her Harley.
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