Perfect. All around perfect. Perfect characters, perfect story, perfect everything.

I cried during this book. Even though I knew what happened, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Getting it from another perspective was every bit as gut wrenching as from Candace's.

I fell in love with Jase and Mark in the first book. Jase was the perfect best friend, someone that I'm sure every girl would love to have. Reading from his point of view cemented my feelings for this character. Watching him struggle not just with himself but how to deal with Candace made me wish I could give him a hug. I was glad he had Mark there to hold his hand and be with him.

I look forward to the next book.

This was cute. Preferred this story about a million times more than I liked Candace/Ryan.

Jase Kinrick knows he’s gay; he just doesn’t know what to do about it. After fooling himself and everyone else in high school by dating a ton of girls, he’s excited to start his life over when he moves away for college. The problem is he still can’t quite accept himself, so even though he’s open about his sexuality and has many flings with other men, he can’t commit to a relationship.

When Jase meets Mark, a sexy musician and fellow architecture student, Jase has to find a way to accept himself for who he really is. Mark doesn’t do flings, so if Jase wants to continue exploring his growing attraction to Mark, he’s going to have to make some big changes in his life.

Freeing is an interesting story of someone who has come out of the closet yet still hasn’t fully accepted himself for who he is. Jase is sure his family won’t approve of him being gay—and he finds he’s right when his parents kick him out—but even after coming out to them, he still struggles to be open in his relationship with Mark. Even though he pushes Mark away and can’t fully accept himself, Mark is patient and understanding, leading Jase in the right direction with quiet determination. Mark’s love for Jase is unwavering, and even though Jase also loves Mark, it still takes time for him to be comfortable in his own skin. I truly enjoyed this twist on the male/male romance.

Jase also has a best female friend, Candace, who loves Jase and is accepting of his sexuality. When Candace finds herself in a horrible situation, Jase is there for her without question. I loved seeing Mark’s continued determination with Candace. He showed his love for Jase by truly caring for Candace and being understanding when Jase needed to be with her. Mark never questioned Jase and Candace’s relationship, and he even accepted Candace into bed with them (in a non-sexual way) when she needed comfort.

Although the love between Jase and Mark was obvious from their actions, there were some aspects that could have used a bit of work. The little loving touches between Jase and Candace—a kiss on the forehead, a hug here and there—were more believable than the touches between Jase and Mark. Because Jase held back with Mark, the times they did touch weren’t as convincing as they could have been. Even toward the end when Jase had finally accepted himself, it still seemed like something was missing.

There were parts of the narrative that were repetitive, making it seem like the author didn’t trust the readers to remember the details. I also felt there needed to be a little more explanation for why Kimber, Candace’s roommate, seemed to disappear from the story. Kimber was extremely involved with Jase and Candace in the beginning, and although she was left out of Candace’s recovery, there was never any mention of her once she got mad at Candace.

Overall, the story was enjoyable and well-written. I would definitely read more by this author and more of this series. Freeing is book two of the Fading series, and it can be read as a standalone.

For more of my reviews, please visit https://rachlawrencebooks.wordpress.com/.

boring

"No son of mine is a faggot. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I've heard enough." His words sting. "I had to tell you; I'm sick of lying about who I am. I needed you to know so that I can stop hiding." (fast forward a few sentences) "Get out of my house," my father demands in a low stern voice.

Freeing is the story of Jase. He is Candace's best friend and he is gay. We learned of his character and heart in Fading but that was from Candace's point of view. Freeing is told from his point of view as he struggles to help Candace work through her issues as well as coming to terms with his own sexuality.

"You're so much stronger than this. Don't let life stand in the way of what you want - what you deserve." She grips my shoulders under her hands and tells me, "Life isn't gonna be here forever. It passes by quickly and the time is lost, so don't waste it."

Jases's story is one that I'm sure many young people can relate to because they are living their lives in fear of what others may think of their sexuality. I have seen this firsthand with one of my closest friends and I tell you, E.K. hits all of the dialogue perfectly. Once again, the writing is impeccable and Freeing is another winner!!!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of Freeing in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing. Very well written, I like the how everything was handled.

I thought this book was a wonderful companion book to Fading. It also felt like its own book, rendering Jase's feelings and perspectives on Candace's life, as well as his own.

I did feel a connection with Jase on more than one occasion and could compare some of my own emotions and life situations to his.

This book guys, this book...

"In the end there doesn't
have to be anyone who
understands you...
There just has to be someone
who wants to"

Why it is one of my favorites?
- Jase
- Mark
- The love between Jase and Mark.
- Candance
- How Jase slowly starts to believe that he deserves love.
- How Mark is totally cool with Jase and Candance.
- How Mark trust Jase with all his heart, how he never runs away from Jase and keeps supporting him.
- Jase's slowly transformation from a guy who believe he don't deserves love to a guy who gives himself full to Mark.
- Mark's family
- How Jase and Mark will do everything for Candance. From holding her in bed, give her hugs and polish her nails.
- The desperation of Jase because he want Mark so bad, but can't let his past go.
- Jase's dream and his talk with his sister in it.


"Fighting to be free. But now I realize, it isn't about fighting.It's letting go of the fight to see that what I've been searching for is within him. Mark is my freeing."

i loved Jase in Fading and i am glad E.K. Blair did not shy away from writing his story. Mark and Jase were beautiful together.

Loved getting to see Jase and Mark's story!