Today we have our review of Release Me, book 3 in the Callahan Series by AC Marchman together with an excerpt and some tour giveaways.
Book Description:
Prequel to overwhelm me & stay with me.
Donovan Callahan started a relationship with the married Claire Dubois as a teenager. He was attracted to her beauty and raw sexuality, letting his hormones take control of him. He couldn't resist the woman all the guys at school could only dream about.
As time went by, she sank her claws in deep, keeping his heart in a vice grip and toying with his emotions. He longed to be free, but was terrified of what this crazy woman was capable of. She had a way of keeping him in line, either by physical or mental force. She is manipulative, conniving, and just plain evil. She pulled him back in as he tried to push away. Donovan felt trapped in a web of lies and deceit. If Donovan was in a web, just call Claire the proverbial black widow.
Find out why Donovan is the way he is and how Claire screwed him up in more ways than one. Donovan has to take back control of his life. He wants Claire to release him, for good.
Donovan Callahan started a relationship with the married Claire Dubois as a teenager. He was attracted to her beauty and raw sexuality, letting his hormones take control of him. He couldn't resist the woman all the guys at school could only dream about.
As time went by, she sank her claws in deep, keeping his heart in a vice grip and toying with his emotions. He longed to be free, but was terrified of what this crazy woman was capable of. She had a way of keeping him in line, either by physical or mental force. She is manipulative, conniving, and just plain evil. She pulled him back in as he tried to push away. Donovan felt trapped in a web of lies and deceit. If Donovan was in a web, just call Claire the proverbial black widow.
Find out why Donovan is the way he is and how Claire screwed him up in more ways than one. Donovan has to take back control of his life. He wants Claire to release him, for good.
Find it on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/
Our Review:
**ARC Received for honest review**
Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars
This book is like a prequel, we finally get the back story of Donovan Callahan. After reading Overwhelm Me and Stay With Me, we get the general feel of Donovan’s relationship with Claire Dubois, but you never really got to understand the dynamics or the why’s and what’s that forever came into my head whilst reading. You never really appreciated what Donovan went through.
Claire Dubois was a cougar…she preyed on Donovan and would not have stopped until she got him. Any horny teenager would have done what he did, given the chance, especially as she was the stepmom that every boy at school was talking and fantasising about. What initially started out as a bit of fun and ego boosting for Donovan soon developed into a relationship that he so badly wanted to escape from.
To say that Claire was unhinged is an understatement, the woman is totally nuts!! She became a stalker, she was extremely manipulative, she would attack him, she would mentally torture him and she used her body to the best of her ability to get what she wanted and that was for him to stay. She knew that Donovan couldn’t resist her body so used it as her ultimate weapon, Donovan was always upset at how his body betrayed his mind and couldn’t understand it. Stockholm Syndrome was mentioned in the book, whilst I have never seen it related to this type of relationship you could definitely see the similarities. Claire had managed to put the fear of god into him and he was too scared to walk away.
I felt really sorry for Donovan, whilst I was not impressed that he actually started this relationship to begin with as I said above you could understand why he did. He so wanted an “out” and every time he tried Claire pulled some stunt to make it impossible. Forever being the gentleman, Donovan would never hit back and I actually felt extremely sorry for him. He reached out for help so many times, but never went the extra mile to make sure he got it, was never direct enough so I was so glad when he finally met with his therapist, at least he got him to see what Claire was really like.
I was so happy we got to see the goings on in court, I enjoyed this part of story so much, especially when you finally see Donovan grow a pair.
This book was emotional in parts but mainly it was so enlightening, you finally got the last piece in the Donovan Callahan puzzle and you can now really see why the man is the way he is and what a really lucky escape he actually had. Although, as we know from Stay With Me, I feel that this story is far from over and I for one cannot wait to read what Donovan and Claire are going to do to each other next, however, as long as he stays with Allie, I really don’t care, I just hope that she gets her just desserts and ends up back in prison!!
Bring on the next one!!
Excerpt:
I sat down at the table to drink some coffee and read the paper. I’m turning into my father.
That’s when I saw the headline.
TV Producer, Frank Dubois, age 55, found dead in his Atlanta home
Oh my God! My brain was trying to catch up with what the headline said. I kept reading.
Early this morning, the famous TV producer, Frank Dubois, died at his Atlanta estate. His distraught wife, Claire Dubois, the star of reality show Atlanta Society, called 911 when she found her husband unresponsive in their bed.
“Frank wasn’t feeling the best, so we called it an early night. He was complaining of severe stomach cramps and back pain. So Frank and I went to bed together. I woke early to use the restroom. When I came back to bed, I cuddled next to my husband and realized he wasn’t breathing. I called 911 immediately and told them to hurry. But it was too late. My Frank is gone and is never coming back to me.”
Mr. Dubois was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Along with his wife, he leaves behind a son, Frank Dubois, Jr. and a sister-in-law, Regina Rankins. The television company Frank worked for released a statement to the family, expressing their sympathy and condolences.
“The network just won’t be the same without Frank around. He will be sorely missed,” Vince Galloway, CEO of RTN Network, stated.
I couldn’t read anymore. I threw the paper on the table. Frank was dead and the first thing that came to mind was the conversation Geniese and I had years prior to this. “But that couldn’t have happened. There was no talk of foul play, no bullet wounds or ligature marks. Just that he was dead, in bed.” I started pacing the floor, trying to decide it I should even call Claire right now. That wouldn’t sound good if her lover called right after her husband is found dead. I put the phone down and waited for her call.
It took two days. Two days of insane worrying. Two nights of sleepless nights, tossing and turning. Two full days of mental torture.
The phone finally rang.
Buy Links:
Amazon:
Amazon UK:
Amazon CA:
About the Author:
AC Marchman lives in Virginia with her husband Dan and their three children, Hannah, Jacob and Sarah. By day, she is a wife, mommy, and an x-ray tech for a doctor's office. By night (and nap time) she is a writer. She loves spending time with her family. She also loves to read. Her favorite authors being EL James, Sylvia Day, James Patterson, and Tess Gerritsen.
Author Links:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/AC-Marchman/423894620999562?fref=ts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6586439.A_C_Marchman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACMarchman
Website: http://acmarchman.weebly.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACMarchman
Website: http://acmarchman.weebly.com
Giveaways!
Check out these two fantastic tour giveaways!
Not read Overwhelm Me or Stay with Me yet? You could win a copy of one of them in out 2000 facebook giveaway!
only a few days left to enter! Enter here: http://www.theromancecover.com/2013/07/2000-facebook-likes-giveaway.html
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