Reviewed by Sadonna 

TITLE:  Free Me

SERIES:  Tattoos and Temptation

AUTHOR:  Mia Monroe

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  228 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 16, 2020

BLURB:

Only his ropes can unravel the past.

I never thought I’d see him again, but when my former best friend shows up ready to make amends, it becomes clear just how tied to the past I am. He disappeared when I needed him the most, leaving me to navigate my truth alone. Now he’s back.

Nixon’s art leaves me vulnerable, defenseless, and I like it. Bound by desire and past hurts, giving him complete control might be exactly what I need to set me free.

What neither of us expected? The ropes free him too…

Free Me is a sensual second chance, former friends to lovers, bisexual awakening story featuring Shibari. It is book three in the Tattoos and Temptation series featuring hot Miami nights, Latin desserts, and guys with ink. It can be read as a standalone.

 REVIEW:

Note:  This is the third book in this series and as such, there are spoilers for both Books 1 and 2 🙂

Tate enjoys his work at the bakery Dulce Santos.  He’s happy with his coworkers, but he’s lonely.  He puts on a happy face, but he’s looking for something more.  He thought he’s be married by now and after a solo New Year’s Eve, he’s thinking about what he can do to change things.  New Year’s Eve is a bit of a trigger for him because when he was 18, he came out to his best friend and it did not go well.   He’s therefore completely taken aback when said best friend shows up at the bakery not too long after New Year’s.  He literally hasn’t seen or heard from him in over a decade – since that fateful New Year’s Eve.  He’s not sure what to do because he was totally cut off and this is the first time he’s seen or heard from Nixon.

Nixon has always felt bad about the way he treated Tate after their New Year’s Eve when they were 18.  He freaked out and cut Tate off – never calling, responding to texts, anything.  But somehow now that he’s got his business going, he feels the need to reconnect and ask for forgiveness for how he reacted and treated Tate.  He knows it’s not a guarantee that Tate will even agree to speak with him, but he feels like he’s got to try.  When Tate at least agrees to talk to him, he tries to explain how sorry he is, but Tate is not sure how he feels about letting Nixon back into his life.

After a bit of though and soul searching, Tate agrees to meet Nixon.  When they start talking, Tate can see that Nixon is truly sorry for how he treated him.  They agree to try to get back to being friends – they both have missed each other for a long time.  As they spend time together, Tate discovers that Nixon is into Shibari and he wants to try it out.  Tate finds it the most freeing thing he’s done – giving Nixon control and letting go of his tight hold over his emotions and reactions.  This is a revelation for both men.  As they continue to play together, Nixon discovers things about himself that he’s not sure he’s ready to consider.  Tate becomes worried that this might lead to Nixon ghosting him again.  But both men have support from friends that help them face what’s in front of them honestly and with trust.  If they can accept and trust where they are now, they might have a real shot at a future.

Free Me was a really good addition to this series of finding love in unexpected places 🙂  Tate keeps mostly to himself because he has been rejected – multiple times – for being gay.  While happy in his job, he’s had trouble connecting with anyone and he’s pretty sure he knows why.  I loved how he really was very self-aware.  He’s not willing to risk being hurt and rejected because it’s happened too many times – by his best friend, his family and others.  When his best friend shows up out of the blue after more than a decade, he’s rightfully unsure if he wants to even be friends with someone who cut him off without a word.  Nixon, for his part, has always felt bad about what he did, but finally after more than a decade of growing up, he’s come to the place where he really wants his best friend back.  The surprise is exactly what he wants back.  I absolutely loved the way the author provided for Nixon to seek advice from trusted individuals who had some pretty enlightening experiences and feedback to share.  Nixon’s response and his interaction with Tate were believable and really conveyed how much growing up he had done so that he was now able to accept things about himself that he hadn’t been at 18.  The two family’s reactions to their sons relationship was very telling and provided even more insight into the men that each had become.  I loved the whole exploration of compartmentalizing and labeling being both a help and a hindrance for Nixon accepting himself and his desires.  The opportunity for growth for all these people – Tate, Nixon and their family members – was integral to their relationship but most importantly didn’t stop them from moving forward with their lives.  The shibari practice in this novel was nicely done as well.  For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a good introduction to the practice and what it means to those who partake in it.  As usual, the couples from the previous books and other coworkers and partners of the bakery staff and the tattoo shop figure into Tate and Nixon getting out of their own way and getting together.  I love seeing how everyone is doing as they move forward in life and in business.  I’m really looking forward to more books in this series because there are a lot of guys who deserve their onw HEAs 😉  Recommended!

 RATING: 

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