Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Free Me

SERIES: Tattoos and Temptation, Book 3

AUTHOR: Mia Monroe

NARRATOR:  Kale Williams

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 6 hours and 17 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  December 15, 2021

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.

REVIEW: 

Free Me, the third book in Mia Monroe’s excellent Tattoos & Temptation series, presents her most unusual romance yet, remarkably conveyed within the framework of two common M/M tropes: friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance.  Never one to rest on her laurels, Ms. Monroe continues to push the envelope, spinning out unexpected yet enlightening content brimming with subtext.  Free Me can easily be read, appreciated, and thoroughly enjoyed in all its sexy, spicy goodness without a whole lot of digging for themes and messages.  But dig you should because Ms. Monroe’s story is given greater meaning if you “get” what she’s sharing through her carefully crafted prose.

This story focuses on Tate, baker at Dulce Santo, and his long-lost, childhood best friend, Nix. It follows on the heels of three exceptional romances in Date Me, Marry Me and Fix Me, made unforgettable through Kale Williams’ masterful vocal performances in their companion audiobooks (the latter with some seriously hot Scottish brogue).  It’s a tough act to follow, but Free Me doesn’t cower in their presence. Nor should it. The book can be listened to as a standalone (although if you skip the prior books, you’re nuts … just sayin’).  Plus, it’s a complete departure from what you’d expect or what came before. This isn’t a plot-centric book. Rather, it’s character and emotion-driven, almost to the exclusion of anything else.  When you read it, you’ll understand why and you’ll appreciate how well it works. 

Free Me explores how two people who have known each other forever, literally from birth, became inseparable, and then unbelievably broke apart. They’ve been physically separated for thirteen years, but never severed their mind and heart connection.  Now Nix returns, seeking Tate’s forgiveness and another chance to be in his life.  

They fall back on their long history and revive their deep connection as easy as breathing.  It seems like it shouldn’t work that way. Surely for a deep rift in a solid, lifelong friendship to form, the cause must have been devastating, the hurt lasting, and trust issues inescapable.  But this is Tate and Nix and they are unique.

I expected Free Me to focus on trust.  But trust isn’t the issue here. Despite the event that broke up their friendship and kept them apart for over a decade, we quickly learn that Tate and Nix have an underlying level of trust that never broke, despite the strain placed on it by their separation (and the cause of it). Tate says at the beginning of the story that he doesn’t trust Nix.  But that’s just lip service catering to Tate’s insecurities concerning Nix’s acceptance of him and his sexuality.  We know this because Tate, without hesitation, willingly exposes his vulnerabilities and cedes control to Nix under the Shibari ropes. Tate quickly recognizes he’s always completely trusted Nix and despite everything, that trust remains.  

What both Tate and Nix struggle with is acceptance and acquiescence;  making peace with themselves and each other.  Shibari is used as the perfect vehicle to literally and metaphorically take them on that journey.  It ultimately sets each of them free from the internal struggles tying them up and preventing them from being happy.  

Free Me contains plenty of scorching interactions between Tate and Nix using Shibari, but Shibari is used more profoundly throughout the book.  It can be sexual, and definitely physical, but it’s overarchingly impactful on a soul-deep level. Their romance is executed perfectly with the right balance of steam and emotional complexity.  

Kale Williams’ return to voice Free Me is truly a gift.  His mellifluent, fulfilling voice is sublime and truly defies complete description, although I valiantly try every time to accurately convey his mastery of the craft. Mr. Williams gets everything right here:  pacing, tone, pitch, and most importantly (at least in my opinion), intonation.  He breathes life into Tate and Nix and amps up the emotions and chemistry between them.  Notably, their voices are not all that different in pitch.  Yet they are clearly and consistently distinguishable because of the nuances Mr. Williams provides.  

I’ve been caught effusively praising Mr. Williams’ vocal performances many times before (*cough* Fix Me *cough*), but it’s not hyperbole.  He’s one of my favorite narrators, and there’s a reason for it.  His performances are well-rounded, accurate, engaging, and immersive.  They pull you in and make time fly, all while enhancing even the best stories, like Ms. Monroe’s Free Me. 

Free Me is a different experience than the previous series books, so it presents a fresh view of characters we’ve seen before. It’s an uncommon gem of a story made into pure escapism by Mr. Williams’ performance. I relished every minute of it and highly recommend that you give it a listen too.  One caution:  having audiobook credits available may be necessary because once this audio finishes, you’ll be grabbing the entire library of Tattoos & Temptation audios, and will want a few to spare for the upcoming releases of Catch Me, Tempt Me, and Twist Me.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon  

Audible