Freedom is book 3 of the Blackstone series by JL Drake. This is a romantic suspense tale with some hardcore special ops men so there is lots of danger and action.
This story features Mike and Catalina. Both of them are likable characters-Mike has a great, supportive family, but his heart is kind of closed off and Catalina has no family and a rough childhood behind her but she has plowed ahead and made something wonderful of her self. Obviously, Mike's super secret military job makes dating tricky. He's gone for chunks of time and can't tell anyone where or how long he will be. Catalina has her own secrets though. Obviously, these will all collide.
Freedom has great characters and exciting action, but honestly, I struggled with the all the people. I haven't read the previous books in the series, and I haven't read the apparent cross over series that came before as well. Normally, I don't have a problem jumping into interconnected standalones (I know it makes some people crazy, but I'm not one of them). However, there are just so many dang characters! You have all Mike's military teammates, you have Catalina's friends, you have wives and kids, and extended families and it was a bit overwhelming for a new reader. I would start to get really into the story of Mike and Catalina, only to be pulled out because another character comes into play and I am trying to figure out what the heck is going on.
I struggle to rate Freedom because of my lack of understanding for the "world" Drake has created. I liked the parts that were Mike/Catalina focused and in the moment. Overall, my enjoyment was dimmed and that would normally make me rate the book lower. I think for now, I am giving Freedom 3 stars-I liked it. It was a solid read. I am leaving the door open to change that should I go back and read the previous books.
- POV: dual 1st
- Tears: no
- Trope: military
- Series/Standalone: series
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: yes
authors like Lisa Marie Rice, Marie James, L. Wilder...then you will probably like Freedom!
See full review on The Book Disciple