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becksbooks24's review
5.0
"I didn't forget you, I just didn't want to remember. Just so you know"
Summary: Release takes place 10 years after the first book (Stolen), Gemma, now Kate is back living in London and trying to get on with her life after parting ways with Ty but she's struggling, she sees him everywhere and can't stop thinking about him. She wonders if it was all a fantasy, a lie if she is suffering from Stockholm syndrome like everyone keeps telling her she is, or if she and Ty had a true connection. She receives a letter notifying her of his release from prison and now she has to figure out if it's revenge she's after or a second chance.
Review: Loved it!! I wasn't sure where the story would go but it was (almost) everything I wanted it to be. Like Kate (Gemma), I needed closure with Ty and while reading I loved and hated Ty all at the same time while also being able to sympathize with Kate and Ty.
It was beautifully written, I could feel Kate losing her mind and her need to reconnect with the Australian desert and find the piece of her she lost.
Summary: Release takes place 10 years after the first book (Stolen), Gemma, now Kate is back living in London and trying to get on with her life after parting ways with Ty but she's struggling, she sees him everywhere and can't stop thinking about him. She wonders if it was all a fantasy, a lie if she is suffering from Stockholm syndrome like everyone keeps telling her she is, or if she and Ty had a true connection. She receives a letter notifying her of his release from prison and now she has to figure out if it's revenge she's after or a second chance.
Review: Loved it!! I wasn't sure where the story would go but it was (almost) everything I wanted it to be. Like Kate (Gemma), I needed closure with Ty and while reading I loved and hated Ty all at the same time while also being able to sympathize with Kate and Ty.
It was beautifully written, I could feel Kate losing her mind and her need to reconnect with the Australian desert and find the piece of her she lost.
princess_marie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Violence, Stalking, Sexual content, and Animal death
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, and Drug abuse
aepatton's review
5.0
One of the best books I’ve ever read. The title is weird but this is not smut at all. The first book “Stolen” came out in 2011 and I’ve been waiting for years for the end of the story. Did not disappoint. So fucking beautiful and tragic and I sobbed but I’m so happy. I literally cried bc that’s all we’re gonna get it’s like normal people vibes. I used to dm this author asking when this one was coming out lol
ruterilla's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
szynkaaa's review
4.0
I was 15 / 16 when I first read Stolen. And like a lot of readers back then, I too was rooting for Gemma and Tyler to stay together and their little make shift cottage in the middle of nowhere and live their happily ever after. I think I knew back then already that reading this novel, it was supposed to give you Stockholm Syndrome, that you'd sympathize with your captor and fall in love with him etc.. The ending was still realistic, but still disappointing in the sense they didn't end up together and Ty went to prison.
After that I went to look for fanfictions where Gemma and Ty did stay together lmfao.
I don't remember how I even came across Stolen the first time, but what I do remember is that it was one of the few books that catapult me into the book community (sorta).
And then years passed, I would occasionally think about Stolen once in a while. Now that I'm older and not too much wiser and consumed quite few true crime podcast, I realized what a fucked up situation the whole Gemma kidnapping was. Obviously Ty belonged to prison and Gemma needed tons of therapy. It was still a very well written book imo.
One day, I decided to check out if in ye olde 2022, were people still reading Stolen? That's when I found out, a whole sequel has been released holy shit
I don't think I'm gonna sum up everything that happened in the book. I see a lot of 1-2 star reviews saying that they still wished that Gemma and Ty ended up together.
And I get that the disappointment. I really. It's a book, it's not a real, it's a fiction. They may both be wrong for each other and boy did Ty fuck up majorly and also need so much therapy, but the 16-years old inside me also wished that they would have ended up together in their happily after.
However, ultimately I'm satisfied with the way Release ended. I know that the ending is up to interpretation with what really happened with Ty, but I do think that we should keep in mind the book is written from Gemma's POV; and she is not the most reliable narrator. I also think there were just too many things hinting at that she did shoot him in the end and hid his body in the cave inside the pool.
My only ick with the book is that she ended up being pregnant with his child. Like, she was haunted her whole life but the kidnapping and by Ty, and she says that she finally got her """release""" (by shooting him). But then she has a child with him??? like idk man. I just feel so sorry for this fictional baby that is not even born yet or whatever
Also. I really wanna punch Nick in the face. Never liked that guy
After that I went to look for fanfictions where Gemma and Ty did stay together lmfao.
I don't remember how I even came across Stolen the first time, but what I do remember is that it was one of the few books that catapult me into the book community (sorta).
And then years passed, I would occasionally think about Stolen once in a while. Now that I'm older and not too much wiser and consumed quite few true crime podcast, I realized what a fucked up situation the whole Gemma kidnapping was. Obviously Ty belonged to prison and Gemma needed tons of therapy. It was still a very well written book imo.
One day, I decided to check out if in ye olde 2022, were people still reading Stolen? That's when I found out, a whole sequel has been released holy shit
I don't think I'm gonna sum up everything that happened in the book. I see a lot of 1-2 star reviews saying that they still wished that Gemma and Ty ended up together.
And I get that the disappointment. I really. It's a book, it's not a real, it's a fiction. They may both be wrong for each other and boy did Ty fuck up majorly and also need so much therapy, but the 16-years old inside me also wished that they would have ended up together in their happily after.
However, ultimately I'm satisfied with the way Release ended. I know that the ending is up to interpretation with what really happened with Ty, but I do think that we should keep in mind the book is written from Gemma's POV; and she is not the most reliable narrator. I also think there were just too many things hinting at that she did shoot him in the end and hid his body in the cave inside the pool.
My only ick with the book is that she ended up being pregnant with his child. Like, she was haunted her whole life but the kidnapping and by Ty, and she says that she finally got her """release""" (by shooting him). But then she has a child with him??? like idk man. I just feel so sorry for this fictional baby that is not even born yet or whatever
Also. I really wanna punch Nick in the face. Never liked that guy
itskellisisland's review
5.0
This sequel has been a long time coming. Stolen has maintained a hold over me for a little under a decade and I can now say that I finally feel a sense of ‘release’ with Gemma and Ty’s story having come to a true conclusion.
While Gemma and Ty have certainly changed over the years, Lucy Christopher’s writing was as beautiful as ever. She really dove deep into exploring the adult emotions behind Gemma and Ty’s perspectives on what happened in the desert all those years ago. I initially found it difficult to make the jump to understanding this adult version of Gemma as in all the time I spent wondering about the ‘after’ from my own perspective, I never imagined what 10 years of no closure would look like for HER.
Without giving away the entire plot, all I can say is that this book really took me on a journey through what Stockholm Syndrome is and can become over time. This is not meant to be a love story. What started as Ty taking a teenage Gemma turned into adult Gemma and Ty saving one another. It wasn’t exactly what I’d always imagined but I believe Lucy Christopher gave us the ending Gemma and Ty truly needed.
While Gemma and Ty have certainly changed over the years, Lucy Christopher’s writing was as beautiful as ever. She really dove deep into exploring the adult emotions behind Gemma and Ty’s perspectives on what happened in the desert all those years ago. I initially found it difficult to make the jump to understanding this adult version of Gemma as in all the time I spent wondering about the ‘after’ from my own perspective, I never imagined what 10 years of no closure would look like for HER.
Without giving away the entire plot, all I can say is that this book really took me on a journey through what Stockholm Syndrome is and can become over time. This is not meant to be a love story. What started as Ty taking a teenage Gemma turned into adult Gemma and Ty saving one another. It wasn’t exactly what I’d always imagined but I believe Lucy Christopher gave us the ending Gemma and Ty truly needed.
samanthalvnn's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
fasmina's review
3.0
So I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book but later on I realised that it’s a prequel to one of the most loved boos 10 years ago. So I first read Stolen before starting Release.
Well, Stolen is a book that sets standards for books of the genre. It had the exact vibe, gave the right sensations and put the reader on the edge of the seat throughout. But unfortunately, it didn’t work so with Release. We always see and hear about sequels messing up the first book, and this instance proves it perfectly.
I felt like reading a fan fiction based on the first one because it undid a lot of elements that the first book had. It was slow burn at the start, and the actual situations that readers wanted when reading Stolen were actually merely touched. I think what the author expected to do with this book was realistic, but it left the first book less interesting.
Well, Stolen is a book that sets standards for books of the genre. It had the exact vibe, gave the right sensations and put the reader on the edge of the seat throughout. But unfortunately, it didn’t work so with Release. We always see and hear about sequels messing up the first book, and this instance proves it perfectly.
I felt like reading a fan fiction based on the first one because it undid a lot of elements that the first book had. It was slow burn at the start, and the actual situations that readers wanted when reading Stolen were actually merely touched. I think what the author expected to do with this book was realistic, but it left the first book less interesting.