Review and Giveaway: Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones!

Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, #1)
Lisa Renee Jones
July 22, 2013 (expected)
Julie Patra Publishing
250 pages

Synopsis:
Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard down, the ghost’s of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Release Countdo wn

Review:
The first book in a planned two book series, Escaping Reality is also Ms. Jones' debut in the trendy New Adult genre. And when she does something, she goes all in - as is clearly the case with this book. I devoured it from start to finish. It hooked me with the mysterious premise, and kept me reading with the tumultuous relationship between Amy and Liam. Liam, who fits right into the reclusive-billionaire-alpha-hotter-than-anyone-has-a-right-to-be role that seems to be a prerequisite if you're the lead in a New Adult Romance, is absolutely swoon-worthy, but unlike the often doormat-ish females of the genre, Amy stands her ground and goes toe-to-toe with Liam well. I am a sucker for romantic angst, and Escaping Reality has it in spades. And if the ending is any indication, book two (which thankfully we only have to wait a couple months for) is going to start with even more of it. Escaping Reality definitely raises more questions than it answers, which is a bit on the frustrating side, but the short wait between books, and the rumored possibility of a prequel novella is promising and quells more than a little of that frustration. I certainly will be first in line waiting for book two to see how this all ends. A wonderful New Adult debut that fans of the genre (or any romance for that matter) will adore.

Escaping Reality: 4.5/5 stars
Cover: 4.5/5 stars
Audience rating: R

For all you bloggers, booksellers and librarians - Escaping Reality is available to READ NOW on NetGalley for a limited time! I was lucky enough to get an extra special early look at this book, which resulted in a blurb on the cover, which of course, I am very excited about.

AND Ms. Jones is offering up a giveaway in anticipation of the book's release next week. You can win a signed copy of book one in the Inside Out Series: If I Were You OR a tote bag featuring Escaping Reality and book three, Revealing Us (if you already read If I Were You or just really love tote bags)! Just use the rafflecopter below to enter. Good luck!

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