Liam & Tria’s gritty love story concludes in RELEASED!
AVAILABLE NOW
Released (Book Three) Caged Series
BLURB
Oblivion is a sweet, sweet place.
No pain. No disturbing thoughts of the
past. No guilt from my recent actions.
Deep down, there is still a part of me
that knows how screwed up I am. I don’t see a way out, not now. Tria’s gone,
and the possibility of her forgiving me in my current state is exactly zero. I
know I have to pull myself together, accept my responsibilities, and try to
make amends, but I have no idea where to start.
No job. No apartment. I’m living on the
streets with the other junkies. As little as I had to offer Tria before, I have
nothing to give her now. The only way out is to come clean and tell Tria the
truth about my past, but the idea of reliving the memories is so painful, I
can’t think about it long enough to figure out a solution.
I’ve hit rock bottom, and I don’t even
know which way is up any more.
RELEASED EXCERPT
I watched Yolanda walk out of the
cage. Apparently, I kept looking in her
direction too long. I took a blow to the
head before I realized the fight had started.
I stumbled back, shook my head, and
regained my footing. I raised my fists
up in front of my face, and danced lightly on my toes, waiting for his next
move. We circled slowly, jabbing but not
finding our marks. My head swam again.
I needed to put an end to this. I needed to get it over with so I could take
my winnings and get more smack. I had
come down too hard and too fast. I had
to get straight again.
I rushed him, striking out with my right
and then my left. I took an elbow to the
face, and felt my neck snap back.
The next thing I knew, I was on my back,
and the guy was straddling my chest. I
registered my head being thrown from side to side with punches, but I couldn’t
focus enough to get him off me. I jabbed
at his sides, but it was ineffective.
With my head spinning, I slammed my hand
against the ground three times.
“Woo hoo!” The challenger jumped off of me and started
running around the small cage.
I could hear cheers, boos, and people
screaming at me, but I couldn’t comprehend the words. I rolled over and pushed myself up before
stumbling out of the cage.
“Jesus, Liam!” Back in the locker room, Yolanda fussed
around the cut over my eye and my bloody lip as I tried to push her hands away
and get my jeans back on. “What the hell
is wrong with you tonight?”
“Just forget it!” I yelled. “I need to get going.”
“Oh yeah?
Why’s that? You got nothing
waiting for you at home.”
I pulled my shoulders close together and
bit down on the pad of my thumb. I
didn’t remember telling Yolanda about Tria leaving, but apparently I had. I was afraid to open my mouth now. I tensed every muscle to keep myself from
trembling. If Yolanda noticed, she’d
figure out why.
If she figured it out, she’d stop me.
Is that such a bad thing?
Yes, most definitely.
I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t have Yolanda knowing what I was
doing and dragging me somewhere to clean up.
She would take back the cash she’d just given me, and I’d be royally
fucked. I couldn’t let that happen.
“I gotta go,” I said again. I shouldered past her and out the door,
ignoring her calls after me. I didn’t
stop at the bar or acknowledge the fans around me as I left.
I took the cash I’d earned to Max and
traded it for all the heroin I could get.
I returned to my apartment and banged up.
Bliss.
Everything was perfect.
**ADDITIONAL EXCERPTS FROM
BOOK ONE & TWO ARE LOCATED HERE**
My
Review
This may be the end of the Caged Trilogy but Caged-Released is my favorite book of them all! A fantastic end to a series that is so well written and researched that one can’t help but wonder if the circumstances have been based off of personal life situations. Whatever the case is, Shay Savage has solidified her spot in producing one of the rawest, thought provoking, darkest, unapologetic love stories that isn’t just about the love between one man and one girl.
It’s a love story about the ramifications a family must endure when the actions of words hurt more than any physical punch can produce. A love story of when the most horrific circumstance happens that one can’t possibly conjure it up and yet I read it. Caged-Released is a story of a man who uses his fists to break away from the PTSD he doesn’t realize he has. Words written that will take every reader down an ally into a drug binge so cruel that it’s sure to hurt you while reading. There are so many deep and dark things that happen in this book that I really questioned if I was ever going to see any light or any redemption at the end of the page. I did, however, the roller coaster ride of emotions I had to endure to get there was exhausting, but in a good way. In the way that I love! The feels in this book are on every spectrum that at times you can be in the darkest corner but the most sarcastic one liner would pop up and I would be laughing out loud.
Wow. Just sitting here thinking back on the journey I have been on in this trilogy and especially in this book I come to wonder how these three books are the very first time I have read Shay Savage! Her writing style is quite descriptive and the words just jump off the page. There is so much going on in the plot that it feels like you’ve been reading for days, and not in the way some books are when the story just drags and you’re poking your eyes out to just finish it. Released keeps you on your toes while guiding you right along making you fight your own battles of not falling for the bad guy. Who really isn’t bad at all, but damaged, and how the love for a woman can help break him free. The Caged Series is nothing short of Brilliance and one that should be on everyone’s shelf.
***Blogger note- I was given an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest experience.
Series Reading Order
Takedown (Book One) Caged Series
Trapped (Book Two) Caged Series
Released (Book Three) Caged Series
About the Author:
Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her family and a variety of household pets. She is an accomplished public speaker, and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International. When not writing, she enjoys science fiction movies, masquerading as a zombie, is a HUGE Star Wars fan, and member of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers. When the geek fun runs out, she also loves soccer in any and all forms - especially the Columbus Crew, Arsenal and Bayern Munich - and anxiously awaits the 2014 World Cup. Savage holds a degree in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.
GIVEAWAY
Signed Set of the Caged Series
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