Review: Set Me Free

SET ME FREE

by Melissa Pearl 

Pages: 240

Publisher: Evatopia Press
Publication Date: May 3rd 2014

ISBN: 1630990256
Received From:  Mark My Words Book Publicity

Summary 

Lucy Tate has spent the last 5 years on the run. That is, until she met Zach, the one guy she couldn't bear to leave even though it could cost both of them their lives. Hunted by a crooked FBI agent who killed her parents, Lucy has taken on one disguise after the next. But Zach knows exactly who she is and in spite of mounting evidence indicating her guilt in her parents' death, he knows she's innocent. Convinced that it's time to put her years on the run behind her, Zach and Lucy vow to fight back, clear her name, and take down the real killer. With support from Zach's loyal friends and his uncle, an investigative reporter, they set out on a dangerous mission hoping that the truth...will set them free.

Review

Set Me Free is the suspense filled conclusion to Lucy Tate's story. I have to admit I've missed Zach and I couldn't wait to get my teeth stuck into this book! This book has everything! We have a little Charlie's Angles undercover work going on as well as a smidgen of computer hacking, a bloody handprint or two and a heap load of sexy Zach and LuLu moments! 

The beginning of Set Me Free overlaps slightly with the end of I Know Lucy with Lucy Tate introducing herself to Zach. She came back but everything she was running from is still very much after her and her sudden reappearance will only put the ones she loves in danger. And she knows it. This book is told, again, through both Zach and Lucy however where as before we had a first person account from Zach and a third from Lucy this time it's the other way around. This time we get to go through everything Lucy does as her finally discovers why the man with the pale green eyes is after her.  

I adored the prequel to this book, I Know Lucy. It was fast paced and captivating from the very beginning and even though it had the mother of all cliffhangers I still really enjoyed reading it. However, Set Me Free lacked a little of I Know Lucy's charm for me. I'm not saying it was bad, it wasn't! In fact it was just as well written and concluded Lucy's story perfectly. The problem I had was that the things I loved most from book one were missing in this instalment. For example Zach's group of friends were missing from about two thirds of the story and when they were there it was more about how Lucy was coming between them rather than the super sweet and quirky little family dynamic they had before.

I feel that these books didn't need to be separate. I think that if you took out the ending of I Know Lucy and the very beginning of Set Me Free this story would have made an epic standalone that would have had most people hooked from start to finish. It was one story and as much as I understand the authors need to change prospective, that could have just as easily been achieved with a Part 1 & 2. Although this is just my opinion. It doesn't take anything away from the story, I just feel that it would have worked better as one. 

Overall though this is a satisfying ending and I'm so happy with the way in which Lucy's life turned out. She's still a little broken but she's stronger and braver than she ever was before. Her growth throughout these two books was moving and even when her courage wavered there was still so much bravery behind everything Lucy did.

Lucy’s life has been difficult at best and Set Me Free gave her something she never thought she could have.

A happily ever after. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Mark My Words Book Publicity to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**