★★★★★ 5
Tahereh Mafi Writes the Most Beautiful Stories!
Format: Kindle
***Spoilers Ahead***
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!!!
Release Me by Tahereh Mafi centers almost entirely on the complicated, intense connection between James and Rosabelle. James is still all in, trying to break through Rosabelle’s walls and get her to open up, while Rosabelle is focused on one goal above everything else: finding a way back home so she can destroy Klaus, help bring down what remains of The Reestablishment, and save her sister. She fully believes in that mission, but she feels trapped within the New Republic, unable to act, which only adds to her frustration and inner conflict.
At the same time, Rosabelle is drawn to James in a way she cannot ignore. He becomes her only sense of safety, the one place where she can let her guard down, even as she fights against that pull. James, on the other hand, is exactly where he wants to be, with her, even as Warner and the rest of his family push back hard against the relationship because of her past. Warner’s perspective adds another layer of tension, especially as he tries to understand Rosabelle and realizes she is the first person he has ever encountered whose emotions he cannot read. As everything builds, the story leans heavily into trust, control, and the push and pull between love, loyalty, and the need to destroy the past.
Tahereh Mafi really just knows how to write a love story that gets under your skin, and this one absolutely did that for me. I am fully, completely in on James and Rosabelle. The emotional intensity between them is unreal, and what makes it hit so hard is that it never feels shallow or forced. They are both so deeply gone for each other, even while Rosabelle is still fighting her own plans, her past, and everything she thinks she has to do. James is steady in the way he wants her, protects her, and keeps reaching for her, and Rosabelle’s pull toward him feels just as powerful. You can feel that these two are not casually circling each other. They are fully in it, whether they want to admit it or not.
What really made this book a five-star read for me is the way Mafi writes their dialogue and inner monologues. It is intense, aching, vulnerable, and honestly kind of devastating in the best way. Every conversation between them feels loaded, and every thought they have about each other just digs the knife in deeper. I loved the tension of Rosabelle being so focused on destroying Klaus and taking down what remains of The Reestablishment, while James becomes the one place where she feels safe enough to breathe. That push and pull was beautiful. And then you have everyone around James warning him away from her, which only adds even more weight to the whole thing. Also, Warner trying to understand Rosabelle when he cannot read her the way he reads everyone else was such an interesting layer. This book gave me emotion, longing, conflict, and a romance I am fully invested in.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2026
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