My name is Alyssa and I’m a Liz Crowe addict. Escalation Clause was my latest fix and was, one of my most highly anticipated book releases for November. I absolutely could not wait to get my hands on this book! After reading Essence of Time (my favorite read of 2012, BTW), I desperately needed this book. I’ve NEVER had such a visceral reaction to a plot line and I needed closure, I needed understanding & most importantly, I needed to grieve. I’m not going to go into plot or give you a summary of the book to entice, because it honestly doesn’t need that. You only need to know one thing - you must read this series.

Jack & Sara - Such an amazing, strong & powerful couple. My heart wept for them as I watched them grieve and grow further apart. But they are resilient, their love is strong and, as we well know, they fight hard and they chose to fight for their relationship. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating - Sara is fierce! The loss of her brother was devastating to her, but through that loss she realized exactly how much of her life she let Blake live for her. She was forced to deal, and with that, came new strength and acceptance of her worth as a woman, a wife & a mother. She now refuses to accept anything less than what she, or her family, deserves - even from Jack. My favorite scene from this entire book involves these two, a trip to GA (What!! Jack, was in my home state!) and ice - no need to say anymore ;)

Brandis, Maureen & Rafe - Liz did it to me again! I just need to invest in a case of tissue when there is a Liz book on my tablet. We’ve known Maureen & Brandis’ ending for a little while now, but since they have always been in the background as secondary characters, the loss was not truly realized until this book. The main reason why I loved this book so much was because of these characters. The love and bond that Brandis & Maureen had, was extraordinarily beautiful and, I think, very important to know so that we can understand just how much she lost when he died. Even though I knew the outcome, I still fell in love with him, I had no choice. His death was gut-wrenching to read and completely shredded me. How do you move on from that? Simple, time and Rafe. I loved Maureen’s no holds barred kick ass attitude with the vulnerable side, that was scared to open up and love again after losing Brandis. The misgivings, guilt & fear that she had, about starting another relationship, were authentic, realistic and very believable. In taking the relationship slow, I was able to fall in love with Rafe right along with her. She deserved all the happiness she received.

Lila & Rob - As expected, their relationship was very tough and, at times, I didn’t know if they were going to make it. The extreme amount of grief, sadness & guilt, over the loss of someone so important to them, was a powerful thing. I thought it would be the straw that broke their back - but I was wrong. They persevered and came out the other side so much stronger for having made it through.

As a whole, Escalation Clause was amazing. I sat down to read and didn’t get back up until I was done. It grabbed, consumed and owned me. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, but I wanted to slow down getting to the end. My only complaints are that it felt a little rushed at the end with Maureen & Rafe, and while I loved all the characters, I wish that the main characters were more clearly defined. Since they all played a major role, I became invested and wanted to go deeper into the issues that each couple faced, but I couldn’t. With that being said, I still loved the book and this series will continue to remain one of my favorites and one I recommend to everyone!

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

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