I could have given this 5 stars if there had been any answers to the many questions that make up this book. I was just beginning to get bored waiting for something? The end of the book leaves you knowing pretty much what you did at the beginning of the book. I hate feeling like an author is dragging things out to stretch into a trilogy. Anyway, I am intrigued enough to buy the next book right away....hoping to get a few answers. ( )

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
Escaping Reality is a book that is part of a series that has been on my loose TBR for a long while, but when I saw the adaptation of it on Passionflix, I just had to pick it up. I will say that this book just instantly grabbed up my attention and my goodness I was so easily swept away by this story that just captivated me from the first page. There is something about Lisa Renee Jones and her capability of just pulling me so quickly into a story. I absolutely adored what was delivered in this one, and the intensity of the romance was brilliant. It's one of the aspects of this author's writing that I just love the most. I will say that, if you are looking for a sensual romantic suspense, then look no further than with Lisa Renee Jones.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Liam Stone
-Alpha
-Dominant in the Bedroom
-Billionaire
-Architect
-Protective

The Heroine: Amy Bensen
-On the Run
-Family lost
-Loves History
-Lots of secrets, not easy to trust

Summary
It all begins with our heroine, Lara, who is now Amy Bensen. Her family was murdered, and she was instantly forced to having to go on the run. For six years she has been living in hiding, wanting to know the secrets of the past but not able to afraid it would put her at risk. She is now forced to go to a new city and new life in Denver. On the plane she meets up with Liam Stone, a sexy architect and they have an instant connection. But while there is a passion between them, she doesn't know who she can trust and if Liam could be her salvation or the greatest threat to her. But while Amy works through her trust issues with Liam, she wonders if she will ever have the peace she has been looking for...

My Outlook
I absolutely adored this book in every way! I was instantly drawn into it. Now the show literally adapts this book basically word for word. So, I was able to breeze through the first half, only reading the parts that we didn't get to see in the movie, like the thoughts of Amy and her impressions as she goes through the story. But if you love well done adaptations, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it on Passionflix, they literally stick to the plot dialogue and even the small details.

The story itself is so captivating and I was easily drawn into this edgy romance that kept my attention all the way through. I was so drawn into the connection between Liam and Amy. And my goodness, Liam just had my heart. From the beginning he was all in for the heroine, and I loved how he knows she has secrets and is so patient and understanding. Just working on building that bridge of trust between them because she is not able to. He is the type of alpha male that I love to read the most. The way he is so intense, protective, willing to die for type of intensity. The way he is willing to get her what she needs, and its not about buying her love but its his love language. You can see that he wants to protect and provide for the heroine without asking anything in return. It takes a while for her to see that though. I did love the sensual moments that grow between them. It was so well done. There is something in how Lisa Renee Jones just writes such sensual suspense filled romances. And I definitely fell hard for this one here.

Spoiler
(view spoiler)

Overall View
I found Escaping Reality to be such a fascinating, addictive romance that delivered on all fronts! Its brilliantly written, secretly addictive, and sensually delivered that will only make you want more!

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5/5
World Building:5/5
Cover: 5/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 4/5
Steam: 4/5
Heart & Feels:5/5
Ending:4/5
Overall View: 5/5 ( )

As everyone else is saying...

The author somehow manages to put out an entire book that tells you nothing about who any of the characters are and their motivations and yet... you keep reading. Until the incredibly irritating but predictable cliffhanger.

Not sure if I'll read book two or not. ( )

Ehhh. Cliffhanger ending. Who's the bad guy? Who is she? Still don't know. ( )

"At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loved 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 her guard down, the ghosts 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 billionaire recluse, 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?"

If you read this and aren't hooked in within the first few pages, leading up to Amy taking off for the airport, I don't think you are reading the right book. Who is chasing after Amy? Who told Amy to run? Why does she trust this person? With that, I went along for the ride, from the airplane to the sparse apartment to the questionable job.Of course, there happens to be a handsome, rich, and overbearing man involved. Liam Stone sounds like a man's man, of course he has some real issues with taking control, and not just in the bedroom. He "doesn't do" girlfriends, yet he immediately takes to Amy like someone takes to a hurt puppy. Feeds her, provides furniture, a phone, and even clothing once he deems hers as cheap. I shouldn't like this guy and I really appreciate that Amy doesn't at first either. She's headstrong and questions everything, which made her a really likable character for me. Of course, she ends up falling for Liam and I do too. He wants to take care of her and seems genuinely interested in her safety. The overall general confusion in Amy's head leads to some interesting revelations. The tragedy in her life plagues her daily, causing flashbacks and worrisome moments when she passes out. We find out her dad is an archaeologist, raising the entire family in a unique environment of traveling and uncovering rare items, but something happened with her family, between her mom and dad, that caused a whirlwind of events. Now Amy is on the run from whatever that is, but things are not as they seem.While I really liked the mystery and the character of Amy, I had some struggles with Liam and a lot of issues with some of the other minor characters. There wasn't enough detail for me to understand them or grow attached to them the way Amy did. Additionally, there is a major cliffhanger that will tear you to pieces if you don't read on to book two. I am not a fan of cliffhangers. Lisa Renee Jones did a fantastic job of creating an environment that perfectly showed how Amy treats life after the tragedy. She's exactly what I would expect out of a tragedy victim and treads carefully. I think the other characters, while underdeveloped, assisted in bringing the story to life. I enjoyed the overall plot and it was different than a lot of the books on the market right now. ( )