Release (Berlin Butterfly, #3) by Leah Moyes

Release (Berlin Butterfly, #3) Reviews

• 
  Energy (Rae's Reading)

  This has been a tough road for Ella that ties back to the fateful decision to stay with her father as the fence was going up between West and East Berlin. As the years pass separated from her brother Josef and her dear friend Anton, she was able to find love with Stefan, but that too didn't last, and thus she turned to alcohol to drown out the pain of all that she has lost. If she doesn't quit drinking she might just end up incredibly sick or worse. There's good in store for Ella, she just has to become present in her life to realize it.
  
  I don't want to spoil how this book turns out because there's so much happening over the years here in Release. But Ella does find herself again, Ella the fighter, the one who has only wanted to see the wall come down and to be reunited with her family. That fighting spirit will help her in this book, but it also puts her in dangerous situations, as anyone that goes against the Stasi isn't safe. She needs to learn to rely on her gut, to rely on her friendships and her hope for the future that things really can change.
  
  Reading The Berlin Butterfly trilogy has been such an emotional journey. Moyes has done a wonderful job in the research to create a fantastic story steeped in actual events and movements that sprung up all over Germany during this time. This is a great blend of historical fiction and romance, with vividly rich characters. I'm a little sad to see this series go but I look forward to what Moyes has in store for her readers, and I'm grateful to have been a part of this journey.
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  Betty B

  Excellent ending to a well written and well researched series surrounding the Berlin Wall. I absolutely loved all 3 books and look forward to other works from this author.
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  Amy Shannon

  
  Incredibly written
  
  I have read the first two books in the Berlin Butterfly series, and I was looking forward to reading this one. This book is another remarkable story from Moyes. It's a powerful story of survival, and the haunting past, and also living in the shadow of the Berlin wall. Moyes definitely writes a raw and ingenious story. I really liked this story, and found many of the scenes powerful and real. I look forward to reading more by this author. This is a definite recommendation from Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
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  Diana Allred

  Intense Emotions
  
  As the series comes to an end in this final installment, there are so many intense emotions.The pain and raw emotion of living in the shadow and confinement of the Berlin Wall becomes a reality that you are experiencing. Ella's trials and joys become yours as you get lost in the world of oppressed East Berlin. So much so that your own eyes start moistening at the corners without notice until you feel tears sliding down your cheek for Ella's experiences quickly becoming yours. Hats off to the author for the amazing voice, style, and craft.
• 
  Lady Bookworm

  Freedom is precious
  
  What a wonderful series of books. I really enjoyed reading this series and what an education this was. We tend to believe at times that we have so little, until we come across someone who has less. I am so happy the wall is down and the people are free of oppression. A must-read !
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  K C B

  History, Suspense, Drama and Romance
  
  History, Suspense, Drama and Romance...This should be a tv series or movie. It has it all. Please give me more!
• 
  Pam

  Berlin Butterfly: Release: Berlin Butterfly Series Book 3 is by Leah Moyes. This third book starts out a little weaker than the others do and it takes a little longer to get into it; but it is still great.
  Ten years have passed and Ella has still not heard from Stefan and has finally seemed to accept the information that she got from some friends, that the red line through his name on his records did mean he was dead. Otherwise, she knew he would be with her as soon as he could. In her despair, Ella did the one thing she had never done before, she turned to drink. She became an alcoholic and a drunk. She lost her jobs and ignored all her friends, even Mari. No matter how much she drank, she could not forget Stefan. She even lost touch with her brother and Anton who were in the West. Finally, she got to the point where she was dying of alcohol poisoning. Then, she found herself in the hospital with Edmund, Katherine’s husband, as her doctor. He had been there when she was brought in unconscious and with alcohol poisoning. He pumped her stomach and with lots of help, brought her back. She had no idea how she had gotten there nor who had paid her rent so she could keep her apartment. However, she was sober now and she intended to stay that way.
  When she gets out of the hospital, Mari was there to move in with her. Mari had been turned out of the orphanage and she had no where to go and no idea what to do. The orphanage had not prepared her to go out into the world, they had just sheltered her. Mari and Ella began their lives anew with Mari helping keep Ella sober. Unfortunately, Ella was unable to get a job in a restaurant because she had no references. The only person willing to hire her wanted her to make sketches of different people for him. He was suppling information as to spies either for or against the regime. It wasn’t a great job; but it was hers. When she realizes just what her boss does with the sketches, she tried to find a way to stop; but seems to get in deeper. She is being followed and doesn’t know by whom or why. Who is following her?
  
• 
  Carolyn

  As the third book in the Berlin Butterfly series, Release continues the saga of Ella Kuhn. Just as the East German country deteriorates under the oppressive government, Ella succumbs to the curse of alcoholism and comes near to death. Stephan never returned to her. She feels she has nothing to live for. For nine years, she has not communicated with her brothers in the West. She also cut off communications with her friends, Lena and Katharina.
  After a stint in the hospital, Ella decides to quit drinking. Mari, the young girl Ella and Stephan had rescued from the gutter, is now grown and comes to live with Ella. Mari finds a job, but no one wants to hire a recovering alcoholic named Ella.
  Finally, Ella finds a job with subversive group as a courier. She is in constant danger if caught by the Stasi. When her artistic talent is noted by her boss, she is assigned the task of attending concerts and gatherings and then sketching portraits of anyone(s) who look out of place. She is spotting Stasi spies, or their citizen accomplices.
  With so many private citizens spying on their friends and family, the Stasi had an enormous reach into private lives. After she spots a man dressed in black watching her on multiple occasions Ella starts to panic that she may be arrested at any time.
  This is another historically accurate thriller by Moyes. Simply being set in the former East Berlin creates suspense because during the cold war East Berlin was a hotbed of Stasi control and danger. This story could very well have been true. Across the trilogy, Ella's journey evolves much like that of the government. In Book I, she struggled with the sudden entrapment, poverty, and uncertainty. In Book II, she her hopes for a future with Stephan fade and she starts to think of escape. By Book Three, she struggles to maintain hope, becomes very paranoid and fears the future.
  I highly recommend this trilogy both because the story is riveting but also to better inform the reader about the horrific life behind the Wall.
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  Elizabeth Fellows

  Berlin Butterfly Release
  
  - This is the third book in the series of The Berlin Butterfly 🦋, and it definitely does not disappoint the reader. There is a lot of intrigue with all the horrid things caused by the Stasi. The revenge of the folks living under that regime is understandable as no one knew who was on which side. The folks who lived in East Berlin had a bond, but were still apprehensive of their neighbours, as to who might be an informant. Their main goal was to one day have freedoms as the Western nations appreciated. The heroine of the book went through things most average folks couldn’t survive. Definitely worth the read.
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  Sharon Bowers

  While I hate that the pain portrayed was reality for many, I very much appreciate that this trilogy wasn't a simple, tidy, happy story. Though I remember when the Berlin wall fell, I did not know much about life behind the wall other than what I could imagine. I am not an emotional person, so I could not relate to the intense and frequent outward displays by the main character, but I do appreciate that the raw, painful, often gutting account Moyes has created reflects what was probably experienced by many people, and my heart goes out to those oppressed and tortured by communism. Highly recommend.
  
  4.4/5 for the trilogy.
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  Bonnie

  I've been to Berlin four times, twice while the wall was up in 1968 and 1988 and twice after reunification. All four times I was in both the East and West and stayed with Berliners so I have a fairly good understanding of what life was really like and I think this series is very believable. Historically, I think this series was very well written, but Ella's emotional collapses became too much. I think they actually detracted from the story, were not necessary, and that is the reason for my three star rating.
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  Cathy Kildall

  I Liked The History
  
  I really enjoyed reading the history. But the love angst just went on & on through all 3 books. Ella’s knees went weak & her legs gave out on her so many times I just had to roll my eyes. This is the first book I’ve read about East Berlin & learned a lit
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  Toni Garrison

  last book
  
  This last book in the series started very slow. I was wondering if it was worth finishing. But about half way thru it picked up quickly. It was worth finishing!
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  William Mikesell

  All three books in the series were excellent and kept you wanting to read more. The books really created a history of the Berlin Wall and the struggle of the people.
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  Kristin Breaux

  Wonderful ending
  
  I loved the ending to this series, it made all the heartache that came from it worth it. Great book!