Off Balance · 2019
ReleaseSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Lucia Franco
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 3/5 (Dark) · 1 trigger warning flagged
From Lucia Franco, 2019: Release, book 3 of Off Balance. Expect forbidden. We score it spice 4 (explicit) and darkness 3 (dark). The heaviest flags readers report are cheating. Our scores lean on what readers report, not on a full reread, so treat them as a guide. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 2019. Book 3 of Off Balance.
Release tropes
On this shelf, Release is filed under Forbidden romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Release spice level
Is Release dark romance?
Yes. Release scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More dark books. How we rate.
Release trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 8 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: adult/minor relationship, sexual content, medical content, toxic relationship, injury/injury detail, chronic illness, eating disorder. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (1) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Moderate (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Off Balance reading order
Release is book 3 of 5 in Lucia Franco's Off Balance series. Start with Balance.
- Book 1 Balance · 2016
- Book 2 Execution · 2018 not on our shelf yet
- Book 3 Release (this book) · 2019
- Book 4 Twist · 2019 not on our shelf yet
- Book 5 Dismount · 2020 not on our shelf yet
Order checked against the Goodreads Off Balance series page on 9 October 2026. The Off Balance series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Release
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Balance
Balance
Lucia Franco
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
- Braving the Storm
Braving the Storm
Elliott Rose
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
- Double-edged
Double-edged
Nyla K.
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
- Salt Kiss
Salt Kiss
Sierra Simone
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
- After the Fall
After the Fall
Giana Darling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
- Claimed
Claimed
Giana Darling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
- The Secret
The Secret
J.L. Beck
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
- Wrath of an Exile
Wrath of an Exile
Monty Jay
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Forbidden romance
Books like Release, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Release?
Release spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 3 of 5 (Dark).
What are the Release trigger warnings?
Graphic: Cheating. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: none flagged. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 8 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Release dark romance?
Yes. Release scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark). Harm is part of the romance, not a footnote.
What tropes are in Release?
On this shelf Release is filed under Forbidden romance.
Who is Release for?
For a reader who wants forbidden with explicit spice. Read the warnings first. Start earlier in Off Balance if you can.
What are some books like Release?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Balance by Lucia Franco; Braving the Storm by Elliott Rose; Double-edged by Nyla K.; Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone; After the Fall by Giana Darling; Claimed by Giana Darling. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/release.
Is Release a standalone?
No. Release is book 3 of 5 in the Off Balance series by Lucia Franco. The series starts with Balance.
What order should I read the Off Balance series in?
1. Balance; 2. Execution; 3. Release; 4. Twist; 5. Dismount.
How many books are in the Off Balance series?
The Off Balance series by Lucia Franco has 5 main books.
What is the Release age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 3/5 (dark). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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