Jess Riley....hmmm, how can I start this....She is amazing, talented and authentic, yes that is a great start! She has the ability to write great dialogue from many voices. In Mandatory Release she writes from a male voice and Riley is able to capture the spirit of this character in all his flaws, issues, deceit and rawness/realness. She also writes from a female voice that is insecure, struggling and unsure, but determined to make the best of it. So besides the great dialogue that is harsh, honest and completely believable, she writes characters worth reading! Put these two elements together and you have a 5 star book! Mandatory Release is about so many things; friendship, past mistakes, love, moving on and finding oneself after being lost....It is totally compelling and completely engaging! I highly recommend this read! Plus Riley is a Wisconsin author, so what else can I say....all great things like cheese, the Green Bay Packers and Riley come from WI!!!!