Tag Archives: aly martinez
Jenn’s Favorite Books of 2014
I read just short of 300 books this year…some of them more than once… even some of them more than twice. One of them, I actually went right back to the beginning and started it again the moment I was finished (Law Man.) Asking me to pick just a few books to put at the top of my list was like asking me to choose which one of my kids I like more. There were so many books I loved for different reasons. In the end, it was impossible for me to pick 10… so I tried 15 and that wasn’t happening either. So, I have 26 on my list. A few of them are part of a series, but all in all, these are the books I couldn’t stop thinking about after I finished and just wanted to absorb when I was reading them. I came back to these books time and time again and when finished, wanted to shout from the rooftops how much I loved them. So here you go… my top books of 2014
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1. Law Man by Kristen Ashley : Mitch Lawson… a name worth repeating. Mitch Lawson. He is the ULTIMATE book boyfriend. Mara Hanover’s neighbor is a 10.5. Too bad he would never take a second look at a solid 3, like Mara. Little does Mara know that Mitch has been looking….. a lot. When Mara’s past catches up to her in multiple ways, Mitch is there to help her out and he has no plan to walk away. It’s no secret that Kristen Ashley is my all-time favorite author, but she has outdone herself with Law Man. In fact, I think I might go read it again.
2. The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen : I have never read an m/m book before this one. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, The Year We Fell Down and The Year We Hid Away and knew that I loved Sarina’s writing. Holy freaking crap. Talk about angst, longing, and wanting. My heart spent 70% of the book in my stomach. It broke time and time again wanting so badly for Graham and Rikker to work it out, but knowing that their past just might prove to be too difficult. After I finished this book, I didn’t start another one for an entire day… I just couldn’t get out of the heads of these guys. I just reread it about two weeks ago and had all the same feelings. This is a must read. → My Review
3. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover : Once I hit about 40% in this book, I locked myself in my bedroom, completely ignored my family and any basic needs and just read. Colleen Hoover has always been a favorite of mine, but she completely outdid herself with this one. It was FULL of angst and anger and frustrating characters. I equal parts loved and hated Miles. The writing was some of the best I have come across. The chapters from Miles POV were so breathtakingly beautiful, I reread them. The poetic nature of his words felt like an entirely different novel. We were treated to two different Miles. This was a book that once finished, I stared at my laptop for a solid hour before I could actually formulate words to write a review. Grab a pack (or case) of tissues before you start. → My Review
4. Until You by Penelope Douglas : I am a sucker for the male POV, and Until You was one of the ultimate ones. It seems like a lot of authors take a popular book, and retell it from an alternate POV. Thankfully, Until You was not just a retelling of Bully from Jared’s side. It was a completely new book. Sure, we saw some of the same scenes that were in Bully, but coming from Jared, they were all the more powerful. In Bully, it was hard to get behind Jared and root for him, because he was a complete and total ass…. but in Until You, we get incredible insight in to what made Jared tick, and why he tortured Tate the way he did….and it was devastating. The entire Fall Away series is fantastic, but Until You will always be the standout for me.
5, 6, 7, 8. The Infinity Series by Layne Harper : I discovered this series about a football star, his college girlfriend and their road back to each other by accident… and am I ever glad I did. Charlie and Colin’s story is as real as it gets. It’s not instant love and the love the eventually find isn’t the key to a perfect relationship. As in love as Charlie and Colin are, they break up and move on….but fate has a funny way of working things out. When Colin and Charlie find their way back to each other, it’s not all sunshine and daisies. Regardless of how successful they are, they have to fight and claw for everything they want. When you are in the public eye, people will try and ruin you, and Charlie and Colin have to trust and rely on each other to make it to the other side. I loved getting to come along on their journey. → My Review
9, 10. Room For You/Room For More by Beth Ehemann : This is another series that came in a random, “Amazon Recommends” e-mail. I love books about single parents and athletes. This book not only had both, it also had two adorable twin girls who completely steal the show. Brody is a stand-up guy who just wants to settle down and make life for himself and his family. Playing professional hockey is awesome, but he wants more. He gets it when a terrible storm leads in to a bed and breakfast where he meets Kacie and her daughters. Kacie and Brody’s love story is one of the best I’ve read. The slow build is incredible, and Brody’s utter devotion to his family was a theme carried throughout both books. This is another must read. → My Review
11, 12, 13, 14. The Wrecked and Ruined Series by Aly Martinez : I originally had these listed separately, but I ending up putting them together because even though they are techincally standalones, I believe they have to be read in order or you completely miss out on the beauty of the story. The characters in these stories, Brett, Caleb, and Sarah are all linked together by one horrific, tragic night. Some of them are trying to move on, while others are stuck there. Each of these books, Changing Course, Stolen Course, Among the Echoes (Originally a complete standalone, until Aly ROCKED us with the last line of the epilogue) and Broken Course, tells the stories of these people and their chance at redemption and moving on. These are powerful, outstanding books and they are not to be missed. I still think about them. → My Review (AtE) → My Review (BC)
15. The Force of Gravity by Kelly Stevenson : I love student/teacher books, and when done properly, they are some of the books that have the most angst, longing and heartbreak around. The Force of Gravity was one of best student/teacher books I have read. I was absorbed from the very start. This was one of those books that I was sneaking in chapters during lunch and between class periods. I would race home after school and read as much as I could before my kids came home. I remember at the time telling my friend, Bethany, the “feels’ in this one were off the charts! Kaley and Mr. Slate just had that “it” factor. The writing was exceptional and the reader is transported into the mind of girl on the cusp of graduation, questioning everything she has grown to accept as normal. She is breaking free of tradition and what is expected of her. While her friends and boyfriend are not understanding, there is one person who is…. Mr. Slate. → My Review
16, 17, 18. The Love Series by Melanie Codina : I actually just did a 2 1/2 day reread of this series and remembered why I loved it so much. The first book, Love Realized starts with Gillian telling us about her perfect family, surrounded by all their loved ones, celebrating her son’s birthday…a few pages later, it’s all blown to pieces when the mistress of her husband, Logan, walks into the backyard. These are stories about getting a second chance at love, and in some cases, a second chance at life. Each story is a standalone, but this is a completely connected family, so you want to read all of them, and in order; Love Realized, Love Resisted, and Love Required. In 2015, Logan will be getting his own story, Love Redeemed, and I cannot wait to see Logan get his shot at happiness.
19. Unspeakable Truths by Alice Tribue : I watched as this book was teased for a quite some time before it was released. The teasers kept getting better and better, I thought, there is no way for this book to live up to the hype. Damn, was I ever proved wrong. I love books where hate becomes love, and that was Unspeakable Truths. Luca had everything I look for in my guys… protective, strong and completely unwilling to accept no for an answer. Everly is understandably broken after her husband’s death, and believing Luca is the reason? Well, that just makes her all the more angry at him. Luca is going to do all he can to break down those walls. This is wasn’t just a love story, but also a story about getting back on your feet and living again.
20. Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward : I’m a sucker for the forbidden and this book was just that. This was a book that I was nervous about starting because I just wasn’t sure it was going to be what I wanted it to be. I started it when I should have been shutting the kindle down for the night, thinking I would read a chapter or two… I ended up reading the entire book. Both Greta and Elec are an absolute mess. They fight for and give up on each other so many times, you never know what way they are going to go. I knew there was no stopping until I got to the end, and it’s one of those books that I keep thinking about and am quick to recommend when something wants something that is going to knock them on their behind. This is that book. → My Review
21. Stay by B.a. Wolfe : I love and hate B.a. Wolfe in equal measure. When I finished the first book in this series, Away, there had to yet to be words invented to explain away the devastation I felt. I was completely crushed and spent the next few days with puffy eyes. I couldn’t even talk about the book without getting choked up. I was not exactly sure how to feel about a book that just left me utterly destroyed. When B.a. sent me an advanced copy of the next book in the Keaton series, I was hesitant to start it. Not that I didn’t want to read it, but I was kind of against having my heart ripped out of my chest again. Stay had me glued to it from start to finish. Oh, it was just as heart wrenching and had me crying what felt like every 10 pages, but the writing is so phenomenal that you put up with all the angst and heart break. Cassie doesn’t bounce back after the first book, she still struggles in Stay. You would think the story gets repetitive, but it’s anything but. It is perfect, and devastating, soul shattering and simply wonderful, all wrapped up into 400 + sensational pages. → My Review
22. Worth the Fall by Claudia Connor : I was sold on this book at 2%. 2%!!!!!! The writing is exceptional. Matt was the perfect book hero. There is something about a man who loves kids that are not his own flesh and blood. Once again, I was sucked into a story about a single parent and the man who just wants to take care of her and her family. This was another slow building relationship and that was a real draw to the book. Sometimes, it’s just not necessary for the couple to jump into bed right away. Matt and Abby took the time to get to know each other. Both of them had a past marred by demons that needed to be dealt with before they could fully give themselves to the other. I really loved how the relationship progressed. It was a sweet, heartwarming story that stayed with me long after I finished. → My Review
23. Locke by Harper Sloan : I feel like I have been waiting for Maddox and Emmy’s story since first picking up Axel. Harper gave next to nothing away about Maddox’s back story in the books preceding Locke, so you just knew, you just KNEW, that is was something incredibly heartbreaking. You also knew that Emmy loved him in spite of his demons, but he just wouldn’t let her in…. until it was too late. Once Maddox gets his head out of his ass, he will stop at nothing, and I mean NOTHING, for his girl. Locke had all of the elements of the other books in the Corps Security Series, but kicked up a notch; Suspense, action, and scorching sex scenes. It felt like there was so much at stake with this story and I wanted desperately for Maddox and Emmy to get their happy ending. → My Review
24. Boarded by Love by Toni Aleo : It is no secret I am a Toni Aleo addict. Not only do I think everything she writes is golden, but I read them over and over. There are only a few authors I do that with, and she is at the top of the list. Boarded by Love is a spin off of her outstanding Assassins Series. In Boarded by Love, we see Claire head off to college, and hotly pursued by the university’s hockey star. Boarded by Love had an element that I usually avoid in books; InstantLove. In this case, it was 100% believable. There was no doubt that Claire and Jude fell in love so quickly, because it was all there in the exceptional writing. This had all the hotness that accompanies Toni’s books, but the extra sweetness of watching two people experience their first love. LOVED it! → My Review
25. Assumption by Aurora Rose Reynolds : This book is the opposite of InstantLove… it’s instant HATE!! Kenton Mayson is a side character is Aurora’s other outstanding series, The Until Series, but he gets his own story here and boy, does he shine. Kenton is pure alpha male and Aurora knows how to write them. The writing in Assumption is just as flawless and page turning as her other books. The suspense keeps you on your toes and the love story underneath it is hard-fought. The secondary characters also add a lot of depth to the story. Assumption is definitely darker and grittier than her other books, but that goes with the nature of the story. Kenton and Autumn fight and claw for their relationship and the slow growth of their love was stunning to watch. → My Review
26. The Promise by Kristen Ashley : What would a list featuring the top books of 2014 be without another Kristen Ashley book… empty, that’s what. Benny and Frankie’s story was one of the best to come out of the ‘Burg series. We had to wait for it, but it was completely worth every second. The ‘Burg series is all about second chances and The Promise is no different. Frankie and Benny just came alive on the page, and even with their history, I knew they were going to make it. There are so many emotions running throughout this book. I felt heartache, fear, sadness, joy, happiness and even those little stomach drops (Benny is one heck of a talker.) There is one thing The Promise has that I can honestly say was the best of any book that I read this year, and it’s the epilogue. The epilogue is hands down, the best one I have ever read in a book. Kristen doesn’t give us a few months or a year into the future… she gives us year after year. Benny and Frankie’s story felt completely tied up and left you feeling fully satisfied. → My Review
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Honorable Mentions
Picking 26 books that I loved was impossible, and a ton of incredible books were left off the list. Here is a list of books that just missed the cut.
Coming Home by Priscilla Glenn
A Reason To Breathe by CP Smith
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan
Nothing Left To Lose by Kirsty Mosley
Love, In English by Karina Halle
Loving Mr Daniels by Brittainy Cherry
Beautifully Done by Riley Mackenzie
The Hookup by Kristen Callihan
Reed’s Reckoning by Ahren Sanders
FIGHTING SILENCE by Aly Martinez – COVER REVEAL
NEW FROM ALY MARTINEZ!!!!
RELEASE DATE: February 2015
Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it’s the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?
I’ve always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn’t a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.
You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.
They both happened anyway.
Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting for my career.
Fighting the impending silence.
Fighting for her.
Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.
I think that’s the sound I’ll miss the most.
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FIGHTING SILENCE Cover Reveal Excerpt
“That wasn’t yours to take away,” he exploded into the otherwise silent night. His words echoed off the surrounding buildings, each wave slicing me to the quick all over again. “That was our place. Not yours.” His voice cracked right alongside my heart.
“Yeah, well, there was a lot of stuff that wasn’t yours to take either.” I held his gaze, desperately trying to be strong, but as his eyes grew wide, I whimpered.
His long legs strode forward, stopping only inches away from me. He was crowding me, but he still leaned in closer to my face. “There is nothing in this world that was ever more mine than you,” he stated. Though it was the absolute truth, I wished with all my heart that it were a lie.
“Till,” I cried, swiping the tears from my eyes.
“Why!” he shouted, causing his muscles to tense under the force. “Goddamn it! I needed that place.”
Porch lights flashed on from the surrounding apartments, illuminating not only the dark but also my rage.
I shoved my hands into his chest. “What about what I needed? You left! I waited in that fucking apartment for weeks.”
He didn’t budge, but my bare feet slipped, sending me toward the ground. Impossibly fast, Till’s hand snaked out and caught my arm. I didn’t let his chivalrous gesture douse my fire. I had six months’ worth of words to say to the man I was irrevocably in love with.
“You took what you wanted. Then you left me.”
“Doodle,” he whispered.
I had been perilously close to the edge of insanity, and with one single word, he’d pushed me over.
I lost it completely.
Pounding my fists against his chest, I screamed at the top of my lungs, “It’s Eliza! My name is fucking Eliza! Not Doodle!” I spun to march away, but Till’s arms folded around me, lifting me off my feet to restrain me.
I was miniscule compared to him. There was no use in fighting, but I still kicked my legs, irrationally desperate to get away from him—but only because I knew I couldn’t keep him for forever.
“Stop it!” he growled into my ear. “I know your Goddamn name—probably better than I know my own.”
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About the Author:
Aly Martinez
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.
After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
SPOTLIGHT ON ALY MARTINEZ
This Monday, we welcome Aly Martinez, author of Savor Me, Changing Course, Stolen Course, Among the Echoes and the recently released, Broken Course. Aly took some time out of her crazy schedule to answer some questions for us. Check them out below!
Don’t forget to head over to our Facebook page and enter to win a eBook of Broken Course!
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20 Questions with Aly Martinez
1. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes…and no. I have always loved writing, but I never once in a million years thought I could pen a book. I mean seriously that is A LOT of words. It seemed impossible.
2. Has it become a full time job for you, or do you have another profession?
It’s both full time and part time. I am a stay at home mom to 4 crazy kids. Ages: 2, 2, 3, 5. Yes. You read that right. Technically, I guess that makes me a work at home mom?
3. Where do your ideas come from?
Randomness. My mind is always spinning. The amount of two sided conversations I have with myself should be alarming. It’s even worse because I can switch characters. “How would Brett answer that question?” then “What about Caleb?” then “Leo?” It’s a never-ending cycle. So if we ever meet in person and it takes me a few minutes to answer, it’s just because I’m trying to figure out which of my multiple personalities is going to answer. J
4. I would think that writing is something that happens when inspiration strikes as opposed to a 9-5 job. Have you ever been in the middle of dinner with your family when an idea hits and you have to get to the computer stat?
YES!!! I plotted out my entire first book on my iPhone Notes. I get ideas and have to write them down. I woke up at three a.m. a few nights ago because I had a fabulous idea for the Fighting Silence blurb. It’s really difficult trying to shut your brain down sometimes, even to sleep.
5. You write such emotionally driven characters. Is it hard to go where they take you?
It can be. It’s not unusual to find me in my room, curling a glass of wine to my chest, while sobbing over my laptop. I think the two scenes that affected me the most were: “The Balloon” scene from Stolen Course and the scene at the beginning of Among the Echoes, where Erica desperately tried to cling to Leo. I had to take a break while writing that.
6. Are there any characters you relate the most to in your books? I assume you haven’t been in witness protection, but other than Erica?
HA! No. Definitely, no Witness Protection Program! I relate to Sarah the most. While I didn’t have this traumatic event or the trials she has gone through (and that includes the horrible things she did). Sarah is ME. She is by FAR the easiest of all of my characters to write.
7. What are your biggest distractions?
My kids! It’s not like I can look at my 3 year old and say “Sorry, buddy. I can’t get you juice right now. Leo is about to get busy in the bedroom.” HAHA! However, if they are asleep at night, I would say Facebook is my biggest time suck. Why do people need to post all of those “Oh! Look at this amazing/sad/funny/scary video”? I am required to watch every single one of those. I can’t just scroll past them. It’s exhausting people! J
8. What is your least favorite part of the writing or publishing process?
Editing. Oh. My. God. EDITING is HELL!
9. Do you find it difficult, or challenging to write from the male POV?
Not really. Most of the time in my books, I know the hero better than I know the female at first. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out the women.
10. What activities do you enjoy outside of writing?
Reading! And talking about books. I’m a nerd. What can I say? J
11. Do you have a favorite author?
Kristen Ashley. I will read absolutely anything she publishes.
12. Are they any books you wished you had written?
Nope! Because if I had written them, I wouldn’t have been able to fully experience them. My books are my ideas. I love losing myself in other author’s ideas too.
13. Do you have multiple stories swimming in your head at once?
Oh lord! YES YES YES!! The whole time I was writing Broken Course, Till Page (from my upcoming release, Fighting Silence) wouldn’t shut up! I was writing the end of Broken Course while plotting Fighting Silence. It was crazy!
14. The epilogue to Broken Course was perfection. Can we take that as a complete wrap up to the series?
I cannot confirm nor deny. This is the end….mostly. However I’d love to do a series with some of the spin off characters, so it is possible that we will see the gang in future books. I’ve tortured those people enough. It’s time I make some new couples to torment.
15. What does your writing workspace look like?
In my bed, wine glass on the nightstand, with a set of ear buds in my ears. I’m super simple! I like to be comfortable.
16. Sharing your baby with the public has to be scary. How do you respond to negative reviews?
You know negative reviews don’t really bother me THAT much. Especially if they are constructive. I’m a big reader so I know that not everyone will like my book. There is not a book in the world that is universally loved. However, it’s the personal attacks in reviews that hurt. Authors are people too. You can hate our characters, our stories, or even our style, but please leave the personal attacks out of it.
17. If you could cast the Wrecked and Ruined series, who would you choose?
Well…. Nick Bateman would be my Brett. Micah Truitt would be Caleb. Aaron Diaz would be Leo. Slate would be Jed Hill. I don’t really have women picked out.
18. Can you tell us what you are working on next?
My next book up is Fighting Silence. It will take place in the gym for underprivileged youth that Slate started in Indianapolis, On The Ropes. It will follow three brothers. Till, Flint, and Quarry Page. I’m calling this my “poor mans romance.” I can’t wait for y’all to meet Till. He is pretty incredible.
19. What is in your purse right now?
7 billion receipts. My wallet, stuffed with 7 billion other receipts (Why do I never clean that shit out?), about 30 sharpies (I think I have a problem.), Some bookmarks, a pacifier and diaper. (Kids!)
20. Where do you hope your writing career is in 10 years?
I just hope I still HAVE a writing career in 10 years. This market is tough and always changing. If even one person still wants to read one of my books, I’d be happy to continue.
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Our Reviews
Review of Among The Echoes
Review of Broken Course
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Aly Martinez’s Books
I lost my virginity at age thirteen. I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no. I wasn’t raped or molested. Nothing horrible happened to me. I don’t have a daddy complex, or a shit life that I need to be rescued from. I just happen to like boys…a lot. I like them all. Tall, short, skinny, buff, light hair, or dark, I don’t discriminate.
I realized early on that one man wasn’t enough for me. It’s a simple mathematical fact. Why have one man when you can have two? Any more than two gets complicated. Hell, half the time even two gets complicated. But it’s worth it. Sometimes every woman has to make an exception though, two crappy losers or one smoking hot man.
The night I laid eyes on Hunter Coy, I made my choice. At least until he introduced me to Mason Wynn.
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My name was Dr. Erica Hill. I was a victim, then a witness, and then I ceased to exist altogether.
I may still be breathing, but stripped of my identity, I have long since stopped living. I am invisible, and my life depends on my ability to stay in the shadows.
But he sees me.
Slate Andrews is the embodiment of everything I have been taught to avoid. He’s rich and famous, and one image of him with a woman would earn millions for any paparazzi lucky enough to snap it. He has vowed to protect me with his life, yet he exposes me with his every breath. I should be stronger and walk away. I should disappear. But I’m terrified he would come after me.
I’m on the run, determined not to take him down with me but absolutely unable to let him go.
My name is Riley Peterson…at least for today.
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I met Sarah Kate Erickson when I was twenty-one years old. I was lucky enough to keep her for seven years before a tragic accident stole her from me. She didn’t die, but sometimes I think it would have been easier if she had.
I lived in a haze for those four years after the accident. Catering to her every need, even though she hated the very sight of my face. I tried to hold on to her and the future that we were supposed to build together. But you can’t hold on to someone that doesn’t exist anymore.
It wasn’t until I met Jesse Addison, a barista at the local coffee shop, that I realized I didn’t just lose Sarah that tragic night, I lost myself as well. Jesse taught me how to let go of the past and learn to love again. But what happens when your past haunts your present, and the woman you used to love refuses to accept the woman you can’t live without?
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I fell in love with Manda Baker eight years ago, and I loved her to the core of her soul. We were supposed to have that elusive happily ever after and spend a lifetime together. But that was all before she was STOLEN from me.
Her best friend, Sarah Erickson, killed her. It wasn’t intentional. It was far worse. Everyone claims it was just an accident, but I can see through the lies. Even if it’s with my dying breath, I will make her pay for what she did.
Fate hates me. It robbed me of my first love and left me to navigate through this world emotionless and numb. Then, one day, spiteful fate gave me a woman to fill my shattered soul and make me feel again. It gave me Emma Jane Erickson. Now I spend my days searching for the answers that will ruin Sarah and my nights falling in love with her sister—the one person who is bound and determined to save her.
But what happens when everything you know to be true explodes around you? Who will be left to pick up the pieces, and who will need to be saved from the wreckage?
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Seven years ago, my life changed forever. One accident and the person I saw in the mirror no longer resembled the woman I used to be. I was lost and confused inside my own body. I felt alone and disconnected from the world, carrying the incredible weight of guilt and loss that wasn’t even mine to harbor.
Then fate led me to Leo James. He taught me that crazy could be perfectly normal and it shouldn’t hurt to breathe. Don’t get me wrong. Leo isn’t perfect. He has his own cross to bear, and the truth is, that might be why I fell for him in the first place. But despite everything he does for me, learning to forgive myself is infinitely harder than overlooking the flaws of another.
Now, the secrets and lies of our past have begun to dictate our future—threatening to ruin us before we get the chance to try. Perhaps we were cursed from the start. Or maybe, just maybe, the remnants of our fractured lives will fit together to form one whole, where love isn’t questioned and being happy is…well, easy.
Can a second broken soul be enough to fill the voids of my own? Or will such scarred pasts prove too much for our love alone to overcome?
On The Ropes Series
Fighting Silence (February 2015)
Fighting Shadows (June 2015)
Fighting Forever (October 2015)
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About Aly Martinez
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five- including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.
After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.
BROKEN COURSE by Aly Martinez – Jenn’s Review
*This review may contain spoilers from the Wrecked and Ruined Series and Among the Echoes*
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sarah Erickson”
I have not been patiently waiting for Broken Course since the last line of Among The Echoes. I could NOT believe that Aly went there! Seriously!? I recall begging for a spoiler group because the book had not yet been released and I needed to talk to someone about it. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait too long to read all the goodness that is Leo James in Broken Course, and what goodness it is.
We first meet Sarah Erickson as the completely messed up ex-wife of Brett Sharp in Changing Course. Sarah has suffered a traumatic brain injury and can barely recognize herself, let alone remember any of the good from her marriage to Brett. She is mean, spiteful and does everything she can to ruin Brett’s life. Let’s just say I wasn’t sure how Aly was going to redeem Sarah, but if anyone can, it’s Aly Martinez.
One of the fantastic things about Aly’s writing is the characters pasts aren’t briefly mentioned and shoved under the rug. They are the forefront of the story. They are confronted, sometimes in painful ways, sometimes making you uncomfortable, but not having them glossed over just adds more depth to the characters and the story. This is a purely character driven story. Do Leo and Sarah feel an instant connection? Yes, but it’s explored. It’s nurtured. It’s not a, we met, we’re in love, let’s have a conflict, work it out and live happily ever after. Aly’s books are well thought out and developed. These characters are real and raw.
Oh Leo….. Prepare to turn into a puddle of goo when Leo turns on the charm and speaks Spanish. There were times I actually sighed out loud. Leo brings new meaning to swoon-worthy. On the outside, Leo James is a smooth, wealthy, good-looking owner of Guardian Security, protectors of Slate Michaels among other famous people. On the inside, he is a broken man, suffering from severe PTSD and who feels tremendous guilt for what happened to Erica when he was an undercover DEA agent. His struggle was real and difficult. My heart hurt so many times for the pain Leo was in. He tried to cover it up, but when it over took him, it was crippling. There were so many scenes between these two broken people that brought me to my knees.
“I hate you sometimes,” he fumes, but his voice cracks at the end.
“I hate you too. But only because I love so f*cking much and you always talk shit about my boyfriend….I’m not going to sit here and try to fill your head with all the ways what you did wasn’t wrong-even though it wasn’t. All that matters is how you feel about yourself. You know what I love about our relationship? We can forgive each other anything, but looking at ourselves in the mirror is damn near impossible. So how about this? I’ll love you and you love me. And maybe that will be enough.
To say I disliked Sarah before this book is an understatement. Yes, she suffered through a horrendous tragedy, but she was anything but likable. Aly gives us a tremendous amount of Sarah’s background in this story and the impossible happened. I felt compassion for Sarah Erickson. I wanted her to succeed, to get better, and to crawl out from under the burden she carried for way too long.
“Regrets will only hold you down. Own the wrongs and move on.”
Leo and Sarah are quite the pair. While Sarah doesn’t think she is healthy enough for a relationship, Leo pushes her to see what they could have together. When Leo doesn’t think he can hack it, it’s Sarah that pushes him. They are two shattered souls slowly putting each other back together. The sexual chemistry between Leo and Sarah is off the charts from the very start. They make Caleb and Emma look tame. Compatibility and love are not their issues. The ability of each of them to harbor secrets and cover up their pain could end up ruining their relationship.
With Broken Course, Aly Martinez gives us the best book in the Wrecked and Ruined Series and with that outstanding epilogue, gives us closure with all of the characters we have come to love throughout this series.
“In the end, no one was really wrecked or ruined. Our lives may have been changed, but we’re not broken and nothing was truly stolen but time. It was a journey, albeit a rough one, but we’re all better people because of it.”
6 ++++ STARS!!!!!
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AMONG THE ECHOES by Aly Martinez — JENN’S REVIEW
Among The Echoes by Aly Martinez
I have been staring at my computer screen for 20 minutes trying to come up with a way to express how utterly fantastic this book was. There are just not words yet created to convey my emotions, but I’ll attempt to give it my best shot.
From the blurb: “Slate Andrews is the embodiment of everything I have been taught to avoid. He’s rich and famous, and one image of him with a woman would earn millions for any paparazzi lucky enough to snap it. He has vowed to protect me with his life, yet he exposes me with his every breath. I should be stronger and walk away. I should disappear. But I’m terrified he would come after me.”
Erica Hill is no more… in her place lives Riley Peterson… for today anyway. When Riley meets Slate, for the first time in years, she feels safe and safe is a feeling she is not familiar with. Slate is just looking to get away from his celebrity life and hide out for a bit. Getting involved with Riley was not part of his plan, but it’s a detour he is grateful for.
Straight up, Aly Martinez can write! I was riveted from the very first line, until the very last. I don’t think I have ever read a book that started out that way. My heart pounded the entire time. It was as if I was looking over my shoulder, just like Riley. As wild and intense a book was, there was nothing unbelievable about it. Every line and emotion that came from the characters was real and you felt it right along with them. The back and forth banter between Riley and David (Riley’s “cousin”) is entertaining. They truly love and just want to best for each other.
“……I’m assuming he really is a boxer?”
“What gave it away? The way he lit into me tonight, or the muscles that turned you into a horny co-ed?”
Let’s not forget about Slate… talk about a swoon-worthy man. He knew he needed to be cautious with Riley, knowing he didn’t have the whole story. But he never held back from telling her how he felt.
“I’m not too naïve to admit that I’m reading in new waters with this, but you are highly underestimating the extent to which I will go to keep you.”
“Slate, I’ll understand if you need more time. I know this has to change the way you look at me at least a little.”
“Oh it really does. Because tomorrow I’m going to be looking at you from between your legs. Totally different view.”
From the first word to the last, this book was OUTSTANDING. For fans of Aly’s other two amazing books, Changing Course and Stolen Course, just wait until the last line of the epilogue. It was a total mic-drop moment. I literally shouted out “OMG! Did she seriously just do that????” Buckle in and enjoy the ride!
5+++++ STARS!
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More from Aly Martinez
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