“I couldn’t put it down! The incredible premise and the tension will keep you turning the pages until dawn.” -Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author

Release, an all-new powerful and emotional standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez, is available now!

Tricia’s Musings…

4 me and you forever CROWNS

Release is a coming of age, second chance romance with a difference and Ms Martinez has pulled out all the stops when it comes to the emotions.

The story is told by way of chapters from both the present and the past, which works really well, and we get whole scenes from the past and not just flashbacks, which I really enjoyed. As kids, it was Ramsey initiating contact, doing all the chasing, forcing a friendship, all with a big smile on his face. Not an easy task with Thea taking all her suffering and emotional baggage out on him on a daily basis. However, Thea is not the only one in pain, Ramsey too has his own share of heartache, not that you’d know it. He’s mastered the art of masking his hurt and sadness behind that smile and I wanted to give him a big hug. Beautifully written, those chapters from the past were full of love and loss, survival and friendship and were, at times, especially hard to read. Yes it’s angsty but there’s fun and laughter amongst the tears and I loved the pair of them and their teasing and banter, over the years turning from innocent friendship into something more.

Throughout the story, Thea and Ramsey have an enduring relationship, a connection which, even in their young adult years goes beyond mere chemistry. They were each other’s everything and nothing could tear them apart, until one horrific night it does.

The following years are where we see Thea really come into her own and I absolutely loved her. She was wonderful, strong and determined, she never gave up, never stopped living and hoping and planning for a better future. When many would have given in, she remained steadfast. However, this wouldn’t be an Aly Martinez book without a shocking plot twist or two. All I will say is watch out for those skeletons when they start rattling!

Release is a fantastic read and for me a real page turner. The contrast between the past and the present took me on a huge rollercoaster ride of emotions and I couldn’t get enough. A book not only heartbreaking and emotional but also filled with strength and hope.

ARC review

Sarah’s Musings…

4 SPARROW CROWNS

Aly Martinez knows how makes this cold hearted blogger feel. The sympathy I felt for these characters, the many instances of injustice and wrong doing broke me a bit, but what I love about these stories, and particularly this story, is the themes that aren’t just applicable to romance but to life.

Ramsey is such an honorable hero, at times to the point of being stupid and wanting to shake him, but his choices and the sacrifices he makes serve only to make us love him more and accentuates the injustice of it all.

Thea has her own demons to fight, but she is so strong in the face of adversity. What I think I love most about her, though, is that she lives. She doesn’t sit and wait. She lives in a way that honors him and keeps what they had sacred.

The story is great. I love the pacing, the development of the characters and the relationship, and, of course, the many themes that stood out among the romance. For me, though, there seemed to be a bit more of the adolescent relationship than the adult. I needed just as much. I didn’t want less of anything. I wanted more. I loved every part of their youth and seeing them come together, but I wanted to see them struggle as adults, to find their way back. There is an HEA that is perfection. I just wanted more.

Release is a fantastic novel, which shows the struggles of holding onto love when the world is stacked against you and about finding a home in the rubble of life, and I absolutely loved these two.

ARC review