From USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez comes a sizzling standalone contemporary romance.“Sometimes love happens when you least expect it.” That was what my husband’s mistress told me the day I found out about their affair. I didn’t believe it until five minutes later when mouth-watering celebrity chef Tanner Reese walked up, tossed his arm around my shoulders, and told my cheating husband … shoulders, and told my cheating husband to take a hike.
Tanner and I couldn’t have been more different. He spent his weekends at clubs, rubbing elbows with fellow A-listers. I spent mine in yoga pants with cheese boards and a glass of wine—or six.
Our relationship shouldn’t have worked, but it did. That is until Tanner proved to me that even though love happens when you least expect it…
So does heartbreak.
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Equal parts heart-warming and side-splitting, I love Aly Martinez banter as much as I love her emotional storytelling. Five Huge Stars!
I have been waiting for Tanner’s book since the Darkest Sunrise duet and let me tell you that Aly definitely gave us one INCREDIBLE story! This book was so damn good that I inhaled every single word and I refused to put it down until I saw those two little words…”THE END”. Tanner and Rita had me so immersed in their story with the witty banter, undeniable chemistry and finding a second chance at LOVE. “Sometimes fate brings you to a place in life for a reason” for Tanner and Rita it was bringing them together at a time they needed each other! There is a reason Aly has quickly become a favorite author and one I highly recommend and this book solidifies that statement hands down so grab your copy of this phenomenal read!
My favorite stories are the identifiers. Stories that carry a sense of truth that is relatable and raw. Characters that inspire by example and authors who are not afraid to expose their heart even at the worst moments. Across the Horizon is a compilation of fate, love and heartbreak. Martinez peers into a aching heart and a second chance at a surprising time. Emotion leaps off the page and pulls at your heart. Rita and Tanner are a match made in heartache, but healed by love.
“The terror and exhilaration of jumping out of a plane at fourteen thousand feet had nothing on the pure adrenaline-fueled high of finally finding a woman like Rita Hartley.”
Across the Horizon is the first contemporary romance I rated 5 stars this year. It really isn’t easy to make me rate a book 5 stars, without it having some kind of twist or angst. It was a straight to the point romance story without all the bells and whistles, and honestly it really didn’t need all of that. The characters really brought the story to life, and I fell completely in love with the main characters Tanner and Rita. Their personalities were beautiful and a great match. Tanner is fun and so sweet, but also very sexy. Rita is sassy and isn’t afraid to put Tanner in his place. These two were hilarious and cute and I just loved it. There were also a couple of emotional scenes that broke my heart, and listening to Lana Del Rey songs in the background made me feel it even more.
“She was my brain’s favorite subject, my subconscious’ favorite obsession, and my heart’s greatest torture.”
I seriously didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. I was expecting just the same old contemporary romance, that I had read a hundred times already. But the way the story and characters developed was perfection. I also want to thank to author for also focusing on the characters growing as an individual. Giving them time and space to find themselves again. Nothing felt rushed or forced and it was just beautiful. I can’t praise this book enough. I honestly wouldn’t change one thing about this book, except that it was longer because I couldn’t get enough. This is the 12th book I read by this author and definitely one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book to any romance reader out there.
“Two-named Tanner Reese had no reason to want anything to do with one-named Rita.”
Okay, so I am a novice to all thing Aly Martinez, so I really don’t have anything to compare my experience of reading this book, but with that being said, I enjoyed Across the Horizon!
One-named Rita and two-named Tanner Reese couldn’t be more different but you know they are going to be perfect for each other — which they had been from the minute they met.
Tanner is a chef who has been spending more time in front of the camera instead of what other people in his profession call a “real” kitchen. From the outside, it seems like he has everything but if you ask him his life isn’t where thought it would be. A crazy ex who is out there to ruin him, his TV show that doesn’t bring him happiness like it used to, Tanner is trying to find some semblance of stability and happiness.
“All right, enough of this shit. Rita, we need to talk.”
Rita. My blonde’s name was Rita.
Rita.
Rita.
Rita.
Oh, yeah. Lou Bega had definitely been onto something in “Mambo No. 5.”
Rita has been going through some major changes in her life. She is divorcing her husband of seven years and working through the pain and betrayal he caused her. Now, she wishes to find the girl she once was, that had slowly stripped away and what was left behind was a trophy wife for her husband. On the endeavour to rediscover herself, Rita stumbled on two things she had least expected — Tanner and love.
I loved how wholesome Tanner’s relationship was with his family. His relationship with his brother which was full of good-natured competition and ribbing each other. He was a complete mama’s boy and his conversations with his mom were absolutely adorable! And let’s not get started about Tanner’s relationship with his hammock. I’m pretty sure this guy could write a book about it! Lol.
Tanner and Rita were beautiful together. It was full of humour, mischief, and seriousness you would expect from two adults who were, even though treading through new waters, comfortable with each other’s company.
Overall, as a first-time Aly Martinez reader, I really enjoyed Across the Horizon, especially Tanner and Rita and how they evolved as individuals and as a couple.
If you are new to Aly Martnez like me, this book is not a bad place to start.
4 Stars!
I’m totally Team Tanner all the way! I loved the witty banter between him and Rita. There were so many funny parts. They just fit. I enjoyed this one so much I read it in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down.
Tanner Reese. Beautiful, rich and famous. He is a renowned chef who unwittingly became a celebrity. After accidentally soaking the shirt on a TV show, the direction and production of the program decide that shirt will be an optional and not mandatory item in his wardrobe.
Rita Hartley is a trophy wife. She married her first boyfriend, who is a doctor, and she works at the clinic where he attends. She has always done everything to be the perfect wife for Greg and sees her world crumble when, a year after a miscarriage, she discovers her husband’s betrayal.
Until at a charity event these lives intersect in an unexpected and funny way. Some lies, a staging to save a wounded ego and a great encounter almost destroyed by a drunk. And what begins as a lie can become deeper than expected.
A desire that unites them in an unexpected journey of self-knowledge, to discover who they really are and not who socially they become: the celebrity without shirt and the trophy wife. People with desires and dreams that are lost and bewildered with the direction of their lives.
The difficulties of finding a relationship where you feel comfortable to be authentic without being judged. The fear of not being enough for a man who can have everything, or for the woman who is becoming his everything. The uncertainty of not being betrayed again. These are some of the ghosts that the couple faces in the course of the plot.
A novel to mess with your emotions. Where we find people who have suffered from abusive love relationships, each with its own particularities and exposed by the author in a delicate and punctual way, that make the reader reflect. And remember the ability that love has to help us overcome obstacles and heal wounds.
This book was an easy 5* for me, because sometimes we just find a book that becomes one of our unforgetable reads!
Tanner Reese is a hot shot celebrity chef, life is good right? Maybe on a professional level yet, but on the personal front, he’s adrift. Tired of the cycle of numerous women and being used for his celebrity status rather that for who he is.
Rita’s world has just crashed around her feet, discovering her husband is a cheat and realising the life she had isn’t the life she had ever really wanted. Yes she has a lot to deal with.
On meeting their attraction is instant, and i loved the banter, humour and the way their relationship developed and ohh the angst! We know right from the start nothing for this couple is going to be easy, and it wasn’t. I think i fell in love with Tanner’s abs as much as every other woman had!! lol Loved the pace of this book, i loved everything about it and couldn’t put it down. Infact it was the perfect recipe and will quickly become one of your favorites !!!
Across the Horizon by Aly Martinez is my first ever book from this author and I’m totaly lost.
Of course I saw and even hear her name here and there… but never read her books. I’ll be mad at myself for a long time now.. How could I lost so many opportunities to know this author earlier…. This book is soo good! Aly Martinez and her writting style let me dive in compeletely in this book. After reading page no 1 I knew that I won’t put this book down till I see “the end” in front of my eyes. I feel seduced by Aly’s words and what Across the Horizon has inside.
Now I have big problems with gather up my thoughts … I feel really overwhelmed how incredibly sweet and amazing this story was. I loved absolutely everything Tanner and Rita . They give me great time, they make my heart beating fast… they take my breath away. I liked how they react each others…. how they just WERE together. Both of them have some kinds of life experiences, that aren’t only preety ones, however they still fight for happines and love.
I like so much this book, for sure my bookish journey with Aly just start, can’t wait to reas another book from this author.
Romance readers should love this book as much as I was.
Across the Horizon was an absolute delight!
I don’t know what I was expecting, but the blend of emotion and humor was just perfect. I mean, the banter, you guys.
The banter.
It was smart, sassy, and hilarious in that way that take a good book and ratchets it up to great. The chemistry between Rita and Tanner was spot on and their adorableness was off the charts.
Seriously, I can’t stop gushing. They made me giggle out loud. They made me blush. They made me swoon so hard.
And, yeah, yeah, they made me want to give them a good shake and knock their heads together to bring them to their senses.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There is a fair amount of heartache and emotion here. The beauty is in the balance. There’s plenty of tugging at your heartstrings, but also plenty of these sweet, heartwarming, absolutely adorable moments that kept me smiling for so much of the book.
In all? Man, I just freaking adored this book. It was smartly written and seamless to read. It set off flutters in my heart, and that smile I mentioned? Still camped out on my face as I think about how wonderful Tanner and Rita were, and how effortlessly they stole my heart. ~
This was my first time reading Aly Martinez, and I’m sitting here kicking myself for not doing it sooner. I mean, really now, where the heck have I been?! Across the Horizon was a wonderfully sweet, heart-tugging, sexy romance between two characters that I absolutely adored and wanted together from the start. Aly’s writing here was quick-witted and easy-to-read, the story flowed beautifully, and despite having not read the Darkest Sunrise duet from which this book spins off, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything—well, except for what clearly promises to be a breath-taking love story that I need to read as soon as humanly possible.
Hands down, Rita and Tanner had the craziest meet-cute of all time, and things just got better between them from there. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever think of an alligator without thinking of this couple. Things were just so easy and so right between this couple that it was literally impossible for the reader to not root for them. Rita was at the low point of her life when Tanner rode in to the rescue, and Tanner was floundering at the surface as the sharks in his life circled him. Their timing wasn’t exactly ideal, but it’s true that “love happens when you least expect it.” Their love story wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, though, and it took a lot of faith, an abundance of patience, some real work—and scaling a wall—for them to really get there.
One of the big reasons why it was so easy for the reader to buy into the fastest moving, slow-going love story in romance novel history was the unmistakable chemistry between this couple. It was present and palpable in every facet of their relationship, and it wasn’t only sexual. But they were incredibly hot together, and my Kindle was practically smoking in my hot little hands. Add to that some brilliantly timed, clever and uproariously hilarious back-and-forth bantering, and Across the Horizon officially ticks off all my boxes of what I hope for when I pick up a contemporary romance or a romantic comedy. There was just enough angst to keep me on edge without pushing me over, and that was exactly what the story called for and what I wanted. These two were simply meant to be together, they meshed in every single way. Where there is a will, there is a way, and they just needed the determination to deal head-on with their baggage and the resolve to be patient while they each worked through it.
I don’t know why I haven’t been reading the extraordinarily talented Aly Martinez before this, but I’m here to stay now. Part light-hearted romantic comedy and part emotional contemporary, Martinez aptly and accurately describes Across the Horizon as a dramedy. For me, this was the kind of story that I just couldn’t bring myself put down. I devoured it in less than a day, and unlike Tanner, I found that I could go slow because that’s exactly what I did when I realized I was nearing the end. I simply didn’t want to leave these endearingly charming characters or their world. Five smooches from me for Across the Horizon by Aly Martinez!
~Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads
Fate. So many of us say we don’t believe in it. I for one do, and in this new touching, hilarious, and done in Aly Martinez genius way, I’m hoping you do too.
Babes. It starts out with a gigantic bang, and gets so much better from there.
I laughed, cried, and swooned. It’s a fantastic read.
I made it. I finished Across the Horizon but I didn’t do it unscathed. I didn’t cry so much as have tears fall down my face. So I guess technically Aly Martinez didn’t lie, but most of us would agreeing only a technicality.
Across the Horizon is Tanner’s tale of woe…I mean woman. Tanner’s chance to have some real. It’s heartwarming, it’s sexy and sweet. Everything Tanner is and then some. It’s also complicated, messy, and …perfectly Tanner. I am so glad that we have this chance to experience the “better” brother in this book. I loved Porter’s tragic tale but there’s something wonderful about Tanner’s too. I won’t say it’s easy because – nope, it isn’t. It’s just what the doctor ordered.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Across the Horizon is classic Aly Martinez. She casts some kind of magic spell that immediately draws me into the story, falling hard and fast for her characters. I already knew I’d love Tanner Reese since we all got a far too brief glimpse of him in the Darkest Sunrise duet but his charm even then certainly shined through. And it is that same charm he and his brother Porter both share that is a certain Rita Laughlin’s downfall when she is thrust into Tanner’s life in the most unexpected way.
Oh these two never knew what hit them as they start a slow burn kind of romance. I loved that even though both Tanner and Rita have all kinds of baggage that weigh them down, their witty banter, both in person and via text seem to lighten their loads almost effortlessly. They have a chemistry that is undeniable and even with outside forces and stubborn exes constantly threatening to keep them apart, there is this invisible thread between them that just can’t be denied.
Despite all the stops and starts and all the reasons why they shouldn’t give this relationship a go, it’s quite honestly the delightful humor between them that continues to make them see just how perfectly imperfect they are for one another. I found myself smiling constantly at the sharp repartee Tanner and Rita delivered almost nonstop. Even when there were tears and frustration at how fate seemed to want to spoil their newfound love, the endearing nature of their bond never truly failed them.
I loved that Martinez never made the story too heavy nor wildly heartbreaking, despite the fact that the timeline is the same as the Darkest Sunrise duet. Instead it’s full of hope and joy mixed with just the right amount of angst. In addition, the Reese family provides an outlandish kind of affection that is all kinds of crazy and wonderful. Making this book even more adorable than I thought possible.
I thoroughly enjoyed Across the Horizon and love that Aly Martinez never writes the same story twice. Instead she continues to give us her all with a book that is sure to cure whatever ails you. It’s touching and sweet and utterly sublime. And is worthy of a solid 5 stars!
“Sometimes fate brings you to a place in life for a reason….”
Across the Horizon is a wonderful story by the talented Aly Martinez.
This is a story of heartbreak, of finding yourself, and it’s about fate.
This is the story of Tanner and Rita. They met at the worst possible time in Rita’s life. Fate sometimes plays a cruel hand.
Rita is at a crossroads. Her world has been turned upside down. She doesn’t know which way is up. Finding Tanner at this time was a blessing and a curse. She is funny, she is fierce and she is strong to stick to her principles.
Tanner is dealing with his own issues, but when he meets Rita, he falls hard and he falls fast. Even when he promises slowly. He too is at a crossroads in his life and timing can be horrible for him.
The dialogue is fast paced and oh so witty. I love a sense of humor in a story and this has it in spades. The smexy times are amazing and the romance is swoon worthy!
The secondary characters are amazing and bring so much more to the story. I am hoping for more from this family!
Do yourself a favor and read this story! You will thank me later!
I could not put this book down! I absolutely fell in love with the characters as well as his mom!!!
Meet Rita, married to Dr Greg and works in his office. When one fateful morning she comes across some text messages that will change the future of the amazing life she thought she was living.
Add in hot TV chef, Tanner, who she doesn’t even recognize at first, who unknowingly comes to her rescue as her exes mistress confronts her, turns out to be just what the good dr ordered for her, or is it.
This story was absolutely amazing! The story flowed, I felt Rita’s pain as well as Tanners!(new book boyfriend for sure) Follow them as they navigate their complicated lives in this great book! I need more like this one Aly, it was quite the refreshing realistic book I’ve read in a long time! 5+++++ stars, grab this asap!!
Across The Horizon was a great read. I loved Tanner and Rita. Tanner was so swoony. Rita was a strong heroine. I loved all the banter. Tanner and Rita had amazing chemistry. I loved loved them together. Definitely recommend this book!
Great read after the Sunset/Sunrise Duet
Tanner is a celebrity chef and brother to Porter Reece and Rita is Charlotte’s best friend.
Their banter is off the charts. Loved their story
Across The Horizon was the first book I’ve read by Aly Martinez. Aly Martinez has crafted a romance that draws you in and delights your heart. Martinez makes you fall in love with her main characters, Tanner and Rita.
Rita is a soon to be divorcee, whose husband cheated on her with the total opposite of who he wanted her to be. She is the polished socialite wife that he trained her to be. After finding herself heartbroken and her whole world has been turned upside down by the cheating scandal, Rita is looking to save face and ends up doing so by throwing herself into an unexpecting man’s arms after running into her soon to be ex and his newly pregnant mistress.
Tanner finds himself happily surprised when a beautiful woman throws herself at him, literally. Not knowing what to do Tanner plays along. He finds his self totally and thoroughly intrigued by Rita. He sets out to not only find out more about her, but to see if she feels the intense feeling he does.
I truly enjoyed this sweet and easy read. It made me laugh and giggle. I was definitely rooting for the couple to give in and try to make the relationship last. If you are looking for a light hearted romance to take your mind off of everyday worries I would recommend “Across the Horizon”.
The “Darkest Sunrise” and the “Brightest Sunset” gutted me. They were so shocking in the revelations that came to light, so it’s great to hear Tanner’s story in “Across The Horizon”. Tanner was so important to the Duet story that his story had to be told too! The story line started off with a bang, in how Tanner and Rita met! I enjoyed their developing relationship, but also appreciated the wisdom that was bestowed too. Even if you’ve not had the change to read the Darkest Sunrise Duet (TAKE THE TIME), Across The Horizon can be read as a standalone. Author Aly Marinez NEVER disappoints!