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 … 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.
Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.
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Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez is one of the nest books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read! Everything about this book was achingly perfect. The characters will forever live in my heart. Till and Eliza were such an amazing couple. Their love grabbed me by the throat from the first page and will never let go. Their strength for each other was beautiful to read. And I fell in love with Flint and Quarry and Slate as much as the main characters. The side interactions were hilarious and sweet all at the same time. I fell in love with this whole little crazy family. The storyline was a quick ride that totally sucked me in. Every word was perfect. Watching as Till’s hearing progressively got worse hurt my heart for him. Eliza’s strength and ability to get him to see how good life still was filled my heart. This is one of my favorite books ever and Aly Martinez has shot up to one of my favorite authors with this amazing book.
Aly did a fantastic job of creating characters that were believable, loveable, funny and complicated. At times my heart was pounding and my eyes were welling with tears and at others I was laughing, but always wanting to turn the page to find out what happened next. I really enjoyed this book and it had everything from childhood love and acceptance to adult problems and real relationships with a few twists and turns in between.
I wondered how the author would resolve a story about someone who would lose their hearing in the end. It was gratifying to learn about cochlear implants. Good story enjoyed it very much.
So GREAT I feel they should make a movie out of this book. I explained it to some of my friends and now they are reading it. ***Seriously movie material***
Angst-free. Sure, there’s character insecurities, but for once, the characters have real world type problems, and not self-centered high school drama. Instead of self-inflicted issues, these characters have not created the drama in their lives but work to minimize or work around it, in their own unique fashion.
These are admirable, imperfect individuals with definitive personalities, and the actions in the book are consistent with the personalities.
Not a fantasy to wish for, but a story about good people who may not have been perceived as such by our over-privledged society. Kinda’ like most of us…..so yeah, readers could identify with these characters even if our lives were totally unlike theirs.
Well written. Decently edited. Characters worth caring about. Left me wanting more.
Great characters and story!
One of the best I’ve read in awhile.
It demonstrated how your choices can change the circle of friends and family.
This book had a little bit of a lot of characteristics. There was tragedy, but there was funny as well. It was romantic, but also a bit of a tear jerker at times. I’m a romantic at heart and I want a happily ever after, and if there is a bit of angst getting there, that’s okay, as long as we get there in the end.
Till and Eliza or doodle as Till likes to call her were really great characters. All the supporting characters, his brothers Quin and Flint as well as Slade his trainer/manager/fill in father and their wives/girlfriends and kids. This was a very inspiring story with heart and funny moments between the characters. There were lots of life lessons. This was a great start to the series. I could spend the entire time breaking down the story but it’s so good I don’t want to give to much away. So read it for yourself and I hope you like it as much as I did. Happy reading.
I thought the characters felt real. The situation these kids were living in and subjected to was really awful. Lived how the main character lived and cared for his younger brothers.
This book is my first by Aly Martinez, and it certainly won’t be my last!! It is a wonderfully well written story with excellent character development and world-building! I really like that he didn’t just BAM, become a titled professional boxer, he actually had to work for it!! And I love that she had a backbone, and wasn’t afraid to use it!!
This book came highly recommend and it was worth every tear, laugh and swoon-worthy moment from beginning to end. In true Aly Martinez fashion this book was filled with ALL the feels that had me hanging on the edge of my seat from one page to the next. Till and Eliza’s story was filled with betrayal, hurt and anger, as well as, compassion, devotion and love! These two fought their way through so many obstacles only to come out stronger than ever before! If you’re looking for a friends to lovers book that will gut you while slowly piecing you back together….. this is the one for you!
This story, pulled me in from the very first page, and I didn’t rest until it was the end. Fighting Silence, was an emotionally passionate book that took you through the full range of emotions. I was mad, sad, happy, hopeful, and every other emotion you can feel. Till and Eliza had a very bumpy road to find their HEA, but find it, they did. A must read.
Author Aly Martinez is a new author for me that I discovered in a post earlier this year by Natasha Is Book Junkie. Being a huge fan of the novel Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan, I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of Fighting Silence. Fortunately for me, an online book discussion group chose it for our July monthly read. The twice weekly discussions really enhanced my reading experience as I discovered the hopes, dreams and challenges that young Till Page and Eliza Reynolds faced. I had a blast exchanging reactions over pivotal, silly, sexy, and thrilling moments that all combined to make this first novel in the On the Ropes series a real treat.
I loved the time progression most of all. I was 100% along for the ride as these two strong characters embarked on their developmental journey from young teenagers into a young married couple. They had to grow up fast because each of them had neglectful parents. I loved how they faced what life threw at them together early on, making them an unstoppable and determined team. The supporting characters like Till’s two younger brothers, Flint and Quarry and former boxing champ, Slate added more depth to their story, making them all even more real to me. I also really loved the graphics for the chapter headings and for Till’s logo at the end.
I did plenty of quote sharing on my status updates on GoodReads, so I’ll refrain from going crazy sharing a bunch of them in my review. Below are 2 of my favorite quotes that best sums up Till and Eliza’s journey to me:
‘She didn’t want me to suffer–I understood that. This was my life though. Suffering was a guarantee. Security was not.’ ~Till
“Eliza, I have absolutely no idea what I did to make you fall in love with me. But I can honestly say that, no matter what happens from this point on, it will always be my greatest accomplishment in this life. You’re incredible, and the fact that someone like you fell for a poor kid in dirty jeans who was too scared to walk through doors proves it.” ~ Till
Up next in the On the Ropes series is Flint’s story in Fighting Shadows (available now). I look forward to discovering how he overcomes his new, sadly tragic physical condition, and embraces love with someone other than Eliza who stole his heart when he was only a young boy.
Aly Martinez is one of my favorites authors, I really enjoy and admire her work, so I had big expectations for this book, and it definitely didn’t dissapoint.
This is the story of a romance between a tormented hero named Till that has to work hard in order to live, since his parents don’t do anything for him and his brothers.
On the other hand the heroine Eliza is a strong girl with a very beautiful heart and she loves Till so much….
But life is difficult for both of them, so if they want a happy ending they’ll have to work very hard for it.
If you love sport romance, this is for you.
5 stars for The poor kid fighting for a better life !
A tale of Justified Desperation
TKO of a story of a boy condemned and a girl invisible. My friend Diane Yoz made me promise that I need to read Aly’s books and I’m a promisekeeper ! I never expected a fighter romance to be this soulful and impassioned. Full of heart and desires, the story just gives a new meaning to the word “Fighter”! The gloves NEVER come off, every day starts with a new fight internal and with his fate like sweeping the tide back to the sea, never-ending and exhausting
God had already damned me to a future that would gradually fall silent. Teasing me with the present and taunting me with everything I would eventually lose.
Till “The Silencer” Page was a victim of conditions. Struggling to keep his brothers alive, barely enough sustenance, working two jobs, and hurtling down the path of silence. he’s a posterchild for disaster at all given times. It’s a miracle that the brothers Page are still together and alive. Till has a penchant for boxing and that literally saves his life, his family and his career.
Slate “The Silent Storm” Andrews gives him a chance, and a solitary straw of a chance is all he needs in the storm that is his life. To cling to desperately and hold on strongly to build a home with that straw of hope & opportunity. On The Ropes gym becomes his home away from home and a stepping stone to success and better life.
He finds a window of Magic. Yes, a portal into a fantasy of a life he could have, a serene respite away from the maddening chaos. There’s a beautiful girl -Eliza Reynolds. Full of love and compassion, who holds his hand and never lets go. The stuff Juliets are made of, one kiss and she belongs to her Romeo- Till. Only he is so blinded by disillusionment he refuses to see or acknowledge his saviour angel. She’s all grit and tensile strength, keeping his head in line and heart in her hands. One smile from her is what he lives for, their rendezvous keeps him engaged and tethered.
I just wanted to live with Till in the present where there was no pressure to pretend to be anyone else. A present where I kept his stomach full of canned foods, and he kept me warm and needed. I scratched his head, and he healed my heart.
I have to mention here, Aly creates her heroine with perfect virtues to fit seamlessly in hero’s imperfect world. This may be one of the best couples I’ve ever read. Eliza carries the traits of a true Eve, carved from Till’s rib, because she absorbs his problems, shoulders his responsibility and listens to his unspoken words. She’s way ahead of him in sensibility, maturity and devotion. At times I felt Till was an ass and didn’t deserve this guardian angel, and it’s true cause he Knows it !! So he holds on to her with all his might and never let’s go……well cause Eliza would kick his ass if he did!
In between the boxing and struggling the story just moves at steady pace and though I felt some details were swept under the carpet at times, the focus from the main story never waivers, so I didn’t mind much. Aly is very taut in her plotting and narration so you rarely have the need or desire to take your eyes off of the “Page Family”. Liberally sprinkled with humour and teenage banter, the story never gets boring or too much to handle.
Well, not legally. You know I’m still married to Justin Timberlake. I laughed then snatched the pad from her hands. “Then send my apologies to Justin, because I’m about to fuck his wife.”
It made me laugh and cry in the same page, soared my hopes and desires and made me pull my hair in desperation all in the same chapter. That’s was the beauty of her writing. Laughter and tears resided in the same eyes and sometimes took turns, sometimes flowed together!
The twists, turns, rocky patches, handicaps & tragedies all keep you emotionally invested and She more than makes up with endless love, undying loyalty and burning desires.
Out of all the characters, Till & Eliza are my faves. they have the tenacity and bullheadedness to never give up on staying together and fighting together. A modern day Romeo & Juliet who meet at a window and build a home around it. At last his Fantasy meets Reality and blends as one life together.
Flint & Quarry are funny, adorable and typical teenage brothers. Slate is inspiring and fatherly and a real hero.
I picked up book 2 instantly and plan to debvour this series and all her books in a row.
My first read of this author and really loved it! Loved reading it from beginning until end. Well written and such a good story. Loved the relationship between Eliza and Till, how it developed. Not only that but also knowing there was more to the story, that Till was going deaf, really did me in even more ‘cuz I love sign language and know it too. This one’s definitely worth the read and I will read the next one!
This was a really great story with well developed characters who had real pain and struggles they were dealing with. There was a lot of emotion and intensity throughout. I felt really invested and enjoyed it all!
Till and Eliza grew up in bad homes. If it wasn’t for an old empty apartment building between them, they would have never met. Now both are trying to fight the world together. Great read.