From USA Today Bestselling Author Aly Martinez comes an emotional new standalone.Growing up, Ramsey Stewart branded my soul in ways time could never heal.At twelve, he asked me to be his girlfriend. At thirteen, he gave me my first kiss. By sixteen, we’d fallen in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes set on the horizon. Love never fails, right? But for Ramsey, it did. Love failed … fails, right?
But for Ramsey, it did.
Love failed him.
I failed him.
The entire world failed him.
At seventeen, Ramsey was convicted of killing the boy who assaulted me.
Move on, he wrote in his first and only letter from prison.
Start a new life, he urged.
I don’t love you anymore, he lied.
There was no such thing as giving up on Ramsey. Love may have been our curse, but he was mine—then, now, and forever.
So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don’t even know to emerge from between the chain link gates.
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Who finds their soul mate at 10 yrs old?
Thea Hull does! Sitting under Wynn’s tree after losing her Mother she’s surprised to see Ramsey Stewart sitting in it and eventually falling out of it on to her leg!
Through the years you get the whole story of Thea, Ramsey & Nora his sister!
There’s so much Love for this story and I will leave you with a Quote from it.
“ Sometimes you have to let go of the life you planned in order to live the one you’re given”
Wow. This story is…wow. Heartwrenching, smokin’ hot, frustrating, HEA, it has it all. Thea met Ramsey when she was 12 when he literally fell on top of her. Sometimes love smacks you in the face, sometimes it breaks your leg. Ramsey goes to prison when they are still teenagers, and through his incarceration, she waits for him. And after he gets released, she waits. They were meant to be together, they both just need to see it.
“In that tree, suffering alone and also together, I fell in love with her like the stars falling from the sky. Thea made me feel.”
This is a second chance romance that will break your heart at times and make you want to jump into the pages and smack it’s characters at others. One word of advice, don’t start this late at night, especially if you need to be productive the next day.
3 stars. Release was a pretty good book, with the potential to me great, but it didn’t quite get there for me. This standalone book is Thea and Ramsey’s story. The two met as children, both having hard family lives, and became best friends who leaned on each other for everything. They fell in love at a young age before tragedy struck them and tore them apart. Ramsey has been in prison for many years for his part in this tragedy. During that time, he pushed Thea away and told her he hated her. When Ramsey is released, he wants nothing to do with Thea. But she is hell bent on getting answers and working things out with him. The two have a lot of heartbreak and trauma to work through if they want to have any kind of peace and a happy future.
This book is full of high drama and angst. There are so many dramatic moments and very few happy moments. The story was interesting and had potential, but I needed more healing in the book to get over the past and less continuous, one-tone drama. I found it a little frustrating. I liked Ramsey and Thea and I wanted the best for them. These two were so broken and had hurt each other so much. They fought each other through much book, before finally finding a way to resolve their problems. Ramsey hurt Thea badly and was cruel to her in an effort to push her away. But she would not give up on him, and kept coming back for more hurt, making her seem like a doormat at times. I had a few moments where I wanted her to give up on him, because of the way he treated her, and I didn’t feel like he made up for that behavior enough. It was a little hard to imagine them having a happy future when the book was so tumultuous. But it seems like they do get the healing they need afterwards; I would love to have seen that first hand on the page. Still, this fast paced story kept my attention and I wanted to see this couple work things out. They deserved a happy future and I was glad it worked out for them.
Overall, while I didn’t totally love the way things played out in this book, Ms. Martinez is great at angsty stories that pull you in and this book was no different. If you love the drama, you will love this book. I just personally like the drama in the books I read balanced with more resolution of the drama. I still enjoyed the book and was entertained. Thea and Ramsey deserved their well-fought-for happiness. I look forward to more from Ms. Martinez in the future!
Think back to a time in your childhood where life was carefree and easy. That simple time in childhood was cut short for Thea Hull. After losing her mother, Thea sought out solace under the boughs of a tree. Little did Thea know that another major milestone would happen that day. Ramsay Stewart entered Thea’s life in an epic crash. That colliding of hearts would alter the course of both of their lives.
In spite of Thea’s reluctance to accept Ramsay as a friend, time softened her heart. There were so many ‘firsts’ the duo experienced in life. Side by side, together through it all. Through thick and thin, Thea and Ramsay slowly became a couple. Then a life altering night fell like a shadow upon the duo. An event that had consequences that separated these two for years to come.
Years would drive a fissure between these damaged souls, but Thea remained true to her feelings for Ramsay. Each second, each hour, each day….Thea counted them down until the moment that she would see Ramsay’s face again. In spite of Ramsay’s insistence that he never wanted to lay eyes on Thea again, the broken-hearted girl provided a new life for the sinner. With a determination to escape the remnants of that fateful night, Ramsay quickly learns that getting rid of Thea will be harder than he ever could imagine. With the two in such close quarters, will the guilt from the past ever disappear??
Get ready to dive head first into the latest novel by Aly Martinez – Release!! This tale has alternating points from past to present. Readers will slowly learn how Ramsay found himself torn apart from Thea, and the tragedies that befell the couple so long ago. The past plays such a prevalent part of the history of the couple, and I found myself picturing every nuance that Thea and Ramsay experienced.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the plotline of this novel, I found the ending cut too short for my tastes. There was a repercussion from the past that played a significant part of the story that seemed to just ‘vanish’. I can’t elaborate more without giving away a piece of information that I feel would spoil some of the story. So – just know that I wanted MORE where the ending was concerned, and not a nice neat bow after a story laced with such heartache and perils. All in all – readers will fall in love with this story of redemption, forgiveness, and finding that one true love.
4 stars
Aly Martinez does angst and heartbreak like no one else. She wrecks the reader and then lovingly puts them back together again. Release is a coming of age, enemies to friends to lovers story and as usual, she rocks it out. Ramsey, Thea and even little Nora were amazing characters with deeply complex backstories. The author throws in a curveball I didn’t even see coming.
While Release was fantastic, I will admit it’s not on my favorite shelves of all things Aly. The story was beautiful and angsty but it lacked the steam I’ve come to expect from this author and to be honest, I don’t feel fully resolved about the twist in the story. Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic story that kept me turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. Can’t wait for more from the queen!
AnnMarie – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Beautifully written story full of heartache and emotion. Young and with their whole lives ahead of them after a difficult start to life, Thea and Ramsey have forged such a strong bond full of love, but are ripped apart following one horrifically tragic night.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, it absolutely won’t be the last. I loved this book, the tears, the laughter, the sadness, the love. These two together with Nora, Ramsey’s younger sister, have to overcome so much. These three are a team…family.
The story moves between childhood where they first meet aged 10 & 11 to the present, 12 years after Ramsey is imprisoned for killing the boy who hurt Thea.
“How much time do I need to give him before I accept that it’s really over? Twenty years? Thirty? My entire life? Because you know I’ll do it. If there is one single sliver of hope that I’ll finally get him back, I will wait for that man.”
This book will tug on your heartstrings, it kept me gripped page after page. Highly recommended if you want a wonderfully written story about forgiveness, healing and second chances, full of depth and emotion. Just keep the tissues close by!
“Sometimes you have to let go of the life you planned in order to live the one you’re given.”
5 big stars
Release is detailed and well written and made me feel like I was inside Ramsey and Thea’s story every time I dove into the pages. As a repeat reader of 2 series by this author, I feel this standalone is a standout and well worth the one click! Five stars for leaving me with a smile.
I LOVED EVERY MINUTE of this heartbreakingly beautiful story
The blurb hooked me with this and before i even began and I just had a feeling I would love it.
The story begins with Ramsey being released from prison 12 years after being convicted of murdering the boy who assaulted his girlfriend Thea when he was 17. He is cold and distant and wants nothing to do with Thea and is reluctant to the idea that she still wants to be in his life. He character was heart breaking and stubborn most of the time but he was also vulnerable and cared so deeply about the people he kept in his life.
Thea was such a smart, sassy, broken yet strong character who loved fiercely and unconditionally. I loved how we got to see lot of their relationship from the beginning as two young children and watch it grow and really understand how much they meant to each other.
I can’t even express how much I truly loved this story and I know this one will stick with me for a while.
Shel: It’s been a while since we’ve read an Aly Martinez novel so when I saw she was releasing a stand alone novel, I thought it would be a good opportunity to read her latest.
Shel: I went in blind so I didn’t realize that after the prologue we’d be primarily reading about the origin story of Thea and Ramsey, building up to how he ended up in prison. Once I quit looking for the more current chapters and just let their story build and grow, I settled in for a sweet story of how Thea and Ramsey went from childhood frienemies to best friends to lovers; how they helped each other in neglectful circumstances and became a little family who could count on each other to get through the tough days and laugh on the easier days. It was only around the last 40-ish percent that the reasons for Ramsey’s imprisonment and their estrangement started to click into place and his reactions to her made more sense. While there were a few more surprises and tense moments in this last half, ultimately this romance was a sweet one.
Shel: Part coming of age, part friends to lovers romance that focuses on a subject not normally seen in this genre: love after serious prison time, Release is a good weekend read that’s warm and will quickly get you to that happily ever after.
Oh wow. This was a beautiful story. At the start we get the past and seeing the present was like the rolls reversed in a weird twisted way and I just loved it. Ramsey and Thea were really cute together in their younger years but time changes people. Prison changed Ramsey and it wasn’t for the better. The author made it really easy to understand his motivations and his reason for doing things when we were in his head. This is one reason I love Duel 1st POV so much. Both characters were so easy to connect with.
The writing was beautiful which I had no doubt it would be. The pace of the story kept me hooked on wanting to know what was going to happen next and the banter with the characters had me giggling and my heart breaking. This isn’t the most emotional book I’ve read from this author but it was a beautiful story of a second chance with a twist I never saw coming. It was one of those, slack jaw, tears, disbelief and so much more. I’m glad the characters worked through all the issues they faced and got their HEA. One that both of these characters needed. 5 stars #2OCCJD
Wow I always love the emotions from an Aly Martinez book. She’s such a great story teller always with strong well developed characters and a story that just keeps you turning the pages. Ramsey and Thea’s story is no different. From the word go, I was chomping at the bit for answers and I wasn’t disappointed. Their history is so sweet and hopeful until things take a turn. And their present is difficult and heartbreaking because you know what these two have and just want them to be together. Trust me you’ll want to read this one for sure!
5 Second Chance Stars!!!
Aly Aly Aly Aly!!!!! I’m in love with Aly’s stories. I wish I could get inside of her head. Even for just a limited time lol.
The day Thea lost her mom was the worst day of her life. First her mom passed away, while sitting under her favorite tree she met Ramsey. Less then ten minutes later he fell on her and broke her ankle. Thea didn’t think things could worse. Until a few years later.
Thea couldn’t stand Ramsey when she first met him. She tried her hardest to get him to just go away. Until she realized she didn’t want him to go anywhere.
The day Ramsey’s mom walked out and left him and his younger sister was the worst day of his life. While sitting in a tree contemplating ending things he sees this girl running toward the same tree he’s in.
Instantly Ramsey feels a connection to her but not ten minutes later he falls and breaks her ankle. Ramsey wants to help Thea and protect her even though she tries pushing him away, until she doesn’t.
Ramsey and Thea went from strangers to friends to lovers and almost instantly to being pulled away and not by choice.
What was supposed to be the best night of their life was by far the worst. Ramsey’s thrown in jail for twelve years. The only contract Thea has had from Ramsey was a letter telling her to move on. No matter how many letters she sent she never got a reply.
Thea never gives up hope that when Ramsey gets out of prison they’ll be able to get their second chance. Except Ramsey is pissed and let’s Thea know it’s not gunna happen. Thea refuses to give up on Ramsey and on them and will fight for them.
Woah!! I read this in one sitting. Their story was heartbreaking, beautiful and had everything you’d want in a story.
Ramsey loved his sister and Thea more then anything. He’d do anything and everything to protect them. Including going to jail for the rest of his life.
Thea is in my top 5 favorite heroine’s of 2019!! She fought for everybody she cares about. Even when being blindsided she still cares about others more than herself.
Talk about a story that’ll rip at your heartstrings. That has twist and turns and bombs dropped that you’ll never see coming. This story has it all and then some. I legit am antsy waiting for Aly’s next release.
Aly Martinez is one of those authors who has the ability to draw her readers in from the start, making us completely invested in the story line from the very first page. And, in Release, because we’re offered insight into the course of Ramsey and Thea’s relationship, from being nothing more than acquaintances to best friends to destined lovers, we understand just how much they mean to one another and just how painful it is when everything falls apart.
The kind of love that Ramsey and Thea have is one that should sustain them…that should continue to grow into something unbreakable…impenetrable, but that’s not the case, and after reading about their beginning, I didn’t think that was possible…I didn’t think that anything could tear them apart, but I was wrong, and I felt every bit of the pain, the guilt, the grief that these two endured as they had to deal with over a decade of separation.
Ramsey is an incredibly honorable hero despite the injustices done to him and while he frustrated the heck out of me when he refused to listen to Thea…refused to acknowledge just how much he needs and wants her, even after all those years apart, I understood his reasons, even if I hated the pain that his words and actions caused both of them.
Thea is a fighter who claimed Ramsey as hers a long time ago, which means that moving on from her true love is impossible. He’s the other part of her heart and her resilience…her ability to stay true to him, even after he pushes her away, proves the power of their love and her ceaseless commitment to what began all those years ago.
Like most of the journeys I take with Aly Martinez’s stories, I was emotionally overwhelmed at parts, completely swooning over the love they felt for each other in others, and beyond outraged at the injustices that these two characters had to face. But I trusted that Martinez would prove that love conquers all regardless of the obstacles that Ramsey and Thea faced, and the ending Martinez gave to readers was absolute perfection.
4.5 Poison Apples
~~TOP 10 RECOMMENDED~~
Aly Martinez and this book is just WOW. Just the cover alone shows a bad boy but man this is where she fools you for Ramsey is far from bad. We see a young, funny and well somewhat troubled boy growing up too quick and a little girl who well just needs time in her hands. What got me in this book was how easily these characters get into your mind and heart. In most books having flash backs can be quite confusing but the way Aly did this between Ramsey and Thea was beautiful making it just right in this book. I loved seeing Thea come out of her shell and we see a true romance blooming before our eyes. In a way Aly Martinez just blew me away with Ramsey and boy did not see the story coming out like this it will throw you off and say What? Loved it.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
When it comes to reading romances I enjoy books that make me smile and laugh, but I’m equally drawn to those books that put my emotions in a blender in tales that pull at my heartstrings while bringing a tear to my eye. With this stand-alone tale Ms. Martinez manages to do just that by putting an immensely appealing couple through a journey of highs and lows that ultimately proves the power of true love. Told in dual POVs readers will quickly become invested in Ramsey and Thea’s lives, seeing their friendship form as young teens and basking in the glow of their love as it builds through the years. It’s a sweet and sensual coupling that warmed my heart before making my heart ache once Ramsey’s decision took him from Thea. With each turn of the page I became more captivated by their journey to HEA, and with an unexpected twist late in the story, I literally fell out of my chair. It was a twist though that ultimately culminated in an ending that was pure perfection.
I fell in love with Ramsey Stewart the moment he climbed up that tree. To the outside world he’s a nice guy with a good sense of humor, someone who tells a lot of stories to make others forget their own troubles. Behind the carefree facade though is a young man carrying the weight of the world on himself. Coming from dysfunctional parents has left him trying to keep things together for the sake of his younger sister, abused both physically and psychologically too by his father in damage to his self-esteem. The day he looked down from that tree branch and saw Thea was the day everything changed for him though. He saw someone hurting who he could help heal, someone he could focus on to diminish his own issues, and it endeared him to me. He was sweet and caring, sacrificing much in the name of others and his unconditional support of Thea throughout the story was truly romantic. His return home meant lots of hurt feelings coming to the surface, feelings of not feeling worthy enough, feelings that only Thea could bring out in him as she set out to prove their love for each other.
Thea Hull was always a bit of a loner, keeping to herself for the most part when she was young, as she was more of a tomboy than a girly-girl. Her mother’s illness made her even more standoffish as each day was one day closer to her death. That day was the one that broke Thea, showed her that she was on her own when dealing with the grief as her father seemed to lose himself. Finding a young boy sitting in the tree above her though changed her life irrevocably, gave her someone who pushed her and brought her back from her downward spiral. Throughout their journey to HEA she finally had a protector, one who always stood up for her, and once he returned home she was finally able to prove herself to him too. Thea was a very likable heroine, stronger than she thought she was as lots of painful moments befell her that ultimately made her stronger. She’s loyal and feisty and her love for Ramsey was more than obvious as I cheered her on in her journey to showing him just how important he was to her.
Ramsey and Thea’s connection was intense from the very start and saw them sharing all sorts of painful emotions. As they evolved from friends to lovers their connections took on a more sensual vibe, a slow and steady burn that made each successive interlude richer. Both characters are unforgettable in this powerful romance that deals with heavy issues. Sweet words and actions are nicely balanced with intense moments to keep me frantically turning the pages for more. Alongside this delightful main couple, a couple who owned this story, was Ramsey’s sister Nora. She was equally supportive and caring with a past that was also painful and her story needs to be told too. Readers looking for a powerful read will want to grab this one as the main couple makes this an unforgettable journey to HEA as they prove the power of love really does exist.
OMG this story…was everything!!!! I was sucked into this story from the very beginning and I hated to see it end. I laughed, cried (a lot), swooned throughout the entire story. My heart was ripped from my very being and my soul tattered as I read their story…it was an emotional rollercoaster and I freaking loved every second of it. This author did an amazing job weaving Thea and Ramsey’s backstory with the current….and it flowed beautifully. I can’t say enough amazing things about this book and I highly recommend this to everyone. Aly Martinez NEVER fails to deliver a phenomenal well written story and this book is no different. I can’t wait for the next book this talented author comes out with next…well done!!!!
5.5 Amazing Stars!
I have a confession to make: I tell my family and friends a small, itty-bitty lie. I tell everyone that I love reading because “it’s relaxing” and in reality nothing can be further from the truth. I can safely say that all my favorite books have made me cry, in anguish usually, more than once while reading. Release is a perfect example. This beautifully written, poignant Second Chance romance is going on my #TopReads2020 list. This is the real reason I love to read! The story moves from past to present, and back again, to give us a real understanding of how the two main chcaracters became intrinsically interwoven from such a young age.
“Sometimes you have to let go of the life you planned in order to live the one you’re given.”
I love Second Chance reads and this one is phenomenal, it had me yearning and anxiously waiting for the moment they would finally reunite, because there was no way these two could stay apart, more than they had already. Add to the story some twists you don’t see coming, shocking surprises, just to keep us on our toes. Seriously, I know some readers are hesitant to read anything angsty but, if you’re ever going to dive into an emotional read, Release is the perfect book!
“When I was ten years old, I met a boy. I hated him. But I needed him like my veins needed blood. He broke my leg. He broke my patience. And eventually he broke my heart. But there hasn’t been a minute that’s passed that I haven’t loved him with every single broken shard.”
Thea Hull and Ramsey Stewart met under inauspicious circumstances, on one of the worst days of their lives. Thea had wanted nothing to do with him, but Ramsey soon worked his way into her life and they became childhood friends and then so much more. They had their futures all planned out, but those plans were ruined by a cruel twist of fate. Something so horrific occurred on what was already one of the most unforgettable days of their lives and it changed everything.
“Regret was nothing but a chain tethering you in the past.”
For twelve years they were separated, Thea waited for Ramsey and she was convinced once they saw each other she could change his mind. He was just as adamant, what was done was done. Finished. What he didn’t count on was Thea’s single mindedness; there was nothing he could say or do to change her mind or feelings for him These two had so much unfinished history between them, luckily for us!
“Maybe I could let go of the past, forgiving and moving on, so it didn’t follow us into the future.”
I loved this book. Second chances, angst, romance it had it all. I loved how when Ramsey and Thea decided they wanted something they didn’t give up on the other. Also it was nice at Thea’s dad redeemed himself. I’d love to see more of them in the future.
4.25 stars–RELEASE by Aly Martinez is a contemporary adult, stand alone, erotic romance story line focusing on best friends Ramsey Stewart and Thea Hull.
NOTE: Due to the nature of the subject matter, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Ramsey and Thea) following two time lines RELEASE focuses on the childhood friendship, and adult relationship between Ramsey Stewart and Thea Hull. Thea’s mother died when our heroine was ten years old, and she found herself in an acrimonious and acerbic friendship with the new boy in town but their childhood friendship grew into a teenage love affair that would bear witness to trauma, drama and the imprisonment of our story line hero for protecting the woman with whom he had fallen in love. Fast forward to present day, wherein a now thirty-year old Ramsey Stewart, having served twelve years for killing a man, finds himself face to face with the woman he blames for destroying his life. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Thea and Ramsey, as our couple must come to terms with what happened and why.
Ramsey Stewart’s home life was less than ideal. When his mother left without looking back, Ramsey and his sister Nora struggled in the face of abuse from their alcoholic father. Thea was a safe haven for Ramsey and Nora but not all was well in Thea’s life following the death of her mother, and the neglect of her father who struggled with the incredible grief. Years as friends developed into a teenage love affair but all was destroyed in the blink of an eye, one night that ruined four lives, sending Ramsey to prison, leaving Thea and Nora struggling to move forward.
The relationship between Thea and Ramsey is a childhood friends to lovers/ rekindling romance. Ramsey’s release from prison found Thea facing a man she barely recognized, a man who despised a world where Thea now lived. Thea, hoping to rekindle their relationship must take baby steps in her seduction of the man she hasn’t stopped loving for most of her life. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters include Ramsey’s sister Nora, their father, as well as Thea’s father Joe Hull.
RELEASE is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and revenge; a story of power and abuse; of trauma and recovery. The premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is seductive and sensitive; the characters are dynamic, captivating , broken yet strong. I am hoping for Nora to get her own story.
~~ 5 TIMELESS STARS! ~~
“He was my family. My best friend. The yin to my yang. The heart to my beat.”
TRUE CONFESSION: This is my FIRST EVER Aly Martinez book. Yeah, yeah, I know you are probably thinking… “Are you freaking KIDDING me? Have you been living under a rock or somethin’?” But yay, I am happy to report I finally popped my AM cherry and what a TRULY UNFORGETTABLE foray into this author’s glorious world it was!
PREMISE:
At the tender age of ten years old, Thea Hull’s world imploded when she lost her beloved mother. But in the wake of this unspeakable tragedy she gained a new best friend in Ramsey Stewart…the scrappy, gum-chewing, 11 year old boy who fell out of a tree and literally CRASHED into her life without warning. Neither realized it at the time but they saved each other that day. A newcomer to their small town in Georgia, Ramsey and his little sister, Nora, were looking for a fresh start in Clovert and in the process he found the girl who would instantly steal his heart. And while at first Thea was as prickly as a cactus it did not take him long to find this ornery Tomboy’s sweet spot!
What began as a thorny, tender-hearted friendship eventually blossomed into an innocent, soul deep love. Little by little, Ramsey and Thea became each other’s entire worlds and had big grandiose plans for the future, which included getting the heck out of Clovert and traveling the globe. But one fateful night their blissful dreams morphed into their very worst nightmare when a moment of unspeakable brutality changed the trajectory of both their lives. For in the terrifying aftermath, Ramsey was out for blood—and his foolish, albeit noble-hearted, sacrifices landed him behind bars.
Fast forward “Twelve years, eight months, three weeks, four days, twelve hours, and thirty-seven minutes” later. Ramsey’s finally paroled out of prison and back home and Thea cannot wait to make up for lost time with her soulmate, her one true love, her SAVIOR. But the scars they both bear are not so easily erased and the moody broody ex con man who returns to her is nothing like the happy, carefree, sweet-natured boy who had once loved her with his entire being.
Can these two torn apart lovers ever be released from the shackles of the past or has time and distance taken an indelible toll?
MY MUSINGS:
OH MY HEART! Aly Martinez slayed me in every imaginable way with RELEASE! Thea and Ramsey’s breathtaking, and at times, AGONIZING love story electrified my senses, ripped my soul to shreds and truly took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride of epic proportions!
I just ADORE poignant childhood best friend tales that celebrate the triumphant, resilient power of love and this novel does that in the most heartwarmingly beautiful fashion. This slow-burning, gut punching, coming of age love story is chock full of searing emotional intensity, sizzling sparks, heartache and hope, and at long last, soul deep healing.
From page one, I was captivated by Ms. Martinez’s beautifully emotive writing style and she did a SPECTACULAR job of juxtaposing the present story with the flashbacks from the past to give this endearing couple a rich full bodied story you can really sink your teeth into. I was enraptured by it all—from the giddy rush of their first innocent kiss, to the sweet euphoria of watching this wide-eyed, hopelessly smitten duo fall head over heels in love to the soul shattering despair of when the cruel hands of fate wrenched them apart in the most UNIMAGINABLE way. And when this star-crossed duo finally comes face to face after over a decade apart, prepare to feel the full gamut of feels. Love. Hate. Regret. Pain. Passion. Happiness. Joy.
Sighhhh! The fierce, all-consuming intensity of this couple’s bond was just EVERYTHING. They truly are two halves of the same soul and I was totally swept off my feet by their eternal, TIMELESS love that rendered me breathless! While at first Thea was “still quiet, stoic, borderline rude a lot of the time” she managed the impossible and made Ramsey FEEL. And while he tried to hide his hurt via his “Ramsey Stewart Special” smiles,” as it turned out this girl with “all of her flowing, dark hair and her sad, green eyes” was just as broken as he was. Together these two childhood bffs turned lovers made sense but…SOB…if any couple’s love seemed doomed, it was Ramsey and Thea’s!
Ramsey is the kind of gallant, tortured soul hero that you can’t HELP but cherish with every fiber of your being. Even when you want to knock some sense into him! Gah the woefully misguided sacrifices he made at the age of 17 were almost too much to bear. However, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect his precious girl even if the cost was catastrophic!
“I fell in love with her like the stars falling from the sky.”
And holy wowza…Thea’s was such a WILDCAT! I had such a GIRL CRUSH on this heroine. Fiery, ballsy, persistent… she had such a big, loving heart…and her devotion to Ramsey never wavered even though the angry, aloof, hardened man that returned was nothing like the boy she once remembered.
After spending twelve years in prison, this “rugged and purely masculine” ex-felon carried the weight of the world on his impossibly broad shoulders. Navigating life on the outside was an uphill battle and the last thing he wanted was to bring “trouble and disgrace” to his beautiful Sparrow. Ramsey felt lost and unworthy, and though he loved her with every beat of his traumatized heart, he wanted to set her free. But eeeep! This Sparrow wasn’t flying anywhere except into his aching arms! And even though they had trials and tribulations up the wazoo, their soul burning love was always worth fighting for!
“Distance had separated us; time had divided us. But there was nothing we couldn’t face as long as we were together.”
But OMFG brace yourself for a DOOZY of a plot twist that y’all will never see coming! Yet, when all is said and done, the breathtaking HEA puts our shattered hearts back together again and will make you weep with joy! And ultimately, the message that resonates throughout… that “sometimes you have to let go of the life you planned in order to live the one you’re given” left a permanent imprint on my heart.
BOTTOM LINE:
Aly Martinez is now on my auto-buy list and I cannot wait to read more from this resplendent author!