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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Tearful heartbreak and devastation. Innocence stolen by the ugly truths of life. These are a very vague way to summarize all that is Release.
Encapsulating total carnage of the heart, Martinez completely captivated my mind while holding my heart hostage in only a way she can.
Mesmerized by the story of three souls whose purity was lost early; this story will prove to you that love is patient. Love will ensure, and most of all, when it is a once and a lifetime love, nothing will stand in its way and it will Release you from the demons you may face in your own life.
As Always, Happy Reading
“5/5 Beaming Brains!” – Lit-Up My Mind
My heart is on fire!! I just cannot with this woman…..
I know there’s a bazillion reviews on this book already. I don’t know how many you guys will read or not read or whatnot. Don’t read them, read them, whatever … it doesn’t matter. Why? Because you shouldn’t need a review to decide to read an Aly Martinez book. You just do it. If you don’t just do it then .. I don’t know. Not trying to judge (maybe) but you might not be right in the head. KIDDING. Maybe. *shrug*
This woman is talented. I have read a whole lot of words this woman has spun into a tale and she surprises me every time. She exceeds my expectations every time. She layers a story like nobody’s business. I am awe-struck when I read her books. I’ve long stopped trying to guess the road her stories will travel because I am always so wrong! No, that’s not entirely true. It’s not the endgame that she blows my mind with every time, it’s the journey. The path. The turns. The twists. So much unpredictability! And I crave it. You guys, I’m an Aly junkie. She is my book crack LOL
Let’s talk about this story for just a second. This is not a breezy read. There are no unicorns and gumdrops anywhere to be seen. There is heartache. There is loss. There are gut-wrenching circumstances. There are choices with profound consequences. There is love. There is friendship. There is growth and a whole lot of hope. It is inspiring, emotional, and incredibly touching.
I can’t do this without you.”
“Do what?” I asked.
He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Breathe.”
There is a reason that Aly Martinez is one of my favourite authors, and this book is yet another example of just how amazing of a writer she is.
Oh my heart! Ramsey and Thea’s story is one that will put your emotions through the ringer. But it’s just absolutely perfect in every single way. What Ramsey and Thea both go through, to get past their own brokenness so that they get their HEA is just astounding.
This story teaches you about loss, hope and that no mater how broken a person can be, you are strong enough to pick yourself back up, heal and get through hard times no matter what.
5 stars
Wow, Aly Martinez does it again with another fantastic second chance romance that is filled with a few twists that just blew me away.
The story is about Ramsey and Thea – two broken people who have depended on each other since they were children. In fact, they have been in love with one another for just as long. Then the unthinkable happens and for 12 long years, they are separated – Ramsey in jail for doing what he has always done saved Thea. Now reunited Ramsey wants Thea as far away from him as possible. Thea, however,
has other ideas she has never given up on him and never will not matter how much he tries to push her away.
This is a story of romance, love, and heartbreak and no one does it better than Aly Martinez. We get to see both sides of this story in both present-day and flashbacks which I loved. This is a story that I wont soon forget.
A coming of age, second chance, roiling angst filled story that will leave you breathless and aching for more. It’s stuffed full with funny banter, laughter and love but be warned that the cry-fest it shall induce would dessicate your poor heart
“Fair warning, this is not a story of hearts, flowers, and romance. That would all come later. But in the beginning, my love for Thea was born out of death, broken hearts, and desperation. Coincidentally, that was also how it ended.”
Two tender, naive souls, having lost something precious in their lives, on an escape trip just manage to meet at the crossroads of tenor lives. Under a tree!!
My heart went out for Althea Floye Hull, as he sits under a tree, mourning the loss if her mother. Ramsey Stewart jumps down the same tree, landing on her and breaking her foot. This could be a sign of things to come, he then proceeds to break her heart and her life in the years to come.
“We were two lonely people who relied on each other. We’d never been brainwashed enough to believe that the world wasn’t a horrible place. We’d been disenchanted with the beauty of life since the day we’d met. But we had each other. That was the one constant we needed for happiness.”
I got invested in the budding symbiotic friendship of Thea and Ramsey from the get go. Aly manages to adeptly paint the innocent love picture, complete with rosy hues and starry dreams. All pulled away in the blink of an eye, stomped on and tattered in a single fateful night.
They get ripped apart for Twelve years, eight months, three weeks, four days, twelve hours, and forty-three minutes
Thea is given a watch by her mother as gift and that starts her obsession for counting time.
It delivers precise punches all throughout the story.
“it took only nineteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds for him to ruin my entire life.”
Ramsey is a savior by nature. He slips into a shielder & protector mode instinctively for his loved ones- his mom, his sister and now Thea.
But who saves Ramsey?
His “Release” of sparrows comes at a price and a lesson- not all birds want to be set free.
And this is what the story is about. Everlasting, strengthening love that salvages and rescues, gives you a hand and pulls you out of the depths of despair, one that waits out the 12 year sentence and then persistently dodges all bricks and bats.
The twist towards the end just punched me in the gut and I wasn’t ready to forgive either. #IStandWithThea.
5 Stars for Twenty-four years, three months, one week, five days, eighteen hours, eleven minutes, and counting…
Forty six years, two months, twenty nine days, seven hours and thirty six minutes. That is when I finished a great book.
Twelve years building up to a release. His release. The beginning of the rest of their lives.
The build up. The love. The let down. The slow re-build. The twist. The devastation. The epilogue.
Aly Martinez never disappoints. This story was emotionally driven with witty banter all while proving that one decision can change everything. A beautiful release, indeed.
I’m not sure how to review this book.
It does go back to the past and, with every book that does this, it’s a struggle for me to read if it is more than a chapter or two. When I read a book I’m reading for the now and their current story. That is my preference.
The story was good. Really it was but it wasn’t my favorite read. The h was good with her confidence and give no shit attitude but she had times where she was annoying. The H has such a big heart and made not the best decisions because of it. Like the h, he was also annoying at times.
Man, I hate saying negative about a book but it happens. Also, this will not stop me from reading more my Aly Martinez. I’m already looking for the next one I’d like to read by her.
Thea and Ramsey have a story of ages or a story of their emotional bond. As the story unfolds you break for Ramsey, you want him to get a new start, but then you hear Thea’s undying love for him. Thea is truly not going to give up on him, she is going to do everything to show Ramsey she loves him. But sometimes the past comes out and you don’t know what do to.
See more of my review here on my YouTube channel- https://youtu.be/CNiYAtgiV28
It has been , , since I started this book and fell in love with this writer’s story.
There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same, and that time is divided into two parts; before and after. Time reminds us of so many things like the exact time we lost a loved one, it tells us down to the second when something horrible has happened to us . But it also tells us how long it has been since one of our happiest moments in life, and how long until we can anticipate that happiness again. Sometimes time is not your friend and it’s those moments in time where one needs to remember what was left rather than what was lost.
Time was not Thea Hull’s friend. It reminded her of what she had lost, but it also gave her hope to what she had left. Thea had fallen for her pain in the ass next door neighbor Ramsey Stewart. And just when you think time was being generous and everything in your life at that moment was perfect, it replaces it with a moment that overrides that happiness.
It had been , , , , , – since Thea had been happy, since she had last seen her childhood love, Ramsey Stewart. She had waited for him, waited for his Release, to claim back that happiness, back to those moments in time that everything was right.
~ , . ~
Ramsey had no intentions of resuming their relationship once he was released. He was now a convicted felon. Thea deserved better than anything he could ever offer her, he just had to make her see that.
~ ’ , . ’ .~
Ramsey and Thea’s tale leads you through a complicated emotional story of love and loss. Aly Martinez has written a compelling story with a ton of heart. This is my first Aly Martinez read, and it won’t be my last. I fell in love with both Ramsey and Thea’s characters. Their misfortune and affection for one another draw you into their story and give you all types of feels.
OMFG! Aly Martinez has done it again! I have no words.
From start to finish I was hooked on Release, I couldn’t have stopped reading this book if there was a fire and I needed to evacuate. Ramsey and Thea are an emotional roller coaster . Martinez had me wanting to throat punch each one of these characters through my kindle, while crying and needing to drink wine at 12pm.
Ramsey is a broken man struggling to live outside the walls of prison. He’s struggling with his decision to push Thea away now that he’s out. Thea is struggling with Ramsey pushing her away. Everytime he pushes she pulls but as ok as she is acting on the outside is as broken as she is on the inside. Almost 13 years of waiting for the love of her life only to have him push her away. Oh, the secrets and lies that are revealed. The heartache and pain they cause make my heart hurt even more for them all. As if all the events of the last 13 years weren’t enough there was more.
Release may have been a quick read but it packed an amazing punch that has left me needing to read all things by Aly Martinez. The storyline was amazing, the writing almost perfect, the characters perfect. Each and everyone of them was there for a reason, and added so much depth to the book. Release has made me an Aly Martinez fan for life, and I can’t wait to see what else she has to offer. Ramsey and Thea’s story was amazing. I cried so hard and loved every second of it.
I loved Ramsey and Thea! Their story is filled with unending love, sacrifice and passion. Imagine finding your forever love at eleven years old? This story is perfection.
This story packs quite an emotional punch with its absorbing plot, beautiful second chance romance and the author’s poignant storytelling. She skillfully reveals her characters’ vulnerabilities and did a good job of showing the insecurities and baggage carried by each of them. Their story is very painful in parts. But their bond is so strong, that I just knew that they would be able to withstand any obstacle that came their way. I could not put this book down and cared about these characters.
Ramsey and Thea’s story unfolds layer by layer, shifting back and forth between the present and bittersweet past memories. Ramsey has spent twelve years in prison and has to be strictly adhering to the conditions of his parole. We see the adjustments he has to make as he gets back to a normal life, with the help of his sister and Thea. Thea was such a beautiful character, persistent and loyal. She has been waiting for Ramsey to come home. Yet, she is pissed off at him for his mistakes, for abandoning her.
The emotional connection between Ramsey and Thea is undeniable but there was a lot of push pull between these two. This book really pulls at your heartstrings as you see how Ramsey is struggling with his past, his present that doesn’t feel like freedom and is unable to see a happy future for them. He is convinced the stigma of his actions will follow him for the rest of his life.
This is a story about young love, loyalty, trust and how powerful love can be when two people are destined to be together. Their love for each other shines through all of the drama that they are going through. They deserve happiness and I was happy to see them finally getting the life they were meant to have.
I haven’t read many of Aly’s novels but the ones I have read have been enjoyable. Release is a standalone, contemporary romance of second chances and redemption. This book is HIGH in emotions and SLOW in terms of the burning fire of love. Not only that, this is a unique story and one that is certain to leave an impression on any reader. This book isn’t without twists and turns either. If you’ve read any of the authors books in the past, you’ll know she has a knack for writing twists into her stories and that is no different here. Readers will be delighted and in awe of everything that happens.
If you enjoy a romance about SOULMATES , first loves, second chances, and REDEMPTION then you won’t want to miss this book. I was glued to the pages, excited to see where the story was going, and totally drawn to the characters lives. Sometimes it’s hard to immerse yourself in fictional characters lives but that’s not the case here. I was IN THEIR WORLD. This is because of the fantastic writing style.
If you’ve read the blurb, then you know you’re in for some emotional heartache. Aly always packs in the feels and Release is no exception. Gah! This story just broke my heart! Ramsey and Sparrow are the absolute sweetest. Their childhood love is truly the stuff that will move mountains. I just love reading that kind of connection between characters. It’s overwhelming and beautiful. Just like this book. I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for angst and feels.
Aly Maritinez never disappoints! This book was everything and more. A must read!
3.5 stars
This is a friends to lovers/second chance romance that brings all the feels and all the angst. There’s a lot of compelling back-and-forth between the heroine and the hero, and the flashbacks are especially poignant. There’s a specific plot point that is revealed toward the end of the novel that I didn’t particularly care for, which is why this isn’t a four star read for me. But I think fans of Aly Martinez and fans of the aforementioned tropes will find this to be a satisfyingly steamy novel with a healthy amount of slow burning chemistry.
Gahhhh! I am still feeling this book hours after I have finished. It took me a bit to be able to put into words what I felt. So much angst. So much tension. So much conflict. My heart broke for all of the characters. Not just the main ones. I teared up a little in a few parts. Aly done a phenomenal job with this one. She captured every emotion and made them powerful and addicting. The only thing I can say about this book that I didn’t love was that I wanted more. I felt like the ending came fast. Not rushed. Definitely not rushed. I just wish there was more for them. I know this is a standalone, but if she decided to write more from these characters I would be all over it.
When I heard Aly Martinez was releasing a new book, let me tell you- I was estatic. There is just something about her writing that hooks me and I absolutely love and this book was no different. This book was so original! I wanted nothing more that to see how this story played out, to see the come back and the come around. I felt the love build between Thea and Ramsey when they were kids and their evolution was at times slow but so worth the wait.
And as much as I don’t want to be THAT READER, the one that begs for a book when a book is just being released… I want to beg for Nora’s book. I hope Aly Martinez plans to give us that storyline.
I am sitting here overwhelmed by everything I am feeling right now. What an absolutely beautiful, heart-breaking and heart-warming story.
Release is the story of Thea and Ramsey who meet at a young age on a day when they both face changes in their personal circumstances that no child should have to go through. I absolutely love the connection that they have with each other. The way that their friendship develops is just them, and I loved that for all the years that passed when they were separated, their way of connecting with each other never changed.
I loved how the author wrote Release going from the past to the present. Aly Martinez allowed us to get to know Thea and Ramsey as children and then watch them grow into adults. We were able to see their friendship develop and witness their life altering moments. I have to admit that I shed tears many times throughout the book. Tears for the scenes I was reading; Tears for the decisions they were making; Tears because I could feel my heart being ripped out of my chest at how sad the story was making me feel. However, there were many times that I smiled and laughed along the way too.
I adore Thea. I love how strong, loyal, caring and loving she is. I adore the stubborn streak that she possesses too, which she truly needed to get where she is today.
Ramsey is incredible. When you think back over the whole story, he really is an amazing person. I will admit that I did want to shake him at times hoping that he would see sense, but I could totally understand why he was making decisions and acting in the way that he did.
I thought the supporting characters, in particular Nora and Joe, contributed to the story perfectly. I would love to see Nora have her own book one day…… fingers crossed.
This slow burn, second chance story receives 4.5 stars from me. Once I was hooked, I didn’t want to put the book down and I loved the anticipation that I felt whilst reading. I was unable to work out which way the story was going to go – whether the couple would be able to overcome the obstacles in their way and put the past behind them, and in any book that I read this is something that always gets a huge tick from me. I can recommend this book to you without a second thought.
I absolutely adored Ramsey and Thea. Their story gave me all the feels. There were so many up and downs, and a little twist and turn to keep you up all night reading!