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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Two people who find each other at a difficult time in their lives. They build a love and a bond that is unbreakable until tragedy strikes and leaves them broken.
Thea never gave up all the time lost just makes her stronger and her love for Ramsey just continues to grow. Now she just needs to convince him.
So many secrets.. secrets that will unravel and will these secrets keep them apart again…?
The connection between Thea & Ramsey is undeniable.
Release was a heartbreaking and captivating coming of age romance that wrecked me. Thea and Ramsey’s story was an incredible love story full of pain, loss, and ultimately forgiveness.
From the butterfly feelings of first love to the devastation of heartbreak Thea and Ramsey tugged at my heart and never stopped. Both characters were so resilient in spite of everything they had faced in their young lives both together and individually. Ramsey broke my heart with his sacrifices and struggles. The flashbacks throughout their story kept me fully invested and rooting for these two until the very end.
Thea and Ramsey’s second chance love story was painful but there was so much beauty in it. I loved that the author didn’t shy away from the reality that justice isn’t always served and how difficult it can be for someone to readjust to life. Admittedly, I shed a few tears throughout reading this book but that’s what I love about emotionally charged reads like Release that latch onto my heart and don’t let go.
This book stole my heart right away really showing the development of Thea and Ramsey’s relationship. I love the way time spans in this novel and the reader can feel the roots of Ramsey’s and Thea’s love.
Thea finds the reader as 10-year-old with a broken heart after a devastating loss and picking up the pieces is Ramsey, a seemingly carefree 11-year-old— it feels like his sole mission is to break down Thea’s walls and get her to smile, which he eventually does.
The story goes back and forth between the present and the past layering the heartache and healing that happens all the way.
What I love most about this book is that it doesn’t sugar-coat anything. Love isn’t this perfect act. It shows the characters messing up and struggling to love each other and themselves.
It’s a book that’s filled with riding bicycles down a dirt road, watermelon bubble-gum, the intense connection that fills the deepest relationships and all the sexy, hot and heavy build-up that comes with years and years of unrequited love suddenly made mutual and realized.
This book made my heart happy and reinstated my love for Aly Martinez.
AHHH!! Release was a second chance love story of the ages!!! Aly Martinez rips your heart out, drowns you in angst and slowly mends all your wounds with heartfelt lifelong promises and swoony moments. I LOVED release as it was raw, gritty, poignant and so gripping. I was consumed with every word and could not stop reading! This was a marvelous story coupled with Martinez’s masterful and incomparable talent! I was spellbound!
Oh my Lord. I can’t even come up from air from this story without tearing up thinking about Ramsey and Thea and the love between them. I especially loved Thea’s compassionate nature and the unfallible strength in her convictions. The amount of heartbreak and injustice she suffered was mindboggling but the sheer determination and drive to heal and reunite her family was the rainbow after such a terrible and tragic storm.
Overall, this novel was not just another amazing story by this author, but a powerful portrayal of a couple who came out on the other side after years of painful and tumultous heartbreak. Ramsey and Thea found a safe haven in one another throughout their whole lives and Martinez portrayed that beautifully. Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
Wow! Such an absolutely heartbreaking story of first loves, second chances and how one moment can change your entire life.
My heart hurt for both Ramsey and Thea, knowing how much time they had lost over the years. The two of them were so ingrained in the other’s soul, that watching the space between them when Ramsey was released from prison was difficult to watch. Ramsey tried to push her away, as he didn’t want her to wait for him, but I don’t blame her for doing just that. He was the other half of her and they had always promised the other they wouldn’t leave. Ramsey was going to need her when he got out, whether he liked it or not.
The struggles they faced together, as Ramsey was reintegrating himself into society, was written so well. Nothing was sugarcoated, which I appreciated, as when Ramsey went away, he wasn’t even an adult. And now twelve years later, so much had changed in the world. But I love the support he got from not only Thea, even when he didn’t deserve it (some of the gestures and things she did for him – so damn romantic!), but Nora and Thea’s dad too. (I’m so glad that father/daughter relationship was repaired! Them outside the barbershop – hilarious!!)
But that twist……..what the heck?!?! That totally smacked me in the face out of nowhere.
In all seriousness, buckle up and get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotions with this story. Ramsey and Thea will take you on quite the journey. I can already tell this will be on my favorites list of 2020!
(And I’m hoping with that little nugget of information in the epilogue that we get a story for Nora too!)
This book was spectacular! Aly Martinez delivered yet another book that leaves you stunned when you hit the major twist. I mean honestly, I did NOT see that coming! It’s a phenomenal twist that rocked me to the core. You have got to read this book, I promise you won’t regret it!!!!
Ramsey and Thea fell in love at a very young age and all signs pointed to them growing old together. That is until Thea is assaulted and Ramsey goes to prison for killing her assaulter. He spends years in prison and when he finally gets out Thea is excited to start the lives they always planned together. However he is not happy to see her when he gets out. The days that follow will turn their lives upside down once again while they navigate the choppy waters of life.
If you haven’t read anything by Aly Martinez yet you’re missing out. This book is as good a place to start as any! Read up and enjoy!
5 stars isn’t anywhere nearly enough but it will have to do.
I don’t even know where to start.
Ramsey and Thea’s story isn’t rainbows and unicorns its about heartbreak, love and acceptance.
Before i started reading this book i remember feeling anxious because reading other peoples reviews they was saying all sorts of stuff that normally make me want to avoid books like it but you know what? I’m glad i read it and got my own opinion. I’m glad i got the chance to meet Ramsey and Thea and everyone in between. They are absolutely beautiful characters. Well written, funny, the relationship between them was this unbreakable bond that had its fair share of weight added to it.
Ramsey has the biggest heart, he’s a fixer, he wants to help those that think they don’t need it. I loved reading him, he made my heart beat faster just at the mere mention of him.
Thea was strong, so unbelievably strong and understanding. She fought tooth and nail to be where she was and she bloody deserved it.
I honestly wish i could go back and read this again for the first time to get that rush of feelings again.
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 Received for Honest Review ***
5 Stars!
Wow! I mean, WOW! This book is Ah-Maze-Ing! I loved every second. This one will take you for a ride. And like I have come to realize from Aly Martinez, before you know it, there is a twist that you simply did not expect. The story is so good and then Aly goes and twists the knife on your heart with her small nuggets of life that just elevate the story to the next level. DO NOT MISS!
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Aly has done it again! Pure magic! Thea and Ramsey will break your heart and put it back together! The book opens with Nora meeting her brother on his release from prison. She is with Thea who has waited on him too. Release is a book of many levels and will have twists you do not see coming! Get ready for one heck of a ride!
These characters. This story. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The laughter, love, pain, surprises, and tears. What a freakin’ journey!
Thea Hull and Ramsey Stewart met as kids…just when they needed each other most, even if they did not know it at the time. From antagonism to friendship and love…they were the other’s everything. Ramsey was Thea and his little sister’s self-appointed protector. And Thea fought as strongly for them. Until one night changed the course of their lives.
Now over twelve years later, he is coming home…to his sister and to Thea. But he gave up on his own happiness long ago. And he told her to move on as well. They are all stubborn, opinionated, and think they are right. But secrets can fester, masks can hide real feelings, and guilt and lack of self-worth can destroy. It will not be just an easy transition.
When they were kids he pushed her into being his friend, and now she is pushing her way back into his life. But it is precarious and they are both unsure of how to deal with the past and live in the present and are afraid to hope for the future. And sometimes the truth and secrets can also wound. And their lives might be shaken up again and not in the good way they hoped.
These poor characters go through so much…lost so much time. Their lives were ruined over one person’s actions and subsequent choices. There is no way to go back and it is hard to move forward. But eventually, they will have to lay it all out there and figure out what they can and cannot live without.
All along I believed that they were soulmates and family. There are so many layers and so much change and growth from the characters over the course of this story. Relationships are built, destroyed, and repaired. Dreams are made, taken away, and reimagined. But nothing can take away the guilt, pain, regret, bitterness, and heartbreak they endured. My heart was so invested in them. I both adored and got frustrated by these complex, dynamic characters. I wanted to shake sense into them at times, and other times hug them. Sometimes my heart was just shattered. Other times I was laughing at their witty rapport and taunting. But they felt real and their story was tragic, heartfelt, poignant, raw, and beautiful.
I started to think I was broken as I was having a hard time paying attention and have not been reading as much, but this book demanded my attention and I devoured every word. My emotions were all over the place. I love it when authors throw in twists that surprise me, and Aly Martinez is a master at that. I have a first five star read of 2020!
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Release is the new emotional standalone by Aly Martinez. As usual, my review for Release is going to be short and sweet because, like any other Aly Martinez book, there is SO much that you just have to read, and I really, REALLY don’t want to give anything away!
Thea and Ramsey are best friends that move into something more before their already brittle world is completely shattered. She still loves him. He still loves her, but he doesn’t think he’s worth anything. When it finally looks like they can grab hold of a future together at last, will it all come tumbling down once more?
NICUnurse’s Rating: If you’ve never read a book by Aly Martinez and want to read this one, all I can say is strap yourself in because this book, like ALL of her books, will take you on one crazy emotional roller coaster ride! Seriously…she’ll shatter your heart then glue the pieces back together before doing it all over again. And again. And again! And for once, I thought she wasn’t going to throw in a big twist. I was sadly (or maybe gladly??!!) mistaken, and it was one that I never saw coming. Not that I ever see any of them coming…which is why I adore her books. They are like my own personal brand of heroin that I just can’t ignore. (And if you get the reference there, you’re definitely my people!) Just do yourself a favor and read Release! Unless, of course, you hate angsty romances. In which case you probably will not like it too much so stay away. But I’m a sucker for a book that can evoke a variety of strong emotions while I’m engrossed in its pages, and Aly Martinez certainly delivers that time and time again.
Needless to say, I give Release by Aly Martinez 5 out of 5 stars!
4 STARS
Aly Martinez delivered a heartbreakingly beautiful story between Thea And Ramsey!
What started out as a unlikely friendship that developed into more, which ends in misfortune. I kept wondering with their separation and the secrets, would their love endure. I honestly don’t know if I would be a strong and dedicated as Thea, but I commend her for it.
This was such an amazing book and is a definite MUST read! Release by Aly Martinez will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ELITE!!!
Release was really frickin’ good! It starts out with Thea and Ramsey meeting when they’re little kids. He’s new to the neighborhood and she has just lost her mom. Ramsey is determined to get her to be his friend and he eventually succeeds. They are the best of friends and as they get older they become a couple. After an awful night Ramsey ends up in prison. He tells Thea not to wait for him, to move on. But Thea is a strong independent woman, who does what she wants. And what she wants is to get Ramsey back in her life after he’s been released. The two of them struggle to get back what they once had, it was often heartbreaking to read. Aly Martinez put my feelings through the ringer and I enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend ‘Release’ to everyone who enjoys a very well written, angsty, friends to lovers romance.
4.5 Stars
Aly Martinez brings a poignant story in Release, filled with the honorable intentions of the leads only for them to cause seemingly insurmountable pain and heartache.
This was a book with a lot of what ifs that surrounded hard choices made out of love and fear. Sacrifices were made from every angle with serious consequences in this work. Ramsey was such a caring portrayal despite his tough and closed off exterior. The secrets he held and the lengths he was willing to go to protect the ones he loved was touching and made him a hero worth every tear and sigh elicited from reading his story. Thea’s steadfast devotion and love of Ramsey is the stuff of legend. She not only survived tragedy but took her overcoming it to a new level of triumph. Watching this couple be torn apart because of the actions of others was incredibly sad and yet neither Ramsey or Thea could truly walk away showing the strength of their love.
Ms. Martinez’s writing was full of grit and perseverance with some subtle and not so subtle plot twists, keeping readers on edge though out her work. The depth of this writer’s characters emotions, from love to despair, was glaringly apparent with every word and encounter presented to her audience. With tough love and lots of well written maneuvers Aly Martinez’s Release was a story of adversity defeated by love.
*I was given an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own. *
4.5*
Release is a whirlwind of a story. Thea and Ramsey were forever committed to each other at a young age when tragedy beyond what the two had experienced as kids struck again. Only this time it struck the heart of their relationship.
They say time heals all but can they survive the secrets associated with the devastation of what happened so long ago?
Once again, Aly Martinez has written an enjoyable page turner. Great characters and a twist I never saw coming.
So for my first Aly Martinez book I am left feeling excited for discovering another new to me author, but irritated I haven’t read her work earlier. Release is a story of first loves, first heartbreaks and second chances to fall in love all over again.
Talk about starting the book off with a bang, the prologue had me on the edge right out of the gate. The first section of the story shows our Hero Ramsey and heroine Thea meeting as children and their growing friendship, their growth into teenagers and their friendship turning into more. This section of the book was filled with positivity, with humour and a free spirit that only children and young love hold, despite the circumstances they entered into each others lives.
When one night goes from the best night of their lives to the worst, we come to the section of the novel that thrusts us into the present. Ramsey and Thea are reunited 12 years later as Ramsey is released from Prison. Aly’s writing here was perfection the little nuances she added into the scenes to show Ramsey’s struggle with reintegration brought an unexpected emotion to the story. What I loved about the second half of this book after Ramsey’s release was the tenacity of Thea, how fiercely she fights to keep her promise of not leaving Ramsey alone, despite him wanting nothing to do with her to the point of being incredibly cruel at times.
Seeing the relationships between Ramsey, Nora (his little sister an Thea’s best friend), Thea and Thea’s father evolve over the 22 years the novels spans was written beautifully. The turmoil they all go through and how they deal with it, how they cope with the people they have become as a result of the events of 12 years ago, was a joy to read. Aly’s writing flowed, it was easy to read, it had humour, relatable emotionality and a whole lot of heart. Then you get smacked in the face with yet another major plot twist in the later part of the book and I did not see it coming!
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and read it in one sitting, the characters were incredibly likeable, the story line grabbed me from the start, I loved the witty humour and how much Thea and Ramsey changed throughout but there wasn’t one second I doubted they were meant for each other. An endearing journey full of twists and turns too, I am excited to read more from Aly Martinez’ back catalogue.
Heartbreak is the first word that comes to mind when thinking about Release. Aly Martinez is brutal as she relays the excruciating story of Ramsey and Thea as they navigate their jagged past with an uncomfortable present every painful step of the way. I was immediately entrenched in their journey as these two similarly broken souls form a bond in their younger years, torn apart by the cruelty of one man’s actions and kept apart by Ramsey’s selflessness. As Martinez guides us through the infrequent ups and the more than we sometimes needed downs, it’s truly amazing that in the end, love still finds a way to heal.
I loved Thea’s spirit. Her relentless drive to make sure Ramsey still had his girl, his Sparrow, when he was finally freed from prison. The long 12 years away from the other seemed truly horrible for both of them as neither really moved on and at times I was even more sad for Thea that she didn’t even try to find someone else. Sure, her heart is forever Ramsey’s but surely she could have tested the waters without him since she had no choice than to be on this side of his prison walls. And Ramsey is a man who takes care of his own, something we find out in an unbelievable twist when a jaw-dropping reveal presents itself late in the book. The man has a heart of gold and a stubbornness that made me want to smack him at times all the while hugging him hard. Thankfully we get both Thea and Ramsey’s POVs so we knew their real feelings and thoughts even when they were pretending to protect both themselves and each other from more hurt and disappointment.
Ramsey’s sister Nora and Thea’s dad Joe, were true highlights in this book. They provided reason when the whirlwind that is this love story seemed too overwhelming. Although both held back truths that were very monumental, with Joe truly the secret keeper of the group, they were the backbone to all the madness.
The final chapters of the book felt a bit rushed with a confrontation/reunion of Thea and Nora only told in the 3rd person, whereas I needed the up close and personal version. I felt as if more was needed since they had/have such a strong bond and what they had to say to each other was vital for the reader to experience.
The seemingly never-ending push and pull from Thea and Ramsey is gut-wrenching with emotions all over the place and feelings hurt over and over again. But love does conquer all I’m happy to say with a wonderful epilogue that is both touching and witty.
Martinez doesn’t hold back with this smart standalone and I happily give Release a solid 4 stars!
I always get so excited when I find out Aly Martinez has a new book coming out. I devoured Release, this story consumed me. From page one I knew this was going to be an all nighter and I loved every minute.
Ramsey and Thea were friends at a young age and had knew grief. The connection they had was something everyone looks for. They had a rough journey with lots of twists along the way. Ramsey and Thea haven’t seen each other in twelve years. He was behind bars and when he is finally released Thea is so excited, but he doesn’t come out the same boy she was in love with. You can’t help but pull for them to find their way back to each other.
This book had it, so many feels and the slow burn were perfection. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
Oh my days, the prologue had my lip wobbling so much, I didn’t know whether I could carry on, but alas I did!
What a witty, heartbreaking, emotional story; it literally had all the feels for me. Messaging my book bestie #BookObsessedBrit along the way, I completely agree with her that this played like a movie, it was so easy to read and Aly’s writing is just so captivating; you were there experiencing all the emotions that Ramsey, Thea, Nora (Ramsey little sister and Thea’s best friend) were going through.
I loved the scenes with Thea and Nora, they really were a pillar of strength for each other over the years. Both had lost the one thing that made them happy, kept them safe, they lost a part of “their family”.
One of my other favourite characters was Thea’s dad, again he had to overcome so much and I’m so glad that he did….and then we get a massive “I was not expecting that” scenario what a turnaround, totally unexpected and then again all the emotions come flooding through again.
“It’s you and me. It’s always been you and me. And it will always be you and me.
This is only my second book I’ve read of Aly’s, but I will definitely reading more in 2020.
Wonderful last read of 2019.
Thank you Aly