I wanted to jump.
He made me fall.
As a celebrity, I lived in the public eye, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost myself in the spotlight.
Until he found me.
Sam Rivers was a gorgeous, tattooed stranger who saved my life with nothing more than a simple conversation.
But we were both standing on that bridge for a reason the night we met. The secrets of our pasts brought us together—and then … our pasts brought us together—and then tore us apart.
Could we find a reason to hold on as life constantly pulled us down?
Or maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall in love at rock bottom—up.
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The Fall Up is a lovely read! It’s emotional, sweet and sexy, with a great storyline and wonderful characters which the narrators brought to life perfectly. I loved it!
I read this many years ago, and suddenly decided to pick this up for a reread- well, the audio version of The Fall Up this time around. Lucy Rivers and Aiden Snow did a fantastic job of bringing Aly Martinez’s characters of Levee and Sam to life!
These two characters are so flawed. They met on a bridge- a bridge that they both visited nightly, but for different reasons. Together, they fall for each other and experience the Fall Up.
I loved this book, but the audio just made it even better!
After listening to The Spiral Down I just had to know more about Sam and Levee. Glad I did. The path they took that lead to healing was exceptional. Their journey to love, though it wasn’t easy, was truly a delight to see. There was a lot of heavy stuff dealt with, but it didn’t take away the humor,laughter, and romance. Sam has such a beautiful soul, you can’t help but love him. Levee seems to have the perfect life but that is not the case. They both have some serious issues dealing with and was instrumental in helping each other. The secondary characters were great support as well. Henry especially is the perfect bestfriend. Aiden Snow and Lucy Rivers was perfect portraying the different characters. Both narrations was wonderful. The Fall Up left me with such a wonderful feeling inside, I highly recommend this book.
This is beautiful audiobook about anxiety and suicide – but it is not at all what you expect. It is positive and reassuring, but not unrealistic about the seriousness of these topics. Finding love is often unexpected, but there are other factors making this match extremely complicated. These characters are complex, each with their own demons. Well written with great care given to these difficult topics. I fell in love with self care, healing, owning your limitations, and two people finding each other and healing together. Very sex positive with plenty of steamy scenes with their undeniable chemistry!
Narration is top notch with Aiden Snow and Lucy Rivers delivering excellent performances!! I listened in AE, but would definitely spend a credit on this one!
The Fall Up is a heartfelt, raw, and honest romance about two broken souls who meet at their lowest point and put each other’s pieces back together. Levee and Sam are adorable, funny, and give me hope that romance is still alive. Their sarcasm and banter had me giggling more than once as I watched them fall head over heels in love with each other. The lighter moments were a perfect balance to the heavier moments that dealt with real mental health issues many of people face these days.
I am so happy The Fall Up was my introduction into the amazing writing of Aly Martinez. She has a true talent when it comes to weaving romance stories that will swallow you up and I can’t wait to read more of her books!
I can always depend on Aly Martinez for a thought-provoking, angst-ridden rollercoaster. This did not disappoint.
Firstly how beautiful is this cover! The Fall Up is a great contemporary romance novel from Aly and I really enjoyed it. The characters were easy to relate to even though both remained a bit of a mystery to begin with. The circumstances they met, was unique and immediately grabbed my attention and I wanted to see where the story was going to go, and the motivations behind the actions of the leading characters.
Sam is the Hero, down to earth, creative honest to God hard working guy. A man who has been unlucky in love and unlucky in life. He isn’t at all the typical arrogant, well to do hero, he is a chain smoking, loyal and conscientious guy that you can’t help but love.
Levee the heroine is a young woman, who loves what she does but after life dealt her a blow she never bounced back from she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders and this is taking it’s toll on her mental health.
I loved reading the relationship develop between Levee and Sam both their friendship and their romantic relationship. It’s a delicious slow burn; but one that is totally justified and it explores so much more than you expect it to. Their dependency on each other mirrors the strength they have alone with a fantastic juxtaposition. Another highlight for me was Levee’s best friend Henry, he brought the levity to the book at the perfect moments. I want my own Henry I just adore that man!
The Fall Up explores some sensitive issue for sure, but Aly handles them beautifully. I like novels that tackle mental health issues that so many people suffer with and can relate to, even if the circumstances are different the human element to it is the same no matter who you are or where you come from. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to get a taste on Aly’s work without it being full blown angst.
What a beautiful yet emotional read. A well written storyline about a tough subject matter. The beautiful chemistry between two broken souls, Sam and Levee, and their journey to heal. Another must read by Aly Martinez.
What a great love story. I would never have thought a story could be written about two broken people and it not be over the top in angst or drama but Aly Martinez has written that story in The Fall Up.
This books deals in some serious subject matters, suicide, mental illness and depression. You would think that would mean a sad story but it wasn’t. It was uplifting that two people ended up being the shining light the other was lacking in their lives and gave each other the confidence to face past and current demons and to do what takes to become healthy so they can start their journey to happiness together.
This books was a perfect blend of romance, healing, and laughter with a perfect ending.
Read 2016 ~ My second book by Aly Martinez and still WOW!
Review from 2016: WHAT.DID.I.JUST.READ?!?! …… the most beautiful love story in like….FOR.E.VER. … that’s what I read!! …. I need more words!!!!! *cries*
If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would!! I’ve really come to love Aly’s books and her writing is just so good, you just want more! Loved this story and the romance between Sam and Livee. at some scenes it was hard not to tear up ‘cuz I could relate. A heartfelt amazing loving story! This one is definitely worth the read and it just gives you all you want to read and so much more…
I couldn’t wait to begin The Fall Up and get a taste of Aly Martinez’s writing and this very popular series. Now that I have met and fallen for several of her characters, I am so excited to read The Spiral Down and to meet her at Shameless later on this year! It wasn’t long until I felt like my heart was hanging in a balance over the darkened bridge where Levee and Sam meet or blood was rushing in my ears while they were doing more than just panting and moaning in the bedroom. They kept me twisted in knots throughout their story waiting to see what secret would be revealed next or the next time their desires would burn and ignite.
Levee Williams is lost in her own sea of depression when she meets Sam one faithful night. It soon becomes apparent that he is a beacon of light in her dark world and she can’t help but want to cling to him. I loved how even though Levee was a “popstar princess” she never forgot her roots and is so down to earth that I couldn’t help but admire this spunky heroine who learns how to save herself and not rely on others to do so.
Sam Rivers and his story punctured my heart. Luckily he also has a fine body, huge heart, and a depth to him that a reader can’t help but feel to their very core. He could be my Spider man and save me any day of the week. Then he uses her nickname “designer shoes”, I truly melted and surrendered right along with Levee. Sam is a hero through and through and shows it at every turn in his and Levee’s story.
Aly Martenez delivers a soul baring, heart melting, pulse pounding read. I highly recommend The Fall Up for a love story packed with emotion and heat! I cannot wait to put my feet up and jump back in with The Spiral Down and meet up with my absolute favorite character Henry from The Fall Up and entertain myself with his humor and all his sexiness and fixate on his fascination with turning a straight gay…just for him. Aly has impressed me with her story telling skills and ability to keep me so wrapped up in her story and characters that before I knew it, I was turning to the last page!
Fine
The Webster dictionary defines it as “good, acceptable, or satisfactory,” but based on its societal use, we learn to see fine as anything but – more so said as a way to avoid getting into anything too personal, but clearly indicating that life is not good at the moment and the person who said it doesn’t want to go any further than that even though it’s clear that things are not well.
For Levee Williams and Sam Rivers, those feelings of being fine lead them both to a cross roads in their life, unsure of how to rebuild, refocus, and reenergize when all they feel like doing is succumbing to the pain, the pressure, and the sadness by falling into the darkness.
Great
From an onlooker’s perspective, Levee and Sam’s lives are wonderful. She’s a pop princess with droves of fans and more money than she can spend, and he does something he loves by repurposing furniture and selling it at a high price. But beyond the façade…beyond the smoke and mirrors, are two people who are consumed with sadness and depression…two people who don’t know where to turn in order to feel something besides pain because that’s what’s wrapped around them, refusing to let go and taking them further down in the process.
Can Levee and Sam be each other’s great? Or are they destined to keep plummeting, free falling without any chance of survival?
How does one Fall Up? Well, if everyone had a Sam Rivers in their lives, they would easily understand how it’s done and why Levee never questioned giving in and climbing up. But the way it’s described is not easy, which is clearly illustrated through Levee’s internal conflict and quick reactions as well as her struggle to admit that she needs help.
Aly Martinez does a fantastic job of putting readers inside both Levee and Sam’s heads and forcing us to feel every single emotion and hear every single dark thought. Martinez gives us the insight into Levee’s mind that no one else can see because if they did, they would have stepped in long ago because she is anything but fine, and the only way that Sam can recognize Levee’s pain is because he feels the same way albeit due to different circumstances, but it’s still something that defines him as much as it defines her, and Sam’s recognition and caretaking attributes are the only things that can catch Levee, but she has to be willing to walk back down with Sam, which is a decision that Levee won’t be able to make until she’s ready to admit what’s going on and deal with it head on, and that’s the journey that Aly Martinez takes readers on, and it’s a ride we’ll never forget.
I absolutely loved the message of The Fall Up! Everyone who reads it will definitely feel a connection to what Sam and Levee go through, even if only in small ways. Aly Martinez is such an extremely talented writer because her words mean more than she probably even realizes, which is why she’s one of my favorites!
Can’t wait to see what Aly gives readers next…maybe a book for Henry???
4.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
”I never expected to fall up.”
Sometimes there is a book that gives you a book hangover. This book had some pretty heavy issues going on, but it still made my heart sing, melt and ache all at the same time. I just loved everything about it, including the beer and chicken!
Sam is a tattooed artist by day, but by night he is mentally haunted by loss and guilt.
Losing someone close to me to suicide made me feel the emotion that Sam felt when you ask yourself “what could I have done to stop them” and “If I had just been there more”. These emotions leading Sam to stand on a bridge every night holding blame for something out of his control.
Levee is a pop star by day, but was mentally exhausted and circling the drain by night.
She has her life all decided for her never allowing herself to just be, to just be Levee. Her choice to be on the bridge is very different than Sam.
The bond between these two strangers trying to escape life, reality or the world and brings them together in a way they never saw coming. Soon the trips they take to the bridge looking for a way out becomes their happy place. Through humor, smart ass quips and quirky nicknames, they become each others safety net.
”Or maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall in love at rock bottom—up.”
Even an ordinary person can be someones superhero.
”Once upon a time…I fell in love with Spiderman. #TrueStory”
Good book, good characters, and believable. Just enough drama to keep you reading and believing
I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end!
Well told story that shows the effects of suicide to all involved
If there were 6 stars, I’d choose all 6! LOVED it!!!
LOVED this book. Levee and Sam were easy to love and root for. The story starts at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, where Sam strikes up conversation with Levee to keep her from jumping (which is what he thinks she is there to do). After meeting that way a few times their chemistry is so strong they start a real relationship. All the characters in this book felt so real. There was thing that had me rolling my eyes. I laughed and cried through the ups and downs of their relationship.
Absolutely loved reading this book. Couldn’t put it down and just had to know how it all played out. So well written.