From USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez comes a new standalone second-chance romance.When I was nineteen years old, I was faced with a choice that changed my life.Keep the safety of what I already knew or risk losing everything with the young, hotheaded soldier who stole my heart.I chose the wrong man, and for seventeen years, I paid in tears, blood, and shattered dreams for that decision.… and shattered dreams for that decision.
Now, there’s a man in my house, holding a gun to my head on the order of my ex-husband—given from his prison cell.
That hotheaded soldier I was too afraid to choose? He’s now a six-foot-three wall of muscle who works at the country’s most premier bodyguard agency. I’ve always wanted him, but now, I’ve never needed him more.
It’s the call I’m terrified to make.
I’m sure he still hates me… Even though I’ve never stopped loving him.
more
I became an Aly Martinez fan a while ago, and I always come back to her books because there is something so unique about them. The characters, plot, and the twists and turns continue to surprise me. Thrive fits those characteristics.
This is the second book in the Guardian Protection series, and it follows Jeremy Lark, one of the older members of Guardian, and Mira, a long-lost and complicated former love interest. She finds herself in a very difficult situation and seeks out Jeremy, who is not happy about it, but still feels compelled to help. It turns out that they haven’t quite put things in the past.
One of my favorite things about Aly Martinez’s books is that, while this is the second book in the series, so many of the side characters have made appearances in other series, so in many ways, these characters have familiarity and are like family. I can’t wait for more of these characters- I’m especially anxious for Braydon and Whitney, but seriously can’t wait for Aidan Johnson’s Book- that man has captivated me since Among the Echoes! I can’t wait for more!
Thrive was a riveting, gripping, spellbinding keep you on the edge of your seat read, that will consume you so much that you can’t help but devour each and every word page by page. Lark and Mira’s story is a second chance romance that had angst, anger, forgiveness and a chemistry that was burning up the pages hot! Aly’s words will have you swooning for Lark and Mira’s fierce forever kinda love, so definitely grab this book now!
Jeremy and Mira give a good dose of angst as the scorned lovers fall back into each others lives. Jeremy really wasn’t feeling it at first which was a different spin since typically it is the female left high and dry.
Their second chance also came along with a good amount of drama since Mira has some major baggage following her around and Jeremy is the only guy she knows that can “clean” it up for her.
Aly Martinez always does a great job of giving steam and a good back story to keep the pages flying on by. I love the dynamic of the Guardian Protection Agency as they continue to “Thrive”!!
4 Getting Another Chance to Make the Right Choice Stars!
What another stellar read from Ms. Martinez! Jeremy, Mira and Kurt met when they all were young, impressionable and just a little confused on what love really means. Due to a set of circumstances and words said in anger, all their lives are irreparably changed and a love that was really meant to be died on the vine…..Until seventeen years later when it’s the ultimate second chance.
When Mira finds herself needing Jeremy thanks to her scumbag of an Ex, he’s just not so interested in rekindling their love, but sometimes you just need to give in to the inevitable, even if it’s a risk. I loved everything about these two and this story. All the guys are back from when we met them in Singe, there’s mystery, intrigue, action and a chemistry that still cannot be denied.
I was glued to the pages of this story because it’s that good! I love how Ms. Martinez weaves a story that is both entrancing and exciting. Her characters have such depth and I can’t help myself from falling in love with them. I laughed, shed a few tears, calmed my racing heart and fanned myself.
I’m a HUGE Guardian Protection fan and can’t wait for Consent which is Braydon’s story!!
Thrive by the outstanding author Aly Martinez is the second book in the Guardian Protection Series. Every book is a stand alone. But the books are that great, I recommend to read Singe – Jude and Rhion’s story, too.
Jeremy Lark fell in love with his best friends girl at the age of 23, and now 17 years later he still loves her.
When Mira York, contacts him, he’s more than angry, he’s livid. How dare she , after she let him drop and chose the other man all this time ago. He’s build a life of his own, but never forgot about her.
When these two meet it’s like the worlds greatest explosion. They’re like fire and fuel, they fight like cats and dogs.
I started reading and was hooked from the beginning, Hooked. I read the book in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. I love the writing, the words and the story. I love the characters and how I could feel their emotions in the words.
This story has it all—tension, angst, suspense and heartbreak. I’ve smiled, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried and I was angry at some point. It is not often I feel so connected to the characters, but Aly Martinez has masterfully accomplished just that., I highly recommend Thrive and wish I could give more than 5 stars !!!
Read: 2/16/18
Thrive was Aly Martinez’s second book in her Guardian Protection series. Although part of a series, it could be read as a standalone and still receive full enjoyment.
Jeremy Lark and Mira York had history and it was painful and heartbreaking. They hadn’t seen each other in seventeen years until one day Mira called Jeremy out of desperation. She didn’t want to but she had no one else to turn to and her best friends life was in danger.
Martinez knows how to create a suspenseful and explosive story. Thrive was no exception. It was well written, fast paced, suspenseful, captivating and totally entertaining. It was told with a dual POV and exerts from the past and present until they merged into one.
In the beginning I struggled with Mira. Martinez began with the scene from the past and I despised Mira. She was weak and an idiot. Fast forward to the present and I saw her strength and sass but it took me awhile to warm to her. I did eventually grow with her, but it was definitely a progression. As for Lark, he was sexy, uber alpha and I totally bought into him, especially in his adult years.
Additionally I loved the Guardian family. They were funny, diverse, loyal, sexy and a strong group of supporting cast of characters. Martinez still has several book worthy stories to write in the series but it looks like we’ll get Braydon and Whitney’s story next. We were gifted with a sneak peek and it looks to be another emotional and sexy addition and I can’t wait!
I’ll read anything by Alt Martinez! Great aithor!
Suspense romance
Once again, Aly Martinez has killed me with her writing talent. I absolutely loved this book! Lark and Mira were perfect. Their story was perfect. The side characters were perfect. I could not put this book down!
Never know what Ms. Martinez has up her sleeve. Thrive was a shock to my system. I am a big cranky pants when it comes to the idea of cheating. So it made my insides squirmy to read that that might be where this book was going…Don’t Stop Reading!!!!
I may not condone the behavior but this story needs to be read. As a big fan of the Guardian boys, it is imperative to know all, see all, and be apart of it all.
Thrive was just a piece of the puzzle that surrounds these awesome characters. And as expected, Ms. Martinez has left me on the hook waiting for the next book (even though Thrive isn’t yet live…).
If you like piña coladas and big studly alpha males…
If you like tension, lust, and second chances…
If you like daring saves and getting caught in the…(What if I wanted to say drive by instead of rain…? You sang rain, I know you did.)
Thrive will keep you entertained and thirsty for more. Oh and keep your eyes open for old friends visiting. You never know who will come by.
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
HOLY #Allkindsofgreatness BALLS you guys! Mira is BY FAR one of THE best heroines out there in romance fiction AND the story is perfection!
Okay, so here’s the deal …. This book or rather this story made my heart soar. It was perfectly real and relatable. Life is all about choices. Every moment in your life can be dissected down to a choice. Sometimes your choices lead you down a rocky path and sometimes those choices lead you down a smoothly paved path. Seventeen years ago, Mira York made a choice. A choice that forced Jeremy Lark to make a choice. It was a choice made from insecurity and lack of information. A choice she would almost pay for with her life ….. one could argue she did pay with her life because it cost her almost 20 years of the happiness she deserved. But you’ll have to read the book to figure out those details 🙂
Aly Martinez has yet to disappoint with one of her stories. They are always intense and thought provoking. What you see is not always what you get, so the saying goes. It applies very well to Aly’s style of writing. She layers her characters. She unfolds a story with a sense of anticipation. You may think you have the puzzle all figured out, but think again. I’ve read this story twice in the last three weeks and every time I found something new I didn’t quite catch the first time around.
I wasn’t going to bring this point up but there’s just too much chatter about it for me not to say this. This story is NOT a love triangle. There is a moment in time, a very long time ago, that technically constitutes cheating but that is so far from the focus of this journey it is barely a bleep. So please, if that’s what you think is happening in this book, let me assure you that it is not. Choices were made. Moments in time happened. But please don’t miss the forest for the trees!
Decisions, good or bad, affect the course of your life. Mira York’s choice 17 years earlier set her on a path that ended with her divorced and struggling to make ends meet. Jeremy Lark wanted Mira to pick him those 17 years ago but she didn’t. Switching between past memories and present day, you understand and feel where the two of them are coming from and where they’ve been. Your heart aches at the poor communication, assumptions and bad decisions and it soars when they get it right. Together their banter is hilarious. Jeremy is a total alpha male and Mira is seriously independent but the just fit together. The storytelling pulls you in and keeps you there to the very finish. The writing is phenomenal. Thrive is not only a great second chance romance but its full of suspense too. I can’t wait to see which of the men at Guardian Protection gets their story next
When the girl you are in love with doesn’t choose you she instead stays with your butthead best friend even though he treats her badly and she in love with you.
I wanted to know what would make a girl choose a man who treats her badly over a man who treats her well.
Mira broke Jeremy when she chose Kurt over him, 17 years later she’s in the middle of a shit storm and needs his help. Jeremy can barely stand to hear her name let alone meet her.
She annoyed me a lot in the beginning, the fact she couldn’t understand why he wanted nothing to do with her, showed a lot of naivety on her part. I found her to be bratty and I was unsympathetic with her plight.
As they get reacquainted with each other it was nice to know there was still love there. They were able to put aside their past and try to have a future.
I ended up loving them together.
Book 2 of the Guardian Protection Series
Whew, what a story! I love a good second chance romance, and this had all the elements needed in SPADES!
This is the first book I have read from Aly but it will not be my last!
This is the story of Mira and Jeremy. Their back story was moving and even though most people wouldn’t agree to how they were together back then, I think it was needed to bring the story forward. Something Jeremy says in the beginning really hit me…”I give you the first sip because, when I started doing it, I wanted you more than I’ve wanted anything in my life. And that one damn sip was the only way I could taste you….” Gah! That right there made me melt and fall in love with Jeremy myself! I really loved Mira’s hard fought independence and how she was able to pick herself up and dust herself off after everything, that makes for a strong heroine!
Their reunion was amazing! It was hard, it hurt and it was beautiful. They had to get through their own demons to find each other again and it was so well written, you could feel the anguish and the happiness too.
The secondary characters were so funny and so everything! I wish I could quote some of the best sayings from these characters, but I don’t want to spoil it for you!
I am definitely going to read the first book in this series and will hopefully be able to read the next….I am crossing my fingers that I know who the next one will be about, but I will keep that close to my chest too! Thank you for your words Aly!
~ 4.5 Stars ~
Yet again, I get sucked into the crazy and chaotic world that Aly Martinez creates for us. From start to finish, I was enthralled with Thrive and couldn’t get enough of it. It’s full of angst, some crazy scenarios, good laughs and a beautiful yet chaotic second chance romance.
Jeremy Lark loved Mira York the moment he met her. Problem was, he was his best friend’s girlfriend. Things spiral and in the end, he looses the love of his life. Or so he thought until seventeen years later, she walks back into his life. She leads him on crazy ride but he’s not letting her go a second time and he gives it right back to her. That much is for sure.
“It was reckless and irresponsible. Two words that might as well have been the definition of Jeremy Lark.”
Welp, this surely isn’t your normal sweet second chance romance. Danger towards Mira brings her back into Lark’s life and we get to watch the craziness that unfolds. First and foremost, Lark’s priority is Mira’s safety but watching these two fight and bicker their way back into each other’s hearts was really fun. I thought the storyline was angsty when it needed to be but had the right comedic timing as well.
I really enjoyed the secondary characters as well. Of course, Thrive can be read as a standalone but it was good to get a bit more of Jude and Rhion and of course more of my love, Johnson. I’m going to be talking about him until hopefully I get my hands on his own book.
Thrive is enthralling, chaotic, and dynamic. You don’t want to miss out on this epic second chance romance. Lark and Mira will drive you crazy and melt your heart.
Book 2 in this series follows the romance between Jeremy an Mira who fell in love 17 years earlier, the only problem was that Mira belonged to his best friend. As Jeremy moves on to marry and have a family, Mira gets sucked in to a world full of lies and a loveless marriage until they meet again when Mira finds herself threatened by her ex husband from behind prison bars. The only man she feels that she can trust to help her is Jeremy Lark, now divorced Jeremy doesn’t want to feel anything for Mira and what she did to break his heart all those years ago until he realizes that hes always had them. I really like this book, loved the characters although I did find that their relationship sparked up a little fast after their history. The story line was exciting, filled with drama, action and lots of hot sex. This is a great read and I can’t wait for the next one.
I fell in love with Mira York in the back of that truck, one stolen kiss at a time.
A mixture of immaturity and misunderstanding cause two soulmates to be separated for 17 years. Even though both married someone else, Mira and Lark only loved each other. The “what ifs” and the “missing time” are the hardest to take. Remembering how good together they used to be, brings only pain as they realize all the goodness they’ve missed out on.
17 years ago, Mira was in love with Lark but dating his best friend. When Mira doesn’t choose Lark when it counted, he leaves and they go their separate ways. Her life was filled with hurt, anger, and disappointment, his life may not have been that of his dreams, but once he let go of Mira he freed himself to be with someone else. And from that relationship, he got his twin girls, the light of his life! When trouble finds Mira once more, she needs help. The question is, will the man she pushed away 17 years ago, push her away now?
I read my first Martinez book in May of 2014. Since that time, Aly Martinez has become one of my all-time favorite authors. Her stories are original, often filled with twists. She is crazy talented at making me laugh, gasp and swoon all in the same paragraph. And while Thrive had some of those things, it “read” differently to me and it didn’t produce the same “feels” I’d become accustomed to. This is reflected in my rating, 3.5.
Not every book written is going to ring true with every reader. While Thrive was an okay read for me, many people loved it.
Aly will always be one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to read her next release!
‘Thrive’ is a second chance romance which proves true loves are worth fighting for.
“Technically, you weren’t supposed to fall in love with your best friend’s girl.”
Seventeen years they last saw each other. They didn’t separate on the best terms. Heartbreak is what they both felt. Even though Mira didn’t pick him, she always looked him up online, to see what he was up to, if he was happy. Lark, tried to forgot about her but she was always in the back of his mind. The only way to move on was to hate her. The prologue, which took place in the past didn’t really impact me. If I have to be honest none of the flashbacks did (thankfully there were not many of them. The present time was all I was interested in. When Mira gets herself into a very dangerous situation she doesn’t hesitate and contacts Lark for help. However, Lark doesn’t want anything to do with her. She is someone who broke his heart and wants to leave the past in the past.
“Yea, Mira. I can reel in Mr. Hyde. Though I’m thinking he might have a thing for your bitch.”
It was obvious the reaction she got out of him, that he felt very strongly about her. At that moment it was hate and disbelief that she would contact him after so many years of being apart. They relationship had only lasted six months when she was 19 and he was 23. Lark is now 40 and Mira is 36. I loved that they were in their mid to late thirties. However they had their moments they didn’t act like it, which I surprisingly didn’t mind. I loved their banter so much. Mira had a very colorful personality and Lark really knew how to handle that. They had to warm up to each other, especially Lark. However, when they finally decided they wanted each other, it was beautiful to see that they both went for it.
“Baby, I withered for you. I burned at the stake day after day, knowing he didn’t love you. Knowing you’d chosen him. Knowing there was not one goddamn thing I could do to change your mind. Hating you was the only way I survived.”
I loved how their relationship developed in this book. It was emotional, heartbreaking, sexy, crazy, fun, suspenseful and hilarious at times. Mira drove Lark crazy, but I loved that about her. She made him come alive. These two were explosive together. The seventeen years apart matured them and made them realize what they really wanted in life. When they get a second-chance at love they first hesitated but it didn’t take long for them find each other again. Lark and Mira were so much fun and I really enjoyed this book. The writing was great and I enjoyed the secondary characters and can’t wait to read their books, especially Johnson’s! I also would love for Mateo Rodriguez to get his own book, because he was intense and super sexy.
It’s finally here. I was soooo looking forward to this one and it seemed ages until any kind of information came out about it. I don’t know why it seemed longer since it was around a year which is a typical amount of time between books in a series. Anyway I was really excited for reading this story so I was really happy when I received an early copy.
I only read a couple of books form the author so far but I loved all of them. She has a kind of gripping writing style, I can’t name exactly what so special about it, the way she uses the words, how she structures her sentences, paragraphs but it’s just resonates with me. It’s even more interesting since her style subtly but changes with every story of hers. I just love it she is one of the authors that has the style easiest to read and connect with, at least for me. An interesting tidbit, that happened to get some KA vibes from this book, too.
What is a testament to the brilliance of Aly Martinez that despite my initial dislike toward some of the elements in the book, especially toward the pairing, it didn’t put me off, to the contrary I couldn’t put the book down.
I really loved Singe and I fall in love with the members of the agency even from their brief appearances in the first book. So I’m really glad that they all seem to get their own books. This time it’s time for Lark.
Here is the thing, thanks to the prologue I started the book with a definite dislike towards Mira and it was really hard to ignore thorough the story. However, as the plot progressed and we got to the bottom of things I realized that in the beginning of the story they were young and made a mistake, everybody deserves a second chance. Alas the second chance romance vibes in the book.
Mira was weak and clueless most of her life and it lead her into a lot of trouble. She so desperately wanted to get out her childhood situation that she was willing to scarifies her heart to achieve that. I’m judging her but since I was never in even a remotely similar situation I don’t know how I would have acted in her place. Let’s just agree that she is not my favorite main character.
I really liked Lark , he is protective and a phenomenal father. Yes he also has some demons he needs to work on but in the end everything works out perfectly.
In the beginning of the book we see a lot of anger and arguing from them but it slowly transforms into steamy tension, then companionship.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It once again has the limelight more on the romance than the action and other stuff happening around the characters, but that aspect of the book is plenty exciting and detailed too.
I kind of missed the other guys from the agency because in this book they appear even less and I love the bond between them. Personally I’m most interested in Johnson’s story so it’s kind of typical that his book is going to be the last in the series.
Thrive by Aly Martinez is the second book in her Guardian Protection series. Told in dual POV and can be read as a standalone. Picking up the timeline following the first book, the series is connected and would be better enjoyed reading in order. Also, why not – the books are wonderful.
I loved the first book, Singe, in this series. This second book, Jeremy & Mira’s story, completely blew me away. The angst and heartache as their past came to light. The emotions that Jeremy kept bottled up. The depth of everything that Mira suffered through. The danger and that now surrounds her and the games that people have played with her life, her love and her dreams. And Jeremy… Gah! He is alpha protective even when he is convinced he hates Mira. Normally cool, calm and collected, his reactions to her have his whole team simultaneously in shock at his behavior and entertained by it.
Loved this – it is well-paced and, as to be expected from this author, well-written. Enjoy!