Did you ever hear the joke about the guy whose wife cheated on him with his best friend? So he quit his job, moved into his parents’ basement, and gained fifty pounds? No? Because that wasn’t a joke. It was my life. Four years later, I’m back with a dream job, a killer apartment, and a set of abs that are better than ever.So, when Maggie Light, a stunning, snarky blonde moves in next door, and … blonde moves in next door, and we spend the hottest weekend of our lives together, I think this could be the greatest comeback story ever.
That is until I realize Maggie has moved to town to do one thing—steal my job.
Maybe this isn’t a comeback story after all. Maybe this is war—one I intend to win.
What I never anticipated was that maybe I’d rather win her.
Perhaps, if I’m lucky, the universe has finally run out of jokes and I can somehow win both.
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My heart feels full after reading this book.
It’s just the perfect story to read while in quarantine, it brought light to these unusual times. From the very beginning it had me swooning and laughing and just enjoying my time while turning the pages. I didn’t want it to end because it gave a huge boost to my mood. There’s a lot of banter in the story that will have your cheeks hurting from smiling so much. And it includes a love so sweet that will have your heart aching for more.
Shane and Maggie have the pages burning with their chemistry. It’s undeniable how powerful their connection is and even though they are complete opposites they gravitate towards each other constantly.
Hilarious and sweet.
WHEN THE WALLS COME DOWN is a contemporary, adult, stand alone,erotic romance story line co-authored by M. Mabie and Aly Martinez. This is advertising executives-twenty four year old Maggie Light, and thirty three year old Shane Warren’s story line .
Told from dual first person perspectives (Maggie and Shane) WHEN THE WALLS COME DOWN follows the building romance between advertising executives-twenty four year old Maggie Light, and thirty three year old Shane Warren. Maggie Light is about to start on a new career at Bay Brewing Company in San Francisco, California. Having moved from Georgia just days before, our heroine will meet her new neighbour Shane Warren, and a whirlwind romance will ensue but Maggie never expected to come face to face with Shane on the first day of the job, a job she is apparently taking from our story line hero. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Shane and Maggie, and the potential fall-out as Shane wants something more than Maggie is willing to give.
Shane has worked for his brother in law at the Bay Brewing Company and their Two Ships restaurant, a position in the advertising and promotion department for the past four years but apparently his family believes it is time he moved on, and are forcing Shane to look outside of the company for something else. Our hero is then blindsided when his replacement has already been hired, and said replacement is the woman with whom Shane will fall in love.
The relationship between Shane and Maggie begins as a one—night stand that quickly turns into something more. Maggie is the new girl in town; Shane’s neighbor, and apparently the woman hired to take over his job. His attraction to Maggie is visceral and immediate, yet Maggie is reluctant to commit to anything beyond the present. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters-both Maggie and Shane each have several sibling, nieces and nephews. We are introduced to Shane’s sister Blake, and his brother in law Casey Moore; as well as Maggie’s brother Heath.
WHEN THE WALLS COME DOWN is a romantic comedy; a story of family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is flirty and fun, something I never would have expected from Aly Martinez as she has written many dark and dramatic stories of love and loss; the romance is sweet and seductive; the characters are energetic, fun and realistic.
I loved this book. The writing was smooth and it flowed well. It did not feel like two different authors wrote it. Shane and Maggie has amazing chemistry. I loved the banter between them. I adored Shane and eventually fell in love with him. I really liked Maggie. Despite her issues, she was still a fun character. There were a few heartbreaking moments, but there was plenty of humor and overall, this was a relatively light read.
I eagerly await for anything Aly Martinez writes. She can write a sentence on cardboard and I’d still buy it! That being said, this was not one of my favorites. I think it fell a bit short on the comedy portion. Maggie’s character was a little immature but I loved her relationship with her siblings. I wasn’t a huge fan of Shane. I felt like his character was under developed and shallow. Three stars for the side characters that were revisited: Heath, Blake, Carley!
PS… I am eagerly awaiting her next book!
Such a wonderful story. A real change of pace for Aly and my first from M. I really enjoyed the growth of both Shane and Maggie.
Holy smoking-peachy-balls of hilarious, feel good fire!
This story deserves a spot on my top RomCom ever and top reads list of 2020. YES! It’s that awesome.
The banter in Maggie and Shane’s story is clever and witty. I never wanted it to end- EVER. Guaranteed to make you laugh, put hundreds of smiles on your face, and swoon for days in your heart.
Shane Warren is simply one of the most endearing male character’s I’ve had the pleasure to know. It helps that he’s extremely hot and has a fantastic backside. I’m overlooking his fear of heights because no one is perfect.
When co workers competing for the same job agree to put their newly found, steamy, match made in heaven relationship in the friend zone, I screamed NO.
The pages flew by as I laughed, cried, and sighed with and for this amazing couple. When the Walls Come Down was created by a new author duo powerhouse who are amazing in their own personal writing worlds. My goodness, this seamlessly written story is begging for more stories about Maggie and Shane’s family members. One can only hope!
I highly recommend this book for everyone who needs a lot of warm and fuzzy romance and steam laced with pranks, giggles, and love.
Did you ever hear the joke about the guy whose wife cheated on him with his best friend? So he quit his job, moved into his parents’ basement, and gained fifty pounds?
No? Because that wasn’t a joke. It was my life.
Four years later, I’m back with a dream job, a killer apartment, and a set of abs that are better than ever.
So, when Maggie Light, a stunning, snarky blonde moves in next door, and we spend the hottest weekend of our lives together, I think this could be the greatest comeback story ever.
That is until I realize Maggie has moved to town to do one thing—steal my job.
Maybe this isn’t a comeback story after all. Maybe this is war—one I intend to win.
What I never anticipated was that maybe I’d rather win her.
Perhaps, if I’m lucky, the universe has finally run out of jokes and I can somehow win both.
Freaking loved Maggie and Shane’s story. Flawlessly written and heartfelt. The story flowed beautifully and loved every page. Their chemistry was off the charts hot, banter was hilarious. A must read!
I am so in love with this story! M. Mabie and Aly Martinez knocked this story out of the park! Everything about this book is perfect! The banter was awesome, the chemistry was off the charts and the storyline just flowed! I loved watching Shane and Maggie fall in love! FIVE STARS!!!
4.5-4.75 STARS
When it comes to romance novels, I always “one-click” Aly Martinez’s books before ever reading the premise of her latest release. The reason for this is simple… she never fails to deliver the goods! But M. Mabie is a brand new author for me, so I had no idea what to expect when I delved between the pages of “When the Walls Come Down”–a collaborative venture between the two. Pushing any trepidation aside, I dove in with eager anticipation. And the bottom line? This creative pair hit a home run the first time up at bat. Because the resulting product of their collective effort is nothing short of magic!!
As a spectator to Shane and Maggie’s burgeoning romance, I experienced the full gamut of essential feels. Their story is sexy, fun, charming and witty, with just a smidgen of angst sprinkled throughout. Typically, too much or unnecessary angst will find me heading for the hills. But “When the Walls Come Down” is a perfect example of how to do it right. It’s also a fresh new take on an existing premise I’ve seen play out one too many times.
For these reasons and more, I fell head-over-heels in love with Shane and Maggie’s heart-felt story. A huge win for me, because along the way, I’ve found myself another “go to author” to add to my discriminating list.
When The Walls Come Down is a collaboration that I’ve been waiting on for a long time and M. Mabie and Aly Martinez nailed it!! It was refreshing, delightful and Shane and Maggie really made my heart soar. Shane was a great guy with a fantastic, smart personality and Maggie with her mouthy and sassy attitude had no problem putting him in his place. I loved the dynamic between these two as it was charming and endearing. Their clever banter was awesome and hilarious and when they gave into their undeniable attraction, they were on fire!!
I was so excited to see characters from M. Mabie and Al Martinez’s previous books make appearances as it was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I definitely hope to read more collaborations from these two authors considering When The Walls Come Down is now one of my favorite books.
Aly and M. Mabie knocked this rom/com out of the park! They worked magic together with their fun quick witted hilarious banter, smart well developed swoon worthy characters, emotional heartwarming and heartbreaking situations and pages filled lust and love.
Shane and Maggie had a bumpy road ahead of them but you couldn’t help but root for them to get the HEA they very much deserved! They were both quirky and endearing and an absolute perfect match for one another. They fit like two pieces of a puzzle despite them battling for the same position and the nine year age difference between them which might I add I love age gaps in a book!! It was also wonderful to read about well loved characters (Casey and Blake) from Bait, Sail and Anchor by M. Mabie.
This is a book that is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face and a mark on your heart. A must read, unforgettable story that you will not be able to put down.
This was a fun book to read, lots of wit and banter between the characters help keep it light and airy even though some of the topics have a heavy nature. It is never easy to move on to the next adventure in life but Shane and Maggie will put some smiles on your face as they walk you through this one. Great character chemistry.
Shane’s meddling family and employer are giving him a not so settle shove on this adventure. After him working for them for the past 4 years, they have hired his replacement. Pushing him to take that step and start his own business that he has talked about for years. Pushing him to get out more and live a little.
Maggie is just starting out but needed a bit of a push to do so. What better way to put yourself out there, move across the country so you don’t have those same easy go to’s. Forced to find a new normal Maggie takes a walk around the new neighborhood. When this crazy man approaches her at the bar. Little did she know that man would change everything for her.
If your looking for a fun rom-com type book give this one a shot. Hoping this will be a beginning of more to come from this duo.
**** Advanced copy provided in exchange for a honest review. ***
I haven’t ever read a book by M Mabie, but I have to say that I am a fan now… Aly Martinez I can one-click a book of hers without knowing what the book is about. These two authors combined was amazing.
From the first page I started this book, it was good. It was funny, sweet, and kept me on my toes the whole way through.
After being told that he needs to get a life and stop being so predictable and broaden his horizens Shane does just that. What does he have to loose. He is being told to move on from his job and find new things to keep him busy. He walks up to Maggie and introduces himself. Maggie is new to Town and doesn’t know him and he might never see her again. But from the first time they talked he was hooked. She was funny, and quirky and kept him guessing the whole time. The same for Maggie she was hooked to this small talking, definitely have no game guy who kept her laughing and forgetting she left her whole life behind to start a new adventure.
Things might have gone a bit downhill when Monday morning came and Shane found out that Maggie was the one who was getting his job. Shane had no intention of leaving his job… Even though both of them wanted the job. But would they want the job and maybe loose a shot of happiness.
Shane was such a hoot, I lol a lot of times when he met Maggie and was trying to get her number. After he found his wife cheating you would think he was bitter and resentful towards women, but he was funny, sexy, sweet and definitely caught Maggie with that charm of his. Maggie was a bit uncertain sometimes but Shane made her feel comfortable and the attraction between them was so cute to witness. I loved it I would so read this book again and love it all over again.
This!! This was everything!!! Not only was it written by two of my favorite authors, M. Mabie & Aly Martinez (and if you haven’t read anything by them, you must go read all the books!) but it had characters I loved! Old and new. You’ve got Maggie, who is moving across the country from Atlanta to San Francisco for a new job opportunity, new life, new possibilities. Shane, the boss’s brother in law, loves his job, finds out they’re going to replace him. These two people have a chance meeting on a Friday night, that starts out awkward, that leads to an amazing weekend. When Monday rolls around though, everything changes. I can’t tell you how much I loved these two together, but I’ll give it a whirl. They were so much fun, with their contest snark & sarcasm back & forth, Shane’s complete sweetness, the way they totally fall for each other, even when they try not to. There were even tears shed. There were just sooo many feels!!! This was just such a perfect book!!!
Ok first off Aly and Mo …….sign me up !!!!!
Secondly I get to hear about two of my favourite characters from years ago Casey and Blake. This is the story of Blake’s brother Shane who we met in Bait and Sail. Poor Shane and his divorce and his rough go at moving on. His loving sister and husband give him a job which he excels at but his life is at a stand still. Since they both are so happy they want Shane to find his great love for life and be happy. …… Ergo, it’s time for you to move on Shane find a new job start fresh, find love……..enter Maggie. Who not only catches his eye but also his job. Lol Things are about to get sticky…
The two are off to a bumpy start but the chemistry, the banter it’s there. They are both a little on the awkward side but you cant help but want to see them happy together. Nothing I love more than an age gap so I was head over heels with this one.
Mo and Aly give us laughs, love, all the feels for the perfect rom/com. This was just what I needed. Mo and Aly completely entertained me.
When two incredible authors collaborate to write together you know it’s gonna be good and this story definitely served up a delicious piece of romance.
When Maggie gets the job of her dreams she puts on her big girl pants and moves away from her family and friends to begin her new life. Family means everything to her, especially after losing her parents when she was young. Her oldest brother Heath has been her most significant person since then and he is fiercely protective of Maggie but proud that she is taking this huge step.
‘So yeah, it was terrifying moving to a new city, twenty-five hundred miles away from the only home I’d ever known, but to me, regrets were far heavier than fear.’
Maggie wants to start as she means to go on so instead of staying home her first night she puts on her glad rags and hits the nearest bar. This is where she meets Shane. At first she doesn’t really want to talk to him and he is so awkward in his approach to her. However, she soon sees that he is a sweet, harmless guy who may have been a bit nervous to even talk to her in the first place.
Shane was in a rut, after a marriage break up he went through a bit of a ‘life crisis’ which consisted of living in a basement, eating his feelings and hiding away from the world. After his sister and brother in law threw him a career lifeline, he was able to pull himself out of the rut. He now has a really successful job working for them, a defined six pack and lives in a great apartment. Life is better than he could’ve imagined. And then he gets fired. Wait… what?
Shane needs to absorb this news and a few drinks are in order while he mulls over what this means for his future. He never expected to meet someone that night but when he lays eyes on Maggie, he can’t seem to walk away from her. What follows is one of the most memorable nights of his life. He has never felt so comfortable and connected like he does with Maggie Peach Light Gray Italian – this name will make sense when you read this story 🙂
‘Somehow, in just a day, Maggie Peach Light Gray Italian had chipped away at a piece of the wall I’d built inside myself. Made of regret and held together by fear, the damn thing didn’t stand a chance against this petite, vivacious, and gorgeous woman.’
It would be fair to say that nothing could have prepared Shane for seeing Maggie in his office building on Monday, she is the person replacing him, not only that, they are being pitted against each other for the job. Maggie feels so conflicted about what should be a really exciting and happy time in her life. After spending most of the weekend with Shane and feeling so incredibly connected to him this feels like someone is pranking her.
‘He needed that job as much as I did. It was my escape. But it was his refuge. It was an impossible situation.’
Putting what has started between them on hold so they can focus on work proves to be harder than they thought. Maggie can’t see any way out of this ending badly for both of them – a metaphorical wall dividing them from pursuing happiness together. Maggie and James are going to have to dig deep to overcome their fears and find the sweet spot they so deserve.
I loved this story filled with so many laugh out loud and swoony moments. I also loved the lilac flowers, orange tics tacs, knee pads and shoulder kisses.
Oh my gosh these two authors had me laughing and practically biting my nails to see how it was going to turn out.
Maggie leaves everything behind to start a new job across the country. She wants more than what her mom had. Her sister talks her into going out for a night out before she starts her new job. So she does and meets Shane who just got the horrible news that he’s going to pushed out of his job in about a month. He needs to find a life outside of work.
He sees Maggie and he likes what he sees, when he goes to talk to her I about spit my drink out because he just bumbles with his words all over the place. Literally kind of cringe worthy! Even with that being said, they hit it off and spent the weekend on dates.
When they get to work imagine their surprise when they realize that Maggie is actually their for his job. These two have such chemistry, I love their back and forth banter, I love watching their relationship and trying to figure out how they’re going to make it work.
I hope to see more from these two authors co-writing.
Two of my favourite authors doing a collaboration what could be better. Rom coms aren’t my first pick but I really enjoyed this one. I loved Maggie and Shane and their connections to charcacters from both authors previous books It was an emotional love story about finding love when you least expect to. It was a well written story that had me laughing and crying . Despite looking hard I could not decipher who had written which part.
***4 ‘Cardigan’ Stars***
This book hooked me because of all the awkwardness going on.
It did. It’s not something I ever thought I’d say, but there it is. It was also sweet, smexy, swoon worthy and filled with a lot of heart.
I loved Shane and Maggie. Shane is stuck, though in his head he is exactly where he feels he should be in his life, even if that life revolves mostly around work. He’s sweet, quick witted ~ even if that witt is sometimes awkward and despite his insecurities, isn’t afraid to be himself. Maggie is sweet, snarky and focused. She is determined to be more than her parents and check off everything on her very extensive bucket list, but sometimes that list blinds her to what living really means.
Shane and Maggie’s journey to their HEA was definitely an enjoyable one. The connection between them was undeniable and the bantering between them was all kinds of fun, awkward and snark filled goodness and the smexy times were hawt! Things do move quickly between them in some respects, but it worked. As for the bumps in their road, the job thing wasn’t a surprise, but I liked how it actually brought them closer instead of truly tearing them apart, and then the one that kinds pops up towards the end was and wasn’t a surprise, but I felt that it was something that needed to happen and I loved how (with some outside help) it all got resolved.
This was a fun read filled with characters I wanted to hug and Gibbs smack all at the same time. While I’ve read one of the authors before, the other was new to me and I found that the writing was seamlessly done, the pacing good and I really enjoyed the dual 1st person POV’s and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this duo in the future. As for the secondary cast of characters, they were a hoot ~ some I did want to shake at times ~ but overall loved Heath, Casey, Heath and Reggie and wouldn’t mind catching up with all of them at some point down the road.
~ Copy provided by SBPR & voluntarily reviewed ~
This book is completely different to the type of book I normally read from Aly Martinez but it was so good! This was the first book I have read from M Mabie and I really enjoyed this co-write from these two.
This was a entertaining read filled with witt and humour. It was the perfect light-hearted read considering what is going on in the world. once I started I was engrossed from beginning to end.
I loved the main characters Maggie and Shane. Their banter was completely amusing to watch. They were perfect together they just have to get over the hurdles placed in front of them but I was rooting for them from beginning to end.
I am hoping this talented duo bring us some more co-writes and I will be checking out M Mabie’s books.