When I was fifteen, a single bullet changed my life. I spent the next decade trying to outrun the devastation of my past, building an empire that would shield me from whatever life could throw at me.But all the money in the world couldn’t help me when I found a screaming newborn abandoned on my doorstep.I’d never wanted to be a father. Passing the sludge that ran through my veins down to an … veins down to an innocent child seemed like a tragedy. But there she was—pink cheeks, red hair, and mine.
Somehow, against all logic, that little girl became the best thing that ever happened to me. It was impossible to stay lost in the past when I was the only one who could protect her future.
Which is exactly why, when her mother came back four years later, I was ready for battle.
If only I could stop myself from falling in love with her during the war.
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FULL REVIEW available on my book blog (Kali’s Book Reviews)!
After the tense cliffhanger of Book 1, we rejoin our beloved cast of characters, whose peaceful co-existence is about to come to an abrupt end and the imminent war brewing will leave few survivors in its wake. Trent’s revelation at the end of Book 1 has thrown a wrench in Hadley’s plan to reveal the truth to Caven, a man who is the father to her daughter and now the man who owns her heart. Now, she’s faced with losing both the little redheaded girl she’s so crazy about and the man who drives her wild with desire. But, what if the secrets she’s kept are not all her own? And what will Caven do when he realizes the girl he’s fallen for isn’t a random one-night stand? Strap yourself in and enjoy the thrilling ride that is the exciting conclusion to the Regret Duet 😉
So, how did the series end for me? 6/5 stars improper fraction award! This duet as a whole was simply incredible, but this book absolutely stole my breath! I loooooooooooooooooooved the inclusion of romantic suspense (my favorite subgenre of romance!). As with the first book, it has EVERYTHING you could want in a romance: slow burn, second chance romance, secret baby, angst, betrayal, hilarious moments, and moments that demand your tears as payment for experiencing However, there is EVEN MORE packed into this one! Family secrets, twists that you NEVER see coming, and a lot of character development that is so rich and so decadent. I truly savored each and every bite of this creative plot cupcake with delicious fiction frosting, sprinkles of suspense, and a little Rosalee cherry on top. Muah!
Kudos to Miss Aly who has captivated me and made a fan of hers for life! <3
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC for an honest review <3 Aly Martinez
I loved this book! It was the best ending to the duet. So many secrets were revealed and uncovered. That big twist was something I wasn’t expecting.
Written With You is the epic conclusion to “The Regret Duet” by Aly Maritnez, and what a epic ending it was! Aly has a way of keeping you drawn into her books. I didn’t have any expectations because this was my first read from Aly, but she far surpassed anything expectation that I could have ever had.
The book picks up exactly where Written With Regret leaves off. The story is full of action scenes and more love than I thought it could. But there’s also some HUGE plot twist that I NEVER saw coming. I thought I had the ending all picked out. WRONG! So wrong! I figured that the plot twist from the first book would’ve carried over into this one. But nope, Aly had more tricks up her sleeve.
And if for anything that reason alone. You SHOULD read this duet!
Both Caven and Willow are deeply hurt and troubled people but they had made it through the ordeal that saved them both in the end. But do they thrive together now or let past mistakes rule their future? Caven has to be one of the best book boyfriends out there.
I have to share a few quotes with you, just so you get an idea of where these two are and why you SHOULD read this duet!
“Our relationship was born in a tragedy, but I had faith we could flourish in the fortune of the seconds on the other side”
“I have loved since I was a kid, but back then, it was something different. You were almost this fictional character in my head-a white knight who saved me. And there were so many times I leaned on the memories of this hero-.”
“I didn’t deserve her. And our lives, as twisted and tangled as they were, would never be easy. But she was mine. They were mine. The rest would fall into place.”
“I love you, Willow. In this second and all the ones to come.”
The queen of duets strikes again with another stunning series that’s left me wondering whether I need medical intervention for the racing of my heart that won’t seem to slow down!
After the cliffhanger of book one I really thought I had everything under control, I knew what was happening it was heartbreaking but I thought surely the recovery will be worth it!
But how freaking wrong was I!!! Aly the twisted Martinez threw me a whole new world of questions, twisted my heart up and ripped it to shreds, Stole my faith in love and then slowly fed it back to me only to steal it all over again while stamping my soul firmly into the ground. I cried so much reading this book but to tell you anything would be taking away your experience with this story and thats one things you can only experience in the pages of this story!
A remarkable duet but with Aly Martinez I’ve come to expect nothing else she truly is outstanding at keeping us on the very edge, dangling us little pieces to keep us enthralled only to blow our minds and the epilogue was exactly what I needed to find my way back from this incredible world I became completely submerged in!
I loved this duet. The plot twist was amazing. I did not see that coming. It’s full of emotion. This is one of my favorite books by Aly.
I’m writing this with actual tears streaming down my face.
I think genuinely laughed after finishing this book because I was imagining other people reading it and it ruining their life like it ruined mine. There was definitely some pleasure there. I’m crying now, because I can’t believe it’s done and I never wanted it to end.
I do not understand how Aly comes up with this stuff because her stories always leave me in awe and wondering what I did right in life to get to experience such brilliance. I will never be over this book because HOLY MOTHER!
I was not prepared for even one word of this book. And I already did not read the blurb as I wanted to go in blind. BEST DECISION I MADE. Even if my anxiety was through the roof, I was so excited and on board for whatever was happening. ALy kept throwing twist after twist and I was here begging like GIMME MORE!!!
I know I am being utterly vague about everything but I don’t want to give out spoilers and ruin the fun for anyway at the same time it’s so hard to talk about this book without wanting to scream every little detail about it.
At this time my life is the wait I have to endure between two Aly Martinez books and I am totally okay with that.
Aly Martinez does not disappoint! This was one the best duets I have read. It is also my top 2019 read. Everything about this duet was perfect and I did not want it to end ever. This is a must read!
Written with You is the second book in the Regret Duet. When I finished the first book it had a ending I didn’t see coming, and now everyone is has to work out the consequences. I loved reading the conclusion of Caven and Hadley’s story a nd look forward to reading more from this author.
“I couldn’t tell him his guardian angel was dead.
I couldn’t hurt him more than Malcom already had.
But I had no idea how I would ever tell him the truth.”
This duet BLEW MY MIND!
Seriously, folks, it’s been quite some time since I’ve felt like a story became part of my existence, and this one totally did that. This story was complex, filled with some real and deep emotions, but also gave us a sliver of hope in every moment of darkness. I felt like there was a realness to this story that was something special and unique.
At the end of Written with Regret, we were left dangling on a ledge. If you read the first half of the duet, you may have been clinging for dear life waiting on that cliff as well. I had so many questions! I mean, I knew a lot of the information, but it seemed like maybe there was an angle I didn’t consider and that danger lurked in the future.
First off, let me apologize to Ian. I was not his biggest fan at the end of Written with Regret, but he is the BOMB. I love him so much! He is witty, loyal, stubborn in all the good ways, but completely open to change when presented with enough information. “…And I needed to know how much clothes to pack if I was going to temporarily move in as an emotional support dog. After reading this shit, I scheduled my U-Haul for tomorrow.” Then, later, when he stands up for someone I never expected him to … that is a man I would love to have on my side in any situation.
Okay, so let’s get to the beginning this story – I was worried.
There was so much that could go wrong and I was hurting for Hadley & Willow. “I don’t care if you did this for me or not. She looks like my mom. Laughs like my dad. And argues like my mother. For however long you stay tonight, and any other night in the future, my family will be alive again. This is truly the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. And I will never stop thanking you for that, regardless if you want me to or not.” HEART.BROKEN. No matter the reasons that things happened or how much I despise lying, I could fully sympathize with the reasons and the desperation that led to her choices.
At each turn of the page there were clues being dropped – some helpful and some not so much. I think my brain did somersaults attempting to piece together this puzzle before I could be surprised. I was doing fairly well, until I got hit out of nowhere with some new information that blindsided me! I had some nagging suspicions, but there was no way that could be right … no way.
My friends, this story was just … a breath of fresh air for me. It gave me everything I wanted, surprised me, and there wasn’t a moment that I was bored. The characters were real, flawed, raw, and beautiful. The story itself was unique and gave a distinct perspective that I haven’t experienced. Love. Love. Love.
“But if I could wish anything, it would be that we were strangers so we could have something real that wasn’t tainted.”
4.5 Stars
I had to sit on my review for Written with You for a little bit, because I was so devastated at the end of Written with Regret and once I read this novel I knew if I came in here and reviewed right away I’d give it all away. Aly Martinez has once again created a duet that you must devour the minute you get your hands on them. The Regret Duet are the sort of books you have to read like you have to breath air. The character’s stories are heartbreaking and captivating, there is no way to just treat Caven and Hadley like they’re book characters, because they come to life on the pages. Their history isn’t neat and simple, nothing about these two is, but this angsty duet brings the two together on a journey to face their nightmares and create a new future.
“Because life isn’t lived as a whole. You aren’t given a hundred years all at once. Time is doled out one very manageable second at a time.”
Written with You tackles everything you wondered about after that ginormous cliff we all jumped off of. It isn’t necessarily a soft landing, it is Aly Martinez after all, but there is a backstory, that one we all needed, which softens the blow. The truth is revealed and alongside the characters we learn how to forgive, to move forward, to uncover the hopes and dreams piled under fears and worries. These characters are just so amazing, I still am so in love with little Rosie, and I am in awe of the hope that Aly Martinez put into the words in this book. She has perfectly captured that desperate desire to live, while also giving her characters realistic struggles. These characters tackle such difficult things, situations that readers from all walks can relate to, and even in the darkness, even in the trying times, this book has a light shining from it. I laughed, I cried, I thought I went into shock a time or two.
“Because love is an impossible game. Especially when only one person knows the rules.”
Written with You, the final novel in The Regret Duet, is unpredictable, angsty, suspenseful, the kind of romance you didn’t know you were looking for. The Regret Duet is the sort of read you don’t forget about, the kind of books that will shock you with something new with each reread. Full of twists and profound words, The Regret Duet, is a must read from Aly Martinez.
The conclusion of the Regret Duet picks up from where the previous book ended and if you thought that Written With Regret blew your mind, you’ve no idea what you’re in for with Written With You.
This is going to be a vague review. There’s so many unexpected twists that I can’t go into many details without giving something away. This book just throws twists and surprises at you constantly, there’s so many secrets that have been kept and lies that have been told that I didn’t know how this book was going to end. I’ve been a massive fan of Aly Martinez’s writing for years and yet again she shows the talent she’s got for writing, not only a book with so many plot twists that you don’t know which way is up, but one where the emotion bleeds from the pages and you can feel everything the characters are feeling. The characters were extremely easy to love, even the times when i wasn’t sure I liked them I still loved them, and it was all too easy to imagine how it would feel to be in their positions.
This is a brilliant, angsty duet that I highly recommend you read.
Please Dont read this review if you haven’t read the first book…
Aly Martinez I did not in anyway see any of these things coming. The first book was a mind fuck and so was this one. Lady you know how to weave the perfect tales.
This book continues right from where Trent confronted Hadley by the way I DID NOT SEE THAT FUCKING COMING.
OMFG I WAS FLABBERGASTED.
Truths were coming out, skeletons were rattling in closets and boy where they fucking rattling. I wanted to push them back in and bolt those fuckers up. My heart was in my palm. It was shattering and breaking gor these two.
Their pasts just refused to let them be happy, it refused for them to just be. Every turn took them back to places they shouldn’t be. Everything was a lie and all they had were each other. They deserved happiness dammit. Rosie Posie definitely deserved a happy and normal family.
Read this duet ladies I promise you that there wont be a moment you are bored. You won’t see any of it coming so just sit TIGHT and it will all be ok.
Enjoy!!!!
Unbelievably amazing and compelling storytelling…another unforgettable duet by Aly Martinez!
After the jaw dropping cliffhanger at the end of Written With Regret, I was beyond eager to continue the story. This book starts off by giving us some back story with a flashback scene, and wow, the angst literally hurt to read!
Their relationship started in tragedy, but they needed to find a way to get rid of all the baggage that accompanied their history. So many secrets and lies and all the consequences of those actions took centre stage and the resulting heartbreak was agonizing. Ghosts from the past, unpredictable twists and turns, mystery, and suspense had me on the edge of my seat, not allowing me to take a deep breath until almost the end.
Aly definitely knows how to write a must read duet…adding to my top 2019 reads list!
What a ride!
Ahhhhhhh I can’t believe Written with You it’s finally here, after Written with Regret’s ending I was DYING to know what happened next, I spent days trying to unravel the plot, looking for clues that may lead me to the truth hidden in between some of those pages but I could have never imagined what really went down in the second book of this amazing duet.
While turning the pages, I was shocked over and over again by some of the revelations the characters made about their past. The building of this story is so intricate, it’s unpredictable, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, the story consumed my mind and soul, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This one is truly a roller coaster ride. The suspense and the intrigue will keep you at the edge of your seat, waiting for the next turning point, and while you do that, the characters will show you once again the beauty of their souls and their love.
A fantastic, addictive and intricate work of art.
YOU 5 gold stars
Aly Martinez has been one of my top favorite authors since forever. And she has DONE IT AGAIN! Her stories have always been able to draw out the raw and pure emotions out into the open. She loves, loves pushing her characters and us to feeelll, everything. I kid you not my eyes were sweating pretty heavily as soon as I started Written with You!
The conclusion to The Regret Duet starts off where were left off in Written with Regret. I was left reeling from the BIG reveal by Caven’s brother. Was it possible? Could it be really true? I just could not wrap my head around it. However, WE, do things when our families are involved. We WILL go the extra distance for our loved ones. WE WILL FACE THE BEAST TO SLAY DRAGONS FROM OUR CHILDREN!
I cried. I legit cried cos I was invested in their lives. I was living and feeling their pain. What transpired all those years ago, has left both our hero and heroine changed. They lived with that agony, their lives were shaped with the fateful day in the mall. Their souls were intertwined. But will they survive this new plot twist.
I devoured this story in one sitting, I just could not wait to find out. And then I was hit ‘again’ by a 2-by-4. Thank you, Aly Martinez! CAVEN! Oh Caven! He broke my heart into pieces as I read along, his struggles, his thoughts about the day and the truth about that day just left me broken. I wanted to take away everything, give him peace. And then he finds out what his brother already knew. His already stumbly world tilted on its axis.
Hadley! She was in so much pain, so much hatred bubbled up from within. God, it was so painful to read her thoughts. I cried. And I laughed at the message she left for Caven. It was really hard to see Rosie’s mom desperately try to glue back the pieces that were shattered. Her unfailing love for her baby and Caven, and her truth that made her always do the right thing. She jumps through all the hoops and twists and turns that Caven wanted her to. She never stopped.
As we neared the end, I held my breath. This couldn’t be the way it was gonna end, right? It just couldn’t! And then Caven fights with his brother about the woman in his life. The woman of his dreams. His brother just did not understand their connection, or did he!
I almost dropped my kindle when Hadley’s true intention comes to light. Will Caven and Rosie’s mom really be able to survive this new curve in the road to a life of HEA.
This was possibly the hardest review to write and I have not done it justice. It’s hard not to talk about things without revealing everything. But I tried. Please, please, read this duet. Because it will bring you to your knees, it will fill your heart and leave you changed forever.
What was Aly Martinez thinking while writing this epic duet? Because I am not sure I am going to get over this book hangover. My heart almost didn’t survive this gripping, heart-stopping and exhilarating tale of second chance love.
Aly Martinez left me in a complete mess with the biggest cliffhanger ever. And that twist in plot is going to get even more complicated here. I am not even sure how to avoid the spoilers!Caven Hunt wants nothing more than to protect his life line aka his daughter Rosalee from every little pain and harm. Her mother Hadley has come back after years and even after trying hard he is falling for her. But what if everything he knows is a fraud? What if he is risking everything he has and setting up for losing everything he knew so far in his life? Or will the secret will finally give him the closure he has wanted so many years? Aly Martinez weaves a riveting tale of forgiveness, trauma , survival and resurrection in Written With You.
Some relations are bound by fate. Sometimes the most traumatic event in life can bind people together. Something that happened between Caven and the little girl he saved in the mass shooting in the shopping mall years back. That little girl is actually his salvation. And he doesn’t want to let her go again. But truth is so much complex with impossibilities. The story line is absolutely brilliant. She kept me hooked to every word and I stopped breathing way too many times. The raw , provocative and intriguing interplay of emotions between Caven and Rosalee’s mother was something else. This man has won me over completely. This ridiculously attractive and unbelievably protective man is everything. And the woman of the story is amazing. She is so caring,kind, compassionate and above all a beautiful soul.The chemistry was nurtured with their mutual respect and trust and desperate need. Their love is like oxygen for them, absolutely necessary to survive. And I could feel that deep in my heart. The story will throw unexpected challenges and dizzying turns on your way. But the torture was so worth it. Every tear, every curse, every pain, every panic attack and every smile was worth it.
Written With You by Aly Martinez is undoubtedly one of the best contemporary romance of 2019. The angsty, enthralling, mind-bending and fascinating story of broken yet beautifully strong souls has captured my soul completely. I am a sobbing and blabbering mess of unbelievably intense emotions.
Received ARC for Honest Review
I was crazy anxious to get my hands on this book after the way the first book ended. And this did not disappoint. Just when I thought I knew how things would go Ms. Martinez kept me on edge. I loved how this story was never predictable and until the very end I was completely hooked. I can now say that Aly Martinez is absolutely a one click author for me. I need ALL her words. This is ABSOLUTELY a must read!!!
Written With You was the phenomenal and unforgettable conclusion to the Regret duet and a captivating pageturner. I mistakenly thought the biggest shock would be the cliffhanger from the first book but just as I thought I had figured out how everything would play out an unexpected twist sent that all spinning. I loved the intense, angsty, twisted and emotional ride this book took me on.
Both Caven and Hadley continued to draw me into their story and kept me completely invested. I couldn’t get through each chapter quick enough. For me the journey a book takes me on is the part I enjoy the most and Written With You took me on a truly unforgettable one. My heart broke, I cried, laughed, ranted, and dropped my jaw several times all while being held captivated until the last page.
Written With You ran my emotions through the gauntlet. There was pain, heartbreak, forgiveness, healing and a truly beautiful love threaded though every page of this book. My poor heart didn’t know what was in store when I cracked Written With You open but I enjoyed every emotion-filled moment. This stunning conclusion gave me I was hoping for and more.
WOW!!! Once again Aly Martinez has BLOWN ME AWAY!!! Written with You is the conclusion of the Regret Duet, and I just can not express my love for this duet!!
I devoured this book!! I literally could not stop reading. Omg!!! Twists, turns, secrets uncovered. Just when I thought I had it all figured our, BAM, Aly throws a curve that left me like WTF?!?!? This conclusion was everything I was expecting and more.
There isn’t much I can say about this duet without spoiling it cause DAMN I’m left completely and utterly speechless and blown away by this story.
Brilliantly written story that will leave you breathless!! I can’t wait for whatever Aly Martinez brings us in the future!
Written with You is the unforgettable conclusion of Aly Martinez’s newest duet and in my opinion the absolute best of her duets. She is after all the queen of duets!! Aly fits the pieces of the puzzle together so smoothly giving us more twists and turns some that I did not see coming at all, one of them did not have a clue!! Full of raw emotion, lots of sexy times, an adorable 4-year-old, incredible secondary characters and when I came to the end a great feeling of satisfaction!
I am not going to go into much more I would not at all want to spoil this conclusion for anyone going in blind is the way to go.
The Regret Duet is a story that you will not want to miss!