4 stars

“I wondered about the scars. I wondered about his false smiles.
I wondered about Elian Beyer and his many, many secrets.”

• Buy THE CONTRADICTION OF SOLITUDE (Kindle)

NOTE: This book is a psychological thriller, not a romance.

Holy wow, this was DARK and TWISTED!!! But also unputdownable. My mind was spinning in a thousand directions, coming up with endless theories, as I tried to figure out what would happen next.

I want you to know up front that this book is not at all like any of the other ones I usually read and review. Not at all. It’s outside the box. Waaaaaaaay way way outside the box. But, I was in the mood for something just totally and completely different than my usual. Sometimes you just need that, and this book gave me exactly that. It was dark and twisted, the ending was shocking, and my expression after finishing the book was pretty much just this, BUT the writing was absolutely incredible — I’m really, WOW!!!! — and the story was unique and thrilling so I’m really glad I gave it a shot (even though I still do wish it could have had a different ending…. my romantic heart is programmed to wish for that. I can’t help it).

This is a spoiler-free review. I’m not going to give anything away regarding the plot but I will say this: if you’re a romance reader and you’re going to read this, you’ll have to throw all of your “rules” right out the window, okay? Even though there is a love story in this, remember that this is a psychological thriller. That genre is completely and totally different. So just keep that in mind always, and you’ll be fine.

Guys, the writing was STUNNING and utterly captivating. I honestly can’t praise the writing highly enough. This book was truly a work of art. I have countless passages in my book highlighted!

“Her eyes gave her away. Dark and wide and bottomless. Coal black. They were sad and devoid of light. But I knew there was a soul inside there somewhere.
Or at least I hoped so.”

What’s the story about? Hmmm, I’m reluctant to tell you more than the blurb. In fact, I strongly suggest that you don’t go trying to find out what it’s about in advance of reading. If you’re intrigued, just dive in. Here’s a part from the blurb…

You may notice me, but you will never know me. I prefer it that way.
I am the daughter of a monster…
But Elian tells me that I’m different.
He tells me that I’m beautiful… that he loves me.
These words terrify me.
I can’t trust love.
Or hope.
Or truth.
Because I fear the beast inside.
It threatens to drown Elian and his sweet, unconditional love.
It’s a beast that will destroy everything.

So many different possibilities raced through my head as I read. At first I had no idea what to think, then I was sure it was one thing, then absolutely positive it was something else… my theories kept changing until I finally settled on one I was sure was right. Turns out, I was almost right in the end.

A lot of people liked him.
But they didn’t know him.
But I would know him. He wanted me to. With every discreet glance and every subtle touch, he pulled me closer.
I drew him in.
We were falling… falling… collapsing into each other.

Then as I read more, I began to get seriously creeped the hell out. Like really! But I was also strangely fascinated. This book really highlights how many different sides a person can have. And how vastly different the person they really are on the inside can be from the persona that they show the world. The dark secrets that stay hidden can be terrifying. And twisted.

Fuck the universe.
Fuck fate.
Fuck whatever gods threw that beautiful, beautiful woman in my path and made me love her. She was everything I longed for. She was everything I had ever desired. She was complicated. She was a mystery. She was depth and intensity behind coal black eyes.

I… I don’t even know what to say about the ending. I don’t want to give anything away, but I want to be sure you know what to expect. It is a standalone — no cliffhanger. But it was a very hard ending for my romantic heart to accept, especially when another possibility was so easily within reach. I can’t really fault the book though because a) I was warned in the blurb, and b) the ending makes total sense given that this book is a thriller.

It’s dark and twisted.
D a r k     a n d    t w i s t e d.
DARK — AND — TWISTED.

Okay?

Be warned. Be prepared. And, if you’re feeling brave (and open-minded)… dive in!

Standalone dark psychological thriller (not romance).
No cliffhanger. Contemporary (not paranormal).

Note: I didn’t rate it on purpose. I have no idea how to rate a story like this, but that’s not at all a bad thing. The writing was utterly amazing. The story was captivating. But … I’m torn up about the ending because of the reasons I explained above. Sometimes its too hard to quantify my emotions down to a single number, but that’s okay! Hopefully the review will give you enough to go on.

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Meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.

They both happened anyway.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting for my career.
Fighting the impending silence.
Fighting for her.

• Buy FIGHTING SILENCE (Kindle)
• Buy FIGHTING SILENCE (Paperback)

From the moment I read the blurb, I knew I had to read this book. I mean, c’mon! Doesn’t that tug your heartstrings?! Plus, I’ve literally loved every book that Aly Martinez has written so… I had to dive right in!

Till and Eliza met by chance one night in an abandoned building at age thirteen — each seeking an escape from their lives for one reason or another. Over the years, they kept meeting there every few days and became close… more than friends, but not a couple either. They were simply vital to each other’s lives.

“It had become more and more difficult to stop myself from kissing her, touching her, claiming her. But I knew that, if I did, I would eventually lose her. Relationships didn’t work in high school. Something would have happened, we would have broken up, and then I would have lost her completely. I needed Eliza too damn bad to ever chance that.”

With his dad in jail and his mother more concerned about her nails than caring for her children, it fell on Till to take care of his two little brothers from a very young age in order to keep them out of the foster system. He cared for Eliza more than anything but couldn’t bear to start a relationship with her for fear of losing her friendship. In his eyes, what they had was almost magical and he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.

“Till and I both knew we had a strange relationship. It was more than a friendship, but there wasn’t romance or sex. There was definitely love though. Immeasurable amounts of it. I knew that Till had this grand fantasy about me. But what he didn’t realize was all that he gave me in return. He was the only thing I’d ever had that I honestly though I couldn’t live without. Till Page was my soulmate on every level.”

Sadly though, their lives were split one fateful night. But then, several months later they were given a second chance and this time, things were different…

“You’ve always been forever for me.”

My heart really broke for Till. This amazing guy worked himself to the bone to give his brothers the best life he could. He worked at a boxing gym every waking hour, fuelling a dream of one day going pro which would finally give him the money he needed to truly provide for his family.

“I believe you’re going to set the boxing world on fire, because every time you put on those gloves, you’re doing it for them. Say yes.”

Adding to all the pressure was the fact that he was slowly going deaf and there wasn’t a single thing he could do to stop it. It was scary — terrifying even — that he’d one day never be able to hear Eliza’s voice.

“I miss your voice. I miss listening to you talk… I’d give anything to hear it right now.”

I read this book in one sitting start-to-finish. The ending was a thrill ride wrapped up with a great epilogue which both concluded Till & Eliza’s story and set up the next one — which I can’t wait to read!

Aly Martinez is definitely one of my go-to authors. I’ve read all her books and loved each one. Her stories are always unique and have strong, sexy, heart-racing romances with a thrilling edge to them.

THIS book can be read as a complete standalone. Even if you’ve never read any other book by this author, you’re safe to dive right in and you’ll be satisfied with the ending. However… as with all of her books, this one does have tie-ins with her other books. Slade (the hero from Among The Echoes) is featured heavily in this book as a side character but you do not have to have read his book first in order to appreciate this one. That being said, if you were to want to read his book as well, then I’d actually recommend reading the complete Wrecked & Ruined series because technically Slade’s book should be read as #3 in that series.

Bottom line: this book can be read on it’s own. But, if you want to have the full experience of meeting all the characters in this world, then read them in the order I’ve listed below. This authors’ books are very cleverly set up so that you can read any of them alone BUT you’ll of course get even more out of them if you’ve read them all. So it’s really just up to you. You won’t go wrong either way. I promise 🙂

Rating: 4 stars. Can be read as a standalone.

• Buy FIGHTING SILENCE (Kindle)
• Buy FIGHTING SILENCE (Paperback)

_____________________________________________

*** ALL THE BOOKS ***
Interconnected standalones.

CHANGING COURSE
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

STOLEN COURSE
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback| Read my Review

AMONG THE ECHOES
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

BROKEN COURSE
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

FIGHTING SILENCE
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

FIGHTING SHADOWS
Buy for Kindle

 
 

“You don’t need me to survive,” he says.

“You’re right. I don’t need you to survive. I need you to live.”

• Buy WITHERING HOPE (Kindle) 
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Wow!! I read this book in one sitting and finished it with tears in my eyes because of how absolutely beautiful the epilogue was!! I’m so glad I decided to try this one out!!

Withering Hope is a standalone romance about a woman, Aimee, who was on her way to her wedding when the private jet she was taking crash landed in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. With no communication, no supplies, and no hope of rescue on the horizon, she and her pilot, Tristan, had to work together to survive. And the more time they spent together, they slowly began to fall in love…

I loved so many things about this book! “Survival” type romances aren’t that common and I jump on them whenever I come across them (On The Island and Surviving Raine being two of my other favorites) because I just find myself so captivated by what these characters decide to do in order to survive.

The romantic relationship was understandably slow building, but in such a way that made perfect sense given both their dire situation and the fact that she was initially engaged to another man. I do want to reassure you though that there’s no stupid drama or frustrating storylines at all here with regards to the two men. This isn’t a love triangle and you don’t end up feeling like anyone was cheated out of happiness. Just trust that things work out the way they’re supposed to.

This is mostly told from Aimee’s POV, but we do get a few chapters from Tristan’s side of things too. He was a very mysterious character. They’d both been in each other’s lives for quite a while given that he was her driver and pilot but they’d naturally kept a certain distance before. Now, faced with having to depend on each other, she slowly began to uncover his past that he tried so hard to keep hidden.

I enjoyed the whole book but my favorite part was the epilogue. It’s actually a double epilogue and the second one (much later in their lives) brought tears to my eyes because of how absolutely beautiful it was!! I was honestly taken by surprise by how strongly those last lines hit home. I read them, cried, re-read them, and cried some more. It was such a beautiful concept and such a perfect ending for them.

If you’re looking for a “different” love story, give this one a try!!

Rating: 4 stars overall (but 4.5 for that epilogue). Standalone Adult romance.

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“She needs you — she’s always needed you… You just need to show her that it’s okay to need you too, that you’re not going anywhere.”

• Buy ABSOLUTION (Kindle)
• Buy ABSOLUTION (Paperback)

I have to say, from the moment I read the blurb, I knew I had to read this book. Second chance romance stories really call to me. I love the emotions involved, I love that the characters have a history, and I love that they have the kind of love that, even after the worst hurt and years of separation, never lets go.

“Things were perfect one minute, and then suddenly they weren’t.
In a split second, their world had come crashing down.”

After a car accident shattered his girlfriend’s spine, Jack McKenna disappeared. Desperate to escape the guilt, he spent four years punishing himself for not having the courage to go back to her. Withdrawn from the world, he threw all his remaining energy into the ring. Fighting was the only thing holding him together.  Meanwhile, Ally had been left after the accident with a broken heart and a broken body. The man she loved had abandoned her when she needed him most. And while she didn’t blame him for the accident, she took his departure and four years of silence as an unwavering sign that he didn’t love her.

But when an unexpected tragedy called Jack back home, he had no choice but to face everything he was running away from — including the girl he still loved… and that he’d left forever damaged beyond repair.

“Why didn’t you call? Or write or email — why didn’t you at least try? Did you even think about me at all?”

“I never stopped thinking about you,” he whispered.

Overall, I’d say the story was quiet and slow building, but in very realistic manner. There was lots of healing, very little angst, and very understandable characters. I was grateful that the author didn’t over-dramatize anything. In many ways, this felt like a story that could have really happened.

I really felt like I could understand where both Ally and Jack were coming from. I could feel his nervousness, guilt, and fear about returning home and facing everything he’d left. I could feel her sense of abandonment, balanced out with her strength at having survived this horrific tragedy. And I could feel so clearly that their love was still just as strong as ever, even though they had so much to work through to built back their relationship and the trust that had been broken.

This book was very well put together. There were carefully chosen quotes at the beginning of each chapter that really complimented the story beautifully. It was also written in third person and while it mostly focused on Ally and Jack’s perspectives (even in third person), it also showed us some insight into their friends’ thoughts — but always staying relevant to the central story of their relationship.

The story is very character focused. This accident had changed the lives of everyone involved and it showed us how. It showed us their thoughts, fears, mistakes, healing. But as I mentioned, I felt it was very realistically paced. Given the damage that was done, I appreciated the slow healing process.

While there were understandably conflicted characters, this book had no stupid drama. Naturally, not everything went smoothly, but that’s life. We all do things we regret, but in the end, it’s how we choose to make up for them that counts.

“He felt the pain that poured out of her, a whisper away from being tangible as it filled the air around them. Moving closer, he pulled her to him, holding her close against his chest in a desperate attempt to save them both.”

I really loved the writing. This author has a beautiful, descriptive style that really gets you right into the minds of the character. There were a few times when I felt like the details over shadowed the story but overall, I was very impressed with the writing.

Just so you know, this isn’t a super sexy read. Given the extent of her injuries, Ally actually had no feeling left below her waist. This story isn’t about the sex, it’s about survival, love and their journey back together.

I really have a big soft spot for this kind of story. Something about second chance romances just really gets to me and I love how no two are the same — some are really sexy, some are more emotional, some are fast paces, others are more quiet — each one is different. I would describe this one as quiet and slow building, with strong characters, and a relationship I felt very invested in. In order for me to have given it 5 stars, I would have needed a little more intensity, so I’m going to go with 4 on this one. But this is definitely a book that I am so very glad that I decided to read. It really was a beautiful love story.

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone (with epilogue).

• Buy ABSOLUTION (Kindle)
• Buy ABSOLUTION (Paperback)

“Love doesn’t magically heal all wounds.”

• Buy INTRUSION (Kindle)

This was a totally random, unplanned read that I just started and finished in one sitting this afternoon! A friend of mine was starting it and I thought the blurb sounded great so I pretty much just dove in too.

Overall, I’d call it a quick, entertaining erotic story with a premise that drew me in from the start. The first 30% of the book was absolutely amazing — everything from the set up, to the writing, to the character development had my heart racing in the best possible way. After that though, the erotic side of the story took over a little more than I would have preferred. Don’t get me wrong, I loooove hot stories, but in full honesty, I would have preferred more plot and less sex here just because of how freaking awesome the story set up was. It was just so good that I wanted more character development and to see more in depth conflict. But… on the flip side, sometimes you just want something hot and sexy to read so if you’re in the mood for something shorter and erotic but with a little more depth than just sex, this would be great.

Like I said, the book hooked me from the very first line. The story is about a woman with a scary past (she’d been stalked to nightmarishly terrifying point) who lived next door to a mysterious, reclusive man who everyone talked about but nobody knew. They made up all sorts of stories about him, but no one actually knew anything about him. When she finds him sleepwalking in her garden one night, wearing almost nothing, ankle deep in freezing mud, she invites him in to help him get cleaned up. He’s nothing like she expected though and from then on, their lives become quickly entwined…

“You should have been scared; you weren’t.
You should have forced me back across the street; you didn’t.
You touched me even though it made you tremble to do it, and I won’t ever forget that.”

Tortured heroes are my weakness — they just melt my heart — and Noah was such an intriguing character. He was incredibly intelligent and fascinating — a psychoanalyst left emotionally scared after working on a case profiling a particularly gruesome serial killer. I loved the symbolism of how his house was filled with broken things he was putting back together. “He so desperately wants to fix things he fills his living room with junk and spends his days making everything okay again.” — That just makes my heart squeeze!

I also really loved that feeling that the first 30% of the book really portrayed so well of just not knowing these characters’ histories. I had so many questions — What had happened to this woman in her past? And what about him? What kept this man locked away from the world?

Once they got together, things got pretty hot between them and a good chunk of the rest of the book does basically revolve around sex — not that there’s anything wrong with that, but just letting you know the direction it takes. There are bits of Noah’s past that come into the light along the way though and then it culminates in finale that bought out the ‘thriller’ side. There’s a resolved ending — no cliffhanger!

I generally really enjoyed the writing — there were a lot of very strong, evocative scenes with vivid imagery — but there were other times when I found the wording confusing. By that I mean, it was sometimes unclear whether you were reading her thoughts or a description of what was actually happening.

Oh, also just letting you know that the book ends at 87%. I know that’s something a few of you are sensitive to so just a heads up so you know. Amazon lists the page count as 224 pages so this is kind of a short novel. So, even though I wish there’d been more depth to it, I did enjoy this as just a quick, hot, entertaining read with a bit of a moody, thrilling edge to it, a unique premise, and intriguing characters.

Rating: Almost 4 stars. Standalone.
First standalone in a series of standalones.

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