Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★Fighting Silence★ by @AlyMartinezAuth

Meet Till & Eliza in Aly Martinez’s newest fighter series!
It’s no secret that I adored this book. I’ve been singing it’s praises all over the place. Now you get to see exactly why. Scroll down to read my review and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
About The Book

Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it’s the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?I’ve always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn’t a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.

You see, 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.

Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.

I think that’s the sound I’ll miss the most.

Review
5 stars

I’d never had anything I could call my own, but Eliza Reynolds would always be mine.

If ever there was a book that everyone has to add to their TBR, this is that book. This incredible, emotional, beautiful, simply unforgettable book. This is Aly Martinez’s best book to date and quite honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a while. It was also probably my favorite friends-to-lovers romance I’ve ever read. Period.

…I had already been drowning in the ocean of life. Every gasp of air was a struggle. Just as I would breach the surface, filling my lungs with hope and determination to make it through another day, I was forced back under- harder every time.

Till Page met Eliza Reynolds when they were just 13 years old, and they each became an escape for the other. An escape from their glum reality. An escape from their problems. An escape from the real world. A fantasy built from the innocence of young hearts that built into an indescribably love as they got older.

Till’s life has never been easy. Forced to raise his two younger brothers from the time he was just a child himself because their parents couldn’t care less about anyone but themselves. Till struggles to make ends meet, all the while knowing that he’s facing a future of silence. A future in which a genetic condition may cause him to lose his hearing. A future that’s he’s absolutely terrified to face. When he climbs though a window of an abandoned apartment, looking to escape his reality, he comes crashing into a pair of blue eyes that irrevocably changes his life forever.

Eliza Reynolds grew up always fending for herself and never knowing the warmth of the love of her parents. But when a scrawny boy with tears in his captivating hazel eyes comes into her life, nothing is ever the same. She knows exactly who Till is, they go to school together after all. But he’s never acknowledged her, and that doesn’t change after they meet. But under the shadow of the night, in that abandoned apartment, they became the world for each other.

It was more than a friendship, but there wasn’t romance or sex. There was definitely love though. Immeasurable amounts of it. I knew 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 thought I couldn’t live without.

As they grow older, their friendship begins to turn into something much stronger. Something that Eliza knows is love unlike any she’ll ever feel for any other man, and a love that Till is absolutely terrified to acknowledge as more than that for a friend in fear of losing Eliza.

Turning his head, Till Page spoke words that solidified his claim on me for all eternity.
“I love you, Eliza.”

The book spans from the time Till and Eliza are 13 until they are 21, but it’s such a perfect progression that you can’t help but fall harder for them with every chapter. The author did such an incredible job infusing their romance with just that right amount of angst and emotion. It was absolute perfection.

There was nothing, NOTHING that I didn’t like about this book, and that’s a rare thing to happen to me. You feel everything right along the characters; their struggles, their pain, their love. I was an emotional wreck reading the second half of this book. And then that last 30%? Forget about it! I down right ugly cried.

I absolutely loved how Aly Martines was able to tie in characters from her previous books (Leo, Slate and Caleb make an appearance). But she does this giving readers that have read her previous books a little bonus, but allowing new readers to get to know these characters without ever feeling lost.

This book was so much more than just a romance though. It was also more that a fighter romance. It was a story or perseverance, of strength in the truest meaning of the word. Till’s story will absolutely break your heart. His relationship with his two brothers will also melt it. And his love for Eliza? It will warm it.

Eliza was a fantastic heroine. She was the perfect match for Till. Her strength, her maturity that’s well beyond her young years was so refreshing to read. This book truly had everything. It was emotional, it was a little angsty, and of course it was oh so sexy.

I may’ve been the first, but this time when I make you come I want to know I’ll be the last. Now,  fucking tell me it’s forever.

God, I just loved it so much. I don’t want to give you more of the plot because I don’t want to ruin the experience of reading it for yourself. Take my advice and go into this book without reading many reviews. You’ll just enjoy it that much more.

One of the most touching and unforgettable romances I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I absolutely cannot wait for Flint’s book next. Aly Martinez has given me a fighter romance that is a not only an auto-buy, it’s a MUST buy. I simply can’t recommend it enough. If you’ve loved her previous books, you will flat out adore this one. And if you haven’t discovered this phenomenal author yet, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll become a fan after reading Fighting Silence.

About the Author

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

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Review: ★Love Hurts★ by Mandi Beck

 
Love Hurts
(Caged Love #1)
Author: Mandi Beck
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Fighter Romance
Release Date: January 18, 2015

Even when she won’t fight for us, I’ll go to war for her…

Inside the Octagon, I have no fear. I’m at home, in my element, inflicting pain onto men trained to hurt me just as badly. Making them submit, knocking them out, maiming them, because it’s them or me. And I choose them.Outside the Octagon, my only weakness is a five-foot-two, classy as fuck woman that I’ve loved for most of my life. She’s the one that brings me to my knees, fills my arms, my heart, and one day soon, my bed. She makes me reckless. Volatile. I drink too much and try too hard to fuck my way out of feeling—all because of her.

Frankie De Rosa is my girl, my best friend. I haven’t earned her yet, but I won’t stand by and let anyone take her from me. She will be the greatest fight of my life, but she’s worth the battle.

Love hurts, but anything worth having does, right?

I’m Deacon “The Hitman” Love — Welcome to the Cage.

Buy Links

 Review4 stars


We flamed bright and then crashed, losing everything in the process.

You know how sometimes you stumble unto a book that while it’s a little rough around the edges, you can just tell that with a little more time honing their craft, you’ve just discovered an author that’s about to go straight to your auto-buy list? Mandi Beck is definitely that author for me. Was this book perfect? No, there were quite a few parts that didn’t really work for me and didn’t quite add up. But for a debut novel, this was fantastic. I’m always more lenient in my ratings of a debut novel and author simply because it takes time to truly discover your perfect formula. I can also tell you that Mandi definitely has hers with the dirty talking OTT alpha male that Is Deacon. I loved it! It has a few of your typical New Adult circumstances that may not work for everyone, but this angst whore just gobbled it right up.

You can’t lose someone that makes up a part of who you are. We are a part of each other, Princess. That’s never going to change.

Deacon “The Hitman” Love is a successful MMA fighter that’s never lacking for female attention. Unfortunately no amount of faceless women and a few sweaty hours spent between the sheets will never erase his longing for the one woman he truly wants; his best friend, Frankie. Deacon has been in love with Frankie for almost as long as they’ve been friends. She’s been a part of his life and his family’s for years. While she may be like a sister to his brothers, the way he feels for her is anything but brotherly. But Frankie doesn’t see him that way and she’s been dating a royal douchebag that Deacon can’t help but rile at every chance he gets. But then one stolen kiss changes everything…

I loved you, but I wasn’t ready for you. I hadn’t earned the right for you to love me back yet.

Frankie doesn’t trust Deacon and his love-them-and-leave-them habits not to break her heart. Her boyfriend is the reasonable choice for her or at least that’s what she makes herself believe. But when Frankie gets hurt, nothing will stop Deacon for fighting his way into her heart.

Frankie is terrified of letting Deacon in, but it’s not long before she realizes that her feelings for him are much deeper than she’s let herself believe.

My mind is screaming at me to run, run far and fast because in the end, he’ll burn me. It’s what he does, even though it’s not what he sets out to do. My heart though, my heart is swelling, weeping, and singing all the time.

The relationship between Frankie and Deac was definitely a volatile one. Deacon is hot tempered and Frankie isn’t much better with her flip-flopping feelings. But it just worked in this book. Maybe it was all the delicious dirty talk?

Because I have to say that Deacon really delivered on that end.

I struggled a bit in the first half of the book to really understand the dynamic of Frankie and Deacon’s relationship. I would have loved to have more development on that and really getting a better look into their past that led to the certain quirks they currently have; him kissing the inside of her wrist, buying her expensive jewelry for her birthdays, his whole family calling her “The Princess” etc. I’m not sure if this will be something that Mandi may give us in the next book, but it would have been great to have here. As it was, I struggled a little to really develop a connection to Deacon and Frankie’s friendship. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely chemistry between them, and the author does a great job with that.

I am a strong woman, Deac. I have overcome a lot in the past few months, but I don’t think I can be strong enough to survive you.

Deacon also definitely has his share of bonehead decisions here. There were times where I wanted to reach through my kindle and beat him with it just to make him see sense.

Frankie was a big question mark for me for a good portion of the book. Considering the majority of the story is told in Deacon’s POV, it was tough to get a good grasp on her. Does she truly care for Deacon the way he cares for her? Is the presence of another guy going to introduce a love triangle? (shudders). Luckily this more or less gets ironed out in the second half, and I found myself warming up to her. Although she is dating someone in the beginning and there is the ex boyfriend that suddenly entered the picture, I never felt that dreaded love triangle situation. Frankie and Deac are definitely the main focus, and I’m so happy about that.

While I could sit and nitpick at certain parts, the bottom line is that I enjoyed the heck out of this book, minor quibbles and all. It was angsty, sexy, and with a little element of suspense. Plus it’s set in my home town of Chicago. How do I not love that?

My biggest quibble? That. Fucking. Cliffhanger. OMG! I swear it almost made me stroke out. How could you leave me like this? HOW? How, I ask you?!! That was just cruel. I need the next book like yesterday! But as much as I hated the cliffhanger, it also made sense. A lot of times I read books and it feels like an author cuts it off suddenly for shock value or for no other reason but to split a book that could have easily been one longer novel into two. This was not the case here. You can tell that these characters had come a somewhat full circle and it needed that break. So as much as that cliffy made me a stabby shouty mess, I get why it was necessary.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this couple next!

He’s like a feather floating on a breeze, weightlessly riding the wind, until that air starts to swirl around him violently and the lightness of the feather no longer matters, because now in the tempest, it is a deadly, living thing. That’s our Deacon. pain is his art and he’s incredibly adept at it.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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