WRITTEN WITH REGRET (Regret Duet #1) by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

WRITTEN WITH REGRET (Regret Duet #1) by Aly Martinez-Review & Excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 23, 2019

Every little girl dreams of the fairytale. The one where the white knight rushes in to save her from the clutches of evil. They fall in love, have babies, and live happily ever after.

By that definition, my life should have been a fairytale too.

When I was eight years old, Caven Hunt saved me from the worst kind of evil to walk the Earth. It didn’t matter that I was a kid. I fell in love with him all the same.

But that was where my fairytale ended.

Years later, a one-night stand during the darkest time imaginable gave us a little girl. It was nothing compared to the pitch black that consumed me when I was forced to leave her with Caven for good.

At the end of every fairytale, the happily-ever-after is the one thing that remains consistent. It wasn’t going to be mine, but there hadn’t been a night that passed where I hadn’t prayed that it would be hers.

I owed Caven my life.
However, I owed that innocent child more.
And that included ripping the heart from my chest and facing her father again.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: WRITTEN WITH REGRET is the first instalment in Aly Martinez’ contemporary, adult REGRET erotic, romance duet focusing on IT millionaire Caven Hunt, and artist/photographer Hadley Banks.

NOTE: Due to the graphic nature and basis of the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told dual first person perspectives (Hadley and Caven) using present day and memories from the past WRITTEN WITH REGRET follows the tempestuous and caustic relationship between thirty-three year old IT millionaire Caven Hunt,and twenty seven year old artist/photographer Hadley Banks. Approximately nineteen years earlier, life as they knew, imploded for our story line couple. Fast forward fifteen years wherein a one-night stand left Hadley pregnant with Caven’s child, a child she was unable to care for or raise. Four years would pass before Hadley re-entered her daughter’s life, a life she now shares with her doting father. Hoping to reconnect with the child she loves, Hadley is at the mercy of Caven Hunt for access, and information about Rosalee Hunt. What ensues is the enemies to lovers relationship between Hadley and Caven, and the potential fall-out as Hadley’s motivation comes into question as it pertains to both Caven and their four year old daughter.

Caven and Hadley share a tortured past but a past more closely connected than Caven could have ever imagined. Years of therapy and reluctant acceptance found Hadley struggling to move forward but the possibility of never seeing her child continued to eat away at our story line heroine. Caven Hunt knows the true meaning of evil having lived a life with a monster few knew but of whom many had heard. Battling his own demons Caven must pull it together when a new born child is left on his door.

The relationship between Hadley and Caven is acrimonious at best. Caven is unable to forgive Hadley for sins of the past, ‘abandoning’ their daughter, and never affording him the decency of prior knowledge. Hadley’s state of mind is questionable under the circumstance, a circumstance that continues to pull Hadley towards the man that, years earlier, had saved her life. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Hadley and Caven’s daughter Rosalee; Hadley’s best friend and attorney Beth Watts; Caven’s brother Trent Hunt; best friend and business partner Ian Villa.

WRITTEN WITH REGRET is a forceful and thought provoking story of heart break and loss; of pain and suffering; of regret and trauma. Aly Martinez takes the reader on an emotional journey fraught with anguish and upheaval, regret and bitterness. The premise is dramatic, tragic and intriguing; the romance is provocative and intense; the characters are flawed, broken, and energetic. WRITTEN WITH REGRET ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Life had never been easy for me. Chaos had been following me like a dark cloud, looming and hovering, casting its shadow far and wide despite how bright the path in front of me should have appeared. After growing up the way I had, where happiness had been more of a privilege than a choice, I knew better than to believe that that moment would be anything other than fleeting.
And one second later, the universe proved me right.
I opened the door to see who had rung the bell—a cursory check revealed an empty hallway.
And that’s when I heard it: the sound that changed not only my entire life in the present, but my life for all future days to come.
At first, it was just a grunt, but as if that baby could feel my gaze, the minute my eyes made contact, it let out a sharp cry.
Confusion hit me like a lightning bolt, sending me back a step. I used the door frame for balance as I took in the yellow blanket with a hole only big enough to reveal a pale-pink face.
“What the fuck?” I breathed. Glancing around the hall, I waited for someone to jump out and start laughing. When no one spoke up to issue a punchline, I took a step closer and repeated, “What the fuck?”
I was utterly unable to process the absurdity in front of me.
Of course, I knew the facts.
It was a baby.
On my doorstep.
Alone.
But the why in that equation was glaringly absent.
“Uhhh,” Ian drawled, peering over my shoulder. “Why is there a kid at your door?”
“I have no idea,” I replied, staring down at the squirming and now-screaming bundle. “It was just there when I opened the door.”
Ian shoved me to the side so he could stand beside me. “You’re shitting me, right?”
“Does it look like I’m shitting you?”
He looked from me to the baby, then back again. “How did it get there?”
We were two incredibly smart men who had created a technology empire out of nothing. But, clearly, a baby was too big for either of us to wrap our minds around.
I swept an arm out and pointed to the kid. “I have no clue, but I’m assuming it didn’t catch a cab.”
A light of understanding hit his eyes. He moved first, stepping over the crying baby and hurrying down the hall, searching around the corner near the elevator before returning alone.
The party continued behind me, but even with the door open, the loud chatter was no match for the ear-piecing cries happening in that hallway.
Veronica suddenly appeared beside me, her body going solid as she stammered out. “Is that…a baby?”
“Back up,” I urged, throwing my arm out to block her path as though the infant were going to suddenly morph into a rabid animal. And let’s be honest, I knew nothing about babies. Anything was possible.
Ian dropped to his knees, scooping up the wailing child. Meanwhile, I stood there like a gawking idiot, paralyzed by a weight I didn’t yet understand.
“Call the pol—” He stopped abruptly and reached into the top of the child’s blanket. “Oh shit,” he whispered, his wide, panic-filled eyes flashing to mine.
“What?” I asked, stepping toward him to get a better look at the kid. Only it wasn’t that tiny baby cradled in his arms that made my heart stop and bile rise in my throat.
There, in my best friend’s hand, was a folded piece of notebook paper that had been tucked into the child’s blanket. From the looks of it, the paper was unremarkable in every sense of the word. Blue lines, white spaces, hanging remnants from where it had been haphazardly ripped from a spiral bound notebook. Even the crease was crooked. But it was my name scrawled on the outside in messy, black ink that made it the most remarkable paper in existence.
I snatched it from his hand and, with blood roaring in my ears, opened it.

Caven,
I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen. This is our daughter Keira. I’ll love her forever. Take care of her the way I can’t.
Written with regret,
Hadley

The hall began to spin, my head feeling like every ounce of blood had been drained from my body. The thundering in my ears faded and the loud chatter of my guests, who were suddenly aware that something was happening at the door, roared to life.
And then the chaos finally found me all over again—the past playing out in my head like my life flashing before my eyes.
I sucked in a deep breath and looked at the baby in his arms. The blanket had fallen off its head just enough to reveal a patch of fine hairs, more orange than its mother’s red.
“Call the police,” I declared, turning on a toe and walking back into my apartment, leaving Ian standing in the hall with Hadley’s child.
Shoving through the crowd of concerned onlookers, I headed straight to the bottles of liquor lining the counter. I didn’t bother with ice or even a glass. I threw back that bottle of vodka, hoping like hell the burn of the alcohol could numb the panic coursing through my veins.
Through it all, that baby never stopped crying.

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Sign up for Aly’s Newsletter

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Across the Horizon by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

ACROSS THE HORIZON by Aly Martinez-Review tour

ACROSS THE HORIZON
by Aly Martinez
Release Date: December 6, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December

“Sometimes love happens when you least expect it.” That was what my husband’s mistress told me the day I found out about their affair.

I didn’t believe it until five minutes later when mouth-watering celebrity chef Tanner Reese walked up, tossed his arm around my shoulders, and told my cheating husband to take a hike.

Tanner and I couldn’t have been more different. He spent his weekends at clubs, rubbing elbows with fellow A-listers. I spent mine in yoga pants with cheese boards and a glass of wine—or six.

Our relationship shouldn’t have worked, but it did. That is until Tanner proved to me that even though love happens when you least expect it…

••••••••••

REVIEW: ACROSS THE HORIZON by Aly Martinez is a stand alone, erotic, romance story line focusing on thirty-two year old, celebrity chef Tanner Reese, and thirty-one year old, medical office manager Rita Laughlin-Hartley. ACROSS THE HORIZON runs parallel to the events in the author’s THE DARKEST SUNRISE duology but you do not have to have read the previous series to follow or understand the current story line. Some of the characters cross over for cohesion.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tanner and Rita) ACROSS THE HORIZON follows the building relationship between thirty-two year old, celebrity chef Tanner Reese, and thirty-one year old, medical office manager Rita Laughlin. Following seven years of marriage Rita Laughlin discovered that her husband was having an affair with one of the office nurses. Hurt and humiliated Rita pushed for a quickie divorce but meeting Tanner Reese at a local charity event gave Rita the possibility of love and a happily ever after. As Rita’s soon-to-be ex-husband demands a second chance, Tanner continues to seduce the woman with whom he would fall in love. What ensues is the building romance between Tanner and Rita, and the potential fall out as Tanner’s lies of omission are more than a slap in the face for a woman who continues to struggle with her ex’s betrayal.

Tanner Reese knows betrayal first hand including an upcoming tell-all biography by a vindictive ex. Lies and manufactured fiction threaten his livelihood as a celebrity chef, as well as his personal life with the woman he loves. Rita Hartley struggles with the truth; lies of omission threaten everything she has grown to love including the man who had stolen her heart.

The relationship between Tanner and Rita is one of immediate attraction but our heroine battles between head and heart knowing she is technically still married to a lying cheat. Both hurt by betrayal, secrets and lies, Tanner and Rita agree to take their relationship slow but slow is the exact opposite of what is about to transpire. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colourful secondary and supporting characters include Tanner’s brother Porter Reese, and his soon to be wife, Rita’s BFF Dr. Charlotte Mills (The Darkest Sunrise Duology), as well as second-best friend Sidney Day, Tanner’s mother Lynn Reese; Rita’s ex-husband Greg Laughlin, and Tanner’s ex girlfriend Shana.

ACROSS THE HORIZON is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and lies. The premise is engaging, emotional and captivating; the characters are fun and sassy; the romance is provocative and flirtatious. ACROSS THE HORIZON is a lighter story line than The Darkest Sunrise duology but it is no less entertaining or inviting.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Sign up for Aly’s Newsletter

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The Truth About Us (The Truth Duet #2) by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

THE TRUTH ABOUT US (The Truth Duet #2) by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 13, 2018

Truth: Penn Walker entered my life like a summer storm—dark, ominous, and filled with thunder.

After witnessing my husband’s murder, I didn’t have much of a heart left to offer a man.

But Penn took it all.
Every jagged shard.
Every broken bit.
Even the dirty and twisted pieces that I wish never existed.

Lie: I didn’t need him to save me.
Lie: I knew exactly who he was.
Lie: Losing him wouldn’t destroy me.

But that’s the thing about lies—you never know who to believe.

•••••••

REVIEW: THE TRUTH ABOUT US is the second instalment in Aly Martinez’ contemporary, adult, THE TRUTH DUET romance series focusing twenty-nine year old Cora Guerros and thirty-seven year old Penn Walker. THE TRUTH ABOUT US should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one-THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES.

Told from three first person perspectives (Cora, Penn and Drew) THE TRUTH ABOUT US continues to follow in the aftermath of the events of book one wherein, Cora’s life is once again, destroyed by the Guerros family. On the run, hoping to stay one step ahead of the people hunting her down, Cora must face the reality of loss until Penn’s secrets and lies force a confrontation between everyone concerned.

Like book one, The Truth About Us focuses on secrets, lies, perception and betrayal. Not is all it seems; identities hidden, pasts revealed, connections to the present heart breaking and painful. Several members of the Guerros family are missing or dead; those left alive are hunting Cora and the people she loves.

Penn Walker, and his ‘brother’ Drew continue in their pursuit of vengeance for sins of the past, sins that continue to eat away at their minds and hearts.

THE TRUTH ABOUT US is a startling and engaging story line; a raw and gritty tale with mesmorizing characters, and a spicy romance. Aly Martinez’ ability to captivate the reader is compelling and inspiring on so many levels.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES

Grab your copy at: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. au/ Amazon.uk /

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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The Truth About Lies (The Truth Duet #1) by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES (The Truth Duet #1) by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 23 2018

Truth: From over a thousand miles away, I watched on the screen of my phone as two men murdered my wife. And I was helpless to save her.

Consumed by hate and rage, I spent four years running from my memories.

Until a shattered woman gave me a reason to stop.

Cora lived in a nightmare, but through sheer force of will, she’d turned it into something beautiful. She had a smile that could pierce the darkest soul. And with one glance, she shredded mine.

Lie: I was only there for a fresh start.
Lie: I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Lie: There was nothing I could do to save her, either.

But that’s the thing about lies—you never know who to believe.

••••••••••

REVIEW: THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES is the first instalment in Aly Martinez’s contemporary, adult THE TRUTH DUET focusing on twenty-nine year old Cora Guerros and thirty-seven year old Penn Walker.

Told from dual first person perspectives ( Cora and Penn) THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES is a tale of truths and lies; a story of love but not romance; a saga about two strangers whose path to the present are as diverse as night and day but paths that have crossed and connected through betrayal and vengeance.

Cora Guerros is a strong, likeable and determined heroine who fourteen years earlier found herself forced into a world she knew nothing about. Hoping to make something better for those who have followed in her wake, Cora is mother, father, counsellor and protector to save those who want to be saved, and protect those who would otherwise find themselves missing or dead.

Four years earlier, Penn Walker suffered an unbearable loss; a witness to the traumatic unfolding as a life was forfeited before his eyes. Broken and battered, Penn, along with his ‘brother’ Drew embark on a dangerous journey into the seedy underside of a lifestyle very few choose, and even fewer enjoy.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES is a dark, emotional, gritty and hypnotizing story; an all-consuming look at the brutal reality of life for those who find themselves struggling to survive in a world blackened by the very poison from which they had ran. A story of revenge, THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES is an emotional, revealing and captivating commentary of love and loss; betrayal and revenge.

Copy supplied for review

Revewied by Sandy

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.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Thrive (Guardian Protection #2) by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

THRIVE (Guardian Protection #2) by Aly Martinez-Review Tour

Thrive

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Add THRIVE to Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34609194-thrive

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 18, 2018

Technically, you aren’t supposed to fall in love with your best friend’s girl.

But if we’re talking technicalities, he wasn’t supposed to be cheating on her every other weekend, either.

The day I met Mira York, I knew she was off-limits. But after months of stealing side-glances while he ruined the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, I realized there wasn’t a rule in the world I wouldn’t break to make her mine.

She chose him anyway.

I wasn’t sure how I’d ever move on, but bitterness turned into fuel for my fire.

Without Mira, I thrived.

Until seventeen years later, when she showed back up, begging for protection from the very same man she’d left me for all those years earlier.

Now, it was my turn to choose.

And she wasn’t going to like my answer.

THRIVE takes place seventeen years AFTER a love triangle.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW:  THRIVE is the second instalment in Aly Martinez’s contemporary, adult GUARDIAN PROTECTION romantic, suspense series focusing on the men and women of the Guardian Protection Security Agency. This is forty year old, Guardian security specialist Jeremy Lark, and thirty-seven year old Mira York’s story line. THRIVE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Jeremy and Mira) using present day and memories from the past, THRIVE follows the rekindling relationship between security speciality Jeremy Lark, and Mira York. Seventeen years earlier Jeremy lost the only woman he would ever love to his best friend Kurt Benton. Hoping Mira would see through the man that would eventually destroy her life, Jeremy walked away losing his heart and his soul, along with the woman he would never forget. Fast forward to present day wherein, out of the blue, Jeremy gets a call from the last person he would ever expect-Mira York-a woman who is battling for her life, and the life of a friend who has been caught up in Kurt’s illegal dealings. What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and second chance romance between Mira and Jeremy, and the potential fall out as they discover that the past seventeen years have all been a lie placing our heroine in a life and death situation, until debts owed are paid.

Jeremy Lark’s love / hate relationship with Mira York cannot be easily overlooked. Mira is the woman that destroyed all semblance of goodness in his life until the birth of his daughters a few years ago. Unable to forgive or forget, Mira’s return to Jeremy’s life is fraught with accusations, hatred and a palpable sexual energy only seen between two people who could never let go. A second chance at love will be tested time and again as the Guardian Protection Security Agency must uncover the who, what and why of the attacks and threats against our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Mira’s roommate and best friend Whitney; local drug kingpin Mateo Rodriguez, Mira’s ex-husband Kurt Benton, and Jeremy’s ex-wife Melissa Lark; as well as the return of several security specialists at Guardian Protection: Jude Levitt and Rhion Park (Singe #1), Leo James, Devon Grant, Braydon Hughes, Alex Pearson, Aidan Johnson, and Rhion’s struggling brother Apollo Park. There is a story developing between Braydon Hughes and Mira’s bestie Whitney.

THRIVE is a story of betrayal and revenge; forgiveness and love; moving forward and letting go. The premise is emotional, heartbreaking and intense; the romance is seductive and healing; the characters are colorful, dynamic and broken.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one SINGE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author

Aly MartinezBorn 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.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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The Brightest Sunset (The Darkest Sunrise #2) by Aly Martinez-Review and Book Tour

THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET (The Darkest Sunrise #2) by Aly Martinez-Review and Book Tour

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THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET
The Darkest Sunrise Duology #2
by Aly Martinez
Release Date: July 27,2017

The Brightest Sunset

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 27, 2017

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Bullshit.
Words destroyed me.
“I’m sorry. She didn’t make it.”
“Daddy, he can’t breathe!”
“There’s nothing more we can do for your son.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Those syllables and letters became my executioner. I told myself that, if I didn’t acknowledge the pain and the fear, they would have no power over me. But, as the years passed, the hate and the anger left behind began to control me.
Two words—that was all it took to plunge my life into darkness.
“He’s gone.”
In the end, it was four soft, silky words that gave me hope of another sunrise.
“Hi. I’m Charlotte Mills.”

•••••••••••

REVIEW:THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET is the second installment in Aly Martinez’s contemporary adult THE DARKEST SUNRISE dark, romance duology focusing on physician Charlotte Mills, and restaurateur Porter Reese. THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately upon the events and cliffhanger of book one The Darkest Sunrise.

Told from dual first person points of view (Charlotte and Porter) THE BRIGHTEST SUNRISE focuses on Charlotte Mills and Porter Reese’s struggle with the truth; the loss of control; and the power to move forward from the devastating moment everything they thought to be true was a lie. THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET follows one couple as they battle betrayal, guilt, heartbreak and love as one man falls into the darkness, and one woman comes into the light.

Aly Martinez weaves an emotional tale of lies and deceit that affected two families, several generations, and one couple as they struggled to move on from the past. As with everything in life there are subjective moments and different perspectives; not everything is black and white but in the end it is the path you travel, and how you are willing to execute the good and bad that the world has to offer, that result in the ultimate extension of your emotional well being and response to the darkest times of your life. THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET is a sensitive, edgy, and dramatic conclusion to Aly Martinez’s THE DARKEST SUNRISE duology- a tragic story with broken characters and a heartwarming happily ever after.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-THE DARKEST SUNRISE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

The Darkest Sunrise duology

About The Author beige

Aly MartinezOriginally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

AUTHOR LINKS:

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The Darkest Sunrise (The Darkest Sunrise #1) by Aly Martinez-Review and Book Tour

THE DARKEST SUNRISE (The Darkest Sunrise #1) by Aly Martinez-Review and Book tour

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THE DARKEST SUNRISE
The Darkest Sunrise Duet #1
by Aly Martinez
Release Date: July 13, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

The Darkest Sunrise

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 13, 2017

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Whoever coined that phrase is a bald-faced liar. Words are often the sharpest weapon of all, triggering some of the most powerful emotions a human can experience.
“You’re pregnant.”
“It’s a boy.”
“Your son needs a heart transplant.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Syllables and letters may not be tangible, but they can still destroy your entire life faster than a bullet from a gun.
Two words—that was all it took to extinguish the sun from my sky.
“He’s gone.”
For ten years, the darkness consumed me.
In the end, it was four deep, gravelly words that gave me hope of another sunrise.
“Hi. I’m Porter Reese.”

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE DARKEST SUNRISE is the first installment in Aly Martinez’s contemporary adult THE DARKEST SUNRISE duet focusing on restaurateur Porter Reese, and physician Charlotte Mills.

NOTE: Because this is a duet THE DARKEST SUNRISE ends on a cliffhanger-you have been forewarned.

Told from dual first person points of view (Charlotte and Porter) as well as third person Tom Stafford THE DARKEST SUNRISE is a story of grief, betrayal, guilt and moving forward. Ten years earlier Charlotte Mills’ life fell into an abyss of emotional nothingness, and in the ensuing time our heroine has yet to surface from the darkness that dominates her entire existence. Meeting Porter Reese, single father of two young children, whose own life upended several years before, found Charlotte looking forward to a future where the darkness slowly begins to dissipate along with the grief and guilt that has consumed every hour of every day. But Charlotte’s brief glimpse at happiness will be short lived when the past comes full circle and shoves Charlotte back down the rabbit hole of darkness and grief.

Porter and Charlotte are kindred spirits; two people who have experienced the pain of loss, grief, trauma and guilt resulting in two emotionally distant and fragile beings who go through the motions of their day to day existence. Meeting Charlotte Mills Porter felt something he hadn’t felt in years yet their mutual darkness found Porter holding onto what little light their relationship would bring until the day that everything would fall apart with one whispered little word.

THE DARKEST SUNRISE is an emotional story line about two people whose lives will collide as Porter struggles to find hope, and Charlotte battles memories of the past. Words are but verbal emotions, and the face can speak a thousand words with just one look or glance, and it is the spoken word that will find our heroine facing what she so desperately was hoping to find. There is a heart-stopping twist to the story line that I suspected early on but a twist of epic proportions that will once again destroy the lives of two people who were slowly emerging from their darkened h*lls.

Aly Martinez has written a raw, passionate and poignant story line about loss and grief, guilt and responsibility, darkness and the light. The premise is dramatic, memorable and intense; the characters are broken, real and impassioned; the romance is fated, captivating and climactic. THE DARKEST SUNRISE will captivate your imagination with the potential to break your heart and destroy your soul.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

The Darkest Sunrise duet

THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET (The Darkest Sunrise Duet, #2) Coming July 27th

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Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Bullshit.
Words destroyed me.
“I’m sorry. She didn’t make it.”
“Daddy, he can’t breathe!”
“There’s nothing more we can do for your son.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.

Those syllables and letters became my executioner. I told myself that, if I didn’t acknowledge the pain and the fear, they would have no power over me. But, as the years passed, the hate and the anger left behind began to control me.
Two words—that was all it took to plunge my life into darkness.
“He’s gone.”
In the end, it was four soft, silky words that gave me hope of another sunrise.
“Hi. I’m Charlotte Mills.”

About the author

Aly MartinezOriginally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

AUTHOR LINKS:

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Singe (Guardian Protection #1) by Aly Martinez-Review & Book tour

SINGE (Guardian Protection #1) by Aly Martinez-Review and Book Tour

Singe Banner

SINGE
Guardian Protection #1
by Aly Martinez
Release Date: February 6,2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Singe

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 6 , 2017

She was my nightmare. Every time I closed my eyes, I watched her fall into that inferno. Over and over, I failed to save her.

I hadn’t been able to reach her, and the guilt only burned hotter over time. Four years later, I was the unreachable one.

Heroes aren’t always saints. Sometimes, we’re nothing more than jaded sinners driven by sleepless nights and hearts full of darkness.

And then I met her. She was a dreamer who managed to soothe my scars and heal my wounds.

But, as the flames closed in around us, I feared I wasn’t the right man to save her. That is until I realized she was the one woman I’d burn the world down to protect.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: SINGE is the first installment in Aly Martinez’s contemporary, adult GUARDIAN PROTECTION erotic, romance series focusing on the men and women of the Guardian Protection Security Agency. This is former police officer/security specialist Jude Levitt, and heiress Rhion Park’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Rhion and Jude) SINGE focuses on healing, rebirth, second chances and betrayal. Four years earlier police officer Jude Levitt was called to a disturbance at the Park Estate only to discover the house engulfed in flames and Rhion Park struggling for her life. A series of questionable decisions befalls our would-be hero landing both him and Rhion in the hospital with too many questions, and painful burns. Fast forward to present day wherein Jude Levitt will come face to face with the woman whose life he thought he destroyed but the woman who has been the focus of his nightmares and dreams for several years. What ensues is the quick building romantic relationship between Rhion and Jude, and Jude’s struggle to protect the woman which whom he is falling in love.

Rhion Park has kept herself hidden from her past in the hopes of protecting her heart and her life. Someone close has made Rhion’s life difficult but the Guardian Protection Agency keeps a watchful eye out on the woman they consider a friend and family. Enter new security specialist, and former police officer Jude Levitt who takes more than a professional interest in the Agency’s reclusive client. For four years Rhion has dreamt and written about the man who saved her life but said man believes he is anything but her hero.

The relationship between Rhion and Jude is very quick to develop as the couple has never stopped thinking about the other since the fateful day that Jude saved Rhion’s life. Jude struggles to accept that he wasn’t responsible for the pain and suffering of the woman with whom he is falling in love; and Rhion battles more than one demon from her past. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and captivating.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several security specialists at Guardian Protection: Leo and Sarah James, Devon Grant, Jeremy Lark, Braydon Hughes, Alex Pearson, and Aidan Johnson,: Rhion’s best friend Brianna Turner, and step sister Katie Spencer, as well as Rhion’s younger brother Apollo Park whose back story is heartbreaking. We are introduced Rhion’s guardian and her father’s best friend Peter Higgins controls all of Rhion’s financial holdings; as well as Rhion’s former wicked step-mother Margaret Spencer, who is all about the money and more-our heroine has a difficult time saying no to her father’s ex-wife.

The world building looks at the relationship between Rhion and Jude, and Rhion’s struggle to move on with her life. Not all is as it seems especially as it pertains to Rhion’s family and friends; trust is easily broken; betrayal is but a heartbeat away.

SINGE is sexy, intriguing and emotional story line of family, friendship, heartbreak and love. The premise is exciting but somewhat chaotic; the romance is erotic and tender; the characters are colorful and numerous. SINGE is a tense and intoxicating story about second chances at life and love.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Singe Teaser

excerpt

“Tomorrow, it’s on me,” I said, standing up off the barstool.
Behind the bar, Carmen waggled her eyebrows, seductively calling out, “Funny, I could be on you tonight if you stayed awhile longer.”
I laughed at her innuendo and tossed her a wink. “I gotta get home, babe. Seven a.m. comes way too early.”
“Well, offer’s on the table,” she purred.
It always was with her. And, if I wasn’t careful, I’d eventually take her up on it.
Not that sleeping with Carmen wouldn’t have been good. But, when you find a cheap bar only five minutes from your house, you don’t fuck that up by dipping your cock into the bartender.
“Later, Carmen,” I called, pushing the door open and heading to my car.
I wasn’t out of the parking lot before I heard, “Officer Levitt? We’ve got an alarm going off in Park Hill. You mind taking a look on your way home?”
Banging my head back against the headrest, I groaned to myself. Park Hill was about as “on my way home” as swinging past California on the way to Maine.
Switching my radio to my other hand, I complained, “I’m off the clock, Jocelyn.” I had been for several hours, even if I hadn’t made it home yet.
She laughed. “I’m sorry, but you’re the only one remotely close. I had to send two cars out to the Laslows’ to break up another argument between Cam and his old man.”
“They at it again?” I asked.
“Apparently, Cam told Lindsey he didn’t want the baby. Lindsey told his dad. Old Man Laslow lost his mind.”
I chuckled, putting my blinker on and then doing a U-turn in the middle of the empty road. “Christ. I bet he did. I know the man’s seventy-five, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want to go toe-to-toe with him.”
“I’m with you on that. So…you gonna head out to Park Hill?” she asked in a sugary-sweet tone.
I grumbled deep in my chest. “You’re gonna owe me some of that banana bread for this. I missed it the other day when you brought it up to the station.”
“I don’t owe you anything.” She giggled. “However, as a personal thank-you from the state of Illinois, Park County, and the owners of Park Hill, I’ll bring you in a loaf on Friday. Deal?”
“Deal. I’m en route now.”
“Stay safe, and radio in with your report.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, knowing exactly how much thirty-year-old Jocelyn loved being called ma’am by a twenty-five-year-old man.
“Don’t you—”
“Gotta go.” I turned the volume down to mute her, grinning to myself as I flipped my lights and siren on.
I’d been a cop for two years. And, in that time, I’d been out to the privately owned Park Hill estate at least a dozen times. It wasn’t unusual for the alarm on the mansion to get triggered. It never amounted to anything. The expansive estate was on the very edge of the county, and trouble didn’t usually travel that far out. More often than not, a bird at a window or a bumbling new member of the grounds crew would accidentally trip the alarm. Truth was, no one actually lived in Park Hill. The owners visited sporadically. But, for the majority of the time, it remained empty.
Some minutes later, I cut my siren as I pulled up to the entrance. The cold air assaulted me as I stepped out of my patrol car with my flashlight in hand and aimed at the keypad on the massive security gate that blocked the driveway off. That damn thing alone had to have cost more than I’d make in a lifetime. Forget about the house inside.
The smell of wood burning in a fireplace wafted through the night air. I guessed someone was home for a visit.
I typed in the emergency code on the gate panel and then climbed back in my car and made my way down the tree-lined driveway. I’d spent the day on patrol, and, with the exception of some minor vandalism across town, it had been a slow one.
Though, in the blink of an eye, that would change.
Along with my entire life.
“Oh fuck,” I breathed as the main house came into view on the top of the hill.
After throwing my car in park, I jumped on the radio at my shoulder. I could barely get the words out as I slung my door open and took off at a dead sprint.
“This is Officer Levitt! I need fire support at Park Hill immediately!”
And then I froze as a wave of adrenaline crashed into me like a tsunami.
An inferno roared in the night sky, but it was the small silhouette of a woman perched outside a third-floor window, smoke pouring out all around her, that knocked the breath out of me. My heart stopped, but my feet continued to pound against the pavement.
Jocelyn’s voice caught me. “What’s going on?”
“I need medical too!” I barked as I got closer. “The whole damn place is in flames and there’s a woman trapped!”
The woman’s long, black hair blew out behind her like a battered flag whipping in a storm. I couldn’t make out her face or her skin color or even guess at her age for the black soot covering her, but her fear was unmistakable.
And unforgettable.
“Hang on!” I yelled up to her.
“Oh my God!” she screamed before it turned into a fit of coughing. “Help me!”
“Hang on! Don’t let go!”
Frantically, I searched the perimeter for a way in, but it wasn’t only her house that was on fire. Flames were encompassing her. The yard and all the surrounding flowerbeds. Top to bottom. The first and second floors were completely engulfed, and if the sound of shattering windows was any indication, it was quickly making its way up to the third floor—to her.
“No! Don’t leave me!” she screamed, panic thick in her garbled voice, as I started around the side of the house.
A wall of heat stopped me in my tracks. Throwing an arm up, I did my best to block my face while scanning the building for any possible entry—or, in her case, exit.
But there wasn’t a surface of that house that wasn’t ablaze.
Except the roof.
Son of a bitch.
I spoke into the radio. “I need an ETA on fire.”
Jocelyn replied, “They’re on their way. Five minutes out.”
I didn’t have one minute, much less five.
Fuck.
My pulse quickened, sending blood thundering in my ears. I was a cop. I’d trained for chaos. I should have been able to come up with a solution for a situation like this, but they didn’t teach you how to conquer the impossible at the Academy.
And, as I took inventory of the flames dancing beneath her, I knew that was exactly what I was up against.
My gut wrenched as I helplessly sped back around the house. She appeared almost childlike, hovering barefoot on that narrow brick ledge, but her long-sleeve top and her loose-fitting pants clung to the body of a woman.
Jesus Christ! Where was that fucking fire truck?
“Is anyone else in the house?” I yelled up to her.
Not that I could have helped them, either. Short of running into a burning building, on what would surely be a suicide mission, there was not one thing I could do. And didn’t that little reality feel like a wrecking ball to the chest.
“No!” she cried, a loud sob lodging in her throat. It turned into more coughing, her body shaking violently with every heave.
I fisted my hands at my sides as my anxiety spiraled higher.
“Please. Do something!” she begged.
I ground my teeth together and once again glanced around as if a water hose and a ladder were going to suddenly appear out of nowhere. “Hang tight, okay? Fire trucks are on their way.”
“I can’t hold on much longer!” she cried.
“Yes, you can,” I demanded.
“I…I think I need to jump,” she coughed out.
I assessed the massive fire below her. I’d never be able to reach her before it swallowed her. But there was no way I’d be able to stand by and watch her burn.
No. If she jumped off that ledge, she was going to get us both killed.
“Don’t you dare,” I barked. “Don’t even think about it. Two minutes. They’ll be here.”
“I…I can’t.”
“Two minutes,” I repeated. “Hold—”
Suddenly, a window to her left exploded, shooting glass and flames in all directions.
I covered my face as she screamed in a paralyzing mixture of fear and agony. It cut me so deep that I knew I’d bear the scars for the rest of my life, and that had nothing to do with the glass and everything to do with the heavy weight of my failure already lingering in the smoke-filled air.
When I opened my eyes again, I caught a glimpse of orange flickering in the window behind her. Panic built in my chest.
“You need to move!” I yelled.
She shook her head and continued to cough and cry.
But it wasn’t an option. I couldn’t help her. Though I damn sure refused to watch her die.
“Please. Just listen to me.” I swallowed hard. “You can’t stay there.” I looked to the roof.
Sending her higher seemed wrong and went against everything I’d learned in my limited fire training. But fuck, my options were having her jump into a conflagration or scale up the side of a building in hopes of buying us the precious minutes needed for the fire department to arrive.
Drawing in a smoke-filled breath, I made a decision that would haunt me for the rest of my life. “You need to climb up to the roof.”
“I can’t!” she shrieked.
My stomach twisted, but I gentled my voice. “Look, I know you’re scared. But I’m right here. I’ll help guide you up, but, sweetheart, it’s bearing down on you. You gotta move, and I mean now.”
She choked on a mouthful of smoke as she attempted to look over her shoulder.
“You’re going to be fine. I swear to you,” I lied. “But you have to move.”
“I’m not going to make it!” She had to have yelled it in order for me to hear her, but I felt her defeat slither over my skin like a whispered goodbye.
I took a long step forward, too focused on her to feel the heat singeing my skin. “Yes, you are!” I declared. “Move your ass up to the roof and we’ll both be out of here in time for breakfast.”
Her gaze landed on mine, tears forging paths down her soot-covered cheeks, her disbelief obvious even from yards away. “Are you sure?”
It was a ridiculous question. It wasn’t like I could make any guarantees. It was fire, for God’s sake. But that didn’t stop me from covering my heart with my palm and vowing, “I swear on my life you’re going to make it through this.”
Her hesitation was evident, but with one last sob, she inched her small body farther out onto the narrow ledge, reaching the tips of her shaking fingers out for the windowsill above her.
“Good girl,” I praised, a fraction of relief washing over me.
And then I sucked in a sharp breath as one of her shaking legs slipped out from under her.
“No!” I yelled.
On instinct, I rushed toward the flames, my arms stretched out in the air as though I could catch her.
A scalding heat blistered my face and forced me to stop, but the real pain was in my chest. I watched in horror for what felt like a lifetime as she fought to right herself, her dainty arms flailing like a wounded butterfly frantically trying to catch the wind.
But there was none to be found.
My heart lurched into my throat, and my breath seized in my lungs.
And then a deep, guttural sound tore through me, shredding me from the inside out, as I watched her fall.
I woke up in a cold sweat. It wasn’t exactly something new. I’d been dreaming of Butterfly for over four years. She always flew directly into the flames, screaming as I stood helpless to save her.
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I cradled my head in my hands and tried to pretend I was okay. That wasn’t exactly something new, either. I could still feel the heat on the back of my neck. My lungs were still thick with smoke. The pressure in my chest never left me.
The distance while I was living in LA had helped. But, in the week since I’d been back in Illinois, I’d woken up every morning at that blazing house. I didn’t even have to be asleep for the memories to assault me.
I should have gone back to sleep. It was my first day at my new job, and the last thing I needed was to show up haggard and sleep-deprived. But, as I’d learned over the years, another fiery butterfly awaited me on the other side of REM. No way I was volunteering for that.
I pushed myself off the bed and tugged a T-shirt on, preparing to head down to the hotel gym with hopes that I could outrun the mental fog that had been hovering over me since I’d returned. There was a reason I’d thrown all of my shit in my car and driven as far as I could all those years ago.
Yet, somehow, I’d come full circle.
But I’d come back a different man.
At least that’s what I’d told myself as the deafening roar of doubt had overwhelmed me the moment I’d driven across the state line.
Regardless, it had been time to go home.
I’d been gone too long.
Or, as I’d decided as I’d passed the exit to Park County, not nearly long enough.

About The Author Black and Red

Aly MartinezBorn 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.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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