Two people who met at the most important time in their lives find a childhood friendship becoming more in this emotionally intense romance where love proves itself to be stronger than the obstacles life throws their way. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Release by Aly Martinez, along with my impressions of it, then add this stand-alone contemporary romance to your bookshelf too!
Growing up, Ramsey Stewart branded my soul in ways time could never heal.
At twelve, he asked me to be his girlfriend. At thirteen, he gave me my first kiss.
By sixteen, we’d fallen in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes set on the horizon.
Love never fails, right? But for Ramsey, it did. Love failed him.
I failed him.
The entire world failed him.
At seventeen, Ramsey was convicted of killing the boy who assaulted me.
Move on,he wrote in his first and only letter from prison. Start a new life, he urged.
I don’t love you anymore, he lied.
There was no such thing as giving up on Ramsey. Love may have been our curse, but he was mine—then, now, and forever.
So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don't even know to emerge from between the chain link gates.
EXCERPT:
It was funny. I’d spent almost half my life surrounded by the biggest, baddest criminals the state of Georgia had been able to capture. Yet, I was terrified of a five- foot-five woman who for some asinine reason was still in love with me.
I couldn’t be around her. Not if I wanted to keep my head straight and my eye on the prize. I had three years before I got off parole. I needed to get a job, tuck away some cash, and, the second I was allowed to leave Georgia, get the hell out of there. Maybe, if I was lucky, I’d be able to convince my sister to come with me. We didn’t have to go far. We could stay in the south if she wanted. South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee—there were schools everywhere. Nora wouldn’t have trouble finding a job. The hardest part would be convincing her to leave Thea.
However, maybe if she did, Thea would finally move on with her life and stop obsessing about me.
I’d known they lived together for a while. I didn’t want anything to do with Thea while I was locked up, but I was happy as hell Nora had someone to lean on. I had been under the impression that Nora had gotten her own place when she found out about my release. I had been under that impression because Nora had straight-up told me she was getting her own place after I’d declared there was no way I was living with Thea.
Now, I was hiding in my room, waiting for Nora to wake up, open my door, and escort me to breakfast like a damn bodyguard so I could avoid confrontation.
Next up in my efforts to kill time was a workout. Sit ups, push-ups, planks, running in place. This was when I realized Nora hadn’t bought me any deodorant.
Another shower.
Another naked lap around the bedroom, and this time, I managed to keep my hands off my cock.
Finally, I got dressed. This required me to pick through a bunch of preppy shit Nora had bought for me to find tattered jeans and a fitted green tee that clung to my chest like a damn glove. In my closet, I found a belt and a pair of distressed brown lace-up boots that maybe could have doubled as combat boots if the war was taking place on a runway. But what the hell did I know about style? I’d been wearing orange or puke beige for almost half my life.
When I was done with all of that and there was still no sign of Nora, I sat on the edge of the bed and decided to give the phone thing a try. I wasn’t totally out of the technology loop. We had computers at the library and we were allowed to use them if we earned the privileges. But they might as well have been dinosaurs compared to the phone she’d bought me. I couldn’t even get it to read my face with the fancy secret laser thing. I gave up trying pretty quickly.
So there I was, bored out of my mind, starving, and poking at my newfound wrinkles in the bathroom mirror, when I heard a knock at my door.
“Ramsey?”
I froze, my eyes locked on the mirror, panic staring back at me.
Thea.
Jesus. I needed to find somewhere else to live.
Leaning out of the bathroom, I stared at the door. If I was super quiet, maybe she’d think I was still asleep and go the hell away.
When I didn’t reply, she knocked again. Her voice was timid and sweet, not at all like the fearless girl I’d grown up with. I hated it.
“Ramsey? You hungry? I’m making breakfast? I was wondering if you wanted something?” Everything from my name to the fact that she was making breakfast was a question, as if maybe she was asking permission to cook in her own house.
My stomach was currently feasting on my backbone. Still, I said nothing.
She sighed. “Okay. Well, if you change your—” There were several seconds of silence.
I quirked my eyebrow at the door, trying to figure out why she’d abruptly stopped talking, and then cursed my inability to develop x-ray vision.
I held my breath, hoping to hear her footsteps as she walked away.
No. Such. Fucking. Luck.
The door swung open and she came walking inside with her hands stacked over her eyes. “Look, I know you’re awake. I heard you running earlier. I also heard you take at least three showers. Sorry, but the house isn’t that big. Neither is the hot water heater. Are you at least dressed so I can open my eyes?” Brave. Unapologetic. And completely oblivious to boundaries. Now that was the Thea I knew.
“Get out,” I barked.
“Dressed? Not dressed? Help me out here?”
“Get. Out.”
She kept her eyes closed. “You gotta eat, Ramsey. You can’t stay locked up in this room forever.”
I wanted to tell her to get the hell out again. Honestly, it was on the tip of my tongue. But it never made it past my lips because my traitorous eyes stole a head-to-toe of her lithe body. She was barefoot, wearing jeans—tight ones that tapered at her ankle. They looked like mine in the sense that they had a rip in the knee. They didn’t look like mine in the sense that they hugged the curve of her hips and more than likely her ass too. A pink tank top stretched across her chest, and I swear on my life, fuck x-ray vision because I could see the pebble of her nipples beneath the fabric.
It wasn’t a ridiculous dress.
It wasn’t stupid fucking heels.
She wasn’t wearing a face full of clown makeup.
She was just Thea.
The nostalgia pumped through my veins like acid even as my cock stirred. Fuck, I should have jerked off again in the shower.
“I’m dressed,” I bit out, desperate for her to put her damn hands down and maybe use them to cover her tits instead.
Her long, brown lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. Those fucking eyes had once owned me. As a huge smile lit her face, I felt the claim all over again. “Oh, look, you chose one of the outfits I picked out for you.”
Of course I had. Of fucking course. As soon as I got her out of my room, I was going to take the outfit off and light it on fire.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
When it comes to reading romances I enjoy books that make me smile and laugh, but I’m equally drawn to those books that put my emotions in a blender in tales that pull at my heartstrings while bringing a tear to my eye. With this stand-alone tale Ms. Martinez manages to do just that by putting an immensely appealing couple through a journey of highs and lows that ultimately proves the power of true love. Told in dual POVs readers will quickly become invested in Ramsey and Thea’s lives, seeing their friendship form as young teens and basking in the glow of their love as it builds through the years. It’s a sweet and sensual coupling that warmed my heart before making my heart ache once Ramsey’s decision took him from Thea. With each turn of the page I became more captivated by their journey to HEA, and with an unexpected twist late in the story, I literally fell out of my chair. It was a twist though that ultimately culminated in an ending that was pure perfection.
I fell in love with Ramsey Stewart the moment he climbed up that tree. To the outside world he’s a nice guy with a good sense of humor, someone who tells a lot of stories to make others forget their own troubles. Behind the carefree facade though is a young man carrying the weight of the world on himself. Coming from dysfunctional parents has left him trying to keep things together for the sake of his younger sister, abused both physically and psychologically too by his father in damage to his self-esteem. The day he looked down from that tree branch and saw Thea was the day everything changed for him though. He saw someone hurting who he could help heal, someone he could focus on to diminish his own issues, and it endeared him to me. He was sweet and caring, sacrificing much in the name of others and his unconditional support of Thea throughout the story was truly romantic. His return home meant lots of hurt feelings coming to the surface, feelings of not feeling worthy enough, feelings that only Thea could bring out in him as she set out to prove their love for each other.
Thea Hull was always a bit of a loner, keeping to herself for the most part when she was young, as she was more of a tomboy than a girly-girl. Her mother’s illness made her even more standoffish as each day was one day closer to her death. That day was the one that broke Thea, showed her that she was on her own when dealing with the grief as her father seemed to lose himself. Finding a young boy sitting in the tree above her though changed her life irrevocably, gave her someone who pushed her and brought her back from her downward spiral. Throughout their journey to HEA she finally had a protector, one who always stood up for her, and once he returned home she was finally able to prove herself to him too. Thea was a very likable heroine, stronger than she thought she was as lots of painful moments befell her that ultimately made her stronger. She’s loyal and feisty and her love for Ramsey was more than obvious as I cheered her on in her journey to showing him just how important he was to her.
Ramsey and Thea’s connection was intense from the very start and saw them sharing all sorts of painful emotions. As they evolved from friends to lovers their connections took on a more sensual vibe, a slow and steady burn that made each successive interlude richer. Both characters are unforgettable in this powerful romance that deals with heavy issues. Sweet words and actions are nicely balanced with intense moments to keep me frantically turning the pages for more. Alongside this delightful main couple, a couple who owned this story, was Ramsey’s sister Nora. She was equally supportive and caring with a past that was also painful and her story needs to be told too. Readers looking for a powerful read will want to grab this one as the main couple makes this an unforgettable journey to HEA as they prove the power of love really does exist.
I fell in love with Ramsey Stewart the moment he climbed up that tree. To the outside world he’s a nice guy with a good sense of humor, someone who tells a lot of stories to make others forget their own troubles. Behind the carefree facade though is a young man carrying the weight of the world on himself. Coming from dysfunctional parents has left him trying to keep things together for the sake of his younger sister, abused both physically and psychologically too by his father in damage to his self-esteem. The day he looked down from that tree branch and saw Thea was the day everything changed for him though. He saw someone hurting who he could help heal, someone he could focus on to diminish his own issues, and it endeared him to me. He was sweet and caring, sacrificing much in the name of others and his unconditional support of Thea throughout the story was truly romantic. His return home meant lots of hurt feelings coming to the surface, feelings of not feeling worthy enough, feelings that only Thea could bring out in him as she set out to prove their love for each other.
Thea Hull was always a bit of a loner, keeping to herself for the most part when she was young, as she was more of a tomboy than a girly-girl. Her mother’s illness made her even more standoffish as each day was one day closer to her death. That day was the one that broke Thea, showed her that she was on her own when dealing with the grief as her father seemed to lose himself. Finding a young boy sitting in the tree above her though changed her life irrevocably, gave her someone who pushed her and brought her back from her downward spiral. Throughout their journey to HEA she finally had a protector, one who always stood up for her, and once he returned home she was finally able to prove herself to him too. Thea was a very likable heroine, stronger than she thought she was as lots of painful moments befell her that ultimately made her stronger. She’s loyal and feisty and her love for Ramsey was more than obvious as I cheered her on in her journey to showing him just how important he was to her.
Ramsey and Thea’s connection was intense from the very start and saw them sharing all sorts of painful emotions. As they evolved from friends to lovers their connections took on a more sensual vibe, a slow and steady burn that made each successive interlude richer. Both characters are unforgettable in this powerful romance that deals with heavy issues. Sweet words and actions are nicely balanced with intense moments to keep me frantically turning the pages for more. Alongside this delightful main couple, a couple who owned this story, was Ramsey’s sister Nora. She was equally supportive and caring with a past that was also painful and her story needs to be told too. Readers looking for a powerful read will want to grab this one as the main couple makes this an unforgettable journey to HEA as they prove the power of love really does exist.
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
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 olives. 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.
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