Release: A Standalone Friends-to-Lovers Romance (The Release Series Book 1)

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She refuses to give up on them even when she finds out that Ramsey and his sister have been lying to her for more than a decade.

Aly Martinez Reading Order | Author Aly Martinez

If you always wanted to try one of Aly Martinez's books, this is a great place to start. RELEASE is a complete standalone with new characters that will give you all the feels, some humor, intense storytelling and a beautiful story about soulmates who deserve their HEA. I was surprised that their past took up about half of the book. Normally, when a couple shares a past that's important, the author usually gives us about 20% of the book on the past. Instead, we didn't get to see Thea and Ramsey trying to understand their relationship when he's released from jail until halfway through the book. That being said, I wish we got more of them in this stage of their relationship. I felt like we watched them in agony over how to be together again and, once they were, it was just over. If we got more of them trying navigate the world actually being together, I would have loved this even more. There are several elements I enjoyed about this story. Namely, how Thea and Ramsey connected at such a crucial time in their lives and experienced so many firsts together. Ramsey is such a noble character with a big heart, and while sometimes it is to his detriment, it makes him endearing. As for Thea, she is strong character, though some point she needs to realize she isn’t the only one suffering. However, Thea knows the value of friends and family. They get ripped apart for Twelve years, eight months, three weeks, four days, twelve hours, and forty-three minutesHowever, I hate it when a woman pursues a man so hard, I prefer it the other way around so although I loved our heroine and believed that the guy had some good intentions in pushing her away, I didn’t enjoy their story taking all these turns. It killed whatever romance there was between them for me. And when the truth about that night of the murder was revealed, the book lost me forever. Poor heroine. She wasted her life pining for a guy thinking that he killed for her but unfortunately he didn’t and was just taking the blame for his sister. Amazing. Nice book on a brother sister relationship but definitely not the hero and heroine. It’s no secret that that I’m a HUGE fan of this author and I truly enjoy her books and this one was no different. I loved the dual povs and the past to present was executed beautifully. The only thing I would have liked to seen was more time in the present and how Thea and Ramsey navigated life “After". That felt a little too rushed for me and I was a bit disappointed but aside from that, I enjoyed this couple's journey and their love. He, albeit reluctantly, lives in her home, refuses to eat her food, uses her money, time, wears the clothes she buys

Release | Author Aly Martinez

I got invested in the budding symbiotic friendship of Thea and Ramsey from the get go. Aly manages to adeptly paint the innocent love picture, complete with rosy hues and starry dreams. All pulled away in the blink of an eye, stomped on and tattered in a single fateful night. Let’s talk about this story for just a second. This is not a breezy read. There are no unicorns and gumdrops anywhere to be seen. There is heartache. There is loss. There are gut-wrenching circumstances. There are choices with profound consequences. There is love. There is friendship. There is growth and a whole lot of hope. It is inspiring, emotional, and incredibly touching.

With a slow burn and some angsty moments, Release is a second chance romance that would appeal to those looking for a touching story dealing with real life painful issues. Sadly, it was a huge disappointment. Normally, I like Ms. Martinez’s books, they make me feel, but this one didn’t. I loved the two halves of a story this gives us. There was a sort of poetic justice in seeing Ramsey fight for Thea and do everything she doesn't realize she needs in the first half as they were kids, to then watch Thea return the favor for Ramsey all those years later. She doesn't shy away from his growling and convincing he doesn't need her. She knows the heart beneath the new roughened exterior and she won't rest until she proves that their love isn't so easily forgotten. I recommend this to those who likes: Aly Martinez, friends to lovers, second chance, coming-of-age, enemies to lovers, slow burn, emotional read, and a happily ever after.