The Fall Up

COMTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Title: The Fall Up
Author: Aly Martinez
Publication date: 10/25/2015
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 5 out of 5

Amazon blurb
I wanted to jump.

He made me fall.

As a celebrity, I lived in the public eye, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost myself in the spotlight.
​
Until he found me.

Sam Rivers was a gorgeous, tattooed stranger who saved my life with nothing more than a simple conversation.

But we were both standing on that bridge for a reason the night we met. The secrets of our pasts brought us together—and then tore us apart.

Could we find a reason to hold on as life constantly pulled us down?
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Or maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall in love at rock bottom—up.

My Review
Given the heavy subject matter, The Fall Up could’ve been a real bummer of a read. And as a general rule, I don’t do bummer reads. But I’ve read other books by this author and loved them, so I gave this one a try. And wow, am I glad I did.

Aly Martinez has a really unique writing style. It’s a perfect blend of emotional, almost poetic phrasing, humor, and snappy dialogue. Not too many writers can deliver on all of those things in one book. I’m usually fairly happy if I get ONE of those things in a book, but to get all of them? It’s a rare treat indeed.

And somehow, despite the dark subject matter and the reasons behind why these two lost souls met on that bridge, The Fall Up manages to maintain a hopeful tone throughout. ​

“The perpetual free fall was no match for the way he made me feel.
I was still falling at unstoppable speeds – only, in his arms, as his body claimed me without a single word spoken, I was suddenly falling…up.”

I would have to say that one of my favorite parts of the book was the fun, playful banter between Sam and Levee.

“You haven't even seen my six-pack and huge cock, yet."
"You brought beer and chicken?”

​“I already said I overdid it. Don’t give me shit. I was nervous, and that party planner was wicked pushy. I told her kids were coming, and before I knew what happened, carnies were setting up.”

Levee was a great heroine and I loved her, but honestly, Sam was the real star of the book. I dare any romance lover out there to read the part where Sam asks Levee to come home with him and not melt just a little bit.

“Palming each side of her face, I dropped my forehead to hers. “I’m going to make things awkward. It’s kinda what I do. Just bear with me.”

She licked her lips, and I was forced to kiss her again. When I finally came back up for air, I continued.
​
My name is Samuel Nathan Rivers. I’m twenty-seven. Aquarius. No criminal history. I have a clean bill of health. I’m a democrat, but for God’s sake, do not tell my mom. I own a furniture shop and clear six figures a year. I’m not interested in your money. I’ll show you my tax return if need be. I’m also not a super-fan interested in your fame. But, for the love of all that’s holy, I need you to come home with me.”

And because he’s the kind of romance hero that all other romance heroes should aspire to be, in the end, Sam doesn’t “fix” Levee. He doesn’t even try. What he does instead is help her fix herself.

“I kissed her hair and whispered, ‘There isn’t a woman in the world who doesn’t have demons of some sort… it’s always going to be a struggle.’ I kissed her hair again, letting it linger as if my lips were able to transfer the truth of my words. ‘Levee, I’d like to struggle with you.”

I could keep pulling awesome quotes all day, but I think that’s a waste of your time. Instead of reading pull quotes from this book, you should be one-clicking the hell out of it. So...go buy it now!! You’ll thank me later. Come back  when you’re done reading it and we’ll discuss.

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Crushes it! No rehab needed. This one is clean and sober.

Other reading suggestions
Get to your Kindle and download the entire Aly Martinez backlist. Then, once you’re done with that, for an angsty by not over-the-top emotional, sexy read, try Emma Scott’s All In. ​

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