Saturday, February 28, 2015

Fire Down Below by Debra Anastasia is Now Available & Reviewed


Dove Glitch is embarrassed about everything above her knees and below her belly button. When she has to fill a delicate, embarrassing prescription the last thing she needs is a sexy-as-hell (and brand spanking new) pharmacist behind the counter.

Johnson Fitzwell’s first day of his dream career also happens to coincide with the exact moment Dove needs her feminine meds filled. His glorious voice is way too loud–as in, he should be counting down the hits with Ryan Seacrest kind of loud. Thanks to Johnson’s handsome face and gorgeous jaw line, Dove dives headlong into her waking nightmare and asks for a vagina-scented cream.

How could she not fall for him? Dove's only active goal now is to get Johnson to kiss her right on the lips. Either set. However, his horrible girlfriend is one of many obstacles preventing her from making that fantasy a reality. When Dove defends Johnson in the most unhygienic, unconventionally gross way in the middle of a crowded restaurant, their tender, slightly tantric relationship is off to a galloping, farting start.

Each print copy of this book will be dipped in holy water by my mom, and glared at by my father as he purses his lips. Neither will help. So, drop your pants and turn to the left and cough. I hope you're not allergic to latex, because it’s time to fill your prescription. Anally.

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http://amzn.to/1ARBTWv
Book 1
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Oh God. We’re talking about me being naked, in the shower with cooter cream. Please world, end. Kill me.

“I know it’s not soap. I just… if it’s scented… I can’t do scented. Flowers and stuff like that. Fruit-flavored soaps make… things… burnish.” She could tell from the peeks at his face Mr. Fitzwell had never stepped foot in bath and lotion store, wanting to try the array of fun fragrances. Nor had he purchased Peppermint Candy shower gel, foamed up his nether regions, and felt like he had dipped them in lava. Dove crossed and uncrossed her legs at the memory.

Mr. Fitzwell seemed concerned. “Okay, just a heads-up. It’s definitely not good to put any fruits or plant life near your genitals.” He made a V with his hands and formed his own pretend vagina in front of his pants.

Dove covered her eyes and tried to defend herself because now she could hear the sickly older woman beating her supporters with a purse.

Dove’s mumbling got louder with her embarrassment. “I don’t put weird things down… there. Just make sure that the cream’s vagina-scented. Just plain. For vaginas.” She kept her eyes on the counter.





Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Shelby☆☆
After much deliberation, I've finally figured out how I'm going to review this "Literary Masterpiece".
I would like to preface by saying that I LOVE Mrs. Anastasia's writing, normally.

Fire Down Below was an odd experience for me. I was humiliated with Dove in the beginning, at the pharmacy. Then I was humiliated for Dove at MANY other points throughout the story.
The awkwardness of the main characters was spot on, and you could [almost] empathize with them...
Then the story got weird. Flatulence, poop jokes, odd neighbor with no decency, and a lot of potty humor.
I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. I didn't find ANY of it humorous.
We meet many of Dove's neighbors, in her apartment complex – seemingly all of her friends are located in the same building.
I almost DNFd this – until the addition of a "porn writer" and her husband showed up.
Hands down the funniest part of the ENTIRE story were these support characters. PERIOD.

SO, throughout the entire poop joke, vaginal diseases, awkward and humiliating story – there was a plot (that just took a while to really uncover). I wouldn't say it's unique or original but the characters were.
That's really all I can say.


Angela☆☆☆☆
Based on the information I received when signing up to read Fire Down Below, Ms. Anastasia wrote this book years ago as fanfiction. Having read the book, I can only assume the idea came to her after watching Dumb and Dumber while smoking some less than legal substance and thought it would be AWESOME to create a female version of that madcap duo and shove them both into Dove. Thankfully she came to her senses before subjecting the rest of the reading world to the book. That is, until recently when she apparently had one too many bottles of wine with friends and thought it would be a great idea to expose readers to Gynazule®. That, or she’s set out to prove that ANYBODY can write ANYTHING and sell it on Amazon (and other ebook retailers).

Initially I wasn’t going to read this book. For goodness sakes people, the leading man’s name is Johnson Fitzwell and the blurb contains the words vagina and farting, and basically tells you to prepare for a prostate exam. Besides, our blog had five people signed up to review it and I had books featuring testosterone-filled alpha males that I’ve been waiting to read. Hockey player vs. pharmacist – no contest there. Then the ladies started dropping like flies, unable to finish it – we had three women down, traumatized by what little bit they did read. When we finally get a review in, it’s a 2-star review. At this point I HAVE to check it out. Now I’m still not planning to read it, but I have got to know what is sending the review team running for therapy and eye & brain bleaching. So this evening, while I was setting up the following day’s blog posts, I turned on the Text-to-Speech feature on my Kindle Fire so I could listen and work. I then spent the next 6 hours laughing my @ss off at Dove’s antics as Murphy’s Law delivered b!tch-slap after b!tch-slap to the easily embarrassed but hornier than a cat in heat Dove.

Did I enjoy Fire Down Below? Surprisingly, I did! It seems that I was channeling my inner 12-year-old boy who got a kick out of the potty humor and word play that Ms. Anastasia filled the book with. Apparently she was triple-dog-dared to insure that not a single page escaped a fart, vagina, man-junk, diarrhea, or other somewhat embarrassing bodily function reference. And she proved to be an overachiever of this goal. Despite its content, Fire Down Below is a well-written romantic comedy which seems quite satirical and kept me laughing through most of the book. And yes, there is an actual story buried underneath all of the ridiculousness, but you have to dig very, very, very, very – well you get the picture – deep to get to it.

But the ultimate question is: Is this a book I would recommend to other readers? Absof*ckinglutely not!!! I have a twisted sense of humor and, as I said before, just happened to be channeling my inner 12 year-old boy tonight and found the juvenile humor nearly gut-busting. If you’re a Poughkeepsie fan thinking that you love Debra’s writing so much that you cannot wait to read this… run now, run fast, and run far. The only thing Fire Down Below has in common with Poughkeepsie – other than the author – is that Beckett probably would have loved this book. But if you’re in the mood to laugh and can laugh when a grown woman craps her pants (Yes, that happened!) then for the love of god, don’t buy the book, download a sample first. No sense in subjecting your Kindle to a possible bacterial infection if you don’t have to. This is the definitive case of “Try Before You Buy” and wait until you’re alone and not at work before you check it out because neither Ms. Anastasia nor I accept responsibility for what will happen if your boss’s finely-tuned bullsh!t detector sniffs out this heaping pile o’crap. And for your final warning, this is the first book in a series – god forbid people she has more of this nonsense saved up – and the ending will leave you screaming Nooooo! Actually, that would’ve happened either way. I can only hope that my inner 12-year-old boy is ready to go when the next one comes out because yes, I am one sick puppy and I will be subjecting myself to the sequel.






There are a lot of eyes in Debra Anastasia’s house in Maryland. First, her own creepy peepers are there, staring at her computer screen. She’s made two more sets of eyes with her body, and the kids they belong to are amazing. The poor husband is still looking at her after 17 years of marriage. At least he likes to laugh. Then the freaking dogs are looking at her—six eyeballs altogether, though the old dog is blind. And the cat watches her too, mostly while knocking stuff off the counter and doing that internal kitty laugh when Deb can’t catch the items fast enough.

Debra has a smattering of books in a few genres. There are two in the Seraphim Series and three in the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood Series with a prequel, Poughkeepsie Begins in the near future. Fire Down Below is the first in the comedic Gynazule Series. The second, Fire in the Hole, will be published in late 2015. The Revenger, a dark paranormal romance will debut this summer. And last, a novella called Late Night with Andres is special because 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. (So go get it right now, please!)

You can find her at DebraAnastasia.com and on Twitter. But be prepared...

Connect with Debra

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After all that you have now read, do you want to win an eBook copy of Fire Down Below?
No? Would you like to inflict it upon your worst enemy instead? Your BFF?

To enter the Giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment here on this blog post.
BUT in your comment you must state either:
1 – I want to win Fire Down Below because I’m a greedy [insert your own word].
2 – It’s time for a ding-dong-dash and I know exactly who deserves this steaming pile o’crap.
3 – My BFF is in dire need of a dose of Gynazule® so I wanna win this for [insert her 1st name].

If you are glutton for punishment and would like an extra entry, leave a comment (preferably the same one you leave here, but feel free to be creative) on the Fire Down Below post on our Wicked Reads Facebook page. If I’ve got my wits together, it’ll be the pinned post of the day.

This contest is open Internationally, BUT if you’re a US-based winner you may also receive a matching maxi pad puppet! NOW you understand the picture.




Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Fire Down Below (Gynazule #1) by Debra Anastasia to read and review for this tour. Unfortunately they’re on their own when it comes to paying for the therapy.

All That’s Unrealized by Constance Phillips Blog Tour


It’s what the doctor ordered for Rhonda Gables, owner of three successful boutiques: four weeks of rest between winning this season’s Retail Project and claiming her prize. Rhonda must decide if being a TV reality show star is worth leaving behind her loved ones, including the increasingly appealing Trevor Collins.

***

In a month, fashion mogul and reality TV judge Conrad Ryse, of The Retail Project fame, has promised to take Rhonda Gables under his wing and invest in her fledgling career. That’s her grand prize after a winning season on his show. Too bad exhaustion has sent Rhonda out of her city apartment, away from her three successful boutiques, and into her cousin’s guest room for a month of recuperation in her hometown.

She’s on the cusp of everything she’s ever wanted, but what will it cost? Doctor’s orders be damned, she balks at first. But soon Rhonda is both delighted and disconcerted by the attentions of her friend-maybe-lover, Trevor Collins, and the contentment she is surrounded by back home. She must realize all she’s willing to compromise and all her heart truly desires.

 Add to Goodreads


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Book 3
Buy Links

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie☆☆☆☆
This is the third in the series, but can definitely be read as a standalone. I would however recommend the previous two books, as they provide context and are good stories too!

I really enjoyed how this book tied up lots of loose ends from previous books, but at the same time provided us with Rhonda and Trevor's stories in the foreground. They have been firm friends for a while, but now a chance to take it further, even if only for a while, is too tempting to resist. Annoyingly, as soon as they redefine their relationship, they forget to communicate, and both misunderstand each other. The layers and interweaving of small town life contrasted well with the brashness of high fashion. It was particularly well done when moving from Joss to Conrad. The theme of strong women and the issues of career v family continues to be a focus, and the men that flank these women do an interesting role, both as foils and supporters.

Looking forward to the next one, so I hope you are busy writing Ms. Phillips!


Also Available in the Sunnydale Days Series

http://amzn.to/1wsyoRU
Book 1
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For reviews & more into, check out our stop on the
All That’s Unspoken Blog Tour.


http://amzn.to/1zeZwKb
Book 2
Buy Links

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ARe  ~  B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo  ~  Turquoise Morning Press

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the
All That’s Unclaimed Blog Tour.




Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, daughter, two kitties, and four canine kids.

When not writing stories of finding and rediscovering love, Constance is counting down the days until her son and daughter-in-law make her a grandma and planning a cross-country motorcycle trip with her husband for the not-so-distant future…if they can find a sidecar big enough for the pups.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of All That’s Unrealized (Sunnydale Days #3) by Constance Phillips to read and review for this tour.

Wicked Reads Reviews – Revealing Ruby by Lavinia Kent


Unmasked by smoldering desire, a rigidly disciplined madame gives in to the ultimate temptation in Lavinia Kent’s seductive new eBook original novella.

As the proprietress of London’s most discreet house of pleasure, Madame Rouge—Ruby to her clientele—prefers to keep her own company. The first rule in her establishment? She never, ever personally entertains the customers. However, the tall, dark, and provocatively tattooed American sailor who shows up on her doorstep makes Ruby wonder whether some rules were made to be broken. If she indulges, even just once, Ruby’s loyal patrons might get the wrong idea. If she doesn’t, she may never stop fantasizing about where that tattoo leads. . . .

No complications: That’s all Derek Price, captain of the Dawn’s Light, asks of his consorts on shore, and he’s willing to pay handsomely for the favor. But of all the women at Madame Rouge’s, the one he wants is the only one he can’t have, for any sum. Derek is not a man with an abundance of patience. However, for a night with Madame Rouge, Ruby, whoever she is, he’s willing to make those lush curves and sapphire eyes come to him.

Revealing Ruby is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

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Book 1.5
Buy Links

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica☆☆☆
Revealing Ruby is a lusty novella, with everything centering around the physical, with a thread of suspenseful mystery lying deep beneath the seduction.

Heavy on the description of the characters' attributes, the clothing, & their surroundings, but very light on the content of their character. Monologue & dialogue are essentially about wanting & how to get.

Physical chemistry & smoldering scenes ended with a cliffhanger, when the next book is a different set of narrators.

Recommended: Historical fans who aren't too picky about the details of the era. Erotica fans who enjoy sexy scenes with a very small slice of story.


Ruthie☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed the writing and the story in book 1, so was sure that this would be good – and it certainly is.

Ruby was central to the plot in Mastering the Marquess and here we get a snippet of her true self, or is that selves. It is definitely hot, but also poignant and amusing. Captain Price, (oh what I would give for a picture of his tattoo) I am hoping we will meet again in future installments. Once again, good writing and interesting plot lines that had this reader up till late and wanting to know what happens next.


Also Available in the Bound and Determined Series

http://amzn.to/1t2Remu
Book 1
Buy Links

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For reviews & more info, check out our Mastering the Marquess blog post.


http://amzn.to/1CGrTyF
Book 2
Buy Links

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I live in Washington, DC with my husband, kids, two cats and a changing menagerie of other small beasts.

I worked in both the arts and in the business world before giving into my love of storytelling after the birth of my oldest -- although it wasn't until after the birth of my youngest when I suddenly had full-time childcare that it all came together for me.

I love discussing books -- almost any books at any time.

One of my great joys is having my children get old enough that we can all read the same things and talk. I am so happy that YA is the flourishing world that it is.

And of course I love Romance. I started back with Kathleen Woodiwiss and Johanna Lindsay and have never given them up since -- although there were a few slow spots along the way.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Revealing Ruby (Bound and Determined #2) by Lavinia Kent to read and review.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Asylum by Lily White Blog Tour Wraps Up


Words are funny things.

Their meaning, the pictures they paint in the minds of those that hear them: they’re not always the same and to me at least, that makes them meaningless.

Take for instance the phrase ‘black widow’. Those words conjure the image of a spider, an eight-legged creature with the red imprint of an hourglass on its abdomen.

However, instead of speaking of an arachnid, of the resident of a spindly and dew-laden web, the people who whisper those words are talking about something much different.

They’re talking about me.

From what I’m told, I’m called the Black Widow because no man I’ve ever loved has survived.

Yet, I have no memory of any of it.

My new home leads me to the definition of another vague and meaningless word.

It’s a place where I’m supposed to seek refuge.

A place of retreat and security.

It’s a place where I’m supposed to be kept safe because I’m sick.

But the definition for this place is wrong and the word becomes meaningless when you’re tucked away and made silent by drugs and pretty white jackets.

My name is Alexandra Sutton and this is the story of what happened when I was imprisoned inside an Asylum.

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B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo





Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Rachael☆☆☆
While certain aspects of this book were awesome... others did nothing for me. I actually liked the naughty doctor and his crazy patient aspect of this book... However, I didn't care for the end reveal because...well, frankly it didn't work for me. I just felt like there was much that could've taken place that didn't.

That said. I did find the other characters in the story quite interesting. I also give mad props for admitting right from the first page that she took liberties with certain things and that made it easier for me to get into the story because Lily White wasn't afraid to admit that.

I don't want to give anything away, but there was a lot of jerks and mean people with a whole lot of deception, but I felt like overall it just wasn't what it could've been. While this is my first Lily White book to read, I'd heard such great things about her dark stories and while it certainly had dark moments, it lacked that something special.

The absolute best part of the story is unveiling Alex's story, but you can find that in any murder story. It really wasn't all that different when it came down to it... Sure some kinkery and twists were there but... not enough.


Shelby☆☆☆☆
I really don't know where to start with this story!
It was awesome, and dark, and freaky, and HOT, and...

Alex wakes up in an Asylum, she has NO idea why she's there. She has no idea who she even is. The only person she can rely on is her brother.
A new Psychiatrist has taken over Alex's case, introducing his own therapy, to "fix" her and "jog" her memory.
Noble as his intentions may be, there is always something lurking in the dark.

I really liked this story: the asylum was creepy, the employees were evil, and the residents were crazy.
At the same time, the emotions were real and the sexy-time was HOT!
I was trying to figure out what was really going on, but it's really hard to do when your POV is the crazy girl.
The story held my attention from start to finish, and I may be tempted to read this again – it was really that good.





Lily White is a dark writer who likes to dabble on the taboo side of eroticism. Most of the time she can be found wandering around aimlessly while her mind is stuck in some twisted power play between two characters in her head. You may recognize her in public by the confused expression, random mumbling, and occasional giggle while thinking up a scene. Lily’s favorite things in life are reading, thinking about reading, buying books for reading….and writing. Her other secret pleasure is meeting with her plot editor in public to discuss her books and watching the shocked expressions of the people around her that don’t realize she’s talking about a book. When Lily is not reading, writing, wandering or freaking out innocent bystanders, she’s sleeping.

Connect with Lily

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Follow the Asylum Blog Tour HERE.


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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Asylum by Lily White to read and review for this tour.

Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez Blog Tour


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.


Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.

Add to Goodreads


http://amzn.to/1BE0C3Z
Book 1
Buy Links

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“I swear to fucking God,” I snarled as I stomped a pattern around Eliza’s hospital room. She had just been wheeled out, but my anger and anxiety filled the room in her absence.

“Calm. Down,” Slate said from the doorway. “It’s no big deal. I’ll get it back.”

“Fuck you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, get your shit together and remember who the hell you are talking to.”

Eliza didn’t have insurance, and she had freaked when the doctor told her that he wanted to run a CAT scan because of the trauma to her face and head. She’d flat-out refused, spouting off some crap about not going into debt by racking up a huge hospital bill she’d eventually have to pay. She’d sworn she was okay, but I’d absolutely not been anything even resembling okay.

So I’d lost it. I’d snapped at her like a fucking asshole. Then I’d shouted at the doctor for reasons that didn’t even make sense. In turn, he threatened to call security, which only pissed me off more. It was a clusterfuck in that room until Slate came in and physically pinned me against the wall. While I was trying to get my shit under control, Erica was apparently informing administration that she and Slate would be financially responsible for Eliza’s hospital visit. While I was relieved as they wheeled her out of the room, I was sick and fucking tired of feeling like a broke-ass, worthless dick all the time. As it often was, my anger was aimed in the wrong place, and Slate was the only man in the room.

“Get my shit together?” My heart pounded in my chest, and every muscle in my body strained under the mounting stress. “I’d like to see how the hell you’d react if Erica looked like that and there wasn’t a fucking thing in the world you could do to help her.”

Slate’s eyes turned dark as his jaw clenched. “It was different. But I’ve been there,” he stated matter-of-factly. “It was the worst day of my life. I wasn’t even the one who got to make the piece of shit pay either. But honestly, Till, sometimes you have to accept that it’s not the way things get done or who does them. As long as, in the end, they are done. She’s getting that CAT scan right now, and you can sleep easy tonight knowing that she’s okay. It doesn’t matter one bit who signs the check that pays for that kind of peace of mind.”

“It matters to me. You have no fucking idea how it feels to be so goddamn helpless all the time. I can’t do this anymore. I’ve only truly had her for less then twenty-four hours and I’ve already failed to fucking protecting her and provide for her. My boxing trainer had to pay for her medical bills. It’s embarrassing!”

“It’s only embarrassing if you let it be.” He shrugged and settled into the chair next to the door.

I continued to pace. I couldn’t get over the heavy weight of failure compressing my chest. “Why the fuck would she want to settle for someone like me? I failed out of high school. I work sixty-three hours a week for minimum wage so that I can barely pay the bills on a shithole apartment. For fuck’s sake, I have two brothers I want to give the world, but last week, she had to buy us groceries. Oh, and there is always that fun fact that I’m going deaf. One day, she really will have to take care of me! I can’t handle knowing that she has to settle for a future filled with struggles just to be with me. I love her. I really fucking do. But at what point do I let her go because I know she’d have a better life with someone else?” I finished my rant on a yell.

“Wow. You have a really gone off the deep end. She’s not some puppy you can find a better home for.” He stretched his legs out and crossed them at his ankles.

If possible, it managed to piss me off more. I was in emotional upheaval and he was getting comfortable.

“Just leave me alone. I can’t deal with your shit right now.”

“You want to go pro?” he asked randomly.

“What I want is for you to leave.”

“Is that a no?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“What the fuck are you talking about? Nothing has changed. I still don’t have the time. Honestly, I think I need to give up boxing altogether. Maybe try to find another job or something.”

“I’ll bankroll eight hundred a week. Quit your jobs and come work for me in the ring. It comes with health insurance for you and the boys too.”

I stared at him, awestruck. That was double what I was bringing home each week.

I’d always heard that you couldn’t judge a man’s character by the balance in his bank account. Thank fuck for that because character might be the only place I wasn’t overdrawn. And right then, Slate’s offer sounded a whole lot like pity. No matter how appealing it sounded, I wanted to make it without having to rely on anyone else. I couldn’t afford to sacrifice character.

“Why are you doing this right now? What part of that conversation confused you? I don’t want your charity.”

“It’s not charity. I’m gonna make a shit-ton of money off your ass. This isn’t a free ride. I’ll get all of your winnings until you’ve paid me back. Then anything you make over that, I get thirty-three percent. Erica’s been eyeing this condo on the beach in Florida. I’m hoping you can help me out and buy that for her.”

Outstanding. Slate wants to buy a condo on the beach and I just want to keep the electricity on.

“It has to be hard being you.” My voice dripped with sarcasm, but it only made Slate smile.

“I guess you won’t know until you try. I made every single penny I have from boxing. If you think money will solve all your problems, then put whatever preconceived notions you have about my motives aside and take my offer. But if you decide to refuse, you should know I won’t make it again.”

“Why now? Less than a month ago, you told me I wasn’t ready. Where was your offer to bankroll me then?”

“I’m not going to lie to you. You’re not ready. Not if you want to be great. But with enough time, I can get you there. You’re raw right now, and despite whatever you think, you’re driven by something greater than the almighty dollar or dreams of stardom.” He stood up and walked over to me. “To answer your question about why now, I was wrong. You’re not hungry for more in life. You’re fucking starving. I can work with that.

“Did you even listen to yourself while you were talking? Not one single thing you said was because Till Page wanted more money or a nicer car. You were concerned about Eliza and the boys…but never Till.” He poked my chest right over my heart. “I’m making an investment in you, Till. It’s no handout. I believe you’re going to set the boxing world on fire, because every time you put on those gloves, you’re doing it for them. Say yes. Accept the offer. Quit your jobs. Take a week off to take care of her. Then get your ass in my ring.”

I had no words. If I spoke, I was going to look like a sniffling little bitch. So I nodded instead. “Good. I’m going to find Erica and get some coffee. I’ll send over the contracts and your first paycheck in the morning.” He turned and headed for the door.

I stood in the middle of an empty hospital room where my fantasy and reality had collided. Finally, I had the break I had dreamed of, but it had taken almost losing Eliza to get it. I would forever remember the way I felt in that moment. Cracking my neck and shaking out my arms, I decided I was done letting the world run over me.

Slate had just handed me my one chance to make a better life, and I was going in with gloves blazing. For the first time in my fucking life, I was climbing through the ropes.






Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Johanna☆☆☆☆
Inspiring read, and romantic. Eliza meets Till when they are barely teenagers, both trying to find some peace from messed up family situations. They find that peace and....each other. As Till gets older he allows himself the luxury of an after school boxing program, even though he's working two jobs to make ends meet and raising his younger brothers. He's also very aware that he's losing his hearing due to a genetic disorder. The story continues to unfold, as he romances Eliza – his nickname for her is Doodle. I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more by this author. Overall entertainment was four stars.


Veronica☆☆☆☆☆
Fighting Silence is an amazingly emotional story about love, family, fighting against the odds and realising that money isn't everything.

The story switches between the points of view of both Till and Eliza and takes us from their first meeting when they were 13 years old to the present.

Till and Eliza have so many obstacles to overcome on their way to success and happiness. Watching them struggle, work had and fight for what they want shows us that hard work does pay off and that through our struggles we learn what is really important to us.

This is an intense, emotional story and was my first big ugly cry for 2015. I highly recommend Fighting Silence.


Ruthie☆☆☆☆☆
This made its way straight onto my reread pile, and can't wait for the next in the series list.

The book cover and title make one assume this is an MMA sports romance, but it is so much more than that. It deals with difficult issues, with deep, genuine friendships, with family, or lack of family, with loss and with trust and caring and love. It is by turns shocking, life affirming and then comedic. I gasped, laughed and shed a tear, totally tied up in the characters' lives unfolding in front of my eyes.

Fabulous; thank you Ms. Martinez for another amazing story.


Stephanie☆☆☆☆☆
This story is so much more than a sports romance. It's an intense, emotional story about love and overcoming odds. I laughed, I cried (ok, not just cried – sobbed), I love it! This surely is a re-read for me. I highly recommend it!






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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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Fighting Silence (On the Ropes #1) by Aly Martinez to read and review for this tour.