5 Smooches!
Synopsis
I come from a family of fighters. I always thought I’d follow in their shadows, becoming unstoppable in the ring. That changed the day I saved the life of a woman I loved, but could never have.
My brother hailed me as a hero, and my reward was a wheelchair.
Paralyzed, my life became an inescapable nightmare.
Until I met her.
Ash Mabie had a heart-stopping smile and a laugh that numbed the rage and resentment brewing inside of me. She showed me that even the darkest night still had stars, and it didn’t matter one bit that you had to lie in the weeds to see them.
I was a jaded asshole who fell for a girl with a knack for running away. I couldn’t even walk but I would have spent a lifetime chasing her.
Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting the shadows of our past.
Fighting to reclaim my future.
Fighting for her.
Review
Before I get into the meat of this review, I would like to say LOOK AT THAT HOT AS ALL GET OUT COVER. This might be my most favorite of Aly’s covers so far. It is incredibly hot and mean and it is just so FLINT! OK, i just had to get that out of the way. 😉
If you read Fighting Silence, then I know like me, you have been on pins and needles waiting for Flint’s story in Fighting Shadows. I loved Fighting Silence. Till Page stole my heart. He made me want to start using windows instead of doors, He made me believe in fairy tales. But Flint Page is a completely different story. He is a direct contrast to Till and while I thought Till would always be my favorite Page boy, Flint came out victorious with his very REAL struggles. His grit, his anger, his darkness drew me in right away. I knew immediately that he was IT for me.
“Fuck the slack. Give me the tension.”
When I finished Fighting Silence, I was so incredibly sad for Flint. I knew that he had an uphill battle. My heart ached for him even in the beginning of Fighting Shadows. His life just seemed so desolate and lonely. Of course this was of his own making really, but I could understand. Life had dealt him a terrible hand. Until it gave him Ash Mabie.
“But in that second, I was so fucking jealous of her. Who in the world got to be that happy?”
Since this book is done in dual point of view, you will get to meet Ash too. And she is just amazing. She might be my most favorite fictional heroine ever. She hasn’t had an easy life either. But she is kind, optimistic, and pretty much finds the goodness in everyone. Even mean ole grouchy Flint Page.
“I mean, I totally understand that you’re allergic to fun. But you could always pop an antihistamine or something.”
Did I mention that she is hilarious? Well, she is. And honestly, she comes along at a time when Flint does not want her at all, but he definitely needs her. She is just so marvelous. I felt her stealing my smile right along with Flint’s. It is amazing how one person could change Flint’s life so drastically but she does.
“Because when I was nineteen years old I fell in love with a girl who changed my life by showing me that even the darkest nights still had stars and it didn’t matter one bit that you had to lie in the weeds to see them.”
This story is a really really uplifting one loaded with plenty of angst and drama. And man, but Flint is one sexy beast. He is an excellent dirty talker and a spanker to boot. Combine that with Ash’s innocence and her hilariously smart mouth, I was giggling my butt off.
“Were eating dinner and then I’m taking you home for dessert.”
“Are you sure? You just had that for breakfast.”
As you can tell, I am hardcore in love with Flint and Ash. Never have I loved both main characters so well. But Aly Martinez has the uncanny ability to this. She makes you love her characters. Her writing is good but her stories are better. They are NEVER the same. She is not your run of the mill romance writer. Her stories are like no others out there. They are original and well thought out. She immerses you in a whole slew of characters lives and makes you adore them all, hooking you for an entire series. And now that I have finished Flint’s story, I am absolutely dying for Quarry’s. If you know Aly’s writing, then you know that the end of this book leads up to Quarry’s book and his story and I am already seeing the potential for so many freaking feels. I simply cannot wait!
~Amie
