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Review

“Life is a struggle, but it’s who you chose to take on the journey with you that matters the most.”

4 stars!

The Fall Up was one of my favourite reads last year and I was so excited when I heard that Levee’s scene-stealing best friend, Henry Alexander, was getting his own book. The openly gay yet relationship-phobic rock star’s story was just begging to be told, and this book is funny, romantic, heartbreaking, and full of the emotion that I love about Aly Martinez’s writing. It’s a great story and I loved it!

This book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading The Fall Up first. Not only is it a sensational read, but it introduces Henry as a character, shows us his relationship with Levee and gives us important insight into their pasts.

Henry had a difficult childhood. He never felt loved, except by his best friend Levee, so he has pursued relationships that are risk-free and pose no danger to his heart. Instead he goes for straight men – taking pleasure in the thrill of seduction, knowing that nothing lasting can ever come of it.

The high that came from being with a straight man, knowing he was going against his own genetic coding just for one night with me, made every minute of the pain worth it.
Those forbidden encounters were a drug.
And I was a junkie.

Which is why he sets his sights on Evan Roth. Evan is a pilot, and with Henry’s almost crippling fear of flying, Evan comes to represent safety and comfort after he help him through more than one terrifying experience. But there is also attraction there, and Henry makes Evan his next straight target.

Evan is amazing! Smart, strong and gorgeous with a great sense of humour and a caring heart, I don’t blame Henry for his infatuation! But Henry doesn’t know that Evan is actually bi-sexual. After a devastating relationship with a man in his past, Evan has stuck strictly to women, but there is something about the charismatic rocker that has him questioning everything.

I didn’t understand how, after all these years of avoiding men, I was suddenly enamored by one I barely even knew. I didn’t understand how he had enraptured me with a single stare from across a crowded arena. I didn’t know why the heat from his flames consumed me like never before. I didn’t know why my mind was screaming at me to run as far away as I could, but my body absolutely refused.

Henry and Evan’s road to a relationship isn’t an easy one, but it’s realistic and full of flirting, banter, and epically hot moments of UST.

Squirming under his gaze while standing in front of a sold-out crowd just became the most arousing experience of my life.
And I knew he felt it too when a lazy smile played at the corner of his lips before his eyes swept back over me.
Dear God.

Both Henry and Evan have issues they need to sort through in order to be together, and the book is written in dual POV so we get to see both of their journeys. It’s so beautifully written, I could understand what they were going through and their fears of jumping into a relationship, and I loved watching them come to realise their feelings for each other as they both broke down their walls for somebody who makes them feel something like never before.

There was no longer a fight— my mind and my body were both finally on board. The walls had crumbled and I was clambering over the wreckage with only him in my sights.
I was in it with Henry.
Plain and simple.

And yes, there’s sexy time, and yes, it’s hot as hell! But it’s also very emotional and a wonderful reflection of where Henry and Evan are at together.

“This doesn’t make you gay … It just makes you mine.”

But as those walls come tumbling down, will they be able to deal with the secrets that are revealed and what it means for their relationship?

It’s a bit of an up and down road for Henry and Evan, and I felt that there was some questionable decision making which led to the inevitable conflict. But though it was annoying, it showed the intensity of the connection between Henry and Evan and it was resolved in sensational style.

In addition to everything that is going on with Henry and Evan, I loved the chance to catch up with Levee and Sam from the first book, and I particularly loved the relationship between Henry and Levee. They have been each other’s support for such a long time, and the way that they are ingrained into each other’s lives and love and support each other unconditionally was beautiful. And I love how accepting Sam was of their need for each other and the close relationship that they have.

I also loved Henry’s security man, Carter, and am hoping that there a book for him in the future, because there’s a whole lot of intensity going on there with the woman in his life, and I think their story could be truly epic!

This book was a wonderful mix of humour, drama, sexy romance and a whole lot of heart. Aly Martinez once again kept me completely captivated the whole way through the story and I finished the book with a huge smile on my face.

I loved it – 4 stars.

 

The Fall Up series (standalones)

 

For more amazing reads by Aly Martinez, check out our Aly Martinez Author Spotlight page.