Meet Till & Eliza in Aly Martinez’s newest fighter series!
Oh my!! This book. These characters….
I absolutely LOVED this story. Truly, truly loved it and if I could give it more stars I would.
After reading the synopsis when I got an email saying how ‘Fighting Silence’ was right up my street I just knew I was going to enjoy this book. But by god was I surprised at just how much?
I was hooked and my heart captured from the first instance.
Aly doesn’t pull any punches as she throws us right into the thick of things from the start and does not let up throughout the books entirety. Our emotions are thrown off kilter and left with an aching heart.
For Till, Eliza is too special to him and although he loved her he didn’t want to risk a relationship in fear of losing her forever.
Unfortunately, you can’t live in fantasy forever.
I loved Till and my heart broke for him as well. He had such a beautiful heart and didn't know his own worth. Not having the parents that cared about him or his brothers caused him to doubt himself and he became so focused on taking care of others that he forgot to take care of himself. He worked his arse off to guarantee his brothers were well cared for and had the best life he could offer them. Working 2 jobs plus at a new gym every spare hour, he was determined to make a career from boxing so he could finally have the money to provide for his family.
His determination was inspiring and though he wanted to give up at times he kept going for the sake of his brothers.
I loved Eliza’s character. She was incredibly strong and independent, yet giving and loyal. She took Till into her heart and never let him go. She saw something in him that he never thought possible; a man who was worthy of love.
Her commitment to Till and his brothers was admirable, especially for someone so young. She became the woman in their lives that they could look up to and the one they could count on to stick around even when times got a bit rough. She was the glue that held them together; the heart and soul of their family.
I absolutely loved his journey of self-worth, and how he overcame incredible odds to make it to the top. He had to fight the silence, but with the people he cared about most surrounding him he fought and in the end won.
Told in Duel POV, we get more of an insight to how both Eliza and Till are feeling in certain situations when they are both together and apart. It showed us just how much Till was struggling to face reality and to take that leap of faith to ‘walk through the front door’. I just wanted to reach in and shake some sense into him. It was heart-breaking. You could see the love they felt for each other, you could feel it and I was hoping with all that I am that they would find their happiness together.
‘Fighting Silence’ is the first book I have read by Aly Martinez and I must say I am utterly impressed. This isn’t just your typical fighter; oh no. What Aly has delivered is a truly beautiful and heartfelt story of two people who found love in each other when they got it from nowhere else. They become each other’s rock; their everything. Though neither Eliza nor Till live a conventional lifestyle, they found a family with one another that no one could take away. Growing up too quickly, they learned to navigate the world with challenges that others their age have never had to face.
This is a story of fantasy and reality; knowing the difference and about having the willingness to fight for what you want and what you deserve. And by hell do these two deserve it.
Thank you Aly, for this magnificent story and these amazing characters. I am forever in love with them and cannot wait to get so much more of them in the future.