Fighting Shadows

by Aly Martinez

• ISBN10: 1514753820
• ISBN13: 9781514753828
• Publish Date: 28 June 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 260
• Language: English

Reviews

[Risa Nichols]

BLURB

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.

Wow. Truthfully, I'm not completely sure I know how to express my feelings on this novel. It was beautifully written; honest, heartbreaking, exciting, sweet, heartwarming, and just plain fun to read. The characters were raw and real, and the storyline moved along well without going too fast. I can't decide if I like this one just as much as Fighting Silence, or if I liked it more.

Flint definitely sees himself as damaged goods. He's angry and bitter and hates his life situation--something that has given him a cold exterior to all he comes in contact with. Flint believed to be in love with the woman he couldn't have, and he has to get out of his current living situation. He begins to spiral into self-doubt, yet completely immerses himself in college classes. During this time he meets Ash Mabie, and she turns his world upside-down and helps bring new meaning to his life. Ash shows him he is truly worthy of all the love in the world, though he doesn't understand why she thinks that way. They fall head over heels for each other and begin to learn how to get over their pasts by beginning a new future with each other. These two completely different people have to overcome prejudices, physical difficulties, new love, and insecurities. Their relationship certainly is not perfect, but they somehow make it work, and watching these two grow and develop over the years is fascinating and so enjoyable. I'm going crazy waiting for the third book!

5/5 stars

(Original review source: Alated Bibliophile )

[thebookdisciple]

Another winner for Aly Martinez and her On the Ropes series. I loved these characters. They are both so broken and watching them work through that was beautiful. I loved the dual POV as well and felt that it really helped you understand Flint and Ash and why they do the things they do (even when I wanted to reach into my kindle and choke them for being stubborn!). This book is full of sweet romantic gestures and true love and I couldn't get enough of it. My full review will be posted here: http://www.thebookdisciple.com

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

I have yet to read an Aly Martinez book that I don't absolutely fall in love with, but FIGHTING SHADOWS was a book I was dying to read. I wanted to know what happened to Flynn after everything that happened in FIGHTING SILENCE. Would he find his HEA. Well, we get a side to Flynn I wasn't expecting, but his story was so worth it.

If you haven't read FIGHTING SILENCE, Flynn was shot in the back leaving him paralyzed. And as FIGHTING SHADOWS open, we're introduced to a sullen, broody Flynn. Of course, who wouldn't be after all that he'd been through. But I wasn't expecting a guy who would basically abandon his family in his attempt to gain control over his life. For some odd reason, Flynn needed to go back to some semblance of the life he and his brothers lived in order to find some semblance of life. The other was the smart mouth daughter of his mother's husband, who shook Flynn up and showed him he was more than his injury.

I really liked Ash. She somehow managed to make the most out of the crappy life she was forced to live. She always had a smile. She was instantly drawn to Flynn. Not because of his injury or his glowing personality. She managed to see beneath his bluster and wheelchair to the guy he used to be. And she wanted to do whatever she could to help him find that guy again. She was pretty amazing for a seventeen year old girl, but as she grew up she become even more amazing. She made something of herself, despite herself. And it wasn't very hard to understand why Flynn would do whatever he needed to do to make sure she was in his life.

I truly did like Flynn and Ash together, but there were plenty of times when I had to wonder why Ash would waste time on a guy who didn't treat her very well. And later, why she would even contemplate being with someone who talked to her the way he did as he professed his feelings for her. But I understood that Ash really did see something in Flynn that wasn't immediately apparent to others. Even when he spoke harshly to her, deep down she knew he spoke like that out of fear, mostly the fear of losing her.

Aly Martinez knocked this one out of the gym. She managed to take a character I loved, make me question everything about him, only to fall for him again when he finally got his act together. This was another great entry into the "On the Ropes" series. If you haven't pick this series up, it's a must read.

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