“A genius collaboration! All the stars for this quick-witted, sexy, and endearing cast of characters. Aly and M. Mabie delivered rom-com perfection!“
– Jewel E. Ann, USA Today Bestselling Author
When the Walls Come Down, an all-new, not-to-be-missed, witty workplace romance from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez and M. Mabie is available now!
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Blurb
Did you ever hear the joke about the guy whose wife cheated on him with his best friend? So he quit his job, moved into his parents’ basement, and gained fifty pounds?
No? Because that wasn’t a joke. It was my life.
Four years later, I’m back with a dream job, a killer apartment, and a set of abs that are better than ever.
So, when Maggie Light, a stunning, snarky blonde moves in next door, and we spend the hottest weekend of our lives together, I think this could be the greatest comeback story ever.
That is until I realize Maggie has moved to town to do one thing—steal my job.
Maybe this isn’t a comeback story after all. Maybe this is war—one I intend to win.
What I never anticipated was that maybe I’d rather win her.
Perhaps, if I’m lucky, the universe has finally run out of jokes and I can somehow win both.
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Review
5 stars!
OMG, I love this book! A rom/com with epic chemistry, swoon and banter that had me laughing out loud, but also a heartfelt, emotional story about finding unexpected love and fighting to make it work. Beautifully written, with a fantastic love story, I couldn’t put this book down and I absolutely adored it!
This is the first co-write between Aly Martinez and M. Mabie. I’m a massive Martinez fangirl, but this was my first experience reading M. Mabie, and they totally nailed it! The transitions are flawless, and Maggie and Shane’s voices come through fabulously to get us right to the heart of these amazing characters. This book is an absolute standalone, but it does have some fun little ties to the authors’ previous work. Maggie is the younger sister of Heath from the Retrieval Duet by Martinez, and Shane is the older brother of Blake from the Wake series by Mabie. There is some character crossover, but it’s not key to understanding the story, just a great little extra for fans.
Maggie has packed up her life and moved from her home in Atlanta, to San Francisco. She’s determined to live her life to the fullest and take every opportunity, so she’s left her close and loving family behind to take on a new job on the other side of the country, and wants to experience all that the big city can offer her.
Shane has just been dealt a massive hit. Four years ago his life fell apart when he found his wife in bed with his best friend. He hit rock bottom but has climbed back and now has a great apartment, a job he’s passionate about, and he’s in the greatest shape of his life. But the rug has been pulled out from him once again when his brother-in-law/boss tells him it’s time to move on from his job with the family business so that he can stop being a workaholic and find a better work/life balance. He is not impressed.
Shane and Maggie meet in bar one night when she is exploring her new neighbourhood, and he is drowning his sorrows. It’s awkward, but man, it’s funny, and Shane’s shitty small talk and not-so-smooth-moves somehow lead to them having a date the next day, which leads them to them discover that they are, in fact, neighbours, and they go on to share a life-changingly-steamy weekend together. Things are looking great, with the potential for a relationship that neither of them were looking for, and both are sorta unprepared for, but they know they can’t walk away from each other. Until they both show up to work on Monday and learn that Maggie is the person who has been hired to replace Shane… even though he doesn’t plan to leave.
AWKWARD!
It’s a horrible situation, with room for only one of them in the company. They are both entitled to it, they both deserve it, and while they both want the job, are they prepared to leave the other high and dry?
It was an impossible situation. Trying to hold on to the life you want, all the while hoping the world crumbles for the person you care about most. Who knew serendipity was such a masochist?
I went into this expecting a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers sort of situation, but I was thrilled to discover that it’s so much more. There are real feelings at play here, and those feelings impact every decision they make. My heart actually ached for the situation they were in, but they handle it with humour and so much heart, and I loved how functional they are!
I love this relationship! It’s so much fun, with fantastic banter, flirting and dialogue, and chemistry that sizzles off the page. They tease and joke, and they laugh a lot, there are inside jokes and entertaining small talk and heartfelt confessions. It’s so easy between them, but their situation is complicated, but the whole time they are bickering and commiserating their bad luck, they are there for each other, and they continue falling for each other in a way that neither of them ever expected. It’s funny, beautiful and so, so passionate, and I fell right along with them, loving every moment of it.
“I will never let you be alone. I know neither of us want what’s going on at work like it is, but you have got to believe me. I will always be here for you when you need me. No matter what.”
But there’s the job situation to sort out, and in addition to that, they’ve got some hurdles to overcome – both of them have built ups walls to protect themselves, and their 9-year age gaps puts them at slightly different stages of their lives. They have things to deal with, but watching it all play out was sweet, swoony, sexy and emotional, and so entertaining.
How had this woman blown into my world and made it a life?
These are such well-written characters. I could relate to both of them, and their inner monologues were just as entertaining as their shared conversations. Of course, Shane completely stole my heart as the slightly vulnerable guy figuring out a relationship years after having his heart shattered. He is sweet, funny, and kinda clueless, but he’s such a good guy who bravely embraces his attraction and holds nothing back. And Maggie is wonderful as the smart, witty, but still a little scared, younger woman just starting out and determined to prove herself. At so many times throughout this book, the story could have easily descended into an unnecessary angst-fest, but instead these two are open and honest, and though they have some things to work through, I love how upfront they are with each other, putting themselves out there and following their hearts.
It’s a gorgeous story that made me laugh so many times, but that also completely captured my heart! I loved Shane and Maggie, and their love story is absolutely beautiful, with an ending that left me grinning like a fool.
I loved it! 5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
About Aly Martinez
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.
Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.
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About M. Mabie
M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes everything from steamy romantic comedies to angst-filled, pull your hair out drama. She enjoys it all. With
her unconventional love stories, she tries to embody “real-life romance.”
She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne's World while cleaning, and lets her dog
sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.
M. Mabie usually doesn’t speak in third-person. She promises.
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