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Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Blog Tour: When the Walls Come Down by M. Mabie and Aly Martinez + Excerpt & Review!

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“Exactly what I needed to relax, laugh, and swoon after a hard day. I cannot wait to see what M. Mabie and Aly Martinez come up with next.” --Carrie Ann Ryan, New York Times Bestselling Author


When the Walls Come Down, an all-new, steamy, swoony, highly entertaining office romance from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez and M. Mabie is available now!



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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.



WTWCD -AN


Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

  Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/wallsdown

Add WHEN THE WALLS COME DOWN to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fmTgbe


Review: 

3.5-3.75 stars
***


When the Walls Come Down is a collaboration by authors Aly Martinez and M. Mabie. This was a pretty good book. This book is Maggie and Shane's story. Shane is working for his brother-in-law, Casey's family company as the head of marketing. Casey thinks that Shane is wasting his time and talents and should start his own marketing company. So he hires a new head of marketing for the company in order to give Shane the push he needs to go out on his own, only he doesn't let him know. Maggie picks up her entire life and moves across the country to take the job for which Casey hired her. Before her first day, she meets Shane at a bar. They have an instant connection and like each other right away. It seems to be the start of a new, good relationship between them, but that all comes to a screeching halt when, on her first day at work, Shane finds out Maggie is taking over his job. The two have a lot to work through, but they manage to fall in love and come out together stronger on the other side.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but then I saw that it was described as a low angst, workplace rom-com, so I was expecting that. I didn't find it to be particularly funny and I did find it to be pretty angsty and serious at times. Also, it took me until about 30% through to get into the book, because I found it started a bit slow. There is a lot of banter between the couple, but I didn't find it super funny, like I think it was meant to come off as. I didn't feel much chemistry between them for a while. But I did like them as characters and I came to think they were a good match. They both really liked each other and wanted to be together from early on when they met. Maggie has some family issues that make her desperate to be successful and not willing to give up this job opportunity without a fight. Shane also has baggage from his past relationship and is afraid to go out on his own just to fail. The two had a great connection that made it seem like they really should be together, but they were not willing to sacrifice their jobs, so they decided to just be friends. I felt the pain they had from not being able to be together. Neither of them is very confidant or act like they have everything together. They are just normal young adults trying to make the best decisions for their futures. They spent a lot of time denying that they could be together because of their circumstances and had to work hard to figure out a solution to their problem. I liked the book more and more as it went on. The end was really good and there is a cute epilogue. I was very happy that Maggie and Shane could work out their issues so that they could get the happy ending they deserved.

Overall, this is a good read. Shane and Maggie were really sweet together. I enjoyed their story and seeing their relationship develop. Ms. Martinez and Ms. Mabie make a good team. I look forward to more from them both in the future.

Excerpt:



Oh, for fuck’s sake. Am I a man or not? Here goes fucking nothing. Take a risk, my ass. I’d fucking show Casey and Blake a damn risk. I marched down to where she was sitting. “Hi, I’m Shane.” She looked shocked, maybe a little startled by my approach—and rightly so. I’d stalked over like the fucking Terminator, all amped up from my private pep talk. “The bartender, Chris, said you’re new in town, and it’s your first time here.” Her sparkling blue eyes stood out against her makeup, and now—standing close to her—I could smell her perfume. A subtle and warm scent that made me want to lean in. What the fuck had I been thinking? To put it mildly, she was out of my league, but hey… Risks, right? “If you’re dining alone, would you mind if I offer a suggestion from the menu?” “I was only looking it over out of curiosity. I really just came in for a drink or two.” She folded it and placed it on the wooden top in front of her. Goddamn, that cleavage. “Oh. Yeah. Okay. Well, then…uh…let me get one for you.” I might have strutted over like the Terminator, but I was fumbling over my words like Barney Fife and beginning to sweat like a Crossfitter. Her brows bunched. “Um, you really don’t have to do that.” “Please. After the day I’ve had, I’ll actually have one with you.” I swiped at the back of my neck. “The drinks are good here. Very cold. Wet.” Jesus fucking Christ, Shane. Wet!? “Um. Alcoholic, if that’s what you’re into.” I waved Chris—and his bigger-than-life shit-eating grin—down to us. “Find something you’d like?” he asked her. “I’ll just have a Titos and cranberry,” she answered. “I hear they’re very cold and wet here.” Chris looked at me disappointedly, probably guessing at how badly I’d botched this introduction. He wasn’t wrong, but she hadn’t told me to fuck off yet. Yet. “And I’ll take a Honeybee Brown,” I added. He spun on his heel, shocked. “Really?” I shrugged and shot daggers at him. “Really. A pint, please.” “A cold, wet one too, eh? Okay, man. Coming right up.” He made our drinks and then about a dozen more for the servers who were keeping him busy. “Thanks for the drink,” she said, clinking our glasses together, her eyes never quite meeting mine. “Yeah. Sure. No problem.” I followed her lead and took a sip. “So, do you come here a lot, Shane?” My name on her lips had me clearing my throat. “Yes,” replied our asshole bartender before I could answer. “I live close,” I explained, and she nodded in understanding. “So, where did you come to the Bay from?” I took another sip, realizing that counting the beer I’d had with Casey earlier and this one, I was nearing my only-a-few-drinks daily limit. So I’d be savoring the pint as long as she didn’t seem too put off by my dusty-ass small talk. Otherwise, I could chug it down and then be on my merry way, leaving her to enjoy her night without a divorced, practically fired dude bugging her. “Atlanta,” she replied and swirled a piece of ice with the drink stirrer in her glass. Still no eye contact. Small talk. I fumbled for more small talk. “You have family here?” “No, I’ve always wanted to get out of Georgia. So, when I landed a job out here, it seemed like a sign.” Finally, her blue eyes met mine and… Fuck, if I could have just remembered to blink, I’d have been doing well. I feared if I broke the gaze for just a second, I’d never see that color again, because surely it was a mirage of some sort. Like a crystal-blue pool in a desert. The kind of trick eyes could only play on a man who hadn’t been laid in nearly half a decade. She finished with, “I start on Monday. I guess fate is as good a time as any to take a risk.”



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About Aly

 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 olives. 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.


Connect with Aly

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2UKGUOM 
Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2DEpPAh 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2DUgzrJ 
Stay up to date with Aly by joining her mailing list today: http://bit.ly/2WnkxjS


About M. Mabie

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.
Mabie usually doesn't speak in third-person. She promises.

Connect with M. Mabie

Stay up to date with M. Mabie by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/3dkTJcp
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