Review: Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez

Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez

(On The Ropes #1)

February 23, 2015

272 pages

Genre: New Adult Romance

Contains: Sex, profanity, child neglect

Source: Personal purchase

Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it's the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?

I've always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn't a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.

You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.

They both happened anyway.

Now, I'm on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting for my career.
Fighting the impending silence.
Fighting for her.

Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.

I think that's the sound I'll miss the most.

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.

'Fighting Silence' was certainly a captivating read. When I heard it was about a fighter who is gradually losing his hearing, and also he meets the love of his life at age thirteen, I knew I wanted to read it. And I'm really glad I did. Till and Eliza are characters that stuck with me days after finishing this book. As well there are other characters, Till's brothers in particular, that I look forward to reading more about in the future. I love a good series revolving around brothers/siblings. So the positives about this story were the captivating characters, the sweet romance between Till and Eliza, the strong relationship between Till and his brothers, and the pure fight and drive Till had to overcome such a mountain of obstacles that he faced. It really is a great story about perseverance in the face of the deck being stacked against you, holding onto hope when it seems lost, forging strong relationships you can rely on, and learning that it's okay to want and deserve love.

Why not 5 stars? While 'Fighting Silence' drew me in and kept me engaged, I found the writing style a bit simple. I was endeared to the characters and their lives, but found the execution lacking at times. There were some ho-hum lulling moments and some repetition, particularly in the middle. There was an odd balance of drama in the book (or imbalance), with mostly low drama to sudden major drama. Basically, it's a sweet, easy read. Till's actions were also odd at times, and I was happy when Eliza finally put her foot down. There was a major happening toward the end that I wish was handled better, as it left me at a low note even after the lovely epilogue. So all these factors took away from a higher rating. Though don't get me wrong: I love Till and Eliza!

But I still definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes characters fighting against the odds to find love and happiness (plus, there's a sweet, hardworking, sexy fighter). I will definitely be continuing this series to see what happens with Till's brothers.

Amazon ~ Goodreads

On The Ropes series:

Fighting Silence #1
Amazon ~ Goodreads


Fighting Shadows #2
Amazon ~ Goodreads

Fighting Solitude #3
Expected publication: October 2015
Goodreads