Retrieval (Retrieval Duet #1) by Aly Martinez
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Synopsis:
One story. Two couples.
I proposed on our first date.
She laughed and told me I was insane. Less than a day later, she said yes.
It was a whirlwind, but we were happy…
Until we got greedy and wanted a family.
It was a life I couldn’t give her, not for lack of trying. Fertility just wasn’t on our side. We sought out doctors and treatments. Spent money we didn’t have. Lied to our families. Smiled for our friends. Put on a brave face for a world that didn’t understand.
Finally, we were successful…
Until we were forced to bury our son.
We were left broken, battered, and destroyed.
They say love is in the details, but it was the details that ruined us.
This is the story of how I took back what had always been mine.
The retrieval of my wife and our family.
Review:
Oh man. Retrieval. I went into this book not really sure I was emotionally ready for it. That opening? Man. That was rough. And I knew it would be a great/heartbreaking/hopefully wonderful read. And it was. Another beautiful story from this great author.
I went into this story not really knowing what it was about. I often times I don't read the synopsis for books from authors I love and just go in blind. At first it it really heartbreaking. You can feel how much these characters care about each other, but sometimes that doesn't always work out the way you want it. You know something happened that is tearing them apart, and the book opens two years later. Oh, Roman and Elisabeth killed me. There is an obvious connection between the two right from the start. They met and married within a day which can seem crazy to some, but it made sense here. I got it. It is like me and my husband. No we didn't marry right away (he wanted "to be settled" before we got married), but if the first words out of his mouth when I met him would have been will you marry me? I would have said yes. And we would live happily ever after. So I get it. Sometimes there is just something undeniable there. Something that works. Something that brings two people together that cannot be broken. Even with time and distance there is still no one else for these two.
This book focuses on Roman and Elisabeth coming back together. These two have had their share of hardships, but a love like theirs just doesn't go away. Early on Roman finally gets the push he needs to try and work things out with his wife. To try and fix what couldn't be before. When people go through hard times they deal with those situations in their own way. It might not be the way you want or need, but people need different things at different times. Roman and Elisabeth are both so broken when this story starts out. They both are not really whole without the other. That might sounds cheesy, but with a love like theirs it is true. There is no finding someone else. They are it for each other, but what happens when that doesn't work out? When you are forced to live without your other half? And can you go back to what you had before, or move on to a better future together? These two I loved. I loved Roman's bossiness and how Elisabeth wouldn't let him just run all over her. It was wonderful. You can feel the connection between these two even if they don't want to admit it.
I went into this story not really knowing what it was about. I often times I don't read the synopsis for books from authors I love and just go in blind. At first it it really heartbreaking. You can feel how much these characters care about each other, but sometimes that doesn't always work out the way you want it. You know something happened that is tearing them apart, and the book opens two years later. Oh, Roman and Elisabeth killed me. There is an obvious connection between the two right from the start. They met and married within a day which can seem crazy to some, but it made sense here. I got it. It is like me and my husband. No we didn't marry right away (he wanted "to be settled" before we got married), but if the first words out of his mouth when I met him would have been will you marry me? I would have said yes. And we would live happily ever after. So I get it. Sometimes there is just something undeniable there. Something that works. Something that brings two people together that cannot be broken. Even with time and distance there is still no one else for these two.
This book focuses on Roman and Elisabeth coming back together. These two have had their share of hardships, but a love like theirs just doesn't go away. Early on Roman finally gets the push he needs to try and work things out with his wife. To try and fix what couldn't be before. When people go through hard times they deal with those situations in their own way. It might not be the way you want or need, but people need different things at different times. Roman and Elisabeth are both so broken when this story starts out. They both are not really whole without the other. That might sounds cheesy, but with a love like theirs it is true. There is no finding someone else. They are it for each other, but what happens when that doesn't work out? When you are forced to live without your other half? And can you go back to what you had before, or move on to a better future together? These two I loved. I loved Roman's bossiness and how Elisabeth wouldn't let him just run all over her. It was wonderful. You can feel the connection between these two even if they don't want to admit it.
You also meet the other characters, the people that will be more of a focus in the next book. I don't want to say too much about them and ruin anything, but oh my goodness. I thought my heart broke for Roman and Elisabeth, but that was nothing compared to some of the other characters. They are in situations that are worse than I imagined and oh. At first I was reading and you are introduced to everyone, and I thought how are these people's lives going to intersect? How is this going to work? They don't seem to...oh. OH! This is what is happening? This is...oh. I need to see how this gets resolved. I need the next book. This is not going to be easy, or tidy, or neat. This is going to be messy, but hopefully in the end it will be beautiful. I love this author so I am sure the second part of the story will be just as good as the first. Go. Read this book. Then be read for the second part in two weeks. It will be amazing.
*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★1/2
Excerpt:
“Where’d you get beer?” Elisabeth asked as she scrambled from the couch.
“Seth,” I replied, hanging my head and rubbing my eyes.
Jesus, I’d wanted to kiss her. She was being a bitch, spouting shit she didn’t mean just because she was too scared to let me in.
But, even through it, those plump lips were calling to me.
*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★1/2
Excerpt:
“Where’d you get beer?” Elisabeth asked as she scrambled from the couch.
“Seth,” I replied, hanging my head and rubbing my eyes.
Jesus, I’d wanted to kiss her. She was being a bitch, spouting shit she didn’t mean just because she was too scared to let me in.
But, even through it, those plump lips were calling to me.
I’d never been able to resist that woman. Despite that we’d fallen apart, it hadn’t changed. The hum for her was still in my veins. It never went away, but for two years, it had been dormant. I’d packed it down so tightly that I’d hoped it had died. But, with one look, my body began thrumming like a live wire.
“Seth?” she asked as she bent over to straighten her tight, black pencil skirt.
“Seth?” she asked as she bent over to straighten her tight, black pencil skirt.
It was a rare occasion to catch Elisabeth in something other than a perfectly pressed skirt and a pair of heels. But she’d been sleeping all day. It was wrinkled all to hell and back. The only thing her efforts succeeded in was drawing my attention down to her legs.
Legs that had spent many nights wrapped around my hips as she came while crying my name.
Shit. I should go.
But, after the way she’d latched on to me that morning, I wasn’t going anywhere.
“My assistant,” I answered. “I had him pick you up a bottle of wine, too.”
She blinked. “You have an assistant? Who delivers you beer? And your ex-wife wine?”
Legs that had spent many nights wrapped around my hips as she came while crying my name.
Shit. I should go.
But, after the way she’d latched on to me that morning, I wasn’t going anywhere.
“My assistant,” I answered. “I had him pick you up a bottle of wine, too.”
She blinked. “You have an assistant? Who delivers you beer? And your ex-wife wine?”
“No, I have an assistant who does whatever the fuck I need him to do. And, luckily for us, beer and wine happen to fall into the whatever-the-fuck-I-need-him-to-do category tonight.” She fought back a smile as I finished, “So do gyros.”
“Damn. I need to get one of those,” she mumbled to herself.
“Damn. I need to get one of those,” she mumbled to herself.
I smirked. “Cash my checks and you could afford one.”
It was a dick move, bringing up the money right then. But, despite her expert hand in decorating, that little starter house we’d bought with rose-colored glasses now needed a shitton of work.
Her back shot ramrod straight, fury crinkling the corners of her eyes as she snarled, “I’m not cashing your checks.”
I shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to figure out how to get your own wine and dinner after tonight.”
“I think I can manage,” she fired back.
“Suit yourself.” I pushed off the couch and meandered to the kitchen.
I went to the fridge and leaned in, searching for anything I could snack on. With the exception of at least a dozen Tupperware containers, she didn’t have much in the way of a quick bite.
Snagging a handful of grapes from the drawer, I made a mental note to send
Seth to the grocery store after he’d delivered dinner.
Popping the grapes in my mouth one by one, I felt her watching me in what could only be defined as silent awe. I decided my best move would be to ignore it.
“You know, I should have invented Tupperware. You alone could keep me in business,” I told her, retrieving a beer and then shutting the door.
She scoffed then muttered, “At least then I would have benefitted from you abandoning our marriage.”
Lava fresh off the volcanoes in Hell boiled in my veins.
I cocked my head to the side and questioned, “I’m sorry. Come again?”
“You should go,” she snapped.
Think a-fucking-gain.
“Nah, I’m good. Got any movies?”
I tipped the bottle to my lips, doing my best to calm the storm brewing within me, all while still fighting the desire to take her to the floor, plant myself between her legs, and remind her how that fucking attitude affected me.
Clearly, she had forgotten.
My cock had not.
It was a dick move, bringing up the money right then. But, despite her expert hand in decorating, that little starter house we’d bought with rose-colored glasses now needed a shitton of work.
Her back shot ramrod straight, fury crinkling the corners of her eyes as she snarled, “I’m not cashing your checks.”
I shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to figure out how to get your own wine and dinner after tonight.”
“I think I can manage,” she fired back.
“Suit yourself.” I pushed off the couch and meandered to the kitchen.
I went to the fridge and leaned in, searching for anything I could snack on. With the exception of at least a dozen Tupperware containers, she didn’t have much in the way of a quick bite.
Snagging a handful of grapes from the drawer, I made a mental note to send
Seth to the grocery store after he’d delivered dinner.
Popping the grapes in my mouth one by one, I felt her watching me in what could only be defined as silent awe. I decided my best move would be to ignore it.
“You know, I should have invented Tupperware. You alone could keep me in business,” I told her, retrieving a beer and then shutting the door.
She scoffed then muttered, “At least then I would have benefitted from you abandoning our marriage.”
Lava fresh off the volcanoes in Hell boiled in my veins.
I cocked my head to the side and questioned, “I’m sorry. Come again?”
“You should go,” she snapped.
Think a-fucking-gain.
“Nah, I’m good. Got any movies?”
I tipped the bottle to my lips, doing my best to calm the storm brewing within me, all while still fighting the desire to take her to the floor, plant myself between her legs, and remind her how that fucking attitude affected me.
Clearly, she had forgotten.
My cock had not.
“Roman, it’s been a crazy day. Please don’t do this tonight.”
“Do what?” I asked, leaning back against the huge, granite island.
“Do what?” I asked, leaning back against the huge, granite island.
She threw her hands out to the sides in frustration. “What you always do.”
“What do I always do, Lissy?”
“This!” she yelled.
I frowned and took another pull from my beer. “Haven’t been in our kitchen, drinking beer, in a long time. I hardly think it’s fair to say I always do it.”
Her eyes nearly bulged from her head. “My kitchen, Roman. This is my kitchen.
Not ours. And you know good and damn well that is not what I’m talking about.”
My lips twitched as I pointed the neck of my bottle at her. “No. What I know good and damn well is that I have no idea what the fuck you are talking about. Or why you’re slinging unnecessary and, might I add, undeserved attitude at me like a shortorder cook at the bitch house.”
“He did not say that to me,” she whispered to herself.
When I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug, she swung a pointed finger toward the door and yelled, “Get out!”
“What do I always do, Lissy?”
“This!” she yelled.
I frowned and took another pull from my beer. “Haven’t been in our kitchen, drinking beer, in a long time. I hardly think it’s fair to say I always do it.”
Her eyes nearly bulged from her head. “My kitchen, Roman. This is my kitchen.
Not ours. And you know good and damn well that is not what I’m talking about.”
My lips twitched as I pointed the neck of my bottle at her. “No. What I know good and damn well is that I have no idea what the fuck you are talking about. Or why you’re slinging unnecessary and, might I add, undeserved attitude at me like a shortorder cook at the bitch house.”
“He did not say that to me,” she whispered to herself.
When I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug, she swung a pointed finger toward the door and yelled, “Get out!”
I grinned, crossing my legs at the ankle. “You always were cranky when you were hungry.”
And that was the exact moment her head exploded.
And that was the exact moment her head exploded.
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stayathome mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.
After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her evergrowing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.
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