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Henry Alexander has it all--fame, money, talent, and friends. But he seeks true unconditional love, or at least says that is what he wants. He's a gay man who seems to thrill in the chase and surrender of straight men. He's not afraid to go after what he wants. But it is all just temporary and he is left when all is said and done.

Evan Roth has been struggling with his career and a recent break up. He has a scarred and guarded heart and just could not seem to reciprocate his ex's feelings. He is terrified of getting too close and getting hurt. 

It's a game of cat and mouse with building desires, personal rules, and barriers. There is sizzling, sexual tension and chemistry between them. Evan has walls in place for self protection, but Henry is a force that keeps breaking them down piece by piece.

Henry comes along with his famous lifestyle and his own issues. Henry longs to be accepted, loved, and to be special to someone. But he has deep seated fears and insecurities and tends to sabotage himself. And he is afraid of pushing Evan too hard and too fast and scaring him away. While Evan has his own demons holding him back. It's a battle between what they want and self preservation. Long distance adds extra complications. They are both terrified to be vulnerable and risk rejection. They break each other down then piece each other back together. But their communication issues and lack of full disclosure threaten to tear them apart.

I was attached to Henry already after meeting him in The Fall Up and I continued to like him. He was a star, but down to Earth. He was definitely dramatic and comical. But he certainly had some issues and flawed logic. His tendency to chase straight men for the thrill of it could be a trigger or an issue for some readers. But I  could see it as one more layer of self protection.

I loved Evan especially when he would show his vulnerability and open up. He could really be passionate, honest, and swoonworthy. He brought balance. But he could also be evasive and his full personal story was kept secret for most of the book, but we knew he had lasting effects from it.

At times these two are a hot mess due to their confusion. I did get frustrated by their tendency to avoid, run, and not effectively communicate. There were times I wanted to smack sense into both of them. There was some definite angst, drama, and some twists.

There were things I really liked and some things I was not so sure of. I had some issues with some minor plot stuff, sometimes keeping track of which point of view I was reading, and some of the angst. I liked the humor, banter, camaraderie of their friends. This can be read as a stand alone, but it was fun getting more with Levee and Sam from The Fall Up. And I enjoyed Henry's bodyguard, Carter, and his best friend, Scott. I could see them becoming heroes if the series continues. Another female character, Robin also added some more mystery and drama.

The characters were generally likable, quirky, and flawed. It was sweet, emotional, humorous, and dealt with issues of self worth and acceptance. These two men were both definitely in need of a true connection, were plagued by fears, and had a hard time taking a leap of faith, but it was an interesting journey along the way. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

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Kim and Rachel's  4 to 4.5 star reviews

Maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall
in love at rock bottom—up.

I wanted to jump. 

He made me fall.

As a celebrity, I lived in the public eye, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost myself in the spotlight.

Until he found me.

Sam Rivers was a gorgeous, tattooed stranger who saved my life with nothing more than a simple conversation.

But we were both standing on that bridge for a reason the night we met. The secrets of our pasts brought us together—and then tore us apart.

Could we find a reason to hold on as life constantly pulled us down?

Or maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall in love at rock bottom—up.

Aly Martinez
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Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home 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 ever-growing 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.