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The Brightest Sunset
(The Darkest Sunrise #2)
by
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Bullshit.
Words destroyed me.
“I’m sorry. She didn’t make it.”
“Daddy, he can’t breathe!”
“There’s nothing more we can do for your son.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Those syllables and letters became my executioner. I told myself that, if I didn’t acknowledge the p ...more
Bullshit.
Words destroyed me.
“I’m sorry. She didn’t make it.”
“Daddy, he can’t breathe!”
“There’s nothing more we can do for your son.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Those syllables and letters became my executioner. I told myself that, if I didn’t acknowledge the p ...more
286 pages
Published
July 27th 2017
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Start your review of The Brightest Sunset (The Darkest Sunrise, #2)

3 Stars
Soooooo...I've been putting off reviewing this.

I went back and forth on my rating.
I told myself that maybe I needed to read it again.
That reading it while in the midst of PMS was like pouring piss in my Cheerios on purpose.
That I was just missing something.
But you know what?

Because that would be me lying to myself.
And then to you.
Which - even at the risk of pissing people off, getting trolled in my comments, not getting future ARCs...whatever the case may be - I just don't do.
That ...more
Soooooo...I've been putting off reviewing this.

I went back and forth on my rating.
I told myself that maybe I needed to read it again.
That reading it while in the midst of PMS was like pouring piss in my Cheerios on purpose.
That I was just missing something.
But you know what?

Because that would be me lying to myself.
And then to you.
Which - even at the risk of pissing people off, getting trolled in my comments, not getting future ARCs...whatever the case may be - I just don't do.
That ...more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 STARS!!!
This duet completely blew me away. I don’t even know what to say about these books, but I guess READ THEM is a good place to start! Seriously- you need to read these books!!!
The Darkest Sunrise left us with one heck of a cliffhanger, and I wasn’t sure how this book was going to go. Honestly, I had no idea how Aly would make this all okay. I was so nervous starting this book. What both of these characters have been through now… I can’t even imagine it.
5 STARS!!!

This duet completely blew me away. I don’t even know what to say about these books, but I guess READ THEM is a good place to start! Seriously- you need to read these books!!!
The Darkest Sunrise left us with one heck of a cliffhanger, and I wasn’t sure how this book was going to go. Honestly, I had no idea how Aly would make this all okay. I was so nervous starting this book. What both of these characters have been through now… I can’t even imagine it.
Maybe he was rig...more

Spoiler...more
*Taps nails on keyboard* *eye roll*
Sigh.
.
.
.
.
Sigh.
.
.
.
.
Oh how I waited and yearned for this book. I readily offered my last viable egg for the opportunity to know how that #shockingbutnotsurprising plot twist would play out.
.
.
.
.
But really, at the end of it all I simply wanted Porter, Charlotte and the whole lot of them to just:
1. stop talking
2. stop making stupid decisions
3. stop the ridiculous in-fighting and put Travis's/Lucas's interests first
4. stop having cringeworthy sex
Basically

*****4.5 STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
The sun still hung bright in the sky, but midnight fell all the same. And, in that moment, I feared I’d never escape it again. The darkness was going to be my executioner.
It was going to crush me, suffocate me, and then devour me.
This series is definitely one of Aly Martinez’s best to date! The story held me captive from beginning to end. What I love about Aly’s stories are that her characters are not perfect but they manage to rise above ...more
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
The sun still hung bright in the sky, but midnight fell all the same. And, in that moment, I feared I’d never escape it again. The darkness was going to be my executioner.
It was going to crush me, suffocate me, and then devour me.

This series is definitely one of Aly Martinez’s best to date! The story held me captive from beginning to end. What I love about Aly’s stories are that her characters are not perfect but they manage to rise above ...more

Jul 17, 2017
Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
favorite-authors,
contemporary-romance
5 STARS

How do you even begin to review a book that touched you on such a visceral level that you don't think you'll ever forget it? How do you put those feelings into words that can even begin to do a book the justice it so deserves? How do you attempt to relay everything that this book was without giving anything away? You don't. Because it's impossible.
he’s shown me that there doesn’t have to be light for something to be beautiful. Love can grow in the darkness

How do you even begin to review a book that touched you on such a visceral level that you don't think you'll ever forget it? How do you put those feelings into words that can even begin to do a book the justice it so deserves? How do you attempt to relay everything that this book was without giving anything away? You don't. Because it's impossible.
...moreThe sun still

Jul 14, 2017
Claire Robinson
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
shit-hot-series
4.5 -
Out of the darkness. And into the light.
Stars!
ITs LIVE!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2sX0Yo9
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2tG4oJ9
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2u9VhU1
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2u0aVAI
The Brightest Sunset picks up Parker and Catherine’s story right after the explosive conclusion of the The Darkest Sunrise.

Again, for risk of posting spoilers, there isn’t a huge amount I can say about where the story-line goes in this half of the duology. You 100% need to have read The Darkest Sunris ...more
ITs LIVE!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2sX0Yo9
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2tG4oJ9
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2u9VhU1
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2u0aVAI
The Brightest Sunset picks up Parker and Catherine’s story right after the explosive conclusion of the The Darkest Sunrise.

Again, for risk of posting spoilers, there isn’t a huge amount I can say about where the story-line goes in this half of the duology. You 100% need to have read The Darkest Sunris ...more


What a conclusion!!
From the minute I read those last few words at the end of “The Darkest Sunrise”, I was literally chomping at the bit to get to this one. This was not a easy story to read to read at times and I No one was praying harder than me for Charlotte and Porter to get the happily ever after that they deserved. It was emotional, heartwrenching, and you couldn’t help but feel everything that these characters were going through good or bad.
“The day I’d met her, I’d told myself tha ...more





Sticks and stones will break my bones,
but words will never harm me.
Bullshit.
Words destroyed me.
Like all previous bloggers reading this before me I inhaled this, my emotions were all over the place
😀 HAPPY, 😞 TO NEARLY CRYING, 😢 TO CRYING, 🙂 TO HAPPINESS WHEN I REACHED THE ENDING, TO THAT BITTERSWEET FEELING THAT THIS HAS COME TO AN END ☹️ I LOVED THIS SERIES ❤️..
This is the kind of outstanding book that you could imagine unfolding in life, it could happen to any one of us, it h ...more

This story was the emotional journey of two broken people finding their way to each other's hearts and their beautiful love. At times a little melodramatic, but overall I thought this was a good story. I loved how far Porter and Charlotte had both come by the end of the book. Porter has had a pretty rough go of it and it was time that he found true love. It was totally perfect for him to fit in with Charlotte. The romance and relationship between them was satisfying and sweet.
The author’s writin ...more
The author’s writin ...more

I was nervous going into this second book in this duet series. I've read some fantastic reviews and some not so good reviews. After the ending in the first book, I couldn't wait to get started.
I wanted the story to end happily. I got that. And as a mother, this story tore me up. I can not physically or mentally imagine this happening to me. Not only was this about a child with a heart condition, it was about a kid napping/child abduction. Not only was this story about finding the light and expe ...more
I wanted the story to end happily. I got that. And as a mother, this story tore me up. I can not physically or mentally imagine this happening to me. Not only was this about a child with a heart condition, it was about a kid napping/child abduction. Not only was this story about finding the light and expe ...more

3 Stars
Overall Opinion: This felt a little anticlimactic tbh. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but I definitely built it up to be more than I felt it was. Don't get me wrong! I didn't hate it. I just didn't love it either. I got a little emotional, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. I had a little bit of that "that's it?!" feeling at the end, and I think it was because I was expecting more at the end after all the stuff we went through with this couple! It might also be that ...more
Overall Opinion: This felt a little anticlimactic tbh. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but I definitely built it up to be more than I felt it was. Don't get me wrong! I didn't hate it. I just didn't love it either. I got a little emotional, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. I had a little bit of that "that's it?!" feeling at the end, and I think it was because I was expecting more at the end after all the stuff we went through with this couple! It might also be that ...more

I've got to say that book one really got me interested. Even with some predictability, it really delivered when it came to execution. I couldn't wait to delve into this installment. This story dives in to answer to some of the bait left on the hook.
I liked the characters as individuals and they had good chemistry but they didn't come through as connected as they did in book one. The humor that made them so likeable seemed to have dimmed as well. However Porter and Charlotte still had some tende ...more
I liked the characters as individuals and they had good chemistry but they didn't come through as connected as they did in book one. The humor that made them so likeable seemed to have dimmed as well. However Porter and Charlotte still had some tende ...more


Aly Martinez never disappoints me. I loved this duet so much. :)
And I'll never get tired of saying this but I highly recommend her books! Trust me, you're missing too much... <3
"When I broke, Porter was there to pick up the pieces. And, when Porter lost sight of the light, I was there to hold him in the darkness.
No questions.
No judgements.
No faking it.
No apologies.
Our lives were far from perfect, but the fact that we were living and not standing still as the world turned beneath our feet made ...more

4.5 stars
BEAUTIFUL. TENDER. HEART-WARMING. EMOTIONAL. RAW.
This book - this series - had my heart going like CRAZY!!!
I fell in love with Porter and Charlotte in The Darkest Sunrise. Their connecting was palpable and incredibly touching. Their journey was heart-breaking and beautiful. And now, in The Brightest Sunset it came to a stunning ending.
Did I want this series to end? NO!!!
The Darkest Sunrise and The Brightest Sunset have been more than just entertaining. Aly Martinez wrote two novels tha ...more
BEAUTIFUL. TENDER. HEART-WARMING. EMOTIONAL. RAW.
This book - this series - had my heart going like CRAZY!!!
I fell in love with Porter and Charlotte in The Darkest Sunrise. Their connecting was palpable and incredibly touching. Their journey was heart-breaking and beautiful. And now, in The Brightest Sunset it came to a stunning ending.
Did I want this series to end? NO!!!
The Darkest Sunrise and The Brightest Sunset have been more than just entertaining. Aly Martinez wrote two novels tha ...more

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Book 2of 2 from The Darkest Sunrise duet
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:


Just as Charlotte Mills thought her nightmare finally over, a new one emerged from the horizon bringing in a new set if heartache. With her relationship with Porter Reese in jeopardy, she must decide what's best for everyone and herself.
At the end of book 1, I knew there'd be a lot of heartache in this book. Wit ...more
Type: Book 2of 2 from The Darkest Sunrise duet
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:


Just as Charlotte Mills thought her nightmare finally over, a new one emerged from the horizon bringing in a new set if heartache. With her relationship with Porter Reese in jeopardy, she must decide what's best for everyone and herself.
I was falling apart. But I was also the only one left to pick up the pieces.
At the end of book 1, I knew there'd be a lot of heartache in this book. Wit ...more


In The Brightest Sunset, the timeline continues without interruption as the circumstances between Charlotte and Porter become further complicated due to new information about Charlotte’s missing son. Instead of moving forward as planned, Charlotte must come to terms with the past and how it intersects with her recent choices. For Porter, he cannot believe how much worse the situation has become but he is committed to his family and letting the facts reveal the truth.
"I don’t want to be a part...more

*** NOT ENOUGH STARS IN THE WORLD***
"But, damn it, Charlotte, we will find a way to make this work. This is my life. This is your life. This is his life. And her life. This is our life and you know it. We'll figure out the details later, but for now, all I need from you is a promise that we are going to do this. No matter what. We're in this together"
I don't even know where to start. I don't even know what to say. This book, man! Just perfect! Amazing, all the stars, all the freaking feels! ...more
"But, damn it, Charlotte, we will find a way to make this work. This is my life. This is your life. This is his life. And her life. This is our life and you know it. We'll figure out the details later, but for now, all I need from you is a promise that we are going to do this. No matter what. We're in this together"
I don't even know where to start. I don't even know what to say. This book, man! Just perfect! Amazing, all the stars, all the freaking feels! ...more


***IT'S ALIVE!!!***
A partnership is about sharing the burden.
You know the drill, if you want to skip the waffling and head straight to the book stuff, start at the paragraph that begins with ***
This is going to sound really silly but try and bear with me a sec. I finished The Brightest Sunset and was struggling with what I would write in my review. I was trying to think of ways to describe the emotional journey without telling all the good and bad bits. I would describe this duet as like wearing ...more

Jesus fuck this author knows how to write an emotional book.
I’ve lost count how many fucking times I’ve cried reading this duet. I was either crying happy tearing or crying ugly tear. More so the latter.
It gave me that Mia Sheridan and Corinne Michaels kind of feeling when you go through every emotion possible and get your heart broken but healed in the end.
I never really knew what to expect going into this book. I read a few amazing reviews but they didn’t give anything away so I kind of went i ...more
I’ve lost count how many fucking times I’ve cried reading this duet. I was either crying happy tearing or crying ugly tear. More so the latter.
It gave me that Mia Sheridan and Corinne Michaels kind of feeling when you go through every emotion possible and get your heart broken but healed in the end.
I never really knew what to expect going into this book. I read a few amazing reviews but they didn’t give anything away so I kind of went i ...more

Jul 16, 2017
Angela (Reading Frenzy Book Blog)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
5-stars,
6-stars,
romance,
xanax-alert,
favorites,
read-in-2017,
second-chance-romance
6+ stars
Hello, Book Hangover, my old nemesis. I have no idea how you improve upon perfection, but The Brightest Sunset is even better than the first book in the Darkest Sunrise duet. That’s really saying something because The Darkest Sunrise was a 6-star read for me. This book? This book deserves all the stars in the universe.
I’m not gonna lie. I’m glad I had a brand new bottle of red wine on hand because I was guzzling that bad boy like nobody’s business. 99% of the book is tension filled, and ...more
Hello, Book Hangover, my old nemesis. I have no idea how you improve upon perfection, but The Brightest Sunset is even better than the first book in the Darkest Sunrise duet. That’s really saying something because The Darkest Sunrise was a 6-star read for me. This book? This book deserves all the stars in the universe.
I’m not gonna lie. I’m glad I had a brand new bottle of red wine on hand because I was guzzling that bad boy like nobody’s business. 99% of the book is tension filled, and ...more


I cried almost cover to cover while reading this book. The Brightest Sunset is, without a doubt, a series that will stick with me for years to come. The intense emotional connection I have with the story is unmatched. As a wife and mother, the story resonates on a deeply personal level. Porter and Charlotte have the type of relationship all couples should aspire too. The difficult situation they face with Travis would bring any parent to their knees. I was breathless, speechless and finally ...more

This series was such an emotional roller coaster. The beginning of the second book of this duet was insane. My heart was in my throat and my stomach in knots. I was pissed at Charlotte and I felt so sad and horrified for Porter but it was also understandable. Thankfully she didn't let things to on for too long.
Aly Martinez is an amazing storyteller and the angst pours out of her books but it's never OTT. ...more
Aly Martinez is an amazing storyteller and the angst pours out of her books but it's never OTT. ...more

First let me start off by saying that I enjoyed the ending of this duet but I struggled some to get there. Like its predecessor I overall liked The Brightest Sunset but again I'm still a little disappointed. At times I was bored with the story cause I felt nothing extraordinary happened. The story continued on a loop and that only caused my frustration to rise. My connection to Porter and Charlotte wasn't the same as in book 1 - The Darkest Sunrise and maybe that's to blame for my lack of intere
...more

Damn I loved this duet from the first word to the last. I can't even put into words how much I loved Porter. I will not put one spoiler in my review because this story just needs to be experienced. I loved how Charlotte really came into her own in this book. Porter helped her find her strength and become the woman she was meant to be. There were moments while reading this duet that I was gutted. But the ending was so worth it.
...more

No questions.
No judgements.
No faking it.
No apologies.
I am totally blown away by this conclusion. It was not just highly emotional, but also raw and deep. Few pages in and my heart was ripped into two. I was bleeding all over and was left drowning in tears. Kudos Aly Martinez, you managed not just to make me cry, but you moved me with your beautiful words and inspiring story.
The Brightest Sunset was one of the books I am looking forward to read. With that ...more

Jul 28, 2017
Bindi Boo
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017-must-read,
worth-your-time-reads
5 stars
5 stars for Porter Reese
5 stars for the writing
5 stars for this emotional, gut wrenching story
5 stars for Charlotte standing up for herself and finally fighting for the people she loves
5 stars for the intense love Porter and Charlotte had..i LOVED that they fought for everything together. I LOVED that it was Porter who made her smile and laugh again. He did it so lovingly, so playfully... i could only hope this family that was thrown into unimaginable heartache would find the light togeth ...more
5 stars for Porter Reese
5 stars for the writing
5 stars for this emotional, gut wrenching story
5 stars for Charlotte standing up for herself and finally fighting for the people she loves
5 stars for the intense love Porter and Charlotte had..i LOVED that they fought for everything together. I LOVED that it was Porter who made her smile and laugh again. He did it so lovingly, so playfully... i could only hope this family that was thrown into unimaginable heartache would find the light togeth ...more

I enjoyed this more than the first book, and for me The Brightest Sunset didn't suffer the dreaded second book syndrome that I expected. I inhaled this in one sitting, and is why Aly Martinez is an auto buy author. This time I got the feels from all the characters that were missing in The Darkest Sunrise. I felt their pain, their anguish, how torn they were. I definitely got all the feels in this one, though I do wish Charlotte had stood up to that arsehole Brady sooner than she did even though
...more

"Love can grow in the darkness"
Holly hell! Aly Martinez is an absolute genius with duets. After reading Retrieval and Transfer. I loved it so much I thought, “whoa how is she going top that?” Guest what, she did it again – this duet is stunning guys. Highly emotional and heart pounding with anticipation, my stomach sinks every time the tide turns for the worse and my heart sings for moments of reprieve and happiness. My nerves are shot and I was literally exhausted when the last page was turned. ...more
Holly hell! Aly Martinez is an absolute genius with duets. After reading Retrieval and Transfer. I loved it so much I thought, “whoa how is she going top that?” Guest what, she did it again – this duet is stunning guys. Highly emotional and heart pounding with anticipation, my stomach sinks every time the tide turns for the worse and my heart sings for moments of reprieve and happiness. My nerves are shot and I was literally exhausted when the last page was turned. ...more

Conclusion to this emotionally hyper-ed family drama...brought every possible emotion to the rise...from pain, shock, anger, fear, apprehention, and most importantly forgivness and love.
Aly Martinez knows how to play her best cards to make your heart palpitate faster than the speed of light, out of anticipating tension only so it can soar the infinitive hights out of bliss of being complete.
Hands down, this author is at her best in captivating writing style bringing to you gripping emotional ...more
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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, charcuterie boards, and her mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passe ...more
Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, charcuterie boards, and her mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passe ...more
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