Title: From the embers
Author: aly martinez
Genre: romance
Tropes:
- Friends to lovers
- single parent / Found family
- forced proximity
- Grief & healing
- slow burn
- Twist you won’t see coming
Rating: 4/5
I picked up From the Embers by Aly Martinez in The Works sale, not really knowing much about it—just one of those spontaneous buys. But wow… I did not expect to love it as much as I did. It completely took me by surprise in the best way, and now I’m honestly kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. This book was emotional, raw, and totally unforgettable.
Synopsis:
When a tragic house fire steals the lives of two close friends, Eason and Bree—both left behind and heartbroken—find themselves thrown together in the aftermath. Suddenly, they're no longer just acquaintances… they're the only people who truly understand the depth of each other’s loss.
As they step in to care for a child who now depends on them both, grief turns into something else—something unexpected. But falling in love with the one person who reminds you of everything you’ve lost? That’s complicated, messy… and maybe exactly what they both need to survive.
From the Embers follows Eason and Bree, two people left behind after a devastating house fire that kills both of their spouses. Suddenly, they’re forced into a situation where grief, survival, and responsibility collide. What starts as pain and guilt slowly transforms into something intimate, emotional, and deeply healing.
This book surprised me with how beautifully it handled complex emotions—grief, love, guilt, and hope. The slow-burn romance felt real and earned, and the chemistry between Eason and Bree was undeniable. There’s also a twist, that I absolutely didn’t see coming and added so much depth to the story. I felt so bad for both Bree and Eason as they had no clue what was going on behind their backs.
I have to talk about Jessica—because wow, I really hated her. The way she treated Eason was heart-breaking, and I was furious on his behalf more than once. It made watching Eason heal and grow even more satisfying, knowing everything he’d been through because of her. Honestly, I’m not even mad about what happened to Jessica and Rob—it felt like the justice they deserved after finding out what they did.
But while Jessica and Rob’s story wrapped up in a way I could get behind, Bree and Eason stole the real spotlight for me. Their journey from grief and pain to trust and love felt so raw and authentic—proof that sometimes the strongest relationships are born from the darkest places.
💬 What I loved:– The emotional honesty of both characters
– A very real depiction of grief and healing
– The slow, believable transition from friends to lovers
– That jaw-dropping twist
– Found family / single parent dynamics done well
I’m honestly mad I didn’t read this sooner. It was so much more than just a romance—it was about rebuilding from nothing and learning to love again after unimaginable loss. It's one of those books I would probably pick up again to read.
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