{Review} Against the Ropes by Sarah Castille

Title: Against The Ropes
Series: Redemption #1
Author: Sarah Castille
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Genre: Adult Sports Romance

He scared me. He thrilled me. And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more…

Makayla never thought she’d set foot in an underground mixed-martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it’s these guys. Trouble is, at her first sight of the club’s owner she’s the one feeling breathless.

All sleek muscle and restrained power, the man they call Torment plays to win at any cost. Whether it’s in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when to use a soft touch and when to launch a full-on assault. He always knows just how far he can push. And he’s about to tempt Makayla in ways she never imagined…

Review

Although the premise isn't completely original, it is a fun ride being in Makayla's head. She's a strong-headed, compassionate woman with quick wit and a sharp tongue, and her humor is refreshing. Author Sarah Castille has a way with words, I will tell you that. Not only is it well-written, but the humor will leave you in a laughing fit even in the most inappropriate times. That's what the characters is all about -- inappropriate. All thanks to our minx and her fighter, along with their friends. She knows exactly when and where it's appropriate to be detailed, and when it's time to let them have their privacy. This will keep you on the balls of your feet while dancing around, trying to uncover the tension and mysteries.

Makayla and Torment's dynamic is really light and fluffy fun at the start of the story. With the exception of the heavy lust they have for each other, of course. Torment makes her blush like a virgin, and Makayla makes Torment act like a teenager hitting second base for the first time. I kid you not, it was cute and at times sensual. The first aid room scene where Makayla checks out Torment's shoulder was so thick with sexual tension, I'm surprised they were able to breathe and form somewhat coherent words. It's easy to tell that Torment is in a state of flux between wanting to throw Makayla on the bed and have his way with her, and stunned beyond knowledge of his own name. I love that they have the ability to challenge each others limits like no other could before. Their first kiss is a long time coming, and to say that it's overdue is an understatement. When the time came, their first kiss was disappointing. I expected it to be as explosive as their touches and the burning desire in their eyes when they look at each other. It was short and Max/Torment left without so much as a word.

Things shift after Makayla finds out Torment's true (or other) identity. Not only is he the top underground fighter with the respective stage name Torment, but he's Max Huntington the successful high society businessman. I found his character was less appealing. I mean don't get me wrong, I love a guy in a suit attached to a successful business he built as much as any other woman, but that side of Torment did not do that for me. That side didn't suit the real him. It took some adjusting to refer to Torment as Max for the remainder of the story.

They both are hiding things from each other, and it all derives from their dark pasts. It's what gets in their way in the present. Vague thoughts from Makayla when it comes to violence, hints at having been abused in her past which is why she's so adamant about Torment and the underground fighting circuit. It's also the reason behind her need to heal people as an EMT. Then Makayla gets flashbacks of that fateful night that changed her life. She's not the only one hiding a dark past, and Makayla and Torment struggle to let each other in.

Torment/Max's dominant side can be a bit cringe-worthy. Not only the "dirty talk" but the sex as well. Angry/punishment sex, when done well, can be steamy and delicious, however a lot of their sex scenes were more frightening than hot. He takes it above the comfort zone who are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with bondage and BDSM play, but he knows when enough is enough. When Makayla plays off the flashbacks of her dark past, Max stops and asks her what's wrong and doesn't push any further. That, along with her past, is the reason for her lack of trust in him. After diving into the depths of his heart, Makayla realized that he would never hurt her.

Their friends at the club took a while to warm up, but when they did during their after parties and strip poker games, they are fun as they are tough and they grow to care about Makayla. Rampage, Obsidian, Hurricane, and Jake kind of grow on you after a while as it did for Makayla. They will go out of their way to protect their friends girl. They also help keep them, as well as the underground circuit, grounded.

The scene where Max ties Makayla atop of his desk and he's licking her favorite ice cream off of her body is erotic. Something about licking dessert off of her body agonizingly slow is a turn-on. I guess it's the sensuality in the act. For some reason I imagined that there was one spotlight focused on them in their own little show while listening to FU by Miley Cyrus ft. French Montana. Which is incidentally what played on my iPod whilst reading that scene. Weird, I know. It was more of the music, not the lyrics. It had a cirque du soleil feel to it. Or it could be how fitting it would be to say "F U" to Max for tormenting (pun intended) her past her limit of arousal.

In the end, Torment is a southern boy at heart with a heart of gold laid thick with sexuality. As Makayla, his demons still haunt him. Still believing that his family blames him for his mothers death, and his father's hurtful words branded into his brain which is the root of his overbearing protectiveness toward Makayla. He doesn't want to fail or lose her just as he lost his mom. After reuniting with his family, he knew then that he hadn't failed his mom, and he hasn't lost Makayla either. Makayla may not have a tolerance for violence, but she's a fighter when it comes to those she loves. They fit together like puzzle pieces, as cliche as that sounds. Makayla is the EMT that heals the wounded fighters injuries as well as his heart.

{Review} Stripped by Jasinda Wilder

Title: Stripped
Series: Stripped #1
Author: Jasinda Wilder
Publication Date: August 14, 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

So how did I get myself into this situation, you ask? Simple: desperation. When you're faced with being homeless and hungry or taking off your clothes for money, the choice is easier than you'd imagine. That doesn't make it easy, though. Oh no. I hate it, in fact. There's nothing I'd like more than to quit and never go into another bar again, never hear the techno beat pulsing in my ears again, never feel the lecherous gazes of horny men again.

Then, one day, I meet a man. He's in my club, front and center. He watches me do my routine, and his gaze is full of hunger. Not the kind of desire I'm used to though. It's something different. Something hotter, deeper, and more possessive. I know who he is; of course I do. Everyone knows who Dawson Kellor is. He's People Magazine's Sexiest Man alive. He's the hottest actor in Hollywood. He's the man hand-picked for the role of Rhett Butler in the long-awaited remake of Gone With the Wind.

He's the kind of man who can have any woman in the entire world with a mere crook of his finger. So what's he doing looking at me like he has to have me? And how do I resist him when he looks at me with those intoxicating, changeable, quicksilver eyes?

I'm a virgin, and he's an American icon of male sexuality. I'm a stripper, and he's a man used to getting anything and everything he wants. And he wants me. I know I should say no, I know he's the worst kind of player…but what my mind knows, my body and my heart may not.
And then things get complicated.

Review

Upon the first few chapters, it was a bit difficult to connect with Grey for me. Her mentality made her seem younger than 16 and 18, I almost forgot how old she was a few times. She's a frequent crier which made me irritable toward her. Being the pastor's daughter, you're more sheltered from the things in the outside world. Unfortunately, that's what held her back from going after her dreams for years. Even though I, as a Christian, respect Grey's dads beliefs in terms of morality and the eyes/words of God, I felt for Grey when her dad told her that he will not allow her to take up dance and film in Los Angeles. If only he didn't have such a narrow mind when it came to LA where she wants to pursue a career in film, they could have salvaged their tarnishing relationship. He would see that what she wanted to do was not at all like what is seen on tv and papers.

In Matthew 12:25, Jesus says, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." The same applies to a home, and it's unfortunate that Grey's dad's stubbornness drove a wedge between them. Grey's dad says he's a man of faith, yet he didn't put it into practice when it came to his daughter. Jesus is supposed to be a bridge, not a wedge. Grey's dad tried to propose a compromise, but on his terms. Unfortunately, he didn't go about it the right way. In the end he was just too overbearing, and put words in God's mouth just to convince Grey that her dreams are all sins which is what drove her further and further away.

I applaud Grey for finally standing up for herself and chasing her dreams. All her life, she has been controlled under her father's thumb, and it's time for Grey to take matters into her own hands. Albeit, I don't like the fact that she stopped believing in God. After losing her mom, I can understand why she no longer believes in Him, because in pain you will say and believe in the worst of things. Things hit the fan fast after that, that neither Grey nor her dad had expected until it was too late.

The first 20% or so is slow-paced because we're getting to know the foundation of Grey's upbringing. Fast forward a couple years and Grey has been settled at a university in Los Angeles pursuing a degree in film, and takes up an internship at Fourth Dimension. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Grey has no choice but to, what they say, "strip her way through school," at a Gentlemen club to make ends meet when her scholarship runs out.

At that point, she realizes that her father was right: she's doing a sinful act by taking her clothes off just as he feared and told her about. She hates to identify herself as a stripper. Then in comes Dawson Kellor, Hollywood's heartthrob. In that awful, slimy club is where we first meet Dawson. His behavior when they first encounter, you can tell that he sees something more in Grey straightaway. Instead of ogling her in the VIP room at the club like the other men have done, he saw right through her. He saw her potential, and knew that she did not belong there. That sets things up for his genuine interest in Grey.

THAT kiss between Grey and Dawson was uniquely sensual. The one in her dorm room which should have been their first kiss. How it made Grey feel foreign, outside of her comfort zone that seems dangerous but turns out erotic. The type of kiss that scares you out of your wits, but makes you want to take that plunge and get lost in it that you're not sure if you'll find your way out. Each kiss just gets hotter and hotter after that.

It was a good move of Wilder to take the time to write out Grey's appreciation of Dawson in detail after their declaration. The thought she puts into the details made it all the more vivid. It's moments like that, that they shared when you see your partner and even yourself in a new light. Their declaration of their feelings for each other may seem sudden, but after hearing Dawson talking about the lack of familial love in his life it makes sense.

Dawson is generous and compassionate when making love.

Grey: "Make love to me, Dawson. Please, make love to me."

Dawson: "With all my heart, yes."

I did not expect that from him, which made him all the more of a perfect lover. And their love making sessions steam up the pages. And the fact that Dawson did not get upset at Grey for fleeing the state to her hometown after they hit the sheets for the first time, and once again Dawson surprised me by following her and sticking by her side as she decides to make peace with her father. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see Grey and her dad grow close once again after they reunited. But was rewarded with them being arm in arm in the epilogue.

I like how they bring each others primal side out with wild abandon when being intimate, and venturing out to try new things that is outside of their (more like Grey's) comfort zone. Grey, hardly using any crass and dirty language at all, but tries it out in the heat of the moment was a bit awkward yet comical. It's just Grey exploring her sexuality with Dawson. As a couple, it's good to explore each other as well as the above and beyond. They bring something different to the table to indulge in and it helps strengthen their bond. In doing so, they also enjoy torturing each other with building anticipation that makes them embarrassingly responsive beyond coherent words, which is highly amusing and erotic all the same.

As the story progresses we see Grey grow, and with that, we grow with her as we're reading. She discovers who she is and who she's not. Her past of her stripping days doesn't define who she is, it's just what she used to do in order to make ends meet. With Dawson by her side, she found who she really is and where she belongs.