I am a fan of Tara Wyatt and Harper St. George, so you can imagine that I was a very happy camper when it was announced that they were working on a series together! Dirty Boxing is a solid start to the Blood and Glory series and an intense and ridiculously sexy second chance romance.
If you’re an MMA fan, I think you’ll be quite pleased as the competition action is extremely detailed, more so than many MMA romances I’ve read in recent memory. I appreciated that, as it gives you a truly real and in-depth look into these fighter’s lives. Their training and its results are evident and it showcases how difficult it can be to create and maintain a relationship amid the demands of the job.
Jules and Nick had out of this world chemistry. Nick was easy to like. He was truly a good guy from a loving family and after he understands a little bit more about the situation, he opens himself up to another chance with Jules.
As for Jules, I’m going to admit that she frustrated the snot out of me. She’s very hung up on her own upbringing and how her parent’s relationship was so dysfunctional that she doesn’t see how she could have a healthy relationship. Normally, that kind of thing turns me off in characters. The whole, I love him but I’m not worthy because of my parent’s issues is usually a big no go for me. Otherwise, Jules was a kickass character! She was smart, funny and truly cared for Nick.
I kept reading for a couple of reasons.
- I loved Nick. He was sex on a stick with a heart of gold. (How’s that for a visual?)
- I wanted to learn more about the secondary characters.
- I wanted to know how the heck Jules was going to get passed her hangups. While I was reading, I recognized the importance of character growth. It’s important and I think readers can lose sight of that, especially when reading a character they are having a hard time connecting with.
I saw that growth with Jules. How she was able to experience Nick’s no limit love and devotion for her and his own family. That can be hard, trying to figure out how you fit into a family when you’re not used to a supportive and healthy one, yourself.
So, for me, this was all about Jules’s journey and development as a character and in her relationship with Nick and her own father.
While I had a few bumps with this one, I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to more in the Blood and Glory series.
The team working on the photo shoot had converted a corner of the WFC gym so they’d have access to punching bags and other training accessories they might need, which meant they were shooting at night when everyone was gone. Which was fine, except Jules wished there were more people around to keep her attention off Nick. But then she thought of what had happened at the club and realized a room full of people couldn’t save her from wanting him.
The music that had been playing while they were shooting changed from a dance beat to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” With a sigh of frustration at herself for still being hung up on him, she plastered on a smile and walked to where Nick stood, determined to face her demon head-on. He adjusted one of the giant wind machines an assistant had set up at the beginning of the shoot, fiddling with the dial on top. Krista, the make-up artist, had gone back to her table of supplies.
“You’re doing great. Enrique is very happy with what we’re getting. Thanks again for doing this,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest, trying not to think of where her hands had been a week ago.
His trademark cocky smile appeared, the one where one side of his mouth tipped up higher than the other, but he didn’t look at her. She swallowed hard when her tummy fluttered in response. “Did you doubt me?” he asked, and turned the fan on.
“No . . .” She automatically started to reassure him, but stopped when he tossed his hair dramatically, the thick dark strands catching the wind and blowing out behind him. She caught a faint whiff of the citrus scent of his shampoo. It was the same scent she’d worn on her skin after spending the night with him back in Chicago.
He moved his shoulders and hips in time with the music as he tossed his head again. She couldn’t help teasing him, laughing a little. “Are you pretending to be Beyoncé?”
Looking over his shoulder at her, he winked. “Everyone secretly wants to be Beyoncé.”
She laughed harder, not even bothering to restrain it. As she watched him toss his hair like Beyoncé, bare chested with his hands still in fight wraps, she realized just how much she’d missed him. Missed this playfulness. Missed the way he could make her laugh when she was stressed. After that disastrous dinner with her dad last week, things had been very tense between them. He only spoke to her when he had to, and avoided her the rest of the time. Laughing with Nick was nice and made her forget that for a few minutes.
“I wouldn’t mind being Beyoncé,” she agreed when she finally stopped laughing. “But you should stop playing with the wind machine. It looks expensive.”
“Nuh-uh.” He grabbed her hand when she reached for the dial and pulled her in front of him, facing the wind. “Just try it.”
“What? No.” But she’d started laughing again.
“Just try. Here.” He gently nudged her feet apart. “Power stance,” he explained. “Now close your eyes and toss your head.” His hands went to her shoulders to pull them back before sliding down her arms to take her hands, leaving her skin tingling. She couldn’t stop her fingers from curling around his, craving more of his touch.
Spreading her arms out, he made her dance while singing, “All the single ladies,” softly in her ear. His lips brushed the shell of her ear, and his breath sent prickles of heat down her neck. The hard muscles of his chest were solid and warm against her back.
At one time she would’ve turned and kissed him, but that part of their relationship had to stay in the past. With his chest pressing into her back, though, it was hard to remember exactly why. Before Jules realized it, she was playing his game, swaying and shaking her hips to the music. She had to resist the urge to press herself against him every time her butt brushed his hips, reminding herself for the hundredth time that they were just coworkers.
Blood and Glory Giveaway:
To celebrate the first in the Blood and Glory Series, we’re giving away one promo code for a download of DIRTY BOXING! Please check the following participating sites to enter to win, but keep in mind you can only win once!
Blog Tour Schedule:
September 15
USA Today’s Happy Ever After – EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
September 17
Ramblings from this Chick – GUEST POST
September 18
The Reading Frenzy – INTERVIEW
BookPage October Digital Dalliance – REVIEW
Mrs. Leif’s Two Fangs About It
September 19
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
September 20
Straight Shootin’ Book Reviews
September 21
September 22
September 25
September 26
September 27
An Asian chick & her cat walk into a book blog
September 28
September 29
“St. George (A Marriage Deal with the Outlaw) and Wyatt (Necessary Work) have written a fast-paced romance filled with sizzling chemistry, which will have readers rooting for Jules and Nick to find their way back to each other. Verdict: This novel will have broad appeal for readers of sexy contemporary romance, not just those who have an interest in MMA.”
—Library Journal
“A heartfelt story of second chances set in the high stakes world of MMA fighting…a satisfying blend of emotional drama and sizzling love scenes…Dirty Boxing embraces the swirl of confusing emotions that inundate its leads, using the turmoil to deepen their characters and complicate their relationship…Wyatt and St. George also devote considerable space to Nick’s close-knit family and Jules’ strained relationship with her father, ensuring that the leads’ families are complex figures with their own biases and flaws. The result is a romance with a happy ending that, in allowing for the work still to be done, feels all the more rewarding.”
—BookPage
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