by Series: Beyond the Cage (# 1) Release Date: July 21, 2015 Publisher: InterMix Pages: 231 Source: book provided by the author for review

 

 

MMA fighters go the distance in this all-new series from Jennifer Snow, author of the Brookhollow novels.

Walker Adams was supposed to follow in his lawyer father’s footsteps, but instead he’s training to be an MMA fighter. And while he works for his chance to make it in the Maximum Fight League, he’s bunking on his baby sister’s best friend’s couch. Gracie Andrews is all grown up—in all the right places. But she’s engaged to the fight match-maker who holds Walker’s career in his hands…

Gracie had almost convinced herself that she’d put her silly childhood crush on Walker to rest. But the sight of him sleeping in only a pair of boxer briefs makes it clear that some things never change. And as old sparks turn to flames, Gracie is forced to decide between the future she thought she wanted or the man she’s never stopped loving…

 

Review:  Jennifer Snow is a favorite author of mine read having read and enjoyed all of the books in the Brookhollow series.  She gave me the three books in this series to read/review for an upcoming promo on Romancing-the-Book.com and the first book in her new series doesn’t disappoint at all!

is definitely different from my normal reads since it has the sport of fighting at its core, but it’s still a love story where men fight over the girl.  It was a quick read since I was able to read it in less than a day.  Grace and Walker are childhood friends even though they didn’t give each other the time of day since Grace and Walker’s sister were best friends growing up and there was an age difference.  Now that they’re all grown up she works in public relations with her boyfriend, Erik, in the MFL, who is a high-powered executive that gives her the security she craves but little else.  Watching their interactions left me cold and it was surprising that Grace would put up with the little affection he gave since they were supposed to be in love.  Walker gave up law school to train to be a fighter, a life-long dream, and one he likes better than law.  When Gracie lets him sleep on her couch, helps him get a job as a bartender and gets him a gym to train in he’s more than humbled.  Their attraction simmers under the surface but doesn’t seem like it will amount to anything or does it?

There was lots of action, fighting terms, promoters, training and work but also family and friends.  There were tears, fears, doubts, laughter, happiness, embarrassment,  reminisces, secrets, disappointment along with some love. There were a few loose ends but a happily ever after in the offing.  I  can’t wait to start books two and three in the series, and , respectively!

Favorite Quote:  He never remembered she didn’t like seafood.  And he was changing the subject.  She sighed, forced to take a look at the options herself or be stuck eating slimy, deep-fried sea creatures…