Readers who enjoy MMA-fueled romances will find this an enjoyable read with a more seasoned couple finding HEA with bits of suspense thrown in. Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of Fight for Her by Vanessa Vale, along with my impressions of it, then add this sweet and sensual read to your bookshelf!
A fighter ready to give up the gloves.
A woman ready to take on the world.
Grayson Green’s an MMA champion who's spent years in the limelight where fast times and fast women were easy to come by. The appeal is gone and he steps out of the ring to make some changes and get control of his life. All the training in the world can’t save him from the one-two punch of meeting Emory. She’s different. She has no idea who he is…and she wants him anyway. When someone from his past is prepared to take him down... and Emory along with him, he'll do anything to fight for her...
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Readers who enjoy couples that are more seasoned will find themselves charmed by the sweet and sensual burgeoning relationship between the shy Emory, with her low self-esteem issues, and the strong-willed and protective Gray, who's bored with superficial encounters based on his fame. Theirs is a slow moving relationship in which through every word and deed Gray reminds Emory of her innate sensuality while she shows him her love for the man he is instead of the persona he created. Throw in some outside interferences due to his abusive father and her newfound mafia neighbors and you end up with a story juggling elements that don't always fit seamlessly together but ends up delivering a HEA in the end.
Emory met and married quickly during her college years so hasn't had much experience with sex beyond the husband who recently left her for someone younger while making her feel inadequate. Her self-esteem is at an all-time low due to his belittling words which leaves her with little desire to be with anyone expect for what's in her bedside table. For so long she saw herself as only a mom with her son being her main concern, but with his leaving home she can now find a life of her own...and perhaps a new love if she can just be brave and bold enough to grab on to the sweet and sexy former MMA champ who rushes to her rescue at a wedding. Emory's a likable woman but her self-esteem issues lead to awkward talk and her rushing to believe the worst. It takes a lot of gentle handling from Gray to put her at ease but once she finally takes the plunge she finds out what she'd been missing throughout her boring marriage. With her sexual liberation I had hoped she would've also found strength at protecting herself instead of cowering and letting others defend her. She's sweet and honest though, with every one of her emotions easily seen, which is exactly what Gray needs after years of being liked for his fame instead of who he is inside.
Gray had a harsh childhood of abuse at the hands of a vile man who was left untouched by the law despite his numerous crimes. All the blood and bruises though led him to fame in the MMA and becoming more than his father could ever hope to be. His father's hatred never stopped as he constantly picks apart his son's self-esteem every chance he gets, dirtying up the life Gray has made for himself. After years of superficiality with his partners he's shocked by how powerful his feelings are for the shy and demure Emory as he's never had to work so hard to get the attention of a woman before. He may feel unworthy of her but he relishes being her hero and getting to introduce her to the delights of the bedroom as he takes his time getting there which proves that all good things come to those who wait. Gray is sexy and rugged with strong Alpha tendencies that don't seem to bother Emory as he's the one she counts on whenever she's afraid. The pain his father inflicted on him was awful and I hated him still letting his father affect his life after all he's accomplished.
This was a story that moved a bit slowly at times despite my being charmed by the sweetness of Gray and Emory's relationship. I could understand Gray moving slowly with Emory as her self-esteem issues ran deep but it still made for a lot of frustration as it felt like a glacial pace at times. Once they finally culminated their relationship though it resulted in some scorching encounters that showed him to be a champ not only in the ring but in the bedroom too. Gray's issues with his father would've been more than enough angst to make the HEA rewarding as it was a heartbreaking situation. That's why I was equally frustrated by the author's inclusion of the mafia theme as it felt so out of place as did the reason behind the danger to Emory. This element was jarring to the story and unnecessary in my opinion. Ultimately though it's Gray who kept me fully invested in this story as I liked the gruff fighter and his care and concern for the gentle soul he's brought into his world.
Emory met and married quickly during her college years so hasn't had much experience with sex beyond the husband who recently left her for someone younger while making her feel inadequate. Her self-esteem is at an all-time low due to his belittling words which leaves her with little desire to be with anyone expect for what's in her bedside table. For so long she saw herself as only a mom with her son being her main concern, but with his leaving home she can now find a life of her own...and perhaps a new love if she can just be brave and bold enough to grab on to the sweet and sexy former MMA champ who rushes to her rescue at a wedding. Emory's a likable woman but her self-esteem issues lead to awkward talk and her rushing to believe the worst. It takes a lot of gentle handling from Gray to put her at ease but once she finally takes the plunge she finds out what she'd been missing throughout her boring marriage. With her sexual liberation I had hoped she would've also found strength at protecting herself instead of cowering and letting others defend her. She's sweet and honest though, with every one of her emotions easily seen, which is exactly what Gray needs after years of being liked for his fame instead of who he is inside.
Gray had a harsh childhood of abuse at the hands of a vile man who was left untouched by the law despite his numerous crimes. All the blood and bruises though led him to fame in the MMA and becoming more than his father could ever hope to be. His father's hatred never stopped as he constantly picks apart his son's self-esteem every chance he gets, dirtying up the life Gray has made for himself. After years of superficiality with his partners he's shocked by how powerful his feelings are for the shy and demure Emory as he's never had to work so hard to get the attention of a woman before. He may feel unworthy of her but he relishes being her hero and getting to introduce her to the delights of the bedroom as he takes his time getting there which proves that all good things come to those who wait. Gray is sexy and rugged with strong Alpha tendencies that don't seem to bother Emory as he's the one she counts on whenever she's afraid. The pain his father inflicted on him was awful and I hated him still letting his father affect his life after all he's accomplished.
This was a story that moved a bit slowly at times despite my being charmed by the sweetness of Gray and Emory's relationship. I could understand Gray moving slowly with Emory as her self-esteem issues ran deep but it still made for a lot of frustration as it felt like a glacial pace at times. Once they finally culminated their relationship though it resulted in some scorching encounters that showed him to be a champ not only in the ring but in the bedroom too. Gray's issues with his father would've been more than enough angst to make the HEA rewarding as it was a heartbreaking situation. That's why I was equally frustrated by the author's inclusion of the mafia theme as it felt so out of place as did the reason behind the danger to Emory. This element was jarring to the story and unnecessary in my opinion. Ultimately though it's Gray who kept me fully invested in this story as I liked the gruff fighter and his care and concern for the gentle soul he's brought into his world.
My rating for this is a C+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Who doesn't love the romance of the old West? USA Today Bestselling author Vanessa Vale takes the sensual appeal of rugged cowboys a step further with her bestselling books set in the Montana Territory. They are much more than just sexy historical westerns. They're deliciously naughty reads that sometimes push the boundaries of fantasy. It's pure escapism with quite a few very hot, very alpha cowboys. When she's not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She considers herself to be remarkably normal, exceedingly introverted and fairly vanilla, which does not explain her steamy stories and her fascination with cowboys, preferably more than one at a time. She lives in the Wild Wild West where there's an endless source of 'research' material.
No comments:
Post a Comment