Fighting Attraction (Redemption #4) by Sarah Castille #BookReview #EarlyReview
*** This review is SPOILER-FREE! Read on with confidence! ***
When I imagined myself in the club, it was Jack behind me, Jack on the other end of the whip, Jack making me scream. But he doesn’t want me to be here, and if I can’t have him, at least I can find out if this is really what I want. Now or never. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Redemption or Sin?
Sin.
Fighting Attraction is all about conflict, the push and pull of life and love and soul-deep needs. Both main characters are a study in contrasts. Jack Caldwell is the encouraging, good-natured gossip king of the Redemption gym, but he’s a true sadist at heart, and a painful past has taught him to keep that part of himself locked away. Penny Worthington is an adorable pastel- and pearl-wearing British gal with a penchant for death metal and bad boys, and her secret is so damaging, only a few people in her entire lifetime have known. The way their dark needs fit together—and yet also clash so painfully—weaves the gritty undertone that sets this story apart from typical fighter romances in the contemporary erotic genre.
“That’s how you show me you’re proud?” I give an indignant sniff. “You give me your cock?”
“That’s how I show you I’m horny.” He crushes my lips in a passionate kiss. His mouth softens, grazes against mine. “That’s how I show you I’m proud.”
I run my tongue over the seam of his lips. “How do you show me I’m yours?”
“I beat the shit out of anyone who hurts you or gets the fuck in my way. Then I convince you to get my name tattooed on your ass so you can be returned to me when you’re lost.”
Jack is a complicated man, with self-imposed layers of restrictions and hidden spaces, walls to keep people out and secrets in. He’s everyone’s high-fiving buddy at the gym and the most fierce, feared sadist at club Sin. And with Penny, he lands somewhere in the middle, somewhere soft and angry and giving, all while holding back the most vulnerable parts of himself. Until he stops and just lets go. That’s when Jack will really melt your heart.
And as a fighter, oh man. I’m not into MMA in real life, but dayum. I could watch this guy torture opponents in the cage all day.
“Are you trying to make me feel bad?” Jack frowns.
“Of course not.”
“Then stop dancing around and stop asking me if I want to quit. Just go run with Blade Saw. Silently. Maybe a bit slower. You could also try to sweat a bit and pant so I feel like you’re exerting yourself in some way and not out for a casual stroll.” Jack chuckles and falls into step beside me.
“It isn’t a competition.”
“Then you shouldn’t have asked me to come,” I snap. “I have a competitiveness problem. I’ll keep running until I fall or you stop or I win.”
I love Penny’s spirit. She may dress like a demure little secretary out for tea with the Queen, but she’s got fire and spine and wit. Her British accent suits her character—and this story—perfectly and shines through her dialogue.
“Let’s go. We’ll get you fixed up, and you’ll be ready for another run tomorrow.”
“Great. A second long run in two days, here I come.”
Jack snorts a laugh. “You’re funny, Pen.”
Ah, the kiss of death. “Thanks.”
“And sweet.” He waves Homicide Hank over to the curb in front of us.
“Innocent,” he continues, half to himself. “Quirky, sexy, strong, brave, and a bit naive.”
“I’m my very own romantic comedy.”
I LOVED the clever way Penny turns the tables at the end. Without giving spoilers, I’ll just say that I was grinning and fist-pumping along with the characters. Brilliant. Sexy. Edgy. Addicting. That’s Fighting Attraction. And I want more!
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