Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Book Review: Against the Ropes by Sarah Castille

A new man has entered my top book boyfriends list! I seriously fell in love with Max, AKA Torment, in this book. Novels about MMA fighters have really taken off lately and though I could care less about boxing, MMA or any tyoe of fighting in real life, damn I love these books. There is just something about a possessive, dominant, tattooed fighter that drives me crazy.

Makayla has graduated college and is an EMT, but now she is stuck in her life and flat out broke. She has no idea what she wants to do with her career so she works a crummy job in the hospital's admittance department. A chance run-in with a hot as hell MMA fighter at a local underground club changes everything for her. An abusive past makes her want to turn and run from Torment and the club as fast as she can, but she is too drawn to him. When Makayla is beyond desperate to earn extra money, she agrees to work as the club's physician on fight nights.

Torment has had his own troubled past, which is why he opened up his fighting club, Redemption. Fighting gives hm a sense of control, which he desperately needs. We soon learn that their is more to Torment than meets the eye. There are two sides to this man: Torment the fighter and Max the businessman.

Even though Makayla has a serious aversion to violence, she actually has a harder time accepting the Max side of him then the Torment side. The fact that he has money is something she has a hard time dealing with and makes her feel out of her league.

The story is told from Makayla's point of view and despite her issue with money, which was some what annoying for me, I really liked her a lot. She is stronger than she thinks she is and when you get to see her working with injured fighters you can tell she is really in her element. Plus she is funny and sarcastic and her thoughts are just very real.

I slip off my shoes and kneel on the mat while Torment and Jimmy discuss what to do with me. My pulse pounds so hard I can barely hear them over the rush of blood through my veins. This is sports. It has nothing to do with sex. Sports. Sports. Sports. 
Torment puts his hand on my shoulder. "Lie on your back, hands over your head, legs apart." 
Sex.

Then there is Torment or Max or sex on a stick as I like to call him. Really, he is just delectable. Everything for him is about control, so yes he is the typical over protective and possessive alpha male boyfriend. He is dominant both in and out of the bedroom and he opens up Makayla's eyes to desires she never knew she wanted before.

"If you don't tie me up right now, I'm going to take care of things myself," I snap. Seriously? What does a girl have to do around here to get a little loving? 
Ten minutes later I lie trussed on the desk like a Thanksgiving turkey. Soft ropes around my thighs, ankles, and waste are tied to hidden D-rings on the desk, which hold my legs wide open. Where does a person get a desk with D-rings embedded all over it? How many women has he trussed in his office while pretending to do the club accounts? Most importantly, when do I get my stuffing?
"You don't actally have to do this," I whine. "I want sex. Right now. You don't have to work for it."
"I can control you better this way. I can give you more pleasure than you ever thought possible."

One minute I'm literally laughing out loud at Makayla's wit and the next I'm groaning when Max says something like that. Normally, I don't picture any actors or models as characters in my head when reading a book. I am horrible at the whole character casting thing. But as soon as Torment was introduced in this book, I immediately got a picture of Stuart Reardon in my head and it stayed there throughout the entire book.



Yes, that delicious male specimen is my Max. My Torment. Perfection.

I really, really, loved this book. It had the perfect balance of hot sex with a side of BDSM, smart, strong characters, a little humor and some angst. Though this is the first in a series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. Book 2 will be about Makayla's best friend Amanda and Jake, another fighter at Redemption.


Against The Ropes releases September 3, 2013.

Marianna's Rating:

**I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Title: Against the Ropes
Author: Sarah Castille
Series: Redemption #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica, BDSM
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/17586475-against-the-ropes
Website: sarahcastille.com
Social Media: @sarah_castille; www.facebook.com/sarahcastilleauthor
Book Description:
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…


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