sports

Knock Out by Michele Mannon

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Knock Out
Grade-C+
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Worth The Fight #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
167 pages

This book is actually more of a three and a half star book for me.

Keane O’Shea is a MMA fighter who is also ex-military. A Marine to be précise. He a big bear of a man in size and temperament. He fights not for the joy but for the release of energy and stress. He also has sex for the release but also because he likes sex. What man doesn’t? His sex life is uncomplicated because there’s no strings attached. The rest of his life is very complicated though. He has PTSD that he refuses to get treatment for. He’s guilt ridden over the death of his best friend and he’s surly at best most of the time.

Logan Rettino is a former ballerina still trying to pay off her medical bills. Her fiancé and dance partner dropped her during a performance and she broke her ankle. This injury ruined her career and her fiancé stole money from their accounts that she alone earned. She’s been insulted by him through the media relentlessly. She’s taken a job as a an Octagon Girl, she carries the cards that announce the upcoming rounds. Because of the humiliation of her injury being made public, people recognize her. She has success at being a Octagon Girl and only needs a few more paychecks to help her open her own dance school. Her boss is a wretch of a man. A surprise kiss starts a media frenzy between her and O’Shea. She’s given an ultimatum by her boss that involves O’Shea or she’s loses her job.

This was a good, solid read. It did seem a little long at times but was good overall. I enjoyed Logan as a character and she had a good heart. Keane O’Shea is a different animal altogether. This man is in real emotional pain which makes me less than pleasant. The love story was slow building but ended well. The sex was great when it finally happened but you did have to wait for it. I haven’t researched to find out if this is a series yet but I would probably read more from this author.

Blue Lines by Toni Aleo

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Blue Lines (Assassins, #4)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Assassins #4
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay

Piper Allen loves Erik Titov. She has wanted him for a long time. She knows the kind of man he is. He’s a womanizer through and through. She can’t seem to get over him, maybe because she sees him constantly. Being that he is her brother-in-law’s brother, it adds to the trickiness of her feelings. Then one night, they go home together from a bar and have wild hot sex. She never hears from him again. Then she realizes she’s late and takes a test where it comes up blue lines or positive. She tried to get a hold of him but he never called her back. So at six months pregnant she goes to his home and drops the news on him.

I really liked so much about this book. I loved the depth of Piper’s love for Erik. I loved seeing the characters from the other books. I loved Erik’s parents. I loved the fluidity of the writing. My big problem was Erik. He was a complete douche bag. On every level. So very selfish and cruel. Through almost 90% of the book I felt he was beyond redemption. Really. I truly wanted Piper to move on from him. I know his backstory and as horrific as it was, I just couldn’t handle his cruelty. It kept this book from being a five star read for me. I don’t think I have ever read almost a whole book hating the main character. When I was done reading, I only barely liked him.

Toni Aleo is my favorite new author of the past year. I love her books and can’t wait to read them. She wrote an almost completely beyond redemption lead male character and made you at least like him. She is a true writing talent and an auto-read for me. Her books are always a bit of an emotional roller coaster, which I love. The acknowledgement section at the end of the book broke my heart. I’m so very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Aleo as I am also a motherless daughter.

Throwing Heat by Jennifer Seasons

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne


                      Throwing Heat (Diamonds and Dugouts #3)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Diamonds and Dugouts #3
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
100 pages
 
 
This is the third installment in Jennifer Seasons’ Diamond and Dugouts series.

Leslie Cutter has always had horrible taste in men. One knocked her up in her teen years, one ruined her name by embezzlement and the latest is a player on and off the field. He’s also her brother’s best friend and the starting pitcher for the Denver Rush. The book starts off years ago in Miami after her ex leaves the country after the embezzlement fiasco. After a drunken night, she and Peter Kowalskin have a sexual encounter, not full blown but an encounter nonetheless.
Peter can’t go through with it and leaves, causing an already insecure woman to doubt herself even more.

Peter is battling his own demons. He is retiring at the end of the season due to a degenerative eye disease and he wants a World Series win to go with it. He regrets not sleeping with Leslie years ago in Miami and wants another chance with her. He offers his place to stay after the building he owns that she lives in has a flood. He makes a wager with her. He will play guitar at the nightclub she manages and help her buy it if she can NOT sleep with him until after Halloween. Leslie jumps at the chance because this is her opportunity at self redemption. She can’t lose, right?

I thought this was a cute read. A lot of sexual chemistry and sexy scenes. Only one full blown one though, which was disappointing. There were very good secondary characters and I hope they all have a book. My only complaint was that I wished it was as hot as Jaci Burton’s sports series.