Against the Ropes by: Sarah Castille

Title: Against the Ropes (Against the Ropes, #1)
Author: Sarah Castille
ISBN: 1402284853
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Erotic, Contemporary Romance
Theme(s): MMA Fighters
Length: 368 pgs
Binding: Paperback, E-book
Published: 3rd September 2013; Sourcebooks Casablanca
Buy: Amazon.com, BN.com

Synopsis:

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…

My Rating:

My Review: Against the Ropes by Sarah Castille was a very generic read for me. It's another MMA fighter erotic contemporary romance with a twist: our hero, Torment, is not only an underground fighter, but also a billionaire!!! Oh...wait. We've read that one before. Nevermind. Anyway, it's a formula we are all familiar with: Good girl (Makayla aka Mac) meets bad boy (Torment aka Max Huntington) at Redemption, a full service gym/training center that also serves as a place to host unsanctioned underground fights. Torment, who just so happens to own the place, offers Makayla a part time position as a way to get to know her. At first she declines, but after being threatened by a collections agency over school loans, she decides the 2nd job might just be a blessing. Or is it because she can't stop thinking about the hot owner of Redemption? Add in the promiscuous best friend (Amanda) and a male character (Dr. Drake) that serves as an illusion for a love triangle when we all know he doesn't have a shot in hell of getting the girl and you have yourself another generic new adult romance. Against the Ropes also suffers from a few inconsistencies and unrealistic situations. But despite all of this, Sarah Castille was still able to create an entertaining story with a sexy alpha male, spunky heroine, and smoking hot chemistry/sex scenes.

Here is what I liked. The author was able to infuse well paced humor throughout the story. Once Makayla starts to get to know the other fighters at Redemption, they slowly form a bond. I enjoyed the camaraderie, and there were quite a few laugh out loud moments, especially when Mac gets drunk and Torment walks in on her playing strip poker with the guys. Even though I sort of had issues with her promiscuous best friend Amanda, I couldn't help but laugh when Mac and Amanda were on the phone and Amanda was relaying some of the kinky things Dr. Drake was...