Against the Ropes (Redemption, #1)

by Sarah Castille

Makayla never thought she'd set foot in an elite mixed martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it's these guys. Then again, at her first sight of the club's owner, she's the one feeling breathless. The man they call Torment is all sleek muscle and restrained power. Whether it's in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when a soft touch is required 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 ...

• ISBN10: 1402284853
• ISBN13: 9781402284854
• Publish Date: 3 October 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 16 June 2016
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Sourcebooks, Inc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was a fun romance. I really like Max and Makayla. Max was an alpha to the nth degree, but it all came from a good place, and he wore his heart on his sleeve. Makayla was fun and quirky, with a wicked sense of humor. I sighed, and smiled often.

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

This is my first experience with an MMA fighter story and I found it to be rather interesting. The first thing that got my attention was the book cover. TOTALLY HOT!!!! Then when I read the blurb I knew I had to read this book. On completion of this story I must say it was not what I anticipated, but it was nevertheless a worthwhile read.
Torment the male protagonist is the proprietor of an underground fight club. He met Makayla when she was selling tickets for an event at the club. The meeting between these two was quite electric and what follows is a story of intense passion and romance.
Torment is the type of guy who likes to be in control and this evident in in his interaction with Makayla. It was obvious that they both had issues which stemmed from incidents in their past. These issues were having a negative impact on their relationship.
I found Makayla’s character to be a bit unusual. She is an EMT yet she hates violence and the sight of blood. How ironic is that? As the story progressed, I began to understand why Torment was so controlling and why Makyla hated violence.
Initially, the story started out slow but then it began to heat when certain secrets came to light. I enjoyed reading this story, however, I had a problem with the role of Sergio the debt collector. I never heard of any debt collector behaving like he did unless they worked for a loan shark. I found his behavior a bit offensive as a result, I thought that aspect of the story was unrealistic.
This is my first time reading this author’s work and I can’t wait to see where she will be taking this series.