Review: Against the Ropes – Carly Fall

Winning the next fight will mean nothing . . . if he can’t win back the heart of the woman he loves. . .

Five years ago Dylan Gomez had it all. He was an up-and-coming boxer with a loving girlfriend, and his sights were set on the big league. Then he let the hype of the fans inflate his ego—he thought he was invincible. That all changed when an alcohol-fueled decision altered the course of his life. He lost his girlfriend and then bit-by-bit his life crumbled around him.

Physical therapist, Regan Holloway, has coasted through life for the last five years. She’s been in the same place all that time and most of her things are still in boxes. Agreeing to a “friendly” date with a co-worker, she ends up ringside and face-to-face with the man she’d fled to forget—Dylan.

Dylan’s turning his life around and working his way back up the ranks; he’s got a big fight lined up in thirty days that will be his ticket back into the pros—if he can win. The only thing holding him back is an old shoulder injury and Regan not being by his side.

When Max, Dylan’s manager, convinces Regan to come with them and work on his shoulder for the fight, she knows she needs to keep things professional so that she won’t be hurt again.

In the thirty-day countdown to the big fight, secrets are revealed, their passion is reignited, and the past threatens to haunt their future. On fight day, Dylan and Regan are truly against the ropes.

Series:
Release Date: May 29th 2013
Publisher: Bottom Drawer Publications
Source: Provided by Author/Publisher via Manic Readers
Reviewer: Shannon
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

3.5 Cocktails

AGAINST THE ROPES was a very quick read, but it was a story that pulled you into the broken relationship of Dylan and Regan, hoping they’d find a way to fix everything.

Five years prior, Dylan had broken Regan’s heart.  When she left him, he went from being on top of the world to finding himself in jail.  As he climbs his way back to some semblance of the life he had as a boxer, his trainer and surrogate father convinces Regan to help Dylan as he prepares for a big fight.  Regan sees is as a opportunity to get out of California and move on with her life, but Dylan sees it as his chance to set his life back on tracking….starting with Regan.

The author did a great job of making you sympathetic to both of the characters.  They were both still trying to deal with the fall out of their broken relationship, and you felt bad for both of them as they dealt with it, but you also could see the spark still there and wanted them to fight for each other.  It’s not easy, especially since Regan’s trust in Dylan was so shattered.  Dylan had his work cut out for him, but he was honest about what he did and where the blame fell.  He owned it and you couldn’t help but love him for it.

A very entertaining story about second chances and going after what you want.