Knockout!

Seduction #1

by Emma Calin

A boxing official dead in New York.

Interpol cop Anna Leyton meets world champ cruiser-weight Freddie La Salle in a black London cab. Both have pasts and secrets. They need each other openly but neither must reveal the truth.

A sports reporter is slain.

Organised criminals conspire to rig international gambling.

A cop in love with her number one suspect risks the fire to express the heat of her erotic love. The do-or-die passion of a fighter in his prime feeds the flames to a white heat of lust.

Follow the big fight build up through London, Paris and California all the way to that round one bell in New York City.

Can Freddie La Salle do what he has to do in the ring? Can true love be built on deception?

Take off the gloves and buy this book now for a front row seat.

Enjoy this novel 'Combat' from Emma Calin's 8-part 'Passion Patrol Series', combining thrilling crime mystery with explicit steamy suspense romance. If you enjoy James Patterson, Catherine Coulter, Nora Roberts and Kendra Elliot you'll love a series that combines all of their best traits in fast-paced, pulse-pounding roller-coaster adventures full of passionate romance, deception, danger and love.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Mystery

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2011

About the author

Here we go - let's get the gloves off and go flesh to flesh. I want to give you something. Follow this link to get a FREE book from me: http://smarturl.it/GRFreeBook



I love writing and I'm a writer of love in all its forms - fiction, poetry, blogging. Think of me as a busker in a subway. I love music, I love to perform and you guys are kind enough to give me money to allow me to do it. My bank manager likes that too, but he doesn't use my subway.

I'm passionate about sharing my work with readers. I understand though, as I'm not a famous New York Times Bestseller (yet!), you might be nervous about taking a chance on me. That's why I made the offer at the top of this section. If you enjoy the ride, I hope you'll just keep rolling on and try some more.

As you'll see from my book list here on Goodreads, I write in a range of genres: romance-suspense novels, gritty short stories and more recently, a series of illustrated, interactive modern fairy tales for children (age 6-12). Wherever possible my books are available in digital, paperback and audio book formats.

I often have giveaways of paperbacks, audio books, e-books and sometimes rather valuable electronic gadgets related to reading (e.g. Kindles and other e-readers). Keep an eye out on my blog and you might get more free stuff!

I still had spots when I started writing and have won numerous local, national and international prizes for poetry and short stories in the many years that have passed.

I now live a double life, sharing my time between a tiny rural town in southwest France and within commuting distance of London in the UK.

Find out about what goes on in my world...

Visit my blog: http://www.emmacalinblog.com

Visit my website:
http://www.emmacalin.com

Say hello on Twitter: @EmmaCalin
Share with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emma.calin

Reviews

[Carvanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook: Narrator – Rebecca McKernan

As a Texan and not widely traveled, I struggled with the accents used for this audio-book. I tried slowing the speed down but it still just never did work for me. When the hero’s voice changed from Californian to French at no understandable whims, I was lost and frustrated because I really did not like the French accent. Mostly because it was so much harder for me to follow. If strong accents don’t bother you, then I think you’ll enjoy this one.


This was a bit insta-love/insta-lust and these characters were pretty much in love after spending only hours together. Wasn’t expecting that since the heroine is an investigator for Interpol and I thought she’d be a harder nut to crack. There’s a lot of outside drama going on here. The heroine is hiding her true purpose from the hero so when that is revealed we then have relationship drama, trust issues and bad guy drama. The steam level here was about a medium and the angst was pretty low, in my opinion.

This had a good pace to it, the characters were likable, plenty of secondary characters, and lots of little paths coming off the main road of the story-line. Altogether an enjoyable read.

I was given this free review copy audio-book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Mostly h POV
Safe no ow/om drama
Triggers no apparent triggers

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (4/25/2018)!💝

Blurb:
A Mafia conspiracy. A female undercover cop. A honed and fit target suspect: sexy international sports star and playboy boxer Freddie La Salle.

British Interpol cop, Anna Leyton, spirals down into a hopeless vortex of sexual and emotional turmoil as she fights to keep her professional cool in her latest assignment. The action flies from London to Paris, California and New York but just who is deceiving who in this fast moving ride across continents?

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a great blurb. British woman with Interpol, American boxer, Mafia, super yachts!

It just fell flat. I like British authors, but the pacing and insta-love and almost stupid behaviors really grated on me.

[Frederick Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book to me, knowing I like both mysteries and romances, and I am so glad she did. Anna Leyton is a Metropolitan Police Detective in London on assignment to Interpol. In the tradition of romances, she meets her man by pure chance (well, almost), competing for a London cab on one of those rainy evenings when cabs are scarce. When she shares a cab with Freddie La Salle and breathing in his male fragrance and his aura of ... something ... her life has already undergone the change that we expect in romances. The rest, as they say, is history.

I really found three things about this book extraordinary, the first being the originality of the plot. Freddie La Salle turns out to be a famous boxing champion, and Anna's department has launched an investigation into illegal betting and money laundering connected with professional sports. Horse racing, yes. Football, basketball, Formula 1 racing ... when was the last time you read a mystery that centered on corruption in the boxing world? The originality of beautiful Anna falling for a crooked boxer drew me in and never let me go.

The love story juxtaposed with an unfolding crime-solving drama creates an impossible dilemma for the beautiful detective, and this is the second thing about Knockout that really works. Anna falls in love with Freddie before even learning he's a famous boxer, let alone before finding out that her department will identify him as a prime suspect in the mafia ring. The police assign her to watch him, ostensibly to bring him in at the first hint of proof of his involvement, and the stage is set for an impossible choice. Will she choose love, or will she fulfill her duty as a cop? The author carries this fine-spun dilemma to the absolute limit.

But the most extraordinary thing about Knockout is its poetic language. When was the last time you read a mystery with sentences like this: "It was a short walk to the National Criminal Intelligence Service offices just off the Embankment in Spring Gardens, near the Lambeth Bridge. The first leaves of autumn drifted along the footway. The pushing tongue of the Thames licked around the pillars of the bridges." Note all those gorgeous words rooted in old English, words like "embankment" and "lambeth" and "bridges" and "pushing" and "licked". The author has no inhibition about mixing a genre story with extraordinarily well-crafted language. Although you might not even notice it, she is stripping the English language down to its most beautiful, basic, original equipment and making gorgeous prose out of it. The language is sensual and gripping and powerful all at once, launching you on a rollar coaster of emotions even as the story unfolds.

Knockout will surprise you with its qualities, but do not be surprised if you put it down wishing for more. I did.

[Diane Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calin delivers a knockout punch!

I doubted that I’d enjoy a mystery novel about boxing but this one surprised me. Anna Leyton, the daughter of a rich boat builder, diverges from the family business and becomes a police officer liaison with Interpol. It’s a dangerous job dealing with the seedy underbelly of London, and she’s just recovering from a disastrous car chase that almost ended her career. No wonder Anna concealed her profession when she shared a taxi ride with a sexy Frenchman. Freddie is a boxing champion, proclaimed a “ladies man” by the tabloids. He spots Anna and decides to sweep this beautiful woman off her feet. After the romantic encounter, Anna discovers that Freddie is the suspect of her next investigation. Having posed as a salesperson for her father’s luxury boat company, she goes undercover to betray a man she’d rather take back to bed.

Anna walks a thin line between investigating the suspect and falling in love with Freddie. Is she willing to risk an already shaky career by sleeping with a suspect? You bet! What if gangsters uncover her identity and decide to kill her? She’ll take the risk. If you love a steamy romance, you won’t be disappointed. The chemistry between Anna and Freddie nearly melted my Kindle—it was a virtual meltdown. If you love mysteries and suspense, this novel has enough to spare.

If you think this is an ordinary “prize fight corruption” story, you’d be wrong. The lady cop in Anna might send her lover to jail, after she uncovers the secret he’s hiding, but the lover inside Anna can’t believe he’s guilty. Doubt and danger keep a reader’s mind engaged (in between the steamy romance scenes) and the finale is worth the wait. Emma Calin delivers a knockout punch with this novel, so buy your copy today.

[Diana Hockley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this novel with high hopes, some of which were engendered by the delectable torso on the front cover! However, I found it pretty unbelievable.

The dialogue was stilted and the heroine who is supposed to be English uses words such as "gonna" and "wanna" which are distinctly Americanisms. I had the impression that English is not the writer's first language.

There was no real sense of time or space around the characters with scant imagery to set scenes and I think the investigation becomes messy and hard to follow for this reason.

The storyline is highly improbable. The hero is a high-profile and famous man and for him not to know that the woman he loves is a police officer - well, he's supposed to be intelligent and cultured with a sharp mother and plenty of minions to find out things for him. For her to risk her career by having a relationship with a suspect is hardly likely. There is mention of her being photographed with him on several occasions throughout the novel and reporters would have discovered who she is without any trouble.

Except for the rather likeable hero, the characters are fairly stereotyped. I have lost count of the number of heroines who have cut ties with their rich families, have no siblings and who have one or no friends. It would be a nice change for one of these females to have a full-blown family and be relatively normal.

The ending is unsatisfactory and abrupt. The reader is not privvy to how the heroine leaves her career behind or what the ramifications were to the investigation.

All in all, a disappointing read.

[Javier Robayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ana is so likeable as a woman and as a cop. The conflict in her mind between woman and cop draws you into the story, which gets infused with a healthy dose of male spice in Freddie La Salle. The chemistry is palpable, and the story flows on a level surface before plunging into the rapids leading to the climax. Ana defies every imposed expectation of her and ultimately must choose to follow her heart wherever it leads, even if that means letting go of the love of her life. Although I expected much more of the boxing implied on the cover and title, because well, I’m a guy and we like sport, I admire that Emma Calin used it as a vehicle and an aspect of her Freddie, a character who had many different layers that made him very interesting. That said, this novel had several steamy moments, tastefully done. It was total red hot passion.

[Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful romantic suspense,loved the book,started reading at night which was a mistake cause i was so glued to the book just could'nt sleep wanted to know what happens next,as soon as finished work in morning picked it up and completed the book,what a page turner the plot was held perfectly with shocking twist n turns ,loved Freddie-Anna,the epilogue was cute

Overall enjoyed the book,it kept me interested from start till end
Looking forward to read more books by Emma Calin

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great storyline, a bit different from what I'm used to. You could definitely tell the author isn't American. The language was a bit different, and it was a little hard to understand some of the subtleties. It also seemed more of a sophisticated read than most romantic suspense that I normally come across. I'd definitely recommend this to both contemporary and romantic suspense fans.

[Carrie K-Ski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a good mystery with romance. This has it but it didn't really deliver a believable plot. The ending was very abrupt and left me unsatisfied. This copy given in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just won this on First Reads! So excited... review to come!

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As previously stated I won this thanks to the Goodreads First Reads giveaway competition. Thanks also go to the author Emma Calin who was absolutely lovely and signed it for me, such a lovely person!

Alright now for the review.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed reading this, I only took time out to go to work in between my reading sessions. It moved fast (very fast) the characters realised love for each other very early on, this meant it left more time in the book for the characters to react to situations with those feelings already established. I really enjoyed the imagery that the author used along with the metaphors she used which a lot of the time had me laughing. Some of the boxing lingo and explanations left me slightly confused and I had to reread them in order to get the gist of it (but that was probably my complete ignorance to anything boxing related, the only understanding I have is the little I picked up from Janet Evanovichs One For The Money :P). I really enjoyed the ending which were so packed full of action I was flying through the pages to get to the end. I also loved the scenes with Freddies mum, they were fantastic.

All in all it was an easy read and it had the steamy love scenes that you want from a book like this. I look forward to seeing more from this author :)

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good fun. I could not tell if Freddie was a good guy or not. He has something hidden in his past that makes our Anna doubt him. Not a good feeling for an honest cop in love.
Working undercover Anna is used to thinking on the fly . She certainly has to do that here. A old relationship threatens her career and her life. She should have known not to sleep with someone in the police. But good friends in the right places can help a lot.
Freddie is charming, funny and seriously HOT. But is he as good as he seems ? The money that the Mafia types want to make out of his fight would tempt the strongest will-power. The only training he appears interested in before this big fight is making love to Anna. He is very reluctant to talk about anything to do with the fight. But he does show her the way he wants to live after it. There is a totally different side of him. He is not a brute , he is intelligent and determined to finish boxing once this fight is over.
For Anna there is the danger of staying alive around mobsters who want things to go their way. More than one person have already been killed. And the tension of not being honest with the person you love, who really has no idea who you are.

I will definitely bee looking for more of this series. I loved it.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written romance set in the midst of a police investigation into international fraud in sport and gambling. The heroine is a modern career woman working for Interpol trying to crack illegal match fixing and money laundering. Her life is turned upside down when a chance encounter in her private life becomes the key to her success in her current assignment as a detective and she has to make choices about her own personal satisfaction against her duty to her job. Its a fast paced book with very little padding - which I personally like. It has some very well crafted passionate encounters with the hero/villain that make you wish you were there (!) - although be warned, they are quite explicit but in a refreshingly poetic and almost philosophical style. If you enjoy a more sophisticated romantic read than your average shopping-mall obsessed chick-lit romp then I would recommend this book.

[Barbara Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book kept me reading into the wee hours of the night. Not only is it a compelling mystery, it's also a sexy love story. The passion between Anna and Freddie is worth reading just for itself, but the Interpol/police story line was extremely interesting. Great book; just the thing for a summer read. It's well written and I was totally swept up in the world of the book. That's what reading a good book is all about, isn't it? You get to leave your life for a while and be entertained by someone else and their problems. Anna is a strong woman, and it makes for great reading as she struggles to overcome problems, both past and present. Powerful love story with a punch.

[Melisa Hamling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A steamy romance with a well thought out plot and totally likeable characters. Anna falls for Freddie La Salle. When she met him, she had no idea he was a famous boxer, but soon finds out when her department launches an investigation into illegal betting. The prime suspect? Freddie! All bets on! Or is it cuff and protect?! Anna has one heck of a dilemma, plenty of conflict, but will love cloud her judgment or will she stay on task and hold true to her obligations as a cop? A knockout passionate ringside romance that will pull you in and have you begging for more! If you like happy trails ... oh wait. I mean tales, then bite into this treat of a read.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Leyton is an Interpol Police Women. She meets Freddie Lasalle a World Champion Boxer, its love at first sight, Only problem both of them are keeping secrets from the other. Freddie has the Fight of his life coming up only problem he is a suspect in a case that Anna is investigating. Only he doesn't know that Anna is a Police Officer working undercover. Can Anna keep a clear head while investigating this case and not let her love for Freddie get in the way? A very well written Romantic suspense story i look forward to reading Passion Patrol 2.

[Lynn Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read! Ever believe in love at first sight? Ever meet someone that makes your heart stop and toes tingle before you even know their name? Ever wonder if love can last when based on deceit? Anna and La Salle were destined to meet, but Anna is a cop and cop instincts come first. La Salle is a world champion boxer hiding something that leaves Anna asking more questions than getting answers. Take a wild ride with Anna and La Salle. Highly Recommended.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is It Love Or Not

This is an entertaining read about duplicitous actions from both of these main characters. But they end up falling in love and finally finding out the truth about each other. It was a little slow in the begInning but it got exciting about two thirds through. Enjoy I did.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5.0

An Interpol officer, a famous boxer and the lights of beautiful Paris – sounds like a foolproof recipe for romance. However, the book had some serious flaws.

Full review in February 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Zeinab Dh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this in exchange of an honest review and I must say it was a nice book to read had a lot of nice things and the characters were charming and lots of action that keeps you into it a lot but was surprised by the end

[Ty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knockout! was a pretty good book. It had some slow parts, but overall I enjoyed it. I like the fact that the book was not predictable, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicious story, sexy, good details, loved it!

[F.C. Etier · Rating 4 out of 5]

click here for my complete review: http://etierphotography.blogspot.com/...

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

not good for me I gave up

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story! There's romance, intrigue, sports, passion and deceit. Female cop gets involved with pro boxer and the heat is on! Not my usual cup of tea but I enjoyed this.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

London, England. DI Anna Leyton (daughter, Metropolitan PD/Interpol) called Inspector Raymond Du Maurier (Interpol) to inquire on Freddie La Salle (billionaire playboy, World Cruiserweight Champion; WCC).
He was interested in buying a Nereus 74 (flagship yacht).
Antibes, France. Anna called Mike Leyton (father, Leyton Marine owner, prestige motor yachts) to let him know.

What tid-bit information did Pete Making (Fan-Tale magazine reporter, investigative journalist) reveal to Anna?
Why are Anna & Judy (mother, Brixton PD) meeting with Commander Beaumont Locke (Scotland Yard, Oxford; law/PS), & DA Commissioner Christine “Blue Witch” Jones (Interpol London bureau) about?

What message did Judy have for DI Leyton?
Will Anna & Freddie find paradise together?

Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written romantic suspense book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great romantic suspense movie, or better yet a mini TV series. It was just OK for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Gallo-Romano Media; InstaFreebie; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me romantic suspense and I am a happy camper. Emma Calin is a new author to me, and I am glad to have listened to this gem. The thing that caught me from the start is that is stars a very strong female lead. Anna Leyton is not only beautiful, but she is smart and full of energy. When she meets Freddie, the chemistry is there, but an a deeper connection is immediate felt. Many times this kind of relationship feels forced, but Calin has written the story so well that it feels believable. The next thing you know, Anna is assigned a case and who is the person she needs to watch? This action packed story takes us all over the world and keeps you guessing with a whodunnit feel. As it progresses, I didn't feel any closer to the answers to the questions she was looking into which I loved. Books like this are a pleasure, they make you think and keep you on the edge. And the romance between these two is steamy! A win win for me!

With the strong woman, we need a strong female narrator. This is my first listen of Rebecca McKernan. I enjoyed her accents, but at times her voice was a little harsh. I do think her overall performance had a good pace and her voices for the characters easily distinguished and understandable.

[Ronnae Stately · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lobe in the most unexpected times

Anna is an inspector general with Scotland Yard. She feels unlucky in love and in her profession at this time. On a chance meeting she runs into a French boxer by the name of Freddie LaSalle. Not knowing he's a boxer they get into a taxi together and when he asks her what she does for a living she lies and says she sells boats for her family. It just happens that Freddie is both interested in a particular boat her family sales and he is now being investigated in a big gambling scheme involving his next match. So when Anna figures out who he is she takes a chance and reveals that she has met him with the task force on catching the illegal gambling ring. Things go smoothly to the point that Freddie and Anna fall madly in love but honesty is missing from their relationship on both ends. When the truth is revealed on Anna's side Freddie is ticked to no end and deserts her but then she becomes a target of the people who want him to throw his fight. Life is not the same for Anna or Freddie without each other and everything comes to an end that is appropriate for this particular love story.

[Mrs D Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this audiobook as a gift and am writing an honest review in exchange.

The premise of the story, a world champion boxer involved in a gambling conspiracy, and the Interpol detective who falls for him, then discovers she's been assigned to investigate him, is original and engaging. It has all the elements of a riveting romantic suspense, with many colourful supporting characters.
The pace of the relationship races madly ahead of the rest of the story, with declarations of love being bandied about almost immediately, stretching credibility a little too far for me. I also found language in certain scenes was too euphemistic, considering how gritty the storyline was elsewhere.

This is the second audio I've listened to from this narrator, and while she handles a broad range of accents well, and she voices both genders easily, I find her delivery a little forced at times.

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

When fate brings two people together, no one knows what will happen. That's exactly what happens, when two people want the same taxi on a street in London. She looked at the good looking stranger and only wanted to be known as a woman, not as a Detective Inspector for Interrpol. She didn't recognize him, the world heavyweight champion for boxing. He had taken one look and he was smitten.
No matter what their personal feelings were, the cold hard reality of the world was never far away. Can she trust her gut feeling, which said he was a good guy. Would he believe her, once he discovered the truth??.
Sorry, can't give a truly fantastic story away. You are best read it for yourself.
I voluntarily submitted this review after reading an advanced copy of this book.