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Wilinski's #2
Taking Him Down
Rules of the Ring…
No unsportsmanlike conduct
Matchmaker Lindsey Tuttle always thought Rich Estrada was a whole lot of sexy. What's not to lust after? He's a gorgeous, flirty mixed martial arts fighter. When they find themselves heating up during an unexpected—and superintense—make-out session, Lindsey is ready…until Rich ends it with no explanation.
Three rounds…
Now it's almost a year later, and Rich has a broken foot, which means a frustrating recovery back in Boston before his next fight. But this could be the perfect time for a rematch with a sexy little matchmaker….
And minimal clothing!
There's no denying the chemistry between them. It's full-contact, no-holds-barred attraction…and only one can be on top!
No unsportsmanlike conduct
Matchmaker Lindsey Tuttle always thought Rich Estrada was a whole lot of sexy. What's not to lust after? He's a gorgeous, flirty mixed martial arts fighter. When they find themselves heating up during an unexpected—and superintense—make-out session, Lindsey is ready…until Rich ends it with no explanation.
Three rounds…
Now it's almost a year later, and Rich has a broken foot, which means a frustrating recovery back in Boston before his next fight. But this could be the perfect time for a rematch with a sexy little matchmaker….
And minimal clothing!
There's no denying the chemistry between them. It's full-contact, no-holds-barred attraction…and only one can be on top!
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2013
13 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Meg Maguire
31 books270 followersSince she began writing in 2008, Meg Maguire has published nearly forty romances and erotic novels with a variety of publishers, sometimes under the pen names Cara McKenna and C.M. McKenna. Her stories have been acclaimed for their smart, modern voice and defiance of convention. She was a 2015 RITA Award finalist, a 2014 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award winner, a 2012 and 2011 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee, and a 2010 Golden Heart Award finalist. She lives with her husband and baby son in the Pacific Northwest, though she’ll always be a Boston girl at heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 1, 2013
Oh this book was satisfying. It just hit it right for me. Sexy hero (and by sexy I mean big, muscly and a fighter) – check! Heroine with some stuff to figure out – check! Good background cast – check! Perfect hero who says and does everything right and is a billionaire – no check. Heroine with perfect body and all the right assets who has all the men falling all over her – umm no, the heroine’s perfect body is not the focus of the story. Great steamy sex that the reader doesn’t have to wait forever for – check! Am I the only one that likes these things in romance?
Hey it is probably obvious that when I like romance it is not with he millionaire dapper ideal hero. Rich, (not in money, just his name ..) the hero in this story, is definitely an ideal of sorts (physically, sexually) but he is a working class immigrant with an accent. Rich would not be the hero in 50 Shades; as the lead in Taking Him Down, he is very desirable. And I loved him. Love him.
The sex scenes are hot. But I think it is an established fact that nobody can write sex like Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna. And you’ve seen the cover right? Funny story — and true, have you seen this circulating around pinterst and facebook:
This happened to me with this book — and it was painful. I was on an airplane, my kindle fire battery ran out. I switched to my phone to try and finish up the scene, but then I had to turn off my phone because the plane was landing. This is not the book to have that happen!
Taking Him Down is the second in the Wilinski’s series, which centers around a fight training club. Each book in this series, so far, has centered around a different couple. The first, Making Him Sweat, was about Jenna and Mercer. Taking Him Down centers around Rich and Lindsey.
If you have read Cara McKenna/Meg Maguire before than you know she writes flirt and spark like nobody else. The characters in her books are funny and flirt in such a fun way – Taking Him Down is no exception.
Taking Him Down isn’t perfect. Okay, there is a silly mix-up that is used to create tension. But it is resolved quickly and it makes sense – maybe I shouldn’t call it silly. The couple take a long time to realize what they are to each other, and yeah that can be frustrating. But I guess that is standard in romance novels. So those are the not so perfect parts of this book.
Taking Him Down is a sequel to or a follow-up to Making Him Sweat, but in my opinion, it is better than Making Him Sweat. For me it was better because of the hero, Rich made this story. And the really good news? There is a sequel coming out in October.
So help me out here – what other romances are like this one? I would love to find more novels that are written like Meg Maguire/Cara Mckenna writes? I need help because I felt like I have been spoiled by his great author and I want more like it. So, help me out? What do you recommend?
To read this review and more like it check out Bad Ass Book Reviews
Hey it is probably obvious that when I like romance it is not with he millionaire dapper ideal hero. Rich, (not in money, just his name ..) the hero in this story, is definitely an ideal of sorts (physically, sexually) but he is a working class immigrant with an accent. Rich would not be the hero in 50 Shades; as the lead in Taking Him Down, he is very desirable. And I loved him. Love him.
The sex scenes are hot. But I think it is an established fact that nobody can write sex like Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna. And you’ve seen the cover right? Funny story — and true, have you seen this circulating around pinterst and facebook:
This happened to me with this book — and it was painful. I was on an airplane, my kindle fire battery ran out. I switched to my phone to try and finish up the scene, but then I had to turn off my phone because the plane was landing. This is not the book to have that happen!
Taking Him Down is the second in the Wilinski’s series, which centers around a fight training club. Each book in this series, so far, has centered around a different couple. The first, Making Him Sweat, was about Jenna and Mercer. Taking Him Down centers around Rich and Lindsey.
If you have read Cara McKenna/Meg Maguire before than you know she writes flirt and spark like nobody else. The characters in her books are funny and flirt in such a fun way – Taking Him Down is no exception.
“You better find yourself a real traditional girl to marry.”
“That would certainly please my mom.” His smile softened. “Though personally I’d rather find a snarky feminist to roll around in my sheets with.”
Taking Him Down isn’t perfect. Okay, there is a silly mix-up that is used to create tension. But it is resolved quickly and it makes sense – maybe I shouldn’t call it silly. The couple take a long time to realize what they are to each other, and yeah that can be frustrating. But I guess that is standard in romance novels. So those are the not so perfect parts of this book.
Taking Him Down is a sequel to or a follow-up to Making Him Sweat, but in my opinion, it is better than Making Him Sweat. For me it was better because of the hero, Rich made this story. And the really good news? There is a sequel coming out in October.
So help me out here – what other romances are like this one? I would love to find more novels that are written like Meg Maguire/Cara Mckenna writes? I need help because I felt like I have been spoiled by his great author and I want more like it. So, help me out? What do you recommend?
To read this review and more like it check out Bad Ass Book Reviews
December 17, 2014
What I really love about this book—and also the first one in this series, Making Him Sweat—is that it's so realistic. I feel like this story could happen to any one of my friends. (Well, the unmarried ones.)
The men aren't super suave, their bank accounts aren't astronomical, and they don't always say exactly the right thing, but they're things I can actually hear a man saying.
This is a fun story about the bad boy who's constantly flirting with and teasing the good girl—the adult version of pulling pigtails on the playground—how a simple misunderstanding can cause a bit of mayhem, and how being honest can turn things back around.
Rich is cocky and confident when he's in the cage, but out of it he struggles with feeling unworthy and worries that the demons that plagued his father will one day taunt him. His love of fighting began as a hobby, until he realized it was the only way to support his family, particularly his mother who suffers from heart problems.
It might not be honorable, but Rich Estrada fought for money. Because fighting was the thing he was good at, the diploma he'd never earned, the only marketable talent he had.
Lindsey, a matchmaker by profession, is convinced that Rich is just a playboy looking for a good time. It doesn't take her long to realize that she's willing to give it to him.
Lindsey wondered if Jenna was going to get soundly trounced tonight, and if so, she envied her. She could use a sound trouncing herself. Hell, she'd take a spirited dry-humping.
Rich and Lindsey both think that a round between the sheets will cure them of their mutual infatuation. Luckily, it doesn't, because the sex scenes in this book were dynamite! Rich and Lindsey couldn't seem to get enough of each other, and I couldn't get enough of them. Rich is stunned by their chemistry, and for the first time in her life, Lindsey feels like more than just a shadow of the people surrounding her.
It doesn't take long before either of them realize a no strings attached relationship just isn't enough, but it's come at an inconvenient time for Rich, and feels like he has to let Lindsey go.
I loved Lindsey's honesty with Rich, how she saw something in him no one else outside of his family did, and that she helped him see it, too. I'm glad it was her words that finally brought him around to what they could have together and convinced him that he was so much more than a fighter.
For so long, she'd been fantasizing about the man from those videos—the fighter. But here in reality, he had so many more dimensions. Who Rich Estrada was had nothing to do with his stats or record or stills posted on the web. None of those could tell a woman how hot his body ran, and how hot that fever burned when they were pressed so close.
This book is perfect if you want a quick, fun, steamy read!
The men aren't super suave, their bank accounts aren't astronomical, and they don't always say exactly the right thing, but they're things I can actually hear a man saying.
This is a fun story about the bad boy who's constantly flirting with and teasing the good girl—the adult version of pulling pigtails on the playground—how a simple misunderstanding can cause a bit of mayhem, and how being honest can turn things back around.
Rich is cocky and confident when he's in the cage, but out of it he struggles with feeling unworthy and worries that the demons that plagued his father will one day taunt him. His love of fighting began as a hobby, until he realized it was the only way to support his family, particularly his mother who suffers from heart problems.
It might not be honorable, but Rich Estrada fought for money. Because fighting was the thing he was good at, the diploma he'd never earned, the only marketable talent he had.
Lindsey, a matchmaker by profession, is convinced that Rich is just a playboy looking for a good time. It doesn't take her long to realize that she's willing to give it to him.
Lindsey wondered if Jenna was going to get soundly trounced tonight, and if so, she envied her. She could use a sound trouncing herself. Hell, she'd take a spirited dry-humping.
Rich and Lindsey both think that a round between the sheets will cure them of their mutual infatuation. Luckily, it doesn't, because the sex scenes in this book were dynamite! Rich and Lindsey couldn't seem to get enough of each other, and I couldn't get enough of them. Rich is stunned by their chemistry, and for the first time in her life, Lindsey feels like more than just a shadow of the people surrounding her.
It doesn't take long before either of them realize a no strings attached relationship just isn't enough, but it's come at an inconvenient time for Rich, and feels like he has to let Lindsey go.
I loved Lindsey's honesty with Rich, how she saw something in him no one else outside of his family did, and that she helped him see it, too. I'm glad it was her words that finally brought him around to what they could have together and convinced him that he was so much more than a fighter.
For so long, she'd been fantasizing about the man from those videos—the fighter. But here in reality, he had so many more dimensions. Who Rich Estrada was had nothing to do with his stats or record or stills posted on the web. None of those could tell a woman how hot his body ran, and how hot that fever burned when they were pressed so close.
This book is perfect if you want a quick, fun, steamy read!
March 9, 2019
fairly high 3s
all of cara mckenna/meg maguire's strengths are present here -- fairly fully realized, diverse casts of characters; secondary and tertiary characters that nicely fill out the novel's world with a nice blend of believability, creativity, and unobtrusiveness; plausible and usually enjoyable dialogue; carefully crafted, non-head-desk-y obstacles that ratchet up the tension in a *reasonable* way; denouements that are satisfying without being over-the-top; hot chemistry and sex scenes; nonhokey humor; strong, clever, clear prose.
i'm detracting points for two mechanical problems:
(1) a few clunker sentences (a flaw atypical of her stuff), mostly revolving around explaining back story established in the first book in the series. (remember how in the second and third harry potter books jo rowling contorted things to sort of inelegantly reexplain hogwarts and muggles and quidditch, and we all rolled our eyes and were like, "we KNOW"? it's sort of like that, but to a much lesser, briefer, degree);
(2) and for, on a number of occasions -- presumably to keep her word count in check? -- offering glossed-over, generalized statements, like, "to keep the conversation going, lindsey asked him a few more things about MMA. he responded with interest." this was awkward and usually left me saying, "but WHAT did lindsey say?" this writerly device exposed mckenna's mechanics, which i don't want to notice or have to care about when i'm reading. instead, she ought to have taken the time to specify their dialogue, which for mckenna ALWAYS very carefully and intentionally develops protagonist chemistry. so these shorthands not only stuck out awkwardly, they did her character development a disservice. now, i'm making a big point about these awkward segments, but there were really only a very few of these passages. it's just that usually mckenna's editing and flow are so good that these few lapses became all the more noticeable.
still, a very fun read, as is all of her stuff. and she avoided committing the cardinal sin of romance series: she didn't overinvolve her former heroes and heroines in this new story. rather, she wrote them into this new tale just enough to keep the world she'd drawn three-dimensional and interestingly populated, but she didn't bore us with huge postscript-like sections about how the former protagonists' lives and love were still Teh Amazing Fireworks Head Exploding On Fire. excellent, admirable restraint. but that's what you get with kick mckenna -- quality and a well and lovingly prepared novel.
she's good stuff.
all of cara mckenna/meg maguire's strengths are present here -- fairly fully realized, diverse casts of characters; secondary and tertiary characters that nicely fill out the novel's world with a nice blend of believability, creativity, and unobtrusiveness; plausible and usually enjoyable dialogue; carefully crafted, non-head-desk-y obstacles that ratchet up the tension in a *reasonable* way; denouements that are satisfying without being over-the-top; hot chemistry and sex scenes; nonhokey humor; strong, clever, clear prose.
i'm detracting points for two mechanical problems:
(1) a few clunker sentences (a flaw atypical of her stuff), mostly revolving around explaining back story established in the first book in the series. (remember how in the second and third harry potter books jo rowling contorted things to sort of inelegantly reexplain hogwarts and muggles and quidditch, and we all rolled our eyes and were like, "we KNOW"? it's sort of like that, but to a much lesser, briefer, degree);
(2) and for, on a number of occasions -- presumably to keep her word count in check? -- offering glossed-over, generalized statements, like, "to keep the conversation going, lindsey asked him a few more things about MMA. he responded with interest." this was awkward and usually left me saying, "but WHAT did lindsey say?" this writerly device exposed mckenna's mechanics, which i don't want to notice or have to care about when i'm reading. instead, she ought to have taken the time to specify their dialogue, which for mckenna ALWAYS very carefully and intentionally develops protagonist chemistry. so these shorthands not only stuck out awkwardly, they did her character development a disservice. now, i'm making a big point about these awkward segments, but there were really only a very few of these passages. it's just that usually mckenna's editing and flow are so good that these few lapses became all the more noticeable.
still, a very fun read, as is all of her stuff. and she avoided committing the cardinal sin of romance series: she didn't overinvolve her former heroes and heroines in this new story. rather, she wrote them into this new tale just enough to keep the world she'd drawn three-dimensional and interestingly populated, but she didn't bore us with huge postscript-like sections about how the former protagonists' lives and love were still Teh Amazing Fireworks Head Exploding On Fire. excellent, admirable restraint. but that's what you get with kick mckenna -- quality and a well and lovingly prepared novel.
she's good stuff.
February 9, 2016
So I found this new website similar to oyster/scribd (playster) and decided to give it a shot since there was a free trial, for the most part there's not a lot to choose from but they are rocking it with these harlequin books. So this website's apparently still in beta and they have a LOT of things to fix. I had chosen the third in this series last night as today's read but this one topped my history for some reason. SO i accidentally got 10 or so pages in before realizing it wasn't the one I wanted. Then I got about the same amount in before I realized they were a series. That irks me to not end to read things out of order so i came back to this one. 15 pages later I started to wonder if this wasn't the first in the series because until like page 30 I had absolutely 0 clue how all these people knew each other and since they kept referencing it that made me very confused. That counts against it more than it maybe should. Let's face it authors how many reader's short of the dedicated author fans read harlequin series. I don't know that I've ever actually read more than one of these little book by the same authors and i've been reading these a VERY long time. Gauge you audience...since this audience isn't particularly likely to have read the previous book in the series give a blurb so that a new reader doesn't spend too long confused. I really enjoyed this book a lot but it had a lot of flaws. First the characters: the hero was super fleshed out he had thoughts and hopes and deep dark emotions. I have no clue who the heroine is beyond her big sister status and her infatuation with the hero. we're halfway through the book before her family is even mentioned and though she apparently has relationships-mom, dad, 7 siblings, at least 1 friend/boss-none of them with the exception of her one sister were fleshed out. She whines about wanting to be independent or in the spotlight or whatever but then all she ever does is overanalyze everything that happens (or doesn't happen) between her and the hero and pout when he can't give her what she wants despite knowing that was the case all along. For some reason I liked these two together but they made a horrible couple. He spent a shocking amount of time acting cold/indifferent toward her and he seemed to totally be using her to scratch an itch. But even still I liked him more because she was just shy of that girl who thinks that sex=love but almost worse because she acknowledged that she knew better and even droned on and on about how she wasn't a hopeless romantic. Maybe that was my issue she was either lying to herself or to us...she wasn't authentic and it showed. Also the HEA didn't jibe with the rest of the book. He doesn't seem to have any catalyst to change his decision and even worse he asks her to be his girlfriend and they ride off into the sunset never once acknowledging that she's totally in love with him and he's in...like with her. Total recipe for disaster says the realist in me. The sex scenes were well written but had oddly specific details about random things...like his obsession with putting lube on his dick before the condom. Major props for her dedication to safe sex though...they act like reasonable adults and just dry hump when they don't have condoms :') The plot was ok I liked that she fleshed out the MMA world enough to educate the novice but didn't bog us down with a ton of technical language. I also give her major major props for her understanding of the Latino culture. I personally am not Latina but I've been introduced to the culture through several people I've known and it can be very very different from what people are used to and I appreciated that she portrayed it accurately and sensitively. I felt like the focus again here though was on the hero...his career is super fleshed out hers is...well honestly kinda pointless for plot purposes. Give me she takes him as a client and falls in love with him instead...or she sets up his sister and that's how they meet...anything that actually makes it somewhat relevant rather than just white noise. The writing was ok solid spelling wise but several sentences were very awkward and I had to read them several times to figure them out.
Bottom line: i know this sounds like a lot of bad but i did actually enjoy reading this book and look forward to reading the next in the series
Bottom line: i know this sounds like a lot of bad but i did actually enjoy reading this book and look forward to reading the next in the series
September 19, 2013
Contrived conflicts annoyed me. I wanted more of a story.
The sex scenes were good. But not good enough to make me want to buy the book. The secondary story about Lindsey’s sister had my interest. I would have liked more of that. The main story didn’t do anything for me. Most of the time is spent in Lindsey’s head as she ogles, desires, and pines for Rich. The conflicts that annoyed me were:
The narrator Tiffany Cole was very good.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 6 hrs and 51 mins. Swearing language: none other than God once or twice. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 4. Setting: current day Boston, Massachusetts. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: contemporary romance, MMA.
The sex scenes were good. But not good enough to make me want to buy the book. The secondary story about Lindsey’s sister had my interest. I would have liked more of that. The main story didn’t do anything for me. Most of the time is spent in Lindsey’s head as she ogles, desires, and pines for Rich. The conflicts that annoyed me were:
The narrator Tiffany Cole was very good.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 6 hrs and 51 mins. Swearing language: none other than God once or twice. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 4. Setting: current day Boston, Massachusetts. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: contemporary romance, MMA.
August 26, 2013
2.5 Stars
Middle of the road Harlequin Blaze which is odd because usually I love anything written by Meg Maguire (aka Cara McKenna).
There are some good, emotionally satisfying scenes between the hero/heroine but the Mixed Martial Arts backdrop along with the subplots didn’t appeal to me.
Middle of the road Harlequin Blaze which is odd because usually I love anything written by Meg Maguire (aka Cara McKenna).
There are some good, emotionally satisfying scenes between the hero/heroine but the Mixed Martial Arts backdrop along with the subplots didn’t appeal to me.
December 17, 2014
This was way better than the first and third book in the series!
February 21, 2014
3.6
It's good. Another time I really wished GR did half stars.
This woman is wonderfully adept at getting into the interior of the psyche. Her characters are always well worth it.
It's good. Another time I really wished GR did half stars.
This woman is wonderfully adept at getting into the interior of the psyche. Her characters are always well worth it.
May 8, 2022
En el anterior libro de la serie, ya se veía como tonteaban la casamentera Lindsey Turtle y Rich Estrada, profesional de las artes marciales mixtas. Sin mucha cosa, porque ella tenía novio de esos intermitentes. Él se marcha, a triunfar en lo suyo, y solo vuelve cuando una inoportuna lesión le hace regresar, a recuperarse. El roce constante hace que ese deseo estalle, irremediablemente. Aquí el conflicto radica en que ella es una mujer muy asentada en su trabajo y él una estrella del deporte, y se irá una vez que se recupere, a llevar esa vida glamurosa llena de peleas, sí, pero también de otras cosas que a ella le son ajenas. Me la leí de un tirón, totalmente absorta en la relación entre Rich y Lindsey, en su flirteo y su alejamiento, en su atracción y en los obstáculos que ellos mismos se ponen. Tiene eso tan bueno de McKenna de hacer que sus romances las protagonicen personas de clase trabajadora, que resultan reales como la vida misma.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
September 27, 2017
One of the things I love most about Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna's stories is that they don't do that thing where the entire conflict of the book could be resolved with one five-minute conversation. Her characters are generally honest with each other, and that is just really, really refreshing. It's possible that they're a little more honest that people are in the real world, but I'm okay with that. They're stories about people that I genuinely like, who don't stir up unnecessary drama or angst, and who don't knowingly hurt each other in the name of love. I want these characters to be real people so I can be friends with them.
Also, loved the MMA portion of these books. As a fan, I was really happy with how accurate they are. The only tiny thing that was incorrect was the mention of putting vaseline on a fighter's body before the fight. This is a no-no in a sport that involves grappling. Other than that, I was impressed.
Also, loved the MMA portion of these books. As a fan, I was really happy with how accurate they are. The only tiny thing that was incorrect was the mention of putting vaseline on a fighter's body before the fight. This is a no-no in a sport that involves grappling. Other than that, I was impressed.
Read
January 27, 2022Imagine a perfectly sculpted champion MMA fighter with sweat pouring over his tan latin skin. Now, imagine that same man with a heart so big that he puts his family, mom and sister, first. He’s sexy and has his priorities in order. Absolutely HOT!
December 27, 2019
Stellar writing, as always, by Cara McKenna. I hope she writes again soon because I am running out of books to read from her.
August 4, 2025
This is the 3rd book I read by Meg Maguire. The only thing I liked about this story 📖 is the MMA fighting. Other than that this story 📖 didn't keep my interest.
April 16, 2013
Lindsey has been fighting the attraction she has to Rich since she started working at Spark Matchmaking. She has a boyfriend and even though they are on again, off again she's convinced that Rich is all talk and after a one night stand. Watching him win a fight and knowing that he's leaving for bigger and better things she lets loose a bit and gives in to the attraction only for Rich to back off after receiving a text message. Lindsey is convinced that its a girl and its for the best, I mean he's leaving right? So for ten months she absorbs anything she can about MMA (mixed martial arts) and about Rich. She even orders the fights to watch. Then all the sudden he's on the way back to Boston with a broken foot. Now that the boyfriend is completely off what'll happen with Rich or will anything happen.
All Rich knows is fighting. He's been doing it forever and its how he pays for things his family needs. He's the bread winner and takes on the responsibilities that his dad left behind when he committed suicide. His mom has health issues and needs a bunch of surgeries and his sister needs help with her school, along with a great deal of other things he feels like are his job to take care of. Now that his foot has put him out of commission, what is he going to do with himself. He has to stay in fighting condition so that when his foot is healed he can get back in the ring. He didn't count on Lindsey not only warming his bed but his heart. Fighting that was pointless.
I don't know what about Rich made me love him so much, but I did. He's all tough and cocky, but when its just him and Lindsey, hes soft and open. He lets his walls down and he doesn't even realize it. He also doesn't realize that he's given his heart to her until its much too late. He takes care of his family, he loves them and he's so tender with his mama. There was just something, a magic he has that draws you in. I really liked that even though Lindsey knows hows its going she falls in love with him, but doesn't try to get him to stay with her. She lets him go do what he wants to do with his life. These two are just appealing. Fantastic story. Very enjoyable.
April 2, 2014
Can't say enough how much I love Maguire's writing style it just flows off the page. So much more depth and emotion than her contemporaries. You really get in touch with her characters thoughts and feelings. Lindsey is a strong minded woman that had never been treated like she is anyone special. Lindsey and Rich had a casual acquaintance he would flirt with her when he was in town and she really didn't know him. Rich was suave and a player so she thought, but she never really got to know him until her first official MMA fight. When she watched Rich fight for the first time she was hooked in more ways than one. Afterwards she actually sat down and talked to him and there was a connection. Rich found himself sharing things with her that no one knew and Lindsey got to know him and the chemistry was there of course. They separate for almost a year due to his fighting all over the country. When she sees him again she is a different person going all hard core MMA since he left. She is now one of his biggest fans. She feels like a teenager with a crush when she finally gets to talk to him again. When they get a little one on one time things escalate quickly and Lindsey knows that Rich has no place for her in his life. But oh how she wishes he would give her that. Rich didn't know the first thing about having a relationship with a woman they were just something he used and then he moved on and never felt a loss or connection until Lindsey. When he had to suddenly leave to train for a match it is clearly a no win situation. Lindsey is resigned that they are through and her just being another blip on his radar. She is devastated but she goes on trying to forget, unbeknownst to her Rich is having an epiphany. He realized everything that he needs and loves is back home including Lindsey. Liked the ending was wondering how it was going to come together, had me worried. Very nicely done.
July 2, 2015
WOW! what a pleasure this one was! Though I liked the first one of Mercer and Jenna, I loved this one much more!
So we have Rich Estrada a YUM of a boxer but also a rising star. After a sucessful fight he is signed off, during the after party of the fight he and Lindsey share a very passionate kiss but it ends too quickly leaving the both of them with a memory they wish they could repeat but understand they can't.
Forgot who Lendsey is? Jenna's very capable assistant in the matchmaking agency placed one floor up from the club which Mercer (Jenna'ls boyfriend) runs. In the previous book we saw there is heat or at least good possibility of chemestry between the both of them but basically it was Rich being himself - flirting like hell with the girl with (or without) a skirt.
This book was such a fun read! I felt not only the chemistry between the two of them but also "my" chemistry with the book. I'm on holiday so I had the whole day to read (if I wished and I did!!) So I read this one almost without stopping.
Rich is so much more than he lets everyone see and how he opens up to Lendsey is just beautiful. I loved everything that happened with Lendsey's sister Maya and how it ended up, also loved Rich' family and how close they are and how Lindsey sees them and feel about them.
I felt the book had the perfect pace. Both Lindsey and Rich needed time to understand what and how they want from each other. Rich is such a MAN, a manly man, not the romantic kind but as I see it - the PERFECT kind. I'll take a Rich - a true prince - everyday, but I guess I won'lt find any loitering around.. or maybe I'm hanging in the wrong placed ;)
So we have Rich Estrada a YUM of a boxer but also a rising star. After a sucessful fight he is signed off, during the after party of the fight he and Lindsey share a very passionate kiss but it ends too quickly leaving the both of them with a memory they wish they could repeat but understand they can't.
Forgot who Lendsey is? Jenna's very capable assistant in the matchmaking agency placed one floor up from the club which Mercer (Jenna'ls boyfriend) runs. In the previous book we saw there is heat or at least good possibility of chemestry between the both of them but basically it was Rich being himself - flirting like hell with the girl with (or without) a skirt.
This book was such a fun read! I felt not only the chemistry between the two of them but also "my" chemistry with the book. I'm on holiday so I had the whole day to read (if I wished and I did!!) So I read this one almost without stopping.
Rich is so much more than he lets everyone see and how he opens up to Lendsey is just beautiful. I loved everything that happened with Lendsey's sister Maya and how it ended up, also loved Rich' family and how close they are and how Lindsey sees them and feel about them.
I felt the book had the perfect pace. Both Lindsey and Rich needed time to understand what and how they want from each other. Rich is such a MAN, a manly man, not the romantic kind but as I see it - the PERFECT kind. I'll take a Rich - a true prince - everyday, but I guess I won'lt find any loitering around.. or maybe I'm hanging in the wrong placed ;)
June 15, 2015
I'm back! While I was never really here all that much, I have been reading many books. I just haven't been reviewing at all...however I'm trying to get back into it and this book is my second start so to speak. I looooove Meg Maguire and almost all of her books. This one was no exception. When I look for romance and raunchiness combined, I always come to her for it. Although this book was straight up my alley, I wasn't absolutely thrilled with it. Don't get me wrong, I still adored it. I'm honestly just being nit-picky because I've read so many of her previous novels. This one in particular for me was just lacking in certain areas. I wanted more passion and more...MORE! I felt as though everything was lacking a little bit. Although the story was off, the characters were still believable. But I was still left wanting more from this story I felt like it ended too abruptly. Almost as if she didn't know where to take the story. I could be wrong and her intent could have very well been to leave things in a more open-minded position but I still felt as if things weren't really finished. I want to hear more from these characters. Delve deeper into their psyches. Surely a few days or hours wouldn't be long enough to fix them in the real world. I felt let down my the author in that aspect but hey, romance novels are usually written as fantasy so I can't complain. I'm still an avid fan and I will continue to read whatever Meg has coming next ❤️
September 20, 2015
Liked it, although it's way fluffier than the stuff under her other pen name. I especially liked the side story line with the teenaged sister although I was slightly shocked that at 17 she had never held a job! Are kids really that spoiled and useless these days?
The main romance was fine, but the story ended way too abruptly and I really didn't like how cute the ending got. It turned something that had felt kinda real into cotton candy made with food coloring.
I suspect there may have been a page count thing with the publisher...because just as with the first book in this series, the story broke stride at the ending. If the author had ended it her own way, it might have taken a little longer.
The main romance was fine, but the story ended way too abruptly and I really didn't like how cute the ending got. It turned something that had felt kinda real into cotton candy made with food coloring.
I suspect there may have been a page count thing with the publisher...because just as with the first book in this series, the story broke stride at the ending. If the author had ended it her own way, it might have taken a little longer.
August 17, 2013
I liked this one. Rich and Lindsey are both interesting, layered characters. I loved the connection that they made amidst the crushes they had on each other and I loved watching their crushes and physical attraction grow into more. The sex scenes were steamy even when it was just a kiss.I didn't however like the ending. I mean, it was...ok. It really needed more, more feeling, more pages, something more. In fact I double checked for more after I had put it down. I realize that there will be another book in this series and maybe their story will continue in future installments but I really wanted their story to feel complete in THEIR book.
August 2, 2013
Ok Love I loved Lindsey and Rich. I have officially written off liking Jenna. She way overly in her own head and getting into others business when she just needs to stay out. I almost stopped reading this book because of her being so annoying. Another disappointment was I felt there should have been more to the story. I felt there was no ending. I hope the next book will add to Lindsey and Richs story.
September 1, 2013
I never expect less than an awesome story with great relatable characters from Meg Maguire (who also pens my favorite erotic romance as Cara McKenna).
I wish this book had been longer so I could see where things went with Rich. But other than that, zero complaints. A fun, sweet, thoroughly enjoyable read.
I wish this book had been longer so I could see where things went with Rich. But other than that, zero complaints. A fun, sweet, thoroughly enjoyable read.
August 15, 2013
This was given to me as a gift, which is partly the reason I read it. I have never been a big fan of Harlequins, and this didn't change my mind any. The writing style was all right, but I wasn't able to get into it at all.
Still, a gift is a gift. No can go back to reading my Gaiman books now?
Still, a gift is a gift. No can go back to reading my Gaiman books now?
August 6, 2013
Really good - Auto-buy good. I liked both the H/h, nice internal conflict and characters (primary and secondary).
July 8, 2013
Rating 3.5 stars
October 5, 2013
Taking Him Down (Wolinski's #2) Really good - Auto-buy good. I liked both the H/h, nice internal conflict and characters (primary and secondary).
August 10, 2013
Not sure how I feel about MMA being a hero's occupation - almost had to force myself to get through this one. Took me 6 days to read it.
August 14, 2013
A really nice story but the ending was too abrupt for me. I wanted to know what happened with the article. The story was just left hanging.
August 20, 2013
It had some decent parts....just couldn't get into the subplots...
August 23, 2013
Meg Maguire can always be relied on for a good read. Her characters come alive and the situations seem real.
September 22, 2013
Struggled to finish this book - had greater expectations as the author is seriously talented. Lack of action considering it's MMA. Meh.
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