The Sweat Box

by Carmen Rosales

The fight for love is the toughest match, and only the brave dare to enter the ring.


Ari


I ran from my past and hoped for a fresh start. I was desperate—I still am.
When I land a job at a boxing gym, everything seems to fall into place—until I meet Rey Vicente, known in the boxing ring as “The Silent King. He’s also my boss, off-limits, and hasn’t spoken to me since I met him. Every day I'm there, I find myself inexplicably drawn to the boxer. He’s quiet, attractive, and brimming with muscle and power. I know how dangerous it could be to fall for someone like him, yet I can’t get him out of my head. The tension escalates every single day.
I watch him.
He ignores me.
He stares at me.
I look away.

The only thing more dangerous than falling is resisting.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Fighters

318 pages, Paperback

Published July 9, 2024

About the author

Carmen Rosales is a best-selling Dark Romance and Latinx author. She loves to write in different genres of Romance and erotic horror under her alter ego, Delilah Croww. Beyond her writing, Carmen is a devoted mother who loves spending time with her loved ones. Join her VIP list to hear about her latest releases and giveaways at www.carmenrosales.com



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Reviews

[Inés Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book with the character being deaf. It was different, and i absolutely loved it and the representation to hearing loss.

It was so easy to love Reys character. He's a heavyweight champion, and they call him the silent king. He is so protective and instantly felt a pull to her. Both Rey and Aria have beautiful character growth. This was just a lovely romance, and the text messages made me smile. It was different but utterly sweet. I couldn’t put it down.

P.S. I wanted to throw my chancleta at Jimmy

"My love for you is a language that needs no sound, only the touch of our souls."

“Eres mia.”

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4,25 "The Silent King!!!" stars***



“The feeling of our hearts beating together for each other is the greatest sound in the world.”

Carmen Rosales has a very dark dark and a sweet side and I love them both!!!
This time her sweet and emotional side had come out to play and it was a very beautiful story!!!
Also, I am very pleased to see that this time the whole book was perfectly edited and the reading experience was rolling beautifully!!!
Rey and Ari had stolen my heart and their love story was sweet, emotional and very beautiful!!!

Ari found her boyfriend cheating on her and he showed her a side of him that she never knew before.
So she packed her things and left him... Unfortunately, she has no home, no money and no friends to help her, so her situation is not pleasant, until she is landing a job in a boxing gym as an assistant...
From that moment, everything are changing for her... and that change is bringing along her boss, Rey, a gorgeous boxer who ignores her, but she can not help it when her eyes are always landing on this man!!!

Everyone is calling Rey the "Silent King" and he is a big name in the boxing world!!! He is one of the greatest champions and he is training his brother to become one too...
But they need help in the gym to focus on their goal...
When his brother is hiring Ari, Rey is not happy at all, cause she is a pretty girl and she will become a big distraction for every man that is entering the gym...
But he can not help himself being drawn to her, even though he can never act upon this crazy desire...

I loved Rey and Ari very much!!!
Their beginning was intense and full of misunderstanding!!!
I loved how protective was Rey and how much obsessive became of her!!!
He was an honorable man and he deserved a woman like Aria, even though he thought differently!!!
Ari was such a sweet and strong girl!!! My heart was aching for her in the beginning, but I admired that he never gave up and she kept going!!!
Rey was the perfect guy for her!!! Together they were amazing!!!

"“When he found me, I was lost like a boat adrift at sea. I surrendered to him, giving him my love and soul in the chaos of newfound love.”

**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

So this was another one I went into blind when it came to safety because out of all the reviews I read not a single person thought safety info was important. (Please let’s start normalizing it guys!!)

So we meet Ari as she arrives home to find her boyfriend of three years cheating on her with some girl. He also gets very aggressive with her when she he tries to leave so not only is he dubbed a cheater but an abuser as well. Ari is still in school and doesn’t work because her professional hockey player bf wanted her under his thumb. She leaves him and ends up homeless for sometime.

She finds a job at a boxing gym where she meets our MMC Rey and his brother Javier. Rey is immediately an asshole to her. Every time she speaks to him it seems like he’s ignoring her. He isn’t really, he’s just deaf and can’t understand what she’s saying but he lets her believe he’s ignoring her because he thinks she will be a distraction and not gonna lie she definitely was. Having this girl work at the gym caused so much drama throughout the whole book.

I get that Rey had his demons with being deaf and not being accepted by his father who left and so in turn he thinks Ari deserves more but he made me so mad on multiple occasions. Ari was at such a vulnerable time in her life and Rey kept giving her crumbs of affection and then pushing her away. He did this multiple times throughout the book and it was equally sad and frustrating because you could tell Ari just wanted someone to love her. Rey was SOOO possessive though. Like he beat up people for even looking at this girl the wrong way lol. He didn’t want anyone else to be with her.

Oh Ari. Sweet, sweet Ari! She honestly was such a sweet girl. Trying to survive life and the last year of college while being on her own. She was definitely naive. She knew she was naive but sometimes I was like come on girl. She had a small case of BBS. Rey would do or say something hurtful and all he had to do was kiss her and she melted for him. There were a couple of times she stuck to her guns but she missed him the whole time even when he didn’t deserve it. But honestly towards the end he did some really cute stuff for her. I liked how she showed him he could be himself around her and not care about being deaf.

There was some OW drama. There’s this girl, Julie or Julia or whatever. She’s known him since high school but she’s also his occasional f-buddy. Javier invites her to go out with him Rey and Ari to go dancing and she’s all over Rey. She even kisses him at one point. He didn’t kiss her first but it doesn’t necessarily say he pushed her away. He does text Ari something hurtful right before the kiss so it makes the OW drama even more dramatic. This is after he’s kissed Aria as well. He definitely gives her mixed signals. Later on in the book the OW does cause some more drama as well resulting in the third act break up. It doesn’t last very long though and Rey was not at fault at all in this.

There is OM drama in the form of Ari’s ex who will not leave her the eff alone. This guy doesn’t take rejection well and harasses her the entire book! Also she gets flirted with heavily at work so Rey is always trippin. She even goes out with a guy from the gym which I loved because that’s what Rey gets!!

This book had sooo much drama. Also there were some parts that were written in a way that made it hard to understand. Like sentences that didn’t belong and wrong words in wrong places and stuff and I got confused a bunch of times because I didn’t know what the heck the author was trying to say. It makes me think that perhaps English isn’t the authors first language (not knocking her if it isn’t I’m just saying maybe that’s why it didn’t always make sense to me)

I’m also confused on how the hell not a single person realized he was deaf, since he kept it a secret. Like there’s no way!!!

I’m super interested in Javier’s book. I really hope he gets one because I loved him so much!!

NO CHEATING BETWEEN MCS
OP DRAMA (see above)
SHORT THIRD ACT BREAK UP
DOMESTIC ABUSE TOWARDS FMC
DISABILITY REP
NO VIRGINS
HEA

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕀 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜: ARC E-Book
ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖: High
ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: High
𝔼𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕪𝕡𝕖: Happily Ever After
•
𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: This was such a fun, easy sport romance with a grumpy MMC that I absolutely fell in love with. This was action packed for a romance I thought so it kept me hooked the entire time!
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤: “The feeling of our hearts beating together for each other is the greatest sound in the world.”
&
“He’s beautiful. Like a real-life Goliath. Beautiful from afar, dangerous up close.”
&
“When he found me, I was lost like a boat adrift at sea. I surrendered to him, giving him my love and soul in the chaos of newfound love.”
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣: Chapters 17 & 34 & 40
𝔽𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣: Rey: He is so grump and it just made me fall in love with him because he is so soft on the inside. I felt so much for him and absolutely loved his story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: This was such a great Sport romance. I totally felt for Ari and the struggle she goes through. She is such a strong woman and goes through it in this book. She works her butt off and boy does it pay off in the end! Rey is such a grump MMC but he we discover it is just a hard shell around great man with a great heart. I thought the story was so good and I would totally recommend it!

[Erika Braga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it ! ❤️

This was certainly unexpected from Carmen Rosales. I am used to her dark romances or bully/cartel books. I discovered her because of the Prey Series which I ADOREEEEEEEEE !!!!
So I was surprised when this book is actually sweet, cute, good feeling, kinda of a slow burn and not spicy. I am used to her books being very spicy but not this one, and I still like it a lot.
I rate book based on how it makes me feel, I don’t care if the book is extremely well written, a masterpiece or blah blah …. I care if the book makes me feel good and this book did it make me feel good.
The main male character Rey is a professional boxer, he is grumpy but has a heart of gold, he has a younger brother Javier who is also amazing.
Rey is deaf and the way she wrote him with his insecurities and feeling it was really good.
The female character Ari, is sweet and is in a bit of a bad situation since she just left her boyfriend of 3 years after waking in on him having sex with another woman in their shower. So needless to say that she has trust issues and she is super insecure as well.
This book isn’t dark and there it not too much drama. It was just good and cute

[Katherine M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful, emotional story. Carmen can write sweet romance, and she can write dark romance, but either way it’s all amazing! The reason she is one of my top authors is because there is no unnecessary filler in her books. Everything she writes is with purpose. I could not put this book down and read it in a few hours. I was glued to this incredible story.

Ari is a broke college student who just found her boyfriend cheating on her and now has no place to go. Rey is a boxing champion, known as “The Silent King”, and owns a boxing gym with his brother, called The Sweat Box. Ari gets a job there as an administrative assistant. She’s frustrated because he stares at her but ignores her and never says a word. He finds her attractive and a distraction to his gym. But things aren’t as they seem. I was so entranced by this story and it was one of the greatest love stories I have read. It was also very emotional and I find myself tearing up a few times. I loved this so much and I highly recommend it!!

[Beyond_thebindings · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read with a writing style that flowed well, which I appreciated!

❤️I was really intrigued by the premise, especially with Rey being a deaf main character. I thought the representation was a strength, and it was clear he had effective ways of communicating with people.

- That said, the romance didn’t quite work for me. I was hoping for more build-up, more emotional tension between Rey and Ari—but instead, it leaned heavily into insta-lust. The connection felt surface-level, and a lot of the conflict came from miscommunication, which felt frustrating, especially since it wasn’t even rooted in Rey’s disability.

- While the characters had emotional backgrounds that fit honestly so well together, the connection between Rey and Ari didn't always feel convincing.

- And the spicy scenes seemed rushed, and not my favorite.

Overall - I think the story had potential, but the romance didn’t fully hook me. It had its moments, but overall, it just didn’t leave a strong impression!

[Nolagirl29 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The Sweat Box is a forbidden/close proximity sports romance with drama, action, and lots of intense emotion. The MMC gives off "touch her and d!e vibes.

Ari is a young college student who discovers her hockey boyfriend cheated on her, and she ends up homeless and in need of a job when she leaves him. She happens upon a job doing administrative duties at a all-male boxing gym that is own by two brother, Javier and Rey. Javier is a nice guy, but his big older brother, Rey is the grumpy, silent type. Ari can't help but feel a pull to Rey. She finds her eyes constantly drawn to him, but he's one of her bosses, and definitely off-limits. Besides, she can't afford to lose this job or her temporary home.

Rey aka the "Silent King" is a boxing champion. He co-owns the gym with his brother, Javier. His reputation as a boxer precedes him. He's broody and grumpy on the outside, but there's so much more beneath his tough exterior. When he sees who Javier wants to hire, he immediately objects. She's beautiful and they don't need that kind of distraction at the gym. So, why does he find himself stealing glances at her? Why does he feel the need to protect her?

This was a quick read, but it packs an emotional punch. It has a good story line and wonderful characters. Both of the main characters have emotional baggage and scars for different reasons, but their broken pieces fit nicely together. There's a lot of push-and-pull, and it is a bit of a slow burn with Rey and Ari. Their road is definitely rocky with a lot of obstacles thrown in their path, but they get their HEA. There we some gut-wrenching scenes that tore at my heart. I hated what Ari went through, but she was strong and resilient. Rey was complicated. He dealt with a lot as a child, and it shaped the man he became. I loved how protective he was over Ari. What I didn't care for was the OW/OM drama. I also wasn't completely convinced of Rey and Ari's connection. It didn't seem real at times. There were a lot of miscommunications and missed opportunities. I am a big fan of Carmen Rosales's books, but this one felt like there was something missing. It is still a good read, and I encourage you to read it, and form your own opinion. This is a standalone that ends with a HEA.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ari is a hard worker, trying to stay afloat while attending her final semesters at college. She can be resourceful and self-sufficient but isn’t afraid to accept help when needed. She likes to take initiative and has big heart and empathetic nature.

Rey is a skilled boxer whose reputation precedes him. However, many do know know of his impairments, and he allows people to see him as quiet and closed off. He also has been hurt in the past but carried himself confidently.

Ari and Rey! They definitely pulled at the heart strings. Rey is instantly drawn to Ari’s down to earth nature and wants to protect her but keep his distance as he doesn’t think he deserves to be loved. He wants to help her in any way he can and make amends any time he inadvertently hurts her. Ari also finds she is drawn to the brooding and mysterious boxer and recognizes his passion and dedication to others in improving their skills in the sport. She often has moments of low self esteem given her past and finds it hard to trust others. But Rey shows us he is willing to go at her pace and take care of her. Ari finds safety and comfort in Rey and someone she can find a soul-deep connection with. These two definitely leave you with butterflies!

Moreover, we see some friendly faces (shoutout to Javier for his golden returner energy and best wing man Rey could have and I wonder if Ben or Chase will have stories) and meet some less than savory characters who create bumps for our couple. The author does a good job with the icing and keeping us interested in knowing how our couple makes it to their HEA. It’s definitely a journey that you feel from your head to your toes! This is also definitely on the lighter side compared to some of the author’s other works but it was a good balance.

Overall, this was an engaging read and I cannot wait to see what’s next.

[Lilith · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️/5

It's my first book by this author and what can I say...I adored the writing.

Ari is a college student who just found out her boyfriend is cheating on her and now has no place to go. She starts to sleep in her car but homeless life is not simple. She needs a job and money for an apartment.

Rey is a boxing champion, known as “The Silent King”, and owns a boxing gym with his brother, called The Sweat Box. They need an assistant because Rey has to train Javier for his match. So Ari, thanks to Javier, gets a job there as an administrative assistant.

This was a quick read, but it packs an emotional punch. It has a good story line and wonderful characters. They definitely pulled at the heart strings.
Both of the main characters have emotional background, but their broken pieces fit perfectly together. There's a lot of push-and-pull, so it was a bit of a slow burn.

Rey is instantly drawn to Ari’s and wants to protect her but keeps his distance as he doesn’t think he deserves to be loved. He wants to help her in any way he can and make amends any time he inadvertently hurts her. I loved how protective he was over Ari and how she finds safety and comfort in Rey.
Rey is a complicated man who suffered his whole life, his dad left when he was a child because he's deaf. And for this he's broody and grumpy on the outside. But we know that there's so much more beneath his tough exterior. And Ari knows too.

It was a sweet and emotional story. The Silent King has my heart. I love how they have each other. Ari learning sign for Rey had tears in my eyes.
Javier, Rey’s brother is just so freaking amazing, I loved him so much! I hope he gets his own book because he deserves to get his HEA.

[Erin Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨🔮🌞🌕🍄🌕🌞🔮✨
ARC REVIEW

The Sweat Box - Carmen Rosales

4.5/5⭐️

✨✨✨✨✨✨
I loved this one and absolutely binged it! This book gives you great representation of hearing loss with Rey “The Silent King”. Even with his absolutely scary front, he is such a sweetheart to the ones he loves and he is the biggest protector! I fell quickly for Rey’s character and Aria as well! Ari had so much beautiful growth throughout this book. The cute texts, origami, and notes I enjoyed so much of! Ari learning sign for Rey had tears in my eyes. There were two characters who seriously just kept driving me crazy which was Julia and Jimmy! Overall so happy with this book and I seriously love Rey and Ari!

I hope that Javier gets a books because wow I loved him so much too!

📚📚📚
If you like to read:
- Sports Romance
- Forbidden
- Boss x Employee
- Deaf MMC
- Protective MMC
- HEA
… You should definitely check this out

📚📚📚

Thank you so much for sending me a copy for an honest review in my own words.

✨do you prefer to go in blind to books or see some teasers and more?

#books #booklover #smut #booknerd #bookfriend #bookish #booklovers #bookishcommunity #bookloversunite #instabook #bookporn #bookphotography #reviews #igbooks #ilovereading #smutty #bookaddiction #bookhoader #hotnsexy #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecs #yummy #givemeallthebooks #readingthepainaway #booktok #arc

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first time read for me by the author and I loved it the romance the emotions the drama with the ex boyfriend Jimmy who turns into a major pshyco but Ari and Rey's romance was just beautiful.

Ari gets a rather unpleasant surprise when she goes home and finds her Boyfriend well sleeping around with someone else he pushes her she has enough and ends up homeless and sleeping in her car to avoid the abusive boyfriend but when she gets hired at a boxing gym owned by the Valenty brothers things look up she soon develops interest in Rey the Silent King heavy weight champion training his brother Javier for a fight but he ignores her even blows hot and cold then Rey finds out how she's been living and things turn around. Rey has a huge secret hes partially def and his hearing loss gets worse ever day so Rey has strict rules don't allow females in the gym and never fall in love but resisting Ari is hard and he can't help himself. There romance isn't easy his childhood heartache and her recent trust issues have them both learning and growing emotional and those sweet moments with the letters and the text messages will have needing the tissue couldn't put it down and look forward to more books by the author.

I was allowed to read and advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Iris Memic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book i finished it in like a day and a half ! Rey is this big World Heavy weight champion who can literally crush anyone but is a complete softy and protector to the ones he loves. I loved Aria's and her determination she had after finding out her Boyfriend of 3 years was cheating on her then be came aggressive when she was trying to leave him then starts harassing her. Her Ability to adapt to being homeless and having to wash her self at sketchy gas stations to being able to finding a job at the gym Rey works at to find a place to stay was so heartwarming. my absolute favorite scene in the book is when Rey tells Aria he's Deaf and everything start to make sense, Because he would ignore her a lot but he just couldn't hear her! Then this sweet sweet soul learned sign language for him! she's not the best at first but girl is putting in that effort. ugh they just has so of the sweetest moments but, stuff doesn't always go at it seems. this book does have a lot of the MMC thinking he's not good enough for the FMC because he's deaf and would have these amazing moments to spicy moments and then push her way which was annoying. defiantly give this book a read.

[Maurisa Risareads221 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

Rey Vicente “The Silent King” I love him! There is a major reveal in this book that makes this book amazing! I will not spoil it because it ripped my heart open - and then Carmen Rosales pieced it back together with this amazing story she told. This is my first book by this author but will not be my last! I loved this story so much.

Ari leaves a relationship and is trying to start over and desperately needs a chance. She stumbles into Rey and Javier’s boxing gym to be their new office worker. Andy this is where the story really begins. Javier was an amazing brother to Rey and friend to Ari. It is dual POV which I love because you get both perspectives of the love story.

I love that Rey is not Ari’s Noah but her Rey. ❤️

#thesweatbox #carmenrosales #spicybookstagram #igreads #literallyyourspr #forbidden #sportsromance #boxing #forbiddenlove
#readersofinstagram #books #readers #romance #romancereader
#bookstagram #readersofinstagram #books #steamy #romancebooks #romancereader #arc #booksta #romance #bookworm #reader #booklover #lovetoread #romance

[C. Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap, I’m absolutely floored right now. I’ve been waiting to read this since Carmen announced it and the wait was well worth it. I love all of Carmen’s books so far but I think this just topped my favorites by her. Rey is the world heavyweight champion, a title he has worked hard for but his past has made him have trust issues. Ari finds herself in a bad spot and desperate for a job when she lands one at The Sweat Box. From there they both learn new things about each other and themselves.

This story is beautiful. I absolutely love Rey and Ari and that ending had me in tears. I can’t wait for book two, Sugar Coated Secrets. Carmen, you rock girl!! 🖤🔥🥊🔥🖤

My favorite quotes:

• Rey: With every touch on her skin, I can hear the whispers of her soul. With every look I give her, I hope she can hear mine.

• Ari: Sometimes when you think you experience heartbreak, you need to release it into the past so that true love can find you and start a new beginning.

• Rey: Ari is it for me. Right now, this is me loving her. This is me showing her there is no way there will ever be anyone else except her.

[Keza Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am feeling so emotional after reading this story. I loved it, like I really loved it.

Aria walked into her apartment she shared with her boyfriend only to find him with another woman. When she tries to leave, he decides to stop her by putting his hands on her.
Taking the first chance to get away, she leaves but with nowhere to go.
Aria finally finds a job at the Sweat Box gym. Rey's gym. Only her ex has no intention of letting her go.

The attraction between these two is instantaneous, intense, and like a physical feeling whenever someone is in their presence. Rey is intense and feels unworthy. He is protective, territorial, and possessive, but in a good way. Rey is sweet and gentle with Aria, much different from what everyone else sees on the outside.
Ari is a survivor and is perfect for Rey. The heat between these two and the strong deep connection they share is beautiful. 💗

Definitely recommend 👌

FYI, I would love to see Javier get his own book. I so loved him! 😊

[Brandi-Lynn Weiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether she’s writing as Carmen, or under her pen name Delilah, I’ve loved all her books.
This book immediately sucked me in & I didn’t want to put it down anymore than I wanted it to end.
A wounded/disabled hero is one of my most favorite tropes, & the fact that Rey is also a boxer, made this book perfect!
I my heart broke for Ari in the beginning, but I loved watching the relationship grow between her & Rey. That girl picked herself up & continued to fight, she never gave up.
My heart also broke for Rey & everything he’s had to endure. I hated seeing how he felt about himself, so when he allowed himself to let Ari in & let himself be happy, it was the best moment. These two couldn’t have been more better for each other. Rey was incredible, & the things he did for Ari- especially in the end, my heart was swooning!
I can’t wait for the next book! I’m looking forward to seeing Javier find his HEA.

[Melissa Houpt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is why Carmen will always be an auto read author for me. As soon as this hit my kindle I had to put everything else to the side. I DEVOURED this!! Ari is such an innocent and beautiful soul who went through something that has her a little scared to open up. Rey is a hot asf 🥵 ex pro boxer and her boss. There is an immediate attraction between the two, which both try to fight in the beginning. The angst between these two 🔥🔥 I loved everything about this book, the two main characters help each other grow and push through their trauma. Javier, Rey’s brother is just so freaking amazing!! I hope he gets his own book because he deserves to get his HEA. Plenty of spice, that in no way takes away from the plot. 100% recommend! As always please check trigger warnings before reading.

5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️

[A. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a much lighter and sweeter romance that focuses on boxing. The book does have spice and I thought it was pretty angsty. Ari needs a job, to escape a ex boyfriend, finish school, and actually a lot of things! Luckily for Ari she gets a job at the boxing gym of the Vicente Brothers, Javier and Rey. Rey is the brother that Ari is interested in but he is not that interested in Ari. In fact Rey goes to great lengths to ignore Ari. Rey doesn't speak but really only his brother understands why. There were times Rey's actions could be considered as not kind until a certain point. Ari truly had too much stress on her plate for one person to handle. Eventually Rey makes up for his grumpiness. Rey and Ari both have hearts of gold. Rey was just misunderstood for awhile.

I received a ARC of this book and voluntarily left this review.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Employer/Employee
Boxer/trainer MMC
College student FMC
Deaf/ Hard of hearing rep
Trauma/healing
Touch Her and die
Dual POV

This one was a quick read with some good moments. I loved the MCs and how they connected emotionally, but I really wanted more development into the spicy scenes because they had great chemistry outside of the bedroom. The spicy scenes just seemed rushed into IMO. Both characters had their flaws, but I liked the way they didn't waste too much time with miscommunication once they became an item. The angst up to that point was killing me, though.

Overall, it is an enjoyable read with diverse characters and an easy plot to follow. This was not as dark as the author's other books, so I would definitely recommend this to fans of sports romance and broody overprotective MMCs.

Thank you to the author for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

[Destiny Imperati · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review ✨️

☆The Silent King☆

Rey and Ari were such unique characters. Rey is known as the silent king, and he's the current heavyweight champion. Ari ends up homeless and in a rough spot when she leaves her abusive boyfriend. Eventually, she lands a job at a boxing gym, and that's when she meets Rey, aka her boss.
In the beginning of the story, I honestly thought Rey was a douchebag. He never gave Ari the time of day, and that was honestly upsetting. Come to find out, he's not ignoring her. He's deaf 🙄 I thought every aspect of this story was highly entertaining, and I loved it. Carmen always manages to give each of her stories such an emotional roller-coaster. She has incredible talent as an author, and I enjoyed every one of her books I've read so far!

Thank you so much to the author, Literally yours pr, and booksprout for this ARC!

[Mariah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book blind and it was such a good experience. I love going into books blindly. Everything that happened in the book I didn’t see coming. Jimmy and Julia I wish you guys fell off the face of the Earth. Those two characters pissed me off so much. Rey is my everything!! I love him so much. He’s my second epic book boyfriend. Even though there were moments where I was like “why??”/ “please!!.” He always swooped in and made everything better. I live for jealousy scenes and his were 10/10. I also lived for all the special moments he gave Aria 🫠🫠 You’ll see. It’ll be extremely hard for you not to fall in love with him or add him to your long list of book boyfriends. Rey is the definition of if he could he would. Shout out to his brother because he was the best. Rey’s family dynamic was so adorable. I loved this book. One of the best book I’ve read in 2025 so far. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Carmen Rosales when her writing is deliciously dark and steamy but with The Sweat Box, she has shown she can turn her hand to the sweet and emotional side of love as well as the down on her luck Ariana finds herself working at the boxing gym owned by Rey and his brother Javier. In the beginning Rey’s actions are less than welcoming and Ari takes his silence as a further sign of his disapproval of her presence but his actions when he finds out about her homelessness and the problems her ex is causing soon help her see past his brusque exterior to the tender heart of the man who was falling for her despite believing he wasn’t good enough for her. Ari and Rey’s road to happiness might’ve had its bumps but there was no doubting the depth of the love that grew between them.

[Sharon McMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rey is a champion boxer and has worked very hard to get where he is however because of things that happened in his past, he is very closed off and quiet.

Ari is struggling to finish off her final year of college and finds herself in a bad place and desperately needing a job. She ends up getting a job at the local gym and was instantly attracted to her boss, Rey.

The roughness of their emotions in this book just makes you feel like these are people down the street and not fictional characters in a book. Both Rey and Ari have low self-esteem and feel that they’re not worthy of love from anyone. I really enjoyed watching both of the characters grow immature throughout the story and not give up on each other. This was a fantastic read!!

[Reads smut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This intense romance set in the world of boxing delivers a powerful punch of emotion and tension. The story follows Ari, a woman fleeing her past, who finds a new beginning working at a boxing gym. Her life takes a complicated turn when she meets Rey Vicente, the enigmatic and silent boxer known as "The Silent King." The chemistry between Ari and Rey is electric, with a slow-burn attraction that builds with every glance and unspoken word. The novel captures the raw energy of the boxing world while exploring themes of resilience, forbidden desire, and the struggles of opening up to love. Fans of sports romances with a gritty edge will be captivated by this story of passion, power, and the fight for love.

[I’m a Paula too… Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is beautiful…

I love Rey. I love Ari too but I love Rey more. He is truly a Hero in my eyes.

So, Ari is living with Jimmy, a hockey player in the NHL, and she comes home early. The age-old story happens. He’s with some other woman, and she knows he’s got Ari as his girlfriend because they’ve met a few weeks back.

Rey owns the gym, named the Sweat Box, along with his brother. They need some help because Rey also trains others, and there’s more work than time in the day. Ari needs a job and a place to stay, and she gets hired.

The surprises are few, but they have real impact. So I’m not telling…

KU read, but I absolutely love this one. Minor editing errors but otherwise a great read. I highly recommend…

[GKP2460 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The only thing more dangerous than falling is resisting."

The Sweat Box is Ari and Rey's emotional, intense, gritty story. First off, I absolutely adore Javier. He's the ultimate brother, best friend and confidant. Rey is lucky to have him! Now, on to Rey and Ari. The attraction between them is immediate and so intense it's palpable. The chemistry is off the charts HOT and the push and pull between these two is absolute 🔥🔥🔥. Rey is a broken, damaged, beautiful soul and Ari is a bit sheltered, heartbroken and skittish after her latest experience. I absolutely recommend this book 100%. Just be sure to check the trigger warnings, it may be sensitive to some readers.

[Erin Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good read! It follows Rey, an undefeated boxing champ with a disability you'd think would keep him from that title, and Ari, a sweet, down on her luck, with a pyscho ex. They seem like an unlikely pair, but they are best when together! Ari looks past all Reys faults and disability and sees the man he tries to hide, and Rey does his best to avoid Ari for alot of the book because he thinks she deserves better than a broken man. The chemistry, character development, and growth of these people are awesome, the writing is good, and the story/plot are great! Give it a shot, worth it!

[nvl_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rey feels an instant attraction to Ari and wants to help her if he can. However, he feels like he doesn’t deserve to be loved and has been hurt before. Ari finds it hard to trust, but she eventually finds what she needs and Rey.

This book immediately sucked me in and didn’t let go. It was beautifully written and sparked so many emotions. Ari and Rey’s story is one that you will come back to over and over again I loved the dual point of view . The characters captured my heart and I hope to see Javier, Ben, and Chase’s stories in the future. I highly recommend.

[ajscenic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not what I thought it would be, in fact it was much better!
I liked Ari. She had been through so much but, refused to give in. Instead she continued forward, and strived to move on and overcome all obstacles.
I adored Rey. He was nothing like his first impression, which was the best part of the story as him and his brother, Javier are absolute sweethearts.
I was thoroughly absorbed and willed Ari and Rey to develop their relationship further.
This was a brilliant story that I could not put down until I got to the final page.
This is a very well deserved 5 stars!