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Against the Cage #1
Win by Submission
To win her heart, he'll be in for the fight of his life. After an illegal kick during a CFA title fight fractures Cole Easton's spine, doctors say there's nothing more they can do for the bitter Vegas fighter. They say it's a miracle he can walk, if that's what you call his crutch-dragging limp. Unwilling to give up on him, Cole's manager sends the injured fighter to the best physical therapist he his niece, Katie Miller. When Cole arrives in the small town of Somerset, Wisconsin, he quickly discovers his sly manager may have had reasons other than rehab for sending him to this frozen tundra.After a year of running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, Katie has returned to her hometown to care for her father, who's recovering from a stroke. When Uncle Marcus calls in a favor, she reluctantly finds herself taking on a rancorous MMA fighter, broken at the height of his career. He's insanely sex-on-a-stick hot--and everything she loathes in a man.If Cole thinks his fighting days are over, he's dead wrong. To save Katie from her past and to win her heart, he'll be in for the fight of his life.*National Reader's Choice Award Finalist*
356 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2015
533 people are currently reading
1741 people want to read
About the author
Melynda Price
19 books609 followersMelynda Price is a bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romance. Her Against the Cage series has finaled in many awards such as the RONE, USA Today BBA, Golden Quill, National Readers’ Choice, and New England Readers’ Choice, and won the 2017 Write Touch award.
What Price enjoys most about writing is the chance to make her readers fall in love, over and over again. She cites the greatest challenge of writing is making the unbelievable believable, while taking her characters to the limit with stories full of passion and unique twists and turns. Salting stories with undertones of history whenever possible, Price adds immeasurable depth to her well-crafted books. She currently lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband and two children where she has plenty of snow-filled days to curl up in front of the fireplace with her Chihuahua and a hot cup of coffee to write.
What Price enjoys most about writing is the chance to make her readers fall in love, over and over again. She cites the greatest challenge of writing is making the unbelievable believable, while taking her characters to the limit with stories full of passion and unique twists and turns. Salting stories with undertones of history whenever possible, Price adds immeasurable depth to her well-crafted books. She currently lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband and two children where she has plenty of snow-filled days to curl up in front of the fireplace with her Chihuahua and a hot cup of coffee to write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
July 10, 2015
1 corny star. DNF @80%. Review posted March 12, 2015
The only nice asset about Win by Submission was the good prologue. Once I was past that prologue, everything went downhill fast. I really get it. Clichés in romance books are so normal and expected like Swiss eating Fondue (I don't, by the way). But, please, don't exaggerate. It's always about finding a good and reasonable balance. In Win by Submission it was terribly overdone.
While the hero meets the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, the heroine gushes over the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. Perfect.
It boggles the mind. Very convenient. Not.
After
Cole had been sitting in a wheelchair for several months, yet his gorgeous physique didn't suffer from that important little detail. His tree trunks of legs are still the same? Sorry, that's not going to happen. He must have lost muscle mass fast not being able to train his legs but we wouldn't want to ruin that perfect picture, would we?
The moment their palms connected, a jolt of awareness raced up her arm, zinged into her breasts and headed south like she was a freaking pinball machine.
Oh, please…she scolded her inner goddess.
Shut up, Goddess!
Because you're falling for him, idiot, her inner goddess was quick to answer.
Inner goddess? Are you fucking kidding me? *makes retching noise*
Her breasts dragged against his ribs, pebbled nipples searing the muscled grooves of his flesh. A pained groan chortled deep in his throat as a startled breath caught in hers.
Jesus.Christ.On.A.Crutch. I'm chortling too.
Picking up his BLT, he took a bite and groaned--a rumble of pure masculine satisfaction that made her core contract with long-denied feminine need.
His pulse spiked with a familiar stirring of lust. The beat of his heart seemed to be centered in his groin.
Hah. Instead of his brain it's his heart that slipped beyond his belt. Very original. *sarcasm*
Cole snarled a curse that would have blistered her ears if she wasn't busy trying not to throw up on his feet. The feeling of violation mixed with frostbite made her skin crawl with the burn of a thousand fire ants. her stomach rebelled--really, this time--and she shoved past him, tearing out of his grasp as she ran for the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, she dropped to her knees before the porcelain throne.
Was it possible to come without actually being touched down there?
Read my lips: it's a pussy.
My "favorite" quote:
His granite flesh bucked against her slippery folds, asking for permission, begging for entrance as he held himself statue-still above her.
Oh, wait. I have another really good one:
…just the thought of it sent a jolt of longing flooding every cell in her body. Her core wept at the prospect of being filled with this gorgeous man.
I'm weeping too but for other reasons.
The intimate position sent her already clamoring pulse kicking into a serious case of tachycardia.
In plain old English: a racing heart
She gasped in surprise as electrical shock waves shot up into her core, making the muscles involuntarily clench.
*gasp*
Could he feel the hot moisture of her desire gathering between the thin barriers separating her sex from his? Her pulse was clamoring in her veins, screaming at her to let go, but she just couldn't bring herself to take that step.
158 x damn, goddamn, damned
Damn, keeping his hands off her…
…making walking damn near impossible without…
…voice was so damn sexy…
Damn, it felt like he'd just closed his eyes…
Damn, he knew she was small, but he…
Damn, he loved the way her eyes seemed to swallow him…
Damn, he couldn't remember…
Damn, her skin was soft…like the delicate petals of a flower.
Damn, he was used to people…
Damn, it should be a crime for a woman to be so beautiful. *eye roll*
Damn, his back hurt.
Damn, she'd been hot--so sweet--so responsive to his touch.
Damn, she wanted to beat Cole at his own game.
"Damn, you're so fucking hot," he groaned…
Damn, he was getting in over his head…
Damn, she was hot.
Didn't we read that somewhere already?
"Damn, sweetheart, you're the most beautiful woman…
Er…didn't we read…um…you know what I mean.
Damn, he didn't want to mess this up--or scare her.
Damn, she was a fighter, standing there, struggling to keep it…
Damn, he loved this woman. His brave little Kat… (why don't you pet her on the head, Cole?)
Damn, it was a tight fit.
Damn, I missed your cranky ass.
Damn, this shit was old--….
Ain't that the truth. The constant use of damn is getting old and incredibly annoying fast.
Damn, his voice sounded like he'd been eating glass.
Damn, this was more difficult than he'd thought it would be.
Damn, she was going to fuck his brains out…
Damn, I think I've had enough.
66 x grin, grins, grinning
37 x veins and its "side dishes":
…adrenaline surged hotter through his veins.
…pure adrenaline running through his veins.
…of adrenaline surging in her veins.
…the warmth flooding through her veins…
…heated the blood in his veins until his body was coated…
…jolt of lust flooding his veins.
…rush of adrenaline hitting his veins, his muscles growing tight,…
…of possessiveness lighting up his veins was a wholly unwelcome experience.
…that flowed through his fighter's veins.
…the blood thundering through her veins sent a rush of heat into her chest--her nipples…
…of anger tore through his veins.
…possessive fury flooding through his veins.
…white-hot pleasure seared through his veins,...
…veritable passion thrumming through his veins.
…of terror racing through her veins.
Lust flooded his veins...
…his own testosterone flooded his veins.
Untethered lust tore through his veins, the governor on his control gone with the last shot of brandy.
…the terror pumping through her veins all the same.
…of panic ripping through her veins.
Fury licked through his veins.
…her terror coursing through his veins.
etc.
38 x scowl, scowling, scowled
45 x growl, growled, growling
107 x tight, tightened, tightly, tighten, tightened, tighter
25 x panic, panicked
As usual the main characters are beautiful, gorgeous, handsome blah blah blah. Seriously, there was way too much praise of physical features and, really, I got it that she was small and fragile. There was a lot of grinning, scowling and growling going on. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't escape all those cocking brows and widening eyes either and…oh…the waterworks. *sigh* It was mentioned numerous times that Cole wanted Katie. Honestly, I'm not slow on the uptake. I really got it right after they met for the first time.
The book is riddled with (corny) physical reactions to almost everything that was said or done and irritated the hell outta me. And, due to all that zinging and throbbing, and energy crackling through their bodies, jolts left and right, tightening chests and rioting hearts yadda yadda yadda, the tension coiling in groins and what-the-fuck-ever, the story felt verrrrrry long-winded. Rehashing their longing, arousal and her anxiety and panic attacks ad friggin’ nauseam killed any of my attempts to connect with the story or characters. Besides, the bad writing did me in.
Considering the heroine's HUGE issues, I think it would have been better for her to make use of professional counseling. A healing through the magic cock (and the poorly written sex scenes) is more than a bit strange and not believable at all.
The heroine is written like a frightened little schoolgirl. Her allegedly tough and feisty personality was totally overshadowed by her fear and panic.
Also, the story, the 'voice' and heroine were all overly melodramatic which is always counterproductive. Instead of empathize with the characters, I felt indifference and a growing annoyance, also due to the corny writing.
Don't feel too sure about that, little Katie. At
She didn't need to ask. By the size of his manhood proudly on display, he was having a grand ol' time of it.
Yeah, grand writing. Not. And, seriously, what about the dreaded term of manhood? I thought all those cheesy 80s Harlequins would stay where they belonged. In the past.
Remember the cunny-bunny in the beginning of my review?
That is all. Onwards...
All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy.
**ARC courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
The only nice asset about Win by Submission was the good prologue. Once I was past that prologue, everything went downhill fast. I really get it. Clichés in romance books are so normal and expected like Swiss eating Fondue (I don't, by the way). But, please, don't exaggerate. It's always about finding a good and reasonable balance. In Win by Submission it was terribly overdone.
While the hero meets the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, the heroine gushes over the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. Perfect.
It boggles the mind. Very convenient. Not.
After
Cole had been sitting in a wheelchair for several months, yet his gorgeous physique didn't suffer from that important little detail. His tree trunks of legs are still the same? Sorry, that's not going to happen. He must have lost muscle mass fast not being able to train his legs but we wouldn't want to ruin that perfect picture, would we?
The moment their palms connected, a jolt of awareness raced up her arm, zinged into her breasts and headed south like she was a freaking pinball machine.
Oh, please…she scolded her inner goddess.
Shut up, Goddess!
Because you're falling for him, idiot, her inner goddess was quick to answer.
Inner goddess? Are you fucking kidding me? *makes retching noise*
Her breasts dragged against his ribs, pebbled nipples searing the muscled grooves of his flesh. A pained groan chortled deep in his throat as a startled breath caught in hers.
Jesus.Christ.On.A.Crutch. I'm chortling too.
Picking up his BLT, he took a bite and groaned--a rumble of pure masculine satisfaction that made her core contract with long-denied feminine need.
His pulse spiked with a familiar stirring of lust. The beat of his heart seemed to be centered in his groin.
Hah. Instead of his brain it's his heart that slipped beyond his belt. Very original. *sarcasm*
Cole snarled a curse that would have blistered her ears if she wasn't busy trying not to throw up on his feet. The feeling of violation mixed with frostbite made her skin crawl with the burn of a thousand fire ants. her stomach rebelled--really, this time--and she shoved past him, tearing out of his grasp as she ran for the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, she dropped to her knees before the porcelain throne.
Was it possible to come without actually being touched down there?
Read my lips: it's a pussy.
My "favorite" quote:
His granite flesh bucked against her slippery folds, asking for permission, begging for entrance as he held himself statue-still above her.
Oh, wait. I have another really good one:
…just the thought of it sent a jolt of longing flooding every cell in her body. Her core wept at the prospect of being filled with this gorgeous man.
I'm weeping too but for other reasons.
The intimate position sent her already clamoring pulse kicking into a serious case of tachycardia.
In plain old English: a racing heart
She gasped in surprise as electrical shock waves shot up into her core, making the muscles involuntarily clench.
*gasp*
Could he feel the hot moisture of her desire gathering between the thin barriers separating her sex from his? Her pulse was clamoring in her veins, screaming at her to let go, but she just couldn't bring herself to take that step.
158 x damn, goddamn, damned
Damn, keeping his hands off her…
…making walking damn near impossible without…
…voice was so damn sexy…
Damn, it felt like he'd just closed his eyes…
Damn, he knew she was small, but he…
Damn, he loved the way her eyes seemed to swallow him…
Damn, he couldn't remember…
Damn, her skin was soft…like the delicate petals of a flower.
Damn, he was used to people…
Damn, it should be a crime for a woman to be so beautiful. *eye roll*
Damn, his back hurt.
Damn, she'd been hot--so sweet--so responsive to his touch.
Damn, she wanted to beat Cole at his own game.
"Damn, you're so fucking hot," he groaned…
Damn, he was getting in over his head…
Damn, she was hot.
Didn't we read that somewhere already?
"Damn, sweetheart, you're the most beautiful woman…
Er…didn't we read…um…you know what I mean.
Damn, he didn't want to mess this up--or scare her.
Damn, she was a fighter, standing there, struggling to keep it…
Damn, he loved this woman. His brave little Kat… (why don't you pet her on the head, Cole?)
Damn, it was a tight fit.
Damn, I missed your cranky ass.
Damn, this shit was old--….
Ain't that the truth. The constant use of damn is getting old and incredibly annoying fast.
Damn, his voice sounded like he'd been eating glass.
Damn, this was more difficult than he'd thought it would be.
Damn, she was going to fuck his brains out…
Damn, I think I've had enough.
66 x grin, grins, grinning
37 x veins and its "side dishes":
…adrenaline surged hotter through his veins.
…pure adrenaline running through his veins.
…of adrenaline surging in her veins.
…the warmth flooding through her veins…
…heated the blood in his veins until his body was coated…
…jolt of lust flooding his veins.
…rush of adrenaline hitting his veins, his muscles growing tight,…
…of possessiveness lighting up his veins was a wholly unwelcome experience.
…that flowed through his fighter's veins.
…the blood thundering through her veins sent a rush of heat into her chest--her nipples…
…of anger tore through his veins.
…possessive fury flooding through his veins.
…white-hot pleasure seared through his veins,...
…veritable passion thrumming through his veins.
…of terror racing through her veins.
Lust flooded his veins...
…his own testosterone flooded his veins.
Untethered lust tore through his veins, the governor on his control gone with the last shot of brandy.
…the terror pumping through her veins all the same.
…of panic ripping through her veins.
Fury licked through his veins.
…her terror coursing through his veins.
etc.
38 x scowl, scowling, scowled
45 x growl, growled, growling
107 x tight, tightened, tightly, tighten, tightened, tighter
25 x panic, panicked
As usual the main characters are beautiful, gorgeous, handsome blah blah blah. Seriously, there was way too much praise of physical features and, really, I got it that she was small and fragile. There was a lot of grinning, scowling and growling going on. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't escape all those cocking brows and widening eyes either and…oh…the waterworks. *sigh* It was mentioned numerous times that Cole wanted Katie. Honestly, I'm not slow on the uptake. I really got it right after they met for the first time.
The book is riddled with (corny) physical reactions to almost everything that was said or done and irritated the hell outta me. And, due to all that zinging and throbbing, and energy crackling through their bodies, jolts left and right, tightening chests and rioting hearts yadda yadda yadda, the tension coiling in groins and what-the-fuck-ever, the story felt verrrrrry long-winded. Rehashing their longing, arousal and her anxiety and panic attacks ad friggin’ nauseam killed any of my attempts to connect with the story or characters. Besides, the bad writing did me in.
Considering the heroine's HUGE issues, I think it would have been better for her to make use of professional counseling. A healing through the magic cock (and the poorly written sex scenes) is more than a bit strange and not believable at all.
The heroine is written like a frightened little schoolgirl. Her allegedly tough and feisty personality was totally overshadowed by her fear and panic.
Also, the story, the 'voice' and heroine were all overly melodramatic which is always counterproductive. Instead of empathize with the characters, I felt indifference and a growing annoyance, also due to the corny writing.
Don't feel too sure about that, little Katie. At
She didn't need to ask. By the size of his manhood proudly on display, he was having a grand ol' time of it.
Yeah, grand writing. Not. And, seriously, what about the dreaded term of manhood? I thought all those cheesy 80s Harlequins would stay where they belonged. In the past.
Remember the cunny-bunny in the beginning of my review?
That is all. Onwards...
All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy.
**ARC courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
July 9, 2015
1 - "It's no use... I'm a lost cause." Star.
DNF @ 61%
Win by Submission is one of those books you start, and immediately think ’yes, this may just be one of those books’, the prologue was kick-ass, the premise intriguing and the characters although carrying some serious baggage between them initially started out as likeable and worth the effort of dealing with their angst and drama. I really did think I had a five star winner in my hands.
”Being courageous doesn’t mean you win every battle. It just means you never give up.”
I was merrily trundling along, for the most part enjoying the way things were going, mutual attraction, a lot of sexual tension, a few glimpses that all may not right in Katie’s world, a little hint into Cole’s past but things were still moving in the right direction, everything still had the bright spark of ’new and original’ as well as extremely entertaining firmly attached to it, when the author did the one thing that pretty much under normal circumstances kills a book dead for me @ around the 30% mark and pulled out the old Inner Goddess monologue, although at that point I was still really enjoying the story and where it was going so I forgave, tried to forget and carried on reading.
”You don’t seem to have the best luck with guys, do ya?”
We then get lip biting…
Ok I know it’s not the end of the world, but added to my earlier pet peeve, things started to slide a tad. I’m not sure, maybe it is due to the fact I was approaching miffed with these aforementioned issues, but I then started noticing the repetitive use of certain things –
(Icy, brilliant, startling, vibrant) Blue (gaze, eyes, orbs…) = 13
Emerald (eyes, orbs, gaze…) = 12
Green (as above) = 5
Cerulean (as above) = 5
If Cole/Katie mentions in his/her inner monologue once about their height/weight/size differences, one or the other thinks it at least a dozen times more. I found myself focusing on all the repetition over the actual story after a while, and it all became really distracting.
"We all have our battle scars. Some are just more visible than others."
I still really liked Cole, although his recovery seemed to come on in leaps and bounds as soon as issues with Katie’s ex came to the fore, the guy went from a wheelchair, to crutches, onto to walking unaided at a rapid clip. Katie was a pretty likeable character as well, although the mixed signals she kept offering Cole were starting to wear a little thin by the point I stopped reading as well.
Although Win by Submission doesn’t quite get my vote this time, two things are apparent to me from the portion of the book that I read. The author certainly can write, for me personally the book could have done with a little more editing to iron out the repetitiveness and some of the more lengthy inner monologues, I am also on the fence in relation to the unusual phrasing of certain situations –
She felt the tide of desire rising up to break over the surf of her fear… Katie’s pulse leapt as the tide swept back, revealing her shore of uncertainty… teasing his lips over hers again, courting her mouth until another wave of desire rose up to take control of her again…
I liked this writing style, it just didn’t feel right in the scenario or this demographic, it felt more historical in its presentation than fitting with a modern up-to-date romance. As did the use of the phrasing oral courtship.
The other plus is that Melynda Price knows how to take a tired and overused genre and give it a new twist. I see great things in the future for this author, and would be willing to read future work.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
DNF @ 61%
Win by Submission is one of those books you start, and immediately think ’yes, this may just be one of those books’, the prologue was kick-ass, the premise intriguing and the characters although carrying some serious baggage between them initially started out as likeable and worth the effort of dealing with their angst and drama. I really did think I had a five star winner in my hands.
”Being courageous doesn’t mean you win every battle. It just means you never give up.”
I was merrily trundling along, for the most part enjoying the way things were going, mutual attraction, a lot of sexual tension, a few glimpses that all may not right in Katie’s world, a little hint into Cole’s past but things were still moving in the right direction, everything still had the bright spark of ’new and original’ as well as extremely entertaining firmly attached to it, when the author did the one thing that pretty much under normal circumstances kills a book dead for me @ around the 30% mark and pulled out the old Inner Goddess monologue, although at that point I was still really enjoying the story and where it was going so I forgave, tried to forget and carried on reading.
”You don’t seem to have the best luck with guys, do ya?”
We then get lip biting…
Ok I know it’s not the end of the world, but added to my earlier pet peeve, things started to slide a tad. I’m not sure, maybe it is due to the fact I was approaching miffed with these aforementioned issues, but I then started noticing the repetitive use of certain things –
(Icy, brilliant, startling, vibrant) Blue (gaze, eyes, orbs…) = 13
Emerald (eyes, orbs, gaze…) = 12
Green (as above) = 5
Cerulean (as above) = 5
If Cole/Katie mentions in his/her inner monologue once about their height/weight/size differences, one or the other thinks it at least a dozen times more. I found myself focusing on all the repetition over the actual story after a while, and it all became really distracting.
"We all have our battle scars. Some are just more visible than others."
I still really liked Cole, although his recovery seemed to come on in leaps and bounds as soon as issues with Katie’s ex came to the fore, the guy went from a wheelchair, to crutches, onto to walking unaided at a rapid clip. Katie was a pretty likeable character as well, although the mixed signals she kept offering Cole were starting to wear a little thin by the point I stopped reading as well.
Although Win by Submission doesn’t quite get my vote this time, two things are apparent to me from the portion of the book that I read. The author certainly can write, for me personally the book could have done with a little more editing to iron out the repetitiveness and some of the more lengthy inner monologues, I am also on the fence in relation to the unusual phrasing of certain situations –
She felt the tide of desire rising up to break over the surf of her fear… Katie’s pulse leapt as the tide swept back, revealing her shore of uncertainty… teasing his lips over hers again, courting her mouth until another wave of desire rose up to take control of her again…
I liked this writing style, it just didn’t feel right in the scenario or this demographic, it felt more historical in its presentation than fitting with a modern up-to-date romance. As did the use of the phrasing oral courtship.
The other plus is that Melynda Price knows how to take a tired and overused genre and give it a new twist. I see great things in the future for this author, and would be willing to read future work.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
Read
March 12, 2015I thought it was fine...but not what I had hoped for.
This has all the makings to pique my interest:
Damaged, healing MMA Fighter
Capable, yet skittish physical therapist who is manager's niece
Niece has abusive ex
Fighter and Niece become drawn to each other...
Yup, It has "Wendy's type of read" written all over it!
PLUS BONUS.... A READ NOW from Montlake on NETGALLEY!
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
This has all the makings to pique my interest:
Damaged, healing MMA Fighter
Capable, yet skittish physical therapist who is manager's niece
Niece has abusive ex
Fighter and Niece become drawn to each other...
Yup, It has "Wendy's type of read" written all over it!
PLUS BONUS.... A READ NOW from Montlake on NETGALLEY!
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
May 6, 2015
I haven’t had much luck in reading MMA books lately. What does this mean? Where are my awesome fighters who meet awesome heroines?
Cole fractures his spine during a fight – and it’s bad. So bad, he ends up in a wheelchair and the doctors say there isn’t much else they can do for him. So bad he will probably walk with crutches the rest of his life. His manager sends him from Las Vegas to Wisconsin to be helped by a physical therapist named Katie, the manager’s niece. Cole is angry about this but grudgingly goes. Katie just happens to be house sitting for someone in a wheelchair so her house is the perfect set-up for Cole. What Cole doesn’t know is that Katie’s ex-boyfriend named Carter, is stalking her. Already abusing her, she has been on the run from him, but forced to come back to her hometown after her dad had a stoke. Because of Facebook, Carter now knows Katie is back, and he starts his erratic behavior again. Cole finds out and vows to keep Katie safe. You get the rest of the picture. The suspense is so predictable in this one. Stalker- abusive ex vs. new mma fighter boyfriend. With the perfect heroine in between.
First – let’s point out the fact that Cole fractures his spine and doctors are pretty sure he will never walk again. I’m not sure how long he is in the hospital and then wheel chair but let’s assume it’s in the multiple months range. Wouldn’t his muscle tone be – weak? Dare I say, kind of gone? But I’m pretty sure he still had perfect abs and perfect legs and perfect everything when he bounces out of the wheelchair one day. Oh yeah – it takes him NO time to be able to walk, like really walk, once he meets Katie. What happened to the life-time injury?
One thing that bothered me – I felt it was really odd that Cole would actually move in with Katie. Maybe while he was in the wheelchair but what about once he could walk? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate if they didn’t live together as strangers? They become familiar with each other quick – too quick to be believable.
Also – Katie was very poorly treated by her ex-boyfriend.
“When he finished cutting me, he raped me – over and over again. There was so much blood…I thought I was going to die. I prayed I would so I could finally escape his torture. That was the last time a man has ever touched me and I swore to God it would be the last time one ever would. But then I met you…”
Katie is very wary to become intimate with Cole because of this. Cole doesn’t force her or anything but he does push her which really annoyed me. Katie’s past abuse is horrific. The first time they are intimate he lets her tie him up so that she feels more safe, but at that point I don’t even think she was ready for that. It was all about Cole’s pressing need to have her rather than her dealing with being raped. Cole felt selfish.
“Open you mouth, sweetheart. Let me taste you,” he coached softly.
His request was a too tempting to resist, even when the little alarms sounding in her head warned her it was too soon. She wasn’t ready for this. But Cole had been nothing but tempered with her, gentle and controlled. Surely, he was safe to explore a kiss with, she reasoned, letting him prove she could trust him.
And then there is the time she is scared of how big his dick is. As far as going into full zone-out mode where he has to shake her to make her “wake up” and tell him why she is so scared.
And after she tells him about all the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex –
His granite flesh bucked against her slippery folds, asking for permission, begging for entrance as he held himself statue-still above her. “I want you, baby. But if you say no, I’ll understand. If I’d only known, I wouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I feel like a selfish bastard for wanting you still. If I let you go without telling you, I’m afraid you’d get the wrong idea. I want nothing more than to make you mine. But this is your decision – no pressure.”
He didn’t have to give her any pressure. The pressure building inside her was already nearly unbearable.
I’m not feeling it. Miss for me.
Grade: D
Cole fractures his spine during a fight – and it’s bad. So bad, he ends up in a wheelchair and the doctors say there isn’t much else they can do for him. So bad he will probably walk with crutches the rest of his life. His manager sends him from Las Vegas to Wisconsin to be helped by a physical therapist named Katie, the manager’s niece. Cole is angry about this but grudgingly goes. Katie just happens to be house sitting for someone in a wheelchair so her house is the perfect set-up for Cole. What Cole doesn’t know is that Katie’s ex-boyfriend named Carter, is stalking her. Already abusing her, she has been on the run from him, but forced to come back to her hometown after her dad had a stoke. Because of Facebook, Carter now knows Katie is back, and he starts his erratic behavior again. Cole finds out and vows to keep Katie safe. You get the rest of the picture. The suspense is so predictable in this one. Stalker- abusive ex vs. new mma fighter boyfriend. With the perfect heroine in between.
First – let’s point out the fact that Cole fractures his spine and doctors are pretty sure he will never walk again. I’m not sure how long he is in the hospital and then wheel chair but let’s assume it’s in the multiple months range. Wouldn’t his muscle tone be – weak? Dare I say, kind of gone? But I’m pretty sure he still had perfect abs and perfect legs and perfect everything when he bounces out of the wheelchair one day. Oh yeah – it takes him NO time to be able to walk, like really walk, once he meets Katie. What happened to the life-time injury?
One thing that bothered me – I felt it was really odd that Cole would actually move in with Katie. Maybe while he was in the wheelchair but what about once he could walk? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate if they didn’t live together as strangers? They become familiar with each other quick – too quick to be believable.
Also – Katie was very poorly treated by her ex-boyfriend.
“When he finished cutting me, he raped me – over and over again. There was so much blood…I thought I was going to die. I prayed I would so I could finally escape his torture. That was the last time a man has ever touched me and I swore to God it would be the last time one ever would. But then I met you…”
Katie is very wary to become intimate with Cole because of this. Cole doesn’t force her or anything but he does push her which really annoyed me. Katie’s past abuse is horrific. The first time they are intimate he lets her tie him up so that she feels more safe, but at that point I don’t even think she was ready for that. It was all about Cole’s pressing need to have her rather than her dealing with being raped. Cole felt selfish.
“Open you mouth, sweetheart. Let me taste you,” he coached softly.
His request was a too tempting to resist, even when the little alarms sounding in her head warned her it was too soon. She wasn’t ready for this. But Cole had been nothing but tempered with her, gentle and controlled. Surely, he was safe to explore a kiss with, she reasoned, letting him prove she could trust him.
And then there is the time she is scared of how big his dick is. As far as going into full zone-out mode where he has to shake her to make her “wake up” and tell him why she is so scared.
And after she tells him about all the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex –
His granite flesh bucked against her slippery folds, asking for permission, begging for entrance as he held himself statue-still above her. “I want you, baby. But if you say no, I’ll understand. If I’d only known, I wouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I feel like a selfish bastard for wanting you still. If I let you go without telling you, I’m afraid you’d get the wrong idea. I want nothing more than to make you mine. But this is your decision – no pressure.”
He didn’t have to give her any pressure. The pressure building inside her was already nearly unbearable.
I’m not feeling it. Miss for me.
Grade: D
March 21, 2015
5 Amazing, Speechless, Ecstatic Stars!
Blurb:
After an illegal kick during a CFA title fight fractures Cole Easton’s spine, doctors say there’s nothing more they can do for the bitter Vegas fighter. They say it’s a miracle he can walk, if that’s what you call his crutch-dragging limp. Unwilling to give up on him, Cole’s manager sends the injured fighter to the best physical therapist he knows: his niece, Katie Miller. When Cole arrives in the small town of Somerset, Wisconsin, he quickly discovers his sly manager may have had reasons other than rehab for sending him to this frozen tundra.
After a year of running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, Katie has returned to her hometown to care for her father, who’s recovering from a stroke. When Uncle Marcus calls in a favor, she reluctantly finds herself taking on a rancorous MMA fighter, broken at the height of his career. He’s insanely sex-on-a-stick hot—and everything she loathes in a man.
If Cole thinks his fighting days are over, he’s dead wrong. To save Katie from her past and to win her heart, he’ll be in for the fight of his life.
Oh my gods, I don't even know where to start! I've been putting off writing this review for a few hours, trying to catch my breath and organize my thoughts, but I don't think I'll ever be able to accurately put into words how much I loved this book! I don't want to give anything away in this review because it really just needs to be experienced by the reader to fully appreciate how great this book is. I loved Cole, I loved Katrina, I loved the drama, I loved the angst, I loved the love.
Katrina was a really damaged heroine, but never to the point of being exasperating or frustrating. You know she's been through some seriously fucked up stuff and hasn't really recovered, but the extent of her abuse isn't revealed until after the first third or so of the book. Her trust issues and fear are completely understandable, and even though they interfere with her relationship with Cole, I was more focused on rooting for her to truly heal rather than just getting over it.
Katrina
Cole was freaking delicious and straight up panty melting. I loved him from the prologue and my love just grew throughout the book. I thought his character was really well developed and I was instantly invested in his story. His anger and bitterness over his injury and the potential end of his fighting career tore at my heart strings. He was so powerful, strong and badass fighting it was hard to imagine him never being able to do it again. His drive to recover and get back to fighting strength was admirable and hot. And is caring and patience with Katrina, and his resolve to not just be with her but heal her brought tears to my eyes
Cole
I know I keep using the word love, but really I loved everything about this book. Cole and Katrina were perfect for each other. They both were damaged, albeit in completely different ways, and they were exactly what the other one needed to heal. There was a lot of angst surrounding their relationship; Cole had never been serious about a woman before and didn't know where things with Katrina were headed, and Katrina was unsure if Cole felt as deeply about her as she did about him. Throw in Katrina's psycho ex boyfriend and there was some serious drama surrounding their budding relationship. Saying Katrina's ex is psycho is putting it mildly. He does some really messed up shit to Katrina in this book, both in the past and the present. I was amazed at how viscerally scary he was!
At times I was wishing Katrina and Cole's relationship would develop faster, but the length of time it took for Katrina to become comfortable with Cole and for Cole to develop deeper feelings for Katrina felt realistic and put them on more even ground with each other. The growth of their relationship and feelings for each other felt really genuine and touching. Cole was the ultimate possessive alpha hero, but he was able to keep himself in check in order not to frighten Katrina. So sexy. And when they did finally get it on, they were on fire! It made the wait totally worth it.
Of course, the peace doesn't last long at all, and the drama and suspense is ramped up to new heights. And just when you think things are going smoothly and everyone will be safe and happy, bam! more drama unfolds. Let the tears commence. The climax to this book had me holding my breath and be completely incapable of putting this book down. Someone would have had to pry my kindle out of my cold dead hands before interrupting me reading the last 10% of this book. Katrina and Cole get their HEA, and it's really sweet and made me so happy for them!
I am truly impressed with Melynda Price's writing and ability to make this story come to life. I highly recommend this book and cant wait to read what she comes up with next!
Blurb:
After an illegal kick during a CFA title fight fractures Cole Easton’s spine, doctors say there’s nothing more they can do for the bitter Vegas fighter. They say it’s a miracle he can walk, if that’s what you call his crutch-dragging limp. Unwilling to give up on him, Cole’s manager sends the injured fighter to the best physical therapist he knows: his niece, Katie Miller. When Cole arrives in the small town of Somerset, Wisconsin, he quickly discovers his sly manager may have had reasons other than rehab for sending him to this frozen tundra.
After a year of running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, Katie has returned to her hometown to care for her father, who’s recovering from a stroke. When Uncle Marcus calls in a favor, she reluctantly finds herself taking on a rancorous MMA fighter, broken at the height of his career. He’s insanely sex-on-a-stick hot—and everything she loathes in a man.
If Cole thinks his fighting days are over, he’s dead wrong. To save Katie from her past and to win her heart, he’ll be in for the fight of his life.
Oh my gods, I don't even know where to start! I've been putting off writing this review for a few hours, trying to catch my breath and organize my thoughts, but I don't think I'll ever be able to accurately put into words how much I loved this book! I don't want to give anything away in this review because it really just needs to be experienced by the reader to fully appreciate how great this book is. I loved Cole, I loved Katrina, I loved the drama, I loved the angst, I loved the love.
Katrina was a really damaged heroine, but never to the point of being exasperating or frustrating. You know she's been through some seriously fucked up stuff and hasn't really recovered, but the extent of her abuse isn't revealed until after the first third or so of the book. Her trust issues and fear are completely understandable, and even though they interfere with her relationship with Cole, I was more focused on rooting for her to truly heal rather than just getting over it.
Katrina
Cole was freaking delicious and straight up panty melting. I loved him from the prologue and my love just grew throughout the book. I thought his character was really well developed and I was instantly invested in his story. His anger and bitterness over his injury and the potential end of his fighting career tore at my heart strings. He was so powerful, strong and badass fighting it was hard to imagine him never being able to do it again. His drive to recover and get back to fighting strength was admirable and hot. And is caring and patience with Katrina, and his resolve to not just be with her but heal her brought tears to my eyes
Cole
I know I keep using the word love, but really I loved everything about this book. Cole and Katrina were perfect for each other. They both were damaged, albeit in completely different ways, and they were exactly what the other one needed to heal. There was a lot of angst surrounding their relationship; Cole had never been serious about a woman before and didn't know where things with Katrina were headed, and Katrina was unsure if Cole felt as deeply about her as she did about him. Throw in Katrina's psycho ex boyfriend and there was some serious drama surrounding their budding relationship. Saying Katrina's ex is psycho is putting it mildly. He does some really messed up shit to Katrina in this book, both in the past and the present. I was amazed at how viscerally scary he was!
At times I was wishing Katrina and Cole's relationship would develop faster, but the length of time it took for Katrina to become comfortable with Cole and for Cole to develop deeper feelings for Katrina felt realistic and put them on more even ground with each other. The growth of their relationship and feelings for each other felt really genuine and touching. Cole was the ultimate possessive alpha hero, but he was able to keep himself in check in order not to frighten Katrina. So sexy. And when they did finally get it on, they were on fire! It made the wait totally worth it.
Of course, the peace doesn't last long at all, and the drama and suspense is ramped up to new heights. And just when you think things are going smoothly and everyone will be safe and happy, bam! more drama unfolds. Let the tears commence. The climax to this book had me holding my breath and be completely incapable of putting this book down. Someone would have had to pry my kindle out of my cold dead hands before interrupting me reading the last 10% of this book. Katrina and Cole get their HEA, and it's really sweet and made me so happy for them!
I am truly impressed with Melynda Price's writing and ability to make this story come to life. I highly recommend this book and cant wait to read what she comes up with next!
April 5, 2015
Win by Submission is a wonderful book. Cole Easton is an MMA fighter who is illegally hurt on the ring during a title fight. He is smart, a good athlete, he takes no drugs, he drinks little alcohol but he’s a hot-shot, play-boy athlete. His manager sends him for treatment to physical therapist Katie Miller who is also his niece. Kate is the running girl. She is genuinely beautiful, caring and very good at her job. But, she’s running from an abusive ex-boyfriend who is obsessed with her and has raped her several times during their relationship.
Cole is intrigued by
… “her intelligence, her beauty, her vulnerability, … even the mystery surrounding her called to the competitor inside him. But something told Cole if he accepted this challenge, the stakes were going to be a lot higher than a title match. He’d be fighting for his heart, because without even trying, in a matter of days, Katie had managed to pass his guard and was laying some serious ground and pound against his defenses.”
The chemistry between these two is hot. Katie is a heroine whose heart has been broken. She learns to love again and have the confidence in herself to believe that someone can love her back. Cole is truly a man with a good heart and that came out over and over and over again throughout the story.
This is an easy entertaining read that has a hotty hunk with a heart and a beautiful woman inside and out willing to pull out all the stops to help him. My only complaints about it are that it is a slow-paced fighting romance and it is predictable and sometimes repetitive. It doesn’t really hold any huge surprises but it's romantic, with emotion, humor and a likeable cast of characters.
If you are looking for a sweet, steamy, sports romance - this is a good one!
Thank you to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.
Cole is intrigued by
… “her intelligence, her beauty, her vulnerability, … even the mystery surrounding her called to the competitor inside him. But something told Cole if he accepted this challenge, the stakes were going to be a lot higher than a title match. He’d be fighting for his heart, because without even trying, in a matter of days, Katie had managed to pass his guard and was laying some serious ground and pound against his defenses.”
The chemistry between these two is hot. Katie is a heroine whose heart has been broken. She learns to love again and have the confidence in herself to believe that someone can love her back. Cole is truly a man with a good heart and that came out over and over and over again throughout the story.
This is an easy entertaining read that has a hotty hunk with a heart and a beautiful woman inside and out willing to pull out all the stops to help him. My only complaints about it are that it is a slow-paced fighting romance and it is predictable and sometimes repetitive. It doesn’t really hold any huge surprises but it's romantic, with emotion, humor and a likeable cast of characters.
If you are looking for a sweet, steamy, sports romance - this is a good one!
Thank you to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.
October 8, 2015
4 submit to win stars
review...later
and later became now
This was my first book by this author and I am sure it won't be the last.
Win by submission...hmmm...it was quite different actually ...yes, we still have a badass MMA fighter, a light-heavyweight champion title holder Cole Easton
aka The Beast of the East from the Vegas circuit...a very straight forward, honest, determined man who got seriuosly injured in the last fight by the filthy punch form his oponent after he already won the champion title...
He's gone into numerous rehabs and physical therapy with being told he wouldn't walk properly again, his spirit is low, he's on the edge, bitter and cruel, sarcastic and mean...
His manager Marcus sends him to the last remaining person being the last chance for Cole to walk and even enter his defending title fight.
This person is Marcus's neice Katrina Miller
a physical therapist who has been running from her horrible past that she hid from her family and friends for a long time and she never quite escaped it...
She was confidant while her professional role had to play the part but her shaterred and ruined and battered inner spirit looked beyond repair and beyond hope...and it slowly begun to show...
From the first moment Cole and Katrina meet, the connection and recognition they see in each other's eyes is undeniable and they both have a long way to go to acknowledge it's existence...as the roles between them slowly change...and they end up in reverse mission of submitting each other to regain each other's TRUST....in themselves as individuals and in each other, all the while they fight the demons and fears from her past that come crushing in...
It's time to face the ugly truth, it's time to fight for the reign of the life they had and the life that offer new challenge, new beginnings
BUT in order to win that fight and to clear the path of past horrors, Katrina must submit to dominance and protector instincs that Cole provides...she must learn to trust again...
And Cole gives her a chance to win, win by submission...
„Say it Kat. It's not for me. You need to hear yourself say the words. Say that you want me – that you want this. That you trust me.
„I want this, Cole. I do trust you.“
„I'm going to take good care of you, baby. I promise“
„I want you to make love to me, Cole.“
„I'm not going to handle you with kid gloves, Kat. That's not my style and I don't think it'd be doing either of us any favors. I can't get you past this if we're dancing around it, you know?
I really love when the book surprises me in a way that it brings the topics that are on shaky feet in my vision – like the matter of TRUST, I need to feel it „happening“ between the characters, in their body language, looks, sighs, touch as well as words...words are just the tip of the iceberg in this game...and it's a serious game.
The characters and the interactions felt real to me and I liked it, towards the end it got a little bit less real...but it didn't change my general feeling about the book.
March 24, 2015
Kitty's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
I honestly think that MMA is trying to wrestle away the hot, sexy men from MC books. And, they are doing a fine job of it too!
Cole Easton is one hell of a fighter, both on and off the mats. Cole has everything we are looking for in a man …. sexy, hot, moody, loving, caring, sensitive and protective. Yep, all wrapped up in one man. To bad that Katie is finished with any man having to do with any sport. Bad relationships will do that to a person.
But, as the story unfolds and we see Katie’s background and why she would feel this way, we understand. We also see Cole become the man that she needs and can really depend on. Unfortunately, there’s some mis-communication, some secrets and lots of feelings being kept inside that pulls them apart. But, when the end draws near for both of them, they break free from the bonds that are holding them back and face reality.
It was great watching Katie push Cole and him pushing right back. Once she broke through his bitter shell and brought out his fun side, he was to die for. He also made Katie feel relaxed, secure and safe from her abuser ex-boyfriend. And, when the two of them finally, finally lose themselves in each other, you saw the fireworks just pop off of the pages. I’m not really sure, but I think they melted the ice in Wisconsin.
Honestly, it’s been a while since I saw two characters just made for each other, that brought out the best in each other. They had a fight on their hands with Cole’s MMA career at a stand-still and Katie’s ex constantly stalking them, but they fought their way through to the end and an HEA that was just classic Cole and Katie.
Uncle Marcus was a hoot and Cole’s best friend, Aiden knows just what buttons to push to get Cole to see the light. But, from what I read at the end of this, Aiden is about to meet his match and get his comeuppance real soon.
So, this being the first time I have read Melynda Price, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed her storytelling capabilities and her character descriptions. She stayed true to the storyline and constantly kept the story moving forward. Yes, there were flashbacks but they only enhanced the story, made us understand where both Cole and Kat were going and why it was so hard for them to get there. Am I looking forward to Aiden’s story, yes. If the series continues on the same path as Win By Submission, I will will be patiently (yea, right) waiting for every book to come out.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
I honestly think that MMA is trying to wrestle away the hot, sexy men from MC books. And, they are doing a fine job of it too!
Cole Easton is one hell of a fighter, both on and off the mats. Cole has everything we are looking for in a man …. sexy, hot, moody, loving, caring, sensitive and protective. Yep, all wrapped up in one man. To bad that Katie is finished with any man having to do with any sport. Bad relationships will do that to a person.
But, as the story unfolds and we see Katie’s background and why she would feel this way, we understand. We also see Cole become the man that she needs and can really depend on. Unfortunately, there’s some mis-communication, some secrets and lots of feelings being kept inside that pulls them apart. But, when the end draws near for both of them, they break free from the bonds that are holding them back and face reality.
It was great watching Katie push Cole and him pushing right back. Once she broke through his bitter shell and brought out his fun side, he was to die for. He also made Katie feel relaxed, secure and safe from her abuser ex-boyfriend. And, when the two of them finally, finally lose themselves in each other, you saw the fireworks just pop off of the pages. I’m not really sure, but I think they melted the ice in Wisconsin.
Honestly, it’s been a while since I saw two characters just made for each other, that brought out the best in each other. They had a fight on their hands with Cole’s MMA career at a stand-still and Katie’s ex constantly stalking them, but they fought their way through to the end and an HEA that was just classic Cole and Katie.
Uncle Marcus was a hoot and Cole’s best friend, Aiden knows just what buttons to push to get Cole to see the light. But, from what I read at the end of this, Aiden is about to meet his match and get his comeuppance real soon.
So, this being the first time I have read Melynda Price, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed her storytelling capabilities and her character descriptions. She stayed true to the storyline and constantly kept the story moving forward. Yes, there were flashbacks but they only enhanced the story, made us understand where both Cole and Kat were going and why it was so hard for them to get there. Am I looking forward to Aiden’s story, yes. If the series continues on the same path as Win By Submission, I will will be patiently (yea, right) waiting for every book to come out.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
March 31, 2016
So I read the blurb of the book and thought hell yeah this is a book for me and it was up until I got to the first chapter. The prologue sucked me in. Cole was a cranky bastard which I don't mind in a H for a book. Katie Miller was a Swedish Goddess, and how many times were we told that? Enough. I can't recall exactly how many pages they both kept on saying that they found her beautiful or him handsome. Bla bla bla. Katie gave me whiplash with her erratic behaviour. She also had an inner goddess. Where have you heard that one before,huh?
So well you are probably wondering why I still gave it 2 stars? There is potential and this book did just not appeal to me in any form whatsoever. A shame but it is just my opinion.
I DNF it @ 40 % as my reading time is precious to me and I don't like to waste it.
This book was given to me by netgalley in exchange for an honest Review.
So well you are probably wondering why I still gave it 2 stars? There is potential and this book did just not appeal to me in any form whatsoever. A shame but it is just my opinion.
I DNF it @ 40 % as my reading time is precious to me and I don't like to waste it.
This book was given to me by netgalley in exchange for an honest Review.
June 20, 2016
audio read
I've had this book for some time and for whatever reasons have skirted around it. I liked Cole. He was an injured cage fighter that went to Minnesota to work with his coach/mentor's niece Katie, who is a PT. Katie and Cole have a hot attraction to each other but Katie has a lot of baggage and doesn't want to burden Cole. Cole had been a player in the past and thought that there was an expiration date on their relationship. The push and pull got to be a bit much at times. They just danced around their feelings. No cheating, no ow drama, om drama in the form of an abusive ex that she is in the run from, and a HFN ending. I would certainly hope that we get more about this couple, I didn't like how it ended kind of abruptly. I know there are other books in the series but I don't know if this couple is mentioned.
I've had this book for some time and for whatever reasons have skirted around it. I liked Cole. He was an injured cage fighter that went to Minnesota to work with his coach/mentor's niece Katie, who is a PT. Katie and Cole have a hot attraction to each other but Katie has a lot of baggage and doesn't want to burden Cole. Cole had been a player in the past and thought that there was an expiration date on their relationship. The push and pull got to be a bit much at times. They just danced around their feelings. No cheating, no ow drama, om drama in the form of an abusive ex that she is in the run from, and a HFN ending. I would certainly hope that we get more about this couple, I didn't like how it ended kind of abruptly. I know there are other books in the series but I don't know if this couple is mentioned.
July 9, 2015
DNF 55%
It is exactly the type of stories of love. Injured fighter gets physical therapy from a woman who has a crazy ex-boyfriend following her.
I tried and I mean tried to like this one, but I could not take it anymore. They would kiss and then deny their attraction. It got old...quick. Yes, the heroine suffered a lot of physical and sexual abuse from her ex so I could understand why she was hesitant to give into the attraction and if they would not have sex at all that would be fine, but how they would go back and forth and all the inner dialogue got on my nerves.
I rolled my eyes with all the inner dialogue of the "inner goddess" and all the lip biting and how Cole's body looked "the gorgeous man". This could have been such an AMAZING story, but the inner dialogue did not fit the verbiage or actions. Every action or word just lead them back to square one.
So many things just did not add up and after awhile got so annoying I had to stop.
It is exactly the type of stories of love. Injured fighter gets physical therapy from a woman who has a crazy ex-boyfriend following her.
I tried and I mean tried to like this one, but I could not take it anymore. They would kiss and then deny their attraction. It got old...quick. Yes, the heroine suffered a lot of physical and sexual abuse from her ex so I could understand why she was hesitant to give into the attraction and if they would not have sex at all that would be fine, but how they would go back and forth and all the inner dialogue got on my nerves.
I rolled my eyes with all the inner dialogue of the "inner goddess" and all the lip biting and how Cole's body looked "the gorgeous man". This could have been such an AMAZING story, but the inner dialogue did not fit the verbiage or actions. Every action or word just lead them back to square one.
So many things just did not add up and after awhile got so annoying I had to stop.
July 31, 2017
3 stars
I don't feel right writing my full review because I was completely distracted by other things going on. I took a long break in the middle, and I'm afraid I might not be able to accurately describe my opinions. I know I did have issues with the h pushing the H away, and the overall lack of effective communication between the h and H...but I do remember enjoying some of it, so I'm going with a middle of the road rating.
I don't feel right writing my full review because I was completely distracted by other things going on. I took a long break in the middle, and I'm afraid I might not be able to accurately describe my opinions. I know I did have issues with the h pushing the H away, and the overall lack of effective communication between the h and H...but I do remember enjoying some of it, so I'm going with a middle of the road rating.
May 25, 2017
Ok story 3 1/2
I started listening to this one in my car on the way to work. I liked the storyline this is the first MMA story I have read.
I like Cole, but his inner dialogues at times contradicted his actions and I wanted to smack him. Kate too got on my nerves.
The build up between them was sweet and did take awhile. The ex-boyfriend thing played out real life to me.
Not a bad read not a great read an ok read.
I started listening to this one in my car on the way to work. I liked the storyline this is the first MMA story I have read.
I like Cole, but his inner dialogues at times contradicted his actions and I wanted to smack him. Kate too got on my nerves.
The build up between them was sweet and did take awhile. The ex-boyfriend thing played out real life to me.
Not a bad read not a great read an ok read.
September 2, 2017
4 stars
This was a very good story. I liked both Katy and Cole and liked their story. This is the first story I've read by this author and I liked it well enough that I'm likely to try more of her work. Well...I actually already own book #s 2 & 3 so I definitely will be reading more of this series but even if I didn't already own them, I would still probably try more of her work.
Katy is a physical therapist and that's currently living in Wisconsin. She grew up in Wisconsin but moved away years ago and only came back to help her father recover after he had a stroke. Katy was involved with a man named Carter but he was abusive and possessive and it took a lot to escape him. Even after she got away from him though, she had to keep a low profile to make sure he didn't know where she'd moved to.
Cole is a CFA fighter that just won a championship when he was illegally kicked by his opponent, causing spine injuries that left him mostly paralyzed. He worked for 6 months on getting mobility back and had some progress but still had a lot of work to do in order to walk again, let alone get back in the ring.
Cole's manager convinces him to go to Wisconsin to work with his niece, Katy, who is a great physical therapist. The paparazzi have been plaguing Cole and writing all sorts of crappy articles about him so getting out of the limelight of Las Vegas is a good idea, even if it means dealing with a Wisconsin winter. Cole's not in a good state and is trying to deal with anger over his injury but it doesn't help that the jerk that kicked and almost crippled him (after the match had ended) wasn't kicked out of the CFA. When he gets to Wisconsin, Cole is surprised at how attractive Katy is and he has trouble keeping his thoughts about her out of the gutter. Katy is attracted to Cole in return but with Katy's past relationship issues, she's not interested in getting involved with any man.
Despite their mutual attraction, they both know that getting involved would make things more difficult and they're both unwilling to go there. Also, Cole's never been in a relationship before and so he's unsure and a bit weirded out by the feelings that Katy is spawning in him. As they get to know each other, Cole quickly realizes that although Katy is a smart and spunky woman, she has some reactions that may indicate some emotional scaring from something in her past. Cole is protective of Katy but doesn't push for anything right away and they become friends at first. With some time, their relationship does develop into more but Katy does have some emotional issues that keep her from accepting that Cole's feelings might be true...and it doesn't help that she happens to overhear something in a way that makes her doubt Cole. This causes some drama and leads to some danger that has to be dealt with but once everything is settled, Cole and Katy end the story starting on a HEA together.
This was a very enjoyable story. I liked Katy pretty well. She was a bit unsure of herself (emotionally) but considering her past abusive relationship, I could accept a certain amount of emotional issues from her. Cole was a very good hero. He wasn't completely gung-ho in the beginning of the relationship but he hadn't been in love before and Katy had issues he needed to get around so I could see his reasons for being cautious. Overall, I liked the characters and story very much and would recommend this story.
* note - I listened to the audio version of this story. There was a female narrator for the parts from Katy's PoV and a male narrator for the parts from Cole's PoV. Both narrator did very good jobs.
This was a very good story. I liked both Katy and Cole and liked their story. This is the first story I've read by this author and I liked it well enough that I'm likely to try more of her work. Well...I actually already own book #s 2 & 3 so I definitely will be reading more of this series but even if I didn't already own them, I would still probably try more of her work.
Katy is a physical therapist and that's currently living in Wisconsin. She grew up in Wisconsin but moved away years ago and only came back to help her father recover after he had a stroke. Katy was involved with a man named Carter but he was abusive and possessive and it took a lot to escape him. Even after she got away from him though, she had to keep a low profile to make sure he didn't know where she'd moved to.
Cole is a CFA fighter that just won a championship when he was illegally kicked by his opponent, causing spine injuries that left him mostly paralyzed. He worked for 6 months on getting mobility back and had some progress but still had a lot of work to do in order to walk again, let alone get back in the ring.
Cole's manager convinces him to go to Wisconsin to work with his niece, Katy, who is a great physical therapist. The paparazzi have been plaguing Cole and writing all sorts of crappy articles about him so getting out of the limelight of Las Vegas is a good idea, even if it means dealing with a Wisconsin winter. Cole's not in a good state and is trying to deal with anger over his injury but it doesn't help that the jerk that kicked and almost crippled him (after the match had ended) wasn't kicked out of the CFA. When he gets to Wisconsin, Cole is surprised at how attractive Katy is and he has trouble keeping his thoughts about her out of the gutter. Katy is attracted to Cole in return but with Katy's past relationship issues, she's not interested in getting involved with any man.
Despite their mutual attraction, they both know that getting involved would make things more difficult and they're both unwilling to go there. Also, Cole's never been in a relationship before and so he's unsure and a bit weirded out by the feelings that Katy is spawning in him. As they get to know each other, Cole quickly realizes that although Katy is a smart and spunky woman, she has some reactions that may indicate some emotional scaring from something in her past. Cole is protective of Katy but doesn't push for anything right away and they become friends at first. With some time, their relationship does develop into more but Katy does have some emotional issues that keep her from accepting that Cole's feelings might be true...and it doesn't help that she happens to overhear something in a way that makes her doubt Cole. This causes some drama and leads to some danger that has to be dealt with but once everything is settled, Cole and Katy end the story starting on a HEA together.
This was a very enjoyable story. I liked Katy pretty well. She was a bit unsure of herself (emotionally) but considering her past abusive relationship, I could accept a certain amount of emotional issues from her. Cole was a very good hero. He wasn't completely gung-ho in the beginning of the relationship but he hadn't been in love before and Katy had issues he needed to get around so I could see his reasons for being cautious. Overall, I liked the characters and story very much and would recommend this story.
* note - I listened to the audio version of this story. There was a female narrator for the parts from Katy's PoV and a male narrator for the parts from Cole's PoV. Both narrator did very good jobs.
March 11, 2015
OH MY WORD!!! What a journey! This book has it all. I'm already a fan of Melynda Price's writing style and was intrigued to discover she had stepped outside of the paranormal romance genre into something completely different. I have to say she did it with aplomb.
The characters are well rounded and have excellent depth. Katie wasn't a weak, wallflower of a woman despite her past and I loved that about her. And Cole was every bit the panties melting alpha male. The story had the right amount of heat to make a reader squirm in their seat (in a good way) and the images in my mind of Cole...OH MY! Delicious!
The change in voice depending on whose POV you are addressing the story from was very clear. And as always Melynda's writing was second to none. I was on the edge of my seat during the suspenseful scenes and I couldn't put the book down even though I had things I should have been doing! That's the mark of a great writer.. The premise for the story was one that I'm sure will pull other readers in as it did me. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves excellent writing and a story that will keep them gripped from start to finish. I simply can't wait to read the next in this series! Bring it on!
The characters are well rounded and have excellent depth. Katie wasn't a weak, wallflower of a woman despite her past and I loved that about her. And Cole was every bit the panties melting alpha male. The story had the right amount of heat to make a reader squirm in their seat (in a good way) and the images in my mind of Cole...OH MY! Delicious!
The change in voice depending on whose POV you are addressing the story from was very clear. And as always Melynda's writing was second to none. I was on the edge of my seat during the suspenseful scenes and I couldn't put the book down even though I had things I should have been doing! That's the mark of a great writer.. The premise for the story was one that I'm sure will pull other readers in as it did me. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves excellent writing and a story that will keep them gripped from start to finish. I simply can't wait to read the next in this series! Bring it on!
September 8, 2015
I absolutely adored this, not only because the author's writing style is so evocative and compelling, but because I actually loved the story and all the characters.
Not only it seemed plausible to me, but the pacing was wonderful too.
I'm really glad some friend recommended it to me!
Cole was a character who suffered through a lot to get where he is and the tragic way in which he found himself incapacitated and afraid of losing his career, felt devastating to me. It is true in a split second your life can change irrevocably.
Through it all though, he maintained his dignity and strength and his was a magnificent journey back to himself and full health.
Katrina was also a very likable character. At first I didn't know what had happened to her to make her so driven and, well, kinda aloof and detached, but it all made sense in the end, and you could only admire her for her strength of character and bravery.
Overall, I think Cole and Kat were a very good fit and they worked really well together. I even loved her "unkie".
And Carter....whooo....could he be any more depraved? I get nauseous just thinking about him!
I'm definitely reading the next one as soon as I get my hands on it.
Not only it seemed plausible to me, but the pacing was wonderful too.
I'm really glad some friend recommended it to me!
Cole was a character who suffered through a lot to get where he is and the tragic way in which he found himself incapacitated and afraid of losing his career, felt devastating to me. It is true in a split second your life can change irrevocably.
Through it all though, he maintained his dignity and strength and his was a magnificent journey back to himself and full health.
Katrina was also a very likable character. At first I didn't know what had happened to her to make her so driven and, well, kinda aloof and detached, but it all made sense in the end, and you could only admire her for her strength of character and bravery.
Overall, I think Cole and Kat were a very good fit and they worked really well together. I even loved her "unkie".
And Carter....whooo....could he be any more depraved? I get nauseous just thinking about him!
I'm definitely reading the next one as soon as I get my hands on it.
March 22, 2015
I love guys that find themselves in tough situations and never give up. That is how I see Cole. Not only does he work to overcome his trials but he helps Katie with her issue. Their attraction and chemistry is portrayed well. They develop together and do so realistically. The loving is sexxxxxy! I definitely enjoyed this read :)
November 9, 2016
Story: 4 stars. Narration: 5 stars.
Enjoyable romance, witty dialogs - wish there were more in the story. Love the narrators' voice performance, especially the male voice by Willian LeRoy - he makes Cole Easton sooooo sexy to listen to!
Enjoyable romance, witty dialogs - wish there were more in the story. Love the narrators' voice performance, especially the male voice by Willian LeRoy - he makes Cole Easton sooooo sexy to listen to!
July 1, 2015
there where things that didn't add up for me but despite that it was still fun to read
March 19, 2015
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I love fighter romance. I'm not sure what it is but there's just something about watching a man who dominates in the ring get brought to his knees by a woman that does it for me every time. And let me tell you... Win By Submission did not disappoint!
Cole is in the prime of his fighting career when an illegal kick takes him down and almost ruins his chances at fighting again. Luckily his manager just happens to have a niece that's a physical therapist so he sends him away to Wisconsin so that Katie can get him back in fighting condition.
The first meeting between Cole and Katie is definitely memorable and it was fun to watch their relationship develop from there. Cole is really surly in the beginning but once he started to open up we got to see the fun, cocky side of him and I couldn't get enough.
And Katie... What can I say?! That girl is a fighter through and through. She's been through so much with her ex and yet she still came out on the other side. Of course she's a little timid when it comes to Cole but it was really great watching her come out of her shell.
Honestly their relationship took longer than I would have liked to develop but given Katie's history it makes sense that the author took it slow like she did. Now once they gave in to their attraction for each other? That's definitely where things picked up for me.
Win By Submission is by no means a new story line... I mean, we've seen playboy heroes fall for damaged heroines time and again but Melynda Price put a great spin on this one to keep my attention. All the drama with Katie's ex kept me guessing and I couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.
This is definitely a must read for fans of fighter romance! I can't wait to get my grabby hands on the next book in the series.
*ARC kindly provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cole is in the prime of his fighting career when an illegal kick takes him down and almost ruins his chances at fighting again. Luckily his manager just happens to have a niece that's a physical therapist so he sends him away to Wisconsin so that Katie can get him back in fighting condition.
The first meeting between Cole and Katie is definitely memorable and it was fun to watch their relationship develop from there. Cole is really surly in the beginning but once he started to open up we got to see the fun, cocky side of him and I couldn't get enough.
And Katie... What can I say?! That girl is a fighter through and through. She's been through so much with her ex and yet she still came out on the other side. Of course she's a little timid when it comes to Cole but it was really great watching her come out of her shell.
Honestly their relationship took longer than I would have liked to develop but given Katie's history it makes sense that the author took it slow like she did. Now once they gave in to their attraction for each other? That's definitely where things picked up for me.
Win By Submission is by no means a new story line... I mean, we've seen playboy heroes fall for damaged heroines time and again but Melynda Price put a great spin on this one to keep my attention. All the drama with Katie's ex kept me guessing and I couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.
This is definitely a must read for fans of fighter romance! I can't wait to get my grabby hands on the next book in the series.
*ARC kindly provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 6, 2016
While i did manage to finish this one and I enjoyed the plot it wasn't a whole lot better than my last three reads. I liked that the h took steps to take her life back but her whole push pull thing with H got old pretty fast. I totally understood it on a psychological level, but it didn't make for great reading. H had his moments but he pushed a whole lot of buttons with me. Not letting her go when she told him to because "he knew he'd lose her" if he did. There was some pretty dubious consent in one scene. Consent can be withdrawn at any time so saying oh we did this sober so its fair game while she's drunk? Not so good. He let's her go and even blames her when she runs after hearing some pretty plausible bad shit. He was fiercely protective but his actions were too frequently creepy for me to truly like him. Creepiness aside they were a fairly solid couple for most of the book. Overall he understood what she'd gone through and went slow and did what he had to to earn her trust. Her side was a little codependent but she did leave when she should've. The sex scenes almost worked but for her equipment language. Cunny is a distinctly english term so where did H pick it up? phallus is not a word that should appear anywhere near a romance novel and the "twin weights hanging between his legs" is an absurd way to describe his balls. Her other writing had some issues too. Overall it was technically fine but there were terms and phrases that she used incessantly. Like tachycardia....why can't you just say her heart was beating fast? thats a medical term no sense in using it in a nonmedical way when theres a perfectly decent way to phrase it otherwise.
Bottom line: cool plot idea but it fell short in too many ways to really work. I did manage to finish it which was good i guess but not something i'd recommend
Bottom line: cool plot idea but it fell short in too many ways to really work. I did manage to finish it which was good i guess but not something i'd recommend
April 7, 2016
Several reviewers have already stated - quite eloquently - what I would already say about this book. I gave it 2.5 stars (review sites really should make it possible to give half star ratings by now, don't ya think?) because it was good enough for me to finish and it is tempting me to read the next book.
Here is summary is what liked and didn't like about Win by Submission:
Pros:
- Great Prologue (gets your attention for all the right reasons.
- Good tension both sexual and not
- Decent character development of the two leads
- Seemed like Price knew what she as talking about regarding MMA fighters and PTs. I like feeling as though the author has done his/her research
Cons:
- Uneven pacing (some parts DRAGGED because of how often the leads had to stop and worship each other)
- As stated above, WAAAY too much lover worship. Seriously, every page had Cole and Katie thinking about how wonderful the other was. Bleh!
- Secondary characters were so flat they were almost nonexistent.
- Way too much summary of interactions that could have been done in snappy dialogue. The best example of this is when Price summarizes Katie's conversation with her uncle before she flies back to Wisconsin. No reason that should not have been an actual interaction between two characters.
- Healing for both leads was pretty rushed and unbelievable. Especially considering how long this book is. But then, when you take up so much time describing how the H and h worship each other, you tend to run out of space.
In conclusion, it kept me reading until the end, but there were a couple of moments I wanted to give up in disgust. I'll check out the next book and hope Price hired a tougher editor who helped her trim the fat from that one.
Here is summary is what liked and didn't like about Win by Submission:
Pros:
- Great Prologue (gets your attention for all the right reasons.
- Good tension both sexual and not
- Decent character development of the two leads
- Seemed like Price knew what she as talking about regarding MMA fighters and PTs. I like feeling as though the author has done his/her research
Cons:
- Uneven pacing (some parts DRAGGED because of how often the leads had to stop and worship each other)
- As stated above, WAAAY too much lover worship. Seriously, every page had Cole and Katie thinking about how wonderful the other was. Bleh!
- Secondary characters were so flat they were almost nonexistent.
- Way too much summary of interactions that could have been done in snappy dialogue. The best example of this is when Price summarizes Katie's conversation with her uncle before she flies back to Wisconsin. No reason that should not have been an actual interaction between two characters.
- Healing for both leads was pretty rushed and unbelievable. Especially considering how long this book is. But then, when you take up so much time describing how the H and h worship each other, you tend to run out of space.
In conclusion, it kept me reading until the end, but there were a couple of moments I wanted to give up in disgust. I'll check out the next book and hope Price hired a tougher editor who helped her trim the fat from that one.
April 7, 2015
ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
One of the best reads of the year!!
This book blew me out of the water. Melynda Price is a master of writing strong characters and a believable romance.
The angst, passion, and chemistry pouring off the pages of this book was astounding. The characters are well rounded and actually have a lot of depth with the writing being smooth. The author did an excellent job with the dual POV's letting each character have his own style of speech. I found that this makes an author go from excellent to amazing and really enhances a reader's experience.
I don't want to give away the plot or storyline but I would Highly recommend that everyone read this book. Its beyond exceptional and if I could I would rate it a heck of a lot more than 5 stars. I can't wait to read more books by this author!
One of the best reads of the year!!
This book blew me out of the water. Melynda Price is a master of writing strong characters and a believable romance.
The angst, passion, and chemistry pouring off the pages of this book was astounding. The characters are well rounded and actually have a lot of depth with the writing being smooth. The author did an excellent job with the dual POV's letting each character have his own style of speech. I found that this makes an author go from excellent to amazing and really enhances a reader's experience.
I don't want to give away the plot or storyline but I would Highly recommend that everyone read this book. Its beyond exceptional and if I could I would rate it a heck of a lot more than 5 stars. I can't wait to read more books by this author!
April 26, 2015
I must admit that I wasn't sure what to expect from this one before I began reading. I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the incredible story, writing style, and characters I found inside. While this is a story of a MMA fighter it really is so much more. Cole Easton is at the prime of his career when a competing fighter causes an incredible injury with an illegal blow. Left limping, in pain, and hopeless to ever fight again he goes to stay with the physical therapist his manager is sure can get him back to 100%. Katie Miller is sure she can help Cole even though she was reluctant at first to take him on. She's hiding out in Wisconsin from a past she fears. The last thing she needs is someone bringing the spotlight like Cole Easton will, but for her Uncle she can't say no.
You will want to read this one, I recommend it.
You will want to read this one, I recommend it.
March 13, 2015
I just finished Win By Submission and I have to admit I never read one of Melynda Price's book's before but she won me over with this book and I can't wait to read Passing his Guard the next book in Against the cage series. From the beginning your drawn into Cole's and Katie's story and keep reading hoping they get there H.E.A's and up until the last page you'll be shocked how fast you read it,I know I couldn't put it down.Win by Submission isn't out yet but I was lucky enough to read for free through NetGalley for an honest review and I can't wait to purchase and re read it when it comes out but for now I'm going to find more books to read by an incredible author...
July 16, 2015
i absoutly loved this book.. I am at a loss for words.. this was amazing. Melynda just tore at my heartstrings with her writing.
Katrina had been put through the wringer so to speek.. she had been throug soooo much in her life that i totaly understood why she was so skeptial to let anyone in especially someone like Cole Easton.. Kat & Cole's story was sooooo beautiful.. He treated her like a queen. bound and determend to win her heart and keep her protected from her Ex.. This book took you for a ride.. I seriously am looking foward to the next book..
Katrina had been put through the wringer so to speek.. she had been throug soooo much in her life that i totaly understood why she was so skeptial to let anyone in especially someone like Cole Easton.. Kat & Cole's story was sooooo beautiful.. He treated her like a queen. bound and determend to win her heart and keep her protected from her Ex.. This book took you for a ride.. I seriously am looking foward to the next book..
June 20, 2015
Loved this book!!!
March 5, 2015
Review to come closer to release
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