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Ringside #1

Fighting For It

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The first in a sexy new series where the hard-hitters of Las Vegas’s Stamina boxing gym are K.O.-ed by the women they never saw coming...

After suffering a devastating loss during his last fight, heavyweight boxer Jack Brady’s whole career went down for the count. Now, his late manager’s daughter has inherited his contract and Jack is pleased to discover that the girl he fell in love with as a kid has grown into a strong, sexy woman—until she makes it clear that Jack has no choice but to get in the ring.

Daniella Chambers is determined to get her father’s failing gym back on track with Jack’s upcoming fight. She knows Jack’s got the talent to become champion and decides to force the unmotivated fighter away from the neon lights of Vegas to train in the seclusion of her lake house. But when they take a time out from their sessions to steam up the bedroom, the urge to win gets all tangled up with their desires.

Now, Jack’s fight is swiftly approaching, and the fate of the gym isn’t the only thing on the ropes...

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2015

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About the author

Jennifer Fusco

10 books27 followers

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5 stars
54 (33%)
4 stars
52 (32%)
3 stars
37 (23%)
2 stars
7 (4%)
1 star
10 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Profile Image for Heather andrews.
9,520 reviews163 followers
July 15, 2015
While working out Jack likes to get things going with his girl, "he wedged himself back between Daniella’s legs, laid on his back and stared straight up at her. “That’s okay. I don’t mind the view from this angle. I can see up your shorts.” Jack is a considerate man or he just doesn't want to let his woman out of his sight, “my space is your space.” He leaned to her. “Besides, I called a housekeeper before we left the cabin. I had the place all spruced up for you.” Dani isn't stupid she knows when something is up with her man, "Daniella’s face creased. “Something wrong?” She pointed at her shirt. “I’m modeling here and you didn’t reach out to grab me. Either something’s bothering you or I’m losing my sex appeal.” I really enjoyed this book I liked that Dani kept her man on his toes.
Profile Image for Crystal _ Reading Between the Wines Book Club.
1,556 reviews331 followers
October 3, 2015
After a slow start, Fighting For It, progressed into a knock-out romance with two strong-willed characters, sizzling tension, and a fight for not only their heart's, but their honor.

After a heart-rendering loss in the ring, boxer Jack Brady, is numbing his pain through alcohol and women. His new manager, Daniella Chambers, has other plans for him though and is quick to knock him out of his self-imposed misery. Dani needs Jack to win his next fight or she will loose her late father's gym and her boxer's contracts. But in order for Jack to win, he first needs to believe in himself. Can Dani help Jack get his redemption, and maybe a second chance at love too?

Fighting For It is a second-chance story all around. A second chance at love, a second chance at a career, a second chance at life. It turned into an incredibly enjoyable read and I was rooting for both Jack and Dani by the end. However, at the start of the story, I had a difficult time connecting to either character. We jump right into it, where Jack is drinking away his sorrows and then bringing bar flies home, and then when Dani shows up all Jack spouts is cocky attitude. Not really much to like there in our hero. Danielle was an equally hard nut to crack at the beginning. She seemed to be a hardnosed woman who stomped around shouting orders and ultimatums. But as the story progressed layers were peeled away from each character and the backstory between the two was revealed piece by piece. By the halfway point, I felt for both Dani and Jack and the chemistry between them became undeniable.

Weaved into the romance were wrongs that needed to be righted, heartbreak that needed to be mended, and bad guys that needed to be put down. All in all, an interesting read which was well put-together. I'm looking forward to more from this debut author and the Ringside series, as there were a few loose strings left hanging by the end of the story.
Profile Image for Lori.
1,113 reviews2 followers
September 15, 2015
What a great story from the very first page! When Daniella walked onto the scene, I was hooked. She grabbed my attention with her no nonsense bull calling attitude towards Jack. And she remained steadfast throughout the whole book, never becoming a pushover or cowering to her alpha lover. I loved that about her. So strong, so independent, confident in herself and what she wanted. Then there is Jack. He is a hottie, a little misguided in the beginning, but with Dani's help, finds the error of his ways. Jack had tremendous growth as the story progressed. The storyline flows so well, with their first moment of awkwardness, the getting reacquainted, through the rough patches and then the resolutions.

Once I started the book, I wanted to keep reading it. I found myself trying to find a few minutes here and there to sneak in some reading time. The secondary characters were outstanding, especially with their ribbing of Jack. I look forward to their adventures. The other boxers were hilarious and Shakes was so sweet with his words of wisdom and fatherly advice. I was sad to see this book end.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author.
Profile Image for Irene.
1,914 reviews129 followers
September 17, 2015
4 stars

Fighting For It was a very good read.

The storyline was enjoyable and held my interest from start to finish.
The characters were believable and relatable, I loved seeing Daniella and Jack reacquaint and get through the hurt of the past and take the chance at love again.

Overall Fighting For It was a quick heartwarming read about second chance love with great supporting characters that I can't wait to read more about in the Ringside series.

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Thank you to Netgalley and to PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
368 reviews5 followers
August 8, 2015
This was an amazing read. It is so easy to like Jack and Danni, especially due to all of the problems they faced. I really liked the dynamics for their relationship because Jack was really sorry for pushing Danni away but still tried to put Danni before his own happiness. Danni was a woman who thrived in the combative world of boxing. She took the place that her late father left her and wouldn't back out even though the odds were against her. These two fight for the happiness of the other and they will battle anyone who got in the way of the others success.This book was a tad vulgar with sex scenes that seemed to be unnecessary, but all in all Ms. Fusco wrote a greate book that was hard to put down.
Profile Image for Amanda D..
319 reviews
August 8, 2015
I love sports romance and I was excited about reading about a boxer. I'm not sure I've read any contemporaries with a boxer hero just yet. However, I didn't fully believe the relationship between Daniella and Jack, and a good first half of the book was rather slow going. Though they had history and both were close to Dani's late father, their interactions lacked the tension I assumed would be there. Though they bickered at times, the chemistry felt forced and half-hearted. Not terrible, but I was expecting the book to have more of a bite to it.
Profile Image for Donna.
646 reviews6 followers
September 16, 2015
I'm not sure how to review this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I didn't feel the chemistry between Jack & Dani and with them having a past relationship, I just felt like I was missing something. I did like that the story was a boxing book, and the author was very knowledgeable on the subject and the training involved. I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Mignon Mykel.
Author 87 books687 followers
September 18, 2015
Received a copy of the title in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 / 5 stars

This was an enjoyable fighting story. Jack and Dani's chemistry was wonderful and you could always feel the underlying past they shared -- even beyond Dani's correcting Jack of the shortened form of Daniella (but she would always be Dani to him). Definitely an easy read with realistic dialogue, and with side characters I didn't mind reading about. Can't wait to continue this series!
Profile Image for Beverly.
276 reviews52 followers
September 15, 2015
Jack is one of my new all time favorite book boyfriends! I love and respect Daniella as a lead heroine the two of them together is wow awesome! This being the first of what will be a promising new series Jennifer Fusco is now officially an auto buy author. If you haven't read this book pick it up its awesome the characters feel real and you will just love Jack and Daniella !
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews872 followers
September 16, 2015
Kitty's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

I had a rough time with “Fighting For It” in the beginning. I kept pushing through and was finally able to get into the whole story of Jack and Daniella. I think that the problem I originally had was that I didn’t understand the relationship, didn’t understand how they would fit together as a couple. I didn’t feel the chemistry come off of the pages. But, eventually it did make sense and I did feel a smidgen of the sense that they belonged together.

We start off with a drunk Jack drowning his sorrows of the loss of his fight and the man that not on trained him but treated him like a son … the father that he felt he never had. We end up with a man fit to go for the title, forgiving everyone around him and holding the love of his life in his arms. It took a lot to get him where he needed to go and he could not have gotten there without his Dani.

Daniella came home to face life without her father. Stamina was now hers and she had a lot to do. First things first … face Jack Brady. Then, find a way to get Stamina back on its feet and on the map. Well, the two kind of went together because Stamina was nothing without Jack. She needs to get him into shape and fighting ready. She needs to find a way to hold off the creditors. She needs to find a way to guard her heart against the fast and lose Jack Brady – there is no way she’s giving him her heart again. Until she sees a side of Jack that convinces her that he is all in – mind, body and heart.

So, as I said, I had trouble really getting into the story until the past started unfolding and making sense to me. And, I guess the “chemistry” that I kept missing was because of the mixed signals that Dani was giving in the beginning. Then there was Jack trying his hardest to “do what was best” for her. Once they stopped fighting their feelings and started enjoying their time together not dwelling on the past, I became invested in the story and started looking forward to seeing where she brought the characters.

All in all, Jennifer Fusco did a nice job bringing the story together. It was interesting and well thought out. There was one aspect of the book that was left open and I hope that she carries it into the next book in the series so that I have some answers to my questions.
Profile Image for Amber .:★Wild Heart Reviews★:..
554 reviews47 followers
August 21, 2015
Fighting For It is the first novel in a new boxing series set in Las Vegas by Jennifer Fusco. I'm really on the fence with this novel for more than once reason. I'll explain that a bit further in though. In particular, Fighting For It can be read as a stand alone, it does have an HEA and it's written in dual first person point-of-view.

Going into this book, I had pretty high hopes. I was excited to read about a boxer as opposed to an MMA fighter because when you come across something that is in the fighter trope lately, it's typically MMA. So it was nice to see boxing. I thought that was extremely well done.The author has obviously researched not only boxing the various committees that go with it both in and out of the United States.

I enjoyed the characters the main characters. They both have drive and passion for boxing, and yet they are both stubborn. Oh so stubborn. This really is a second chance romance though. The actual pacing of the romance between the pair threw me, but not in a bad way. It didn't overwhelm, didn't underwhelm and was over all extremely sweet. It's seeing two people realize that they had something, and they made mistakes due to youth.

You not only see the pair overcome what is between them, you see them take on the boxing world. The plot within the book for that in particular was fun to read. I also enjoyed the supporting characters in the series. One of my on the fence reasons with this book is that I am not a fan of Las Vegas based anything book wise. Usually I won't even read them, but this book won me over, so I am excited to read the other books in the series.

It's a very solid 3 star book for me, although I'd teeter into 3.5. The timing of what felt like the climax of the book to me was something else that threw me, but then I realized, "Oh there is more!". So it may have been just the build up. It's a definite recommend on my part, however, especially if you're wanting to read a good fighter novel that's not MMA.

NetGalley ARC post
Profile Image for Kelly at.
1,145 reviews13 followers
August 2, 2015
Review will be posted at www.books-n-kisses.com .

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4 1/2
First: Congrats to Jennifer on her debut contemporary novel. And second: Thank you for Jack and Daniella. I had the honor of reading this book early and let me just say that I loved these two!!!!
Jack Brady was an up and coming boxing star. But Jack played life a little too fast and way too loose one too many times. But sometimes when you are at your lowest point all you need is someone to open the curtain and kick your butt into gear.
Daniella Chambers is back in Las Vegas, not by choice but because she has to honor her father’s wishes. Sadly all she has to work with is a failing gym and a washed up boxer that likes booze and broads too much.
Jack and Daniella are great together. I loved that this story was a second chance at life. not just romance (but that was great too). But a second chance for both Jack and Daniella to put their life back together and to honor RL’s memory. The road is bumping and filled with potholes but together they can do anything. I will say that Jack is a bit of an asshat at times in this story. But grows on you and you want to be sitting ringside cheering him on. Daniella is tough, confident and not willing to take crap from anyone, especially Jack.
If you are looking for a new author, a new series or a new champion make sure to pick up a copy of FIGHTING FOR IT!!!!! Jennifer knocked it out of the park!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
Profile Image for Gretchen.
1,035 reviews154 followers
September 17, 2015
Overall I liked this and thought it was a good story. It had a great start and grabbed me from the beginning. I thought the writing was really good and I liked Jack and Dani. There was a decent build but it did feel fast paced in parts. I liked where the story was going, it was really interesting and I liked everything that was being laid out, I thought it had a really nice development.

The second half was harder for me. Sometimes I got Jack and Dani's connection, sometimes I didn't, they started to feel very surface to me. It also started to feel more drawn. I wanted something to happen but when it did there was no major build. There was a bit of drama but it was over quickly. I thought their relationship developed nicely, with a bit of tension and emotion but I felt like I was being told as compared to feeling it. There were some ups and downs but it felt like some things were glossed over. I did like the hotness, which there was a fair amount of, that’s always a nice addition.

It was all really good but it was never anything that blew me away. I was so pulled into the intro, and the first half was great, but the second half fell flat for me. Maybe it was just me at the time. I did like the overall story and how it ended, it was just certain parts that didn't work for me. Definitely a good, 3 star read for me.

Complimentary copy received for honest review.
Profile Image for Amy ~ Love At 1st Read.
546 reviews40 followers
August 20, 2015
It's A Knockout! Jennifer Fusco comes out swinging with the first book in her Ringside series. Having lost his last fight, Jack Brady's career and personal life seem to be on the ropes. Enter Danni, his late manager's daughter and his new boss. Danni is determined to get her father's gym and Jack back in fighting shape. Her secluded lake house, far from the distraction of Vegas, is the perfect place to train. And the perfect place to rekindle old feelings. I was pulled in to this excellent story of second chances. I got so involved in the fight scenes, I felt like I'd gone 3 rounds with Tyson! Ms. Fusco does a great job describing the world of professional boxing. I loved that we got a peek at other boxers in the gym and can't wait to read their stories. I was fortunate to be given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for sil ♡ the book voyagers.
1,390 reviews3,183 followers
September 6, 2015
To be honest I was so pumped up to start this book after watching Southpaw. Fighting For It is about a boxer, Jack, and the daughter of his late manager, Daniella. Daniella soon becomes his new manager and starts to train him again. The whole book was so great to read and it held a sort of punch *pun inteded* to your heart. This had fire and it was BURNIIIIING. I adored every minute I spent reading this book. I recommend anyone who likes readin sports romances, this babe is for you.

*Review soon*
Profile Image for Shawn.
584 reviews7 followers
September 15, 2015
Great new series! This is the first book in the new Ringside series and I am already anxiously waiting for the second one!

If you love sports romances you will love this book! Jack and Dani are easy to fall in love with and their story is one that makes you want to keep reading!Jack is a boxer trying to make a comeback to save the gym that Dani just inherited. They already have a past and they are about to heat up again both in the ring and out of it!
Profile Image for Jessica Robinson.
71 reviews
September 15, 2015
I really loved this book and I can't wait to read more by this author. The story quickly sucked me in and I couldn't wait to see how Jack was going to handle what Daniella threw at him. The sexual tension and chemistry between the characters was off the charts and I just couldn't put this book down once I started reading it.
Profile Image for Ramblinbrown.
81 reviews
August 3, 2015
*Received an ARC through NetGalley

Dani and Jack have chemistry that leaps off the page and straight into your heart. It was so refreshing to read about boxing and not MMA! I felt that I learned a great deal about the sport while falling in love with Dani and Jack. I am hopeful that the other guys in the gym are given their own stories and can not wait to see where Fusco may take them.
Profile Image for Kathy Amadio.
4 reviews2 followers
August 2, 2015
LOVED IT! I was sucked quickly into the story and felt like I was ringside rooting for Jack and Daniella. The attraction was HOT and story kept a nice pace. I lost sleep over this book due to my need to finish reading it and see how it ended. I'm already looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Tricia.
614 reviews
September 29, 2015
I believe this was Jennifer's debut book and she did a great job! The characters were all fantastic and pulled you in. The overall story was intriguing and kept your attention. The fall from grace and picking yourself back up is always hard but Jack did it tenfold.
Profile Image for Kelli  Howard.
169 reviews
October 2, 2015
The Champ.....

I received this copy free for my honest review. This is a great book with lots of determination and heart. There is also some heartache, but all great books have both. I am definitely glad I got this one, it was so worth it.
434 reviews11 followers
September 15, 2015
I loved it! This is an excellent debut novel. The story line and characters keep you hooked. I can't wait to see what the next book in the series brings.
Profile Image for Katie.
95 reviews3 followers
September 18, 2015
Won a copy of this from the fabulous Jennifer Fusco. I've not really read a fighters story before and I was impressed. Jack and Dani meshed well and second chances and HEAs just do it for me :)
Profile Image for Amy.
241 reviews
October 4, 2015
I always enjoy a second chance romance. Lots of things happened in this book that will affect the future of Stamina, and I’m curious to see how the series continues.
2 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2019
Love this book!

This book had me sucked in at the beginning! I love the main female character. She was tuff, smart, loyal and just the right person to bring the gym back. She knew what she had to do and did everything she could to reach it.

I also loved the main characters love story. I am a sucker for second chances. If you love to read a book about second chance love. Then this would be the book for you. It also has the best fight senses. The writer truly made you feel like you were there watching the fights. Jennifer truly has a way with words and makes you feel like you are right their with them.

If you give this book a chance, you will never regret it.
Profile Image for WordsHerWings.
19 reviews
June 10, 2020
Jack is going through a bad time. His coach, his boxing career... all it’s a black hole. And, moreover, Daniella is back. The girl who left ten years ago and who looks more stunning than ever.

Daniella is a strong woman. She knows what she wants and she has a plan to follow. They tried to make her believe that the boxing industry was not a place for her but she is determined to show that everybody was wrong. And she needs Jack, the man who broke her heart ten years ago.

I really enjoyed the relation between Jack and Daniella and how they tried to heal each other wounds. It was a very real and down-to-earth romance and I really recommend it.

This is the first book of a series (“Ringside”) that deals with Stamina Gym and its boxers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews