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The Last Round
**SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE and STANDALONE*** In the ring, I’m trained, powerful, and in control. And that’s exactly how I built my legacy. For years I’ve trained to fight, but no championship title in the world has prepared me for the most important fight of my life. Out of the ring, I’m untamed and reckless. Which is why my wife of nine years has filed for divorce. I’m done with living up to the bad boy image my middleweight titles come with. Boxing is my life, but the money and the fame mean nothing to me without her by my side. This fight is for the woman that I love. And I can’t lose. I won’t lose. *48,000 words
- GenresFighters
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2015
21 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 29, 2015
*********Contains Minor Spoilers*********
When I finished this book,I took a moment as to how to describe the way it made me feel and an image of me visiting a world war 2 museum shot to mind.And that's how this novel felt.It's like visiting a museum of horrors,you can see,mostly,hear various witness accounts but because you have not lived in that moment of despair,the full impact of the chaos that ensued is now dulled,blunted and that's how the aftermath of this marriage felt.
Everything is relayed in flashbacks even the husband's partying,drug binges & the night he cheated which resulted in him having an Epiphany & booking himself into rehab.The cheating revelation is just a one liner confession 6 months down the line.He does not even remember the random hookup only that he was high out of his mind as per usual & awoke the morning after to a woman other than his wife of 12 years.
There is no visceral images of that one night stand to plague the readers mind,no lust filled pages of this married man's thoughts when various strange women grinded on this lap at parties over a two year period whom were not his true love.There is just the wife's pain & her reaction to leave him after his confession & his current remorse for his distant past behavior.
And because this book is written so clean & pretty just like the museum that houses pain so elegantly you mainly only experience witness accounts of events long past and the reader is now only the passive viewer.
When I finished this book,I took a moment as to how to describe the way it made me feel and an image of me visiting a world war 2 museum shot to mind.And that's how this novel felt.It's like visiting a museum of horrors,you can see,mostly,hear various witness accounts but because you have not lived in that moment of despair,the full impact of the chaos that ensued is now dulled,blunted and that's how the aftermath of this marriage felt.
Everything is relayed in flashbacks even the husband's partying,drug binges & the night he cheated which resulted in him having an Epiphany & booking himself into rehab.The cheating revelation is just a one liner confession 6 months down the line.He does not even remember the random hookup only that he was high out of his mind as per usual & awoke the morning after to a woman other than his wife of 12 years.
There is no visceral images of that one night stand to plague the readers mind,no lust filled pages of this married man's thoughts when various strange women grinded on this lap at parties over a two year period whom were not his true love.There is just the wife's pain & her reaction to leave him after his confession & his current remorse for his distant past behavior.
And because this book is written so clean & pretty just like the museum that houses pain so elegantly you mainly only experience witness accounts of events long past and the reader is now only the passive viewer.
can-never-read
December 29, 2015Again, same disgusting trope, cheating WHILE married...
Self note:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Self note:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 5, 2016
3.5 - 3.75 Stars
I really enjoy The Last Round by Emmy Montes. It a sweet story with wonderfully realistic characters. Julian and Natalia are a couple that have lost their way. But their love is so strong, they refuse to give up on one another. He's a world champion boxer and she is an actress. Who have been together since High School. The stress of the limelight has taken it's toll and their relationship is crumbling. I felt their dispair. My heart did ache for them....
Sometimes we don't realize what we have until it's gone.
It's a second chance love story that is far from typical. It's different in a good way. It's centered around a loving and close nit Latino family. Which I found so refreshing. Where Family comes first. I loved how Julian and Natalia never forgot how much they loved each other. Even when they wanted to throw in the towel, their love was still there. The dialogue between all characters is totally believable and realistic. It's too quick of a read for me and I really wish it was longer. Just as the couple found their groove it ended. I needed more depth and I felt like there was way more story to be told. I wanted and needed more!! This is my third Emmy Montes book. I enjoy her writing and I look forward to her next endeavor.
I really enjoy The Last Round by Emmy Montes. It a sweet story with wonderfully realistic characters. Julian and Natalia are a couple that have lost their way. But their love is so strong, they refuse to give up on one another. He's a world champion boxer and she is an actress. Who have been together since High School. The stress of the limelight has taken it's toll and their relationship is crumbling. I felt their dispair. My heart did ache for them....
Sometimes we don't realize what we have until it's gone.
It's a second chance love story that is far from typical. It's different in a good way. It's centered around a loving and close nit Latino family. Which I found so refreshing. Where Family comes first. I loved how Julian and Natalia never forgot how much they loved each other. Even when they wanted to throw in the towel, their love was still there. The dialogue between all characters is totally believable and realistic. It's too quick of a read for me and I really wish it was longer. Just as the couple found their groove it ended. I needed more depth and I felt like there was way more story to be told. I wanted and needed more!! This is my third Emmy Montes book. I enjoy her writing and I look forward to her next endeavor.
April 26, 2020
Second Chance
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I was hooked from the first chapter I wanted to know what was going to happen next. How were they going to get back together. What happened to get them this far. It was really good,nothing was rushed. Really enjoyed this one.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I was hooked from the first chapter I wanted to know what was going to happen next. How were they going to get back together. What happened to get them this far. It was really good,nothing was rushed. Really enjoyed this one.
November 12, 2021
“I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you always.”
3.5 stars
This is a unique and beautifully written (though really short) story of a couple whose marriage is crumbling under the pressures of life and celebrity, of childhood sweethearts who have lost their way and have to fight to reclaim what they lost.
Julian is a world champion boxer and Natalia is a rising movie star. Married for nine years, and together for 12, we meet them when they’ve hit rock bottom and their relationship is falling apart. Though still very deeply in love with each other, mistakes have been made and they have allowed things between them to deteriorate to the point where separation is the only answer.
“What’re you saying? Do you really want this over?” My voice is hoarse.
A few strong heartbeats later, I silently pray she says no, but instead she nods. And my entire world is rocked in just a few seconds. “I think so. I think this is it for me.”
The book is written in dual POV so we get to see both sides of the story as well as glimpses into their past together, and from the very beginning I could feel the emotion of these characters. Montes does a great job at creating a wonderful dynamic between Julian and Natalia, and I could feel their heartache, as well as their love for each other, and I was completely sucked into their story. I really liked both Julian and Natalia, and Julian’s determination to win back his wife is beautifully written and totally freaking swoony.
“I wish we were teens again. I wish I never broke your heart. I wish we could spend the rest of our lives together and get past this hump. I wish you could allow me to show you what a true marriage can be. I want to show you the better part of me.”
The ending is romantic, though I thought things were resolved way too fast and easy for my liking, but I did like that we got to see Julia and Natalia together, teasing, bantering and happy (and yes, there is sexy time). And though a little cheesy, it ends well and the epilogue left me with a big smile on my face.
This is one of those books that has that special ‘feeling’, that sense of anticipation when you know it’s going to be a good read, and I think it could have been a truly epic story, but it’s too short to give us the kind of detail and in-depth story that I wanted. I would have loved for it to be a full-length novel - I think the story definitely warrants it - but for what it is, it’s really well done.
I really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars
3.5 stars
This is a unique and beautifully written (though really short) story of a couple whose marriage is crumbling under the pressures of life and celebrity, of childhood sweethearts who have lost their way and have to fight to reclaim what they lost.
Julian is a world champion boxer and Natalia is a rising movie star. Married for nine years, and together for 12, we meet them when they’ve hit rock bottom and their relationship is falling apart. Though still very deeply in love with each other, mistakes have been made and they have allowed things between them to deteriorate to the point where separation is the only answer.
“What’re you saying? Do you really want this over?” My voice is hoarse.
A few strong heartbeats later, I silently pray she says no, but instead she nods. And my entire world is rocked in just a few seconds. “I think so. I think this is it for me.”
The book is written in dual POV so we get to see both sides of the story as well as glimpses into their past together, and from the very beginning I could feel the emotion of these characters. Montes does a great job at creating a wonderful dynamic between Julian and Natalia, and I could feel their heartache, as well as their love for each other, and I was completely sucked into their story. I really liked both Julian and Natalia, and Julian’s determination to win back his wife is beautifully written and totally freaking swoony.
“I wish we were teens again. I wish I never broke your heart. I wish we could spend the rest of our lives together and get past this hump. I wish you could allow me to show you what a true marriage can be. I want to show you the better part of me.”
The ending is romantic, though I thought things were resolved way too fast and easy for my liking, but I did like that we got to see Julia and Natalia together, teasing, bantering and happy (and yes, there is sexy time). And though a little cheesy, it ends well and the epilogue left me with a big smile on my face.
This is one of those books that has that special ‘feeling’, that sense of anticipation when you know it’s going to be a good read, and I think it could have been a truly epic story, but it’s too short to give us the kind of detail and in-depth story that I wanted. I would have loved for it to be a full-length novel - I think the story definitely warrants it - but for what it is, it’s really well done.
I really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars
June 14, 2018
Quick angsty book.
December 1, 2019
Well written but boring and lacked depth. Important things were swept under the rug such as his addiction and cheating.
Lacked emotions.
Lacked emotions.
added-it
May 29, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/29/2021)! 🎁
December 28, 2015
I loved you then, I love you now, I'll love you always.
This is the story of Julian Rios and Natalia Jimenez-Rios. They met in high school and after some banter, they quickly fell in love. They've known each other for 12 years and been married for nine of those years.
Even though they both have successful careers, life has not been easy for them. Their constant time away from each other has brought them to the brink of divorce.
The story picks up as Julian, a Professional boxer and world middleweight champion, is released from rehab for drug and alcohol abuse and thrown directly into a press conference. A question is asked about his wife, Actress Natalia Rios, and her comments in a magazine article about their relationship and its impending end. Thus begins Julian's biggest fight of his life, he needs to win back the love and respect of his beautiful wife and get their lives back on track. You'll love reading this story of redemption, growth, second chances and a strong never-ending love that a man has for his woman.
This is the story of Julian Rios and Natalia Jimenez-Rios. They met in high school and after some banter, they quickly fell in love. They've known each other for 12 years and been married for nine of those years.
Even though they both have successful careers, life has not been easy for them. Their constant time away from each other has brought them to the brink of divorce.
The story picks up as Julian, a Professional boxer and world middleweight champion, is released from rehab for drug and alcohol abuse and thrown directly into a press conference. A question is asked about his wife, Actress Natalia Rios, and her comments in a magazine article about their relationship and its impending end. Thus begins Julian's biggest fight of his life, he needs to win back the love and respect of his beautiful wife and get their lives back on track. You'll love reading this story of redemption, growth, second chances and a strong never-ending love that a man has for his woman.
January 4, 2016
This was a good second chance romance book. About two people that go through a rough patch in this happily ever after, It was really unique to read about characters that passed that falling in love phase of their relationship into years of marriage. Which in my opinion is the true measure of someone’s love for you. For better or for worse they say and those words could not be more true for Natalia and Julian.
I was surprised that this book was so short though. For a standalone book I felt like there could have been more to be said. But the story line was most definitely unique which is exactly what you would expect from such an amazing writer such as Emmy. She really has a knack for making her characters relate-able without taking away from the romance. In any case, this was a joy to read and I’m excited to keep reading more unique stories from this author.
I was surprised that this book was so short though. For a standalone book I felt like there could have been more to be said. But the story line was most definitely unique which is exactly what you would expect from such an amazing writer such as Emmy. She really has a knack for making her characters relate-able without taking away from the romance. In any case, this was a joy to read and I’m excited to keep reading more unique stories from this author.
July 28, 2016
This is my first book my EL Montes and it won’t be my last. She is wonderful writer and I can’t wait to check out her other stuff.
I immediately signed up for this book the moment I read the synopsis. It drew me right in. I am so happy that the book did the same. My only minor complaint and the reason I 4 starred this was because I wish the book was a little more developed. Don’t get me wrong, this whole book is fantastic. I loved every part of it. My heart broke in places, I cried in others, I swooned here and there. It was a great ride. I just wish it could have been longer and some places would have been more in-depth. Either way though, I really recommend you check this one out. It’s a great after noon quick read.
ARC in exchange for honest review
I immediately signed up for this book the moment I read the synopsis. It drew me right in. I am so happy that the book did the same. My only minor complaint and the reason I 4 starred this was because I wish the book was a little more developed. Don’t get me wrong, this whole book is fantastic. I loved every part of it. My heart broke in places, I cried in others, I swooned here and there. It was a great ride. I just wish it could have been longer and some places would have been more in-depth. Either way though, I really recommend you check this one out. It’s a great after noon quick read.
ARC in exchange for honest review
December 30, 2015
Best book I've read all year!
I love all of EL Montes books, she turned me on to the indie world, and will always be one of my favorite authors.
The Last Round is a heart warming story about finding love in your marriage again. I found the main characters story relatable, in the sense that being married for a long time isn't easy, and unfortunately, not all partners in marriage grow together. Montes creates the perfect blend of conflict and hope, giving the reader doses of mixed emotion where putting the book down is nearly impossible.
Can't wait for more from EL Montes!
I love all of EL Montes books, she turned me on to the indie world, and will always be one of my favorite authors.
The Last Round is a heart warming story about finding love in your marriage again. I found the main characters story relatable, in the sense that being married for a long time isn't easy, and unfortunately, not all partners in marriage grow together. Montes creates the perfect blend of conflict and hope, giving the reader doses of mixed emotion where putting the book down is nearly impossible.
Can't wait for more from EL Montes!
January 19, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was about two people that was willing to forgive each other for the mistake that they had made in their marriage. Also, they were willing to work things out and make their marriage better. Really loved how it ended too. It ended very sweetly.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews