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DS Fight Club #5
Cutman
The Cutman
Ryan Richards returned from Afghanistan with more than a shattered body. His heart was in tatters, too. For the three years since then, renovating houses and patching up fighters has been the only thing to quiet his demons—those foisted upon him and those he has created himself. At DS Fight Club, he has a purpose. And when he spends time with sexy trainer Junior Maldonado, he feels more like a real man than a shadow of one.
The Trainer
Injured in the Middle East while an Army Ranger, Junior shared an instant camaraderie with wounded corpsman Ryan…and more than a little bit of attraction. And although Junior has reunited with his high school boyfriend, Ryan’s haunted whiskey eyes are never very far from his mind. He knows Ryan is hurting, and wants the best for his friend.
When Junior returns to Atlanta after his second-chance romance fails, he finds Ryan careening toward rock bottom. Overwhelmed by uncontrolled physical and emotional pain, Ryan is fighting for his life…and hiding the truth. It’s up to Junior to help him see that real men come in many forms, and they are all entitled to love.
Ryan Richards returned from Afghanistan with more than a shattered body. His heart was in tatters, too. For the three years since then, renovating houses and patching up fighters has been the only thing to quiet his demons—those foisted upon him and those he has created himself. At DS Fight Club, he has a purpose. And when he spends time with sexy trainer Junior Maldonado, he feels more like a real man than a shadow of one.
The Trainer
Injured in the Middle East while an Army Ranger, Junior shared an instant camaraderie with wounded corpsman Ryan…and more than a little bit of attraction. And although Junior has reunited with his high school boyfriend, Ryan’s haunted whiskey eyes are never very far from his mind. He knows Ryan is hurting, and wants the best for his friend.
When Junior returns to Atlanta after his second-chance romance fails, he finds Ryan careening toward rock bottom. Overwhelmed by uncontrolled physical and emotional pain, Ryan is fighting for his life…and hiding the truth. It’s up to Junior to help him see that real men come in many forms, and they are all entitled to love.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2017
40 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Josie Kerr
40 books87 followersJosie Kerr is a transplanted West Texan living on the edge of semi-profoundly rural Georgia, a.k.a. the southernmost edge of the northernmost county in Metro Atlanta.
She has an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education, but discovered that she hated high school more the second time than she did the first, so she decided to meld her love of technology with her education background and became an Instructional Designer. When not writing articles about how to fire someone without getting sued or why you should really not apply for jobs using your SexxyStud99@aol.com email address, she writes steamy romance novels that feature grown-up Heroes and Heroines.
She has an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education, but discovered that she hated high school more the second time than she did the first, so she decided to meld her love of technology with her education background and became an Instructional Designer. When not writing articles about how to fire someone without getting sued or why you should really not apply for jobs using your SexxyStud99@aol.com email address, she writes steamy romance novels that feature grown-up Heroes and Heroines.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 4, 2024
DNF @ 66%
This is an unusually late DNF for me but I can't be bothered to skim to the end. The premise had huge potential but the author doesn't do justice to it at all. Tons of important developments are done through telling instead of showing, there's barely any plot, there are a million irrelevant side characters who keep popping up constantly and the writing style doesn't suit the characters or the premise.
My biggest issue is the bizarre pacing. I understand this is book 5 in a series so the author didn't want to waste too much time going over events from previous books but that doesn't excuse rushing through things that happened during this book's timeline. Things start off with a rushed infodump detailing Junior's romance from book 2, which was a bit much but it's forgivable since this is book 5. Sidenote: I've never ever come across a series where the author gives an MC an HEA with somebody in one book but then breaks up that couple and gives him a new HEA with a completely different person in a later book. If I had read book 2, I would be livid that the events in that book end up being irrelevant and that couple ends up broken up and not wanting anything to do with each other anymore. It must have made sense to the author but if I would have read and enjoyed book 2, this kind of stunt would make me put the author on my DNR list.
Anyway - so we quickly get caught up on what happened earlier in the series, which was fine. But then the author keeps rushing things along by having Ryan's PTSD/drug/alcohol issues escalate at a breakneck pace. Then we're suddenly told (not shown) that .
I hated this rushed approach to the storytelling because the problem is that nothing happened outside of that. It's fine to rush through some things and skip over showing certain events if there's a lot happening, but there isn't. Irrelevant side characters keep showing up and taking up page time and all of them serve the same purpose: being worried about Ryan. There are family get-togethers, there are visits from family members/SOs/friends, there are therapy/gossip sessions held at the gym between trainers etc etc etc. None of those scenes contributed to the story and the only side character who was relevant was Jason (Ryan's twin brother). But things were even worse than that because nothing else happens! Ryan and Junior decide to get together when and then they're a couple. Their conversations are sappy and overly emotional and there are lots of smut scenes but none of that is plot.
I was really disappointed because the setup promised an intense, angsty story that would involve having Ryan deal with his various mental health issues. The guy is a mess and while I thought his descent was done way too rapidly , I was looking forward to a lengthy recovery journey. Unfortunately, I didn't get any of that. It feels like the author liked the angsty premise of dealing with a military vet who has complex mental health issues but didn't know how or didn't want to actually craft a realistic healing journey. Instead, the post-rehab parts were boring and generic.
The writing also wasn't great. A lot of the dialog was unnatural and too formal, especially when it was groups of guys talking to each other. Ryan and Junior are both former military and they're both MMA trainers. They're big, tough dudes and they're accustomed to hanging around other big, tough dudes. These guys aren't going to sit around, talking about their feelings and not using contractions when speaking. In general, the writing was odd because the author was writing from Ryan or Junior's POV but the narrative voice was formal/sophisticated, which didn't match what should have been the inner voices of either MC. Here are some examples of lines that destroyed my immersion because it didn't sound like language that either MC would use:
'...with the most fluttering of touches.'
'But in the end, he merely told the brothers goodbye'
'...things got rather noisy very quickly.'
'...he donned them [sweatpants].'
'...giving Ryan's buttocks a little squeeze...'
The whole time I was reading, I was constantly remembering that this is written by a woman who mostly writes het romance and that's not what I should be thinking about while reading a smut scene between two big dudes who are former military and trained MMA fighters. And what's with this author's obsession with using OTT descriptors for characters laughing?? Junior was constantly throwing his head back and laughing. Then there was 'barking a laugh', 'threw his head back and cackled' and 'Ryan bleated out a laugh'.
Lastly, there were some very odd scenes that I think the author thought would be funny but they came across as ridiculous to me. The point where I DNF'd had a scene where Ryan wakes up with an erection, is thrilled about it and proceeds to run out of his bedroom butt naked with his erection in full view to....what? I have no idea what Ryan was thinking or wanting to do at that point. He ends up running into the living room where his twin brother and his girlfriend see him butt naked with a hardon and that's supposedly really, really funny but it just came across as bizarre. Ryan is 37 years old and I can't imagine anybody thinking doing something like that would be funny beyond the age of 14 but he didn't appear to think it was funny. I think he genuinely wanted to show his brother his erection, as if that's a normal thing to share with your siblings. It was bizarre!
Anyway, clearly this author's work isn't for me. The premise was right up my alley but this book doesn't do justice to it at all and when that's combined with my other issues, it means I'm not going to bother finishing this or trying anything else by this author.
This is an unusually late DNF for me but I can't be bothered to skim to the end. The premise had huge potential but the author doesn't do justice to it at all. Tons of important developments are done through telling instead of showing, there's barely any plot, there are a million irrelevant side characters who keep popping up constantly and the writing style doesn't suit the characters or the premise.
My biggest issue is the bizarre pacing. I understand this is book 5 in a series so the author didn't want to waste too much time going over events from previous books but that doesn't excuse rushing through things that happened during this book's timeline. Things start off with a rushed infodump detailing Junior's romance from book 2, which was a bit much but it's forgivable since this is book 5. Sidenote: I've never ever come across a series where the author gives an MC an HEA with somebody in one book but then breaks up that couple and gives him a new HEA with a completely different person in a later book. If I had read book 2, I would be livid that the events in that book end up being irrelevant and that couple ends up broken up and not wanting anything to do with each other anymore. It must have made sense to the author but if I would have read and enjoyed book 2, this kind of stunt would make me put the author on my DNR list.
Anyway - so we quickly get caught up on what happened earlier in the series, which was fine. But then the author keeps rushing things along by having Ryan's PTSD/drug/alcohol issues escalate at a breakneck pace. Then we're suddenly told (not shown) that .
I hated this rushed approach to the storytelling because the problem is that nothing happened outside of that. It's fine to rush through some things and skip over showing certain events if there's a lot happening, but there isn't. Irrelevant side characters keep showing up and taking up page time and all of them serve the same purpose: being worried about Ryan. There are family get-togethers, there are visits from family members/SOs/friends, there are therapy/gossip sessions held at the gym between trainers etc etc etc. None of those scenes contributed to the story and the only side character who was relevant was Jason (Ryan's twin brother). But things were even worse than that because nothing else happens! Ryan and Junior decide to get together when and then they're a couple. Their conversations are sappy and overly emotional and there are lots of smut scenes but none of that is plot.
I was really disappointed because the setup promised an intense, angsty story that would involve having Ryan deal with his various mental health issues. The guy is a mess and while I thought his descent was done way too rapidly , I was looking forward to a lengthy recovery journey. Unfortunately, I didn't get any of that. It feels like the author liked the angsty premise of dealing with a military vet who has complex mental health issues but didn't know how or didn't want to actually craft a realistic healing journey. Instead, the post-rehab parts were boring and generic.
The writing also wasn't great. A lot of the dialog was unnatural and too formal, especially when it was groups of guys talking to each other. Ryan and Junior are both former military and they're both MMA trainers. They're big, tough dudes and they're accustomed to hanging around other big, tough dudes. These guys aren't going to sit around, talking about their feelings and not using contractions when speaking. In general, the writing was odd because the author was writing from Ryan or Junior's POV but the narrative voice was formal/sophisticated, which didn't match what should have been the inner voices of either MC. Here are some examples of lines that destroyed my immersion because it didn't sound like language that either MC would use:
'...with the most fluttering of touches.'
'But in the end, he merely told the brothers goodbye'
'...things got rather noisy very quickly.'
'...he donned them [sweatpants].'
'...giving Ryan's buttocks a little squeeze...'
The whole time I was reading, I was constantly remembering that this is written by a woman who mostly writes het romance and that's not what I should be thinking about while reading a smut scene between two big dudes who are former military and trained MMA fighters. And what's with this author's obsession with using OTT descriptors for characters laughing?? Junior was constantly throwing his head back and laughing. Then there was 'barking a laugh', 'threw his head back and cackled' and 'Ryan bleated out a laugh'.
Lastly, there were some very odd scenes that I think the author thought would be funny but they came across as ridiculous to me. The point where I DNF'd had a scene where Ryan wakes up with an erection, is thrilled about it and proceeds to run out of his bedroom butt naked with his erection in full view to....what? I have no idea what Ryan was thinking or wanting to do at that point. He ends up running into the living room where his twin brother and his girlfriend see him butt naked with a hardon and that's supposedly really, really funny but it just came across as bizarre. Ryan is 37 years old and I can't imagine anybody thinking doing something like that would be funny beyond the age of 14 but he didn't appear to think it was funny. I think he genuinely wanted to show his brother his erection, as if that's a normal thing to share with your siblings. It was bizarre!
Anyway, clearly this author's work isn't for me. The premise was right up my alley but this book doesn't do justice to it at all and when that's combined with my other issues, it means I'm not going to bother finishing this or trying anything else by this author.
Want to read
January 1, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (10/4/2017)!💝
The Cutman
Ryan Richards returned from Afghanistan with more than a shattered body. His heart was in tatters, too. For the three years since then, renovating houses and patching up fighters has been the only thing to quiet his demons—those foisted upon him and those he has created himself. At DS Fight Club, he has a purpose. And when he spends time with sexy trainer Junior Maldonado, he feels more like a real man than a shadow of one.
The Trainer
Injured in the Middle East while an Army Ranger, Junior shared an instant camaraderie with wounded corpsman Ryan…and more than a little bit of attraction. And although Junior has reunited with his high school boyfriend, Ryan’s haunted whiskey eyes are never very far from his mind. He knows Ryan is hurting, and wants the best for his friend.
When Junior returns to Atlanta after his second-chance romance fails, he finds Ryan careening toward rock bottom. Overwhelmed by uncontrolled physical and emotional pain, Ryan is fighting for his life…and hiding the truth. It’s up to Junior to help him see that real men come in many forms, and they are all entitled to love.
The Cutman
Ryan Richards returned from Afghanistan with more than a shattered body. His heart was in tatters, too. For the three years since then, renovating houses and patching up fighters has been the only thing to quiet his demons—those foisted upon him and those he has created himself. At DS Fight Club, he has a purpose. And when he spends time with sexy trainer Junior Maldonado, he feels more like a real man than a shadow of one.
The Trainer
Injured in the Middle East while an Army Ranger, Junior shared an instant camaraderie with wounded corpsman Ryan…and more than a little bit of attraction. And although Junior has reunited with his high school boyfriend, Ryan’s haunted whiskey eyes are never very far from his mind. He knows Ryan is hurting, and wants the best for his friend.
When Junior returns to Atlanta after his second-chance romance fails, he finds Ryan careening toward rock bottom. Overwhelmed by uncontrolled physical and emotional pain, Ryan is fighting for his life…and hiding the truth. It’s up to Junior to help him see that real men come in many forms, and they are all entitled to love.
Read
October 11, 201770% DNF. So, no rating. But if I did I would say maybe 2.5 stars.
I had about 40 minutes to go in this book but I just couldn't keep going. I should have stopped at the prologue, which was choppy and had so many comma's I almost got whiplash. But the first chapter was completely different, so I soldiered on. And it did get a little better. Ryan's issues with PTSD were what kept me reeled me in. The small glimpses we get were well-written but what turned me off was the amount of "telling" and all the choppy segue's. Not to mention the cheesy lines.
When I got to the "big misunderstanding" I called it quits. Honestly, the stories are different but it's hard not to compare this to The Final Line by Kendall McKenna. Which was amazing.
What I will say is that even though this was not my cup of tea it has one beautiful cover.
I had about 40 minutes to go in this book but I just couldn't keep going. I should have stopped at the prologue, which was choppy and had so many comma's I almost got whiplash. But the first chapter was completely different, so I soldiered on. And it did get a little better. Ryan's issues with PTSD were what kept me reeled me in. The small glimpses we get were well-written but what turned me off was the amount of "telling" and all the choppy segue's. Not to mention the cheesy lines.
“That’s right, Ryan. I’ve fucked a lot of men. A lot. But I’ve only ever made love to you.
When I got to the "big misunderstanding" I called it quits. Honestly, the stories are different but it's hard not to compare this to The Final Line by Kendall McKenna. Which was amazing.
What I will say is that even though this was not my cup of tea it has one beautiful cover.
March 18, 2021
I read this one as a standalone and it's 100% one of my favorite books when it comes to it's portrayal of PTSD and reality and romance. It's messy and real and I loved it. And I usually hate romance with PTSD themes.
April 27, 2017
This series just keeps getting better and better! I've been looking forward to Junior and Ryan's HEA since my first Josie Kerr book (A Bad Bit Nice), and Cutman did not disappoint!
It was *exactly* what I wanted it to be... sweet, hot and an amazing love story. Ryan’s struggle with PTSD was beautifully written, and my heart just broke for him.
Junior and Ryan’s friendship and love for one another is written throughout the series, so by the time I picked up Cutman, I was SO READY to know how their story ends! I loved it, and would highly recommend this series if you love detailed character development, awesome love stories and a major HOT factor!
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this title
It was *exactly* what I wanted it to be... sweet, hot and an amazing love story. Ryan’s struggle with PTSD was beautifully written, and my heart just broke for him.
Junior and Ryan’s friendship and love for one another is written throughout the series, so by the time I picked up Cutman, I was SO READY to know how their story ends! I loved it, and would highly recommend this series if you love detailed character development, awesome love stories and a major HOT factor!
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this title
May 15, 2017
LOVED IT
I received ARC copy of cutman and I was not disappointed I love a bit of
M\M and this book was beautiful definitely put me through different emotions I have to admit it is my favourite book of Josie's well done girl you done good x
I received ARC copy of cutman and I was not disappointed I love a bit of
M\M and this book was beautiful definitely put me through different emotions I have to admit it is my favourite book of Josie's well done girl you done good x
May 30, 2017
Ryan and Junior share a special camaraderie from the instant that they meet. However, both are struggling with some really difficult issues...between PTSD, cheating ex's, and training MMA fighters, they both have a lot to deal with! A must read to see how they deal with their issues on their journey to become a couple. Very well written, especially in the handling of PTSD! Looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series!
August 23, 2017
Ryan has won my heart
Ryan has had such a hard time leaving the Navy. Junior is the trainer at the fight club they both work at. Oh hell just read the book. I think you will fall in love with Ryan too
Ryan has had such a hard time leaving the Navy. Junior is the trainer at the fight club they both work at. Oh hell just read the book. I think you will fall in love with Ryan too
May 13, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This book was well written and a blisteringly hot look into the private lives of those in another type of genre (MM). Josie Kerr didn't skip over the tough stuff, instead diving right in and letting us see the messy along with the awesome. This was a different storyline and the book maybe fiction, but the storyline can be related to true-life situations. The story held my attention, but it also was heartwarming and emotional. This is the first time I read a book by this author, Josie Kerr, but I assure you, it will not be the last. After returning from Afghanistan, in order for Ryan Richards to deal with his demons (PTSD), he renovates houses and works at the DS Fight Club, which he loves. Ryan has feelings for Junior and vice versa, but they experience a rough patch during their relationship and mistakes are made that they both regret. Junior also served in the Middle East, and he knows what Ryan is going through—his demons—and tries to help him—along with support of family and friends. The scenes are well written, fast-paced and flow smoothly from one scene to the next. This story will pique your interest and draw you in from the beginning to the very end.
This book was well written and a blisteringly hot look into the private lives of those in another type of genre (MM). Josie Kerr didn't skip over the tough stuff, instead diving right in and letting us see the messy along with the awesome. This was a different storyline and the book maybe fiction, but the storyline can be related to true-life situations. The story held my attention, but it also was heartwarming and emotional. This is the first time I read a book by this author, Josie Kerr, but I assure you, it will not be the last. After returning from Afghanistan, in order for Ryan Richards to deal with his demons (PTSD), he renovates houses and works at the DS Fight Club, which he loves. Ryan has feelings for Junior and vice versa, but they experience a rough patch during their relationship and mistakes are made that they both regret. Junior also served in the Middle East, and he knows what Ryan is going through—his demons—and tries to help him—along with support of family and friends. The scenes are well written, fast-paced and flow smoothly from one scene to the next. This story will pique your interest and draw you in from the beginning to the very end.
May 11, 2017
This book is a stand-alone, but I strongly advise that you read all the other books in this well-written series first, it will be well worth your time. They draw you in to this diverse family-by-choice of MMA fighters and their relatives with story lines that pull you in and keep you involved from the first page. Caution, if your triggers include nightmares/flashbacks from war trauma or injuries, this book deals with the issue of PTSD and contains a few such scenes. Also, if you can not appreciate well written M/M stories where the explicit scenes are an intricate part of the story line, do not read this book. Ryan and Junior's relationship is not all flowers and sunshine, but it is realistic and loving. They make mistakes but fortunately have friends and family to support them, even when they make some bad decisions.After reading the first books in this series, I was so happy to see them get their story and look forward to the next books from Josie Kerr.
I received an ARC of this title from the author, but have purchased/read all of her other books previously(they are all really good!)
I received an ARC of this title from the author, but have purchased/read all of her other books previously(they are all really good!)
March 26, 2018
Well, I liked the cover and got the book. It had a clear point of view and stayed true through out the book. I enjoyed reading this story, all about love, and I mean all. Some of the fights, arguments were way to familiar. The fight for love is real, and I enjoyed the way it was written. The heartfelt emotions. Job well done. No I didn’t realize it was a M/M story when I got the book, but, finding love is just that. Finding love.
May 13, 2017
Cutman
This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it. Sometimes I felt like there was contradictions or backtracking to things that had already been explained. But I really liked the characters and wouldn't mind reading more of this series.
This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it. Sometimes I felt like there was contradictions or backtracking to things that had already been explained. But I really liked the characters and wouldn't mind reading more of this series.
July 17, 2017
Yes! Redemption lol
Perfect continuation of Trainer. Have to revise my rating of that one. I enjoy MM stories and I love how this just fits perfectly with the MF stories in the series. Can't wait to see what comes next.
Perfect continuation of Trainer. Have to revise my rating of that one. I enjoy MM stories and I love how this just fits perfectly with the MF stories in the series. Can't wait to see what comes next.
April 12, 2021
Ryan was injured while serving. He is in horrible pain and suffering from PTSD. He is using pills and alcohol instead of getting the help he is supposed to be getting. He is also fighting the feelings he has for Junior.
Junior has broken up with his high school lover again. He knew he shouldn't have given it another shot. He is also dealing with his feelings for Ryan.
Jason, Ryan's twin, has had to put Ryan in the hospital for help. While in the hospital, Ryan has had time to figure out some things and trying to be with Junior is one of them.
Can they both let the past go and try to be together?
Junior has broken up with his high school lover again. He knew he shouldn't have given it another shot. He is also dealing with his feelings for Ryan.
Jason, Ryan's twin, has had to put Ryan in the hospital for help. While in the hospital, Ryan has had time to figure out some things and trying to be with Junior is one of them.
Can they both let the past go and try to be together?
October 28, 2017
I smiled and cried during this story. I couldn't wait for Ryan and Junior to find their way to each other. It brought home to my heart how we have veterans out there dealing with things that we have no idea about, and there are things we can do and places they can find help. This was my first m/m story. I loved every word, and some how it seemed more heart felt reading how these two troubled strong men were brave enough to be who they were. It was worth the first read and I know I will reread it several times out.
October 14, 2017
I really loved this book. It serves to remind you what military people go thru when they are relieved of duty. The trauma lives on for them for a very long time. Even if they were not injured the hatred that they see lives on in their minds. Wonderful to see how love is good no matter what or who the heart wants. So happy that one part of this crazy world we live in seems to be moving in the right direction. I will be looking for more books by Josie Kerr. This one was great. Thanks
March 23, 2021
Junior and Ryan
I don't normally set out to read MM romance but with reading the series this story just naturally fell into place. I was so glad to FINALLY get to Junior's and Ryan's story. I found it to be a beautiful story. Very well written. I liked how Ryan's PTSD was written into the story, and Junior's total understanding of it. I was rooting for them all the way!
I don't normally set out to read MM romance but with reading the series this story just naturally fell into place. I was so glad to FINALLY get to Junior's and Ryan's story. I found it to be a beautiful story. Very well written. I liked how Ryan's PTSD was written into the story, and Junior's total understanding of it. I was rooting for them all the way!
January 13, 2018
Another great read
Enjoyed reading this book and reading about the characters and their story. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Enjoyed reading this book and reading about the characters and their story. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews