Thank-you Ms. DeSousa for providing this Kindle edition on #GoodreadsGiveaways. Those of us who do a lot a reading appreciate new authors allowing us to sample their work. That said: honest review...
First, slow start. It seemed disjointed. Lots of facts, but no lines to connect. At about 5%, things started to fall into place and the story kicked along (MMA pun intended). This was actually a really good read once I slogged past the intro. It's a bit grittier than I'm used to; but then, DeSousa makes it work with characters who are all the more believable for their uniqueness.
What do a famous MMA chica from Argentina, a 38 yr old single Alaska boy, a thug named Sergio and a German Shepard who responds to commands in German have in common? The makings of a pretty darn good romance. It's clear DeSousa loves to travel and has sourced her experiences to build her characters and settings. That made for a richer experience for me, the reader. Some times, conversations felt a bit gratuitous. Like, I was being over-fed information that wasn't really needed. As the book coalesces, you begin to see where she's going with all the loose threads and it actually becomes a submersive read; where I forgot what time it was until I finished around 3:30 a.m.
Four stars, as the book could use a bit more editing down - too long in places. But overall, I found her writing style (voice) and clever use of 3rd person perspective refreshing in a world that feels too intimate with all the "I, I, I, Me, Me, Mine" authors. I'm not a fan of reading other people's journals. I like a bit of perspective with my romance. If I didn't exactly like the characters at the beginning; I grew to love them at the end. And that's the mark of a good author: To make me believe anything's possible. Went ahead and bought book 2.