Fight Dirty

Dawson Family #5

by Emily Goodwin

Owen Dawson is one of Eastwood’s most eligible bachelors. He could have any woman he wants, but when it comes to settling down, he only has eyes for Charlie Williams, and he blew his chance with her years ago.

While Owen is busy trying to convince everyone—and himself—that the playboy life is for him, Charlie is trying to put her life back together.After discovering her fiancé was cheating on her, Charlie packs her bags, leaves her fancy New York job, and goes back to the one place she never thought she’d return to: home.

Determined to start over and stay far, far away from men, the last thing Charlie needs in her life is her first love, Owen…and the old feelings that come rushing back the moment she lays eyes on him.While Charlie swears to avoid romance of any kind, Owen is willing to do whatever it takes to prove he’s a changed man and win Charlie back…even if it means fighting dirty.

**FIGHT DIRTY is a second chance romance and can be read as a standalone novel.**

Genres: Second Chance, Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance, Slow Burn

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2019

About the author

Emily Goodwin is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over a dozen of romantic titles. Emily writes the kind of books she likes to read, and is a sucker for a swoon-worthy bad boy and happily ever afters.

She lives in the midwest with her husband and two daughters. When she's not writing, you can find her riding her horses, hiking, reading, or drinking wine with friends.

Emily is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.


www.emilygoodwinbooks.com
facebook.com/emilygoodwinbooks
emily@emilygoodwinbooks.com

Reviews

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life dishes out its fair share of rough patches. You can’t go around them. You have to go through them.

Owen has been the Dawson that brings a smile to my face throughout this entire series. I knew I would love his book, and Charlie being such an amazing heroine, made it that much better. I’m not usually a fan of second chance romance, but Ms. Goodwin made this one emotional without anyone having really done anything super wrong. They were just young and one of them wasn’t ready for forever yet. Fight Dirty is a bit of a slow burn, but it lends to Charlie’s character and even Owen’s. These two have to learn each other again, and even though it’s mostly easy, some things are just harder to get past. The tension is there and it’s hot. And once they come together it’s... everything.

Fight Dirty is sweet, funny, steamy, and a bit emotional. It’s low on the angst, but high on the feels. If you haven’t started the Dawson Family series, I suggest you do ASAP!

Now who do I have to bribe to get a super angsty Dean story? 😂

https://instagram.com/p/BzUJ4SzgCPN/
^fan teaser on IG!

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owens story. This is part of a series however can definitely be read as a standalone.

Charlie moves to New York to become a high profile Lawyer with her soon to be husband. She always had an inkling of doubt in her mind about her choice of location but it was what her career driven partner wanted. The problem is her relationship blew up in her face when she realised everything wasn’t quite as rosey as it seemed. Moving back to her home town brings old memories. Love lost can be bittersweet especially after a break up.

Owen was the guy she always thought she’d end up with but he messed up. Now he has a chance to fix his mistakes by fighting dirty to win back her heart.

5 out of 5. Awesome. I totally loved this couple and the homeless lady too.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fighting Dirty by Emily Goodwin is only my second book by her, but I’m really enjoying her writing and the way she depicts stories so vividly. She has this talent to make me feel like I am watching everything unfold before my very eyes. I became really immersed within this story from the very start and Charlie and Owens tale of love really resonated with me. This was such a great slow burning second chance love story and it is not to be missed.

Charlie and Owen had such profound chemistry that literally sizzled and the tension was palpable. The one thing I love so much about second chance love stories is fate and destiny intercepting and bringing two people who are so clearly made for each together once more. I adored this couple and rooted for them the whole way through and I wanted nothing more than to see them get their long sought after HEA.

If you are looking for your next read to be funny, sexy, sweet, emotional and just the right amount of angst, then look no further than Fighting Dirty because this book ticked all the right boxes. I highly recommend checking out, not only this great book, but also this insanely talented writer.

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fight Dirty by Emily Goodwin is the story of Charlie Williams and Owen Dawson.
Charlie moved away from her home town become engaged and should have everything. But of course things weren't great and she started to learn about her cheating fiancé. Now she has returned home to start again. Owen lost Charlie and knew he wanted her back but she had went on with her life, so he put up the playboy front. Now that she is back he starts to move forward for his goal to get her back.

[April Symes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fight Dirty by Emily Goodwin is the story of Charlie Williams and Owen Dawson.
2nd chance romances are my favorite type of stories and that is what we have here. Charlie and Owen never got over each other considering they were supposed to be married to each other and have a great HEA but Owen screwed up royally. Charlie never got past the hurt and now that she has moved home and has a bitter breakup in her recent past. For Owen, knowing that he gets a 2nd chance at winning the one who got away is what he wants...a chance to get a do over. Will he get that 2nd chance ? Loved the witty and sexy banter. Charlie and Owen are great in scenes together and they have amazing chemistry. The plot is spot on, their scenes sweet and the story is fantastic. Hoping for one more story in the Dawson family by Emily Godwin. These books are great!!!


My Rating: 4.5 stars *******

[Elsa Gomes (BookishAurora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳ Rate: 4,5/ 5 stars

Goodness gracious! I loved Owen since the very first Dawson book, he was always so fun. I fell a little more in love with on Logan's book but his book made me fall completely in love with him. Damn that boy turned his life around so quick. From a man whore to a one woman guy in 0.5s but I didn't hate that. He had been waiting for a second chance ever since he broke up with the love of his life and when that second chance dropped into his lap, he grabbed it by the balls and never gave up until he achieved it. This book was fun, angsty at times and so damn sweet. I adored Owen and Charlie.

➳ Order at: Amazon UK ⁕ Amazon US

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[Ashley Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

Just okay to me, but I did enjoy the family aspect of this story.

*FULL REVIEW UNDER REVIEWS FROM THE HEART

[Mahima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so storyline was pretty deep and full of emotions which we could clearly see.
Owen was being way too kiddish while breaking up with Charlie for the first time and they both definitely hurt a lot due to it!!!
But finally they realised they are not good enough without each other.

The best part was the way their families were supporting them even in the most confusing and hurtful situations.

[Michelle Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book might be my favorite of the series so far. Owen was a little too cocky at times but I loved their love. I think this book was the perfect level of frustrating since they never dance around how they felt about each other.

[Reading with 2 book lovers Sarah P - · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this addition to this series of standalones.
I love these Dawson's and highly recommend this series and book.

[The Bosnian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my first read by author, she is a definite favorite!! So you bet your behind I was excited for this one! This is another review that I am proud of and would love for you to view on my REVIEW BLOG which I just transferred to a NEW place. The review will include, quotes, teasers I made and much more! CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW

[Suey_Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you doubt my obsession? Well you shouldn’t. I am absolutely obsessed with the Dawson Family series by Emily Goodwin, and you bet your bottom dollar I was all over Fight Dirty. Granted, it isn’t Dean, I need him – ugh loathe Kara, but I will take Owen any day of the week. Seriously, the main thing I love about this author is her easy flow romance, they are such feel good at the right moment with some of the best character dynamics that I just cannot help to gush for, plus, second chance romances always have me in a tizzy.

Speaking of the characters, Owen was definitely the hot piece of man meat screaming all kinds of damaged goodies. I have really enjoyed his mannerisms this enter series. He is fun, flirty, free-spirited, very out spoken and I rather enjoyed this about his character. I will say though, I know, here we go, it was hard to really love his character. Up until this point he was very much a playboy, I liked it -nay loved it. But something about that moment when Charlie walked in the script this sort of flipped and it was like having a brand new character to relearn. It isn’t bad at all, but it through me for a loop as his characteristics shifted a smidge. As for the beautifully wronged Charlie, I wanted to adore her. I truly did. I think she was sweet, definitely lovable, easy to sympathize with her situation but honestly it was really hard for me to just connect with her. I felt she was this moot point for me. I think a lot of this was in partner with the actual romance of Owen and Charlie. They were super adorable, lovable and had passion – oh my lanta did they look good together, but something wasn’t meshing.

I say this, because although I really enjoyed their romance, there was this feeling on convenience for their reunion. I wouldn’t entirely say rushed is the right word I want to use for it, but there was a lack luster with how Owen and Charlie reconnected. Without giving away spoilers obviously, there was just maybe this too fast, too much, too soon additive to how they were thrown together. Again, they had great chemistry, they did – there was banter, history, total cuteness and fun development… but it definitely felt like this second chance romance that didn’t add up on certain aspects. Maybe I expected more angst, more conflict, but again there was this easy get together flow that seemed more easy to get to the good stuff of the romance instead of building up some type of conflict dynamic between their reconciling.

Overall, I enjoyed Fight Dirty, as I generally do with all Emily Goodwin’s books. She is definitely one of my top favorite authors. I will admit, again, that it was hard to pinpoint my thoughts for this one, it took a while to figure out what really made me disconnect from the storyline. I really did like the chemistry between Owen and Charlie, I needed him to have his happy ending, but for me, out of all the Dawson gang (for now…) this is my least favorite of the tropes. I liked it, but didn’t love it. I think the Dawson family is one of my absolute favorites, however this did not live up to my expectations without a few pet peeves here and there.

I cannot wait to see if/when Emily gives me the Dean story I am begging for at this time… COME ON! Gimmie.

***Received an ARC through author group in exchange for an honest review***

[Claudia Pinillos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen Dawson definitely doesn’t disappoint

4.5 stars

I enjoyed this book so much!!!

As long as we’ve known the Dawson’s, we’ve known Owen to be a playboy. From the beginning of this book we see him getting over it. He loves being and uncle but something is definitely missing.

I love how he knows right away as soon as he sees Charlie. There’s no convincing him, there’s no him booking up and realizing he’s not so into it anymore. As soon as Charlie comes back into town he knows he’s done and he needs to get his forever back.

I also really loved Charlie. She’s strong and smart. While at times she is insecure, she’s never weak. She knows what she needs to move forward and doesn’t let misunderstandings get in her way.

I will forever love the Dawson family and I’m secretly hoping Dean and his wife go through something that would bring this family back into my life 😝😝😝.

[Eliza · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first book of Emily Goodwin's. The blurb intrigued me so I took a shot. I'm happy I did, because I loved the first part of this story. It's engaging right off the bat; rarely do I come across a heroine that is so immediately and intensely relatable. My heart felt broken right along with her, even from the first few pages. At first, it was gratifying to read a story that has main characters that I can really get behind. They both seemed like great people; it felt natural to root for them. But at a certain point, I ran into problems.

My main barriers to enjoying this book fully involve the original breakup. From what I see of the hero's feelings for the heroine, it's clear that he's been totally gone for her since they were in high school. But how am I to negotiate that with the fact that he broke up with her in the first place? We're told that he "was an idiot", and we're given a vague notion of his reasoning, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. A flashback would have really come in handy here, or at least a solid explanation of why and what led to his decision. Without either of those things, I've had to figure it out with the information I'm given, and unfortunately, all of that information, while not stating this explicitly, point to the conclusion that Owen broke up with Charlie in order to sleep with other people. I'll state my case and explain my confusion in this footnote*. It's not a good look on his part, and it's made even worse by all his excuses. It's like, he was a fuckwad, but he still won't fully admit how much of a fuckwad he was.

The second part of this problem is how the unresolved issue of their original breakup is handled in the present. Charlie has a lot of the same questions and confusion about their breakup that I do. Owen tries to win Charlie back, but they've barely talked about why they broke up in the first place. All he says is shit like, "I'm not the same person" and "I made a mistake," and never even as part of a full discussion. He just blurts it out while he's trying to convince her to sleep with him again. It's douchey, and it doesn't exactly demonstrate any personal growth in his part.

The worst part of that it is that this method works. Even though Owen had utterly wrecked her, and she still carries the pain of what that breakup had done, she still has such strong feelings for him that she eventually becomes receptive to his advances, despite having none of the answers she needs or any rebuilding of the trust that he broke. WITH NO GROVELING WHATSOEVER. Instead, he treats her to a series of nice gestures: he lets her cat, and then eventually her, stay at his house, he makes her dinner, and he sits with her during a storm because she's scared of storms. Charlie says these things remind her of how he used to treat her when they were together. And yet, treating her how he used to is what convinces her that he's "changed" or "not the same guy" or whatever? Nothing he does remotely addresses the doubt, pain or confusion he caused her. They still haven't even discussed their breakup at all. From where I'm standing he's just buttering her up, and it feels manipulative. At one point, Charlie asks her requisite New York gay friend, "am I being stupid?" And I wanted to shout BITCH YES, or at least have the friend do it, but alas.

In the process of all of this, Charlie actually convinces herself that she is the problem for having reservations in the first place, and that she is the one who needs to change. Are you fucking kidding me?? Forget groveling, she doesn't even try to have a fucking talk with him first?

I am not against forgiveness or giving a relationship another chance, but when she starts acting like a giddy schoolgirl over over the guy without even seeking any resolutions to the pain he's caused, it makes the heroine look fucking weak. Pathetic. Like she has no self-respect. And now, because of that, I've lost respect for her.

On another note, it's a little strange when Owen turns down Charlie for sex because she's drunk. Not because it's weird to stop yourself from having sex with a drunk person, it's not, not at all. It's that the book makes it seem like Owen deserves a medal for not taking advantage of his super drunk ex-girlfriend.

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Actually buddy, that's just the base-level decent thing to do. I can respect that it's really difficult for him and all, but he makes it seem like he's such a goddamn hero for it! He also creepily specifies in his narrative a few times that he won't fuck her right then because he wants more than sex, and he doesn't want her to regret sex with him in the morning. Good for him, but it makes me wonder: does that mean that, if he wasn't trying to be in a relationship with her, he would have been down to fuck her while he's completely sober and she's sloppy drunk, knowing she'll regret it when she sobers up? Because that's pretty fucking gross. Charlie buys into this whole knight in shining armor thing, too. She's so blown away by this gesture of not being a despicable creep that she goes full heart-eyes on him, and decides to not only give him another shot, but to take him out on a date that night.

When they finally do fuck, it's unprotected, and they have absolutely no discussion about protection or birth control, before or after. I'm going to be honest, I don't normally care about safe sex in my stories, but I do in this case, for a few reasons. For one, Charlie had been haunted by how he'd fucked every woman in the vicinity for most of the book. But also, she wasn't on birth control, and he came inside her! What's more, it somehow doesn't even occur to her that he came inside her without birth control until after they had had sex two times already?? That strikes me as wildly unrealistic. AND earlier that day she had been agonizing over the fact that she still doesn't know where he stands on marriage and babies. These two haven't talked about ANYTHING at this point. Not their past, not their present. So, what does Charlie do? Nothing. She doesn't let Owen know that she's not on BC, she doesn't go to a fucking pharmacy and get Plan B like an adult, she doesn't talk to him about what is happening between them. She just decides not to think about it, and their sexual relationship continues with him coming inside her, totally unprotected.

This heroine started out so thoughtful and intelligent. Heaven forbid we have a heroine with brains and my respect, she's been slowly stripped of both. Soon after, Charlie casually violates attorney-client confidentiality - she had made a specific point to uphold that confidentiality earlier in the story, but I guess the dick makes her chatty because she actually brings it up unprompted now. Later that day, she decides to have that marriage/babies conversation with Owen's voicemail. Then, two days after they first sleep together and with no word on where they stand with each other, at all, she decides that it's silly for her to get her own place, and she should move in with Owen permanently! She has unwavering confidence in him, in them, based on nothing. It takes being stood up and conscious manipulation from the villain for Charlie to have any questions.

*The original breakup: Owen broke up with Charlie after 7-8 years together, I believe it was right after she graduated law school? At the time, he told her it's because he doesn't want to get married or have babies. He tells her he "wasn’t ready for a serious relationship and wanted to have fun." But, he explains in his present narrative that his actual reason was because he "wasn’t what she needed, and [he] wanted her to go find her own happiness." It's not explained what about him "wasn't what she needed", or how being with him kept her from "finding her own happiness". He also says that he regretted ending things with her the day he did it.

It's important to note that Charlie was not asking marriage or children at that time. As she tells it, "I didn’t demand a ring or a baby. All I wanted was a promise of a future together, to get serious about the next phase in our lives, and look for a place of our own to put down roots."

So anyway, they break up, and she is devastated. She eventually meets someone - the shitstain who cheats on her in the beginning of the book - and moves to NYC. Meanwhile, Owen fucks everything that moves. This is framed as his coping mechanism, because he cannot have the only girl that he really wants.

Not a lick of this adds up to me. He's with the same person for seven years, for half of high school and all of college, and they don't even go to the same schools, but somehow he's afraid of commitment? Or whatever the fuck not being "what she needed" and "want[ing] her to find her own happiness" is supposed to mean. The best I can tell, that's a fear of commitment, and it sounds pretty similar to the explanation he gave her, just framed to make him feel noble. How do you stay in a loving, committed relationship for seven years without considering a future with the person, and feel positively about it? How are you going to say you're "not ready for a serious relationship" after seven fucking years? Not only that, they had successfully weathered the storm of both the transition from high school to college, and the entirety of the college experience, and in different colleges no less. Those are some of the most vigorous tests of a relationship's strength and commitment that a couple can experience. How would this shit not have come up sooner?

Owen says that he wasn't ready to settle down. However Charlie had known this, and accepted it. She was down to wait until he was ready. And yet, he still broke it off, which necessarily sends a pretty clear message that he saw no future for the two of them.

And so, the only way I can rationalize this information is that Owen broke up with Charlie after seven years together because he wanted to sleep with other women. That's the only logical conclusion I can draw from any of this. It's unfortunate, and it kind of kills the sympathy when he talks about how he never stopped loving her, or how he felt he had to create a "playboy front" to hide his pain or some shit. It throws a wrench in his eternal love, martyr narrative he's pushing.

And, if Owen actually regretted breaking up with her right away, as he said over and over, why didn't he try to get her back at the time? He says something about her leaving town before he could, but Charlie apparently spent several months at her parents' house, barely surviving, in the aftermath of their breakup. It's not exactly like he was rushing out the door to catch the love of his life. To make things even worse, Charlie says that when she visited their hometown a year after their breakup, she was devastated to learn that he had slept with half the town in the meantime. Poor fucking Charlie had scarcely been able to even look at another man at that point.

So in sum, all signs point to our hero being totally full of dogshit. It's weird: this is a romance novel, and as such it's ostensibly designed to show true love, the real deal, right? So why does this whole book feel like it's pushing the agenda of some fuckhead that's trying to convince his girl that treating her like shit is actually an expression of true love?

This story got my hopes up, and then let them down. Still, I definitely want to read more from this author, as I really liked it in the beginning.

[Book Maniac Forever · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 "Defying Gravity" Stars ⭐️
I can’t get enough of the Dawson Family! Each new novel in this series has me so giddy with excitement! I was really curious about Owen’s second chance romance with Charlie, because I only knew the carefree twin always ready for a good time. Let’s just say that Owen Dawson is just so endearingly sweet and funny in his endless quest to steal Charlie’s heart again. With Fight Dirty, Emily Goodwin crafted an utterly flirty, swoon-worthy and amusing romance!

"I had no idea how fast I'd fall for her. How deeply I'd love her. How she'd become my whole moon and stars and reason for living. until she was gone."

Charlie is back in Eastwood after a bad breakup and crosses path with Owen, her first love. The old feelings resurface rapidly and she’s more than ever challenged by the man’s continuous little tricks to get her back. Owen uses of all his charm and one-liners to make her fall for him. As much as I loved his playful repartees, it’s when he shows he true self with thoughtful actions that he charmed me entirely. The sparks are present in their every interaction and I just wanted to see them get their happily ever after.

I really enjoyed the story, but I expected something different, maybe more angsty. I felt their reunion was too easy for a second chance romance and they don’t really approach the subject of their breakup that much. Otherwise, the feel this book gave me was fantastic and I couldn’t get enough of all the Dawsons and their engaging interactions. This family is so entertaining!

"I want to fuck her. But I want to love her more."

Fight Dirty is without a doubt a very enjoyable novel that will steal your heart! Emily Goodwin has a special ability to create the most gorgeous small town romances! Grab your copy of this delightful story, you won’t regret it!

** ARC received in exchange for an honest review **

[Amy [Book Addict Reviews] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t think I could love the Dawson family more than I already do, but Owen Dawson stole my heart, along with Charlie. I would give this story a million stars if I could.

Owen, Logan’s identical twin, the only single Dawson and a self-proclaimed player, lost the only girl he ever loved and regretted it from the moment it happened, but it was what he thought was best. If he could get her back, he would and he wouldn’t be afraid to fight dirty to do it.

Charlie, oh how I love her. When she told off her ex-fiance I was instantly rooting for the girl! She left her job at a NYC law firm and her apartment to move back to Eastwood and moved back in with her parents and working for her fathers law firm.

One thing about being back in her small town, running into Owen. The man who completely shattered her heart. Will she be willing to give him a second chance? Will she believe he changed?

Owen and Charlie quickly became my favorite couple out of the entire Dawson family series. I loved their second chance at romance. Owen and Charlie had perfect chemistry. Their banter was on point, their relationship was sweet, it was steamy, made me laugh a few times and it was everything you could ask for. Owen is willing do anything to prove he has changed, that he does want more. He is swoon-worthy and the way he takes care of his nephew and nieces?! It’s so sweet and no one could resist his charm, especially Charlie.

I love the continuing glimpses we get of the rest of the Dawson crew and how meddling they are when it came to Owen and Charlie, especially Quinn! I love the Dawson Family and I did not want this book to end. I don’t think I am ready to say goodbye to this family.

Fight Dirty can be read as a standalone, but the entire series is MUST READ!

[Kari Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie and Owen were high school sweethearts, but she wanted more from their relationship than he did, so they went their separate ways. While in law school she met Todd, a fellow law student, and she believed she had found her perfect partner both personally and professionally. Although moving to NY wasn’t her first choice, she was willing to build a life with him there until she realized their relationship was one-sided so she moved back to Eastwood, her hometown.

It wasn’t long after Owen broke up with Charlie that he realized he lost the best thing to ever happen to him. He has never forgotten her or found another woman that he wanted to see more than once. From the first time they see each other again the connection and chemistry is stronger than ever but will Owen be able to convince her that he is not the man who broke her heart and that it is finally their time?

It is always fun to return to the dynamics of the Dawson family and their characters. Hot chemistry, humorous banter and a second chance all combine into a heartwarming romance that will touch your heart.

[Vanessa (nessreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Fight Dirty is the fifth book in the Dawson Family series and can be read as a standalone.

There was a time when Owen and Charlie had it good, but that’s until Owen broke it off unexpectedly. Though Owen never got past his love for Charlie and he regrets ever breaking her heart. And now that Charlie is back home, Owen will stop at nothing to show Charlie he’s changed and that he wants her back.

Charlie is back in Eastwood after a bad breakup. She crosses paths with her first love, Owen. Old feelings resurface, but the past hurt is still there for Charlie. She tries to put on a good fight, but Owen’s charm and determination will have something to say about that.

Owen and Charlie will have you rooting for them and their second chance. These two were adorably cute. And they were definitely easy to root for.

Fight Dirty was a fast paced and low on angst read. A sweet second chance romance filled with adorable and swoony moments. Also, it was good to catch up with the rest of the Dawson family. An enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book*

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Book. Was. Awesome.

I mean, I could leave that as my review. It would totally capture every thought I had with total accuracy. But I'll expand on things a little.

This one is a slow burn. Like, slow. BUT Emily Goodwin does a great job of building the tension, making you feel their chemistry, and really getting you primed and ready for that first explosive encounter. And man is it hot!

Owen is... he's a sweetheart. Plain and simple. Throughout this series, we have seen him as the fun, maybe immature, sex-crazed, player of a brother to all of the Dawson siblings. But in this one, we get the real Owen. The changed Owen. We see the Owen that Charlie needed the first time they were together.

And while you literally can't stop yourself from falling for Owen, Charlie is equally as awesome. Coming off of a cheating ex-fiance, she's ready to get settled on her own again, back in her home town, to mend her heart. She doesn't wallow in self-pity, for long, and she's strong and determined to get back on her feet and make a life for herself on her own.

But, fate, and some meddling sibs-in-law, have other plans!

This slow burner was insanely cute, sweet, and perfect. It was so well written and I loved everything about this book and the feels it brought out.

[Ashley Estep The Art of Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Dawsons! I wish this series would last forever! Fight Dirty is a second chance romance that will just make you swoon, and leave you begging for more!

Owen Dawson is Eastwood's most eligible bachelor, and Charlie Williams is the girl he wants. But also the girl he crushed all those years ago. Owen claims he never wants to fall in love and have a family, but is that the truth or does he only want it with the one person he can never have again?.

Charlie decides to move back to Eastwood and leave New York after finding out her fiance cheated on her. Moving back in with her parents and working at her dad's law firm is not idea but sometimes things happen for a reason.


Owen and Charlie still have amazing chemistry and the attraction is still there. The rough end to their past relationship is definitely still on Charlie's mind but Owen is determined to prove to her he has changed and wants nothing more than to be with her.

Fight Dirty has everything we have come to expect and love in an Emily Goodwin book, and Dawson Family novel. I couldn't stop reading this book but never wanted it to end. This is a fantastic read I could not put down. We all knew that when the right girl came long Owen Dawson would fall and he would fall hard, and she would have to be absolutely amazing to make him fall. Charlie is everything that Owen needed in his a person.

What a bittersweet book to read, Owen's story marks the end of the Dawson Family. Yes, he is the last one! I absolutely love this series and Fight Dirty was such an amazing way to the end series. All the stars for Fight Dirty, and Emily Goodwin!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've seen my previous reviews for this series, then you know I'm completely invested in the Dawson family. And once again the Dawson Family unit is a character in and of itself that brings so much to the story. Their gatherings are full of chaos in the best way, I'd love to be apart of the mess. Readers get to see the charming and ridiculous antics of Owen in the first four books, and I was so looking forward to seeing him change his manwhore ways. The chemistry between Owen and Charlie is as hot as ever, and it made for one fun ride. His single-minded pursuit is just so appealing to me as a romance reader, but I also love how his confidence slips at times making him more realistic. I was just so happy at the end of this book, and I'd definitely recommend it!

Now my fellow Dawson family readers, have we started a petition for Dean's divorce and new love story yet?! Why yes, that sounds like a horrible sentiment, but his wife has just kind of sucked in every book, and I just feel like Dean, being a Dawson, deserves so much more. Only time will tell if Emily Goodwin will give us all what we're hoping for!

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owen Dawson is Eastwood's most eligible bachelor. He could have any woman he wants but only ever had had eyes for one. Charlie Williams. But he blew his chance with her years ago, and now is trying to convince everyone - including himself that the playboy life is for him. 

Charlie packed her bags, and moved back home from New York after discovering that her fiance had been cheating on her, with someone from the same law firm they both worked at. Now she's determined to try and put her life back together, and stay away from men. And that includes her first love, Owen.

While Charlie is trying to avoid romance, and the old feelings that Owen stirs in her, Owen wants to prove to Charlie that he is a changed man, and try to win her back. Will he get a second chance with the one that got away?

I dived right into this book, and couldn't put it down the moment I picked it up. Diving back in to the Dawson family was exactly what I needed. Owen has always been a favorite of mine with his arrogant attitude and playboy ways, and I was so glad I finally got more than just little glimpses into his character. This was a small-town second-chance romance and a perfect summer time read. If you love small towns, second chances, crazy-big-loving-families arrogant Playboy's, and sassy females this book is perfect for you! Charlie was sassy, had drive and was determined- going out and becoming a lawyer in NYC before returning back to Eastwood. But on top of all that she was relatable, and I adored that about her. These two were made for each other. I loved returning back to the crazy Dawson family and getting glimpses of everyone's lives after their books finished up. And I loved Owen and Charlie's book so much! 5⭐ out of 5⭐.

[Danielle S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore second-chance romances!

Owen & Charlie had it good once, that is until Owen broke it off unexpectedly.

Charlie spent the next phase of her life in NYC with her fiancé. The lying, cheating dirtbag. Going back home was exactly what she needed after dumping his ass.

Owen (the charming twin of Logan Dawson) has never gotten past his love for Charlie, regret has eaten at him since the day he broke her heart. Now that he’s ready for his HEA he’ll stop at nothing to make Charlie realize he’s changed.

They are the cutest couple!! I absolutely loved their banter and sexy flirting! Such an easy love to route for!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Williams and Owen Dawson we’re high school sweethearts, and went off to college together but when Charlie announced she was ready for greater commitment, Owen panicked and things ended. Now, years later, Charlie has ended things with her fiancé and is leaving NYC to move back to her home town. Charlie is still hurt by the way Owen ended things, but Owen is certain of one thing. He has to get Charlie back.

I’ve read these books about the Dawson’s and I love them all, but I think this one might be my favorite. A second chance romance packed with an all- American family and tons of chemistry.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five cheers (and stars) for Owen & Charlie!! Their second chance is perfectly paced, full of fun banter and swoony goodness, and was a quick, page turning read for me! I absolutely fell in love w/ Owen's sense of humor in Logan & Danielle's story, but wasn't a fan of some of his other personality traits. Those are explained & not an issue in his own story, which made me happy. Heh.

I love the way both Owen & Charlie are w/ their nieces & nephews, and just the whole family dynamic I fell in love with in Cheap Trick as well. This was just an entertaining, low angst, fun read!! : )

[Jennifer D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love second chance romances and seeing Owen get his! It is obvious that Charlie and Owen never got over each other but the past hurt is still there for Charlie. Charlie puts up a good fight and I loved how determined Owen was not to let his second chance slip through his hands. They really are perfect for each other and their HEA is so sweet. Another great Dawson Family love story! Hoping for one more from Emily... 😊

I received an advanced copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Janet Hammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so wanna be a Dawson. I absolutely love this family. Their banter is so entertaining. They send you through all the emotions. I laugh, cry and get so freaking mad when I read a Dawson Family story. I have loved Owen through out the whole series. He was my most anticipated book of this series. And I have to say the wait to get his story was soooooo worth it. Emily pulled me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. highly Recommend this series.

[Michella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great second chance story. I loved the banter between Owen and Charlie as well as their chemistry. I enjoyed catching up with the Dawson family. Definitely a great addition to this series.

[Jenny B · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delight of a read that was packed with the angst and the feels. I felt the story had a great story line and kept a great flow/pace to the read that was easy to devour in one sitting.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title didn't fit the story but I liked it anyway.