Fight Dirty

Black Rose Kisses #1

by Eva Ashwood

𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.

My father broke that rule.

Now he owes the notorious Black Roses a favor, and to make sure he pays up, they’re taking me as collateral. Until Dad completes whatever job they gave him, three gang members will be my keepers.

Sloan, Rory, and Levi.

The boss’s son.
The man with a secret.
The flame from my past.

They’re all dominant, cocky, and hot as hell, and I know from personal experience that one of them is a damn good lay.

But none of that matters. They shouldn’t be allowed to run people’s lives like this, and I don’t plan on letting them get away with it. If they’re looking for a pawn in their little game, these guys picked the wrong girl.

Because my dad raised me to be a fighter.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆.

𝘍𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘮 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴-𝘵𝘰-𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Dark Romance, Why Choose, Dark, Contemporary, New Adult

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2020

About the author

Eva Ashwood has been a reader her whole life and a writer for several years. She loves telling stories of alpha males and the fierce women who bring them to their knees.

She's a sucker for reverse harem, bully romance, enemies to lovers, heroes who redeem themselves, and all the drama and passion of new adult love.

Reviews

[Blendy]

Nope.

I made it 53% into this book before I just couldn't anymore. That sucks too because this one started off soooooo damn good!

I realized awhile back, after reading a series that I was really enjoying, that I have a huge issue/trigger with characters and the way they treat their parents...dads especially. I actually stopped reading a series that I FREAKING LOVED, because I could NOT stand how the FMC totally blew her dad off for some fucking dudes. Not cool.

The FMC in this one doesn't blow her dad off, per se, but the fact that she was CONSTANTLY "oh my God, these boys are just soooo hot and my body betrays me whenever they are around and just gets so wet for them" about the boys who physically hurt her dad....well....it didn't sit well with me. I get that a person being good looking is a thing, but are people really THAT fucking superficial??? Gross. Look, if I saw people physically assault/hurt/beat-up/threaten to kill my dad?!? Yeah...I don't care if they just walked out of my deepest, hottest, fantasy--my inner monologue is going to be a lot less "oh gosh...they're so hot" and a lot more, "Oh gosh...they're so dead!"

I totally get that this is a book and of course we have to have some build up between the MC and her harem, but that doesn't mean that the MC needs to sound like a vapid idiot. Sure, have some internal conflict where you recognize that your body is responding to these men, but also woman TF up and let your body know that it ain't gonna happen. Like I said, this particular scenario is a thing for me, and treating parents like shit will be a DNF for me every time.

Needless to say, I will not be continuing with this one.

[Carola · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5* The book started of good and I enjoyed reading it till the last part. Then the story turned a way I really didn’t like.
I have a feeling which way the series is going, it’s a way most writers choose to go but it’s so obvious that I know I’m not going to like. However, because the characters are something I like in this book, I’ve decided to keep continue reading this series.

[Miss · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. After watching a bunch of guys beat up my dad and force him to do an unspecified but potentially dangerous and illegal job and then being kept by them as collateral, I really doubt that their sexiness would dominate my thoughts. Unlike this woman. Silly character who had very few redeeming qualities.

[Cat H · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6 stars.
So far I’m really liking all of these characters.
Well. Maybe not ‘liking’ all of them. But I’m interested in finding out more about all of them.
I really wish this series was multi POV. I wanna know what’s in all the guys’ heads so fucking bad….

[llgx · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like reading about young KARENS you'll love this book.

Please note I only read up to 35% before giving up on the story.

With that being said, the writing style is good but the main character is bat-shit crazy. Imagine the pre-evolution of a Karen and you have the girl "Mercy." The guys are fairly nice and fall into the typical trope of the bad boy, the flirt, and the quiet one. Unlike other RH romances where the guy ACTUALLY does something to piss the girl off, the guys here don't really do anything wrong. They're polite, give her a lot of freedom despite being collateral for her father, feed her whatever she wants, and gives her access to the whole house. The only "rule" they really have is that they need to keep watch of her FROM A DISTANCE so she doesn't run away. Pretty fair in my opinion.

And HERE'S THE KAREN PART. (May have some mild spoilers) This girl plays the victim/prisoner card way too often! She ignores facts and holds her father on such a high pedestal of 'goodness,' that she practically disregards any fault her father played in his deal with the notorious gang. despite the fact that the father even acknowledges that he willingly refused to throw a fight that he AGREED to throw for the gang and is the reason why they are in this mess. She is so focused on hating her 'wardens' that she often mentions how much she hates them or how they are forever the 'bad-guys.' Surprisingly enough, the author kind of highlights how KAREN this girl is when one of the main male characters throwing out some serious logic (how he was amazed that she WILLINGLY volunteered herself to be collateral because her dad tried to fuck over the gang, and how it was admirable since she didn't have to do that). But instead of accepting that she just angry and claimed that she was the hostage (or something stupid like that).

Honestly if 3 sexy guys let me live in a mansion with my own ensuite bathroom, large bedroom, expensive mattress, stacked gym, all the food I could ever want, freedom to see my friends, ability to go to school, and were nothing but polite to me. I wouldn't mind being a 'prisoner.'

But... yeah, that's my take.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, another amazing start to a series by Eva Ashwood. This book had me from page one and the suspense never stopped. We meet Mercy after her father decides to throw one of his fights only for Mercy to be the one to suffer for it. She is taken as collateral by the Black Rose Gang until her father is able to fix what he has broken. So many questions, so much suspense and the sexual tension with her captors is off the charts! Can't wait to see what Mercy has in store for Sloan, Rory and Levi next.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, she hates them and yet she does it with them. Her back and forth is frustrating and the plot is predictable.

[nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok wow that ending really was something🤯🤯🤯

[Lemon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: 3.5/5 • Smut: 3.5/5 —————-> the gang members, one girl up for collateral to save her father. Ends on a cliffy. Smut was mid.

[Dani (books and blankets) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Woow! What just happened??! 😯
I can't believe this! There's something I'm missing, something I don't know about that I'll find out in book 2. Because my heart won't agree with what i just read, smh.

Mercy's Dad gets into trouble with the wrong people and she is caught in the middle.

She's stuck with Sloan, Levi and Rory. She's furious, upset, confused, and worried about her dad and everything that's happening. On top of that these guys are driving her crazy. In a good and bad way... She hates them but she can't resist them either... Oh, the steam.... 😜

Her feelings are all over the place... Then... Something happens that leaves me mouth opened shocked! And with that comes our good friend cliffhanger. 😭
Very enjoyable read, can't wait to read the next book!

[CeCe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mercy already had a one night stand with one of the three guys, Levi, before the story even started Mercy also knew the Levi was in a gang when they had sex.
Mercy’s father was supposed to throw a fight which he did not, so they kidnap her.
Mercy is just angry all the time. Her father is no angel.
I was not able to connect because Mercy does not think. Her anger controls her.
The verbiage feels forced. Mercy’s anger felt as if her character had to be written that way just so she would appear like a strong character.
DNF.
You may love it. Reading is subjective.

[Autumn Miller ~ autumnbookreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 26%
This book just ended up not being for me. I tried to get into it and I struggled. I wasn’t connecting with the characters and the plot wasn’t gripping me. Maybe I’ll try it again later but it’s just not for me right now

[BLuvsBooks]

In a book slump so picked this up just for an easy read. Story was just ok. Skimmed some.

RH. Single POV.

[alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Fight Dirty☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´

🎶 “Gonna learn to fight dirty, ain't no-one gonna hurt me. I'll soon know every trick of the trade. Gonna play crooked poker, yes I'll be the big joker.” 🎶

When her father breaks the wrong rule, his debt to the Black Roses comes due and Mercy(h) becomes the collateral. Three of the gang’s most dangerous men are assigned to keep her in line: Sloan, the boss’s son, Rory, the man with secrets, and Levi, the flame from her past. They think she is just a pawn to be controlled. Mercy is about to prove she is a fighter who bows to no one.

—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ﾟ｡´THOUGHTS ﾟ☁︎｡`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—

I know some people don’t like that Mercy was attracted to Sloan, Rory, and Levi after everything that happened with her dad, but come on, she already slept with Levi before all of that and they had history. While she could hate them or try to, she is still human. She can acknowledge when someone is attractive, and these guys definitely are. It is not her fault for having eyes. Not too much on my girl though. She is fierce, protective, and still willing to risk herself to protect her dad, even if it means being collateral damage. Why can’t she have a little fun in the process? I am all in for this. Yes, Mercy!!!!

[Sloan]

“So, Sloan and Mercy were fucking in the locker room,” he says mildly.

“They were what?”

“Fucking. Probably. When I walked in they were making out like a couple of horny teenagers at the prom.”

Sloan absolutely hates that he wants her, and that makes every moment between them even better. He is attracted to her but can’t bring himself to see her as anything more than an enemy, so he despises the fact that he feels even a hint of affection toward her. He is possessive in that quiet, dangerous way, convinced that she isn’t for anyone else but him and his group. For some reason, I don’t actually think he killed her dad. I have a feeling Levi told Sloan to do something that made it look real, maybe as part of a setup to help her dad escape. It just felt too intentional, too staged, like it was meant to seem convincing.

[Rory]

“I just came up to ask what kind of stuff you want for the kitchen,” he answers. “Since you’ll probably be here for a while, I figured I’d make sure you have some things you like. You know, snacks, coffee, tea, that sort of stuff?”

I love his personality. 💌💘❤️💗 He is so charming but still takes business seriously. He’s playful and protective of his friend group, flirty but knows when it’s time to get serious. He’s a dad, and it absolutely melted me. He was so sweet with his daughter, and every moment between them was adorable. It was honestly the cutest thing ever. GIRL DAD RORY. 🥺💗💌🤍

[Levi]

“Look, I’m not thrilled about it either,” Levi says with a sigh. “There are other things I could be doing. But it is what it is, so you’re my baby for as long as this situation lasts, I guess.”

He wants her and has wanted her since the very first time they were together. He kissed her and admitted it, and now he just watches when she kisses the others, but you can tell he wants his own chance with her too. Levi wishes he could do more to help Mercy, but at this point Sloan has the final say. All Levi can offer are kind words and false promises that Mercy wants to believe but can’t fully trust. She also can’t be sure that Levi didn’t know something about what she saw Sloan do to her father, and that doubt lingers between them.

—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ﾟ｡´OVERALLﾟ☁︎｡`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—

Eva is one of my favorite authors, so anything she writes I eat up. The writing style, the way she develops each character, and how we slowly get to know everyone’s personality in the group is just so good. The tension between Mercy and all of them is perfect, especially as she starts to let her guard down and wants something more even though she knows she shouldn’t because she is not there willingly. Everything about it is entertaining. She is not a doormat either. She is flirty, confident, and knows how to use what she has, and honestly, she deserves a little fun if she is going to be the collateral in all of this. It is good, and I am fully here for it.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay.... what was that ending because I was not expecting that at all. How could Sloan do that

I am absolutely loving this first book in the series and cannot wait to dive into the next one. I like that they have never portrayed Mercy as meek and that she just owns who she is and while the circumstances of how she goes to live with the guys is not ideal they don't treat her like a prisoner. I love her relationship with her Dad and how he will do anything for her.

Out of all the guys Levi and Rory were my favourites and Sloan... well I will let you make your own decision on him.

[Bianca Souza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just couldn't connect with it, too predictable and not a lot of things happening.
I tried to start reading the next one but I decided that it was best to stop.

[Cheryl Sedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god this book has totally floored me and blew my head away. This book is action packed from the beginning when we meet Mercy at her dad fight. From here we see things go crazy and take you on some mad twisted ride. We get to meet Sloan, Rory and Levi who take Mercy at collateral. Mercy had met Levi a year before at a party and had many steamy moments with him, so it makes it hard to want to be in their place and have them follow her around. And with Rory's flirting can Mercy stick to her plan and not fall for the guys. Only time will tell once you pick up this bad ass book, because omg your gonna be floored with the wicked read. Especially with the crazy cliffhanger ending that will leave you shocked and needing book two pretty quickly.

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent start to this series, great characters and brilliant storylines

[Missy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fight Dirty is about Mercy. All she has in this world is her father. He just so happens to be a fighter. He has taught her a lot over the years. How to throw a punch, how to survive and how to badass. One night after one of her fathers fights, he gets ambushed. By none other than members from the Black Rose gang. A gang known for being ruthless. She has no idea why her father could have anything to do with them. But she knows that she will do anything to protect him however she can. That is how she finds herself stuck with three gorgeous deadly men. One just so happens to be a previous hookup from the year before. One just so happens to be the bosses son, and another a man so big he defines the definition brick wall. They are there to keep an eye on her, she is there to learn whatever she can to take them down. Let the games begin.


I absolutely fell in love with this book. I am a huge fan of Eva anyway, but man this book may just become one of my favorites for all time. Loving the female lead and her men. Mercy is loyal, strong, is not afraid to speak her mind and takes what she wants. She can take care of herself mentally and physically. Honestly I think the guys, Roy, Sloan and Levi. Each with different personalties that are rough around the edges. It takes someone just like Mercy to handle them. But also someone has to be strong to be able to handle Mercy.

The plot was very interesting I thought. It is her dad who is a fighter, she steps in to help him. She is smart, logical, although there are moments where she does actually act like a girl, instead straight kick your ass hard. The pace was fast, before I knew it I was done. So engrossed in my kindle, I do not even think I lifted my head once until I was finished.

Also there is a cliffy, but not terribly bad. To me it just sets us up for book two, which has a hella good name. So overall, I think that this series could very well jump to my favorite from Eva, and added to my top 10 list.

[Clare Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her dad is her everything. He's not just her father, but her hero and best friend all rolled into one.

When she has to choose to help him, or walk away it's not something she needs to think about no matter the situation.

Now she's forced to live with three members of the black roses gang until further notice.

Will she be treated like a prisoner or a princess ...?

Wowsers! What a fantastic start to a new series!

We are introduced to three key players in the Black Roses gang. They are not a group of men that I would want to get on the wrong side of that's for sure!

Sloan is the highest in command being the son of the leader. He's cold, callous and indifferent most of the time.

Rory is the complete opposite. He's warm and fuzzy, funny and genuine, and has amazing fighting skills.

Levi seems to be somewhat inbetween. He's the one member I didn't get much of a read on. But don't for one second underestimate him.

Together they have the ability to be your worst nightmare should the need arise. Don't be fooled by their antics and masks. They are not sweetness and light, they are whatever the gang needs them to be. It's as simple as that.

Mercy is amazing. She's tough and resilient, whilst soft and pliable too. Her mind is razor sharp whilst her body on point.

This is the start to something that is going to be deep, dark, and dangerous with a healthy measure of sauce I can't wait for more!

Eva Ashwood never fails to bring the goods, and once again she's got me desperate for more of her words!

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book: Fight Dirty
Read By: Ebook and Audio
Author: Eva Ashwood
Narrator: Cassandra Medcalf
Genre: Reverse Harem, Dark Romance
Main Characters: Mercy, Levi, Sloan and Rory
Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️️ 🌶️️ 🌶️️ 🌶️️
Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years
My feelings:

Im very much a member of the “If Eva Ashwood writes it then ill read it club”.
I love love love Reverse Harem and anything either College based or around that age frame.

I read Dirty broken Savages before anything else she wrote, and meet these Mcs along that journey. So I do know the outcome, however I still wanna go along for the ride to see how they got there.

I have fallen madly in love with Mercy, she is such a badass! I really hope she doesn’t lose it along the way. I want her to be able to hold her won right to the bitter end.

My predictions for book 2 will be that her dad faked his death with Sloans help, and that Sloan will kill his father and take over the black roses….. This is my prediction for now.

[Annie (_anniereadsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we go with another amazing series. Bravo, Eva Ashwood.

In Fight Dirty we meet Mercy who is a badass heroine who is strong physically and mentally. She knows how to fight and not take shit from people. She’s being held as collateral by three hot alphas (Sloan, Levi, and Rory) until her dad can pay back the Black Rose gang.

The characters have great chemistry and are explosive when they get together. Seriously, the locker room scene. *fans face* hot.

This is a good first book to introduce all of the characters. You get to know Rory in this book the most out of all of the guys. You get little snips of Levi, too. But him and Sloan are still pretty mysterious. But Rory, oh man... Eva did a great job at writing a dream guy. 😍🤤

So much happens in this book, but it’s fast paced and won’t want to put the book down until it’s over. And when it’s over....the cliffhanger! Seriously cannot wait for book 2 and to see where this story goes!

[Siobhan (Bookish Vibes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I went in blind with Fighting Dirty, I had no idea what it was about and didn't read the blurb beforehand but once I started reading I could not stop. I was completely addicted and read it all in one sitting.

Mercy has to move in with Levi, Rory and Sloan temporarily while her dad works off a debt he owes their gang. I must admit I wasn't a huge fan of Mercy. It annoyed me how quickly she forgot she was going to find out something about the guys to use as blackmail to get her dad back and instead was all about how she couldn't resist them. But other than that I really enjoyed the story with all of the banter, the suspense and the steam.

If you like new adult reverse harem, gangs, enemies-to-lovers then you are sure to enjoy this book. This is the first book in the series and with the cliffhanger ending I am definitely going to need to read more!

[Addicted 2 📖 · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️1/2

This was ok. Mercy likes to proclaim she’s the boss of herself, but reading on (more like skimming again)she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. I fail to find any great qualities about her except her ability to box.

Here’s one example of a dumb comment she makes, after hooking up with one of the guys and realizing another may of heard them since his room is right by hers:
“I’m not ashamed of it, of course, and no one made him listen to us if that’s the case, but it feels odd.”WHAT??!!

And this alleged cliffhanger? Too much inner dialogue occurred and action after what should have been the cliffhanger.

But again - being the pathetic reader needing to know what happens, I’ll skim the other books just to waste more of my time and satisfy my curiosity. 🫣

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva has done it again! Seriously, she does RH so well, I have loved all of them. We meet Mercy at a fighting ring where her dad is a key fighter. He does something that makes the black roses gang very angry and because of that Mercy is taken as collateral to keep dad on the straight and narrow. Levi, Sloan, and Rory are some of the men from the gang and are who Mercy will be “guarded” by. She has a past with Levi and a deep attraction to all 3 men.

I love a MFC who can hold her own in a boxing ring and kick butt and Mercy is that. Of the guys Rory’s playfulness has me wanting more of him lol. I’m coming around to Levi and Sloan is still just a giant moody PITA lol.

That cliffhanger though! Why you gotta do is like this Eva?! Lol. It is intense and jaw dropping. Can’t wait to see what book 2 has in store for us.

[queen_of_the_books_18 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well fuck.

I should learn to search when the next book in the series is out when I start a new series so I’m not sat here shouting about the epic fucking cliffhanger and having to wait until January for the next book!

Eva Ashwood once again proved why she is amazing at writing RH books.

I didn’t know anything about Fight Dirty, I went in blind and I couldn’t put it down!

A gang, RH romance that will leave you on the edge of your seat, with sex scenes that will leave you squirming and a cliffhanger that will make you want to hunt the author down.

If you love
💙Alpha guys
💙Gangs
💙RH
💙A kick ass heroine that knows how to fight
💙twists and turns you didn’t see coming

Then this series is the one for you!

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good.

This book caught me off guard, after a bit of a book slump I really found myself invested in this when I was having trouble showing interest in anything other than my tried and true favorites. I listened to the audio book, and I feel if I hadn’t I would have finished it much quicker. The characters are not as well developed as other books I’ve read but they still drew me in and made me care about them. It is a four book series so it does leave room to really expand in detail on the boys characters. I’m hoping these next installments will really flesh out the dynamic between them as well as give me more to draw me in. Overall i really enjoyed this read.

[Shawna Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

❣Listened on Audible❣
This is one of those stories where right from the get go your hooked and can't stop listening. The voice is perfect for Mercy. The characters drew me in and when they got mad I caught myself getting mad🤣 I had to tell myself to calm down its just a book! This story captivated me and I can't wait to continue reading to find out what the heck is going to happen next because of course that cliffhanger left me wanting more!!

[liv wilkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay so this definitely just confirmed gang boys > mafia boys. gang boys have my heart, we all know how much i loved the million dollar man/chasing his queen duology. cliffhanger SO good, literally mouth on the floor. what i did take points away for was the fact that she had romance with ALL THREE. just choose one?? but overall the main girl was so so awesome plus rory and levi have my whole heart

[Sunshine Moontime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fizzy little book brings a lot of heat. It is as ridiculous as all RH books are, but the author set a great pace and did not make emotional torture the central driver for the story. Yay! I like the female protagonist. She’s a scrapper, y’all. 🔥

Spice level is pretty tame, but excellent tension. Ends on a cliffhanger. Will definitely look for he next book.