KNOCK OUT

KNOCK OUT                                              MICHELE MANNON
Posted:  Jan. 21, 2014

  Logan Rettino never imagined she'd fall so far. Dropped by her ex on national TV, she's gone from prima ballerina to ring card girl, reduced to revving up the crowds before MMA bouts. However distasteful she finds her new job, it pays well…and she needs the money if she's ever going to rebuild her life. Promised a huge bonus if she can convince a brooding, gifted welterweight to keep fighting, she'll do whatever it takes to earn his trust.

Keane O'Shea is unbeatable in the octagon. A former marine, he fights with a ruthlessness no gym jockey can match. He knows his brutal strength is too much for the delicate ex-ballerina, regardless of how fascinating he finds Logan's tight dancer's body. But one private performance and he's drawn to her in a way he can't—or won't—resist.

As Logan discovers the heartbreaking truth that lies beneath this handsome warrior's rage, she'll need to forfeit everything she thought mattered for the one thing that matters the most: saving Keane from himself.

MY REVIEW:

     Logan Rettino should have been dancing at Lincoln Center in a ballet, any ballet.  Instead, due to lies told by her ex Pierre, who talked her into a ridiculous reality TV show.  She was now an Octagon Girl.  What’s that you ask?  She would be better known as the number card girl or the ring girl for MMA.  To make it worse the ex-drops her on TV.  Now telling everyone who will listen the real reason he broke up with her is that when she broke her ankle dancing with him during a lift, it was because her breast were so large no one could see past them to catch her. 

     When really he made an error during the lift and dropped her shattering her ankle where she now has a metal plate.  Therefore, being told she can never dance again professionally.  Losing her job with the dance company, getting behind on her rent and medical bills all because of him.  But she swears to get even.  She really needs this job with the MMA, it pays so well that with just four days she is almost out of debt.  Which is a great relief.

     There’s a problem she works for an ass better known as “Ol’ Squirrel.”  He has been on her about not showing up on time so at the very next fight she’s coming off the ramp when the next fighter, Keane “Boom-Yay” O’Shea, well really she falls into his arms, no, no, really she was thrown in his arms.  Anyway, when she lands not only is she grateful she is awed by his eyes, size and his beauty that she can’t stop herself she leans forward and kisses him.

     At that moment millions of flashes go off.  One because Ballerina Girl/Card Girl just kiss the surliest fight known to man.  Keane is surprise because he can’t believe this little spit of a thing is not afraid of him for one thing, the other is why?  So, instead of just dropping her on her feet he slides her the length of his body to scare her off.  I think it scared him more.  He goes into the ring and before you know it 7 seconds later he had knocked out the guy.  He’s not happy like a normal fighter would be he is meaner looking.  As he is coming down the ramp out of the ring he sees Jerry (Squirrel) manhandling Logan and he’s not happy.

     Things get out of hand because Squirrel wants him to meet with the press.  Which Keane never does they have words.  Keane throws his sweat towel at him, in the face.  Logan tries every which way she can to keep from laughing but for once Squirrel is getting his.  Then she can spot and now it’s a rip roaring barrel laugh Squirrel tells her she’s fired and goes to grab her on the arm again and she flinches Keane sees that ask if Squirrel did it just by her face he knew he did.  So, he quit.

     Logan’s in a panic she needs her job so she makes a pack with the devil or Squirrel (same thing.)  To get Keane back to fight she has 2 weeks to get it done.  Now she has to find him…So it begins.

     I thought overall this was a really good story.  I loved the characters a lot.  My only problem and why I gave it 4 stars is there were several times for me where it got to wordy.  Saying some of the same information already told again, got old.

     I started spacing out it was like an overload.  I like that being an ex-ballerina the audience would naturally assume she would be meek.  Not the case with Logan.  She is a spitfire, FYI my daughter is a ballerina along with her friends, and they can put most boys sport workouts to shame.  It was nice she gave her tenacity to keep going when everything is going crazy around her.  She does not run when she finds out about Keane’s PTSD that he doesn’t believe he has.  Good story just would like to have seen more talking to each other and less in their heads.  Just when I was about to give up hope that these two would get together the author pulls out the HEA.  In a way though at the end it felt like it could have happened at least 60 pages earlier.  Also, it might have been better had the author used a different name for the female during this story it took me about half of the book the get it set in my head that it was a girl because I keep forgetting it is not being used as a guy’s name.  I really did like it, I did.  Provided by netgalley.com