Title: Below The Belt
Series: Worth The Fight Book #3
Author: Sidney Halston
Genre: Romance
Blurb: Sidney Halston’s latest sizzling MMA romance, a former title contender turns the tables on his knockout trainer with a lesson in seduction.
Once one of the most sought-after names on the mixed martial arts circuit, Antonio “Scarface” Marino watched his career go down for the count as he chased skirts and made tabloid headlines. Now he’s finally making a comeback, and it’s all thanks to Francesca Silva, a Brazilian bombshell as tough as any of her fighters. But who’s the real Francesca: the trash-talking trainer who rides him hard, or the vulnerable woman who blushes at his touch?
Francesca went to the mat to sign Tony because she believes he still has the potential to bring big success to her gym—if she can keep his head in the cage and out of her personal life. After a short-lived marriage soured her on love, a one-night stand is all she can handle. Now Tony’s kisses are stirring up complicated feelings—especially when he agrees to face her ex in the ring. Francesca’s used to freezing guys out. But Tony’s tempting her to give in to the heat.
Thoughts: Having followed this series from the very first book, Against The Cage, I was excited to jump back into this MMA series. I LOVE MMA books, and this series is an amazing one. I was also excited to see a little bit more of these two characters, who we have seen the sparks between for some time. I also was excited to perhaps see a different side to these characters, and while that did happen, for me there seemed to be no middle ground. Tony either seemed to be the brash, cocky character we know and love or the slightly whipped fighter that keeps getting his balls handed to him by Francesca, and Francesca the super b*&$% that busts men’s balls on a daily basis, or this super vulnerable woman that has let one instance rule her behavior for years. It’s either one extreme or the other. I liked both sides to their character, but I felt like they were constantly swinging from one extreme to the other. While I liked this book, it wasn’t my favorite of the series. Neither were these my favorite characters.
For those of you unfamiliar with the series, I don’t think it necessarily has to be read in order, but I think that to get the best outlook on these characters it is probably best to do so. Of course, I liked the other two a bit better so I recommend them simply so you can get a better idea of the author’s work and don’t judge it based solely one book – be it this book or one of the others. Each one has been great in its own right for different reasons, and each has had a different ‘feel’ or tone to it. Personally, Full Contact, the second book in the series has been my favorite so far – but I am excitedly looking forward to more from this series!
Rate: B-
