Review: Exactly What I Expected!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 23, 2014
Bastian and Raine have been rescued from the island and are now living in Miami, however nowhere near the beach much to his dismay.  Due to his lack of personality and like of others, the island was nothing less than spectacular for Bastian.  He loved it and now wishes that is where he was, instead of some condo smack in the middle of the busy city.  While the beach is close enough for his morning run, there was no way in hell Raine was going to live on it.  Unlike Sebastian, Raine wasn't thrilled with life on the island and has been looking alhead since the rescue.  She is back in school leaving Bastian with way too much time on his hands.Because he isn't drinking and isn't happy unless he is inside of Raine, Bastian has become quite the bastard.  He isn't settling into "normal" life as well as Raine and needs something to occupy his time.  Be careful what you wish for is the theme of this second book.Bastian runs into his old mentor Landon who of course has good news and bad.  We learned in Surviving Raine that Sebastian Stark has a past and it isn't a good one.  He was an ultimate fighter of the worst kind-to the death.  Retired now, Bastian didn't think there was anything that could pull him back in for one more match, but was he wrong.  Landon gives Bastian a deal he can't refuse (or they will kill him anyway) and sets up one last fight to the death.Now Bastian has to explain the fight details to Raine and convince her that he is going to win no matter what.  With stakes as high as they are, you can't blame the guy. John Paul is also in Miami, knows what is going on with Landon and Franks and starts to get Bastian back into fighting shape.  I think John Paul injects the humor needed in this serious story,  I would like to read a bit more about him in the future.  Hint, hint, Shay Savage.After reading the blurb I was worried that the fight scene was going to be the whole book. While my interest lies more with the relationship of Bastian and Raine, I was wrong The death match didn't start until at least 70% of the book and it was so well written you felt like you were actually watching it.  There was a new character (to me anyway) introduced in the fight scenes that I am now going to have to read about, Evan Arden. Reading reviews on this book, I learned he is the main character in another Shay Savage series, so I am going to check him out.  There seems to be quite a bit going on with him as well.So secrets are out, fights are on and I don't want to spoil the rest of the story.  The book is well written and like I said, you feel like you are watching the death match play out right before your eyes.  I am a fan of Shay Savage's writing as her "romances" always have a special something  that makes them different. This couldn't have been a better follow up book to Surviving Raine and we get an awesome epilogue to boot.  Excellent book, excellent series!