Review: Gritty & Intensely Emotional Romance With Memorable Characters
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2014
From the moment I picked up this book I knew I was in for one heckuva ride!  Based in the bloody and vividly depicted world of MMA fighting two emotionally scarred individuals carrying heavy burdens from their pasts unexpectedly find solace in each other's arms despite fate working against them.  Ms. Chardou seamlessly incorporates heavy issues of physical abuse, mental illness, and manipulations from the seedy underworld to keep the protagonists on a rocky journey to their HEA that kept me on the edge of my seat as well as frustrated by the unending soap opera-ish moments.  With some of my favorite themes on display though I quickly became immersed in the action and am greatly looking forward to the next installment and the next Irish brother struggling to find happiness.Along with memorable action comes compelling characters that I both liked and disliked at times.  Chiarra was left taking care of her mentally ill sister after their mother left them for a new life.  With few choices to make ends meet she became an escort, indentured to a manipulative and high class pimp, for ten years.  During those years she let life pass her by never having a real relationship.  With her contract soon up she meets the sexy and loyal Irishman Torin who complicates her life as well as his which leads to lots of emotional upheaval.  Chiarra doesn't pretty up what she does, she knows she's a whore and doesn't care if others know it, but she worries how Torin will deal with her revelation as she quickly comes to care for him and the comfort he brings her.  I admired her strength and fortitude but found her bitterness towards her sister uncalled for.  Chiarra chose to take on that responsibility and has no one but herself to blame for her choices.  Chiarra is a classy prostitute but has the tendency to fall back on booze, pills, and marijuana when things became difficult for her and Torin which left her character a bit tarnished in my eyes.  When it's just them though they make a formidable team.Torin was immensely appealing with his Irish accent, deep seated loyalty, and ability to freely speak words of romance.  He had a brutal upbringing that has made him a good fighter.  He has a poor view of women as this book starts and speaks in rather disparaging terms, as does his brother.  He sees women as users and clinging only for their advancement.  Until Chiarra he only had one night stands.  Once he meets Chiarra he senses a kindred spirit and it's their mutual loss and sacrifice that immediately binds them together.  He quickly surmises what she is but that's never an issue for him as he sees it as just another facet of life that he wants to protect her from.  He's an admirable man who never lost sight of his integrity.  He never kept things from her which made him an even more appealing hero.The MMA world is vividly depicted and added excitement to the overall story.  It plays a large part in the storyline and I found it realistically depicted and nicely interwoven into the story.  Into this gritty world comes some despicable villains willing to use others for their gain.  Just when Chiarra and Torin look to be ready to ride off into the sunset these mafia men pull them back in and made me hate them even more.  Also intense are the sexual encounters between Torin and Chiarra.  The scenes range from sweet and romantic to steamy and sweat-inducing and are nicely spaced throughout the story.  There's a large cast of secondary characters with each one distinctive from the next.  These characters aren't always likable, they're sometimes crass, but they're definitely memorable.  A lot of time is spent with Torin's brother Kieran, who has a very poor view of women and takes one especially for granted, as his story is next to be told.  He's very bitter but sexy and wiser than he appears but Ms. Chardou will have her work cut out in making him a truly heroic man.  From start to finish though I found myself completely immersed in this story.  The characters aren't always likable and left me frustrated at times with their negativity and bitterness.  The action sometimes becomes too melodramatic as well but ultimately I love a gritty story and a sexy Irishman and will definitely be reading the next installment in this series.3.75 STARS!