Fighter's Kiss
by Sienna Blake
Declan “The Homewrecker” Gallagher.
World #1 MMA Champion.
Broad shoulders, perfect eight pack and the temper of a bull.
Still recovering from a car accident that broke his body.
Still married to the cheating supermodel bitch who broke his heart.
…My new boss
I can’t even begin to list all the reasons why getting close to him is a bad idea.
Or going to that fancy red carpet thing as his date.
Or letting him kiss me like he might never let me go.
Did I say bad idea?
Scratch that.
Worst. Idea. Ever.
Spice Level: 2.5/6 | Story Score: 7/10 | Rating: 4/5 |
I have several prompts for Irish-themed things this month (because March). I immediately thought of this series. I’d already read books 1-5, but I couldn’t quite remember the 3rd one, so I decided to reread it. (I remembered 1, 2, & 4 pretty well). They’re all standalones, but they’re all within a group of people that know each other, so I didn’t want to be confused if they brought in other characters.
This is a true grumpy/sunshine trope with a broken MMA fighter and his new assistant. I really liked River as a person. Overall, I thought she was a weak person, but she was also a beautiful person, so it balanced out well. Declan is broken, in every sense of the word, and I think he does it well.
As I read the story, I remembered reading it. I loved it a lot more the first time, but it was also before I got into smutty books, so…ya know. These scenes weren’t nearly as impactful as they might have been 6 years ago, but the story was quite beautiful. With the other stories I’ve read lately and my utter inability to like the characters, this one was a breath of fresh air because I did think they were worth liking. I personally have never been through what either of the characters experienced, but the story allowed me to understand where they were coming from. I understood them even if I didn’t KNOW how that would feel.
I also love Sienna Blake’s writing style. She has a way of making certain pieces feel like poetry.
-SPOILERS-
River’s upbringing explains her choice to always run and it explains why she never felt like enough, however, her past isn’t nearly as dark as you’d expect the build up to be. Again, that may just be because I’ve started reading darker books and, ya know, they have dark pasts. I hate the way that Declan and River refuse to talk to each other when they get worried that it may have a bad outcome. Mostly, I don’t understand how River can’t tell Declan what she wants, but she can give him an ultimatum at the end. Then again, maybe that’s the difference between ‘I don’t mind my pain, but I can’t stand yours’. Protecting others does sometimes give us a strength that we don’t possess for ourselves.
Seamus deserved a better booting.
Dominic deserved a better booting.
Giselle deserved a better booting.
I’m left with a lot of anger left unavenged. Lol.
Book #3 in the Irish Kiss series | 589 Pages | Trope Challenge: Grumpy/Sunshine |
“I pretend I’m in the cage,” he explained as we walked farther through the crowd along the red carpet. “All these lights are gone and it’s just me and the cage.”
I was silent for a moment. And then I looked up at him. “Can I be in the cage with you?”
Declan stopped. “Just you and me?”
I nodded.
A small smile tugged up the corners of his lips. “You and me,” he said. “We’ll pretend it’s just you and me.”
I grinned. “You and me.”
- Fighter's Kiss by Sienna Blake
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