Francesca Silva is a remarkable woman. She’s drop dead gorgeous and can hold her own in the MMA (mixed martial arts) world. Growing up in and out of the ring Francesca has a tough as nails exterior that she wears as armor to protect the side of her that can be hurt by a man. She opened herself up once and fears letting anyone close to her again.
Worth the Fight needs a fighter that can attract other fighters. Francesca goes to bat for Scarface, a well-known name in the MMA circuit. He’s a bad-boy that can’t seem to control his anger or stay out of the headlines. As Francesca gears up to train this rough and tough fighter she gets more than she bargained for.
Sports themed romance novels are all the rage these days and I can see why. In Halston’s MMA inspired romance, Below the Belt readers are thrust into what I would call a very light version of the mixed martial arts world. Francesca may be a MMA trainer and Scarface (aka Tony) may be a sought after fighter but there just wasn’t enough MMA action going on in my opinion. I was really looking forward to a few good fight scenes to get my blood pumping…some much needed edge of my seat drama. There just wasn’t enough!
I will say that the hero/heroine of the story was well developed and their personalities were definitely befitting of individuals in the MMA world. Tony’s never give up attitude when it came to Francesca was fantastic. I am always pleased to see a strong female character not give into the hero so quickly. Francesca fights her attraction to Tony and for good reason. Her past experience with love, marriage, and commitment didn’t go well and that took a toll on her emotionally.
The romance that steadily blooms between Tony and Francesca is one of those that kind of sneaks up on you. I like that Tony put everything out in the open for Francesca. I just wished that she would have been more upfront with him. The love scenes throughout the story are somewhat mild. If you’re expected highly erotic scenes you won’t find them here.
I recommend Halston’s Below the Belt to readers of romance that enjoy light and exciting love story.
Below the Belt
By: Sidney Halston
Series: Worth the Fight
Book in Series: 3
Publisher:Loveswept
Release Date: 2/10/2015
Synopsis (per Goodreads)
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.
Whew! Quite the cover! I'm a sports romance junkie. I just love them. I started out with MMA with Lori Foster's SBC series. They were such a good time.
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