Publisher: HQN Books
Date Published: March 31st 2015
4 out of 5 Stars
***Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review***
An up-and-coming MMA fighter wants more than just one night from a woman fleeing her past in New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster's irresistible new novel
Heavyweight fighter Denver Lewis plays real nice, but he doesn't share. That's why he's been avoiding top-notch flirt Cherry Peyton. But a man can only resist those lush curves for so long. Their encounter surpasses all his fantasies, bringing out protective urges that Cherry's about to need more than she knows…
Denver's combination of pure muscle and unexpected tenderness has been driving Cherry wild. Yet no sooner does she get what she's been craving than old troubles show up on her doorstep. And this time, Cherry can't hide behind a carefree facade. Because the man by her side is one who'll fight like hell to keep her safe…if only she'll trust him enough to let him…
I honestly didn't know whether I would like Denver at the beginning, I ended up loving him but he seemed so domineering in the very beginning. There is so much more to him than you see at first, and I enjoyed finding out more about him. He's honorable and not above admitting when he's done something wrong. Cherry on the other hand I liked from the get go. She's down to earth, kind, loyal, and just seems like someone you'd really like to get to know in real life. She's had a lot of bad luck growing up, but has moved above her upbringing and turned into a very well adjusted person.
The fireworks between Denver and Cherry were off the charts hot, they're seriously attracted to each other and it shows! Their relationship moves fast, but with the back-story you find out that they've known each other for a while, so it didn't feel rushed to me. Denver is always there for Cherry, and although he is definitely an Alpha male, he is also really sweet and understanding. Cherry brings with her a lot of baggage in the form of a dangerous, drug-dealing foster family that wants something from her and Denver never backs down from protecting her at all costs.
Holding Strong is the second book in the Ultimate series, and I hadn't read the first and I wasn't lost or anything. I do recommend reading them in order, because I think Cannon's book would've been great too, but you could easily read this one without trouble. All in all, Holding strong was a smoking hot romance, and I'm eagerly awaiting Vanity and Stack's book, Tough Love, which is coming out next!
The full series includes the following stories:
- Hard Knocks
- No Limits
- Holding Strong
- Tough Love
- Fighting Dirty
About Lori Foster:
Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.
Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.
Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books HERE
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