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A review by bookbriefs
Outside the Ropes by Ashley Claudy
3.0
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Outside the Ropes is the first book in a new adult sports/crime contemporary romance series by the same name. It is dark, gritty and more violent than I am used to. This book pushed me outside of my normal comfort zone while reading, but I have to say I enjoyed it. I know almost nothing about boxing, but I thought Ashley Claudy made the sport accessible to the reader. Plus there is a lot of action, violence and romance to keep the story moving and to grab your attention.
Regan has had a tough life in the foster system, and Outside the Ropes starts out with her getting jumped on her way home and beat up pretty bad. That should set the tone for the whole story actually. But she survives and as a result she is brought into the world of competitive boxing. She loves it almost immediately, and through this world she meets a whole slew of new people. I really liked the whole cast of characters in Outside the Ropes. Dexter and Gage were obviously my favorites, but I have a soft spot for Anthony too. I know that might seem crazy if you have read the book, but I do. Even though Dexter and Gage are brothers, they could not be more different, which is always fun for me to read. I like a variety of character types in my reads.
I wanted a little more hinting at Gage's interest in Regan early on. At one point in the story, after talking to her only a handful of times, he said something like "well I think you know how much I like you." And I was thinking, really? I don't know that. I mean, I could have guessed because I knew he was going to be the love interest, but I didn't see much interest manifesting on the pages of the story. Now after they had that conversation, I totally saw his interest. (and no it wasn't insta love, nor did they get together at that point, but it was at least obvious that he liked her.)
Outside the Ropes is not the typical story that I read, but I am glad that I read it. I found myself getting caught up in Regan's world. I think fans of gritty stories with fighting and violence will absolutely love this series. And if you are like me, and you like your romance on the fluffy and light side, give this series a try anyway! I think you will enjoy it. I am already itching for the next book.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Outside the Ropes is the first book in a new adult sports/crime contemporary romance series by the same name. It is dark, gritty and more violent than I am used to. This book pushed me outside of my normal comfort zone while reading, but I have to say I enjoyed it. I know almost nothing about boxing, but I thought Ashley Claudy made the sport accessible to the reader. Plus there is a lot of action, violence and romance to keep the story moving and to grab your attention.
Regan has had a tough life in the foster system, and Outside the Ropes starts out with her getting jumped on her way home and beat up pretty bad. That should set the tone for the whole story actually. But she survives and as a result she is brought into the world of competitive boxing. She loves it almost immediately, and through this world she meets a whole slew of new people. I really liked the whole cast of characters in Outside the Ropes. Dexter and Gage were obviously my favorites, but I have a soft spot for Anthony too. I know that might seem crazy if you have read the book, but I do. Even though Dexter and Gage are brothers, they could not be more different, which is always fun for me to read. I like a variety of character types in my reads.
I wanted a little more hinting at Gage's interest in Regan early on. At one point in the story, after talking to her only a handful of times, he said something like "well I think you know how much I like you." And I was thinking, really? I don't know that. I mean, I could have guessed because I knew he was going to be the love interest, but I didn't see much interest manifesting on the pages of the story. Now after they had that conversation, I totally saw his interest. (and no it wasn't insta love, nor did they get together at that point, but it was at least obvious that he liked her.)
Outside the Ropes is not the typical story that I read, but I am glad that I read it. I found myself getting caught up in Regan's world. I think fans of gritty stories with fighting and violence will absolutely love this series. And if you are like me, and you like your romance on the fluffy and light side, give this series a try anyway! I think you will enjoy it. I am already itching for the next book.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs