Tapout by J.C. Valentine

Tapout by J.C. Valentine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Tapout picks up shortly after the end of Knockout and despite her dislike of the fights, Ally is doing her best to support her man as Jami pursues his championship dreams. While things appear to be going well for the couple, fate – or should I say Tony and Spence – have different plans for them. Readers of Knockout won’t be surprised to learn that Tony is a vindictive man, but they may be surprised by the level to which he takes it – I know I was. Tony’s quest for vengeance and its fallout left me devastated, so I can say that I was quite relieved that Ms. Valentine didn’t leave me dangling off a cliff as she so easily could have done.

Again, I enjoyed the chemistry between Jami and Ally and loved the relationship development that took place in Tapout, even the heartbreaking moments. That Ally’s character seemed to grow more in this book and within her relationship with Jami was made evident in her increased confidence. There were several times where her snarky comments caused me to laugh out loud. At the same time, Jami came to realize the extent of his feelings for Ally and had to deal with that. As with Knockout, the sex scenes in Tapout were HOT. Because this was a continuation of their story, such scenes occurred early in the book and often.

Tapout is a great resolution to Ally and Jami’s story that began in Knockout. I say resolution rather than conclusion because I hope that Ms. Valentine continues the Wayward Fighters series and we continue to get glimpses in their lives. After all, Jami’s gym, Knockout, is the perfect setting for future installments and I would love to be able to spend more time with the Knockout family. Knockout and Tapout have made it on my re-read list.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Tapout Tour Stop! blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Knockout by J.C. Valentine

Knockout by J.C. Valentine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



In Knockout, we meet Ally and Jami as they reconnect after years of separation. As children, they were the only person in the other's life they each felt they could trust and depend upon. Despite the years that have passed, they both still feel that connection that bonded them as teens and find themselves spending more and more time together as they establish their friendship ... and possibly more.

I must state that I absolutely loved that the author did not make Jami the stereotypical player that I tend to find with MMA characters. No, he's not a virgin, but he's not the manwhore his buddy Spence is and not once did he appear to be tempted by the blatant offers he got from other women. As a result, Ally wasn't forced to be the stereotypical insecure woman always wondering if she was pretty enough to keep her man. In fact, she's almost too independent and secure, which is what allows Tony to get too close and led to the only part of the storyline that bothered me; seriously, has she never heard of Google? It made absolutely no sense to me that she didn't look Tony up when she moved Tori and Miles in with her. And except for that small plot point, Knockout was fabulous.

Ms. Valentine has created great cast of characters and the chemistry between Ally and Jami is palpable. The sexual tension between the two is so intense that I was surprised that I was so far into the book before they finally hooked up, and I must say that I will never look at a boxing ring the same way again. Knockout is a great start to the series and I'm looking forward to reading Tapout as I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Knockout by J.C. Valentine blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


View all my reviews