Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsA second chance romance which packs a punch!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 March 2018
This is one fight that Zeus must win outside of the boxing ring and it's a fight for the love of the woman he spurned but never forgot.
It's a really long time since I've read a Samantha Towle novel and I'm so glad that I decided to take this particular journey with her. I absolutely loved the story and the characters.
I was a little hesitant at the outset when the story started right from inside of the boxing ring. Not a fan of this particular sport, I was a little worried that the focus may be too deeply embedded within boxing but fortunately, this initial scene was brief and merely set the story up by introducing us to Zeus Kincaid as he adds another belt to his world title collection.
From the boxing ring, the story then heads off in an altogether different direction as we’re introduced to GoGo Dancer, Cameron Reed. Once a talented ballerina in training, Cam and Zeus fell in love at an early age after meeting when they were 17 (Zeus) and 15 (Cam) but then Zeus unexpectedly ended their romance just as his boxing career was taking off. With her heart still in tatters years later, Cam is stunned when she comes face to face with Zeus when she finds him stood at the bottom of her podium. Seeing Zeus again is too painful for Cam and she has no option but to resign from her dancing job, which was more of a hobby anyway, and she returns home, to her aunt and daughter, Gigi, assuming that she won’t have to see Zeus again. Zeus is determined to find Cam again though and comes to her house to try to resurrect the love they once shared. When it becomes obvious that a big secret has been kept from him, Zeus is stunned but soon realises that Cam is not to blame for the subterfuge.
Zeus soon realises that he clearly made a mistake when he pushed Cam away all those years before and decides that he wants both her and Gigi in his life long term. Whilst spending time with Gigi, Zeus determinedly works to win back Cam’s affections but she struggles to trust him after the way he crushed her love for him in the past.
Zeus is not only a Greek God, he’s also a God in the boxing ring and also in the way he fights to make Cam see that his love for her is unbreakable, despite his previous misguided intentions. As a result, their relationship is brutally complicated at times and even though Cam can see that Zeus is good for her and Gigi, she still tries everything to push him away. At times, Cam’s numerous rejections of Zeus becomes a little frustrating, especially for this impatient reader, but ultimately, their story is just a long fought battle and one which is in no hurry to claim its prize.
Gigi for me unexpectedly brought the most to this book. I loved her childish voice which is captured within the pages of this story. I also loved Zeus’s brothers and sister and their stories are just crying out to be written as well.
I really did enjoy this book and it’s definitely a story I’d like to revisit. Whilst the drama is palpable and long-winded at times, it’s definitely worth persevering in order to reach its knockout ending!