Monday 30 March 2015

✤ Holding Strong ✤ Lori Foster ✤ Ultimate #2 ✤

© Bianca Janeane



LORI FOSTER - HOLDING STRONG
• MMA Fighter Romance
Ultimate Series #2
• release date: 31 Marcch 2015
• 480 pages
• Book #3 Tough Love will be out in August!
check out my reviews for book #0.5 & #1


★★★★★
5 Stars

An up-and-coming MMA fighter wants more than just one night from a woman fleeing her past in Lori’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 façade. 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



We all remember Denver & Cherry from the first books in the series.
Denver is one of the fighters in Cannon Colter's gym in Warfield, Ohio. Denver recently signed with SBC, the big fighting association, but is still living and training in Warfield. Cherry is the roommate of Colton's sister Merissa.
Both Denver & Cherry have been totally attracted to each other ever since they first met....but Denver never tried anything because he thought Cherry was too much of a partygirl and a flirt... she talked and flirted to all the guys at the gym.
But she's not interested in any of the guys - she's totally in love with Denver.
And when they both meet at a bar in a town two hours from home, after one of Armie's fights, they finally both give in to the attraction.



They spend an amazing night together....and it could've been an amazing morning too, but two things happen....
First, Cherry must've caught the bug that's been going around lately; fever and all....but Denver, and Armie too, take care of her and bring her medicine etc.
And then there's the problem with her 'Family'. Three dangerous looking guys have been asking about her. But she's scared and doesn't want anything to do with them. But there's still more that she's not telling Denver...

And of course we also hear a lot about Armie and how ex-fighter Havoc tries to get him to sign with the SBC....but for whatever reason, Armie doesn't want to.... plus he's still totally in love with Cannon's sister and then there's the other fighter Stack, who's had a crush on Vanity ever since she came to town - we'll get to hear their story soon!!!!!!


WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO DENVER & CHERRY???
WILL THE TWO OF THEM GET THEIR HEA???
WILL THERE BE A CLIFFHANGER??



I'm not telling you that of course ☺


 ___________________________________________________



 
SUCH A GREAT BOOK!!!!!

When you've read the prequel to this new series: HARD KNOCKS, and then Cannon's story NO LIMITS, you already know all about the fighters and their possible future girls.
Now we finally get to hear Denver & Cherry's story.
And what a HOT story it was.
Unlike many romance novels this one already starts really sexy.
They meet at the bar and end up in bed...phew!!!!!
And Denver is such a hot guy - and a nice guy - and a smart guy ..... grrrrrr



I really loved the story. There was so much sexiness in it and the suspensy parts with those three bad guys and all the funny moments with Armie and the guys. ...
I loved how it wasn't this horribly long story before they finally get together - this is a book where they almost get together in the first chapters....Yeah, there are lots of problems to overcome with both their families, but I really enjoyed reading that all.

Something I especially enjoy about this series...this FIGHTER series...is, that it's not really about the fighting - we barely see any professional fighting or any kind of fights, other than with the bad guys in the suspensy parts of the books ☺ I'm not such a huge fan of the whole MMA or boxing or wrestling thing ☺

PLUS - we get a tiny little Cannon Bonus Scene at the end ☺☺☺


HOLDING STRONG  - was an amazingly beautiful & verrrry sexy & suspensy Romance!
You'll love it!!!!!



I WOULD SOOO LOVE IT if someone would make a TV-series out of the Ultimate Series - just so we could stare and fangirl at Cannon & Denver & Stack & Armie etc. all day long!!!! Oooh and don't forget Rowdy and his buddies from the previous series and Havoc and colleagues from Lori's older fighter series - they're around in Holding Strong too ☺☺

Now I can't wait for the other books in this series!!!
TOUGH LOVE will be book #3 - coming soon.
STACK & VANITY'S BOOK!!!!! ☺



....and after that - whoooooopeeeee: FINALLY ARMIE'S & MERISSA'S BOOK!!!!! ♥



ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review

If you have read the first two books in this series, you will already know a bit about our man Denver and his lust for Cherry.

Well, fasten your seat belts and keep arms and legs inside the carriage, as you are about to get taken on one heck of a ride!

Denver Lewis has been pining/lusting/drooling/panting over Cherry Peyton since the first time he saw her, and finally, FINALLY a move is made... by Cherry!!

You know what I really liked about this installment of the Ultimate series?  Our main characters got together early on in the pieces.  None of this will they or won't they bizzo - since it has kinda sorta played out in the previous book.  Nope, they get things sorted pretty early in the piece - thank you Ms Foster!

But while they do get it on early in the book, there is so much going on around Denver and Cherry that will keep you intrigued.  Lots of suspensey kinds of things that are going on, things from Cherry's past that are coming back to haunt her.

I love that this series is not all about the MMA fighting.  Yes, all our hotties are MMA fighter, but they are so much more, and so are their stories. Don't get my wrong, I love watching MMA!  But these guys are sexy, smart, funny... did I mention sexy?   And what I think is one of the sexiest things about them all is the care for each other and they way they all look out for each other.   

You can't help but fall in love with all the guys and gals.  Especially Armie.  What are we going to do about Armie?  He is just the best.  He is rude and crude.. and we love him for it.  I wish it was his book next.

Not that I am complaining though as we get Stack and Vanity next, and man oh man the build up to their story.  You just know it is going to be steamy.

Now, off to Youtube some MMA to get my perv on!

 



LINKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR
 


STALK LORI ON:

FACEBOOK HOMEPAGE GOODREADS TWITTER

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: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/