Review: Knockout by J.C. Valentine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Wayward Fighters #1
Release - April 6, 2014
Genre - MMA Fighter Romance
Trope - second chance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Length - 420 pages

From the wrong side of the tracks...

Alyson Blake had learned early on that the only one she could depend on was herself. The only light in her life was a boy whom everyone agreed was destined for prison; but with his first kiss, he had set her soul on fire. Since the day the police dragged him away in handcuffs, she had managed to lead a quiet life, but when she attends an event fraught with mayhem, trouble resurfaces.

The one person she can’t forget...

Jamison Weston is the kind of guy dads load their shotguns for; endowed with a hot temper and a rap sheet as long as both tattooed arms. Known as “The Judge,” Jami’s hot temper, lethal fists, and cocky attitude have earned him respect and admiration both in and out of the ring. But just when he thinks he’s pummeled his past to death, Alyson Blake reenters his life.

Two paths collide…

After years of separation, Alyson is eager to reexplore the man who’s never left her thoughts, but for Jamison, she’s both the distraction he wants, but doesn’t need. As the two embark on a relationship that neither of them expected or bargained for, an outside threat closes in. When Alyson crosses the line of professionalism and takes her work home with her, her life is put in danger, leaving Jamison with no choice but to once again step in and become her protector.

WARNING **Book One in a two part story.** This book contains a mild cliffhanger ending that will be resolved in book two.

Find it here:
Goodreads | Amazon

MY REVIEW

I feel like this story deserves a decent rant. As much as I enjoyed it, as much as it entertained me, there were quite a few things that irked the fck out of me!

Let's start off with what I liked:
✔ Jami. I know this isn't the popular opinion, but I really liked him. I liked his cockiness that was on the right side of confidence. I liked how hot the author made him seem. Shoot, I was convinced that I wanted to lick him from head to toe too! I even liked his wishy-washiness. Yes, he was saying that he wasn't looking for anything serious, but that was his brain talking. His heart was making him do all of the things good men do. His protectiveness, his alphaness was all well warranted.
✔ The MMA backdrop. Guaranteed drooling!
✔ The history between Jami and Alyson. The author handled the domestic abuse with sensitivity.

So what I didn't like:
✖ Alyson. Why was this chick so freaking TSTL??? She was like an assertive imbecile. Disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing no matter how dumb she looked. She never had a valid point!
✖ Alyson. Strange things are happening and not once did she ASSERT herself and share these things with Jami, the man who has taken it upon himself to protect her. Freaking idiot!
✖ Alyson. She constantly complained about Jami's career. WTF?! I was unable to sympathize with her. I get that she was a victim when she was a child. I get it. But c'mon. He was already an MMA fighter when they reunited. Matter of fact, it was at one of his damn events that they did their reuniting!!
✖ Alyson. Through all of the flashbacks, there was no mention of where her parents were in present time. I know that's not her fault, but because I hate her, I'm laying the blame at her doorstep.
✖ Alyson. She was ungrateful, inconsiderate, and unworthy of Jami.

Overall, an interesting story that I will definitely see it's conclusion in Tapout, if only to continue seeing Jami ;)