* * * *
My mom always said it was just something about the way he moved.
The same swagger Archie Valentine wore in the ring when he took his opponents down followed him like a halo everywhere he went. But make no mistake about it—he was no angel. He was like a drug. My mother was his addict.
I never understood it…how love could make you blind and convince you to drink the poison. Not until I met Memphis Delaney.
At first, it was the familiar form. He’s a fighter, built like a god from the past, the kind of man the universe doesn’t make anymore. His eyes hide a story, and every time I’m in his presence I want to keep reading him until I get to the end. And then…there’s the way he moves. His boxing is violent but beautiful, and his body is a seductive weapon. When he’s in the ring, he wears the stare of a man committed to the battle until his very last breath.
He could end me; turn me into her. Too much of him will leave me as a shadow, and I’ve lost so much of myself already.
But I have discipline. It came the hard way. Lessons learned, scars left behind, and trust stripped away from life.
I will breathe his air, but I won’t fall for a man like him. The only boxer who’s ever going to break my heart is the one who gave me my name.
Source: advance e-galled provided in exchange for an honest review
After being financially ruined by a scandal, Olivia "Liv" Valentine finds herself in the dreaded position of having to return home to live with her parents. She's not returning to a loving home. This is one dysfunctional family that she has spent many years staying away from. But as luck would have it, with her life in tatters she has no other choice. On her return she meets Memphis who is a fast-rising star in the boxing world and he happens to be training at her family's gym under the ever watchful eye of her mother and uncle. Memphis is unlike many characters I've read. He's quiet, focused, patient and humble. Most of the time I felt he was like an old soul. Despite a rough childhood he's somehow this level-headed guy who is the absolute antithesis of Liv and her family. The crazier her family gets, the calmer and more stable he becomes, which is a good thing for Liv to witness. After an entire life of dealing with her parents, hanging out with Memphis is kind of like being at Disney.
Liv and Memphis get involved, much to the consternation of her mother and uncle, but they don't care. Liv sees Memphis for the person he is whereas she knows that they see him as a huge payday. What Liv is apprehensive about is getting serious with someone after she has lost so much. The thing that fascinated my about her character is not her confidence though that's a triumph considering her family's harsh treatment of her. It's that she's never known what genuine, unconditional love is, in any form. And because of that, Memphis with his sense of protection and ability to bring comfort, and most importantly his sense of personal integrity, is this daunting unknown. He's just as bewildering when you take in his past. Somehow these are the two sanest people in this entire book. Actually there's another character who brings much-needed heart to the story, but overall there aren't a lot of warm fuzzies going around.
This is my fourteenth book by Ginger Scott and she never ceases to impress. I jumped into this without knowing much of the premise which is how I prefer to read my books lately. Memphis is a dazzler - and even though I suspected something early on - with a twist that makes you go, "wth?". Memphis proves why Ginger Scott continues to be one of my favourite writers. I get the feels, the laughs, the highs and lows, and always something hard-fought and worthwhile in the end.
~ Bel
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About the Author:
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.
When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).
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