Against the Ropes

By: Sarah Castille

Narrated by: Lucy Rivers

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

He scared me. He thrilled me. And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more . . . Makayla never thought she'd set foot in an elite mixed martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it's these guys. Then again, at her first sight of the club's owner, she's the one feeling breathless.

The man they call Torment is all sleek muscle and restrained power. Whether it's in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when a soft touch is required and when to launch a full-on assault. He always knows just how far he can push. And he's about to tempt Makayla in ways she never imagined...

©2013 Sarah Castille (P)2013 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Castille's debut is steamy." ( Publishers Weekly)

violence is not my style

when you are tormented and beaten as a child violence is not your style but you have a best friend who's dating an underground fighter so you need extra money for your student loans and they need a doctor so you make a deal with the devil little did you know that this devil would one day turn out to be your hero

Idk

Mak just I don’t know how to feel about her. I stopped listening at chapter 17 just couldn’t continue with her whining and doing the I want him but I don’t I’m scared but I’m not it’s like she doesn’t know what she wants to do or be. The last straw was *SPOILER* when she’s playing cards with his “friends” and she’s half naked, yeah no, I’m sorry but at times I didn’t know where the story was going. I liked Max, he was the perfect book boyfriend but Mak is soooo annoying and she kind of contradicts herself ALOT!

Absolute LOVE of a new author!!!

Sarah Castille is a new on for me but I am looking forward to more from here on Audible! This was a great book, laughed and cried! Very deep and great story. So many facets of this couple. This will be a re-listen over and over for me!

Wasted my listening time

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Absolutely not! I have 2 hrs left and I am stopping. What a waste of a fairly good author.
Dialogue was ok and many time suppose to be funny. Gads what a bad job of reading! I just had to stop as the author's work cannot compensate for poor reading by Rivers.

What was most disappointing about Sarah Castille’s story?

reader could not pull it off. There are so many FSOG stories out now with author trying for the big ring. The stories are pretty good actually, but the reader can make or just plain break the story with a bad or poor performance. Listeners like to listen! We have chosen to listen rather than read the story.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Lucy Rivers?

Karen White could have pulled this out of the fire. Natalie Ross or Isabelle Gordon aka Gabra Zackman. If Rivers ever listened to her own work after listening to other good readers, she may learn what she has to do to change her work. What is sad is she has gotten some good reads to perform, but she just cannot deliver. My fellow audible listener are more tolerant than I am. They are into the story and can take a poor reader better than I can. For listeners who want both a good story and a great reader, this was not for me. If I have a good or great reader, I can listen to just an Ok story as they understand how to bring out ever good detail an author tried for.

Did Against the Ropes inspire you to do anything?

yes, not to buy any more Lucy Rivers reads

Any additional comments?

3 of the reviewers are my fave for recommendations, however they are more into the story and they had not commented on the reader. These good reviewers tend not to make comments on the reader as they really review just the story. I tend to buy way more than is physically possible to ever listen to, hence my criticism of reader. For me, the reader is the story. Many Audible listeners are in my same boat. My problem is I buy quick and will not wait for a large list of reviewers to comment on the work when my fave reviewers say buy this one, so thank you audible for being a great company!

5 stars

This is a first read for me by this author. I really liked this one! It has some serious Katy Evans Real (Remy) series vibes! Loved the audiobook.

Hotness and Humor

Really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters, the passion and the humor. Narrator did a great job too.

The story is different, the characters were awesome.

When I thought it was going to be like other stories, it was like a hurricane that hit the shores and changed the direction.

I’m a sucker for strong Alpha males!

AGAINST THE ROPES is a hot, contemporary, adult romance with intriguing characters and steamy love scenes. It started out really strong and had me hooked, but towards the middle it feel apart for me when it became a bit unrealistic. Nevertheless, it is a fictional book so the author can make it as real as they want. We first meet Makayla (Mac) who is at a crossroads in her life. She doesn’t really know what direction her life is taking, especially in the career department. She’s behind in her student loan and she needs money stat. That’s the reason why we first find her at a seedy fight club selling tickets to an underground fight, though she does have a strong aversion to violence. This is where her life changes. This is where she meets the club’s owner, Torment. Max, aka Torment, is intrigued when he first meets Mac. She’s a bit of a whirlwind to be honest. He wants to find out more about her. When he finds out she was once a medical school student with an EMT background, it presents the perfect opportunity for him to see Mac. So he offers her a part time job as the club’s medic. Mac has a weak stomach for violence which stems from her tragic past. So, she would prefer not to take this job but she is desperate for the cash. It also doesn't hurt how completely sexy Torment is. There is a point when you experience a fifty shades vibe because Torment is much more than he seems. Will just leave it like that. The chemistry between them is HOT HOT HOT! I loved the witty banter between Max and Mckayla and how even when she was being a dork, he was always right there for her. Torment aka Max was just a hot, tattooed, MMA fighting, ALPHA BAD ASS & I loved EVERYTHING about him!!! I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast, steamy MMA-theA heap of MMA, a dash of BDSM and a WHOLE LOTTA HUNKA-HUNKA BURNING HOTTIES... I've died and gone to heaven!

Great book

I really enjoyed the love adventure between Mack and Torment. They were from different worlds but found each other and created a world right for them. Loved it! Ready for the next book.

Cute Dumbass Read With Slight Dark Theme

My review is this: if you like pushy alpha males who don’t get their way cause the heroin refuses to listen and does her own thing, and both have dark childhood pasts, you’ll like this book.

That’s it.

....

Oh and the narrator is so good, she made me snort laugh quite a few times with just the way she said things. Really like her voice.