1 Last Shot

An Opposites Attract Sports Romance (The Fight Game, Book 4)

De: Nikki Castle

Narrado por: Gideon Frost, CJ Bloom

He's running from his past.

She's searching for a new future.

Their journeys are about to collide.

When an injury overturns her ballet career, Isabella decides to move to a new city so she can start fresh and discover who she is without dance. The last person she expects to meet is the angry MMA fighter living next door.

Kane has spent his entire life putting up walls to keep people out, and he's never had any problem doing it—until Isabella. Because the second the sweet ballerina appears in his life, it becomes apparent that his short fuse and brazen rudeness are not going to be enough to keep her away. And suddenly, that doesn't seem like the worst thing in the world.

While Isabella searches for a new identity for herself, Kane has to decide if he's willing to take a chance on someone for the first time in his life.

Can Kane and Isabella help each other to find their new paths in life? Or will Kane's ugly past keep them from their happy ending?

1 Last Shot is the fourth novel in the Fight Game series but can be listened to as a standalone.

©2023, 2024 Nikki Castle (P)2024 Audio Sorceress and Nikki Castle

This Series Just Gets Better

1 Last Shot is book 4 in The Fight Game Series by Nikki Castle. Once again I was mesmerized by Nikki’s writing!
When Isabella sustains a career ending injury, she is ready to leave New York to find who she is without ballet. When she moved to Philadelphia she definitely didn’t see herself falling for her angry and distant neighbor, Kane. Isabella saw something in Kane that others didn’t though.
We were introduced to Kane in the previous books, he is the new guy at the gym that refuses to form a connection with any of the other fighters. Kane is using MMA as his coping mechanism to battle the demons from his past. Kane has never wanted to let someone close to him due to his troubled past, but Isabella is determined to show him that he is worthy of so much more than he gives himself credit for. Will Kane be able to overcome his past for a future with Isabella?

I loved this book! I have been intrigued by Kane since he was first introduced, it was clear there was a story behind his broody ways and I was ready to find out what it was. His past was raw and emotional, it made his anger justifiable. I loved Isabella’s persistence in opening Kane up and gaining his trust. Their relationship development was beautiful and such a treat to listen to. Plus there was no shortage of spice in this book!
The audiobook was exceptional! 1 Last Shot is narrated in duet by Gideon Frost and CJ Bloom. Gideon also narrated 5 Rounds, book one of the series and his performance as Kane was completely unlike it was in 5 Rounds which is a testament to his vocal range. CJ did a lovely job capturing Isabella’s innocence and her kindness. There is such a gentleness to her voice that was perfect for voicing Isabella.

By far my favorite couple 🥹🤞🏻💕

1st Person Dual POV (Isabella Brooks & Kane Whitaker)

I thought that after the first and second books I wouldn’t fall so hard for the characters—or the story itself—but Miss Castle left me no choice but to fall head over heels for Kane, the most amazing MMC she has ever created!

I loved it so much, especially because even when she went with the “rich girl/poor boy” trope, she didn’t turn the book into a cliché. She brought in real fears, real life stories, and despite being a romance novel, it felt incredibly realistic and genuine to me 🥹

Authentic characters, a believable plot, the perfect pacing, a mix of humor and seriousness—and the romance? Absolutely beautiful!

Isabella is such a sweet and wonderful character—gentle, yet she knows how to stand her ground and how to reach Kane’s heart right from the start.
And Kane? He’s the kind of character you simply can’t help but fall in love with. He’s just a grumpy bear with the softest, most tender heart, the kind of man you only want to hug tight and protect from anyone who dares mess with him.

Read it—or even better, listen to this incredible audiobook—because honestly, it has become my absolute favorite in the entire series 🥹🫶🏻

Love This Series!

I was really looking forward to this installment in the fight game series. I’m a sucker for a dancer and the broken boy tropes. I enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it. I wish we got to see a little more about Isabella’s injury or history with dance, but it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story.

I loved the male narrator’s voice for Kane. I thought it was a perfect fit. His voices for the other males in the story were a little weird, but distinct which I find more important overall. The female narrator sounded off to me however. I think she sounded too old? But overall, I would listen to this audiobook again for sure.

I Loved This Book

I enjoyed the other books in the series but Kane and Izzy were my absolute favorite. They were written with such care and I was rooting for them and the dog from the beginning 🤍🤍🤍 10/10 would recommend.

Loved this audiobook!

Isabella is new to town and looking for a fresh start. After a brutal injury, she’s taking time away from being a star ballerina. She’s looking to find herself and what she enjoys. Kane is a hardened fighter that doesn’t really interact with anyone. He’s come from a hard life and is trying to work his way up in the fighting world. What he doesn’t expect is to have a new neighbor that comes with a trust fund.

Wow, this book might be my fave of the series. Kane and Isabella just hit different. There’s something about when a character doesn’t let anyone in besides them. And boy does Isabella told Kane’s world on its axis. What starts as a fun way to rile her up turns into so much more. His motivation to protect her at all costs. I loved watching their friendship and relationship grow throughout the book. Plus who doesn’t love Oscar. I also love that Isabella can get Kane to agree to things like goat yoga. That had be cracking up picturing this big macho man and a goat. Nikki also does a wonderful job of writing a character that evokes such a visceral emotion. Man did I feel for Kane and hate the situation he came from. I was so happy to see him finally stand up to his mom. It was also no nice watching Kane learn to let others in.

Hats off to the narrators. They both did such an amazing job! Once I started the audiobook, I didn’t want to stop. Both narrators were perfect for how I imagined the characters sounding.

A Fighter’s Past, a Ballerina’s Future

This emotional, gritty, and spicy masterpiece hit me right in the chest. Kane is battling deep wounds inflicted by a mother who never protected him. He’s emotionally shut off, even in his MMA haven, until Isabella moves in next door—starting over after a career-ending injury. Their connection is slow, tender, and absolutely scorching.

And Oscar the pitbull? The unexpected MVP. Watching Kane bond with Oscar, open up during goat yoga (yes—goat yoga 🐐), and experience unconditional love for the first time? My heart burst. Animals are so drawn to him—it’s like they sense the goodness buried deep beneath the pain. And when Kane finally stands up to his toxic, manipulative, and abusive "mother" by setting firm boundaries? I was cheering him on the entire way.

The ever-talented Gideon Frost returns, but this time as Kane… and let me just say: he completely transforms. His performance is jagged, brooding, emotionally restrained—but that’s the magic. Compared to his portrayal of Tristan (who was smooth, playful, and confident), Gideon’s Kane is like a raw nerve exposed. You can hear the trauma and self-loathing in every clipped line. The internal battles, the forced control, the suppressed vulnerability—Gideon delivers every layer.

And CJ Bloom as Isabella? Chef’s kiss. She captures Isabella’s quiet strength, resilience, and the ache of a woman rediscovering who she is. Her voice is both soothing and fierce—a perfect match to Kane’s chaos. Together, their duet-style narration brings this romance to life with emotional intimacy and authenticity.

From fiery scenes (motorcycle + ballet studio = 🔥) to the soul-healing moments shared with Isabella’s loving family, this audiobook is layered, raw, and unforgettable.

Loved this one!

Somehow, these books just get better and better. I just knew when we got a glimpse of Kane and Isabella in the last book I was going to be hooked.

A tatted up “bad boy” and a “princess” ballerina, I mean come on, they are literally the perfect match. I have such a soft spot for bad boys that learn to grow and accept the love that everyone around them is trying to give. Isabella was perfection, she was kind, understanding and accepting.

The chemistry between these two was off the charts, chapter 28 had me sweating!!!! 🔥

The narrators bring so much life and depth to these characters it’s crazy!

Sports Romance✔️
Opposites Attract✔️
MMA Fighter/ Ballet Dancer✔️

Beautiful MMA and dancer romance

1 Last Shot is the fourth book in the Fight Game Series, and one of my favorites so far. I loved the ballet dancer and MMA fighter combo in this romance. This book was a little more emotional than some of the others in this series, but I really appreciated that about this romance. Kane is broken and is very withdrawn and gruff. He doesn’t talk to anyone, but he opens up to Isabella as they form a friendship and eventually a romantic relationship. I also really liked Isabella and how she never gave up on Kane. She was always there to support him, but without letting him walk all over her. They had a great relationship dynamic.

I listed to this book on audio, and it was perfection. The narrators did a great job portraying these characters. I felt like I was in the story. I would highly recommend the audiobook.

Phenomenal

Phenomenal audio! I loved physically reading the book but the audio just elevates it! The narrators both do a great job bringing the characters to life! Found family + spice + character development 🤌

Opposites attract, broody hero, a sports romance fav!

1 Last Shot is the fourth book in Nikki Castle’s Fight Game series, following MMA fighters. I love this book so much, easily a fav in the series!

✨sports romance (MMA for him, ballet for her)
✨opposites attract
✨broody, broken hero

Isabella is new to Philly, she quit the NYC Ballet after an injury kind of forced her career to end. So now she’s in Philadelphia hoping for a fresh start. She shows up at the MMA gym thinking it’s a dance studio she wanted to check out since its address is wrong online. While there she spots Kane training and realizes they are new neighbors as well. They keep running into one another and shortly after Kane ends up coming to Isabella’s rescue and the offering her self-defense classes as well.

I just loved Kane so much, he had a hard life growing up with an abusive mother and definitely had to start taking care of himself at a very young age. He doesn’t think he’s deserving of someone like Isabella and he is very much a gruff hero in the beginning. But it was so sweet seeing him take in Oscar, a pit bull he rescues, and how caring and sweet he is with Isabella too. I loved the times on his motorcycle, him calling her “Princess”, the yoga session with baby goats, the scenes at the gym with Jax, Remy, Tristan, Hailey and the rest of that crew of side characters. I just loved this book so much, the emotional depth to the characters and the romance too were just so so good!

The audiobook has recently been released and it’s such a fun way to experience this book! The audiobook narrators are fantastic, highly recommend.