Review: Fight to the Finish by Jeanette Murray

Fight to the Finish by Jeanette Murray
Series: First to Fight, Book 3
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9780425279281
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Kara is a single mom working hard to keep life running smoothly for herself and her son, but a custody battle is wearing her down. When her friend suggests asking a JAG officer for some unofficial advice, Kara agrees—and soon finds herself officially head over heels…

As a Judge Advocate, Graham has seen his share of nasty custody disputes—and he plans on keeping his distance from this one. But this purposeful, passionate woman has a way of drawing him ever closer to the edge. And when Kara’s ex starts to throw his weight around, Graham will have to choose between toeing the line or stepping into the ring…

Fight to the Finish is sexy, funny, and completely addictive. I’ve been dying to read Kara and Graham’s story since they first struck sparks off one another in Below the Belt, and author Jeanette Murray did not disappoint. Kara and Graham’s book is a wonderful blend of reality and romantic fantasy – aka the perfect kind of story to be swept away by.

Graham won me over from the start. He’s a sexy-as-hell Marine and a lawyer to boot, but it’s his incredibly open heart that grabbed my attention. He’s head-over-heels for Kara and fully admits it to himself, but he’s patient and respectful of her boundaries. He’s generous to a fault, but no doormat. Graham is essentially the perfect combination of strength and protectiveness with a healthy dose of sensuality and humor thrown in. I loved that he not only fell for Kara, he developed a father-son relationship with her son, Zach, that stood on its own two feet and wasn’t a by-product of his burgeoning relationship with Kara. As for Kara, she’s a single mom who has worked her tail off making a life for her son. I admired her strength, resilience, and her intelligence. Life isn’t easy for Kara, between her son’s severe food allergies and Zach’s deadbeat dad. Going into Fight to the Finish, I was a bit worried what I’d think of Kara’s reasons for pushing Graham away (since it’s been obvious throughout the series he has a thing for her). The obstacles in Kara’s path aren’t merely ones thrown in for romantic tension. I won’t spoil the story, so suffice it to say her ex is a jerk who would ruin her life and Zach’s if he could. Ms. Murray makes every obstacle in Graham and Kara’s path worth overcoming, because these two are downright fantastic as a couple. Their romance is the perfect blend of sexy and sweet.

Fight to the Finish is the third book in the First to Fight series. What makes this series as a whole so charming are the relationships between the main characters. Brad, Marianne, Greg, and Reagan (from Below the Belt and Against the Ropes) all play strong supporting roles and the book would not have been the same without them. The friendships are an integral part of the story, adding a lot of humor and even more heart to the tale. Add in the resolution of the mystery involving who is trying to sabotage the Marine Corps boxing team and you have an incredibly full, interesting story.

All three First to Fight books have featured smart, likeable, mature characters, and Fight to the Finish is no exception. I absolutely adored Kara and Graham and I am completely enamored with their romance. I finished Fight to the Finish a well-satisfied reader and I cannot wait to read Graham and Kara’s story again!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Against the Ropes by Jeanette Murray

Against the Ropes by Jeanette Murray
Series: First to Fight, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780425279274
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

As a troubled teen, Gregory Higgs channeled his energy into boxing instead of breaking the law. The ring gave him purpose and something to strive for. So did the Marines. Combining the two seemed like a natural fit.

Another natural fit? Reagan Robilard, the sweet athlete liaison who keeps all the fighters out of trouble and manages their PR—a job that gets more challenging when someone digs up the truth about Greg’s not-so-shiny past after equipment is vandalized at the gym.

Even if it wasn’t her job, Reagan can’t let Greg take the fall. Because passion doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to matters of the heart…

Against the Ropes is a fast-paced, sensual romance with plenty of action and a whole lot of heart. Greg and Reagan are strong, likeable characters with hidden vulnerabilities that will call to you and their romance is one that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Greg captured my interest in the first First to Fight book, Below the Belt. To all the world, Greg is a man who is quick on his feet and has charm to spare. He laughs easily and rolls with the punches. That first impression – Brad and Marianne’s image of Greg – is only part of the story. In Against the Ropes we see the whole of the man. Greg has a painful past, one he wishes he could wipe off the face of the earth. And though he swears his life began when he joined the Marines, he has undoubtedly been shaped by his childhood as much as he has by what he has done to change his life since. I loved peeling back the layers of Greg’s character and I was rooting for him to find peace and happiness.

A loveable hero like Greg deserves an equally endearing heroine and he got one in Reagan. Like Greg, Reagan has built an image around her – in her case the confident professional – that is only part of who she is. Reagan has worked her butt off to break out of the life her family thinks she should have. Managing the boxing team’s PR is her first real job and she’s desperate to do her best. Reagan is a smart, caring woman who sees the best in people and sometimes struggles to find her way. She and Greg have an instant attraction, but their romance is a slow building one. Author Jeanette Murray doesn’t let Reagan and Greg slide through without overcoming obstacles, but there’s no doubt that the two of them are meant to be together. There’s a sweetness to their romance that, when mixed in with the sensuality, made Against the Ropes sigh-worthy.

Against the Ropes is the second book in the First to Fight series, but it can be read as a standalone. That being said, I defy you to see Brad and Marianne after their happily ever after and not want to dive into the fabulous Below the Belt. There is also an overarching series plot involving someone targeting the team, and the vandal ups their game in this book. This time, the attacks threaten to damage Greg’s reputation and ruin Reagan’s career, which makes the plotline all the more compelling. The only downside to the blending of the romance and mystery threads was that it made the ending of the story feel rushed. Without spoiling anything, I’ll say that I would have liked to have spent a bit more time with Greg and Reagan at the climax. Still, the added mystery keeps the book moving at a quick clip and I thoroughly enjoyed the book as-is.

Greg’s relationships with his fellow Marines and Reagan’s with her new friends adds an extra layer of entertainment to the story. The men of the Marine Corps boxing team and the woman who love (or will love) them are all smart, interesting characters you wish were real just so you could know them. I absolutely adore the First to Fight series and after finishing Against the Ropes I am on the edge of my seat, waiting to read Graham’s book, Fight to the Finish!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Below the Belt by Jeanette Murray

Below the Belt by Jeanette Murray
Series: First to Fight, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780425279250
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Athletic trainer Marianne Cook is ready to do whatever it takes to turn the men of the Marine Corps boxing team into fighting machines. After all, her ultimate goal is to land a job training professional athletes. But when she notices a certain hard-bodied marine trying to hide an injury, Marianne realizes that she’ll have to use covert tactics to get him talking.

First Lieutenant Brad Costa has waited years for the chance to fight for a spot on the Marine Corps boxing team, knowing he has to push twice as hard to get half as far as his younger counterparts. Brad tries to downplay his injuries to the attractive trainer who has his dreams in her hands, but Marianne isn’t buying it. Maybe it’s time to deploy some targeted flattery.

As Brad and Marianne’s attraction turns red-hot, there’s more than one person having a hard time keeping their eyes on the prize…

Jeanette Murray kicks off her First to Fight series with the wonderfully entertaining Below the Belt. I had a blast reading Brad and Marianne’s story; it’s fun, sexy, and the characters are so likeable you won’t want to put the book down.

I loved that Brad was a serious athlete, one who’s aware of both his strengths and weaknesses. His reasons for wanting to be on the team are very personal and cause him to be a bit stubborn when he’s injured. He has to work extra hard to make up for the fact that he’s older than the rest of his potential teammates and to work around the major issue of the knee injury he gets right at the beginning of training camp. His fear of being cut from the team causes him to try and hide his injury from Marianne, which of course leads to major complications once he starts to fall for her. Marianne is a smart, caring trainer ready to excel at her job. She knows Brad is injured and is as determined to get him to let her help him as he is determined to hide the extent of his injury. When attraction and then love enter the mix, things get dicey for both of them, but Ms. Murray definitely gave this plotline a satisfying resolution.

Brad and Marianne are a dynamite couple. Their flirtation is pure fun to read and when the sexual tension heats up Below the Belt gets even better. As I mentioned before, their professional lives are inextricably intertwined with their burgeoning relationship, but I love that they handled the potentially taboo topic of an athlete and trainer dating like adults. There’s no faux drama or sneaking around and that made me root for these two all the more. Their romance was both sweet and hot, and I had the biggest grin on my face when Brad and Marianne got their happily ever after.

I can’t talk about Below the Belt without discussing Brad’s fellow Marines. Brad’s the strong, silent type, but he’s about to learn that no man can be an island on the Marine Corps boxing team. I laughed as he was practically dragged out his isolation by his hilarious roommate, Gregory Higgs, not to mention the younger Marines who looked up to him. The relationships among the Marines as they begin to form a team makes is as important as the romance in Below the Belt. Ms. Murray makes these men so appealing you wish they were real just so you could meet them (and no, not just because they’re all incredibly hot). I can’t wait to see how the team develops over the course of the series.

Below the Belt has charm and heat to spare, but when you add in the intelligent characters and Ms. Murray’s attention to detail when it comes to training, the Marine Corps, and the work an athletic trainer does, there’s no doubt that this book is not to be missed. I love a good sports romance, so please, Ms. Murray, keep these Marine athletes coming!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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