3.5 Smooches
Synopsis
Rock bottom has built way more champions than privilege has.
Blaire, an underachieving college student with zero prospects and a ton of issues (hey, being the less-successful twin of a gorgeous supermodel would totally do that to you) needs something from Ty.
Mixed Martial artist Ty, a soon-to-be Welterweight champion of the Xtreme Warrior League and the hottest guy in the Bay Area, wants something from Blaire.
But Ty has a secret.
And Blaire can barely even handle his truths.
Life is about to throw a few knockout punches at both of them. Can they handle the pain?
Tyed is a standalone novel.
Review
“Fun fact: My older sister is supermodel, Isabelle Stern. And by ‘older’ I mean she is four minutes older, because we’re twins.”
Blaire Stern has slid effortlessly and unapologetically into the role of underachiever within her family. As the twin sister to world-renowned lingerie supermodel, Isabelle, she fully believes that she is the plain, dull, slacker/hipster version of her vivacious, exciting, successful sister.
“I’m so going to fail this course. Again.”
Having failed her first year of college, her parents have issued an ultimatum and bullied her into pursuing a communications degree she has no intention of ever using. She wants – desperately – to prove everyone wrong by actually graduating, but it all comes down to her passing her Journalistic Reporting class by researching and writing an article on a subject that is very far out of her comfort zone: MMA fighting.
“I’ve never hated someone I like so much.”
Tyler Walker, champion XWL fighter, is everything you’d expect an MMA fighter to be: arrogant, confident, and cocky. His massive, muscular frame exudes power and strength, but he almost boyish good looks, with dual dimples no less, guarantee Ty a massive fan base, especially from his female followers, who pursue him relentlessly. He is the bad boy, through and through, to Blaire’s hipster, vegan, Charlie Hunnam loving self.
“Keep walking, cowboy.”
Their first meeting does not go well, and their first date is nothing short of disastrous. But the more time they spend with each other, both in the gym and out of it, the more the attraction between them intensifies. The more Ty pushes Blaire, or Barbie as he calls her, the more she pushes back both turning him on and pissing him off.
“I’m caving in this moment. Hormones are on a break, and Brain is dead right now. But you know who’s rocking it like a badass? Heart…”
For most of the book, I found Blaire to be really funny, especially her internal monologues that play out in the form of a constant battle of the wills between her hormones, heart and brain over all things Ty. He pursues her relentlessly and wears her down, showing a kind, gentle side of himself to her that he rarely shows to anyone, and she is totally surprised. But Ty is harboring a big secret, one that could threaten his relationship with Blaire.
“I’ve always been a late bloomer, and I have a feeling that I may be late again.”
After Ty’s secret was revealed, however, I was disappointed in her and her handling of it. I thought her reaction was over the top, judgmental and it spoke volumes about her maturity and lack of relationship experience. I loved Ty, though. He was cocky and arrogant, sure, but he had this sweet side, and he totally won me over with how he genuinely tried to change his ways with and for Blaire.
Overall, this was a well-written story, and it had a lot of funny moments. Where it fell just short of the 4-smooch mark for me was the aforementioned heroine’s reaction to the hero’s secret along with what I felt was a rather abrupt and open ending. Not everyone will have the same reaction to the heroine as I did, and in that case, I think those readers will really love this story.
3.5 smooches from me!
~ Danielle Palumbo
