Release Day Blitz & Review::: Down for the Count by Christa Cervone

by Lora - 8:14 AM

Book Title: Down For The Count
Author: Christa Cervone

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Date: June 17, 2015

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Fighter.

I've always been a fighter,
Even before I knew it was in my blood.
I fought the demons of my past.
I fought for my life.
I fought for the future I wanted.

Growing up in a foster home, after my father killed my mother,
I fought for who I was,
Who I could become.

And now, it's what I do, what I am.
My career is in the ring, taking down every opponent I face,
Every enemy who threatens me.
I fight.

But now, I've got the biggest fight of my life,
Fighting for her, the one I want,
The one I can't have.
Salem Harris is taken, but I swear to God,
She'll be mine, even if I go down for the count,
I'll fight like Hell for her,
Or die trying.

***Please note this book was formerly released as a two book series, On the Ropes and Going the Distance. It has been reedited and consolidated into one. Heavy sexual content including a F/F/M scene. If such a scene may upset you, this may not be the book for you.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

As with a lot of fighter books, Saint is an alpha male who thinks the world of women revolves around him. He does one-night stands -- sometimes with two girls -- but never offers more and has never wanted more. The one time he thinks he might want more, the woman has a boyfriend -- and the boyfriends wants to help Saint up his career.

Trouble has followed Saint since early in his life. He has always lived a little on the edge, but boxing has saved him from that life and he is grateful to Frankie for bringing him into the gym and giving him a life he didn't think he deserved. Frankie has felt more like a father figure to Saint, than just a trainer.

I felt like Ms Cervone did a wonderful job of developing supporting characters that make us want to the main character to really get what s/he deserves. Frankie and Jimmy are part of the gym culture that has become home to Saint. Frankie is Saint’s trainer and Jimmy is a fellow boxer and one of Saint’s only friends.

I liked that Salem and Saint weren’t immediately going at it in the bedroom. I like that Saint had to basically forget about her for awhile and concentrate on boxing. I like that Salem had zero interest in Saint and his boxing (though she called it wrestling more than once). This novel was much more real to me than a lot of fighter books I’ve read.

The story arc in this book goes up and down so many times that I found myself without any fingernails by the time I was done. I was constantly biting my nails hoping things were going to go the way I wanted them to.

Sain'ts love for his brother is so incredibly heartfelt that I find myself wishing I had a big brother like Saint. And he has a deep love for Jimmy and Steph that he goes out of his way to make sure they're happy even when he wasn't. The relationship between Frankie and Saint makes my heart ache. They fight like crazy, but it's evident the love runs deep.

Ms. Cervone does a wonderful job of creating characters that I want to learn more about and find their way to happiness. The boxing metaphor chapter headings really made me better understand what she wanted me to get out of the chapter as a reader and I think everyone should really read these books and enjoy them as much as I did.

Born and raised in New England, Christa is a married mother of three. She began writing her first book, Broken, in October 2012, as a love story to her husband, Frank. During the writing process, Christa managed to keep her book a secret from the majority of her family and friends, including her mother. She finally revealed that she had written a book on her personal Facebook page just two weeks before Broken was released.

Broken was released in February 2013, and within twenty-four hours of its release, it was on Amazon's Movers and Shakers list as well as in the Top 20 Erotica. Christa released her second novel, On the Ropes - Book One in the Down for the Count series, in February 2014. On the Ropes has also climbed the charts on Amazon, hitting the Top 10 Sports Fiction and the Top 20 Romance Sports Fiction lists. Book Two, Going the Distance, was released July 2014 and claimed the number 3 spot in the Interracial category as well being in the top 20 in Erotica on Amazon.