Emily McAughtrie needed some self-defense classes, and quickly, after an attempted rape left her feeling vulnerable and afraid. So she went to an undefeated illegal fighter, Sculpt, for help. He agrees to teach her, reluctantly, as long as she doesn’t utter one single complaint or whine. But while she can keep her mouth shut about how hard he works her or how much she hurts, she can’t hold back her attraction to him, and finally blurts out her feelings. His response leads them into a passionate affair – but even as they get to know each other, he’s hiding secrets from his past that might prove dangerous for her. Can their love survive when what he’s hiding comes back to haunt them both?
This story is essentially an introduction to the author’s Torn From You, and sets up the plot of that book by detailing how the relationship between Emily and Sculpt came to be. It ends on a cliffhanger, which leads into the dramatic action of the next book. Their initial relationship is passionate and sensual, with a hint of the dominance/submission undertone that will come to the surface in the next book. Emily shows that she has courage and daring, in spite of the delicacy of her appearance, and Sculpt shows some touching tenderness along with his machismo and alpha-male sexiness.
There isn’t much plot to this story, not yet, as it’s basically meant to introduce another book rather than as a standalone novel in its own right. It ends on a cliffhanger which seems to have little or no relationship to the rest of the book; the book focuses on the couple building their relationship, dealing with Emily’s friends’ doubts, and having sex, and then out of the blue, something horrible happens and the book ends right there.
Don’t read this book as an independent story, because it isn’t – it’s a useful introduction to the tale later told in Torn From You, and it has its points as a sexy love story, but it is not a book in its own right. However, it serves its purpose as an introduction and companion reasonably well.
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader