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The Fight Game #1
5 Rounds
She's a feisty workaholic that hates his guts.
He's an arrogant MMA fighter that can't afford any distractions.
This isn't the kind of fight they're used to...
When Remy is suddenly evicted from her apartment, her best friend offers to let her crash at his house while he's traveling for work. The only problem is, she can't stand his arrogant, self-centered roommate, Tristan.
Now, she has to figure out how to live in the same house with him for ten days while dealing with all the temptation that comes with… including punching Tristan’s smug face in. But when one night strips them of their masks and exposes the truth, they’re forced to reexamine how they really feel about each other.
While Remy struggles with her attraction to this notorious womanizer, Tristan has to decide if his feelings for Remy are worth it, or if they'll just distract him from his longtime goal of becoming a world champion.
Can Tristan and Remy drop their guards long enough to fall in love? Or will old prejudices deliver the final blow?
Scroll up to dive into the world of Philly MMA today!
He's an arrogant MMA fighter that can't afford any distractions.
This isn't the kind of fight they're used to...
When Remy is suddenly evicted from her apartment, her best friend offers to let her crash at his house while he's traveling for work. The only problem is, she can't stand his arrogant, self-centered roommate, Tristan.
Now, she has to figure out how to live in the same house with him for ten days while dealing with all the temptation that comes with… including punching Tristan’s smug face in. But when one night strips them of their masks and exposes the truth, they’re forced to reexamine how they really feel about each other.
While Remy struggles with her attraction to this notorious womanizer, Tristan has to decide if his feelings for Remy are worth it, or if they'll just distract him from his longtime goal of becoming a world champion.
Can Tristan and Remy drop their guards long enough to fall in love? Or will old prejudices deliver the final blow?
Scroll up to dive into the world of Philly MMA today!
422 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2021
About the author
Nikki Castle
8 books1,068 followersNikki Castle is a wife and dog mom from Philadelphia who writes spicy love stories about alpha MMA fighters and the women that melt their badass, playboy hearts. She's a full-time romance author during the day and spends her evenings running a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gym with her husband, who is also a retired fighter.
Nikki has been writing in one way or another since she was a teenager. She pursued an English and Philosophy degree in college, and finally decided to sit down and fulfill her longtime dream of writing a novel when quarantine began in 2020.
Nikki has been writing in one way or another since she was a teenager. She pursued an English and Philosophy degree in college, and finally decided to sit down and fulfill her longtime dream of writing a novel when quarantine began in 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,601 reviews
March 28, 2022
GAH WHAT AN AMAZING HATE TO LOVE ROMANCE. I loved this book so much. Tristan and Remy absolutely hate each other, but Tristan lives with Remy's best friend and Remy needs a place to stay for a week while waiting on her new apartment. So she finds herself living with Tristan. The two start to play games with each other and their chemistry soon becomes explosive. I loved every moment these two spent together and how they had to dance around their attraction for one another. Tristan is an MMA fighter and Remy goes to their gym, and I love having characters who workout and share a passion. I do wish we got to see Tristan actually fight, but that's my only complaint about this book. I loved how emotional Tristan was and how aware he was of people and his relationships. He was so overprotective and I'm just obsessed with him. Remy was a great character and I really loved her side conflict of hating her job and wanting to pursue what her dream job was. The ending was brutal for both characters and I hated seeing them both hurting, but there were just so many emotions in this book that the journey towards their HEA was worth it. I couldn't recommend this book enough!!
December 10, 2021
"Why does it feel so different with you?"
I cannot believe this was Nikki Castle's debut novel. Everything fell into place for me, and it was an amazing read. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and with a lot of heat and awesome banter added to the mix... perfection!
The MMA setting of this book was new to me, and I loved everything about it.
"You want someone that doesn't need your permission. Someone that will call you on your shit."
I sometimes struggle to connect to the heroines, but Remy was an easy one for me. She's one tough chick, and I don't mean it only because she does jiu-jitsu. She's strong-minded, determined and driven, and she definitely knows what she wants. It also helps that her view on her current job is the same as mine: I hate being here, and I wish I could write for a living. She's also sort of a tomboy with her combat boots, and that's also something I can relate to.
"I can't help my lips opening for him any more than I can stop my heart from beating."
Tristan is in my Top 10 book boyfriends for 2021. I'm not kidding. This guy is hot! He's a fighter, with a great body, he's arrogant and comes off as conceited and full of himself, but he's such a sweetheart as well. And the things that come out of this man's mouth... Nikki, if I lick him, can I keep him?
“I think you’re going to change your mind,” he whispers. “And I don’t think I’ll be able to stop thinking about it until you do.”
Tristan and Remy have known each other for a while. When Remy needs to move out of her apartment and doesn't have a place to stay until the new one is ready, Jax, their common friend, offers to take her in for a few days. The problem? Jax is Tristan's roommate, and he'll be away, so Remy and Tristan will be living in the same house.
That should be easy, except they kind of hate each other.
"I hope this solidified it in your brain that this isn't stopping anytime soon," he growls against my lips. My eyes go wide but I don't say anything. "I'm serious," he growls, nipping my lower lip. "Stop running from me."
Their banter is awesome, I love that neither of them takes it lying down and they both need to have the last word. There's tension and chemistry in spades, and it's a lot of fun. Because you know that once their hate turns into sex, it's going to be all sorts of hot.
Let me tell you - it TOTALLY is!
"You're mine," I growl against her lips. "Your pleasure belongs to me."
When Jax comes back and they need to go their separate ways, it's apparent they're in deeper waters than they thought. Regardless of the physical aspect, there's so much connecting them to each other, but these are two people who are used to being on their own. They both need to let their guard down and let each other in, opening themselves to the possibility of love.
"It's you and me. That's it. We're it."
In the end, when it's right, it's right. And maybe it takes them 5 rounds of sex to get to their happily ever after, but I don't think they'd want it any other way.
Truthfully, neither would I.
Already looking forward to book 2!
I cannot believe this was Nikki Castle's debut novel. Everything fell into place for me, and it was an amazing read. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and with a lot of heat and awesome banter added to the mix... perfection!
The MMA setting of this book was new to me, and I loved everything about it.
"You want someone that doesn't need your permission. Someone that will call you on your shit."
I sometimes struggle to connect to the heroines, but Remy was an easy one for me. She's one tough chick, and I don't mean it only because she does jiu-jitsu. She's strong-minded, determined and driven, and she definitely knows what she wants. It also helps that her view on her current job is the same as mine: I hate being here, and I wish I could write for a living. She's also sort of a tomboy with her combat boots, and that's also something I can relate to.
"I can't help my lips opening for him any more than I can stop my heart from beating."
Tristan is in my Top 10 book boyfriends for 2021. I'm not kidding. This guy is hot! He's a fighter, with a great body, he's arrogant and comes off as conceited and full of himself, but he's such a sweetheart as well. And the things that come out of this man's mouth... Nikki, if I lick him, can I keep him?
“I think you’re going to change your mind,” he whispers. “And I don’t think I’ll be able to stop thinking about it until you do.”
Tristan and Remy have known each other for a while. When Remy needs to move out of her apartment and doesn't have a place to stay until the new one is ready, Jax, their common friend, offers to take her in for a few days. The problem? Jax is Tristan's roommate, and he'll be away, so Remy and Tristan will be living in the same house.
That should be easy, except they kind of hate each other.
"I hope this solidified it in your brain that this isn't stopping anytime soon," he growls against my lips. My eyes go wide but I don't say anything. "I'm serious," he growls, nipping my lower lip. "Stop running from me."
Their banter is awesome, I love that neither of them takes it lying down and they both need to have the last word. There's tension and chemistry in spades, and it's a lot of fun. Because you know that once their hate turns into sex, it's going to be all sorts of hot.
Let me tell you - it TOTALLY is!
"You're mine," I growl against her lips. "Your pleasure belongs to me."
When Jax comes back and they need to go their separate ways, it's apparent they're in deeper waters than they thought. Regardless of the physical aspect, there's so much connecting them to each other, but these are two people who are used to being on their own. They both need to let their guard down and let each other in, opening themselves to the possibility of love.
"It's you and me. That's it. We're it."
In the end, when it's right, it's right. And maybe it takes them 5 rounds of sex to get to their happily ever after, but I don't think they'd want it any other way.
Truthfully, neither would I.
Already looking forward to book 2!
January 4, 2022
I would have never guessed this was a debut!
Read
July 31, 2021Do not let my pov sway your reading this story!!
This story was very well written, intriguing and had a nice plot.
I just couldn’t connect with the hero, he was not that appealing to me.
Also, the dialogues that took place between the main couple were dominated by mma fighting and I lost interest. 🤷🏻♀️
Dnf @ 52%
This story was very well written, intriguing and had a nice plot.
I just couldn’t connect with the hero, he was not that appealing to me.
Also, the dialogues that took place between the main couple were dominated by mma fighting and I lost interest. 🤷🏻♀️
Dnf @ 52%
July 18, 2022
I must have read a completely different book than everyone else, I cannot explain this otherwise. Because this was so not what y’all said it would be.
The Positives:
↣ The friendship bond between the people at the gym was cute. All the people training and coaching there formed a kind of family and I like a good friendship group in my romances. Wish we had gotten to see more of them and less of the main couple, if I’m being honest 🙃
↣ I did not know anything about MMA, so this book was really interesting to me in that regard. The characters really loved doing sports and exercising and it kinda motivated me to start working out more again, too.
The Negatives:
↣ Where is the epic hate to love everyone has been calling this? WHERE? All I could see was two people who insulted each other for like 20 pages and then immediately wanted to rip each other’s clothes off. Where is the build-up, my friends? I have said it before and I will say it again, hate to love is only good if the development from one stage of the relationship to the next actually makes sense. If they are hot for each other right from the beginning, why would I be invested in their antagonistic relationship at all?
↣ I don’t know about you, but a hero who makes “funny” comments about women being supposed to cook for a man is just not sexy to me. I did not vibe with (oh my god, I forgot his name… Tristan, that’s right) Tristan whatsoever. Also, did you know that Remy is not like the other girls he has slept with? Cuddling with a girl after sex or *gasp* talking to her? Nah, Tristan isn’t that guy. But then
💥boom💥 Remy shows up and suddenly he actually wants to communicate with a woman (which they cannot even really do, but we’ll get to that shortly). Damn, what a romantic.
↣ Can’t we just stop heroines calling other women who enjoy sex “sorority girls” or “bimbo” or anything to that calibre just because they slept or want to sleep with the hero? I hate girl-on-girl-hate so much in books, especially when it is only about men. The main character Remy gave off such strong not-like-other girls vibes in that aspect. She would go on and on about how she likes to fight and she likes to dress in black boots and ripped jeans and she would never sleep with a “man-whore” like Tristan (so what, he enjoys sex and does not want a committed relationship? boo-freaking-hoo). Guess what, honey, you DID sleep with him, several times might I add, so hypocrite much?
↣ Listen, I love a good smutty scene as much as the next girl, but there was simply no need for this book to have as many as it did other than the author trying to up the page length (which, by the way, WHY did this have to be over 400 pages long??). Their whole relationship was based on them sleeping with each other and literally nothing else. I got so bored of reading about them banging that after a while, I just skimmed every single one of those scenes.
↣ Everyone raise their hands for the miscommunication trope! WOOHOOOO! 🙌 Because who wants to see the couple actually talk through their insecurities about wanting to be in a real relationship when you can instead have them overhear each other say stuff out of context, make assumptions and then tell each other how they only wanted each other for the 🍆 and the 🐱.
Wow, I really went in on this book. I have not felt the need to write a full-length review in a while, but it seems like this book really rubbed me the wrong way. 😅
The Positives:
↣ The friendship bond between the people at the gym was cute. All the people training and coaching there formed a kind of family and I like a good friendship group in my romances. Wish we had gotten to see more of them and less of the main couple, if I’m being honest 🙃
↣ I did not know anything about MMA, so this book was really interesting to me in that regard. The characters really loved doing sports and exercising and it kinda motivated me to start working out more again, too.
The Negatives:
↣ Where is the epic hate to love everyone has been calling this? WHERE? All I could see was two people who insulted each other for like 20 pages and then immediately wanted to rip each other’s clothes off. Where is the build-up, my friends? I have said it before and I will say it again, hate to love is only good if the development from one stage of the relationship to the next actually makes sense. If they are hot for each other right from the beginning, why would I be invested in their antagonistic relationship at all?
↣ I don’t know about you, but a hero who makes “funny” comments about women being supposed to cook for a man is just not sexy to me. I did not vibe with (oh my god, I forgot his name… Tristan, that’s right) Tristan whatsoever. Also, did you know that Remy is not like the other girls he has slept with? Cuddling with a girl after sex or *gasp* talking to her? Nah, Tristan isn’t that guy. But then
💥boom💥 Remy shows up and suddenly he actually wants to communicate with a woman (which they cannot even really do, but we’ll get to that shortly). Damn, what a romantic.
↣ Can’t we just stop heroines calling other women who enjoy sex “sorority girls” or “bimbo” or anything to that calibre just because they slept or want to sleep with the hero? I hate girl-on-girl-hate so much in books, especially when it is only about men. The main character Remy gave off such strong not-like-other girls vibes in that aspect. She would go on and on about how she likes to fight and she likes to dress in black boots and ripped jeans and she would never sleep with a “man-whore” like Tristan (so what, he enjoys sex and does not want a committed relationship? boo-freaking-hoo). Guess what, honey, you DID sleep with him, several times might I add, so hypocrite much?
↣ Listen, I love a good smutty scene as much as the next girl, but there was simply no need for this book to have as many as it did other than the author trying to up the page length (which, by the way, WHY did this have to be over 400 pages long??). Their whole relationship was based on them sleeping with each other and literally nothing else. I got so bored of reading about them banging that after a while, I just skimmed every single one of those scenes.
↣ Everyone raise their hands for the miscommunication trope! WOOHOOOO! 🙌 Because who wants to see the couple actually talk through their insecurities about wanting to be in a real relationship when you can instead have them overhear each other say stuff out of context, make assumptions and then tell each other how they only wanted each other for the 🍆 and the 🐱.
Wow, I really went in on this book. I have not felt the need to write a full-length review in a while, but it seems like this book really rubbed me the wrong way. 😅
November 9, 2022
DNF at 60%
Literally the worst book I've read in a while. I felt like I was suffocating from the corniness and one dimensional idiotic characters.
I am capable of ignoring a misogynistic moment or two in a romance because I understand the genre needs some work but is making continuous progress! But this was impossible to ignore. Every other page I was slapped in the face with another bizarre, openly mysoginistic comment. I had to check if this book was written by a man. From calling women "fake" and "plastic" to saying that it's a very "female quality" to "think with emotion rather than logic when upset" I don't have any interest in reading this lame ass nasty book.
Plot wise, I'm literally falling asleep. I do not care about MMA and I don't want to read about the two main characters bonding over why they love fighting so much like it's just not interesting to me. The forced proximity was so weird and forced. The "enemy to lovers" part is super fake LMFAOO they barely dislike each other. 4 chapters in and shes talking about how attracted to him she is like this is false advertisement.
The main character, Remy, was super corny and embarassing. She mentioned 500 times how she is a tomboy and doesn't notice "gross" things guys do bc shes just so used to it! And how she just cannot stand it when girls use the word "literally" to describe non literal things 🤬🤬 Wow, youre so right! Women should just kill themselves in my opinion. She said it's so crazy to see the main character enjoy reading like 💀 .. girl. Anyways!
The love interest was LAME. Uninteresting, gross, literally a loser. I don't care that you're a professional fighter or that your parents dont support your career. You're not special. This is everyone in the world literally ever.
Yeah this was a big fat BUST. What a terrible story. Honestly I couldn't read it anymore I felt like I was dying. Thank God I'm dnfing.
Literally the worst book I've read in a while. I felt like I was suffocating from the corniness and one dimensional idiotic characters.
I am capable of ignoring a misogynistic moment or two in a romance because I understand the genre needs some work but is making continuous progress! But this was impossible to ignore. Every other page I was slapped in the face with another bizarre, openly mysoginistic comment. I had to check if this book was written by a man. From calling women "fake" and "plastic" to saying that it's a very "female quality" to "think with emotion rather than logic when upset" I don't have any interest in reading this lame ass nasty book.
Plot wise, I'm literally falling asleep. I do not care about MMA and I don't want to read about the two main characters bonding over why they love fighting so much like it's just not interesting to me. The forced proximity was so weird and forced. The "enemy to lovers" part is super fake LMFAOO they barely dislike each other. 4 chapters in and shes talking about how attracted to him she is like this is false advertisement.
The main character, Remy, was super corny and embarassing. She mentioned 500 times how she is a tomboy and doesn't notice "gross" things guys do bc shes just so used to it! And how she just cannot stand it when girls use the word "literally" to describe non literal things 🤬🤬 Wow, youre so right! Women should just kill themselves in my opinion. She said it's so crazy to see the main character enjoy reading like 💀 .. girl. Anyways!
The love interest was LAME. Uninteresting, gross, literally a loser. I don't care that you're a professional fighter or that your parents dont support your career. You're not special. This is everyone in the world literally ever.
Yeah this was a big fat BUST. What a terrible story. Honestly I couldn't read it anymore I felt like I was dying. Thank God I'm dnfing.
April 10, 2023
3.25 stars
I usually love enemies to lovers but this one was just okay for me. Tristian and Remy have to become temporary roommates which is a recipe for disaster. They can't stand each other and it didn't feel fun for me like it normally does. I was a bit annoyed with both characters throughout the story. I did like the writing and I see the next book is about Jax who I liked best, so I may check that out.
I usually love enemies to lovers but this one was just okay for me. Tristian and Remy have to become temporary roommates which is a recipe for disaster. They can't stand each other and it didn't feel fun for me like it normally does. I was a bit annoyed with both characters throughout the story. I did like the writing and I see the next book is about Jax who I liked best, so I may check that out.
April 21, 2022
This is the first book in a sports romance series about an MMA fighter and his roommate’s best friend, and it's enemies to lovers! The heroine gets evicted from her apartment and stays in her best friend's room at his place, trying to find a new apartment while he’s away. Unfortunately, her best friend's roommate is an annoying jerk. Tristan and Remy got off on the wrong foot from the moment they met but now that they’re in such close proximity, lots of feelings start to creep up. They play pranks on each other, which was pretty fun, but I will admit I got a little tired of how rude both of them were to each other constantly. I did really like the MMA aspect though! Tristan is a fighter and a teacher at the gym Remy works out at, at the book dives pretty deep into the sport. Even though I didn’t fully love the book, I was still impressed with this being a debut.
April 2, 2022
*3.5* I almost DNF this around the 35% mark. Tristan is such a manwhore that at one point I was really hoping Remy would bring home a hunk of a man and have really loud sex so Tristan had to listen to it. It was really difficult for me to keep reading. This book took me right to the edge, and then the fireworks began.
An enemies to lovers story featuring Tristan, an MMA fighter and Remy, a five time gold medal jiu-jitsu tournament winner. (Remy is such a STRONG fmc) Nikki Castle slowly builds the most ridiculous, HOT, I-hate-you chemistry between this couple while also telling the story of each of them individually. You really get a sense of who they are before they become a couple, and that's really rare to find in books like this.
There is quite a lot of working out and fighting descriptions. It may have slightly motivated me to get off the couch and take the dog for a walk.
I had two issues that bothered me.
This book is filled with fabulous friendships, and a beautiful sister relationship. Highly recommended if you like extra ALPHA males, smokin hot descriptive steam, and two equally strong main characters.
An enemies to lovers story featuring Tristan, an MMA fighter and Remy, a five time gold medal jiu-jitsu tournament winner. (Remy is such a STRONG fmc) Nikki Castle slowly builds the most ridiculous, HOT, I-hate-you chemistry between this couple while also telling the story of each of them individually. You really get a sense of who they are before they become a couple, and that's really rare to find in books like this.
There is quite a lot of working out and fighting descriptions. It may have slightly motivated me to get off the couch and take the dog for a walk.
I had two issues that bothered me.
This book is filled with fabulous friendships, and a beautiful sister relationship. Highly recommended if you like extra ALPHA males, smokin hot descriptive steam, and two equally strong main characters.
June 16, 2023
barely 2 stars🍭
Here I will admit that yes, I saw a video on TikTok promoting ONE scene in this book & got sucked in like the weak bitch I am.
QUICK NOTE: this review is more negative than positive, so let me just unload the positives here. I think this is the author’s first book, so I won’t sit here and criticise as if I do not see potential here - I do. i became interested in a few of the characters & can see myself reading the second book in this series. The smut varied. some scenes were GOOD, and some were ok.
don't hold anything to me lol because like the aforementioned weak bitch I am, as soon as I read the happy, gushy & smutty end I began overlooking everything I didn’t like. lol but I am still sticking to my rating. the writing was good in some areas.
SO LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE REMY (the fmc)
she was the biggest ‘pick me, choose me, love me’ fmc I’ve encountered so far (I think. Either way, she’s up there)
A little background is that she’s a) tiny🥺 b) tells us how well she gets along with guys c) doesn’t really wear make-up or dress up like other girls <3
& these quotes below are only SOME of the bullshit that came out her mouth:
Btw, this jax is her BOY BEST FRIEND whom she could never be in a relationship with because it’s “too weird”. Yet, their relationship IS KINDA ALREADY weird. Call me the jealous type but… they’re both straight, find each other good looking and overly comfortable with each other. ITS WEIRD. Plus he nicknames her “Remy baby”. shut up.
also. (SPOILER): her sister and jax get together so this is remy being stupid.
OKAY??😭
I know these quotes don’t make her a “bad person” or anything but its just so silly.
NAH. WHAT IS THIS?
First things first, jax literally gawks &compliments remy when she dresses up later in the book so that thing is a fat lie.
“i’ve never rubbed in his face that I’m female.” so what does this mean, chief?
I understand everyone has their own opinions but ur just chatting out your ass right now, remy baby.
I haven’t mentioned the love interest yet lol. His name is Tristan. He’s actually pretty whatever - we don’t get his POV, so it’s hard to dissect him like Remy. Here’s a cringe quote for fun tho:
🐯 purr
OMG WAIT WAIT THIS QUOTE MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD
Remy and Tristan are bonding and he asked her what her favourite book is and this is her response:
Fair enough if people don’t read as they used to BUT SHE ACTS SO STARSTRUCK THAT HE ASKED WHAT HER FAVOURITE BOOK IS. how unusual is that considering she literally told him she wants to write books???
DON'T GET ME WRONG. Remy did have other friends who she was very supportive & protective of. A lot of the annoying stuff was at the start of the book.
moving on.
what else I did like about this book was that:
It was pretty safe.
there was a hot scene where they pretend to be together so Tristan's ex could go away. that was nice. i approved this.
it kept me reading the whole way through. The spice could have been filthier for a hussy like me but it was good & pretty frequent.
Here I will admit that yes, I saw a video on TikTok promoting ONE scene in this book & got sucked in like the weak bitch I am.
QUICK NOTE: this review is more negative than positive, so let me just unload the positives here. I think this is the author’s first book, so I won’t sit here and criticise as if I do not see potential here - I do. i became interested in a few of the characters & can see myself reading the second book in this series. The smut varied. some scenes were GOOD, and some were ok.
don't hold anything to me lol because like the aforementioned weak bitch I am, as soon as I read the happy, gushy & smutty end I began overlooking everything I didn’t like. lol but I am still sticking to my rating. the writing was good in some areas.
SO LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE REMY (the fmc)
she was the biggest ‘pick me, choose me, love me’ fmc I’ve encountered so far (I think. Either way, she’s up there)
A little background is that she’s a) tiny🥺 b) tells us how well she gets along with guys c) doesn’t really wear make-up or dress up like other girls <3
& these quotes below are only SOME of the bullshit that came out her mouth:
‘I look over at my sister. Sometimes I forget how ingrained I am in the guys’ testosterone-filled world- how much of a tomboy I really am. I dont even notice half the gross boy behaviour anymore. As close as she and Jax are, she’s too feminine to ever be as close to him and his world as I am.’
Btw, this jax is her BOY BEST FRIEND whom she could never be in a relationship with because it’s “too weird”. Yet, their relationship IS KINDA ALREADY weird. Call me the jealous type but… they’re both straight, find each other good looking and overly comfortable with each other. ITS WEIRD. Plus he nicknames her “Remy baby”. shut up.
also. (SPOILER): her sister and jax get together so this is remy being stupid.
‘Haley looks girly no matter what she wears, whereas I look like a fit chick that would drop kick anyone that looks at me’
OKAY??😭
I know these quotes don’t make her a “bad person” or anything but its just so silly.
‘Jax grunts his half-assed approval. I chuckle, knowing its the closest thing to a compliment that I’ll get from him in regard to my appearance. One of the things I know Jay has appreciated in our friendship all these years is that I’ve never rubbed in his face that I’m female. It’s also one of the things that’s helped me to exist in a male-dominated sport.’
NAH. WHAT IS THIS?
First things first, jax literally gawks &compliments remy when she dresses up later in the book so that thing is a fat lie.
“i’ve never rubbed in his face that I’m female.” so what does this mean, chief?
‘I don’t need his protection. I fight guys for fun, for God’s sake. I’m not the kind of girl that needs to be coddled.’
‘I’m all for toning down the hooker outfits once a girl has a boyfriend.’
I understand everyone has their own opinions but ur just chatting out your ass right now, remy baby.
I haven’t mentioned the love interest yet lol. His name is Tristan. He’s actually pretty whatever - we don’t get his POV, so it’s hard to dissect him like Remy. Here’s a cringe quote for fun tho:
“The difference is, I know for a fact that you like me being this close to you - that you’re actually soaked right now,” he purrs.
🐯 purr
OMG WAIT WAIT THIS QUOTE MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD
Remy and Tristan are bonding and he asked her what her favourite book is and this is her response:
“people don’t ask that question anymore. They don’t read. Or play chess. I feel like having academic interests just isn’t as normal anymore outside of an actual intellectual career.”
Fair enough if people don’t read as they used to BUT SHE ACTS SO STARSTRUCK THAT HE ASKED WHAT HER FAVOURITE BOOK IS. how unusual is that considering she literally told him she wants to write books???
DON'T GET ME WRONG. Remy did have other friends who she was very supportive & protective of. A lot of the annoying stuff was at the start of the book.
moving on.
what else I did like about this book was that:
It was pretty safe.
there was a hot scene where they pretend to be together so Tristan's ex could go away. that was nice. i approved this.
it kept me reading the whole way through. The spice could have been filthier for a hussy like me but it was good & pretty frequent.
April 8, 2023
I cannot handle how misogynistic this book was. I actually checked to see when the was released because I thought we were past this type of writing by now. Both MCs were constantly calling any other woman a pathetic, plastic bimbos. The FMC, Remy, isn’t like the others though. She’s a tomboy and is used to hanging out with the boys. The way she compared herself to her sister gave off this energy too. Especially in the beginning it was like the author was trying to shove down our throats how different she was to other women.
Also, Tristan says these “easy” and “plastic” women are good for nothing besides sex and aren’t worth the bother to have a conversation with, then claims to not be sexist. He says he actually thinks highly of women but then just treats them like holes he can use. When he first met Remy, he realized she didn’t want to have sex with him so he never bothered with her again because she no longer had any worth to him. Oh and don’t forget he said that his least favourite “female quality” (whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean) is when women get so emotional they cant think logically… I’m sorry what?? And Remy found this admirable? There are times when the MMC who has lots of casual sex and is an ass can be fun but putting it with all the misogyny in this book just highlighted how must he sucked even more.
This wasn’t the only thing I didn’t like though. When any character does anything that makes them a little more than the flat, one dimensional characters they were, it’s a huge shock. *gasp* he plays chess, *gasp* she reads, *gasp* they actually have a life. Also, Having sex scenes back to back, especially when there’s nothing new about them, is just redundant. For me, the sex scenes either have to be really good and interesting, or impact the plot in some way and a lot of the scenes in this book did neither. Lastly, for a book around the guy being an MMA fighter, he never actually fights. There’s one time they watch a fight but most of the time if focused more around the gym than the sport.
Putting all that aside, it was an okay read but I’m just sick of reading the same slut-shaming, internalized misogynistic, stories with one dimensional characters.
Also, Tristan says these “easy” and “plastic” women are good for nothing besides sex and aren’t worth the bother to have a conversation with, then claims to not be sexist. He says he actually thinks highly of women but then just treats them like holes he can use. When he first met Remy, he realized she didn’t want to have sex with him so he never bothered with her again because she no longer had any worth to him. Oh and don’t forget he said that his least favourite “female quality” (whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean) is when women get so emotional they cant think logically… I’m sorry what?? And Remy found this admirable? There are times when the MMC who has lots of casual sex and is an ass can be fun but putting it with all the misogyny in this book just highlighted how must he sucked even more.
This wasn’t the only thing I didn’t like though. When any character does anything that makes them a little more than the flat, one dimensional characters they were, it’s a huge shock. *gasp* he plays chess, *gasp* she reads, *gasp* they actually have a life. Also, Having sex scenes back to back, especially when there’s nothing new about them, is just redundant. For me, the sex scenes either have to be really good and interesting, or impact the plot in some way and a lot of the scenes in this book did neither. Lastly, for a book around the guy being an MMA fighter, he never actually fights. There’s one time they watch a fight but most of the time if focused more around the gym than the sport.
Putting all that aside, it was an okay read but I’m just sick of reading the same slut-shaming, internalized misogynistic, stories with one dimensional characters.
July 12, 2021
*ARC received from author in exchange for my honest review. *
Debut novel, what?? Nikki Castle came in and wrote this baby like she has been doing it for years. For an author to make me fall for a troupe I usually don't read (MMA) and then have me excited for book two says a lot!!
5 Rounds had so many delicious qualities I love in a story such as enemies to lovers and forced proximity but there was so much more depth here than I usually get out of enemies to lovers. We really see the two sides of the same coin phrase come into play in this book. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin and Nikki Castle captured that in such an intense and authentic way with Remy & Tristan.
Remy is strength personified. She is a workaholic who is on the edge of quitting the job that makes her life comfortable, she is a fighter and above all of that she doesn't let men walk all over her. After getting a call that she is getting evicted Remy is left scrambling for a place to live until she can move into her new apartment. It is only for a couple of weeks, and it seems luck is mostly on her side when her best friend offers up his room since he will be out of town for work for the time, she will need the room. The small problem in this arrangement is Tristan, her best friend’s roommate. He is everything Remy despises in a man, cocky, womanizing and self-centered. It is only for a couple of weeks, surely, she can survive him that long but when one night exposes the desire under the surface everything changes.
Tristan is in for the fight of his life both figuratively and literally. On the cusp of being the next great MMA fighter he has no time for distractions. When he finds out his roommates’ best friend is going to be staying with him for a couple of weeks while his roommate is out of town, and she is waiting for her new apartment Tristan is prepared to handle Remy. He enjoys getting under skin maybe a little too much and it is in fun, but he doesn't expect her to fight back. All this time he might have severely underestimated the small but fierce woman. One night of drinks and jealously he doesn't expect lead Tristan and Remy down a road that neither of them expected.
When you are not prepared for that one person to come in and take over your heart it is impossible not to wonder what the future holds. As Remy and Tristan navigate this new sexual chemistry, they are also having to recognize that all their fighting and banter might be more than just sexual tension. Hearts are broken, arguments are had and when the dust settles will Tristan and Remy be able to overcome the fear and drop their guards long enough to realize what this could become?
Gah!! I loved this book so freakin' much!! Tristan was nothing like I was first expecting him to be, and Remy was the heroine I always want to read about. The intimate moments were nothing short of STEAMY and once the chemistry really settled between them there was no denying the intensity of their feelings. Five stars for Nikki Castle's debut novel 5 Rounds!!!
Debut novel, what?? Nikki Castle came in and wrote this baby like she has been doing it for years. For an author to make me fall for a troupe I usually don't read (MMA) and then have me excited for book two says a lot!!
5 Rounds had so many delicious qualities I love in a story such as enemies to lovers and forced proximity but there was so much more depth here than I usually get out of enemies to lovers. We really see the two sides of the same coin phrase come into play in this book. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin and Nikki Castle captured that in such an intense and authentic way with Remy & Tristan.
Remy is strength personified. She is a workaholic who is on the edge of quitting the job that makes her life comfortable, she is a fighter and above all of that she doesn't let men walk all over her. After getting a call that she is getting evicted Remy is left scrambling for a place to live until she can move into her new apartment. It is only for a couple of weeks, and it seems luck is mostly on her side when her best friend offers up his room since he will be out of town for work for the time, she will need the room. The small problem in this arrangement is Tristan, her best friend’s roommate. He is everything Remy despises in a man, cocky, womanizing and self-centered. It is only for a couple of weeks, surely, she can survive him that long but when one night exposes the desire under the surface everything changes.
Tristan is in for the fight of his life both figuratively and literally. On the cusp of being the next great MMA fighter he has no time for distractions. When he finds out his roommates’ best friend is going to be staying with him for a couple of weeks while his roommate is out of town, and she is waiting for her new apartment Tristan is prepared to handle Remy. He enjoys getting under skin maybe a little too much and it is in fun, but he doesn't expect her to fight back. All this time he might have severely underestimated the small but fierce woman. One night of drinks and jealously he doesn't expect lead Tristan and Remy down a road that neither of them expected.
When you are not prepared for that one person to come in and take over your heart it is impossible not to wonder what the future holds. As Remy and Tristan navigate this new sexual chemistry, they are also having to recognize that all their fighting and banter might be more than just sexual tension. Hearts are broken, arguments are had and when the dust settles will Tristan and Remy be able to overcome the fear and drop their guards long enough to realize what this could become?
Gah!! I loved this book so freakin' much!! Tristan was nothing like I was first expecting him to be, and Remy was the heroine I always want to read about. The intimate moments were nothing short of STEAMY and once the chemistry really settled between them there was no denying the intensity of their feelings. Five stars for Nikki Castle's debut novel 5 Rounds!!!
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 17, 202154% and I'm out.
I liked the writing, it was natural and smooth, the dialogues - everything was pretty good.
But I couldn't get past the heroine's 5th inner monologue about the same stuff. Her struggles were understandable but I didn't need to read about them so many times.
When I start skimming, that's when the book is lost for me.
But I can absolutely imagine reading more by the author! Because yaay for more MMA and women in the sport!
I liked the writing, it was natural and smooth, the dialogues - everything was pretty good.
But I couldn't get past the heroine's 5th inner monologue about the same stuff. Her struggles were understandable but I didn't need to read about them so many times.
When I start skimming, that's when the book is lost for me.
But I can absolutely imagine reading more by the author! Because yaay for more MMA and women in the sport!
June 28, 2024
Wow. Sports romance is ultimately one of my favourite tropes and this by far is one of my top favs. I loved this book for so many reasons. The forced proximity. The chemistry was insane. The vibe this book gave had me wanting to start training for a marathon. It was so upbeat and fun and I even loved the side characters too.
OMG AAAH. The spoiceeeeee was delicious.
TRISTAN WAS FILTHY HOT.
*frantically fanning myself*
Side note:
Remy kinda annoyed me (just a lil’ bit) because of her constant case of ‘IM ANGRY’ and how she couldn’t stop herself from saying how she’s SUCH A TOMBOY. Like okay I get it.
But other than that it was a really good book. Loved it! Also I was shipping Jax and Hailey so much and what do you know? THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BOOK! So here I go to live with them for a while.
OMG AAAH. The spoiceeeeee was delicious.
TRISTAN WAS FILTHY HOT.
*frantically fanning myself*
Side note:
Remy kinda annoyed me (just a lil’ bit) because of her constant case of ‘IM ANGRY’ and how she couldn’t stop herself from saying how she’s SUCH A TOMBOY. Like okay I get it.
But other than that it was a really good book. Loved it! Also I was shipping Jax and Hailey so much and what do you know? THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BOOK! So here I go to live with them for a while.
January 3, 2023
4.5⭐️
absolutely loved this book !! loved their chemistry, their banter and the spice scenes were GOOOODD
the only thing that made it not a 5 stars for me was the third act conflict. it was dragged on for forever and made me skim until I knew they would actually use their vocal chords and communicate with each other. I feel like they literally could have talked right after and it would have been fixed but they went WEEKS PEOPLE WEEKS without talking to each other so it ruined it a little for me but honestly the overall book and how they communicate and got back together was sooooo cute that I loved it❤️
absolutely loved this book !! loved their chemistry, their banter and the spice scenes were GOOOODD
the only thing that made it not a 5 stars for me was the third act conflict. it was dragged on for forever and made me skim until I knew they would actually use their vocal chords and communicate with each other. I feel like they literally could have talked right after and it would have been fixed but they went WEEKS PEOPLE WEEKS without talking to each other so it ruined it a little for me but honestly the overall book and how they communicate and got back together was sooooo cute that I loved it❤️
February 25, 2024
4.5 ⭐
THE WAY THE MMC AND FMC ARE LEGIT ENEMIES 👌👌👌👌
I devoured this & really loved all the jiu-jitsu talk since I'm a jiu-jitsu mama and actually understood all the lingo. I've never read about it in a book and really appreciated it!
Also, I absolutely love Remy and how tough she is. She is one of my favorite FMC's!
There are so many damn scenes in this book that will live in my head rent-free. The spice was soooo freaking good. I can't get over it. 🔥🔥
This was my first Nikki Castle book and I cannot wait to read more!
"I still hate your fucking guts..." - Remy
"I would expect nothing less." - Tristan
🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠
-enemies to lovers
-sports romance
-forced proximity
-best friends roommate
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
THE WAY THE MMC AND FMC ARE LEGIT ENEMIES 👌👌👌👌
I devoured this & really loved all the jiu-jitsu talk since I'm a jiu-jitsu mama and actually understood all the lingo. I've never read about it in a book and really appreciated it!
Also, I absolutely love Remy and how tough she is. She is one of my favorite FMC's!
There are so many damn scenes in this book that will live in my head rent-free. The spice was soooo freaking good. I can't get over it. 🔥🔥
This was my first Nikki Castle book and I cannot wait to read more!
"I still hate your fucking guts..." - Remy
"I would expect nothing less." - Tristan
🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠
-enemies to lovers
-sports romance
-forced proximity
-best friends roommate
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
February 1, 2024
2nd Read, Jan 2024: reread with the audio ALC! So excited this book is now out on audio, I absolutely love this series and the audio was sooo good! I love Remy + Tristan and their chemistry and banter. Ugh so good!
1st Read, Jan 2022:
4.5 stars! First off I cannot believe this was a debut, I didn’t realize that it was until I finished and looked on GR. I already really enjoyed it but that impresses me even more! This was such a deliciously written sports romance (MMA) that starts out with hate-to-love vibes between the hero and heroine, and then we get all the sexual tension once they become temporary roommates (that close proximity though 🔥).
Remy finds out she’s getting evicted at the beginning of the story. She asks her best friend Jax, who she’s been friends with since childhood, if she can crash with him until she finds a new place and he tells her it’ll work out perfect since he’s about to be gone for a work trip and she can use his room. Only one problem, she loathes his roommate Tristan and is about to be shacked up with him for 10 days…
Tristan West is a professional MMA fighter, training hard to get an in to the UFC. When not busy at the gym training, Tristan loves to mess with Remy. And omg do they have alllll the verbal sparring…I loved their banter and encounters leading to them getting together. Remy also trains at the gym and I loved how much their gym life and the MMA world was a part of this story. We get to see them both train and fight, even against one another. Remy only sees Tristan as a flirt with a constant rotation of ladies in his bedroom and Tristan loves pushing her buttons thinking she’s too buttoned-up.
This read was a delight, I loved the banter, and the steamy times were fantastic! I really felt for Tristan’s character and hated so much how his parents and brother treated him, like his fighting and UFC dreams weren’t anything to be proud of. They put him down over it constantly and harass him about getting a “real career”. At one point, he even asks Remy if she would choose fighting/career over family and she tells him family is everything and I really think this could have been a moment of removing toxic family from your life (family does not mean they have to stay in your life) and I just hated how they treated his character and pretty much got away with it. He does tell them off at one point but I wanted more or to see them apologize and we never see that happen on page for him. The miscommunication/plot device to tear the couple apart towards the end drove me wild…I just wanted to shake these 2 to admit their feelings to one another and be together already! 😅 Allllll that said, I cannot wait to see more from this author in the future and am so grateful my friend brought this to my attention. I cannot wait for the 2nd book that is out in a few weeks, I’m dying for that relationship!
1st Read, Jan 2022:
4.5 stars! First off I cannot believe this was a debut, I didn’t realize that it was until I finished and looked on GR. I already really enjoyed it but that impresses me even more! This was such a deliciously written sports romance (MMA) that starts out with hate-to-love vibes between the hero and heroine, and then we get all the sexual tension once they become temporary roommates (that close proximity though 🔥).
Remy finds out she’s getting evicted at the beginning of the story. She asks her best friend Jax, who she’s been friends with since childhood, if she can crash with him until she finds a new place and he tells her it’ll work out perfect since he’s about to be gone for a work trip and she can use his room. Only one problem, she loathes his roommate Tristan and is about to be shacked up with him for 10 days…
Tristan West is a professional MMA fighter, training hard to get an in to the UFC. When not busy at the gym training, Tristan loves to mess with Remy. And omg do they have alllll the verbal sparring…I loved their banter and encounters leading to them getting together. Remy also trains at the gym and I loved how much their gym life and the MMA world was a part of this story. We get to see them both train and fight, even against one another. Remy only sees Tristan as a flirt with a constant rotation of ladies in his bedroom and Tristan loves pushing her buttons thinking she’s too buttoned-up.
This read was a delight, I loved the banter, and the steamy times were fantastic! I really felt for Tristan’s character and hated so much how his parents and brother treated him, like his fighting and UFC dreams weren’t anything to be proud of. They put him down over it constantly and harass him about getting a “real career”. At one point, he even asks Remy if she would choose fighting/career over family and she tells him family is everything and I really think this could have been a moment of removing toxic family from your life (family does not mean they have to stay in your life) and I just hated how they treated his character and pretty much got away with it. He does tell them off at one point but I wanted more or to see them apologize and we never see that happen on page for him. The miscommunication/plot device to tear the couple apart towards the end drove me wild…I just wanted to shake these 2 to admit their feelings to one another and be together already! 😅 Allllll that said, I cannot wait to see more from this author in the future and am so grateful my friend brought this to my attention. I cannot wait for the 2nd book that is out in a few weeks, I’m dying for that relationship!
August 8, 2021
4.5 “I know” stars!
Wow! What a fantastic debut novel from Nikki Castle!
There’s nothing better than a well-written enemies-to-lovers story where the sexual tension just drips from the page. Throw in the physical and mental strength of MMA fighting, reluctant roommates, and a love-hate that has been brewing for years and you get the explosive heat that is Tristan & Remy.
Remy was such a strong character. She’s a fighter, she’s feisty, and she doesn’t let Tristan get away with anything. Tristan is the self-centered, cocky, MMA fighter that loves to push all of Remy’s buttons to get a reaction from her. I loved all the banter, the sexual tension, the heat… did I mention the heat?
I have read very few books about MMA (or any martial arts for that matter) and I found that I really enjoyed reading Tristan & Remy’s passion for the sport and the dedication and training it takes.
The only thing that I didn’t love was the epilogue. But that’s just my jaded heart talking. It was too fairy-tale perfect and ended up being a little unbelievable for me. I wish it had been a bit more real and raw like the rest of Tristan & Remy’s love story.
All in all a fabulous debut! I can’t wait to see what NC brings us next. I’ll be reading it for sure!
Wow! What a fantastic debut novel from Nikki Castle!
There’s nothing better than a well-written enemies-to-lovers story where the sexual tension just drips from the page. Throw in the physical and mental strength of MMA fighting, reluctant roommates, and a love-hate that has been brewing for years and you get the explosive heat that is Tristan & Remy.
"Hate sex can be intense. And with the way you and I feel about each other, I might actually kill you with pleasure.”
Remy was such a strong character. She’s a fighter, she’s feisty, and she doesn’t let Tristan get away with anything. Tristan is the self-centered, cocky, MMA fighter that loves to push all of Remy’s buttons to get a reaction from her. I loved all the banter, the sexual tension, the heat… did I mention the heat?
No more dancing around this tension. No more hiding behind sexual innuendos, or pranks, or condescending digs.
I have read very few books about MMA (or any martial arts for that matter) and I found that I really enjoyed reading Tristan & Remy’s passion for the sport and the dedication and training it takes.
It's barbaric because it's primal and raw and there's no hiding anything once that cage door locks. It's honest. The most honest thing a human can experience.
The only thing that I didn’t love was the epilogue. But that’s just my jaded heart talking. It was too fairy-tale perfect and ended up being a little unbelievable for me. I wish it had been a bit more real and raw like the rest of Tristan & Remy’s love story.
All in all a fabulous debut! I can’t wait to see what NC brings us next. I’ll be reading it for sure!
November 30, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Safety warnings
- No cheating
- Barely OW/OM drama*
- Mention of verbal abuse (not between MCs)
- HEA
*Explained further in the review
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
There were parts of this book I really enjoyed, and I have to say I liked the last 20-25 percent more than the beginning. It dragged on certain parts, and it felt like it was repeating itself sometimes.
I wasn't the biggest fan of Remy. She came off as being pretty judgemental to me towards Tristan and never giving him the opportunity to show her his true nature but assumed the worst for so long and once she got to know him realised how she truly misjudged him and what a great guy he was.
Tristan was a fun character, and he had a mouth on him. The chemistry between the two of them was off the charts and the smut was amazing.
There was the scene where she overheard him say to Jax that he was still seeing some girl was hard to read because you knew this would not end well and she would run away and think the worst yet again. They are separated for a while but there weren't with others in their time apart but there was a scene where he sees her with a guy (she only needed legal advice) and it is misconstrued as being a date so he says some horrible things and tries to make her jealous but it all backfires on him.
I really liked Jax and how protective he was of her also loved how we find out he knew all along about their ''hook ups''.
OW drama: The H is about to hook up with a girl prior to him getting with Remy and she walks in on them before it goes any further and causes the girl to leave. It's barely any drama because the MCs aren't into each other, and they weren't prior to this scene but mainly had animosity towards each other
OM drama: H believes h has moved on and is on a date with a guy.
Safety warnings
- No cheating
- Barely OW/OM drama*
- Mention of verbal abuse (not between MCs)
- HEA
*Explained further in the review
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
There were parts of this book I really enjoyed, and I have to say I liked the last 20-25 percent more than the beginning. It dragged on certain parts, and it felt like it was repeating itself sometimes.
I wasn't the biggest fan of Remy. She came off as being pretty judgemental to me towards Tristan and never giving him the opportunity to show her his true nature but assumed the worst for so long and once she got to know him realised how she truly misjudged him and what a great guy he was.
Tristan was a fun character, and he had a mouth on him. The chemistry between the two of them was off the charts and the smut was amazing.
There was the scene where she overheard him say to Jax that he was still seeing some girl was hard to read because you knew this would not end well and she would run away and think the worst yet again. They are separated for a while but there weren't with others in their time apart but there was a scene where he sees her with a guy (she only needed legal advice) and it is misconstrued as being a date so he says some horrible things and tries to make her jealous but it all backfires on him.
I really liked Jax and how protective he was of her also loved how we find out he knew all along about their ''hook ups''.
OW drama: The H is about to hook up with a girl prior to him getting with Remy and she walks in on them before it goes any further and causes the girl to leave. It's barely any drama because the MCs aren't into each other, and they weren't prior to this scene but mainly had animosity towards each other
OM drama: H believes h has moved on and is on a date with a guy.
February 1, 2022
Guy and girl hates each other's guts.
Guy and girl are always at each other's throats
Guy and girl fuck
Guy and girl decides it was wrong.
Yet guy and girl fuck again
Guy and girl fall in love
Guy says something he doesn't mean to his friend
Girl overheard the conversation and storms out
Now the guy and girl think they don't mean shit to each other when in reality they are in love
They stay away for some days
Guy and girl find themselves at a mutual friend's party
Guy and girl makes up
🥰
Guy and girl are always at each other's throats
Guy and girl fuck
Guy and girl decides it was wrong.
Yet guy and girl fuck again
Guy and girl fall in love
Guy says something he doesn't mean to his friend
Girl overheard the conversation and storms out
Now the guy and girl think they don't mean shit to each other when in reality they are in love
They stay away for some days
Guy and girl find themselves at a mutual friend's party
Guy and girl makes up
🥰
April 23, 2022
This book had a pretty slow start for me. It took me a while to get through the first 100 pages or so because nothing particular grabbed my attention. The middle of the story was the only semi interesting part (probably because of all of the hate sex) and then the last 100 pages was just a dragged out miscommunication issue until they confronted each other about the misunderstanding.
I definitely skimmed a lot of the story as I got closer to the end, but if the book didn’t end on a miscommunication trope, I might have liked it a lot more. I was kind of digging the romance and I enjoyed seeing them go from hating each other / to hate fucking / to realizing they enjoy each other’s company… up until it all blew up for no good reason.
The thing is, there wasn’t much to this book other than a bunch of trips to the gym, trips to the bar, sex, and realizing that if you hate your job you should quit, and if you love your job then you shouldn’t quit.
I mean, okay… there were some good vibes… like the jealousy/possessive/your mine moments… and that’s what’s bumping this to a 3 stars instead of lower. I guess it had potential and I see why people vibe with the story… but unfortunately I’m a bit picky (if you can’t tell) and there was jusy too much in this book that got on my nerves and felt too basic for me.
Oh and last thing, so much repetitiveness! Like seriously! The characters monologue would repeat so much and I couldn’t stand how their internal thoughts would point out obvious things about the story. I rather the words and moments speak for themselves… and they did! But then having the characters repeat what we already know and saw ruined the vibe.
I definitely skimmed a lot of the story as I got closer to the end, but if the book didn’t end on a miscommunication trope, I might have liked it a lot more. I was kind of digging the romance and I enjoyed seeing them go from hating each other / to hate fucking / to realizing they enjoy each other’s company… up until it all blew up for no good reason.
The thing is, there wasn’t much to this book other than a bunch of trips to the gym, trips to the bar, sex, and realizing that if you hate your job you should quit, and if you love your job then you shouldn’t quit.
I mean, okay… there were some good vibes… like the jealousy/possessive/your mine moments… and that’s what’s bumping this to a 3 stars instead of lower. I guess it had potential and I see why people vibe with the story… but unfortunately I’m a bit picky (if you can’t tell) and there was jusy too much in this book that got on my nerves and felt too basic for me.
Oh and last thing, so much repetitiveness! Like seriously! The characters monologue would repeat so much and I couldn’t stand how their internal thoughts would point out obvious things about the story. I rather the words and moments speak for themselves… and they did! But then having the characters repeat what we already know and saw ruined the vibe.
August 23, 2023
dnf at 70%
possibly the worst book i will ever read.
the misogyny what is so attractive about a misogynistic love interest?
and why is it a recurring theme for the fmc to be making nasty comments about other girls in books simply for sleeping with a man?
the main character i don’t think i’ll ever hate a fmc more than i hated remy. the fucking pick me behavior. i wanted to pull my hair out every time she said she was “not like other girls”.
save your time and DON’T read this book. you’re welcome.
possibly the worst book i will ever read.
the misogyny what is so attractive about a misogynistic love interest?
“Wouldn't you need to have big tits and the ability to cook to be valuable to the classic male?”
“Can you just wait for him in the kitchen like a good woman? Maybe make me dinner while you're in there.”
and why is it a recurring theme for the fmc to be making nasty comments about other girls in books simply for sleeping with a man?
”The vibe in here is way too plastic.”
”And trust me, honey, you're going to need more than fake words and a plastic rack to keep his attention.”
the main character i don’t think i’ll ever hate a fmc more than i hated remy. the fucking pick me behavior. i wanted to pull my hair out every time she said she was “not like other girls”.
”He grins, knowing how much I hate when girls use the word to describe something that is very clearly not literal.”
”Hailey looks girly no matter what she wears, whereas I look like a fit chick that would drop kick anyone that looks at me”
save your time and DON’T read this book. you’re welcome.
April 22, 2022
This was pretty cool! Loved that they are both fighters and athletes. Very unique in sports Romance.
Great hate sex turning emotional on them before their eyes.
Dark moment was SUPER frustrating but understandable based on their past.
I will definitely read the next one soon.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale.
Great hate sex turning emotional on them before their eyes.
Dark moment was SUPER frustrating but understandable based on their past.
I will definitely read the next one soon.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale.
November 17, 2022
5 Rounds is an enemies to lovers romance between Remy and Tristan. Remy is best friends with Tristan’s roommate, Jax. When Remy has to move out of her apartment, she needs a place to temporarily crash. It just so happens that Jax will be out of town for a few weeks so he offers Remy his room. The only problem? Her and Tristan “hate” each other and have to deal with being roommates until Jax gets back. As much as these two hate each other, with a couple drinks and a little forced proximity……anything can happen 🥵.
This was a fun read! It’s set in an MMA world, with Tristan being an MMA fighter/coach, and Remy being a member of the same MMA gym. I found the world so fascinating and you could tell the author did her research (I believe her husband is an MMA fighter?). Remy and Tristan’s banter was hilarious and their chemistry was unmatched.
I will say at some points the book felt a little too long, and the character’s inner dialogue seemed to just run on. Also, the third act breakup was INFURIATING. Miscommunication as a breakup tactic usually annoys me and this was no different 🤣, being that it could've been talked out between the Tristan and Remy had one of them just reached out to each other.
Other than that, it was a great read and a decent debut novel from this author! The epilogue was so cute! I definitely plan on reading Jax and Hailey’s story, 2 Fights, soon!
TROPES: enemies to lovers; MMA fighting; forced proximity/roommates
TRIGGER WARNINGS: unsupportive parents (H); toxic relationship (h’s sister struggles with a toxic boyfriend throughout the book)
This was a fun read! It’s set in an MMA world, with Tristan being an MMA fighter/coach, and Remy being a member of the same MMA gym. I found the world so fascinating and you could tell the author did her research (I believe her husband is an MMA fighter?). Remy and Tristan’s banter was hilarious and their chemistry was unmatched.
I will say at some points the book felt a little too long, and the character’s inner dialogue seemed to just run on. Also, the third act breakup was INFURIATING. Miscommunication as a breakup tactic usually annoys me and this was no different 🤣, being that it could've been talked out between the Tristan and Remy had one of them just reached out to each other.
Other than that, it was a great read and a decent debut novel from this author! The epilogue was so cute! I definitely plan on reading Jax and Hailey’s story, 2 Fights, soon!
TROPES: enemies to lovers; MMA fighting; forced proximity/roommates
TRIGGER WARNINGS: unsupportive parents (H); toxic relationship (h’s sister struggles with a toxic boyfriend throughout the book)
September 11, 2023
4/5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️
This one was piping hot! 🥵
4/5 🌶️
This one was piping hot! 🥵
June 11, 2023
2 Stars for the Sexy Scenes Only
The rest of the book was not great. The female main character was pretty immature and grating for the first third of the book. There was research into MMA fighting, but the effort really showed. A good portion of the book was spent talking about protein-dense meals and scheduling grueling gym sessions.
I almost DNF’ed it, but the sexy time was very hot. Their actual lives were boring bordering on annoying.
The rest of the book was not great. The female main character was pretty immature and grating for the first third of the book. There was research into MMA fighting, but the effort really showed. A good portion of the book was spent talking about protein-dense meals and scheduling grueling gym sessions.
I almost DNF’ed it, but the sexy time was very hot. Their actual lives were boring bordering on annoying.
November 14, 2022
Ummm I am obsessed!! Epic, sexy, and all consuming. Loved every minute of this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 3, 2022
4.75 ⭐️
Enemies to lovers might be one of my favorite tropes and this book checked all the boxes for what makes a great one for me.
The animosity between Tristan and Remy was truly palpable. There was so much sexual tension between them that it made the steamy scenes soooo very hot! 🥵🔥😮💨 Nikki sure knows how to write them!! And let me tell you, ladies… Tristans bedroom talk did not only melt Remy’s panties but also mine! 🙆🏻♀️
However, there was one thing that prevented me to give this book all the stars. There was too much MMA talking and I am not a big fan so I skimmed thru those parts.🙈
But other than that, this book is AMAZING. It was a very steamy, yet emotionally deep one. And I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
✷✷✷✷✷✷ So many of my reviews just seems to disappear from Goodreads so I am re-posting this one. ✷✷✷✷✷✷
Enemies to lovers might be one of my favorite tropes and this book checked all the boxes for what makes a great one for me.
The animosity between Tristan and Remy was truly palpable. There was so much sexual tension between them that it made the steamy scenes soooo very hot! 🥵🔥😮💨 Nikki sure knows how to write them!! And let me tell you, ladies… Tristans bedroom talk did not only melt Remy’s panties but also mine! 🙆🏻♀️
However, there was one thing that prevented me to give this book all the stars. There was too much MMA talking and I am not a big fan so I skimmed thru those parts.🙈
But other than that, this book is AMAZING. It was a very steamy, yet emotionally deep one. And I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
✷✷✷✷✷✷ So many of my reviews just seems to disappear from Goodreads so I am re-posting this one. ✷✷✷✷✷✷
July 16, 2022
enjoyed this book.
I am honestly more excited to read book 2.. really giddy to start book 2 actually
UPDATE:
Just found that this was a debut. How? It was so good.
I am honestly more excited to read book 2.. really giddy to start book 2 actually
UPDATE:
Just found that this was a debut. How? It was so good.
September 30, 2023
5 rounds by nikki castle
× mma sports romance
× forced proximity
what i liked:
•mma parts.
•the smut was hot
"And before we start, I fuck your mouth."
I gape at his brazen words.
When he sees my expression, he grins. "Good girl, hold it just like that."
...
"Such a good fucking girl," I whisper. "You take my cock so well."
...
• remy×tristan have good chemistry
"But he's not looking out the windows. He's looking at me. [...]
"You're so fucking beautiful," he says quietly.
...
"Why does it feel so different with you?"
...
• remy and hailey have a sweet sister bond
• the "found family" in their gym
"Regardless of age, gender, or experience, the only requirement to join the team is work ethic and a willingness to help others. We win together and we lose together, and at the end of the day we're just as invested in everyone else's success as we are our own. We're a family."
...
what i didn't like:
• there were parts that felt like they lasted forever and i skimmed a lot
• some conversations felt off, repetitive or just weird
• the slut shaming wasn't cool
• miscommunication is my least favorite trope. the 3rd act conflict made me sooo so mad.
× mma sports romance
× forced proximity
what i liked:
•mma parts.
•the smut was hot
"And before we start, I fuck your mouth."
I gape at his brazen words.
When he sees my expression, he grins. "Good girl, hold it just like that."
...
"Such a good fucking girl," I whisper. "You take my cock so well."
...
• remy×tristan have good chemistry
"But he's not looking out the windows. He's looking at me. [...]
"You're so fucking beautiful," he says quietly.
...
"Why does it feel so different with you?"
...
• remy and hailey have a sweet sister bond
• the "found family" in their gym
"Regardless of age, gender, or experience, the only requirement to join the team is work ethic and a willingness to help others. We win together and we lose together, and at the end of the day we're just as invested in everyone else's success as we are our own. We're a family."
...
what i didn't like:
• there were parts that felt like they lasted forever and i skimmed a lot
• some conversations felt off, repetitive or just weird
• the slut shaming wasn't cool
• miscommunication is my least favorite trope. the 3rd act conflict made me sooo so mad.
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