Title: Holding Strong
Author: Lori Foster
Series: Ultimate, #2
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Published: March 2015, Recorded Books / HQN Books
Length: 13 hours 45 minutes / 475 pages
Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC e-copy via Netgalley
Summary:
Heavyweight fighter
Denver Lewis plays real nice, but he doesn’t share. That’s why he’s been
avoiding top-notch flirt Cherry Peyton. But a man can only resist those
lush curves for so long. Their encounter surpasses all his fantasies,
bringing out protective urges that Cherry’s about to need more than she
knows…
Denver’s combination of pure muscle and unexpected
tenderness has been driving Cherry wild. Yet no sooner does she get what
she’s been craving than old troubles show up on her doorstep. And this
time, Cherry can’t hide behind a carefree facade. Because the man by her
side is one who’ll fight like hell to keep her safe…if only she’ll
trust him enough to let him…
My thoughts: There is nothing better than finding a series you love…except when you find that series on Netgalley and get too eager and request the entire series and forget about the books. Total fail on my part! I discovered this series by Lori Foster when it first came out because she had introduced one of the characters in her previous series and I was so happy to see we would be seeing more of him. I read that first book, No Limits, when it first came out and then immediately requested the rest of the books and we all know that saying – too many books, too little time. Well, now’s as good a time as any to clear up my Netgalley backlog!
It was so fun to catch up with the guys in this series. And even though it’s been a while since I’ve read the previous book, as soon as I got back into the pages, it all came back to me…and I remembered how much I enjoy Lori Foster’s writing. She writes great characters and her romances are just the right amount of sweetness and steam. Right off the bat you know Denver and Cherry are going to end up together, but it’s the journey that they take to get to their happily-ever-after that I’m more interested in and believe me, they have quite a bumpy ride.
I loved that we get to see all the other guys that were introduced in the first book – Cannon, Stack, Armie – and I am so hopeful that Armie’s story will be next. He really is my favorite! But either way, I know that I am going to enjoy it. I love the friendship and loyalty that Lori Foster has created among the fighters and their loved ones…it feels authentic and real. And I love that even though this series is about MMA fighting, it’s not really about the fighting so much as about the fighters themselves.
I like that this book is more than just a romance story. There is substance to it and that is why I still turn to these books every now and again. I liked that both Cherry and Denver had demons from their past that they needed to face and that they both needed help in doing so. It just goes to show that even the tough guys need a little help once in a while!
I am looking forward to catching up on this series…and maybe getting my Netgalley queue cleaned up in the process!
Audio thoughts: I decided to do a combination of listening and reading with this book. I thought Jim Frangione did a great job with the narration. His pacing was good and he did a great job with all the characters, giving them all unique personalities.
Books in this series:
0.5 Hard Knocks
1. No Limits
2. Holding Strong
3. Tough Love
4. Fighting Dirty
