Synopsis
New body. New clothes. New men.
Used to the average Joe, Caitlyn Moore is overwhelmed when the supremely masculine Dante Jones walks into her life and expresses an interest in her. At first she pushes him away, refusing to encourage the attention of a cage fighter. Then she learns Dante has a love ‘em and leave ‘em reputation. What better way to fine-tune her non-existent flirting skills than with a male who won’t stick around? But Dante has no intention of being a practice dummy; he’s out for all or nothing. Now Caitlyn must accept Dante—violent career and all—or let him go.
Dante “Inferno” Jones has one goal: win the Welterweight Championship. At a time when focus is crucial, the last thing he needs is a distraction. Yet Caitlyn Moore becomes a challenge he can’t resist. When the light-hearted pursuit shifts to a battle to win her heart, his focus is shot. Faced with losing the biggest match of his career, Dante must decide if his extreme life also has room for Extreme Love.
4 / 5 stars
Release Date: 30th April 2013
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My Review
*Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for approving me to read Extreme Love in return for an honest review*
Caitlyn Moore is used to dating average guy kind of guys so when she is taken to an MMA after party after being dragged to the fight by her friend Amy to meet her new boyfriend, there she meets Dante ‘Inferno’ Jones. One look and he has her hot under the collar, but even more so, he’s interested in too!
She finds out about Dante’s reputation and with her lack of flirting skills she decides to test them out on Dante. He’s not going to stick around after his fight after all anyway. But Dante is fed up of just f’ing groupies, he doesn’t want to be a practice dummy for her flirting, he wants all or nothing. And now Caitlyn has to decide if she can accept Dante, with his violent career – or let him go.
Dante has one goal and that is to win the Welterweight Championship. But first he needs to train extra hard to make sure he can win against Sentori – who plays mind games before matches. He knows focus is crucial and he doesn’t need any distractions. But Cait becomes a challenge he can’t resist. But what happens when winning the championship may be easier than winning her heart?
So I have to say, I am one of those people that firstly judges a book by its cover before reading the synopsis. But can you see why I do this when we get book covers that look that this one?
HOLY HELL it is like sex on a book. It just makes you want to lick his perfectly defined abs and tattoo….okay, I need to stop staring at this cover and get on with the review, because it really was a great book to read.
From the first page you become hooked. It starts off with action, and action that makes you want to read on. And then you feel all the emotions stemming from the characters. You will cringe, you will grin, you will laugh, and you will throw your kindle and shout at the characters. I do this a lot with books, but I get stressed when it doesn’t go my way! But you can see why I threw my kindle as you just wanted Cait to stop messing around and admit her feelings. Will she? You’ll have to wait and find out.
As mentioned, Cait is dragged to an MMA fight with her best friend Amy. She’s under the pretence that Amy’s new boyfriend Brad is working there tonight…she has a shock when it turns out they are watching him work. He’s an MMA fighter. To make matters worse, Cait hates the sport and now she is going to an after party where groupies and testosterone will fill the club. Cait isn’t the most confident person and being around skinny-minnies is making her hyperventilate, especially when she locks eyes with one Dante ‘Inferno’ Jones who makes her heart race.
Dante is fed up of groupies and when he locks eyes with Brad’s girlfriend’s friend, he knows he wants to get to know her. But Amy tells him to go slow, to not rush Cait into anything as shes super shy. He doesn’t want to listen to her though, but soon finds out just how reserved Cait is. Short, blunt answers are not what he was expecting and he knows it’s going to be a challenge to get her to break down her barrier.
With Dante’s future fight being the one he has to win, he has to beat the ass that is Sentori, he knows he has to focus on training, but he can’t get Cait out of his head. Winning the fight may be easier than winning her heart, but he’s determined to help her through her insecurities, to show her that he does want her, that any man would be lucky to have her, as long as it’s him. He’s proud of everything she is doing with her career, proud of the little steps she is taking to change into a new and confident her, but then little push-backs occur and its back to step one. But never does he give up, he wants her to realize just how much she means to him, how much he wants her to be with him.
But what happens when his heart is being to affect his training? The only way for him to focus is if Cait gives him something to focus on, and she goes to completely wrong way about it. But in a way it pushes them together, although trouble is on the horizon yet again for these two. Gosh, can they catch a break already? Will Dante give up at the last hurdle after having enough of chasing Cait or will Cait now be the one to make the decision to go after what she realizes it the real deal?
Firstly, I could really empathise with Cait. I know she got on many reviewers nerves, but try to see it from her point of view. She’s lost a hell of a lot of weight, she’s never had male attention on her and she doesn’t know how to handle it. Plus she’s utterly shy with that attention and she still sees herself as ‘fat Cait’ when she looks in the mirror. I really did admire her strength throughout the book. Although she starts off timid and afraid, she comes out of her closet, she changes herself, and she gains confidence with Dante, with switching up her wardrobe and buying clothes that actually fit her.
Right now I am going through a weight loss program to get rid of my University weight. I’ve lost 2 stone so far, my clothes don’t fit me and I am utterly shy with male attention. So before you all judge her what her ways, think about it from her view point.
Okay, so there are points where you want to shake her and tell her that Dante does really like her, he wants to be with her and support her. And the way she acts would send any guy away for good, but Dante doesn’t go anywhere. I liked that she finally realized this and let herself and her true feelings for him show. With comments about her weight (She’s a size 12) from jealous ex-girlfriends and MMA rivals, she did a great job of trying not to let it show, to let her blasé attitude towards the comments prove that even though they hurt inside, she would never let them know. You really see Cait blossom and grow into such a strong and confident character.
DANTE! Oh sweet, sweet Dante. I fell in love with him, got to be said, and you all will too. Despite his hard exterior, his MMA background, he really is a sweet and caring guy. The second he lays eyes on Cait he knows he wants her, want to get to know her but there’s something holding her back. At first it’s like trying to break a goddamn wall talking to her and he’s not used to that, he’s used to women throwing themselves at him but Cait is different and he likes that about her. Likes that shes not like everyone else but shes a tough cookie to speak to.
His determination to want to get to know her pushes him to try and get through to her. I admired that he wouldn’t give up on her, knew that she would begin to trust him soon and open up to him about her life (which had been a journey in itself). When things happen, he keeps coming back. You could see he really did like Cait, he admired her strength (when he found out about her life), really cared for her and he had never felt this way about anyone before. Going from one night stands to one night stands. To finally find someone who he actually wants and needs to be with, he’s determined to make her see that they are perfect together, despite her hatred and hesitation over his fighting. She hates it.
They both go through a journey, together and alone. Cait goes through one of self- discovery and I admired her so much for breaking down her barriers bit by bit, letting not only her friends in but Dante too. He was a big part of those barriers coming down and I loved him for helping Cait out. Dante goes through a journey of falling in love, of fighting for the women he knows is the one for him time and time again, never giving up. But also he has to choose, Cait or his career….which one will he choose?
I absolutely loved Cait’s best friends Pete and Amy. They were brilliant. They were completely supportive and would kick Cait’s butt into gear not just over her insecurities but over her feelings for Dante. She really liked him but didn’t want to show them because she was scared and she hated his job. They made her see she was beautiful both inside and out, helped her with her confidence in herself and with Dante and helped her break out of her shell. They were the perfect friends for Cait and I’m glad they got their happy ending too.
Abby Niles has written an amazing book in Extreme Love. Her writing flowed, she made the characters have their own voices, she wrote about issues that every woman has been thrown in their life and can relate to, and she damn sure made my fall in love with nearly all the characters – there are a few baddies 😉 but other than that, it was hard to put the book down. I had my kindle stuck in my hands until I finished it. I’ve recently been obsessed with reading books about MMA Fighters and this book definitely did not disappoint my visions of these fighters. Abby Niles wrote the fights in a way I understood what he going on (I’m easily confused) and I was cheering, if not wincing, along with Cait and the other supporters. You do get drawn into this book, not just with the fighting, but with cheering for both Cait and Dante.
Extreme Love is out on the 30th April and I insist that you all download it. If not for the smoking hot cover, then for the journey Cait and Dante go through. It is a struggle, but they get there in the end.
Z. Elizabeth 