AGAINST THE ROPES by Carly Fall-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 29, 2013

Winning the next fight will mean nothing . . . if he can’t win back the heart of the woman he loves. . .

Five years ago Dylan Gomez had it all. He was an up-and-coming boxer with a loving girlfriend, and his sights were set on the big league. Then he let the hype of the fans inflate his ego—he thought he was invincible. That all changed when an alcohol-fueled decision altered the course of his life. He lost his girlfriend and then bit-by-bit his life crumbled around him.

Physical therapist, Regan Holloway, has coasted through life for the last five years. She’s been in the same place all that time and most of her things are still in boxes. Agreeing to a “friendly” date with a co-worker, she ends up ringside and face-to-face with the man she’d fled to forget—Dylan.

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REVIEW: AGAINST THE ROPES is the latest contemporary romance short story from Carly Fall. Approximately 135 pages in length, Against The Ropes is a novel about second chances, forgiveness and saying goodbye.

Five year ago, Dylan Gomez and Regan Holloway were a couple-but fame, a cocky-attitude, alcohol and wrong choices would send Dylan spiraling out of control, losing the woman that he loves and eventually his freedom. But a chance at reconciliation with Regan, will find Dylan a different man. Hoping to prove himself worthy of her love, Dylan tries one more time to be a contender both in and out of the boxing ring.

The sexual relationship between Dylan and Regan has already been established as the couple is well known to each other but a history of betrayal and thoughts of forgiveness will find Regan contemplating whether or not to risk loving a man who has yet to prove he has changed. But over the course of a few weeks, Dylan and Regan will be pushed together by a mutual friend who knows that what Dylan and Regan need is each other.

There are a few secondary characters, especially Dylan’s manager and substitute father Max who keeps Dylan on the straight and narrow, and it is Max who will be the proverbial match-maker when he sees something in Dylan and Regan that both were too stubborn to admit. To love someone means to forgive but forgetting will be a much harder thing to do.

The character development is thorough considering the relatively short length of the novel, but since the characters already knew each other there was none of the push and pull of a new relationship-only the rebuilding of trust and love. The world building was minimal as most of the storyline focused on the characters and their relationship to one another.

Carly Fall has written a romantic, heartwarming and endearing storyline of forgiveness and love. To forgive someone for, not one but two past transgressions, takes a much stronger person than many of us ever hope to be but the storyline scenario demonstrates that not only can we forgive but we can love again. There are a couple of moments of heartbreak and loss, but the HEA is well deserved and one that we can all aspire to in our own lives.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy