Series: SBC Fighters (Book 1)
Sexy, sculpted extreme fighter Dean "Havoc" Conor has knee-melting good looks--and thick skin. But not from. his brutal sport's enclosed rings. Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, he has no family. That is, until he gets a letter revealing how much the once-little girls want him back in. Harmony, Kentucky.
To stop one of his sisters from marrying a man as sleazy as he is wealthy, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve--who's heard of "Havoc's" reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal. And he thought winning the heavyweight cage fighting belt was hard...
Good book. I've seen Havoc appear in later books but hadn't read his story before. I enjoyed going back to the beginning of the fighter franchise. There are several intertwining storylines in the book. The two biggest are Dean and Eve's romance and Dean's relationship with his sisters. When Dean's parents were killed in a car accident, Dean was taken in by his uncle, while his sisters stayed with his aunt. He's always had the feeling he wasn't wanted, so he's shocked when he gets a letter from one of his sisters asking him to come home. Though he considers ignoring it, he takes a break from his fight training to see what's up. I ached for him and his memories of his parents' neglect and the other memories that came flooding back as he drove to his old home. His first meeting with Cam was heartbreaking. She was so happy to see him and he had no idea how to react. All of the things he thought he knew were turned upside down and he's left floundering. I also loved his meeting with his other sister, Jacki. Unlike Cam, Jacki has a wild side and a smart mouth. I loved how that didn't bother Dean at all; instead, he was amused. The real piece of work was their aunt, Lorna. She was a first class witch, and the more I learned about her the less I liked her. It was interesting to see the changes that Dean went through as he got to know Cam and Jacki. He talked a good talk about being a hands-off brother, but in reality, he was very protective of them. For every nice thing he did for them, he would rationalize it to himself, but it was easy to see just how much he had started to care. I loved seeing him finally accept his feelings and make them part of his life.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Dean and Eve. The sparks between them were hot from the moment they met. His first evening in Harmony, before he even sees his sisters, he meets Eve, who turns out to be Cam's best friend. He is intrigued and attracted by her, and disgusted by the man who appears to be attempting to intimidate her. The meeting between Dean and Roger was pretty amusing with Roger's attempts to provoke, and Dean's complete disinterest. That made quite an impression on Eve. Their second meeting was also fun, as Dean overheard a conversation between Eve and Cam as he arrived to meet his sisters. His focus is much more on Eve and what he wants to do with the attraction between them than on spending time with his sisters. I loved how Eve is determined to avoid getting between them but also wants to pursue the attraction. Dean's arrival at her house that evening was hilarious, as it didn't start out the way he expected. I liked seeing the connection between Dean and Eve grow. Dean was surprised by his need to just be with her, even when there was no sex involved. The ice cream scene was especially sweet. I loved how Eve saw the caring man under the tough guy exterior and encouraged him to show it. There were times when Dean was a little freaked out by what was happening to him, but it couldn't keep him away. I laughed at the way his feelings were outed and his reaction. I loved his big moment at the end, especially that having an audience didn't bother him.
The relationship between Roger and Cam was a bit strange through most of the book. I didn't like him at all at the beginning. He was creepy and controlling and I really wanted Cam out from under his influence. It surprised me how often she stood up for him, especially given her refusal to commit to an engagement. There was an interesting twist involving him that was revealed at the end of the book. He did redeem himself somewhat, but I'm not entirely convinced that theirs is a lasting relationship.
There was also a slight mystery of missing money, though it was pretty obvious what had happened to it. Someone was also very determined to get Dean to leave town, resulting in some very tense situations. The revelation of who it was and the resolution of the attacks was intense. I liked how Eve had an active part in it.
I also enjoyed meeting Simon and Gregor. Gregor was especially fun from the moment he arrived in Harmony. The scene in the bar with Jacki was hilarious. I loved how it set the stage for their relationship. The banter between them was great, but there was also an unexpected layer of sensitivity in Gregor that I didn't expect. Jacki has a couple of hot-button insecurities and Gregor deals with them beautifully. I loved the friendship between Dean and Gregor. It surprised me a little that Dean didn't freak out over the relationship between Gregor and Jacki, but that said a lot about his respect for Gregor.
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