Name: Full Contact
ISBN: 9781402296260

Sarah Castille

Landing her dream job as a tattoo artist, Sia O'Donnell falls for a rough and rugged MMA fighter, but is stymied in her romantic pursuits by her overprotective brother, in the third installment of the series following In Your Corner. Original.

Full Contact

Lover of Romance 

Summary
Sia O Donnell, loves watching the underground MMA fights, her brother is one of the teachers for Redemption, that is a group of fighters, including one sexy “Predator”. Predator also known as Ray, is powerful and agile as a panther, he can take down any opponent, and when she watches him all she can think of how it would be to have that sensual body in bed with her. She can see the dominant part of him and craves it, but she knows he would never see her. Sia hides who she is, she covers herself up with colored hair, and tats, and works as an artist at a tattoo parlor, but when Ray comes in for some work done on his body, she can’t resist temptation or his sexual dominance over her, or the way he makes her feel in a way she has never felt before. But her limits are about to be tested and not just the sexual ones, the inner most parts of herself and she will have to face her past in order to have a future with Ray…

The Hero 
Ray, grew up as a “Military brat” and as such never knew his parents well and never was able in a place for long to make and keep friends. He grew up as a loner, but then like most military kids, he enlisted in the military, and ended up working for the government, but Ray loves dipping his fingers into all sorts of pies. He hasn’t had an easy life, its been rough and hard. He loves fighting with every part of himself, he feels alive and free. Ray aka “The Predator” is one sexy male. Oh my I almost had a stroke reading this story because really….he is “sex on wheels” literally. He has this aura to him that just makes you want to grab your man and make passionate love all night long. Whew…if I had one I would do that very thing after reading this. Ray has this animal magnetism that draws you to him, and the author portrays him just like that.

The Heroine 
Sia O’Donnell, knows every man in the club known as “Redemption”, they are her brothers friends after all. However when her brother played ball, one of his teammates attacked and raped her, and ever since Sia struggles with relationships. She suffers panic attacks and can’t seem to get close to anyone sexually, until she meets Ray. Sia is a artist and used to paint on easels and had dreams for a career in Art. But now after her attack, she hides that part of herself in a closet, and does Tats for a job. She loves it, but you see how she doesn’t love it like she loves to paint. We see the damage emotionally and mentally an attack like this can affect a person, can keep them from living life fully. We see Sia develop in the story, in a way that is heart wrenching yet beautiful too. I loved Sia as the heroine, she is sassy and strong, curious about anything sexual and willing to try anything, and adores her family.

Plot and Story Line 
Full Contact is the third in the series. Now I have had the opportunity to read a book from Sarah, but it is from her other series she is currently working on as well her Biker MC one, and boy was that a great story. And so when I heard high ratings on this story, and it is a new release just came out a few days ago, I just had to pick it up. This is a first for me reading a MMA romance. I think I am addicted now….and I can’t wait to delve into the series more. I believe it can be read as a stand alone, but I catch on quickly, but I never felt lost or disoriented in reading it, despite it being the third installment. Although after reading Full Contact I definitely have to read the previous two books because WOW…I just can’t wait. Especially since we see the other two couples take a part in this story which was delightful. I love it when in a series, you see connections and interactions and it isn’t separate from the other books. I have a feeling I will have a bunch of fun with those books as well. *crossing fingers*

So what I adored most about Full Contact was the way it developed from beginning to end. in the first part of the story, we see a sexual spark between Sia and Ray. And even from the first page, I knew it was going to be HOt. And boy was it ever! Way hotter than I expected, but it also was a story with plenty of substance and depth that I didn’t expect, just from the way it began. We do have a bit of a mystery with Ray, especially in the first half of the book, you have no clue what he really does for a living, but there is an aura of mystery and intrigue surrounding his character. Sia is a matter of fact character, she is bold and daring, and fights her own battles. She has many vulnerabilities too, and tries to hide that from everyone. She is humiliated and ashamed at times, and we see how Ray brings all of her out, both the good and the bad and brings a balance to her she never had before. Even though their relationship starts out very sexual and HOt…it definitely has plenty of in-depth focus, and you see how right they are for each other. You see how good they equal each other out, and we also see a development of a future book for Sia’s brother (I do hope his book is the next, because whew his is going to be a good one). We also see plenty of interaction from other members of the club, and you see the close bonds they have to each other. It’s a true brotherhood, a family of sorts, and it was quite fun becoming a part of that as your read this. The author is very talented at drawing you in and not letting go. It has some BDSM elements, but I found it to be very light, not super strong, but plenty of great steamy and rough sex …that goes with Sarah Castille’s style, but I loved every moment. You see how even in those steamier parts of the story, that they are bonding together and you feel it on the page.

The Cover 
I actually quite like this cover, in the story I view him as a bit more bulkier in muscle. But I love the tattoo art on his shoulder, and that confident expression on his face…definitely matches the character in the story extremely well. I do love the color theme here too, with the golden hues at the top and the darker ones at the bottom.

Overall View 
Full Contact is an intense romance that plenty of deep characters, thrilling action, and a rich voice that leaves you breathless. A tale that is completely and utterly ENTICING!! You are bound to be yearning for more!

Linda Quintanilla

Just WOW! Full Contract was definitely the best must-read in the beginning of April. It has so much passion that it makes the read so much better and delicious to read. Reader will get to read about the incredible sexy Alpha men, "The Predator". Ray is known as "The Predator" since he is known to hunt his prey weakness then use their weakness to win. He also known to work undercover that no one knows unless they have some clearance. He always work his hardest on everything that he is determined to have Sia. Sia is very feisty women that she always work for her dreams ever since she was crush from the past. However, she is a determined women that she is living her life as she suppose to be such as having a fun time with Ray. They both have intense chemistry between them that their love scenes are hot and steamy ! But their romance journey will be bumpy because their past will come back for them but it is their opportunity to find closure. Excellent romance read!

Totally Addicted to Reading

I never remembered that I had received ‘Full Contact’ for review until I received a request to review the fourth book in the Redemption series. Although it was unnecessary to read ‘Full Contact’ prior to reading the fourth book, I decided to read it in order.Having read and enjoyed the earlier books in the series, my expectations for this instalment was high. I hoped for well-developed characters, strong romance and a great storyline. I got most of what I hoped for except the romance, which was disappointing. What I got was a pull-push relationship and sex that had a touch of BDSM and lots of pain. I found the pain aspect of main characters’ sexual relationship disconcerting, in light of the heroine’s past issues.Sia O’Donnell, a fan of underground fighting and even bigger fan of the MMA fighter known as ‘The Predator’. Her visits to the club are two-fold. As a tattoo artist, she goes there to get inspiration and ideas for her designs and to view her fantasy in the flesh. Sia has been fantasising about ‘The Predator’ for some time now but was not willing to go beyond fantasy due to the danger that surrounds him. However, when he sets his sights on her, she found that reality proved better than the fantasy.I admired her resolve to move past her traumatic experience, although I thought the steps taken were drastic. These steps were only a band-aid and not a solution to her problem, which was evident in her interaction with her family, friends, and associates. Her failure to address the root of the problem prevented her from moving on and as result prevented her from having a meaningful relationship. There were times her actions frustrated me. One moment she was confident and sassy and the next she appeared to lack confidence in her abilities to succeed and overcome her past.Ray Black AKA ‘The Predator’ is a man of mystery and he remained that way even after the story ended. The tragedies from his past shaped him into the man he is today. He has no desire for a committed relationship due to the danger that surrounds him, but Sia would have him breaking his rule. In addition to being an underground fighter, Ray is a PI and by all appearances, he is involved in other activities, which no one is privy to. He is a man of few words, but when he speaks, his words have an impact. Despite his dominant nature, he had a sensitive side, especially when it concerned Sia.I was not a fan of how Sia and Rays’ relationship developed. It lacked credibility and so I had a hard time connecting to them as a couple. Their knowledge of each was limited. He told her of the tragedies in his past, but she was not that forthcoming. It was around 60% into the story before she disclosed her painful history to him. I found it strange that Sia did not know Ray’s full name until 90% into the story. In addition, what was even more strange is that they have never been on a date. There was no substance to their relationship, as it was not built on a solid foundation. Furthermore, the constant push and pull between them nearly gave me a crick neck. One minute they are into each other, and the next, they are not good for each other. I believe that having the story told from both character’s POV would have enhanced the storyline, as it would have helped the reader understand what makes the characters tick. Unfortunately, we only got Sia’s POV. The story was well- written, for the most part. There is a scene I could not figure how it fit into the series of events. Someone connected to Ray kidnapped Sia, but the information provided was sketchy. He appeared in the story several times, and it was evident he was up to no good, but I had no idea who he was and why he wanted to get even with Ray. I enjoyed the interaction with the secondary characters which funny and interesting. I am interested in learning more about them, especially Sia’s brother.Verdict:This was an average read. Out, of all the books is the series, this is my least favourite. Despite the issues, I had with this instalment, I am not giving up on the series. If you have, an interest in contemporary romances set in underground fight clubs, with a dominant View all my reviews

Full Contact

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