Ray's a private investigator and other things and Sia is a tatoo artist. She's been lusting over him for over a year but due PTSD from being raped she's admiring from afar. They have fits and starts and he runs hot/cold as their issues get in their way, but they keep getting pulled back to each other and they both learn to deal with their past.
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DNF. Even though this novel is deceptively intricate with its interweaving plots and the growing relationship between Ray (the Predator) & Sia intrigued me with its intensity, I got bored with its slow progression. It just didn't capture my interest as I wished.

4.5 "Fight for Our Love" Stars! Having previously read and enjoyed Rough Justice, Sarah Castille's writing style impressed me and left me wanting more. So when I saw that she was releasing Full Contact, I jumped at the chance to review it. Interestingly, although Rough Justice is a MC Romance, and Full Contact a MMA Romance, I enjoyed both equally proving Ms. Castille's versatility in the romance writing arena.

For those of you, like me, who have not yet read the prior two books in the Redemption Series, don't worry if you wish to read this book first. Although Full Contact is book 3, it can easily be read as a standalone as Sia's and Ray's love story is fully contained within this book.

What happens when the man that you find the most intriguing also happens to scare you? Sia O'Donnell finds herself in this untenable position, much to her angst, when it comes to champion, underground MMA fighter, Ray "The Predator". Due to unfortunate events in her past, the thought of being with such a controlling dominant, man equal parts thrills and terrifies her. But try though she might she just can't seem to stay away.

Ray also has dark secrets in his past. Being a total alpha male, Ray knows he wants Sia and plans to make her his. For him Sia represents goodness, the opposite of his past . . . and as we all know, opposites attract. Is it possible that they could also be exactly what the other needs to heal from their past?

The passion in this read is quite steamy. There is definitely an element of dominance/submission at play, although it is not necessarily a full blown BDSM read. Lovers of alpha hero dominant romances, however, will be pleased with the substance of the erotic nature of this story. There is also nice attention to character development and to the development of the romance/connection between Sia and Ray.

I look forward to reading more of Sarah Castille's books in the future. Whether they be MC Romance, MMA Romance or something altogether new and different, I can't wait to read more of her romantic creations!

Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Full Contact by Sarah Castille
Book #3: Redemption Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

The word predator sounds so ominous, so dark, and so lethal but to Sia O’Donnell, it sounds like everything she wants and more. Ray “The Predator” is a private investigator and the hottest ticket on the underground MMA circuit. He is lethal, controlled, dark, and a fighter Sia has been lusting after for more than a year. If The Predator is fighting, Sia is in the crowd watching and taking in everything about the man and his methods so she can use all she takes from her experiences to fuel her art and her darkest fantasies.

Though Sia enjoys the underground fights and the inherent danger of being caught, she isn’t a girl to take chances. At 18 she was brutally raped and since that time Sia has denied a critical part of herself, the part that was once able to live a little recklessly and trust implicitly. In the years since the rape Sia has taken control of her life as best she can: she quit painting and has taken up tattooing, she went from a wardrobe full of color to one comprised mostly of shades of black, she will only every date guys who are conservative and rather boring and, with few exceptions she is on guard around everyone at all times.

Ray “The Predator” lives a fairly simple yet very dangerous life. For decades, Ray has carried the guilt of his younger brother and wife’s deaths. Though he was responsible for neither, Ray can’t shake the guilt and so he has spent years building a huge barrier which allows no one in. When he isn’t working, Ray is a top competitor on the underground MMA circuit which allows him to channel all the guilt and anger he is constantly holding in check. He is very well aware of Sia O’Donnell (and has been for the entire year she has been watching him!) and though he knows he shouldn’t get involved, she is the one thing, the one true beautiful thing he can’t walk away from. In fact, with just a few brief encounters, Sia has Ray reevaluating his entire life and making arrangements to make his world safer for her.

The attraction between Sia and Ray is explosive!! Both are very clear about their wants and desires and once Ray figures out that Sia has certain triggers (both good and bad!) he works diligently to be the man she needs, the man she can wholly giver herself to and trust. All Sia asks from Ray is honesty but the very nature of his works calls for secrecy and though their sexual chemistry is off the charts, it is hard for Sia to trust a man who can’t fully open up to her. On so many occasions Ray assures Sia she is safe with him and that he is doing everything possible to disentangle himself from the darkness but before he can completely break away, Sia is taken and once again her safety is threatened.

The Bottom Line: Sarah Castille is not slowing down with the Redemption series and in fact, she seems to be picking up steam and moving full-speed ahead!! Ray and Sia’s story is laced with danger, intense sexuality, some incredible fighting and, a plot that just steam rolls right over you leaving you wasted and completely satisfied. Over the course of the read, Sia TRULY takes control of her life on every level from dealing with her past, to her job right on through to her love life. Sia has always been strong but as the read progresses and events unfold, she sees her strength and that allows her to become the woman she was always meant to be. Ray is likely the only man at Redemption who can handle Sia, her past and her future. Though he comes across as hard, unbendable and damn scary and he totally is, he is - at least with Sia – caring, patient and, giving. Ray understands what Sia needs and is exactly the man to give it to her.
Though there are other things and other characters in this read, Ray and Sia dominate and from start to finish I was completely OK with this arrangement. Full Contact is yet another example of how Sarah Castille fuel my love of sexy, awesome reads and fosters my total and complete disregard for sleep and the day ahead.  ( )

This was a great, GREAT book.

FULL CONTACT is a fabulous and gripping new story by Sarah Castille. I couldn't put this story down, and it had everything I wanted in a great story: lots of tension, gripping suspense, laugh out loud lines, and chemistry enough to sizzle the pages. Ray and Sia are two characters that, by the end of the book, will make you feel as if you've met new friends. You'll root for them, while at the same time, curse each barrier that pops up.

The writing will pull you in with each passing word, and once you're finished reading, it'll be a story that sticks with you for weeks! ( )

Come on, you know you wanna read this book. How could you not? Sexy alpha male? Check. MMA fighter? Check. Rides a motorcycle? Check. Tattooed? Check. That right there should be all I have to say, but when you add his love interest, Sia, the book starts smokin' with all the sexual tension flying around. Sia is a bit different from the usual girls you find in these books. First, she's a tattoo artist with a crazy addiction to watching Ray fight. She's also a bit shy around men from something from her past so, she has a crazy protective brother. I liked the two together and can't wait to catch glimpses of their relationship in future books in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. ( )