Wednesday, March 20, 2024

READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY - DOWN FOR THE COUNT by S. Marie and Victor Rahl

Down for the Count
Authors: S. Marie & Victor Rahl
Published: January 8th 2024
Genre/Tropes: MMA, Forced Proximity, Intense, Gritty, Mafia, Suspense, Alpha Male, Forbidden, Single Mom




The real me lives in the shadows, the seedy underbelly, where sin Is the only air we know how to breathe.

My dreams of going Pro are at my fingertips. But in one moment, one hit, those dreams come crashing down around me.

The money, the fame, the life I wanted to give my mother. All gone.

Once I was Kingston “The King” Reyes. Women and men had chanted my name. Worshiped me. Now I work as a postal worker by day…and at night, I crawl into the dark, seedy underbelly of sin. An illegal underground fight club, where I still reign with my fists, but where every fight could be my last.

The “Brothers,” Dutch and Dom, hold my leash while they pay for my mother’s cancer treatments. I’m their puppet, their boy toy for wealthy women and power. You don’t cross them unless you want to end up on the bottom of a river.

Corrupt darkness coats my skin, marks my bones. I don’t see any light or hope, until on my route, I meet a pint-sized, mute, little girl, who seems to look right through me. She sees past the bruises and scars, while I can hear beyond her silence.

Yet it is her mother, Sawyer, I should run from. Sexy, feisty, and smart, Sawyer’s darkness draws me in. Challenges me.

She is everything I can’t have. Everything forbidden.
But everything I want.
No matter the consequences . . .



The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . DOWN FOR THE COUNT . . . Intense. Determined. Driven. Protective. Love. Respect. Abuse. Violence. Selective mutism?

We begin with a flashback to the time when he was all on top and then it all crashed down around him. All in just a hair's breadth of time. It was all taken away. The future he dreamed of and worked so hard for, over. It just took that simple moment. Now, years later, his life is not what he was planning for. But here comes another moment in time. A moment that will change his life yet again. Will this one be a good or bad change? Kingston is not sure but willing to move forward anyway.

She thought herself in love years ago. She was wine, dined, and bedded. The difference between her and the others. She chose to keep her baby. She was willing to do almost anything to make sure her daughter would have what was needed. She was not looking to bankroll a high life. When she missed the signs of something being wrong with her daughter she blamed herself. Selective mutism, this was something she never heard of. Now, she has to deal. Sawyer did not see dealing with him in the picture. 

Down. Dirty. Raw. Intense. Action. Suspense. Sweet. Romance. Reunion. Relief. There was a lot in this story. There were moments when I did not think Kingston would make it to the end. Down for the Count gave a good ending but it was not the highlife ending some may wish for. It was sweet and pulled a little bit on the heart strings. I recommend picking this one up.





USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR S. Marie lives in the PNW with her dog Cooper, traveling and writing stories that are full of spice, angst, and emotional damage.



Meet Victor Rahl, the Spanish-born athlete and model who conquered the wrestling world in his homeland before making his mark in the USA. You might recognize him from Love Island USA Season 5, where he joined the OG cast for an unforgettable summer in Fiji.

But Victor's talents don't end there. He's become a sensation in the world of romance novels, thanks to TikTok, where he not only reads these novels but also supports women. In just a few months, he's graced the covers of over 20 romance novels, making him a sought-after book model.

Off-camera, Victor is a passionate traveler who loves immersing himself in different cultures and adores all kinds of animals.



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