Pages: 401
Series: Fighting #7
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: ARC
Also in this series: Fighting to Forgive, Fighting For a Second Chance
Also by this author: Fighting for Flight (Fighting, #1), Fighting to Forgive, Split, Wrecked, Fighting for Honor
Goodreads
When life brings you the perfect person at the worst possible time…
On a weekend visit to Las Vegas to visit his brother, Marine Braeden Daniels meets a woman who challenges him in ways he can’t deny. The best part is she wants what he wants.
No strings. No feelings. Just fun.
AJ is a Las Vegas performer who is finally living her dream. Growing up poor, she’s determined to succeed at any cost. No one will stand in her way—not even a hot Marine who breezes into her life all confidence and a cocky smile.
A few stolen weekends and neither can deny the feelings quickly growing between them. But the obstacles that keep them apart become more devastating when the Marine Corps calls Braeden away for a six-month deployment.
It’s only six months.
What could possibly happen?
The Final Fight bring the story of a career Marine and a Vegas showgirl. Instant attraction leads to a 1 night stand that turns into a friends with benefits. And then, deployment calls.
AJ and Braeden hit it off right away. Their chemistry is as hot as their sex! Seriously, these two could melt snow in Antartica. Braeden is still an active duty Marine stationed at Pendleton and AJ is a performer in a Cirque du Soleil type show. So, he works during the week and she works weekends. But, they manage to have a few steamy stolen weekends. But when Braeden isn’t around, AJ’s very wealthy boss is putting the moves on her. And he does so with things she has always wanted-expensive clothes, fancy dinners, etc. AJ isn’t a gold digger, but she does want a life where she can afford nice things. She plans to work to get it, but she wants to be rich. She isn’t really that attracted to her boss though. However, he makes it clear he won’t give up and that he is the guy she has a future with, not a career Marine. Braeden did describe her boss like this:
He looks like that Ricky Martin guy, but smarmier.
When Braeden finds out he is being deployed, I really hoped he would make promises to AJ and they would stick together. Then he basically asks her to be his booty call when he gets back from deployment and tells her to not wait for him if someone else comes alone.
What the actual Fuck?! No.
I don’t believe in falling in love. Its a choice. I choose to be in love with performing; he is in love with his military career.
So, I’m all pissed off at this point and NOT a fan of either AJ or Braeden. And then the shit hits the fan and both their lives are forever altered.
I was a little irritated at how much they danced around each other for like 1/2 the book. Neither would open up and share their feelings so they just moved through life miserable. What struck me about the book is that there isn’t really a villain. There i no bad guy or external force working against these two. They are the conflict in the story. Its maddening at times because you just want to shake them. But its so real and painful and emotional. One thing I have always admired about Salsbury’s writing is her ability to really break you down! She can make you feel things you didn’t expect and care in ways you weren’t ready for. By the end, while I wished they had saved themselves the trouble they caused, I understood. It couldn’t have been any other way, which makes the whole story even sadder when I think back on it!
I haven’t read all the books in the series, so you can read this as a stand alone. I did forget how angsty they are though. Its not necessarily a bad thing, but it is certainly something you have to be in the mood for!
- POV: dual 1st
- Tears: no
- Trope: military
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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Damaged characters and the feels…. Kiss My Boots by Harper Sloan, Racer by Katy Evans, Show me the Way by AL Jackson…then you will probably like The Final Fight!
[…] [23 Oct] The Final Fight by J.B. Salsbury ★★★★ […]