Blog Tour: Fighting Dirty by Sidney Halston

Author; Sidney Halston
Publisher: Loveswept ( Random House)
Date of publication:

With his preppy clothes and horn-rimmed glasses, Enzo Silva is the last dude anyone expects to find in a mixed martial arts gym. A wealthy Brazilian banker who never had to fight for anything, Enzo’s stuck in the amateur circuit—but he burns to make the pros. Maybe that explains the heat he feels whenever he’s around Jamie Lynn Calhoun. The pint-size, magenta-haired bartender with the Texas drawl is everything he’s not . . . and everything he craves.

Tough as nails and independent to a fault, Jamie Lynn—JL to her friends—works hard to pay her bills and keep life simple. Enzo is doing his best to complicate that. Even though she likes to bust his balls, he’s got some kind of a nerdy-hot vibe that makes JL wonder if she might finally be able to let her guard down. It might do the boy some good to spend some time in her world, where blood, sweat, and victory are as sweet as the first taste of real love.

Fighting Dirty is the fifth book in the "Worth the Fight" series.  It's the third book that I have read of the series so far and I can honestly say it keeps getting better.  I thought this one did fairly well as a stand alone book, so if you start with this one, you would be good to go.  In fact, I came into the series in book #3 and have never felt lost.

What I loved about this couple is that they were so opposite from each other, yet they fit together so well.  Enzo was so sweet and definitely makes my ever growing list of book boyfriends.  I loved how protective he was of Jamie Lynn and made her see that she was more than what was on the outside.  It was also fun to watch JL being Enzo out of his comfort zone.  Their first date was definitely and adventure!

Even if you aren't into MMA fighting, I highly recommend this series.  At its heart, it's about finding that person that just fits; flaws and all.

Excerpt:

JL knew that, short as she was, she often intimidated men with just a look. That’s what confidence did. And she had it in spades. It made you as tall as you wanted to be. As pretty as you wanted to be. As rich as you wanted to be. Because if you had confidence, nothing else mattered. That was a lesson she’d learned a long time ago.

But even with all that confidence, she wasn’t blind to the differences between her and Enzo. He was from a different world, and she could feel the distance between their worlds every time she thought about going out with him. It had all been harmless flirty fun until he’d taken things too far and kissed her a few weeks ago. And what a kiss it had been. He’d kissed her as if he were stuck in a desert and her mouth were the only thing that could quench his thirst. She still felt all sorts of things running through her body when she thought of the way he’d backed her up against a wall, not caring who the hell was around, gripped her neck, and slipped his tongue between her parted lips. She’d embarrassed herself by melting into him and mewling in need. In fact, she might have even dry-humped his leg. It had been that good a kiss. Then he’d let her go and challenged her by saying, “Next time you’ll beg me to kiss you.” Like she’d ever beg a man! But now, with his glorious body on full display . . .

As if he could sense her inappropriate thoughts, his eyes met hers. His stare felt like a warm caress all over her already ignited body. The charcoal fell out of her hand and a shiver ran down her spine. Is it getting hot in here? She shifted uncomfortably on her chair, but he didn’t break eye contact. Then, the ultraconservative man who had been asking her out constantly for almost a year winked at her. It caught her by surprise, and she quickly hid behind her canvas.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Sidney Halston lives her life by one simple rule: “Just do it.” And that’s exactly what she did. At the age of thirty, having never written anything other than a legal brief, she picked up a pen for the first time to pursue her dream of becoming an author. That first stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Halston lives in South Florida with her husband and children.

Author Links:   Facebook | Twitter | Website | GoodReads

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

Follow the Tour: :  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/10/fighting-dirty-worth-fight-5-by-sidney.html

Blog Tour: Laid Out by Sidney Halston

Author: Sidney Halston
Publisher: Loveswept
Date of publication: August 2015

Growing up an Army brat, Violet Channing could never meet her dad’s high expectations. But in the eyes of her best friend, she could do no wrong. He even insisted that he should be her first kiss. Now Cain Sorensen is all grown up, hardened by years in special ops and always looking for a good fight. Tall, with striking blue eyes and impossibly blond hair, he’s a modern-day Viking warrior. Of course, Violet’s all grown up, too, and she’s ready to surrender to his every command.
 
Cain knows he’s bad for Violet. His work is dangerous, and his hobbies are downright deadly. As a private mercenary and a mixed martial arts fighter, he could never let such an innocent soul into his world. And yet his most grueling combat training is no match for Violet’s killer curves, hot touch, and suggestive glances. Now all of Cain’s most explosive fantasies are coming true—but once they cross the line between friends and lovers, there’s no turning back.

My thoughts

Laid Out is the 4th book in the "Worth the Fight" series.  It's the second one that I have read as well. This one holds up well as a stand alone book.  There are characters from the other books, but I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.  Laid Out is Cain and Violet's story.  It's a great friends to lovers story.

Violet and Cain have been friends since they were just out of diapers.  They grew up together as a trio.  It was always, Cain, Violet and Jeremy.  Jeremy died in the war and Violet and Cain are trying to figure out how to move on.   It's obvious to everyone around them that Cain is in love with Violet and vice versa. The problem is that he hold incredible guilt over it because Jeremy was his best friend and was engaged to Violet before he died.  He is also dealing with PTSD and it is preventing him from opening himself up to love and a future.  Violet is dealing with her own insecurities as  This one was a very emotional book.  I was rooting for this couple the whole time.  

While the emotions run high, there is also a lot of humor in the book.  I loved Violet's relationship with JL and Travis.  That parrot also provided some great comic relief.   This is a wonderful series.  With sexy alphas MMA fighters, steamy love scenes and wonderful HEAs, how can you go wrong?  I have shared a little excerpt with you below to give a taste of what you are in for.

Excerpt:

Violet put her hands up in surrender. “Tom really did chew strange!” She stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Or was it Tim? Whatever. The point is that the way a guy chews is a legitimate flaw. I can’t marry a man who talks and chews at the same time, spitting little chunks of steak in my face. Ew! What if one of those little pieces lands in my eye? I could go blind.”

“The thought you’ve put into that exaggeration is really impressive, if not disturbing.” Her friend threw the scarf back at Violet. “Come on. Finish getting dressed already.”

Minutes later, Violet was sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed applying makeup when JL walked in again, fully dressed to bartend at the Pier. “I was thinking . . .”

“Oh, no. Are you okay?”

JL playfully smacked Violet’s shoulder before sitting down on her bed and fussing with Violet’s hair. “Maybe the issue is Cain. Have you heard from him?” That was not something Violet wanted to talk about, and her friend knew it, which was why she’d brought it up. “What the hell is going on with you and Cain? And before you say nothing, remember we’ve been friends for a long time. I know you. We live together. That man has you in knots, and since he left four months ago, you’ve been a Debbie Downer. It’s depressing. You’re depressing.”

“One hundred and ten days. Not that I’m counting. I have absolutely no idea where he’s at. He just vanished. But even when he was here, there was never anything going on with us. You saw how he treated me when he bothered to speak to me. I don’t know what I did to make him hate me. We were best friends, and then we weren’t. Plain and simple. My issues have got nothin’ to do with him.”

“He doesn’t say a word to anyone. I’ve been living in Tarpon Springs for years now, and since he moved here I think I’ve heard him say ten words. So the talking thing, it’s a nonissue. It’s got nothin’ to do with you. The jerk thing—yeah, all you, babe. Not sure what’s up with that. He’s not exactly Mr. Friendly, but he’s not flat-out rude to anyone except you.”

“Except me,” she agreed.

“Why’s that?”

“No clue.” Violet lay back, sucked in her gut, and closed the top button of her jeans. “He’s so surly nowadays,” she said breathlessly. “When we were growing up he was always the quiet and introspective one, but he wasn’t the Cain I’ve met here in town. This Cain’s a—”

“A dick,” JL interrupted.

“Dick! Dick!” Bird cawed.

JL barked out a loud laugh. “I love that bird.”

Violet rolled her eyes and ignored the parrot. “Yep. He’s not very friendly. Cain, not Bird. Actually, both. Or neither.” Violet shook her head. “Ugh! What I mean to say is both Cain and Bird are not friendly.” Violet let out her breath and put her arms out to JL, who grabbed them and pulled her up. “But I’m so freakin’ worried about him. Mad or not, I hope he’s okay.” Violet stretched her legs and walked over to the mirror behind her door to look at herself. Normal to large boobs, average waist, biggish butt, and short legs. She was on the voluptuous side of the spectrum. But she liked the way she looked, and so long as she was healthy, she never dieted and never looked at the scale. It had taken her a lot of years of self-loathing, but now, at twenty-eight, she loved her curvy body and wore it proudly—her father’s opinion, God rest his soul, be damned.

She turned halfway, looked at her backside, and smiled to herself. She had long ago come to terms with the fact that she would never be the same size as JL—but neither were most women. The mean girls in high school who had tormented her and mooed at her when she walked down the hall were now cordially invited to kiss her big behind, because she was happy with her tush just as it was and she seriously enjoyed her cookie dough ice cream addiction.

“Looking good, sister,” JL said. “I swear I’m going to burn your scrubs.”

“You think John will like it?”

JL walked up to Violet and playfully eyed her cleavage. “Only if he’s a guy.” Violet swatted her away and adjusted her top so that she wasn’t spilling out of it. “Come on. You’re going to be late for your date, and I’m going to be late for work.”

Violet took a deep breath, grabbed her purse, and followed JL out of the house. A glass of wine would loosen her up. That’s what she needed in order to get rid of the butterflies in her stomach. She wasn’t so good with dates, and blind dates were the worst.

About the author:

USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Halston lives her life by one simple rule: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started” (Mark Twain). Or even simpler: “Just do it” (Nike). And that’s exactly what she did. At the age of thirty, having never written anything other than a legal brief, she picked up a pen for the first time to pursue her dream of becoming an author. That first stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Halston lives in South Florida with her husband and children.

Website: http://www.sidneyhalston.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sidneyhalston
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SidneyHalston

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6916557.Sidney_Halston

Buy links:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1RgRjck

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781101886298&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-VD9*lkiWNd8-_-10:1

iTunes/iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/laid-out/id975021637?mt=11

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sidney_Halston_Laid_Out?id=2y2iBQAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/laid-out