Sunday 20 May 2018

Ruin by Samantha Towle (Romance, 10E/10E)

Apologies, the cover isn't appropriate for my blog (especially during Ramadan)

March 2018,  Headline Eternal, 352 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Summary from Headline Eternal
And the new heavyweight champion of the world is...

Those are the words that Zeus Kincaid has been waiting to hear since he first put on a pair of boxing gloves. He just didn't think they would come with a tragedy that would change how he viewed the sport forever. 

Cameron Reed was in her second year at Juilliard when her childhood sweetheart, Zeus Kincaid, walked away from her. A few months later, Cam realized that she would never fulfill her dream of dancing for the New York City Ballet.

Now working as a dancer in an upscale club in Manhattan, Cam is brought face-to-face with the man she once loved. And it's her turn to walk away from him.

After five years of missing Cam, Zeus isn't prepared to let her go again. But when he finds himself standing on her doorstep the next morning, things don't go quite as he expected...

Nayu's thoughts
This book was so lovely! I've read books where the hero is a boxer (see suggested read) and I have to say while I would prefer boxing not to exist as a sport due to the severity of potential injuries, I'm no longer as anti-boxing as I used to be because I see how it does keep trouble makers off the streets and not going into illegal fighting. That's not to say that Zeus is squeaky clean, since he is only human despite being named after an ancient Greek deity. On the whole he is a decent guy who gets into Cam's life again after a lot of trouble. I felt sorry for Cam when I discovered a few key plot points which I accurately guessed from the start of the story-that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the tale. I liked how she did have a little girl which adds another element to her life and why she and Zeus's relationship is even trickier. There were so many touching moments that warmed my heart, especially the interaction between the trio. Cam's daughter is a sweetheart, providing many aww moments. I wish there could have been more interaction with Zeus's family who are equally lovely. 

There is the usual amount of misunderstandings that I come to expect in a romance like this. I liked how the steamy sections were few in number and easily skippable. Cam grows so much as a person because she isn't just looking out for herself but Gigi, a fact that makes her extra protective of letting Zeus back in her life. I sincerely hope there will be more books about them as I'm already eager to reread their fairytale like story. 

Find out more on Samantha's website.

Suggested read 
Definitely check out the other boxing story I've read which is both similar and different to Ruin: The Aftermath by R. J. Prescott (Romance, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)
While this cover is actually ok for my blog I'm afraid I can't share it during Ramadan.

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