Review: A Fighting Chance – Shannon Stacey

Posted 18 February, 2016 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 12 Comments

*I received a free copy of A Fighting Chance from Carina Press via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *

Review: A Fighting Chance – Shannon StaceyA Fighting Chance by Shannon Stacey
Published by Carina Press on 1 February 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

3.5 Stars

All work and no play makes Adeline Kendrick a dull girl, so when she heads to a casino resort for a friend's bachelorette weekend, she's ready to have a good time. Until she runs into Brendan Quinn, professional fighter and the one who got away—the one her family drove away—and things take a turn for the interesting.

Running into his ex won't shake Brendan. Even if it brings up the old pain of loving her when she was only slumming. Even if she looks really good. In fact, what better way to get over the past than to take advantage of the still-sizzling chemistry running hot between them? He's there to win an MMA fight, but he won't say no to a little physical relief of a different kind.

But when the weekend is over, Adeline isn't ready to give up her second chance that easily. Brendan is still the one for her, no matter what her family thinks. Now, if only she can convince him of that…

2nd Chance - (un) Conventional Bookviews Adult - (un)Conventional Bookviews Contemporary - (un)Conventional Bookviews Hot, hot, hot - (un)Conventional Bookviews

A Fighting Chance is a very sweet, and hot, second-chance-at love romance, and I really enjoy the characters as well as their journey. I found the ending to be a little cheesy, though, and would have liked to spend a little bit more time with Del and Brendan.

Review - (un)Conventional Bookviews

I loved how self-assured and sassy Del was from the beginning of Fighting Chance! She’s at a casino hotel, where she’s arrived before her girlfriends for a weekend of fun before her friend gets married. As she explores the hotel, she sees that there are MMA fights during the weekend, and she comes face to face with a huge poster of her ex-boyfriend, Brendan, and even in a photo, he affects her just as much as he did in the past. Just before leaving the poster behind, she gives it the finger, and Brendan is arriving at that moment.

A Fighting Chance is hot, and it’s a short, quick read, and I think I would have liked to spend more than three days in the company of Del and Brendan. Their romance made sense, of course, since they had unresolved feelings from before, and the chemistry was definitely still there. However, they had a lot of things to talk about, and while they did address some of them, mainly her dad being against the relationship in the past. At the same time, my heart was invested, and I wanted these to characters to get a real second chance that involved more than stolen kisses and hot sex in a hotel.

If all you’re looking for is a hot, believable romance, A Fighting Chance fits the bill! I guess I was hoping for a little more of what might happen after that weekend, and while I did get a little bit, I was greedy and wanted more than what I got. Written in dual points of view, first and third person past tense and lots of fantastic dialogues, the story is solid, and it’s the kind of hot I enjoy.

Fave Quotes - (un)Conventional Bookviews

Missing this woman had been a constant ache he’d learned to live with over the last six years – like the dull throbbing of a bum knee – but as he looked at her it flared to life. He took a step toward her, but the anger that flickered over her expression made him stop.

Brendan hadn’t been her first and he hand’t been her last, since she hadn’t been sitting around pining for him for the last six years. But he was the one man whose touch she’d never been able to forget.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.

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12 responses to “Review: A Fighting Chance – Shannon Stacey

  1. Great review, I´d love to read this book 🙂 Endelig tilbake i bloggverdenen! Det har vært stille fra min side en stund fordi jeg har hatt utrolig mye å gjøre på jobb. Men det har vært interessante utfordringer som jeg ikke ville vært foruten, og nå er dagene heldigvis roligere. I neste uke er det vinterferie her, og selv om det blir jobbing på oss voksne er det godt å ha late morgener der tenåringene kan slappe av og sove så lenge de vil. Klemmer i fleng fra meg til deg 🙂

  2. That’s too bad it’s a bit short and you wanted more, that’s the thing about the short stories if you enjoy them, they usually feel too short. I do feel that short books like this often work best when the characters already know each other as it’s easier to understand when the romance moves fast. It does sound like a good story if you’re in the mood for something short and hot

  3. You’ve read a slew of second-chance romances lately, Lex. I’m glad you enjoyed this one overall even if you’d have liked to have spent more time with the couple. I laughed at the thought of Del getting caught by Brendan giving him the one-finger salute! *ha* It sounds like a fun read and I’m happy they were able to work through at least some of their issues. Do you think there will be more from their story?
    *BIG HUGS*

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