Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Prize Fighter
AUTHOR: Geonn Cannon
PUBLISHER: Supposed Crimes
LENGTH: 178 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2020
BLURB:
Six years ago, professional boxer Max “Wrecker” Reszke lost control in the ring. One moment of blind rage puts her opponent into a coma from which she never woke. Though cleared of any criminal charges, Max hangs up her gloves and swears that she’ll never risk losing control like that again.
Until one night, a chance encounter in an alley, a damsel in distress. Max leaps into action and saves the stranger. She soon learns that the woman she saved is actress Renee Lamar. Renee, anxious and paranoid about security, offers to reward Max’s chivalry with a job as her bodyguard.
Max has nothing to lose by agreeing, but soon discovers Renee might be her own worst enemy. Half a decade after leaving the ring, Max faces a new fight that can’t be won with fists.
REVIEW:
I’m a big Geonn Cannon fan, and I eagerly await his releases, which are always consistent and of excellent quality. This is a departure from his more recent fare—it’s a little more grounded, more real, more in line with current popular romances. There’s some clumsiness to be had, but for the most part, this is another Cannon classic that fits perfectly into his catalog.
Renee Lamar is an actress on the rise—not yet A-list, but certainly getting there. She loves her career, but she’s an intensely private person who fears her personal life becoming muddled with her public image. To cope, she takes un-prescribed pills for her anxiety, which leads her to an unsavory situation—and to her heroine, Max Reszke. Max, an ex-boxer, reluctantly takes on the role of the starlet’s live-in bodyguard. She’s not affected by Hollywood glamour, though she soon realizes that there’s way more to Renee than a pretty face and big mansion.
I enjoy Hollywood-themed romances in general, and this one really leans into the details. Each chapter begins with a press snippet regarding Renee’s career, which tie into how she’s doing in real-life (a flopped rom-com when she’s having romantic troubles with a casual fling, a review for a steamy drama when things with Max heat up). Renee feels like any actress who is popular now, but is not guaranteed a spot at the table—someone like Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Stone. She’s a household name, but she knows one wrong move can send it all crashing down. Max, on the other hand, has no illusions of grandeur. After a disastrous end to her boxing career, she’s barely making money and will go anywhere life takes her. They strike a delicate balance—a woman who constantly worries about how the world perceives her, and a woman who looks the world in the eye and dares it to make a move.
The chemistry is excellent, and the slow build-up of sexual tension (including a little healthy voyeurism) is delicious. I love how free Renee and Max are with their desires, even as they both wrestle with control. I do think some of the kinky sex scenes are over the top, which is rare for Cannon, who usually uses them wisely. It felt a little off for them, since their relationship is so new and tenuous. Not a lot actually happens in this book—no huge drama, no high-stakes disasters. It’s just a story about two women from different worlds growing closer and figuring out how to make it work. Since Cannon is such a capable writer, I wish he went even further (like Max meeting her mother again). But what we have is excellent.
This is one of Cannon’s most accessible works yet, and would serve as a great intro for people unfamiliar with his work. The characters shine brightly, the setting is perfect, and the romance hits all the right notes. It’s one of the more memorable Hollywood romances I’ve read in years.
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