When you agree to read and review a book about MMA fighters, you expect some powerful words and scenarios. But what I did not expect was the powerful emotions and thorough connection between the characters.

The author has created a in-depth and flat out steaming hot read that makes you want to fan yourself in a few places, literally and figuratively. 

Loaded with cringe worthy BDSM - heavy on the S and M, you need to be ready for the deep feelings and powerful imagery she brings to your mind. She brings you to the brink of pain and pleasure, along with the main characters but cushions it with deep feelings and a heady romance. Sigh

This book is not one you will put down easily but it will be one that is on your mind long after it ends. A great read for those that like a deep romance story along with a heavy dose of erotica. A bit dark due to the images the author crafts but a wonderful ending that makes it all so right.

There has been something about the Redemption series that up until now has made each and every book compulsory reading, so when this one hit the screen I was absolutely delighted that I was going to be able to spend a little more time totally absorbed in a world that I have come to feel almost part of. Each and every book of this series has been a study of grit and determination and I expected Jack and Penny to be exactly the same…but was it?
Well this is the story of Jack Caldwell, aka Rampage and Penny and it wasn’t at all what I had anticipated. 
Both have needs that don’t exactly fall into the “vanilla” camp, Penny has tendencies that she seems to find issue with accepting, why I wasn’t exactly sure, yes her desires weren’t exactly what many people would consider “normal” but they were what she needed and right up until she met Jack, her desires had been primarily unfulfilled…but with Jack, oh boy she has a man that is the ying to her yang and matching her masochism with his sadistic desires is a marriage made in heaven.
Jack found his urge to inflict pain during intimacy something that almost ran at odds with the fact that he had be brought up with good old southern values, values that clearly state that a real man should never lay a finger on a woman, and while those are values that he holds dear …that is outside the bedroom because in the throws’ of desire those values couldn’t be further from the truth, his need to inflict pain is exactly what makes him tick.
I thought the author hit the nail on the head portraying the internal struggle that Jack’s professional and personal persona brought to his character as a whole, he tried, I honestly believe that, to almost reign in the sadistic desires that were lurking inside of him and because of that that I was hoping that with Penny he would at last find a peace that his heart seemed to be searching for.
Self harm has been Penny’s coping mechanism for too long, her way of dealing with a past that is so painful that it has left her with self-esteem issues. But could a man like Jack be the key to unlocking a part of her heart and her life that she never thought she would have the opportunity to share? 
They both really struggled with the fact that they needed a different level of physicality, their desires were only ever fully satisfied by being able to absorb themselves in a world where they intimacy included a consensual level of pain and I have to say that I found that to be a beautiful thing, not the pain no, but the fact as individuals they were able to offer each other what was almost a vital missing piece to who they really were. With each other they didn’t need to pretend and that in my opinion was priceless for each of them.
I loved this book, I have loved them all but this one spoke to me on a different level. It took two characters that on the surface were different but that once you looked under the top layer, they were so similar. 
The level of understanding and acceptance that they were able to give to each other allowed them to almost grow into their own skin, they could finally fill every last piece of who they were and by doing that they were able to grow not only as a coupe but individually, they book gave prominence to the fact that we are all different and that there is someone out there for us all and that one we have the right person in our lives, anything is possible. 
Acceptance and understanding for them both was all it took for them to finally be themselves and to be happy. I loved the touches of humour that the author interspersed throughout the story and above it all I loved the fact that these were two people that I could understand, they had heart and that was wonderful to read.

Penny Worthington is a women with a scarred past. She hides it behind girlly clothes and pastel colors but she has not been able to completely separate from the darkness that fills her soul. She has a system but when that system is blocked she spirals. How could she possibly find a new way to cope with the demons within her? 
Jack "Rampage" Caldwell is moving through life with a permanent mask on his face, he has to hide who he is for fear of reprisal. He doesn't want to let anyone else he cares about down or see the disgust that he saw on his families face on his friends. But he wants to be with Penny as well. Can she handle his need for pain? Or should he walk away while he still has a chance to keep his heart in tack and her as a friend. 
This was a great gritty romance. There was sadism in it and it made this book so much better. If this was a pure vanilla book it would have had nothing to it. There was sex outside of the bedroom, and there was a heck of a lot of sexy times to be had. But for a minute lets not talk about sex, lets discuss this book as purely romance. These two characters with their heartbreak, and their crappy childhoods brought out the best pieces in one another, and they were able to mend the things that each thought made them no good to all those around them. 
This was a wonderful story that may make you a bit, how do we say..... antsy. But it was a wonderful read and I may have just found a new author to look out for. 
~A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection.

I have been a big fan of Sarah Castille's Redemption series since book one with Torment and Makayla. The way she balances the gritty and hard edged MMA fighters with the softer yet equally strong heroines is incredible. This book is the story of Jack "Rampage" Caldwell and Penny Worthington.

In Fighting Attraction, Castille did a fantastic job describing Penny's masochistic tendencies and Rampage's cravings as a Sadist. They both are ashamed of their particular wants and desires but find that with one another (through consensual play and rough sex) they can be free and themselves for the first time in their lives without feeling shame.

Castille does a phenomenal job highlighting Rampage's aggressive and dominant "fighter" personality with his sweet and southern gentlemanly ways. In addition it was interesting watching him work through his insecurities while trying to balance his needs to inflict pain for release and his innate Southern way of thinking that "a true gentlemen does not put his hands on a woman." Likewise, Penny's need for pain (through cutting) are as a result of her own diminished self-worth attributed to painful experiences from her past. Can they both find a balance that works for them both? Or are they too different to really be compatible.

I absolutely loved this book and the amount of love and devotion they both had for each other. They were willing to change who they were for the other, but through love and acceptance realized they didn't have to. This book had heat, humor and heart and was a fantastic addition the series. I look forward to the next book in the series and seeing the Redemption crew in the future!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

This was a VERY intense story!

Let me just say that the subject matter of this story isn't my cup of tea. I'm not an enormous fan of BDSM, but I absolutely HAD TO read this because Sarah wrote it. And I was not disappointed!

First of all, sexual content aside, this book brings up some pretty deep issues of self-mutilation and domestic abuse. While those are not pleasant topics, they added a great deal to the story by being the dark contrast to the light that Penny and Jack eventually found in each other.

Penny was so fun! Unsure of herself but also hilarious, I was really rooting for everything to work out for her. If anyone deserved a break, it was Penny.

Jack was great! Yes, he is also known as Master Jack, but he allowed his softer side to come out and play, which I loved. He, too, was fighting some demons, and Penny was just the perfect balance for him.

I met the whole crew at Redemption, and holy cow, I MUST go back and read this whole series! This book is totally a stand-alone, but this series is set in a gym full of alpha males who fiercely love their women...I just might have found my new favorite series :)

(I received a copy of this book in consideration of an honest review)

Penny Worthington escaped from the life in her native England, to America, in hope to find another life, different or maybe she only deluded herself with that notion, cause deep inside she knew she was wired in a certain way and she couldn't escape that, for much longer. Her past, childhood, adulthood were filled with emotional deprication and abuse that only intensified the feeling of being worthless, of being unable to find emotional release without pain, that was actually used against her in an abusive relationship. Now, she's working as an attorney's assistant and she's joining Redemption, the greatest sport facility for training MMA fighters. She's surrounded with a tight circle of friends and she feels safe BUT not completely herself, as she keeps her secret of self-inflicting wounds when the cravings become unbearable.
Until she sees the similar „darkness“ in hot shot MMA fighter's eyes.
Jackson/Jack aka Rampage is only now gaining the recognition in the MMA circuit and he plays a perfect front for everyone around him. He's the cool, easy-going, friendly guy with a huge chip on his shoulder as he's keeping his deepest kink a secret from everyone, as that particular thing was the very same reason his affluent family of tight Southern traditions denounced him from the family heritage and business. He's making a name for himself doing what he wants and enjoys and yet he's only complete when he inflicts pain, a huge amounts of pain, and the place where he extracts that and fulfilling his craving is in Club Sin
When the legal assignment takes Penny into that Club, she's faced with the curiousity of unknown and intriguing as she thinks that maybe she could also find her own answers here, and then her eyes fall upon Master Jack. The realisation of recognition sets the new light upon them both, as Master Jack is Rampage in full flesh and blood. 
Their friendship is tested daily, the limits are pushed, emotions are stretched…the denial, the doubts, the insecurities all take their tool on both of them, but after confronting the past and acknowledging the true feelings for each other,they both face the fact that they are right where they belong.

Emotional, intense, complicated, angsty... 

Even if BDSM is not exactly what i'd go for, especially concerning the giving/receiving pain, this story is actually about finding the peace within oneself, acceptance and acknowledgment of your inner strength, flaws, kinks...and pushing boundaries... but most of all, the notion that "normal" is just a word and not the "state" that labels something that's beyond labelling or putting on the "right" shelf, it s about the freedom to discover who you are... and of course, love...it all comes down to love, in the end...
There were sequences of extra dominating, controlling, possessive as fuck alpha conduct  but their opposites in sassy, smart and outspoken women  brought the extra charge and sparks to the mix of fun, excitment, laughter...

This book was so good that I could not put it down! I would have finished it sooner but work and life had to be taken care of. I can't wait to go read the rest of this author's books.

I loved this book, and I loved Rampage/Jack. Was he a Dom yeah! gentle? yeah, no, yeah, no, oh I don't know, he was just ahhhhh!!
Jack and Penny made the perfect couple, Penny needed pain and protecting and Jack was the guy to do it, they ended up saving each other. This was a really hot book but it was tastefully written and not over the top so I enjoyed it very much. 
And I'm a Brit so I loved Penny's dialogue too. It was great reading.

Fighting Attraction is all about conflict, the push and pull of life and love and soul-deep needs. Both main characters are a study in contrasts. Jack Caldwell is the encouraging, good-natured gossip king of the Redemption gym, but he's a true sadist at heart, and a painful past has taught him to keep that part of himself locked away. Penny Worthington is an adorable pastel- and pearl-wearing British gal with a penchant for death metal and bad boys, and her secret is so damaging, only a few people in her entire lifetime have known. The way their dark needs fit together—and yet also clash so painfully—weaves the gritty undertone that sets this story apart from typical fighter romances in the contemporary erotic genre.

Jack is a complicated man, with self-imposed layers of restrictions and hidden spaces, walls to keep people out and secrets in. He's everyone's high-fiving buddy at the gym and the most fierce, feared sadist at club Sin. And with Penny, he lands somewhere in the middle, somewhere soft and angry and giving, all while holding back the most vulnerable parts of himself. Until he stops and just lets go. That's when Jack will really melt your heart.

And as a fighter, oh man. I'm not into MMA in real life, but dayum. I could watch this guy torture opponents in the cage all day.

I love Penny's spirit. She may dress like a demure little secretary out for tea with the Queen, but she's got fire and spine and wit. Her British accent suits her character—and this story—perfectly and shines through her dialogue.

I LOVED the clever way Penny turns the tables at the end. Without giving spoilers, I'll just say that I was grinning and fist-pumping along with the characters. Brilliant. Sexy. Edgy. Addicting. That's Fighting Attraction. And I want more!

If you liked the other books in this hot, MMA series, you will enjoy the latest addition! Sarah Castille knows how to write dark, edgy romances.

Scorching … yeah – If I were only allowed to use one word to explain Fighting Attraction (Redemption #4) by Sarah Castille that would be it
SCORCHING…
There would be several novel that I could compare this book too (given that I as a blogger read tons of books) – but no matter which book I would use as a comparison – to each of them I would have to add a “like this… but only hotter”
I jumped into this series without reading the first 3 books (which I will do no for sure) – and it was also my first book by this author. And what can I say – I am a goner for her writing style – if the first books are only a little like this they will be awesome I am sure.
It is easy to read and follow as a standalone – just be aware that naturally you will spoiler yourself the endings of the first books as the characters appear in this novel again.
The leading characters were so well developed that you would expect them to be real. I loved their dialogues and the banter was really fun. There was enough though stuff going on to ground the story but the flirty and sexy parts made up for the darker moments.
The mixture was just so well balanced that it was real fun reading this book even if it deals with serious subjects. I liked that there was no miracle cure for problems that felt real.
Be aware that this is not a light hearted read at times – it deals with serious subjects and there will be BDSM included and I mean REALLY included not the “I-think-I-am-a-DOM-but-OK-I-can-change-myself-within-the-next-50-pages-now-I-am-not” kind of way. ( I mean hey he is a DOM so that is no spoiler – but it seems that this still has to be mentioned as some readers still expect some books to be fluffy)
Rampage is a DOM but he is so different from most of the DOM’s you encounter in other books. He is not what he is because he is damaged in some way – he just IS – (even though he hates himself for being the way he is – yeah well its difficult to explain without spoilers) and the side he shows other people outside might be the one of an MMA fighter but yet he is fun to be around and a gentleman.
It was such an interesting mixture that I loved discovering his layers.
And then there is Penny – OMG – she is the epitome of a walking & talking contradiction – open a dictionary check “contradiction” and there will be her name beside it.
She is as British as it gets – but when you discover all her layers – its just wow. The fangirl, the lady, the lover, the sub (well not really but yeah discover that part for yourself), the friend, the tortured soul, the little girl. She is honest, reliable, keeps her responsibilities and promises (even when she hurts herself in the process) and she has the dirties British mouth ever.
So when that dirty proper British fangirl lady meets the southern gentle man MMA Fighter DOM – Sparks will explode and life’s will be changed …

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

4.25 Hearts Holy Smokes! This story is sweet, dark, sexy and intense. Penny and Jack both have a secret that they keep hidden from everyone including those closest to them. Both are into pain. Giving and receiving it. They seem perfect for each other but are they really? 

This is really really dark and yet Sarah Castille manages to lighten it up. Penny has suffered since she was young at the hands of men she thought loved her and when she starts to feel she is not lovable or worthwhile she starts cutting to feel the pain. Her emotional pain is palpable and you hurt for her. Jack needs to give pain. He wants to inflict as much as he can to get out the stresses in his life. But are these the same kind of pain that they should be together? 

The out of the bedroom/club scenes between Jack and Penny are so cute. He is so different in the real world and while overly protective and possessive he wants to care for the one woman who understands him. I loved the playfulness they have together. I love all the guys of Redemption to be honest. I just want to climb into the book and hang out with these guys and girls. While the couple is the main focus the others take care of their own. 

Any fan of this series, of romance, of erotica/BDSM will love this story. But understand the darkness isn’t the bedroom/club scenes it is the inner turmoil and scenes of emotional to physical pain that pulls at the readers heart. 

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh! I just can't believe how entertaining each book is in this series is. Sarah Castille has created a cast of characters that just keep growing more and more lovable with each book she writes.
I loved Rampage from the second he burst onto the page in the first of this hot, steamy MMA series.
Although, I loved Rampage as a more serious, fully developed MMA fighter, I kind of missed his sense of humor. It shows in this book, but some of his quirkiness is missing.
Penny is perfect. She's just the right mix of mixed up and steely strength. There were a few times when I actually felt my heart twist in my chest as this sweet woman struggles to overcome the way she's always dealt with her pain.
I loved Rampage's inner dialogue and his time line as he tried to find Penny made me giggle more than once.
Oh... And Rampage has a real name! All through each book, he's only been known as his fighter handle, well he has a name and it fits him perfectly. Well done Sarah.
Fighting Attraction is another successful installment to this author's Redemption series.
It's quick and quirky. Hot and steamy and intense as this couple finds a way to make what they both know is good, work.

Review by Kim

I absolutely adore this series, and this is the 2nd book I've read this year that already has 'favorite' status. Even if you haven't read the series, this one will draw you in..!

****Review to be posted on release date!

This book was adequately titled! It was a friends-to-lovers romantic story about Jackson Caldwell and Penny Worthington, a legal assistant. Jackson was a celebrity of sorts and Penny struggled with some interpersonal problems that she shared with him under very intimate circumstances. It turned out that Jackson also had some issues of his own and the two spent the entire story in a weird relationship limbo. Jackson fought his attraction to Penny every step of the way, all while "claiming" her, but not really declaring a relationship status, yet still needing to keep all other men away from her. It's this back-and-forth scenario that made this book feel like it was dragging on for far too long. 

There were elements of this story that I really liked: the technical fighting descriptions and techniques, the erotic scenes, and catching up with the gang featured in books one and two of this series. But Penny's low self-image drove me batty! She was a sweet girl but she needed a few scoops of self esteem on her plate and it was hard for me to take her seriously, overall. Jackson also made me a bit crazy with his indecisive ways. I thought his character was so inconsistent at times: assertive in the ring and at the club, but melodramatic with Penny and dwelling hard on situations he couldn't fix when it came to his family. The ending was wrapped up nice and tidy and I would've liked more closure from Jack's family, especially considering how much time the author spent mentioning that some of his emotional baggage was linked to his family.

This story is great for a reader looking for a high angst reading journey and who wouldn't mind a few misunderstandings that briefly turn sour, but then are easily remedied. Overall, this was an okay read, but the story had bits of everything mashed together with multiple areas glossed over.

Can I just say HOT! OMG I could not put this book down. The tension between Rampage (Jack) and Penny is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Not everyone is what they show the world, some have secret lives.
Rampage is well loved and everyone sees him as a bug teddy bear. That is unless he is in the cage fighting.  However, he has a side that no one knows about, it is dark and he hates it. He is a dom and only wants the most submissive to play with.
Penny shows the world a bubble gum and pop look. What she really wants is some pain. She is a prim British woman that seems to choose the wrong kind of man every time. Now she wants Jack and just might get him when he finds out her secret.
Can Jack overcome his hate for this dominance and so he can help and love Penny?  Can Penny leave behind her dislike for herself? 
* This book was received from the publisher for a honest review.

So far I have loved all the books in this series (Redemption). They are filled with strong woman, and seriously sexy alpha males. So if alpha males are your thing, look no further. Read any of the books in this series. 

This was my least favorite only because it deals extensively with BDSM. And that is not my cup of tea. That being said, it was still a damn good book. 

Based off Rampage's personality at the gym, I would have never thought he was a sadist. We knew Penny had some unique needs from her failed romances in the previous books. But the author paired these two up and it worked out perfectly for them both. HEA!!

♥♥♥♥ 4/5 Hearts

I love this series and the characters. Their bonds and friendships really are the glue in their intertwined lives as well as the series. I'm quite surprised at how polar and layered both the MCs are in this book. I have to admit that this stretched boundaries that I feared would tip over to being too much for me, but it worked and was, to my knowledge, accurately portrayed. Loved seeing this crew again and I am hoping for Doctor Death to find his girl bc he's been beaten around too much in this series lol

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Sarah Castille is a master of her craft.  She could write the phone book and I would read it.  I’ve been a fan of the Redemption series since the beginning and I was gleefully anticipating reading Rampage’s book.  Even the hard core BDSM theme of the book (sadism and masochism) wasn’t enough to put me off because I knew Ms. Castille would write a story worthy of a Redemption fighter.
She did not disappoint.  Rampage was HOT!  Normally the easygoing “nice guy” whom everyone loves, he hides a dark side.  Rampage is a sadist.  He enjoys giving pain.  He gets off on it.  He needs the release it gives him, so he allows himself to give in to those desires at Club Sin, where he is known as Master Jack.  Having just moved up to the pro level of MMA fighting, Rampage knows that this is one secret he can’t reveal.  His dominance and sadism have already cost him his fiancée, the career he should have had, and his family.  He won’t let it destroy the newfound success he has found as Rampage.
Unfortunately that becomes a possibility when Penny Worthington stumbles upon him at Club Sin.  There to serve papers to the club’s owner on behalf of her lawyer boss, Penny is shocked to her core when she observes Master Jack doing a scene with one of the club submissives.  Gone is the caring, fun-loving gossip that she knows from working out at Redemption.  In his place is a strong, powerful, cold as ice sadist in complete control of everything.  And Penny immediately wants in.
Not only has Penny hid her longtime attraction to Rampage (knowing someone like him would never look twice at an awkward, chunky British law clerk), but she has her own secret.  Penny is a masochist.  She wants someone to control her pleasure, she longs for the release a little bit of pain can give her.  She’s never met anyone who made her understand her needs.  Until Jack.  Suddenly she’s not worthless or broken or a freak.  She’s a woman with kinky desires who needs what a man like Master Jack can give her.
Never in a million years did I think I would enjoy a romance about sadism.  I’ve read other books with BDSM elements, but the hardcore stuff usually turns me off.  While there is nothing in me that understands the attraction or need to give or receive pain, I completely believed it with Jack and Penny.  Sarah Castille wrote those elements of the story so well, and in a way that even the most vanilla lover could appreciate.  Jack and Penny made me laugh, they made me cringe, and they turned me on.  I loved all of the scenes with the other couples and how the friendships between the Redemption guys and their girls play a huge part in this series.
I have to say it:  this book is a story of redemption for Jack and Penny.  They both learn from each other, and use their budding relationship to overcome some nasty business in their pasts.  If you haven’t read anything by Sarah Castille, you are missing out.  If she can make me fall in love with a guy who likes to hurt his woman, she can do anything.  Once again, she delivered a book that I couldn’t put down.
I give Fighting Attraction 5 stars.

It's been a while since I read the other books in the series, so I had to refresh my memory on what this series was about (it's very similar to a series from another author, so I confused some key players initially). Once I was all caught up, I remembered why I enjoyed the previous books in the series and was looking forward to reading this one.

The book certainly didn't disappoint. It was both dark and light and I found myself drawn into the mysteriousness of Jack and Penny. 

Jack (aka Rampage) comes from a wealthy family but was disowned and left broken-hearted years ago. He was just a couple weeks away from being married when his sadistic tendencies were made known to everyone in his family and his finance dumped him and married his brother instead. His family disowned him and he lost the chance to run the family's well-known bourbon business. He escaped from Tennessee and has been making a new life for himself as Rampage, a popular MMA fighter, while secretly becoming Master Jack (a dom at a local club) a couple times a week. 

Penny Worthington moved to the U.S. from the U.K. a couple years ago and has been working as a paralegal since then (she was just short of graduating from law school before moving). She was pretty much abused both physically and emotionally her whole life, first by her father, then her ex. Penny hides a dark secret and it's hidden well beneath her prim suits and pearls though. I was honestly shocked and didn't see it coming. 

Jack & Penny are friends since they both workout/train at the same gym and there's been an underlying attraction for a while, but they've both avoided it. Jack doesn't think that Penny can give him the pain he needs her to suffer for him to find release. And Penny doesn't think that she's worthy of someone like Jack.

One day Penny shows up at Club Sin to serve papers since their landlord is trying to get them evicted. She discovers Master Jack whipping a sub in one of the playrooms and is immediately intrigued, although she doesn't think she could take that much pain. There's a lot of back-and-forth banter after this encounter between the two. They both want each other, but neither thinks they can be what each other needs. This honestly continues on throughout the book and becomes a bit annoying since it's repetitive, even after they've hooked up. Once they do finally figure things out though, it's really sweet.

They broke up and made up very quickly though, much to my surprise. I figured Jack & Penny would sulk for a while, but Jack was a pretty smart guy and came to his senses in record time compared to most heroes in books. I was a bit surprised that Penny grew a backbone and didn't try to hurt herself after their breakup. I thought she was pretty weak for most of the book, but she did shocked me with her reactions afterwards. I admired Jack's willingness to fight for her, even if he ended up bruised in the process.

I was happy to see that Penny finally saw the good in herself and applied her skills to help salvage Jack's career. It was pretty impressive if I can say so (I work in marketing, so I found her whole spin clever). I wish we had more of how their relationship evolved after they got back together again though since we only got one glimpse into how they managed to satisfy their needs. But overall, an enjoyable book that I didn't want to put down.