This is the 4th book in the Against the Cage series and can be read as a standalone, but characters from previous books appear in this book. I have not read the other books, but it seems to me that the books take place at the same time. Plus there are questions unanswered (about other characters in the book) at the end of this book. So it just makes a person want to go back and read the 1st 3 books and can't wait for new stories for other characters. Great strategy!

Regan is a MMA fighter whose mother ran out on him when he was little and left him with his drunken abusive father. He spent most of his time at his best friend's house (Kyle), as Kyle's parent were loving and attentive. But when Regan and Kyle were 20, Kyle's parents were killed in a car accident, leaving Kyle to look after his 15 year old sister Willow. So Kyle quit college and joined Regan in the MMA world to support Willow. Willow has always been in love with Regan, but he only sees her as Kyle's little sister. But 5 years later she takes a chance and shows Regan how she really feels. After that Regan sees her in a whole new light and cannot get her out of his head. He wants to be with her all the time but Willow wants to keep their affair a secret from her over protective brother because she knows he will go off the deep end when he finds out. There are lots of twists and turns in Regan and Willow's journey along with romance and a little bit of steam.

I received an ARC copy courtesy of Kindle Press through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

***4 Always and Forever Stars***

After finishing Fighting for Control I had put down my guess as to who the next book would be about, I was wrong, though I don’t think I’m necessarily wrong about the couple in question, but I’m not sorry I was wrong. While I did quite a bit of the heavy sighing/shaking of the head thing, which comes with the territory when you delve into a best friends sibling romance, I loved Regan and Willow’s story. It brought out all the feels mixed a good dose of smexy and getting to see a different perspective on the characters that we’ve come to know and love was a welcome treat.

I loved Regan. He may be the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, is a manwhore and tends to believe the worst of himself, but he has a heart of gold. His sense of honor and integrity rivals most out there, and that’s what I ended up loving about him. He wants to be a good man and does everything he can to do it. He trips up every so often, but no one is perfect.

I had moments with Willow, but overall I loved the girl. She went through a hellish experience at 15 and came out stronger because of it. She had help, may a little too much help at times, but she’s a survivor and has worked to make a life for herself. I loved Willow’s sassy nature and big heart. I loved seeing her go for what she wanted, even if there was an impetuous nature to it at times that almost got her into trouble.

With any falling in love with your best friends sibling romance there is quite a bit of push/pull and angst involved no matter how you swing it and Regan and Willow’s road to their HEA was no different. I could go into all the crazy they put themselves through, much of which you can probably guess at so I won’t. What I will say is that I really loved them together. The fact that they were already close friends and saw each other clearly was a bonus, but there was true chemistry between them that was undeniable. And though I loved how Willow pursued Regan, it was Regan whose side I ended up taking more often than not after he finally gave in.

Even after reading the first three books in the series and knowing how Ms. Price likes to throw twists into the plot lines, there were some in here that even I couldn’t have seen coming, but they all worked and I liked how everything played out in the end. This book can be read as a standalone, though due to the timeline of events I think it would be more enjoyable if you took the time to read the previous books, but that’s just my opinion. The writing was engaging and the dual 3rd person POV was done well. Even though I wanted to smack Kyle upside the head many times I’m crossing my toes that his book will be next, though I wouldn’t be too upset if Grim’s story was the next up either.

“The gloves are coming off, Matthews, and I’m not quitting. Not until one of us taps.”

I’m always game for an MMA romance, and this one fits the bill. Packed with emotion and mystery, it kept me glued to the pages.

Willow Scott has been in love with her brother’s best friend, Regan, since forever. Unfortunately, Regan only sees Willow as a little sister, but even if he didn't, there's still the matter of her brother, MMA fighter Kyle “The Killer” Scott. Kyle would kill Regan. But when Willow decides to make a play for his heart, maybe all she's ever wanted is in reach.

Regan “The Rapscallion” Matthews has a reputation for “rapping” it up with cage-bangers. It’s only one of the reasons his best friend, Kyle, would kick his ass if Regan were to make a move on the man’s sister. But Willow's all grown up and Regan knows he can’t resist her when she confesses how she feels. As they meet behind his friend's back, their secrets bring doubt and guilt, but that’s the least of their problems.

So, where does that leave them?

"She knew she wasn’t playing fair, but Willow was past fair; she was playing for keeps."

Willow is a great heroine, and I so enjoyed her. She's tough. Not only does Willow lose her parents in a car accident, she narrowly misses death herself. Add to that two larger-than-life and overprotective MMA fighters? Willow's sheltered to the max! This poor girl doesn't get attention as a woman. Although granted, all the attention she wants is from Regan himself. I liked this aspect, and I didn’t. Some moments felt a little too over the top, and there’s a lot of back and forth in the beginning. But when Willow makes up her mind, I like how she becomes a one-woman war general slowing battering Regan’s guards down. It’s a long siege, but so worth it! And because Kyle is always around (he's a father figure to Willow), these two have to sneak around like little kids to get a little nookie. It made for some laugh-out-loud moments.

Regan has a reason for not wanting to betray Kyle’s friendship by seeing Willow. An absolutely devastating reason. Kyle and Willow are all he has. But dang, does this make Regan such a wonderful guy. He is genuine and honest and oh, how romantic he could be! His intensity and focus are just what Willow needs, and it was hot, hot, hot!

Now, “I love yous” are exchanged fast. I’m not a fan of insta-love because I appreciate a good push and pull. In this story, however, I understood the necessity of it. And I’m pleased to say it in no way detracts from their connection. These two are combustible!

But boy, are there a lot of plotlines going on! All of these characters are damaged in some way. They fight their own demons while also trying to tackle everyone else's. I found myself tearing up more than a few times. There are so much heart and emotion packed into each storyline--a beauty and rawness to it--that takes this MMA romance to another level. I also really enjoyed this group of fighters. The male camaraderie aspect is so well done and rounds out this thrilling story.

This MMA romance delivers all the feels, and I’m still reeling from all the action—both inside and outside the cage. I recommend this one for those who like their MMA with a soul-wrenching agony that delivers all the romantic feels.

Oh what a book! I loved all of the pervious books with "Disco Stick" and Cole and coach! I was so excited to start reading this book and was instantly in love with these characters! I love Willow and Regan and I just love how they drew on each other's strengths to get through all life threw at them. I do wish Kyle was more open to the idea of them being in love and dating but he has some issues of his own to work through before I think he can honestly be happy for his sister and best friend. I really hope there are a few more books in this series the writing to so good and the books have some great twists to the plot. I just love this author and how creative and interesting her characters are! Thanks for also bringing back characters from previous books and putting them into the story, it makes it so good to read what they are doing now and that they have not been replaced or are just missing from the story it makes everyone's story intertwined and more of a complex family then just some fighters at a gym. In the epilogue I really wanted there to be a little more to Willow and Regan's relationship, like he mentions that at the graduation party tonight he plans on making this new hot nurse his wife. Something where he is planning on proposing to her.

Cute little Romance. There were a couple of confusing instances early in the book where the narrative went from the third person to first person. It made no sense and took me out of the story. After those two instances it didn't happen again, so I'm assuming it was a simple mistake.

An MMA fighter taps out for love…

This is the fourth book in the Against the Cage series that can be read as a stand-alone, events here are occurring concurrently with those in the previous books.

Twenty year old Willow Scott is in college, she’s studying to become a nurse while working at the MMA gym her brother is affiliated with. She’s been overprotected by the brother who raised her after almost losing her in the horrific car crash that took their parent's lives. All the MMA fighters are family now but there’s one, her brother’s best friend that she’s always wanted more from. Almost ready to give up on his ever seeing her as a woman she realizes he does care and then the game is on. She’s sassy, defiant though not reckless and when she wants something she goes for it, Regan is now her target and he’s been warned. “I’m not giving up on us, Regan, not without a fight.”

MMA fighter Regan “Rapscallion” Matthews survived an abusive father as well as abandonment by his mother. What saved him was learning to fight to protect himself and the caring of the Scott family who treated him as one of their own. When the elder Scotts died Regan was there for his best friend and younger sister. He’s always cared more for Willow than he should but she’s part of the only family he’s ever known and he doesn’t want to lose them so he’s watched her mature over the years and kept his forbidden fantasies to himself. Regan doesn’t believe he’s worthy of Willow but that doesn’t seem to stop him once she’s made her feelings known to him. How can he keep saying no when she’s all he’s ever desired? She’s always been a breath of fresh air to his troubled inner soul.

Wow! Another great read in this series. Each of the books I have read by this author including this one were excellent well-edited stories that grabbed my attention early on and never let go. These characters had raw emotional depth and captivating dynamics, they were likable and relatable and exhibited much personal growth; the dual point of view really enhanced things, allowing us into their tumultuous inner thoughts. The absorbing plot pushed all this reader’s buttons with the added suspense providing yet another dimension to the tale.

This was a wonderfully sweet and sexy romance with some strong themes: allowing yourself to be loved for we all deserve it, finding closure by coming to terms with the agonies of the past to be able to move forward in life, and the personal meaning of justice. There wasn’t a full resolution of things between Regan and Kyle at the end which may well be a part of another book for Kyle deserves his own story. This reader is definitely looking forward to more in this series.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

Regan sometimes needs to reassure his girl, “sweetheart, are you kidding me? You do please me. Why would you say that? I’m so effing hot for you I can hardly stand it. What’s this all about?” Regan likes to shower his girl with compliments, “you look so effing gorgeous. I’m going to spend this entire night hard as a rock. You know that, right?” Regan was so in love with Willow that man would do anything for her and for that I fell in love with him. I really enjoyed this book.

I haven't read this author before but she is now on my "must read" list. This is book four in the series so before reading this one I decided to read the first three books and I really loved them. The series is about a group of MMA fighters and the women they fall for with each book focusing on a different couple so they can be read as stand-alones. What I really liked in these books were the heroes. They were all tough alpha males but they were also pretty good guys. It seems like most similar MMA romances have jerks as the heroes. I guess I must be missing something, I don't think I would be turned on by a guy who was crude and disrespectful to me, so I don't get why there are so many "bad boy" books being written now. I don't think a guy has to be a jerk to be tough and able to take care of his woman. The author created heroes that you wouldn't mess with, but they didn't have anything to prove either. To me that is what an alpha male is. I also liked the way the author handled the sex scenes. They were necessary to the story and the relationship building but weren't central to the story, and they were hot yet still tasteful. I am not a fan of books that are more erotica than actual romance books. I think the author did a fantastic job of balancing all aspects of the book and I can't wait for her next.

This is another great story in this series from this author. I like the way the stories are all going on at the same time although each book obviously focuses on one character. Can't wait for the next one.

The more I read this book, the more I was hooked. I stayed up until 2am to finish it, because I didn't want to wait until the next day to find out what happened. Regan and Willow's story was so full of love and caring and steamy sexy-time.

Wow. Sigh. I loved this book!

Willow Scott is a nursing student, trying to move on with her life after her parents were killed in an accident that also involved her when she was 15. She was raised by her 5 years older brother, Kyle “the Killer” Scott, an MMA champion fighter and his best friend Regan, also an MMA champion fighter. Kyle gave up his college dreams to do this. Willow has been in love with Regan since she first laid eyes on him when she was 13. These three have an amazing, close relationship.

Regan Matthews was raised by an abusive father. He began learning MMA fighting as a way to protect himself against his father. Kyle and Regan became best friends in their late teens and Regan spent as much time as possible in the Scott house. He loved Kyle and Willow’s parents almost as much as they did. Regan has many insecurities brought on from his dad. He’s been in love with Willow since she was 16 years old but would never cross that line for fear of losing his best friend.

Willow turned to Regan a lot to get through the trauma/pain/grief of losing her parents to keep from adding to Kyle’s. Regan turned to cage bunnies and one night stands because he didn’t feel he deserved Willow. Four years later, it all comes to a head. Regan can no longer deny he loves her, nor can he stay away from her.

Watching these two together was sweet and intense. They generated a lot of heat! You could feel their connection and what they meant to each other.

The suspense part was pretty predictable as was the type of incident that would bring them all back together. I was hoping to see more resolution between Kyle and Regan. So many emotions! They are palpable as you read this story. It sucks you in right from the beginning and leaves you devouring it because you can’t walk away.

Favorite lines:
“Dude, you look like Rainbow Brite just took a shit all over you.”

“If you see me running, then you’d better run too, because something is chasing me.”

Still anxiously awaiting Kyle and Penelope’s story! Wondering if Carson will pop back up somewhere down the line? Lots of fighters still waiting for their HEA.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

This story had so much dimension. First you had the relationship between Kyle and Regan, then Regan and Willow. Plus you had all of the different MMA fighters, Regan's dad and the Campoli clan. So much going on in a great story that had so many twists and turns it was like being on a rollercoaster. The romance between Regan and Willow is what romance and true love are made of. It was awesome to watch them finally own up to their feelings and fall in love, I only wish I knew more about what the future holds for Kyle. Looking forward to more from this author.

This book was great. How Regan has always been in love with his best friend's sister. Then the consequences of not telling willow's brother about them. A must read....

What a fantastic book!! I love this author's writing style and characters so I'm glad to see this series continue with the fourth book. There are so many great stories in the gym waiting to be told. If you haven't read the prior books you'll have no problem following along with this one. Regan “Rapscallion” Matthews should have his head in the game and not letting Willow Scott distract him. Not only should he be focused but she's his best friends little sister and completely off limits. He's loved her as long as he can remember but now her sights are focused on him and he doesn't stand a chance. His friendship and career have him fighting it at first but then he realizes none of that is worth anything without the woman he loves. Will he be able to find a way to have it all????

Don't miss this one! I highly recommend it.

Grappling for Position is Regan and Willow's story. Working for Miller MMA has always been home for Willow. Being with her brother and well Regan has it's advantages too. She's been in love with him since she was young girl. She knows that she has to make a move soon or move on.

Regan is the guy from the wrong side of the tracks and has been part of her family forever. Each has gone through a lot of hurt and heartache. They both care about each other and have been fighting it forever. Now they have a chance for each other and with everything going on they will have quite the journey to make it to their happily every after.

This is the first book I have read in this series. I have read one other of Melynda Price's books called Beneath the Surface, which is a separate series. I really enjoyed this book. It seemed as if it could definitely be read as a standalone and we get some info about the other characters, who are the main characters in the previous books in this series.

This is a best-friend's-younger-sister-falls-in-love-with-brother's-best-friend novel. I liked the characters and thought the writing was good. I also liked the secondary characters and will probably go back and read a couple of the books in this series.

I liked how there was an epilogue but the one thing I didn't like was that there was no closure between Kyle and Regan. That kinda put me off but at the same time I can understand if it was left unsettled because that might carry over into the next book, which I am guessing might be Kyle's? Not sure but hopefully we will see some sort of resolution.