I have been a huge fan since she started writing her Redemption series. I was super excited when I heard she was bringing us a new book out of this series! WOW!!!! I could not take my eyes off each word. Zack had me from the get go and Shayla was my hero. When I saw the heartbreak and then the endurance to put their lives back together, I was lost in their world. I love a good fight series, but Sarah adds more heart than what I have read in the past. You will fall for these characters. You will get all warm and gooey when you are brought back with old friends.

The emotions this book brought out of me was something furious. You will be feeling a storm brewing and want to throat punch a few characters a time or two. What can I say? Strong Hold brought out the beast in me lol. MUST READ for the summer! You need to make sure you have a quiet weekend ready because once you start this book, you will not put it down!

Zach broke Shayla’s heart when she was just 18 by taking her virginity and then walking away. Shayla fled to New York to study ballet and ended up marrying her teacher, who ended up almost killing her. So she takes back her life and decides that she doesn’t need a man to protect her or be protected from and she becomes a MMA fighter. When she’s 25, Zach (who has become a 4-time world MMA champion fighter) accidentally walks back into her life. The sparks are still there between them, but can they overcome the heartbreak they gave each other?

This book just broke my heart. Shayla became a strong woman but she was still broken. And I couldn’t help but love Zach because he never stopped loving Shayla, he just made a big mistake by walking away from her the first time. The only thing that I thought was kinda left in mid air was why did Shayla’s brother hate Zach so much and yet he was never around Shayla when she was at Redemption? This book will break your heart, give you a laugh, make you swoon and the sex scenes ... just hot!

I received an ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is my first book from the series and I can't believe it that I didn't know about this one because I love to read MMA. It is emotionally second chance love story between retired MMA champion Zack and former ballerina now amateur fighter Shayla. After many years Zack and Shayla's path is cross again but everything is different, especially Shayla because of her traumatic years since Zach and her broke up. Zack cannot believe that Shayla is back in his life and he will do anything that she stays in his life for good. The story was solid strong with great character, main and all the others it was great to see Redemption "family" and how they stood together. Also, the scenes between Zack and Shayla were hot. We see two different fights in the book and both were enjoyable to read.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly.

I have been a HUGE fan of the Redemption series by Sarah Castille and almost jumped for joy when I saw that we were getting Shayla/Shilla "the Killa's" story. And boy did it deliver!! OMG did I love this story!! It was tumultuous to a T with a high amount of emotional intensity but was also so hot and sexy my kindle practically set off smoke alarms. Without a doubt, Zach and Shayla's second chance romance was an AMAZING addition to the series. I could not get enough!

When Shayla was abandoned by boyfriend Zach to pursue his MMA dreams, she rose up from the ashes, picked herself up from her heartache and abandonment and turned her life around, despite tragic circumstances following Zach's departure from her life. But when Zach returns to Redemption and Shayla's life neither of them would be prepared for their feelings picking up where they left off coupled with major feelings of resentment and blame on both sides.

I absolutely loved this story and seeing the entire Redemption cast from previous stories. It was like seeing friends from the past. I loved Zach and Shayla in particular because this story highlighted the growth they both needed to make in order to be together again. They not only needed to forgive one another but themselves and I seriously was hooked on every page. This story was so sexy, emotional and absolutely amazing. I HOPE we get more from this series in the future!!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula

Seven years ago Zack left Shayla so she could follow her dreams. His plan was to return to her once he had made a name for himself and secured his and her future. However, things didn’t work out that way. Shayla was heartbroken when he left her and she moved to begin her career. A year later she was married and still trying to get over Zack and the way he had destroyed her.

After her marriage leaves her even more damaged, she sets out to build a new better Shayla. Now she’s only months away from possibly accomplishing her new dream and Zack has reentered her life. Despite his explanations, Shayla can’t seem to let the past go even while she clings to Zacks sweet kisses.

I enjoyed the fighting background this book is set against. The guys in the gym really helped to push this story along. I did have some issues however. Zack had always planned to return to Shayla but he never told her before he left what his plan was. He assumed she would go to New York and wait for him although he had given her no indication to do so. He thought their love (that he had broken to smithereens) would hold her to him. Shayla did so much pushing away it drove me crazy. One minute it was “this is just professional” and the next she was clinging to him before pulling away and telling him no. A little would have been understandable but it went on for most of the book.

I felt like this had a slower pace to it but I didn’t skim anything. The steam was sizzling and the outside relationship drama was nice because it took me away from all the pushing. The fighting was also well done and I especially enjoyed that this couple found strength to face their own weaknesses and fears and dealt with him appropriately.

Overall, if you enjoy a hero that is jealous and possessive along with the push and pull from the heroine, you’ll enjoy this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Teenage loves Zach Grayson and Shayla Tanner thought they would be together forever. Him an MMA fighter and her a famous ballerina. While they both accomplished their professional plans they didn't do it together. Zach walked away and Shayla went to NY alone. Now almost eight years later they are reunited at Redemption, a top rated MMA training facility. Can they get beyond the past to see how great their future could be?

This was a very well done book with great writing, intriguing characters and a nice pace to the story. It was nice to go back to Redemption again but you can easily read this as a standalone. I highly recommend it.

5 Stars Knockout Read

This is the second ARC by this author I have discovered c/o Netgalley- Love Sarah Castille’s work.

I was drawn to this book because boxing/ kickboxing classes are a hobby of mine as well as a ❤️ for HEA romance!
This book was amazing from the first few pages to the happy epilogue!!

Shay & Zack are amazing characters. Young lovers who tragically separated for reasons they thought best at the time- never getting over the love & feelings they have for each other. Several years later Zack a professional MMA fighter now recruiter discovers Shay training at the Redeption boxing club where he has come to recruit a young fighter ...

This book & storyline are so well written & has everything any romance lover could want .....

Very highly do I recommend this book & author !!!

5 Star Read

4.5⭐
I love a good Mama story and Strong Hold had all the ingredients. As well as being a great second chance romance, and I really enjoyed the characters, the development and the pace of the story. As well as the relationship between Shayla and Zack. Which built nicely and had a great mix of heat and warmth. Plus, they were both extremely likable and relatable, and they had a nice strength and resilience to them too. Which was so enjoyable and great to read. And is one of the many reasons why I was hooked throughout. And it's also why I would happily recommend Strong Hold to others.

Well written second chance at love story.

Sarah Castille's Strong Hold kept my attention from the very start. Shayla's empowerment from who she had been to the strong confident MMA fighter she worked to become was inspiring. The chemistry between her and Zach was amazing and I was very happy that they got their HEA.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

This second chance was everything I wanted. I love when broken love is repaired and everything is right in the world. I loved the whole »let's keep it professional« vibe they agreed upon but failed miserably at it. I loved the persistence in Zack. It was felt through every page how much he wanted Shayla back. And i loved his way of looking out for her: "I'm goind to kiss every part of your body, so when you get hit tomorrow, you'll remeber i was there first." . Oooo Zack.

I loved how she came back after being left to die, to be a professional MMA fighter. I secretly always wanted to try MMA but never really gathered the courage to do it. I think after reading this I need to find my own Redemption. I’ve got to say that I can’t believe that this is my introduction to the Redemption family. Seriously have I been living under a rock??? I need to change that ASAP!
LOVED the cover (i can't find to words to describe how much i fricking LOVE it) and the story. Can’t wait to see what happens next :)

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

Yay Shayla's book! I loved seeing MMA from a female perspective. It made me wonder if I could do it. :) I liked this one more that others in this series. The characters had some weird motivations that I wasn't really on board with but I thought their romance was believable. Castille is one of my go to authors. She writes MMA very well.

I have really enjoyed this series so it pains me to say at 66% I have no desire to finish. The story line was decent but I didn't feel it was executed well, I never felt invested. It felt extremely rushed in the beginning laying everything out and it felt like there was more telling than showing happening. I felt it continued to be overly fast paced from there. I really wanted to like Shayla and Zack, sometimes I did and sometimes I didn't, honestly I never really warmed up to them. Having read all the other books in the Redemption series, I've gotten to know the secondary characters, I have to say this time around they felt very surface to me and that fun feeling I always got from them was missing, that group dynamic and camaraderie. Maybe it's just me, timing, mood, I don't know but this isn't working for me and I really, really wanted it too. I'm sorry to say I'm going to go ahead and DNF. This one just didn't do it for me.

Zach Grayson is a recruiter for a top MMA promotion company, and is always on the prowl for the next great fighter. Shayla Tyler is an up-and-coming MMA amateur fighter, and the last person Zach expects to see when he walks into Redemption -- they had a history; he'd walked away from her 7 years earlier in order to give her the chance to live out her dream of being a prima ballerina in NYC. She'd been through a lot in the interim, including a marriage to a man who almost killed her, while he'd gone on to win 4 titles. Now, being thrown into daily contact, he sets out to make her -- and himself -- heal.

This is the 5th in the Redemption series, and all of the other fighters are back andjust as crazy as ever.

I received a ARC copy and have reviewed this on my own.

This series continues to pack the punches. Strong Hold is the fifth book in the Redemption series. They can be read as stand alones but you're going to get lots of spoilers for the other couples, so I recommend reading in order for a better experience. I love how you continue to get the entire group in each book, Redemption really is a family.
Shayla "Shilla the Killa" Tyler came to Redemption to learn to defend herself. She's been broken and put back together more than once. Now she's ready to take her fighting to the next level.
Zack Grayson is the four time championship belt winner in MMA and now he's a recruiter. After a devasting end to a fight he hasn't been back in the ring. And he gave up so much for his chance to become a star. When he walks into Redemption he didn't expect to get back the girl he let go so long ago. But he has a fight on his hands and he plans for them both to win.

Great story and so hot!!
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I have read two other books by this author so far, including book 4 in this Redemption series. I have rated both of her other books 5 stars as well. This is unique for me as I do not give 5 stars easily, and yet, it tells me something. This writer has the amazing ability to touch something deep inside.

I am not usually a fan of MMA stories, for the most part. Reading about the pain and injuries as a way to punish yourself, or hide your feelings, is hard. You have to be in a good place in your own head to dive into something like this.

But on the flip side, you also get the in-depth, deep emotional connection of the characters. In this case, both Zack and Shayla are in pain because of their past but that will not stop Zack from proving he still is there and all in for her.

Loaded with passion, intense scenes, vivid imagery, raw grit and gruesome description, this story is one that will leave a mark. Make sure you are prepared for the deep emotional connection..

Thank you netgalley! I have never read anything by Sarah Castille , I really enjoyed her book , she has a easy reading style that I enjoyed , the dynamic between characters was fantastic!

Great read I’m really looking forward to reading some of her other books

"We all have a past. It's what you do with it that determines your future."

I took a chance on this author and this series in 2014. She won me over and I've never turned back. What a journey I've taken with the Redemption team. They are a crazy bunch that keeps me laughing, but they are also strong and supportive. You can't go wrong if these guys and girls have your back, but that doesn't mean it won't hurt. They take 'tough love' to a whole new level sometimes, but it's always entertaining. I guarantee that if there was a local facility nearby I probably wouldn't survive these classes, but I'd sure enjoy observing #getFITorDIE #PUNCHorPERISH and #DISCIPLINEwithDICK.

While some of the stories in this series are more lighthearted, where I've actually spent a good portion laughing out loud, that's not the case with Strong Hold. This one went deeper, pulling my heartstrings and touching my emotions. This second-chance-romance took me back to a time when a young boy and girl were each other's everything. And then he walked away from their love and broke both of their hearts...

I'm a sucker for broken characters and the author gave me a double dose in this story. As she put me inside their heads and hearts I became so invested in their relationship, or lack thereof, that I'm sure if they could actually hear me they would tell me to shut up. But truthfully, they didn't need my advice, they handled things just fine all on their own. I'm just impatient and wanted to turn the pages faster than I could read, anxious for all their broken pieces to be put back together because I was hurting with them. "—But sometimes you need to get hurt so you can learn to see the danger ahead of you. You need to fall so you can learn how to get up again." The author did such a good job of telling their story that I felt their pain.

But I also felt the fun and family that's always present with the Redemption members. They have lots of rules and some silly names, but they are amazing people that I enjoy spending time with. I'm really looking forward to meeting the woman that finally captures the doctor, she'll have to be something special to convince him to change his manwhore ways. The line forms here...

3.5 stars. I have read all the other titles in this series and enjoyed this one. It was good but there is something missing that I couldn't put my finger on. But it is a quick and fun read.

Firstly, a big thank you to Netgalley and Sarah Castillo for my advanced copy for which I leave my honest review:) Sarah Castille is one of my go to authors as her books pack a powerful punch (yes, yes, MMA pun intended)! Shayla is the one character I have had a love hate relationship with since this series started and she found herself amongst our Redemption family, but purely for the reason that no one knew much about her and even though she fought well, she was a loner which ultimately made me sad - yes I’m much too attached to my characters when I read:) But finally her story is here, together with the man who broke her heart years ago, but he’s also a man willing to fight for her now and show her that they are both worthy of a great romance and life together!

I usually like to give more of a breakdown of the story but reading this story will pack more of an uppercut to the chin without any reveals! I would definitely recommend reading the previous books in this series as all characters are repeated throughout each and because they are kick@ss books:) Happy reading but sad to see this series end. I will always remember these characters and their stories fondly!

I’ve only read the first book in this series when it first came out. I have the second in my tbr pile. This one is #5 and it was pretty good. I enjoyed all the details with the fighting. It definitely makes me want to read the other 3. I didn’t have a hard time following along with the other fighters. Zack and Shayla were pretty hot together. They were making up for lost time in the bedroom, multiple times, and twice on Sunday. Heh, just kidding. I think they only made it to the bedroom once. Overall, I really enjoyed this one.