When your whole life has been dominated by boxing, the last thing you want is to fall for someone whose career revolves around it. But when her father, retired boxing champ Graham Slade asks his daughter to accompany him on a trip to Vegas as a personal trainer to the new up and coming boxer, Brick, Isla can't refuse. While there, she finds herself conflicted about the new boxer whose barbarian onstage persona doesn't add up with the sensitive linguist she gets to know in the gym.

Brick, AKA Eric, is in boxing to support his family. While he'd rather be studying Latin, he deals with the lifestyle in the ring to make sure he can take care of his mother, sister, niece, and nephew at home. Even if he can't stand pretending to be some meathead for the camera. When he falls for Isla, he doesn't have time for any distractions. Especially distractions that clearly state in their online dating profile they hate boxing.

Things heat up as the two find themselves drawn towards each other's kind natures and intellectual interests.

The Knockout Rule pushes the envelope on something I thought would be cheesy in a romance novel, but surprisingly enjoyed more than I thought I would: poetry. Isla is a huge fan and poetry works its way into the plot in many creative and interesting ways. I loved Isla's journey dealing with anxiety and PTSD within the book for the reality it portrayed surrounding childhood trauma. Eric was also a great character for his interesting academic pursuits and overall kindness as a friend to others within the novel.

The tension between the characters in this book was really well written, and I enjoyed the emphasis on their banter. I would definitely recommend this for a slow-burn that pays off in the end. Isla and Eric have lots of angst, but they're also tremendously loyal and fun friends. The novel set up their relationship in a lovely way that definitely pulls at the heartstrings. I'm going to read this again, I can tell already.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Knockout Rule is a sweet slow-burn romance. The chemistry between Isla and Eric is just off the charts. I just love their connection. Well, I was not the hug fan of the poems. They were okay, but not something that is so good that I would devoted my life to it.... Maybe, I just do not get it.
What I love about this book is how real it felt. Their talks , their break, their make up, it just felt right and real.
This is also about family and the love between siblings.
This also deals with loss, panic attacks, parkinson disease, and how to over come everything.

It was a sweet read, this for me is nearly 4 stars read (3.8). It just gave me feels.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝🥊

✨ 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤.. I seriously loved all of them. They were so well developed filled with the perfect amount of quirkiness!

✨ ℂ𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕪 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒 & 𝔼𝕣𝕚𝕔. The connection and passion... 🔥WOW.

✨ 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕖𝕞𝕤. As a reader, I felt like these pulled me deeper into Isla’s story and brought a stronger connection.

The Knockout Rule was a beautifully written slow-burn romance that was fun, heartwarming, and sexy read. It was the perfect happily-ever-after that everyone dreams of. I didn’t want this book to end!

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars.

If you are familiar with Kelly Siskind, this is book #4 of The Showmen Series. This was the first book that I have ever read by Kelly Siskind, & it was a 😉🥊 ⓚⓝⓞⓒⓚⓞⓤⓣ! I’m super excited to look into the rest of The Showmen Series 😍

❤️ Thank you to netgalley & XpressoBookTours for this e-copy ARC of The Knockout Rule by Kelly Siskind in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first read by Kelly Siskind and I loved it. It might be my favorite read in quite a while. I forgot I requested this ARC so when I got the notification I got approved I didn't know what this book was about and I went into it blind. And it was amazing. I loved the writing, the plot (no stupid misunderstandings to push the story forward) and most of all I loved the characters. Isla and Eric were a joy to read about. They were not perfect, they were flawed and they each had their personal problems to deal with. I loved that they were mature, they talked to eachother and didn't jump to stupid conclusions. I liked the heroine, Isla, but what really made this book an amazing for me was the hero, Eric. I really, really loved him. He's a breath of fresh air in the flood of aplha jerks authors try to convince us are romance heroes these days. He wasn't perfect and he definitely didn't have if figured out, but this flawed hero just did it for me. I fell IN LOVE with him. Isla was a great character too. I loved them as a couple.
But mostly my favourite part of this story was how realistic it was, their intentions with each other were believable, their connection and their flaws were so real and understandable that you can’t help feeling for them. Even their "fight", which broke my heart, was realistic and you could see both sides.
Can I say it again? This book was really, really good! I loved reading it and I can't remember when was the last time I stayed up all night reading but I did for this book. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Ms. Siskind, especilly the previous books in the Showmen series.

This was soooo cute 😍 I've been in a bad reading slump, but I finished this book in no time! It might have pulled me out of this weird slump 🥳

Writing style: This was my first book by Siskind and I really liked her writing so I'll probably be checking out her other books too. The many poetry pieces throughout the book were not my cup of tea, but it did make the book different than any other romance novel.

Characters: There were so many sides to Isla and Eric and I wanted to see all of them. Romance novel characters aren't usually very three dimensional, but Isla and Eric hit it out of the park. They were amaaaazing. And their chemistry was A+ 😌

Story: This book was all about struggling with your sense of self, ones struggles with physical and/or mental health and that made this story very powerful. It wasn't just about two people finding each other, but they found themselves by meeting each other.

The book didn't blow my mind, but it was super cute and had a great message about health struggles. The poetry annoyed me a tad too much. I'm giving this book three stars.

This had a nice set-up of a physical therapist who was traumatized by being the daughter of a heavyweight champion boxer and having to watch her beloved father suffer so many hits to the head in his career. She doesn’t want anything to do with the world of boxing so, of course, she falls for the boxer, Eric, that her father is now training. Eric is a great guy who is just in boxing to earn enough money to take care of his family. Secretly, he would prefer to study languages and become a translator. The expected complications ensue. What makes the novel is that Eric is such a great character whom you will really be pulling for.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I love a story where the main character has unexpected layers and that is what I got in this book from both main characters. Isla has a difficult past with boxing and Eric is a boxer who would rather be sitting in a classroom than in the ring. This combination of characters made the story interesting and unique when compared to characters in other romance novels I’ve read.

“I don’t know if I can survive you”
Isla hates boxers, after spending her childhood watching her father allow his body to be abused in his successful boxing career and she bears scars different from his but no less real from the experience. She has worked hard to ensure that she never has to watch another person she loves take a hit in the ring. She’s trying to make sure her heart isn’t the one taking the beating
Eric is not only focusing on fighting in his heavyweight match but also fighting his feelings for a woman who seems perfect for him except ... she hates boxers and that’s all Eric afford to be.

Loved it! Such an amazing slow-burn romance that was so easy to read. With loveable characters, a great plot and throw in some real life issues (anxiety, family responsibilities, financial stress) that were all written well, and I could not stop turning the pages with this one! Surprised how fast I read this one and how much I enjoyed it! Thanks so much!

I loved it! Isla and Eric and romcom gold. I love how they both can be smart asses to each other and both can take it. And the fact Isla has anxiety and panic attacks and to me was a good representation. And started working on in and started going to therapy in the book was great. We need more of that. And how Eric didn’t want to change for someone else but him self and all he needed was a little push was great. A 5star read. Loved it.

Slow to start but a gem by the end.

The Knockout Rule is a sweet novel about romance after trauma. It handles delicate topics with empathy and grace.

The Knockout Rule has me excited for Kelly Siskind's future work.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This was an amazing book. It was wonderfully written. There was a lot on Vegas, boxing, and a whole bunch more that showed that the author paid attention to the smallest of details. The characters were a lot of fun to read about. I loved the emotion. There was so much of it. I liked that the author talked about more about the mental issues that people faced than just discarding it. I loved the idea of languages and poetry. It was a beautifully written novel.

The story follows Eric and Isla. Isla has watched her deteriorate because of boxing. Her mother left her and her father when she went to college but even before, she wasn’t present much. That has really affected Isla. Boxing hurts her. Now she learns that her father has Parkinson’s. He’s too stubborn to ask for help or tell the public though. He asks her to accompany him on a trip to Las Vegas because he has to train a boxer and needs an alibi if he is feeling unwell. He also tells her that she will be the boxer’s physiotherapist. She doesn’t know if she will be able to cope with the mental issues that come along with being with a boxer. She goes through. There she meets Eric aka Brick Smash. She’s convinced he is a dumb high school dropout who will only act like a neanderthal. She treats him badly and he takes offence. Afterwards, she learns that he is multi-linguist and is extremely smart. They start over as friends slowly growing to be more. But Isla can’t fall in love with a boxer. That’s her main rule.

I wrote this voluntary review in exchange for a review copy.

I absolutely loved this book. For me it’s a very relatable topic as I work as a kinesiologist and have a huge passion for sports, having been a martial artist for 9 years. I really loved the story line, the characters and the accurate portrayal of mental health issues. This is a very cutesy love story complete with beautiful poems and fun flirty banter between the characters but it’s the way they support each other through anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD and therapy that really brings the plot together for me. It’s a true page Turner, having completed it in a day. I would recommend this book over and over

I really enjoyed Siskind's "The Knockout Rule." While I have not read the other books in the series, this was a quick read and very enjoyable. Towards the middle of the book, I was searching Google to see if Ramona Estle was a real poet and where I could find her work. The poems spoke to me - and I am not big on poetry! While this was a great read, I do think there were certainly points where the storyline was a bit rushed - and other times a bit slow - but, there was great character development throughout and I was very interested in finding what happened during the final match. I would have liked to see a bit more conflict among Eric and Isla, simply for the fact of providing more development. The book left me asking questions, which I find to be a great sign as it shows the characters were relatable at least to some degree. What happens to them at the end of the story? What did the future hold for Eric? Did he also fight health issues after his career? I strongly recommend this as a good, light, easy, enjoyable read.

Rating: 3.5/5

I can't resist requesting a book whose synopsis makes me feel so giddy!!

The Knockout Rule was such a fun read! I giggled and teared up and it was wonderful! I loved the dynamics between the two main characters, and I felt like they were both well developed and that they grew throughout the story! I also enjoyed the fact that many big issues didn't deal with the romance, such as the heroine Isla having panic attacks and going to therapy, Isla's father having Parkinson's, the hero coming from an immigrant family and trying to make ends meet, it was all so wonderfully done and I enjoyed these aspects, although I am not an ownvoices reviewer for any of the previously mentioned stuff.

My main issue with this book is the pacing. I felt like things would happen too fast or too slow, and sometimes there would be time jumps that weren't really explained till later in the chapter, which always threw me off. But all in all, I had a fun time reading this book and would definitely recommend it!

Kelly Siskind takes the subject of anxiety and panic attacks, and treats it with care through Isla. I loved that Siskind accurately portrays what it’s like to live with anxiety and panic attacks. While the heart of this story is about Isla and Eric “Brick”, what stuck with me most were the excerpts with poetry. It was beautiful and thought provoking. The Knockout Rule is part of a series, but this can be read as a stand-alone without any confusion. You’ll fall in love with the characters of Isla, Whit, Eric, Heather, and Graham.

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⁣ ⁣
⁣
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Kelly Siskind ⁣
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Knockout Rule⁣
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⁣3 ⭐️ ⁣
⁣⁣
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬: ⁣⁣
•I was invested in the story right from the start. A majority of the book had great pacing that kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading. ⁣
•I thought the banter, the silly jokes, and all of the poems that were exchanged was a really great touch and constantly had me smiling or laughing.⁣
•Their relationship was really sweet since they started out as friends and then it progressed into more. ⁣
⁣⁣
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬: ⁣⁣
•While I love when people are attracted to each other almost immediately, this gave me insta love vibes and I just didn’t connect with it very well. ⁣
•I did NOT like the way the smut was written. Again, super unrealistic and I didn’t enjoy it. I almost found myself wanting to skim it because I disliked it so much. 😂 ⁣
⁣
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ⁣⁣
I just wasn’t blown away by this. The pros don’t outweighs the cons and the cons don’t outweigh the pros. I really expected to like it more than I did so I was just a little disappointed. I I am definitely in the minority though because I’ve been seeing a lot of really positive reviews on this one. ⁣
⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

If you saw me crying two chapters into this book, look away. This is by far my favorite book out of the Showmen series. We follow Isla Slade who is the daughter of a boxing legend. Growing up with boxing as the main focal point in her childhood, has caused Isla to have a bad taste for the sport. Leading into her adult life she tries to stray away from everything boxing. Until her dad asks for her help on his upcoming coaching job. Circumstances arise where Isla can’t say no, and she is thrown back into the world of boxing.

The chemistry between our two main leads is so fresh. I adore that they have the same interest and tend to balance the other out. I love the journey the took to get to where they are at. **spoiler** My only issue is that the “I love you”s come so fast. I wish we could have breathed in the relationship a bit more, and saved the big reveal for the end.

This book touches on a lot of topics from mental health, struggling immigrant families, and concurring your fears. I think this book, as well as the other books in the Showmen series, hit it out of the park. Kelly Siskind does it again, 10/10!

****Arc was provided in exchange for an honest review******The Knockout Rule was just that, a knockout! Following Eric and Isla's story was fun but did seem a little rushed in the short time they spent together in Vegas. I really enjoyed the layers to the characters especially Eric, who had his boxing and family personas (who doesn't love a man thats good with kids I ask you). The ending was predictable, but with romance novels that is often the case and I am always glad to see a happy ending, but if that is not your thing, you have been warned. I would have liked to hear a little more about Isla's business and found myself very invested in her boss lady success. My favorite part of the book was the addition of poetry throughout to help tell Isla and Erics story was my favorite part and I would get excited whenever I saw those short lines coming on the page.

Growing up with an adoring father for a boxing legend isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It looks more like hospital visits, bloody noses, and cracked ribs.
Isla Slade now works as a physiotherapist, helping athletes heal their bodies. Except for boxers.

This book was a cute one. It is kinda a slow burn.
But quickly picked up as I kept reading.
The characters were amazing. I loved them all.
You couldn't help but feel to be right there with them.
Overall quick cute. Good read.

Isla Slade was raised by her father, a heavyweight boxing champion, after her mother left them. Knowing that every fight could lead to her losing her only parent caused her to have severe panic attacks. She is determined never to live that fear again so when she starts her own therapy studio, she accepts all athletes except boxers. But when her dad asks a favor to be a therapist for his boxing client Brick Smash, she feels she can't refuse. At first believing his public image of a dumb jock, she soon learns he's anything but. He only began boxing to earn enough money to support his mother and sister. As they spend more time together Isla realizes that Brick aka Erik is everything she wants. But how can they be together when the thought of him getting hurt in the ring causes her panic attacks to return?
I love Erik's intelligent and sensitive character behind the dumb jock exterior. The chemistry between him and Isla really worked.
Thank you to Kelly Siskind and CD books for the opportunity to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.