Another winner for Lori Foster! (Apologies for the long delay in reading...I'm finally being able to catch up on all my old ARCs!) Really enjoyed this one as well. I do recommend reading the other books in the series, although you don't HAVE to for it to make sense. Hot, steamy, and a curvy heroine! Loved it.

I'm not sure why but I just could not get into this book. I wasn't too crazy about the characters and the story just didn't draw me in.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

There is nothing better than finding a series you love...except when you find that series on Netgalley and get too eager and request the entire series and forget about the books. Total fail on my part! I discovered this series by Lori Foster when it first came out because she had introduced one of the characters in her previous series and I was so happy to see we would be seeing more of him. I read that first book, No Limits, when it first came out and then immediately requested the rest of the books and we all know that saying - too many books, too little time. Well, now's as good a time as any to clear up my Netgalley backlog!

It was so fun to catch up with the guys in this series. And even though it's been a while since I've read the previous book, as soon as I got back into the pages, it all came back to me...and I remembered how much I enjoy Lori Foster's writing. She writes great characters and her romances are just the right amount of sweetness and steam. Right off the bat you know Denver and Cherry are going to end up together, but it's the journey that they take to get to their happily-ever-after that I'm more interested in and believe me, they have quite a bumpy ride.

I loved that we get to see all the other guys that were introduced in the first book - Cannon, Stack, Armie - and I am so hopeful that Armie's story will be next. He really is my favorite! But either way, I know that I am going to enjoy it. I love the friendship and loyalty that Lori Foster has created among the fighters and their loved ones...it feels authentic and real. And I love that even though this series is about MMA fighting, it's not really about the fighting so much as about the fighters themselves.

I like that this book is more than just a romance story. There is substance to it and that is why I still turn to these books every now and again. I liked that both Cherry and Denver had demons from their past that they needed to face and that they both needed help in doing so. It just goes to show that even the tough guys need a little help once in a while!

I am looking forward to catching up on this series...and maybe getting my Netgalley queue cleaned up in the process!

I absolutely LOVE Lori Foster's books! the writing and characters are always exceptional! and Holding Strong is no exception! and I'm so happy that Denver and Cherry got together. and of course, it gives up that sneak peek into another fighters relationships or non-relationships in the case of Armie!

Denver Lewis is one of the most endearing fighters in this series, as he is alpha and possessive, without being a total jerk, and that just goes to show Lori Foster's talent in writing these very dynamic Alpha men books. I'm very excited for the next book in the series.

This falls into the okay category for me. I liked Denver a lot, so protective and sweet. I did like Cherry but I never totally warmed up to her. I just didn't get her and a lot of times I just found her plain annoying.. Their relationship was off for me, I just never believed it. I enjoyed the overall storyline but it was really slow in places. I loved the multiple povs and liked the interactions with the guys. There's a nice amount of drama mixed in that kept things moving along. Overall I enjoyed it I just didn't love it. I considered DNF'ing several times but in the end, I wanted to know what happened. Maybe this one was a matter of timing and that's why I didn't connect. It comes down to "it's not you it's me."

I didn’t write a review after I finished reading this book. I do recall being really annoyed with Cherry as I’m not a fan of playing games when you’re interested in someone so I understood Denver’s reluctance. She redeemed herself and they were perfect for one another. I love the Ultimate Series and all the fighters.

I have always heard that once I read a Lori Foster book I would be hooked, well I have to say that I will agree with that now. The way she writes her men to be the strong, MMA fighters has a way of bringing a great story. The characters are strong and well written but I will have to say that there were some parts of this book that sort of drug along for me. I could have gone without some of the supporting detail and just had the main story.

This story is about Denver and Cherry and how they find their way to each other. Cherry is a fun loving girl with lots of humor that likes to hang out with her friends and have fun. When Denver is around he mistakes Cherry's way of having fun as flirting with other guys instead of them just being friends. Once Denver is around Cherry more and figures out that is just the way Cherry is, he begins to feel more comfortable about making a move on her.

I do have to say that I was not too happy with how easily Cherry was willing to go with Denver back to his place in the beginning. I wish she would have waited a little while longer to give herself up to him. Overall though this was a good read and kept you attention with the way that the sparks between these two flew off the pages. I am sure that we will get more great stories from Lori Foster like this one in the Ultimate Series.