Gina L Maxwell always has me obsessed with her books, and this one is no different. I need more!! Not sure why I stopped reading her books but I’m about to devour everything I missed.

I have loved Gina L. Maxwell’s Fighting for Love series from the start and I am sad to see it go, but it is going out on a high note with Sweet Victory. I loved this marriage of convenience story quite a bit, but what I loved more was how the hero sort of overwhelmed the heroine at every turn; he swooped in at the right moment to make things right for her time and time again and while they were both slow to admit their feelings, as a reader it was easy to see just how much they’d grown to rely on one another and watch the love blossom with each day. This was a seriously swoon worthy romance with both the hero and heroine making some grand gestures along the way.

Xander James wants nothing more than to make a comeback and earn his spot back in the UFC and he is training like a madman to do just that. (By the way Xander is British and in my brain he totally looks and sounds like Gerard Butler and even though Gerard is Scottish, it’s my fantasy and I’m going with it.) So when the landlord for the gym he co-owns with his friends Irish and Jax informs him he plans to sell the entire building including the bakery owned by the landlord’s niece and the woman Xander has been lusting after, he knows he must to something about it and given the stipulations of the trust, he knows just what that is and he only hopes that Sophie will be on board.

I appreciated the fact that Xander and Sophie made a decision to get married to save their businesses and while I understand why Sophie never made a move on Xander, I couldn’t figure out why he never made a move on her considering he was lusting after her. Moving in together when they were both attracted to one another was a recipe for trouble, and while there were a few issues with Xander being kind of a neat freak and Sophie not, for the most part they got along great. There was some heavy duty flirting and sexual innuendo and eventually that turned into more and believe me together these two burned up the sheets, but what I enjoyed the most was the way they enjoyed one another’s company, the way they looked forward to seeing one another, the unique way Sophie loved to greet Xan when he came home, and the sweet times they spent visiting her grandmother. Those were the times that made me realize that despite the “deadline” on their marriage, there was way more going on between them than a marriage of convenience.

I enjoyed seeing the couples from the previous books and Ms. Maxwell treated us to a nice epilogue to tied up the series, but most of all I enjoyed watching this couple fall in love despite the way they wound up together. Completely entertaining, expertly written, with lots of fun and love Sweet Victory was a joy to read and an excellent way to end this series.

I absolutely LOVE Gina Maxwell's books and cant get enough of the fiery chemistry between the hero and the heroine and the sassy banter. This was fantastic!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review!

I love Gina L Maxwells' books. I am a fan of this series (not even knowing at the time it was a series). She made me love all of her MMA fighters.

Sophie Caldwell needs help to save her home/ family business. Her uncle is in charger of her trust fund/home because of a loop hole. Now he wants to sell the entire street to a developer. She would loose everything.
British-born MMA fighter Xander James has a gym on that street and knows of Sophie's predicament. If she is married and stays married for 6 months she can get her trust and keep her place. There is one one thing to do! Convince Sophie to marry him to help each other out!

What starts of as business leads to a lot more in the fantastic read! I loved every second of it. I fell in love with both Sophie and Xander. I loved his British slang and his attitude. It was a great read for me !

Such a perfect end to one of my favorite series. Xander and Sophie are amazing, and that epilogue...
Sorry to see it over, but couldn't love these books any more than I do!

A fun, teasing, quick read. Gotta love a British hero like Xander, of course, but I also loved Sophie and her unique style -- tattoos and piercings and green hair and pinup style? Yes, please, I want more heroines like this! Plus I have a weakness for baker heroines; I've always wanted to work in a bakery. This one hit all the right spots for me, and was just what I needed. It's a classic category trope of the fake marriage of convenience -- in this case so Sophie can have access to her trust fund and actual ownership of her business -- which obviously turns into more after the six months are over.


There's quite a bit of sexy teasing between these two, which I adored, but not as much actual on page follow-through, if you will, as I had hoped. What was there was good, but I guess I was hoping for a bit more heat. Still, it's not so much a complaint as an observation. I quite enjoyed these two together, in and out of the bedroom.


My one gripe is the lack of communication, which then leads to her running off for a week or so, assuming the worst of him without actually talking to him. And I'm so over heroines who are confident in themselves and with the hero/relationship until suddenly a random jealous chick decides to start saying shit to her -- why would you believe someone you don't know, someone you've never seen your man with/heard him talk about/etc.? She's literally a stranger but you're going to take her jealous words over the man you've been living with -- without even asking him? I just had to roll my eyes at that and I wanted so much to slap Sophie to bring her back around quicker. I also felt like the wrapping up of the giant conflict -- the uncle trying to sell the entire block's property -- was swept under the rug the moment they married, and only briefly mentioned towards the end of their 6-month time frame before again being swept aside and magically fixed. Little things that could have made this one a bit more fleshed out for me. As it is, I still very much enjoyed Sweet Victory, and really need to finally read books 2 & 3; not sure how I missed them, but I'll be fixing that as soon as I can.

Holy smokin’ cake balls, Batman! I think Ms. Maxwell must have a fire department on speed dial because her books are just too freaking hot! Let me say this right out, Sweet Victory is a fantastic book. It has romance, a little intrigue and lots and lots of scorching hot sextivities.

I loved Sophie. A tattooed, pierced, green-haired pin-up-styled sexy baker. Sassy and fun, she was also incredibly sweet and dedicated to running her grandmother’s bakery the way they had always talked about it. After some hardships in her life, she used her clothes, make-up and tough attitude to hide her tender heart.

Xander… I’m not sure I can do justice to his epicness with my words. So I’ll just leave this quote here:

“He was funny and animated and charming… She sighed inwardly… and thoughtful and a great cook and sweet and ripped and sex on a stick…”
But I’ll try my own anyway. A British MMA fighter trying to get back into the pro circuit after an injury, he had that shite hot accent that made every female in his presence regardless of age, religion or species brain’s short-circuit. We’re talking a massively muscled, tattooed, charming, witty, very bossy alpha male fighter here. I was in heaven.

Now, on top of all Xander’s awesomeness, we have to add sweet and considerate, because when he learned of Sophie’s difficulties at her uncle’s hand, he jumps to the rescue almost selflessly. I mean, he does offer to marry her, but it’s not like he doesn’t get something out of living with the sexy baker that has been invading his every thought.

Everything in Sweet Victory worked for me. The side characters, Sophie’s Grandma and their relationship, Xander and Sophie both. I adored them separately and together they were fabulous. I just freaking loved this book. And it’s the last in the series. WHY? WHY??!! (Devastated crying going on here) I guess I’ll just have to make due with re-reads while Ms. Maxwell comes up with some other series I’ll love.

Rating: 4.5

As far as category romances goes, Sweet Victory is on par with most of the books from Brazen. It's hot and steamy with great banter to boot. I have to admit though that I almost DNF'd this one.

The reason? It's so shallow really but I am so over heroines with green, pink or whatever color hair. Like I said, shallow. But after reading so many blonde goddesses with pink, green, purple, rainbow tipped hair I'm just over it.

I know, I know. I'm being a picky bitch again. Fortunately, I did end up enjoying Xander and Sophie. Gina Maxwell just knows how to write a perfect blend of steam and heartfelt romance. I enjoyed their chemistry and the way their romance developed felt natural. The conflict wasn't bad either. Plus Xander is uber hot. And the sexy times are...wowza! So hot.

Short and sexy. That's Sweet Victory. If you're in the mood for those then this book is for you.

***ARC provided via Netgalley

It's hard to believe that it's been four years since I first read the book that began my love affair with all things Gina L Maxwell, Seducing Cinderella. This book was slightly bittersweet for me to read since it concludes what's been one of my favorite series. But damn, Gina, way to go out with a bang!

So Xander James...

YUM!!

Yeah. What's better than a ripped MMA fighter? Give him a British accent. I mean....*drools*. I know, I know, I'm easy. But I can't help myself. I loved the man.

Xander is training for his comeback fight. He's supposed to be focused on nothing but that, but the green haired pinup beauty and owner of the cupcake bakery nextdoor to his gym proves to be a distraction he can't resist. When he sees an opportunity to save her bakery and his gym from a sale planned by her greedy uncle, he takes it. The terms? A marriage.

Now, I'm a sucker for the fake marriage trope, and this story fully delivered on that end. Sophie was a sassy, tatted and pierced ball of awesome. She's had her heart broken by every man she's ever trusted and it's hard to believe what the sexy MMA fighter is offering her. It's even harder when the lines blur and the sexual chemistry between them proves to be too much to resist.

She was a visual addiction that only got stronger with each passing day.

I LOVED the banter between these two. LOVED IT.

Jesus Christ, Xander. I don’t know whether I should try to have sex with that thing—and I emphasize try—or use it to roll out dough.
What the hell am I supposed to do with that weapon of mass vagina destruction?”
“Now you’re just trying to play to my ego,” he said with a wicked grin...

The chemistry between them was through the roof. I loved the slow build and the high sizzle.

I also loved seeing all my favorites from the past books make a cameo.

Sweet Victory was a deliciously satisfying conclusion to one of my favorite series. It was sexy and sweet. It was entertaining and scorching hot. It was everything I've come to expect from this author and exactly what made me a fan of hers to begin with.

3.75 stars--SWEET VICTORY is the fourth installment in Gina L Maxwell’s contemporary, adult FIGHTING FOR LOVE erotic, romance series focusing on the men of the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and the women they love. This is British-born MMA fighter and gym owner Xander James, and bakery owner Sophie Caldwell’s story line. SWEET VICTORY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Xander and Sophie) SWEET VICTORY follows the building relationship and marriage of convenience between MMA fighter Alexander ‘Xander’ James, and baker Sophie Caldwell. When Sophie’s uncle, a real estate developer makes plans to tear down and rebuild the city block upon which Sophie’s bakery sits, our heroine realizes that her life long dream is about to implode. Taking over her grandmother’s bakery has always been her desire but she doesn’t gain total control until she turns thirty or marries in the meantime. Enter MMA fighter Xander James whose own business is threatened by the real estate mogul, and the man who offers Sophie a deal of a lifetime. What ensues is the marriage of convenience between Sophie and Xander, and the growing love between two people who have 180 days to make things work.

The relationship between Xander and Sophie is of mutual benefit between acquaintances who have lusted after one another for a number of years. Sophie’s uncle suspects their marriage is nothing more than a business arrangement and is bent on destroying his niece in the process. Xander is a former MMA fighter who is resolved to make a come back following a career ending injury; Sophie is a woman determined to protect the business her grandmother had always loved. The $ex scenes are intimate, seductive and compelling without the use of over the top graphic, sexual text and language.

We are introduced to Sophie’s grandmother, her uncle Richard Caldwell, and her co-worker Kristin, as well as the cameo appearances of several of the MMA fighters previously introduced in Gina’s FIGHTING FOR LOVE series.

The world building continues to look at the MMA fighters and their struggle to win. Sophie and Xander are determined to protect their businesses any way they can, and a marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution-as long as no one falls in love.

SWEET VICTORY is a sweet, sexy and spicy story line where family is everything including the family of your heart. The premise is heartwarming; the romance is intoxicating and fated; the characters are passionate and fun. SWEET VICTORY’s release comes a number of years after the last installment so if you are a fan of Gina’s Fighting For Love series, you may have to do a re-read to catch up on your favorite MMA fighters.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.


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I love this series and I'm so glad we got this book. I so enjoyed this one. It's a book that was hard to put down. It had two of my favorite things MMA fighter and bakery owner. I just adored Xander. He has true character that runs deep. Plus add in his yummy British accent. Then add in what he does for Sophie and the way he treats her, swoon! What starts out as pretend takes on a whole new meaning when the attraction between these two ignites. Their relationship has a time frame, but what happens when they want to extend it to forever? It's not all smooth sailing for these two, but you root for them the whole way because the connection they create can't be broken. Fans of this series will absolutely love the epilogue. One of my favorite parts.

I love Gina's books with Entangled Publising! And there is nothing sexier than a MMA fighter with a british accent! Xander owns a MMA gym and has no desire to move it when he is told his building will be torn down. He learns that the developer's niece is in a similar situation. Sophie is running a bakery out of her grandma's home, the one place Sophie refuses to give up. Her uncle wants to tear it down and put up a new development. The only way Sophie can keep it is to marry and she isn't dating anyone...till Xander makes a ridiculous offer...typical story but such a good read!

"Sweet Victory" is a great conclusion to the Fighting for Love Series.
Steamy in all the right places, with an Alpha who doesn't seem like he'd be a bit of a jerk in real life - IYKWIM!!!
Gina L. Maxwell has been on my 'tried and true' list for years - Sweet Victory is yet another fine example of her work.

Seems like I have been waiting FOREVER for Xander's story! So happy to see him again and Gina does not disappoint with this one. Holy hotness! MMA fighter, great sense of humor and so very alpha male. Ummm, yeah, did I mention he has a British accent. Xander is the last of his MMA friends to find his true love. This is the 4th book in the Fighting for Love series.

Sophie Caldwell is in a bit of a pickle when her uncle wants to sell off her livelihood. Never did she guess that her too s3xy for words flirt buddy would want to help her out. There is no denying the chemistry between these two. Sophie and Xander launch into their agreement never promising anything more than friendship. I loved how their slow build up finally ends in some explosions. But more than that, is the aha moment when they both realize the friendship has morphed into something more.

So great to see all our favorite characters back in this book. Loved seeing the guys all support each other and try to figure out their women. Sophie made a great addition to the "family".

*Complimentary copy provided for an honest review.

First read by Gina Maxwell,but certainly not the last!
Reading Sweet Victory was a really enjoyable book journey, Xander & Sophie - so different, but perfect for each other! :)
And now I want to read the previous books from this series, and I will :D :)
Gina Maxwell has a great writing style, and Sweet Victory is really wonderful sexy romance! :)

Needed hot and heavy romance with a solid story so opened up this one to get it filled. Sophie has her hands full and when this type of story line enters in, I have to see how it will be handled. She will demonstrate right away spunk which she will need with Xander who has a idea how to help which will begin to pick my interest right away. This author will entertain us right away with these two plus give us smoldering heat as a treat. Gotta love a glistening fighter on any given day. The banter also crackled and popped . This author gives you characters that fill the ticket in stories. By the time I reach the conclusion I have gotten more than my fulfillment to the extreme.

I can only say I absolutely loved this book. The way it was written, the plot and the characters were all cohesive and made the reading so much enjoyment. This is book 4 of the Fighting for Love series and yet it stood very well on its own. If you hadn't read any of the others this one will connect you with some of the previous characters and make you want to read the other books. Xander is a womans dream man. Strong, caring, mega hot, has an accent! Sophie is a prickly pear of a woman that he is dertermined to capture. The plot is intriguing, full of lust, emotional and will cause you to fall in love with this man. I loved the progression of the story. It wasn't too fast and it was always interesting. This is one book I am happy to recommend!

This is Xander and Sophie’s story. Sophie is determined to carry on her grandmother's legacy and in order to carry on said legacy, she needs to marry or her uncle will pull the rug out from under her and take the family bakery away from her. This is one she and her grandmother did together, ran together until she got very sick and now her uncle is trying to be a miser and steal the business away from her. But what her uncle may not know may be her saving grace to stop him from stealing out from under her the business-- Taking over the bakery came with a very important stipulation, her grandmother insisted in order for her to maintain ownership she must be married by the age of thirty. If she cant find a husband, then she is doomed and she loses her bakery, the one thing that has given her peace and joy in her life where everything of late has gone wrong.
Xander James comes ready to help so he jumped in and tried to save the day-- a marriage proposal and a partnership which will give them both what they want. Sophie isn’t sure because Xander has a rep for being a womanizer but he is an awesome MMA fighter. What’s a girl to do? She ends up putting her faith in Xander. What they thought was just a business deal ends up being more than either expected or wanted.
I did like the pacing of this story and the contemporary feel of a modern forced marriage deal. It was flavored with the angst of how both MC felt –doing it for the good yet not sure why when they sort of felt trapped. What I didn’t like knowing was that Xander was still sleeping around on Sophie during the beginning of their marriage. Yes, it was a marriage of convenience but still, there was a chemistry between them and I didn’t get the feeling he was going to be faithful. This is only my opinion but I felt like this detracted from a little of the story. The overall tones and the emotions more than eased on the way and the ending was sweet. Xander and Sophie definitely belonged together.

My rating: 4.5 stars ****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

Confident but distrustful Sophie Caldwell needs help if she’s going to save her family business. Her grandma left one rule for Sophie to maintain ownership from her uncle before she’s thirty: get married. But how does she get her uncle off her ass when she's only twenty-seven and hasn’t had a boyfriend in years?

Lean, cut, British-born MMA fighter Xander James has never lost a fight, and he’s not about to start now. On the brink of a comeback to be a UFC champion, his landlord wants to take away his last chance by shutting down his gym. No. Hell no. Fortunately, his landlord’s niece has a problem of her own. Time for a proposal she can’t refuse.

The last book I read by Gina I thought was a little spicy...Well so was this one but it worked!! I loved it. I really liked the characters and I loved the hero. I enjoyed the romance part and it had some funniness to it. I think that if you like MMA then you need to pick this book up because it's HOT!! I would definitely recommend it to my boss who is a die-hard MMA fan!! Well done Gina Maxwell on this one!!

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

This victory is sweet and oh-so-spicy! (5 stars)

From the moment I cracked open the first book in the Fighting for Love series I've been a fan of Gina L. Maxwell. There is a very small group of authors I consider my auto-buys without reading a blurb and she falls in there with ease. Naturally, that makes SWEET VICTORY a bit of a bittersweet read because it's the final book in the series that put her on my radar.

Haven't read the whole Fighting for Love series yet? No problem, because this is actually a totally okay place to start. While characters from the rest of the series play roles that are special in SV you don't need to know them all to enjoy it. You'll totally want to go back and read them all though, I actually thought this one was on the sexually tamer side compared to the others. Not in a bad way! As a reader I want every love scene to contribute to the storyline in some way and sweet mama SV was hot without ever feeling gratuitous.

If you love marriage of convenience stories where the couple find bliss in spite of their differences I think you are going to love Xan and Sophie. I adored them both and totally melted into a sappy puddle of goo at the big dramatic gesture that resolved their big conflict. As the final book in a series it also delivered a few fun bits to treat the fans.

While I'm sad it's over I am so glad to have discovered this fantastic, sexy series and I can't wait to devour the next one Maxwell has coming very soon. Should you still be unconvinced, consider this book a read-it-in-one-sitting treat that's got a great trope, delicious hero, emotional moments, and an ending that'll have you fist pumping. Go on... treat yourself. ;)