Great start to a new series. I'm telling you now you will love this overwhelming, dirty talking, so much sexual tension that it will melt your panties clear off. At the same time, it's the most loveable story I've read in a long time.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

This was a great boxing romance! Jules watched her parents, two people who never should have married, get divorced and her father moved away. Still not believing in love, romance and relationships, Jules takes a job at her father's boxing gym to get to know him again. What she doesn't expect is to see Nick, a boxer and her former fling, walk in the door! Now she has to work with him and keep it professional. Nick wants Jules back but has to show her that they are nothing like her parents.

I really enjoyed this story by both new to me authors. It was intense and emotional and took me on a roller coaster ride I was not expecting. I thought the writing was seamless and entertaining. It kept me completely consumed in the story from beginning to end. It has definitely made me want to read work from both of these authors.

I love reading new fresh work and this is one that stood out and I can't wait to read more.

Let me start by saying I am probably bias bc I love MMA, Boxing, any kind of fighting books! This book did not let me down in any way! I was hooked from page 1. Jules and Nick will have you so wrapped up in this book you will have read all of it & not even realized it. The writing was great and you will feel like you know the characters personally. As I have said, I love any kind of fighting books but it makes it so much better when the author actually gives you a great story to go along with it and that is exactly what has happened here. I am looking forward to reading more!

Dirty Boxing is the start of a promising new series. Jules has taken a job with her father's company, perhaps it will be just the thing for her to connect with the man with whom she's always had a decidedly less than great relationship. To say she's surprised when she sees her ex at her father's gym is an understatement. Jules and Nick had a hot and heavy fling but Jules walked away, too afraid of getting hurt. Her parents' relationship wasn't exactly the best relationship on which to model her love life, so she had no idea how to wrap her mind around her feelings for Nick. Instead of staying and working through it with him, she just left. So to say Nick is less than thrilled to see the woman who broke his heart at his gym is also an understatement. But, his feelings haven't changed and he realizes he still wants her, still loves her.

But how can Nick and Jules possibly make a relationship work if all Jules knows of relationships is her parents' failed marriage? Nick has the dogged determination, though, that will see them through. And Jules has lots of growing up to do if they want to make it. One tough fighter (in more than just the ring) and the woman he loves, what an electric combination! Dirty Boxing is steamy, exciting, and a great start to a new series. I can't wait for more.

In Dirty Boxing, the first book in the Blood and Glory series by Harper St. George and Tara Wyatt, we meet a commitment-phobic workaholic and an MMA athlete in a sexy second chance romance.

Jules Darcy had a torrid three-week romance with Nick Giannakis in Chicago before she dropped him like a bad habit. Now, a year later, she is in Las Vegas as the new head of marketing for a growing MMA league run by her father. Meanwhile, Nick decided to leave the heartbreak of Chicago behind him and accepted a lucrative contract for the league run by the legendary Craig Darcy...Jules’s father. Imagine the mutual shock as they both realized they worked for the same company. Imagine even further shock and dismay (with a dash of excitement) as it has become apparent that Nick is to be the face of the new marketing campaign.

Some of my favorite books have been written by teams, like the Gideon’s Riders series by Kit Rocha and The Ending series by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue, so I was excited to try out another book done by writing partners. Considering 1) how hot MMA is these days and 2) the fact that I have a soft spot for Greek guys, and 3) the heroine left the hero behind to do her own thing, I was sold on the premise. St. George and Wyatt deliver complex and likable characters in a believable yet messy situation. These two characters are opposites, with completely different backgrounds, and yet they fit together so well.

Jules has commitment issues and once we learn her backstory we understand why. Nick has a lot to prove and left his familial support system behind in Chicago to make it big in Las Vegas. Our hero and heroine’s motives make sense and the writers do a good job of swaying us to and fro, riding a line of tension-filled with nervous and erotic energy.

Speaking of erotic energy, the chemistry between Jules and Nick is smoking hot! I read a lot of romance and my fair share of erotica. Having said that, there are a couple of scenes that make these brown cheeks blush red! St. George and Wyatt taunt us with flashbacks so when our hero and heroine have visceral reactions to the sight of each other, we know why. The authors also managed to create two very likable characters! This is a feat that is more of a challenge than it seems. Conflicts in the book aren't contrived; when there are three-dimensional characters that pull you in with their internal and external conflicts, you know you have a quality read in your hands.

This may be the first of a series, but Jules and Nick get the star treatment. Their story stands alone and you root for them the whole way, especially during those bow-chicka-wow moments. If you are in the mood to read about a strong woman who waits for no man and owns her own sexuality, Jules Darcy is her. If you are looking for a hot athlete to make your new book boyfriend, then Nick Giannakis is your man.

What’s it About? Jules Darcy’s fling with MMA fighter Nick Giannakis was only supposed to be that, a fling, but things got real serious real quick and she ran away, breaking Nick’s heart in the process. A year later, Darcy is working with her dad in his fight league as a marketing director and wouldn’t you know it, Nick is now one of her dad’s fighters. Neither one of them is prepared to face the past but the heat and the emotions between them won’t go away. After growing up witnessing her parents’ disaster of a marriage, Jules is determined not to fall for Nick again while Nick is equally determined to get Jules back and for good.




Overall reaction to the story? In a word? RAWR. Dirty Boxing packs an emotional punch! Nick and Jules’ second chance romance is filled with longing, unrequited love, and lots of passion! What I love most is that it was the hero who fell hard and fast first and is nursing a clear case of broken heart syndrome when the heroine walks back into his life. He’s so emotionally invested in their second chance and the heroine is the one holding back. That put things into a different perspective and made things more interesting. I did have one or two bones to pick with the heroine over her repetitive stubbornness but it didn’t deter my overall enjoyment of the story. Harper St. George and Tara Wyatt make a fantastic writing team.



Describe the hero in five words: Emotional. Stubborn. Kind. Goofy. Giving.

Did you like him? Yes.

Why? Nick is a darling, he’s a total sweetheart who just happens to be an amazing fighter. He wasn’t emotional closed off, he was the opposite, ready and willing to love Jules because he knows she’s special. He isn’t a commitmentphobe, he’s good to his friends and loves his family. I fell a bit in love with him myself and wasn’t entirely convinced that Jules deserved someone so devoted and fun. When you see the words “MMA Fighter” you expect a grunting, monosyllabic, closed off guy that fights for a living but Nick had more depth and a personality outside of the MMA circuit. It made him seem more human and likable.



Describe the heroine in five words: Stubborn. Intelligent. Vulnerable. Kind. Lonely.

Did you like her? About 90% of the time I did.

Why? Jules had a hard time growing up, she saw her parents’ marriage crumble and her dad choose fighting over her time and time again so she’s a bit gun shy about relationships and especially relationships with fighters. I get that and I felt bad for the woman she became. She was closed off emotionally and lonely. I wanted her to learn and grow and realize that she couldn’t keep letting her parents’ disaster of a marriage hold her back but dang Jules was so freaking stubborn! It was the same lame argument over and over with her even though Nick was the type of man to back up his words with actions. Jules knew Nick was a good man, she knew he had strong feelings for her, and she knew he desperately wanted to make it work between them because he showed her every single time that he was serious about her yet she kept pushing him away and using her parents as an excuse. I felt like shaking her and saying “What is wrong with you?? He’s SHOWING you how much he cares not making a bunch of empty promises, get with it girl!” She frustrated me towards the end with how little she had budged when it came to her relationship with Nick.



Let’s talk about the romance: Oh man, these two were hot and dirty for each other! That red hot passion that flared to life when they first met is just as strong and fierce in the present, but it was also the tender, loving way Nick treated and looked at Jules that had me envying this girl. These two were so good together, a great balance of love, respect, and friendship.



How about that supporting cast? In Dirty Boxing Jules’ father runs the fight league that Nick belongs too and now Jules is hoping to establish a relationship with her father while working for him. Honestly, Jules father isn’t worth the time. He’s so selfish and determined to remember an alternate life where he wasn’t a loser father. Ugh, he just ticked me off but in the end Jules’ way of dealing with him gave me a bit of satisfaction. The other fighters are mainly there to fill in scenes with the exception of Gabe who carries around some massive pain. He’s got my attention too. I want to know his story.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Dirty Boxing’s hero is completely different than what you’d expect him to be and that’s a big part of what makes this book a total win.

Jules Darcy has taken a job with her father in his growing fight league and hopes to be able to reconnect her relationship with him now that they are both adults and working together. However, she quickly sees it’s going to be a long road when she can’t even get him to stop using her full name and just call her Jules. What Jules never expected though when taking the job was to walk in and find her former fling, MMA fighter Nick Giannakis now working for her father.

Nick and Jules had a brief relationship a year ago and neither have really forgotten how intense it had been between them. Jules though was not one that had a real relationship to model her own love life after since she grew up watching her parents fighting all the time and feared that any chance she took at love would turn out the same way so she ran. In the past year as much as Nick had tried to move on he just couldn’t and seeing Jules now just brings all those feelings rushing back.

Dirty Boxing by Harper St. George and Tara Wyatt is the first book of the new contemporary romance series Blood and Glory. Each book in the series will be featuring a new couple with ties to the sport of boxing and MMA. This first book is one that leans heavily towards the erotic side and is perfect for those that are fans of the steamier side of romance reads. If grading solely on the chemistry between these two it probably would have easily landed a perfect score from this reviewer.

On the romantic side of the story and the overall relationship however I felt the couple could have pumped the breaks on the sexy just a bit before going back full steam and perhaps tried to work out what broke them up a bit sooner. Jules was a bit of a flawed character with her relationship with her father which was holding her back in her love life too and I wouldn’t have minded her facing that a bit more. But both characters were likable and even though I’m not a fan of the sport it seemed to be done realistically so along with some nice writing this one rates in at 3.5 stars which is a nice start to the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review: MMA fighter Nick Giannakis gets a second chance at happiness with the woman who broke his heart, but the process proves almost more challenging than his bid for a championship belt.

Authors Tara Wyatt and Harper St. George team up for the first story in the Blood & Glory series with Dirty Boxing. I really liked Nick as a character, especially his interactions with the fans and his family. He is portrayed as an all around good kind of guy, which makes it challenging to fully understand why things didn’t work out with Jules the first time.

The authors did a good job throwing them back together on a professional basis. It was clear from that first encounter that Nick and Jules had unresolved issues. As the story unfolds, more details are provided to give a better understanding of what happened the first time.

As someone who enjoys MMA books, I was hoping for a bit more of the fighting aspect. While the storyline moved along, there were aspects that could have used a bit more development. I found Jules’ father to be quite a jerk, which I’m sure was the authors’ intent. However, I would have expected Jules to be much more forthright in dealing with him and his tantrums.

The chemistry between Jules and Nick is evident, which made me suspect that the whole secret dating thing wouldn’t work well. It takes plenty of twists and turns before the match is finished. All in all, it was a good story

I'm a fan of MMA books and I'm really glad I choose to read this one. It's a second chance romance. It's real and gripped with emotion as Nick and Jules find their way back to one another. Jules' past and childhood have molded her thinking on love and forever which just might cost her her future. Nick should hate Jules, but she is his Jules. Can't tell the heart what it wants. I could relate to Jules a bit on her relationship with her dad. I could find myself nodding my head a long with her at some parts. I loved Nick and I want to find my own! You can feel the struggle he has when it comes to Jules. I could feel all the emotions.This book grabbed me from the beginning and the characters kept me hooked.

This has been one of the best MMA Romances I have read all year. The characters are not what I expected and I enjoyed getting to know them as well as the secondary characters. I am really looking forward to the next books already because I need to know more about a few of these guys already.

Jules is a broken girl with some deep mental scars. This makes it hard for Nick to convince her to take a chance. Not to mention daddy is their boss. Not only is this an emotional read in the best of ways. It also has some levity to keep it from being too much. Nick has a fantastic personality. He can be extremely focused but he is also a bit of a goofball and likes for the people he cares about to be happy and not hurting. He does silly things to make them smile and that just makes him even more endearing. Jules is a woman I can understand. Her fear is what holds her back and it keeps her safe but it also keeps her from living. This books was fabulous and I would definitely recommend it.

I liked it, didn't love it. I'm a huge historical romance fan, but very rarely do I venture into contemporary romance. If I'm being completely honest I saw the cover and was completely captivated. After reading a short snippet, I thought I would branch out and give it a try.

This was an entertaining, if not memorable, change of scenery for me. There was a LOT of sex, more than I've ever found in the historical romance genre. Sex scenes were fairly well-written and on the explicit side, but they all tended to blur together for me. Jules and Nick were both sweet, kind-hearted characters, especially Nick. And while I liked them and enjoyed my time with them, I didn't feel a whole lot of chemistry between them. There wasn't any sparkling, witty banter! Yes, there was some sexual tension before they started hooking up again, but I missed that verbal sparring between the hero and heroine.

I also think that the pacing was off, particularly with Jules's anxiety regarding her feelings toward Nick, her relationship with her dad, and her upbringing. She spent too much time worrying right from the very beginning and it took the focus away from her burgeoning relationship with Nick. The plot felt a bit thin at times, too; yes there were conflicts to keep the protagonists apart, but it all felt a bit flat and contrived.

There's nothing that even borders on the truly serious here- it's a good choice if you're looking for a bit of fun and diversion with, let's be honest, a whole lot of sex thrown in.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dirty Boxing is a steamy second chance romance!

This is a first time read for me from both authors and I have to say, I was loving Nick and Julian!

Nick was only supposed to be a fling for Julian, he was never supposed to work his way into her heart. After a month long relationship in Chicago Nick asks for more completely scaring Jules away. Honestly I don't blame her for running scared. After all her father was a fighter and she saw firsthand at a very young age what being married to a fighter is all about.

Nick and Jules have a run in when her father decides to sign him up to fight for his league. Nick sees it as a second chance to win the woman of his dreams back. Jules sees it as what could possibly be a disastrous turn of events!

I am obsessed with fighters in my romance novels. To me the fighting aspect brings on a whole new aspect to a relationship and I can't get enough of them. plus the alpha vibe that usually comes with these novels is crazy!

Nick is a very determined character. He knows what he wants in a woman and everything he wants he sees in Jules, I loved his determination at trying to get her back. Even through all his frustration.

Just like I loved Nick's determination, I loved Jules paranoia when it comes to relationships. I also loved Jules drive to make her dad proud, even though, her dad wasn't around for half her life.

I loved the hell out of Dirty Boxing and cannot wait to read more of this series in the future!!!

After being a witness to love gone wrong, and watching her parents marriage go down the tubes, the idea of subjecting herself to that is just not something Jules Darcy is open to. She also decided early on that getting involved with a fighter was not something she was up for either, her father was one, and he wasn't around much and it robbed her of the picture perfect childhood all her friends had. But, then she meets sexy MMA fighter Nick Giannakis and the intense sparks and immediate deep connection they have takes over, and it soon has her wanting to abandoned all her rules and see where their little romance will take them...

A year ago MMA fighter Nick Giannakis met the woman of his dreams, and he was ready to take things down the serious road, but then she walked away without so much as a goodbye and it nearly killed him. He has tried to rid his heart and mind of every lingering remnant of her, but she just won't go away, she embedded herself deep and the only thing that seems to keep him going is his time in the ring. Then fate intervenes and puts her smack dab into his new life in Vegas and he is determined to not let her escape again...

Dirty Boxing is a gritty, sexy, and heart-wrenching read that is sure to leave readers highly impressed with the literary talents of the St. George and Wyatt duo...they had me singing their praises by the second chapter, WOW what a read!! This one grabbed a hold of me almost immediately and had my full attention from start to finish, the story line was engaging, filled with palpable emotion, and came with two characters that you can't help but want to root for... it was such a good read. I cannot wait for more from these two talented ladies, their first offering left me completely in awe and harboring a serious crush on their very sexy fighter, bring on round two!! Highly recommend you give this one a try, I guarantee you will love what you find!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

Sexy, emotionally charged read! Nick and Jules overcome the odds and manage to find their way back to each other in this MMA romance. Loved the sizzling, I-can't-get-enough-of-you chemistry between these two characters. It starts on page one and burns bright until the very end. I really felt the raw emotion in this read, not only between Nick and Jules, but also between Jules and her father. I enjoyed the underlying story of a father and daughter trying to reconnect and have a second chance at their relationship as well. Overall, an unexpectedly fantastic read that packs quite the punch!

4 Stars

Dirty Boxing is a sexy second chance story that will have you reading non-stop. A fantastic start to a great series. This is the first time reading from these authors and now, I can say I am a fan. If you are a romance fan of MMA fighters who are willing to fight for the woman they love, then Dirty Boxing is for you.

Nick Giannakis is a fighter in a league in Vegas. He recently moved to Vegas to join a new group and little did he know, he end up working for the one woman who broke his heart, Jules. Jules will never forget her few weeks she spent with Nick Giannakis, and walking away from him was one of the hardest thing she did. She's moved to Vegas to work for her father, the owner of the WFC league and being so close to Nick again has her all confused. And seeing him everyday, proves to be hard of the both of them.

As these two slowly find each other again, it's not easy to make it work--there are plenty of odds against them. Overall, Dirty Boxing is a steamy read that will have you wanting more. Nick and Jules have plenty of chemistry on page and getting their HEA takes you wild ride of push and pull. Looking forward to more in this series.

Jules and Nick had somewhat of a fling, turns out the only person that was clear to was her. Nick was looking for something more but she walked away. Suddenly it seems shes back in his life when he signs up for a famous MMA championship and Jules works at the place he is training at. Old feelings rise the more they are around each other but there is a conflict of interest being that she is working at the same place Nick is training at and there is a policy against such things.

As much as this book was predictable it was enjoyable as well. I will admit I saw that a few people put this book on their goodreads did not finish list and I'm baffled why. This book was pretty good, its been done before but its not bad. I liked the characters enough Jules isn't exactly get the most stable parents but shes an adult now and trying to build some kind of relationship with her father now. I think her views on the reasoning why she wont get into a relationship were kinda bleh it seems dramatic to me. I liked getting to know Nicks family and seeing how close they were and how protective Nick's brother was his heart was in the right place when he was iffy when he found out that Jules was back in Nicks life. Overall this book was pretty good I really enjoyed it.

I am a fan of Tara Wyatt and Harper St. George, so you can imagine that I was a very happy camper when it was announced that they were working on a series together! Dirty Boxing is a solid start to the Blood and Glory series and an intense and ridiculously sexy second chance romance.

If you’re an MMA fan, I think you’ll be quite pleased as the competition action is extremely detailed, more so than many MMA romances I’ve read in recent memory. I appreciated that, as it gives you a truly real and in-depth look into these fighter’s lives. Their training and its results are evident and it showcases how difficult it can be to create and maintain a relationship amid the demands of the job.

Jules and Nick had out of this world chemistry. Nick was easy to like. He was truly a good guy from a loving family and after he understands a little bit more about the situation, he opens himself up to another chance with Jules.

As for Jules, I’m going to admit that she frustrated the snot out of me. She’s very hung up on her own upbringing and how her parent’s relationship was so dysfunctional that she doesn’t see how she could have a healthy relationship. Normally, that kind of thing turns me off in characters. The whole, I love him but I’m not worthy because of my parent’s issues is usually a big no go for me. Otherwise, Jules was a kickass character! She was smart, funny and truly cared for Nick.

I kept reading for a couple of reasons.

1.I loved Nick. He was sex on a stick with a heart of gold. (How’s that for a visual?)
2.I wanted to learn more about the secondary characters.
3.I wanted to know how the heck Jules was going to get passed her hangups. While I was reading, I recognized the importance of character growth. It’s important and I think readers can lose sight of that, especially when reading a character they are having a hard time connecting with.

I saw that growth with Jules. How she was able to experience Nick’s no limit love and devotion for her and his own family. That can be hard, trying to figure out how you fit into a family when you’re not used to a supportive and healthy one, yourself.

So, for me, this was all about Jules’s journey and development as a character and in her relationship with Nick and her own father.

While I had a few bumps with this one, I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to more in the Blood and Glory series.