This is my first book by Siskind but I doubt it will be my last.

This was such a great story with amazing characters! The romance was a sweet slow burn that I truly believed in and got on board with.

I absolutely ADORED Eric's character. Where can I get one of him! Where can the world get more of him? He was EVERYTHING. Respectful and intelligent and such an amazing character with his own flaws and challenges. Oh and Whit was such a treat. Who doesn't love dogs in books? No one!

Isla and her father's relationship was pure and true. I felt and agonized with her and her situation and commended her strength. She was true to herself and strong. Making she and Eric the perfect match.

The real star of this story though was the details. All of the little linguistic tidbits, the seriousness of panic attacks and Parkinsons and how it effects everyone in a relationship (all relationships), and the POETRY! OMG I think I highlighted every poetic passage. They were so moving. I live for that stuff.

This is a fun, witty, and sweet slow burn romance that I would recommend to anyone looking for a sports driven HEA with family elements.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. I loved it.

Cute contemporary sports romance. Isla Slade is a physiotherapist helping athletes strengthen and heal their bodies. She hates boxing because she has seen what it did to her father who is a former heavy wight champion. Dad convinces her to come to the training camp for Brick (Erik) Kramarov who is preparing as an underdog for a title match. Her dad is his coach. After bad first impressions she realizes there is more to Erik than she thought.

The story set up is good and the main characters are likable but it was disappointing not seeing the romance develop more between the two. More time is spent on a third party Erik helps to date Isla than on flirting and dating between the two MCs. The Cyreno de Bergerac dating went on too long for me. The emphasis on poetry was also a mix for me too. It was okay as a representation of their intellectual compatibility but if you don't love poetry are you not smart? Both characters had issues they were dealing with and I thought Isla's anxiety was handled well. The ending was good and seemed realistic for the characters.

Overall a good entertaining story and I would read others by the author but I wasn't blown away. Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This one was just okay for me, it fell a bit flat. It was pretty steamy at parts, but a slow burn. I think I just didn't feel the chemistry between Isla and Eric. Also, the first time they get together they are magically in love with each other? A little more build up would have been nice. I also thought there could've been more character development: I just wish we got more depth and development. While it was cute at times, it just wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and CD Books for this ARC in return for my honest review.

The Knockout Rule is an entertaining read about two people who’s lives’ revolve around boxing. Physiotherapist Isla Slade and Boxer Eric ‘Brick’ Karamarovsky. The book explores new relationships, old trauma, mental health, financial struggles, falling in love and, of course, boxing.

The plot description hooked in real quick, what’s not to enjoy about date coaching and sneaky subterfuge. However this was only actually a small part of the overall story. This book is more about getting to grips with past fears and the unknown future, being able to face them head on with that one person who makes you recklessly happy.

For me, the relationship development between Isla and Eric was too quick, way to quick. I wish it would have been stretched over a longer period of time but the high pressure and close proximity they experience works as an explanation, it’s just not my jam. There was lots of poetry talk and discussion on languages and learning which was unexpected in a boxing central sports romance but was actually a fun addition.

The Knockout Rule has sports, tension, man candy, lots of emotions, steamy sex scenes and a happy ending albeit one that was a bit too sweet for my taste.

*Review will be published on my blog/Instagram February 18th*

BEAUTIFUL STORY.

Oh I adored this! A sports romance gem.

What I loved most was the truly real feeling of the characters. There are some raw and tender moments as over and over our main characters come to terms with the situations around them. I loved the dialogue and conversations that occurred because of this. It exponentially brought another level to the novel by creating beautifully flawed humans who saw some true growth.

Isla and Eric were such a match!! I loved their chemistry and banter. The absolutely precious moments between them. It was spicy and romantic. Even better, I did like how the conflict and resolution came out between them. It worked perfectly for the story and allowed for an adorable ending. I did think [for me] the romance was a bit heavy-handed and I did have to skip over a few scenes, but if you like higher steam, this is definitely a read for you!

I love that this was a sports romance. I found it really insightful actually to boxing. I don’t like boxing at all, but was impressed with seeing another side to it than just fighting. Even when the big match came up I wasn’t quite sure who would win. The way Siskind wrote out this narrative was on point and I’m happy it went the way it did!

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: some strong throughout
- Romance: kisses to a few very open door scenes
- Violence: boxing matches
- Content/Trigger Warnings: depictions of anxiety and panic attacks, coping with learning a loved one has a degenerative illness

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I don't know why, but I was immediately turned off by this book. This might be the state of mind I was in, but I could not get into this one.

3,5 stars

“I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.”

‘The knockout rule’ is the fourth book in the ‘Showmen’ series but you don’t have to read the previous books to read this one. Every book in the series can be read as a standalone.

I have read and enjoyed all books in this series so I was looking forward to reading the newest story in it. ‘The Knockout rule’ was again a slow burn story.

Growing up as an only child of a boxer was hard for Isla Slade, she loves her father very much but she never understood his love for boxing. Because his sport only caused her heartache and panic attacks. So the day that he finally stopped boxing was the best day of her life. She’s so traumatized by the sport that she doesn’t want anything to do with it. But then one day, her father needs her help, her father who never ask for help, ask for it now. So Isla does what she promised herself that she would never do again, she goes to Vegas to help a boxer prepare for a boxing match. At first glance Brick Kramarov is everything that one would ‘expect’ from a boxer, a brute that mostly grunts. But then the more time Isla spends with him, the more she realises that Brick is much more, there are two sides of him. You have Brick the antisocial, grunting boxer but you also have Eric Kramarov, who is a family man, very intelligent and sensitive. A man that very few people know and that man is more dangerous to her heart then the boxer because she could fall for Eric, who just like her loves poetry and learning new languages.
So to protect her heart, she keeps her distant from Eric/Brick and instead focus her attention on his manager Preston, not knowing that Preston asked Eric/Brick’s help to woo Isla. When the truth comes out, what will Isla do? Follow her heart or not.

‘The knockout rule’ was again a sweet, light, entertaining, refreshing, easy to read romance story. Isla, Eric/Brick and Preston were great characters. Eric and Preston were really good guys. I really loved Eric sensitive and intelligent side and I understood why he would use boxing to provide for his family. However the difference between Brick, the boxer and Eric’s own personality was very big, you could say they were totally opposites of each other. I had personally a bit of trouble with that.

Because of Isla’s trauma with boxing, the writer wrote a big part about the negative sides of boxing but I liked it very much that even with the negative effects Isla’s father stood by his love for boxing. That way you really got both views on boxing.

In the story you get both POV’s. One of the things that I really appreciate about this story is that the writer doesn’t take the easy way at the end. No, just like in ‘real’ life things don’t always go like you want/wish them to go. Sometimes life is hard but if you open your eyes and heart and look for that something more, you can find a new path to follow to a new destiny.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is probably my favourite Kelly Siskind book to date. I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters and how they wanted to get to know each other before jumping into anything serious.
I could see why Isla was so hesitant to fall for a boxer, it would be quite scary as a kid to watch her father box. I was a bit sad that she walked away from Eric so easily, but that's the way these romance novels go ;)
Eric of course was easy to like, as was his dog. I like that the Preston issue was solved maturely without any drama.
The writing was very easy to follow and it's one of those books that are hard to put down.

**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I'm not much of a romance reader, but every now and again, I like to pick one up if the summary catches my attention.

I found the story to be a little wordy, I definitely felt there were places that could have been trimmed. The poetry is okay but it just didn't work for me.

Overall, it's not my favorite romance book, but it was definitely a standout in the romance category.

Isla Slade is a physiotherapist with a strict “no boxers” rule. She’s also the daughter of former boxer Swinging Graham Slade. When her father asks her to work with his new protégé, Brick Kramarov, she finds herself unable to refuse. When Isla first meets Brick, there’s an instant attraction, but she thinks he’s a dumb brute of a boxer and ends up insulting him. As she starts to work with him, she realizes that underneath boxer Brick is Eric Kramarovsky, a kind and intelligent man. Isla still refuses to get involved with a boxer and Eric has to concentrate on his upcoming fight, so when his manager Preston indicates his interest in Isla, Eric agrees to help by providing poetry and suggesting dates that Isla will like. However, Isla and Eric still need to work together and it becomes clear that they can’t fight their feelings forever.

The author did a great job of building the sexual tension and longing between Isla and Eric. I’m glad that she didn’t spend too much time with the Preston subplot as it distracted from the slow burn building between Isla and Eric. Isla and Eric are both lovers of words and there are some beautiful exchanges between them. The author does double duty here as a poet that Isla loves and many of the poems are quite good. Isla and Eric are both well-written, layered characters and I enjoyed not only watching them falling in love but also slaying some of their demons. I would recommend The Knockout Rule to anyone who likes a slow burn romance with great characters. 4.5 stars.

I was excited to read this when I realised that this author also wrote Don't go stealing my heart, which I read and really liked last year!

The Knockout rule is a fun, lighthearted story where we get the POV's of Isla and Eric. Isla is a physiotherapist who is scarred from seeing her boxer father get beaten up and hurt over and over. On the other hand, Eric is a boxer who doesn't love his job any more but needs to support his family. Once they meet they are attracted to each other but boxing makes their relationship complicated.

While I was engaged with the story I wasn't as invested as I'd have liked. And the storyline of the friend who is interested in Isla and uses Eric to woo her was kind of annoying.

Overall, this is an enjoyable romance and I'd still read the author's other works.

Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with this ARC.

A huge thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Knockout Rule is my first every Kelly Siskind book. I noticed New Orleans Rush and added it to my tbr but didn’t get a chance to read it before my request for The Knockout Rule got approved. I really did fall in love with this story and the characters and now I can’t wait to read the other Showmen books. Isla and Eric have such a special place in my heart.

The novel revolves around physiotherapist Isla and boxer Eric. Isla’s watched her father box growing up and it made her realize that she could never be in a relationship with someone who boxes. Her complex story/history of anxiety made her such a relatable and lovable character. I feel like the portrayal of Isla’s anxiety in this book was genuine and well done. I loved that we had a female lead who was willing to put her own mental health above a man. We get told so often to put our significant others before us, but that’s not always the healthiest thing. Its so important to learn to put yourself first too.

Eric, what can I say? He’s near the top of my ultimate book boyfriends now. He’s soft, kind, sweet, genuine, intelligent, funny and just an amazing person. He’s such a loyal and caring man, it absolutely broke my heart learning his story. Eric is so special and I’m so glad they found each other. Isla and Eric are perfect for each other in every way that’s important.

This was a heart-touching story that you should be keeping an eye out for! Coming out February 24th!

What a great read! This book had a bit of everything - family drama, romance, and boxing. Nothing about this book felt forced or over-done. Some of the internal monologue could've been cut a bit, I did skim those sections a bit.

I totally fell for the romance that bloomed between Isla and Eric. Their personalities were so different, yet they were so good together. The difficulties they were dealing with in their personal lives put up barriers to them being together, and it took a lot of courage and understanding for them to find a way to make it work. They made mistakes along the way and had to work on trusting each other - and it all made for a really good story.

There was so much more to this book beyond the romance: mental health, the long-term effects of boxing, financial security, passions, and so much more. And the poetry. The fictional poet that the author created for Isla and Eric to bond over was exactly my cup of tea. I reread a few of the more emotional poems multiple times - they were really good!

Once Isla's panic attacks were introduced, I was worried the romance would lead to some "my saviour" or "I'm cured" moment later on, but I was so glad that neither of those things happened. Isla dealt with her struggles in a very real and brave way, and I was very happy that this part of her life was talked about so much. Ditto for the toll the "Brick Smash" persona had on Eric's mental health. These two talked about what was bothering them (some of the time, no one is perfect!) and did what they could to help each other through it.

The pacing of the story was great. Every time I had to put this book down, I was wanting to get right back to it and keep reading! So many elements were super well done: the slow-burn romance, the lovely (and funny!) supporting characters, the poetry, Whit the dog, and the emphasis on the importance of family. I would totally recommend this novel to anyone looking for a romance full of heart with way more to offer than just a love story.

I’ve read a lot of romance novels in my time. It takes genuine talent to make a hug the most intimate and romantic scene I’ve read in a long while, and Siskind pulled that off and then some.

The Knockout Rule felt a smidge different that the other books in this series, but not in any bad way at all. It felt the most REAL, if that makes sense. If anything I felt this story the most deeply. It was amazing.

This series is a favourite of mine and I still can’t pick a favourite out of the four of them. They’re all so individual.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. If you apply a generous amount of “romance genre suspension of disbelief,” this is a cute, fun and sexy read. It was a slight twist on “enemies to lovers” with a little dose of Cyrano action.

Eric was a likable romantic interest who served well in the swoon-worthy alpha-male role while having some actual personal dimension. That he enters the narrative purposely leading a double life makes his story read true. He might actually follow his plot development because it is his true nature, not just because he has to further the HEA. Additionally the story was well written and the artful weaving in of the poetry really accelerates the reader “getting” the characters and plot development.

On a surface level, I personally found the protagonist to be somewhat one dimensional. I get what the author was trying to do by making her prickly as a defense mechanism. However, as written, it just reads as her being simultaneously unwilling to compromise for anyone and also a doormat for whatever the men around her want. This may be a truthful representation of what her particular mental illness is like, but after all the backstory and character development in that vein, like three therapy sessions and tah dah! Isla is ready to fall in love and draw boundaries. It was a good start at writing a character with trauma related anxiety, but the perfect fit HEA just didn't fit (even by genre standards).

Overall, this was a classic contemporary romance that will be an enjoyable read by fans of the genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I thought the romance was sweet and sexy, and the characters felt fully fleshed out. Isla deals with anxiety and panic attacks, and I really appreciated seeing her go through therapy and actually work through her problems. Eric (aka Brick) is so soft 🥺 I appreciated how the book challenged his view of masculinity in such a natural way.

My one qualm is that I wish the book summary was written differently. It suggests a Cyrano-type plot, when really that’s such a short part of the story. It also confused me as to who the love interest was, since it focuses on Preston, imo. I wish Eric was in the forefront, especially since he’s a POV character.

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for providing me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It seems I am in the minority with this story. I truly enjoyed Kelly's previous book and was so excited to be granted the opportunity to review this. However, this did not work for me.

The main character is incorrigible. She is judgemental and writes anyone off for being a boxer before even attempting to get to know them. She stereotypes boxers as dumb creatures and instantly judges Eric, a boxer, on their first meeting with each other. She insults Eric's intelligence by making the dumbest comments such as "For a boxer who didn't seem to have much wit in interviews, it wasn't surprising he'd buy it in the form of a snorty pet. even funnier was the dog's name tag which read Whit. He hadn't even spelled the name correctly." She also implies he is dumb just because he didn't know who some writer was. Excuse me! Get off your very high horse Isla. Man, she made my blood boil!

Then there is her relationship with her father, who was a professional boxer. Her declaration of wanting to do anything for her father because he basically funded her equipment for her new business even though he is basically bankrupt, claiming she is so freaking grateful immediately comes with conditions when she turns up her nose upon finding out what his favour is?

She proceeds to mother her father dictating how he needs to live his life. Yes I understand there are many health implications when it comes to boxing and growing up with a parent who is a professional boxer is traumatising but I could not sympathise with this character. Being so hellbent on the past allowing it to influence your present is not healthy either. Good golly girl, he is a grown man and so is every other professional boxer. Their life, their choice. They knew what they signed up for.

Worst of all, she is aware of how awful she is towards Eric but still proceeds to convince us that she is better.than everyone else in her vicinity. Her hypocracy is evident when she makes herself out to be so sanctimonious saying how she found passion in physiotherapy because of how her dad suffered and wanting to help ALL athletes be as physcially healthy as possible . Yet she doesn't treat boxers, making her reason for choosing her career null and void.

The chemistry between Eric and Isla is not believable. I had a very hard time believing the love-hate aspect between these two. It just wasn't done very well in my opinion. They started off disliking each other (for good reason) and then a 180 degree switch of attraction happens based on what? There was no progression in plot or even in their relationship. Heck, the dialogue between these two is so stilted it borders on awkward.

So as much as I would have liked to enjoy this read, I just did not have a good time reading this.

Thank you CD Books for approving me for this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Knockout Rule by Kelly Siskind was just what I needed to read right now. It made me happy and gave me all the feels! God I LOVED IT!! I mean our hero is a cinnamon roll boxer who writes poetry! Do I even need to say more?? I loved the characters and the chemistry between Brick/Eric and Isla was off the charts! I thought the author dealt very well with the topic of mental health and wellness in this book. The story was sweet, sexy and funny and I will definitely be reading more from Kelly Siskind!

The Knockout Rule is a sports romance novel that will throw your expectations right out of the ring (see what I did there 😉). This was an adorable boxing love story that felt different from a lot of the contemporary romances I’ve read.

it’s an enemies to lovers read. The ML, Eric -or Brick as he’s known in the boxing world- is an athlete who is hella attractive but surprisingly not rich or self-absorbed. Shocking, I know! He’s also supa smart!

I really enjoyed the details of each character’s careers and that the author busted her butt researching specifics in order to make it feel like these people were actual professionals. Their jobs weren’t glazed over, instead there were details on how Heather presented food for her career or the terms a physiologist would know. What I’m getting at is Kelly Siskind really put work into getting the details right.

Putting it all together, I would highly recommend this as a fun contemporary romance read. A big thank you to Netgalley for a chance to review this fun read.