ARC provided for honest review on Netgalley
This book was a pleasant surprise, not my usual style of romance but the sweet, misunderstood boxer was well written and endearing. This was my first time reading this author but I will be checking out her other work.

I need to start saying that I've read every Kelly Siskind book there is, so reading this awesome book before the release is an incredible honor and I am eternally grateful! She never disappoints me and always gives me all the emotions I could possibly feel in each page. She always manages to write a deliciously painful, yet so satisfying slow burn and The Knockout Rule is probably the best example of this!

As always, Kelly gives us two complex characters with heartbreaking and impactful backstories that make the perfect and most explosive couple. Eric and Isla chemistry, intellectual and physical attraction, patience and understanding for one another and true, sacrificial love make their story one for the ages!

I am inspired by Isla's strength and passion. As a person that has battled with Generalize Anxiety Disorder since she was sixteen years old ─And being the fear for her loved ones her biggest trigger as well─ I was able to empathize with her and feel her despair and physical pain as she had to endure her father's situation, especially when he showed reluctance and opposed to get help. This made me understood and connect with her reasons as to why she was resisting her attraction towards Eric. As I got to know her better, it felt refreshing to see her finding someone with whom she could share her passions, fears and desires with in Eric. I admired her will to love herself and put her well being and her mental health in the first place, even if it was difficult for her.

Eric is the ultimate book boyfriend! His intelligence, his soft, generous, funny and loyal heart were so tangible in the pages, they made me fall in love with every single gesture he had towards Isla. From the beautiful poems she inspired in him to the sacrifices he made in order for her to be happy. It was heartbreaking to see his boxing persona; the beautiful prose had so invested that every time he became Brick, I was able to feel the pain he was feeling because he was completely denying who he really was and what he really wanted. The fact that he was doing it as a sacrifice made me root for his happy ending. I loved how easily he fell in love with Isla, their differences and similarities were written so on point that it was evident how perfectly they complemented each other, even if in the end they had to make difficult decisions and figure out how to conquer the difficult obstacles.

The rest of the cast added the perfect element of intrigue and fun to the story. Preston story line was a lot fun to read, I loved how wonderful friend he proved to be for both Isla and Eric. Isla's dad was a little difficult for me to understand at the beginning, but in the end I think he redeemed himself and was finally able to put his daughter's needs in the first place, rather than what he thought she needed. Eric's family was adorable and I loved how he opened the door for them to also be vulnerable and showed them how he really felt and what his heart really needed.

This book is a poetic, provoking and head-over-heels romantic journey. The physical and intellectual connection these two made was so incredibly touching and their happy ending had me in tears. I can't wait to get this paperback in my shelf and read it over and over again as I've read the rest of this series in the past.

Kelly, I've always read everything you write without even reading the blurb first!

It’s fun, heartwarming, and sexy.

Isla is a sports physiotherapist who grew up watching her father’s career, boxing, destroy his body. Hating everything about the sport, Isla refuses to work with boxers. That is until her father drops a bomb on her. He is sick and needs her to come with him to Vegas, to be the physiotherapist for his boxer the weeks leading up to a big match, as well as his excuse if his secret illness gets him down.

Reluctantly she agrees, only so she can be close to her father. That is when she meets her new client, the big, muscular, sexy Eric, AKA Brick Smash. After a rocky first impression, sparks fly, and eventually so do the clothes. YES!


I really enjoyed The Knockout rule and will definitely be recommending it to my fellow contemporary romance and rom-com lovers!

I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you so much to Xpresso Book Tours for providing me an arc of this book via Netgalley!
I was so excited when I found out my request for this book was approved, mainly because of the cover and, of course, the description. I expected to like it, but I definitely didn´t expect to love it as much as I did! We're still in January and I'm already sure this is one of my favorite books of 2021.
That being said, mark the 24th of February on your calendar, and read this book!!

I LOVED this book so much. I have read all of the author’s previous books, and readily admit that I wasn’t in love with the past two. This one more than made up for it. Eric was... sigh. The perfect hero?? Seriously- I LOVED him. Everything about him worked for me. Isla was a strong heroine. I really liked the boxing aspect as well. Kelly hits it out of the park with this one( no pun intended ). 5 stars. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.