Loved Isla and Brick's romance! This slow-burn romance had some really heartfelt moments that took me by surprise.

The last thing Isla wants to do is fall in love with a boxer after dealing with her father's boxing career and the long-term health implications of his chosen career. So when her father asks her to work as a physiotherapist for the boxer he is training, she's determined to harden his heart. But Brick is so much more than the showy persona that she thinks is the real him. It takes a lot for him to get past her walls and for her to open not only her mind to his friendship, but her heart to him as well. I love how complex these two characters were, and that they really took the time to get to know each other and develop a true, but complicated friendship.

Narration of the audio by Kimberly Wetherell captured Isla's vulnerability and inner turmoil, as well as Brick's frustration with his public persona and the pressures of his family life.

4.5 stars

I listened to the audiobook. Kimberly M Wetherall did a great job with the narration. I'm sure that I liked the story more because of the performance. I appreciate that she incorporated laughing, kids voices and accents.

The Knockout Rule is a stand alone story only loosely connected to the other books in the series. You do not need to read the other books to enjoy this one, and there isn't a lot of overlap between characters. I liked the thoughtful poetry and the characters. I fully understood Isla’s perspective, though it took longer than I would have liked for the relationship to settle in the end.

I received a copy of this audiobook at my request, and the opinions here are my own.

This is the fourth book in the Showmen series. Isla and Preston's story is beautifully written, emotional, and heartwarming, filled with drama, and romance. They are both interesting characters. Isla is caring and supportive. Preston is handsome, and devoted to his family. I liked their slow-burn romance. Kimberly M. Wetherell did a great job with the narration. I enjoyed it. I love this series.

Gah! I loved this book! This is only my second book by Kelly Siskind and I am very fond of her writing! The Knockout Rule is sweet, funny, and full of friendly banter. What begins as a stand-offish, banter-filled working relationship blossoms into a deep, swoon-worthy friendship. The Knockout Rule showcases Kelly’s witty, playful, sweet dialogue and dynamic storytelling. Her characters are well-developed and she weaves one hell of a fun story!

Isla & Eric have delicious chemistry! Their enemies-turned-friends to lovers romance is everything! Isla is dealing with family turmoil when she meets the greatly misunderstood boxer who is exhausted with his career. Friendly snarky banter, deep friendship, and lots of sporty fun round out this perfectly balanced romance.

Kimberly Wetherell rocked this solo narration! She made this broody boxer hero/badass physical therapist business owner heroine fly off the page! Her character and narration range shine in her performance of The Knockout Rule.

I will forever crave a “Gangster’s Mistress”! If you know, you know. If you don’t, you should start reading (or listening)!

I really enjoyed The knockout Rule, Kelly created some magic with the series, for each book, there was a moment that I couldn't figure out how the hero and heroine could like each other let alone have a magical love of a lifetime. Eric and Isla captured my heart, and I could barely but it down. Thank you for writing a fabulous series and for the copy of this audio, it was a real treat to listen to.

Meeting your soulmate and knowing you may never be able to be with him is nothing short of heartbreaking. Preston is a boxer, in need of some help as he gets ready for his next fight. Isla is a physiotherapist, and her father, a retired boxer, now trainer, requests her help in Preston's routine. Being a child of a boxer though, she knows the harshness of the sport and refuses to become involved with someone in the sport. But there is something about Preston. Preston is a caretaker. He is obsessed with being the provider for his family, and boxing provides him that ability. He too feels the pull towards Isla. This slow burn, push-pull romance is everything I love. It features this couple that is real people, struggling in life, finding their place and path and the one that will take that journey with them. It shows us that things are never easy, and things aren't always as they appear. Kelly Siskind takes on perception, something we all have of our own, in illness, in family, in self-worth. She is compassionate in her writing but does not sugar coat it's difficulties nor it's joy when views are realized. I love her story telling, as she is funny yet compelling. This book is no exception. Preston and Isla could be anyone of us, and their story is amazing.

Kimberly M Wetherell takes us on Isla and Preston's adventure with a fantastic performance. She is fast becoming a favorite of mine, as she has a voice that is easy on the ears. She has a specific voice for each of her characters fitting their personalities and bringing them to life. I really enjoy her story telling and will definitely be watching for more from her.

Listed as 4th in series but stands alone beautifully. I've read book 3 and there was a little nod to one of the characters that made me light up so there are probably little fly by mentions for other characters in the series, but you don't feel like you're missing anything if you don't recognize the mentions.

This book has some amazing layers in it's slow burning awesomeness:
- Working Relationship (Physiotherapist and Boxer)
- Misunderstandings (His public image as a boxer isn't who he really is inside)
- Relationship Coaching (He's helping his manager woo her)
- PTSD (She has issues with Boxing as whole thanks to her father and has to confront it)
- An adorable snorty bull dog
- The best hugs ever!!!!
- Audiobook Treat: foreign & ancient languages (so yummy in the ears even if I had no clue what was being said since I couldn't google translate like I can when reading text)

Isla grew up the daughter of a boxer and has been deeply impacted by this experience. Now her father is asking her to help him by treating a boxer when she has explicitly said she won't ever work with Boxers. And this boxer is the worst based on what she's seen in promos and online, he's loud, speaks with a Russian accent and has the vocabulary of a Neanderthal.

Eric doesn't like being "Brick" the dumb boxer, but supporting his family with his fists is something he can do and he will do it even if it means putting his own dreams/passions aside. He and Isla get off on the wrong foot because she only knows his public persona, but once they get past that misperception, he finds someone he truly enjoys spending time with.

The audiobook was performed by Kimberly M. Wetherell and I want more of her. She was everything as Eric! This character has a love of linguistics and speaks multiple languages (most notably his mother tongue Russian) and there are phrases in other languages sprinkled throughout the story like little treasures. None of them sounded forced or painful, Kimberly spoke them in a way that sounded effortless and sent shivers down my spine. In addition to Eric and his lingual gymnastics, she made Isla and her emotional journey so very real. I felt every moment and got choked up at times with this performance.

I received a copy of the Audiobook via NetGalley for my honest review.

The Knockout Rule by Kelly Siskind is a fantastic listen! I loved how she brought Eric and Isla together in this story. The imagery was fantastic and I could envision so many details. Kimberly M. Wetherell really brought the characters to life with their distinguishable voices. Thank you #NetGalley and #OrangeSky Audio for allowing me to listen to this book. I loved it!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kimberly Wetherell and she did an amazing job. Eric and Isla’s story is so beautiful and moving. There are so many different emotions, feelings, hurts, thoughts and love throughout this story. Kelly beautifully weaves the story together in a masterful way. Eric is a fighter...literally and figuratively. His job is a fighter/boxer but he’s also fighting to help his family financially and to be the man of the house. He doesn’t have time for dating or a girlfriend with the biggest fight of his life coming up soon. Isla is a strong business woman but sets her limits on who she will do business with. Her father has asked her for a favor that goes against her limits...but there’s is more to the story. As Isla and Eric become intertwined in business their fears, desires, hopes and dreams come to light. This is a really beautiful story that will leave you cheering for Isla and Eric.

Wonderful Story & Listen🎧 Gripping & Heartwarming!

The Knockout Rule
Showmen, Book 4
By: Kelly Siskind
Narrated by: Kimberly M. Wetherell

Wow, I loved everything about this book, from Kelly Siskind’s wonderful writing style to the fabulous characters and storylines she created to the perfectly cast narrator who brings it all to life from the pages to the ears. This is my second book from this author and the fourth of her “Showman” series and it stands completely on its own, characters from earlier books are cameo’d or mentioned but it is perfectly fine if you are meeting them for the first time here, everything you need to know about them is in the details. The Knockout Rule is a fabulous slow burn sports romance novel that contains a whole lot of heart. The story swept me in right from the start, grabbing not only my attention but it tugged on my heartstrings too. Isla Slade’s father is a boxing legend, but growing up watching him take punch after punch and sustain some serious injuries from those punches broke parts of her. He constantly promised this would be his last fight, but he always had one more and now he is suffering the consequences from too many blows to the head. Isla studied sports medicine and works as a physiotherapist, helping athletes recover from the stress they put on their bodies and injuries. She has a hatred for boxing, so she branched out and starts her own business so she can choose what clients to take in. Amid setting up this business, her father asks for a huge favor, to accompany him to Vegas where he will coach an upcoming boxer for the fight of a lifetime and he wants her to be his physiotherapists. Because her father has done so much for her, she can not say no. Her father, thinking she uses a dating app to meet people, tries to meddle in her dating life by mentioning to his boxer’s manager, Preston Church, that he should ask her out. Preston is sweet and a little on the flashy side but it is not him who gets under her skin starting from when they first meet, but Eric “Brick” Kramarov sure manages to. She goes in thinking he is the typical meathead boxer and misjudges him, but he sets her straight in the best way he knows, linguistically. I adored Eric, he has a heart of gold, caring for his family and putting others before himself. The more Isla learns about him to the more she likes him, the same goes for him, but he knows she does not want another boxer in her life. But if he can’t have her, he still wants to see her happy and when Preston asks for help, he does so Cyrano de Bergerac style. I loved how everything played out in this book, the story is perfectly balance with drama, a touch of angst, humor, smart and witty dialogue and a slow burn and meaningful romance. The author does a wonderful job incorporating and shedding light on serious subject, mental health, sport injuries and mental health, doing is in a moving way and without bringing the story down. Kelly Siskind, thank you for this wonderfully heartwarming story & emotional rollercoaster ride!

🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, Kimberly M. Wetherell continues to deliver an outstanding performance as she brings these characters and their story to life. She has a complete understanding of the characters she portrays, gives each a voice that fits the character’s persona to a tee, sounding believable and just as I pictured the characters to sound. She sets the perfect tone for the story, captures the characters’ emotions and projects them into her performance. Ms. Wetherell is a versatile voice artist and her narration enhances an already amazing story to another level. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another fabulous listen.

An incredible love story. Can Isla and Erik let their past behind, knockout all the walls they’ve erected and accept they are mean to be together? There are more things trying to break them apart than for them to be together but their love is worth the risk. Great audiobook and a great narrator.

I loved this book - LOVED IT! It is super well-written, it flows so well, the characters and their chemistry is just perfect! I wasn’t too sure about a boxer and physical therapist at first, but it’s just - wow!

The main characters have a lot of depth and so much emotion driving each of their motivations, and Kelly Siskind is really able to draw the reader into the story, fast. You will find yourself falling for all of the characters instantly, especially rough boxer Brick Smash once he reveals a crack in the exterior and shows his super goey cinnamon roll interior and entirely different self, and Isla’s friendly and loving side once her protective armor is broken through.

This book has a brilliant inclusion of a Cyrano de Bergerac piece when Brick (Eric’s) manager begs him to use his big brain and love of poetry to woo Isla using an earpiece and feed him lines to speak on a few dates - but we’ve all seen those movies and know how that turns out. Eric finally makes a move but Isla will not give her heart to a boxer.

The ups and downs and highs and lows that Kelly Siskind takes us through in this journey were beautiful and 5 stars the whole way. Narrator Kimberly M Wetherell (new to me with this series) was the perfect voice for the ride. I’m glad to have found both this author and narrator, and have bought the rest of this series now, and looking into her other titles as well! Fantastic job!

What a great story!! I really loved the storyline! Its very thought provoking and really just enjoyable. Then there are the characters..they are simply wonderful! I loved them both so much! The verbal sparring, the denying of feelings and then the togetherness are all just amazing! I laughed, cried and got chills while listening to them trying to figure out themselves and their lives. Plus that last chapter!?! It put tears in my eyes. So sweet!

One of the other things I like about this book is how the title is worked into the story. Simply amazing! I did listen to this wonderful story on audio. It is going on my favorites list!
The narration is well done and easy on my ears!