Intro:
I grabbed this series from a review blog site, as I was looking for something different. I was tired of vampire and wolves and most typical contemporary romances tend to bore me. Lori Foster’s SBC Fighters Series is an unusual one, based on a topic that I have no preconceived notions. In fact, I have enjoyed getting a glimpse of this world.
Basic Plot:
Dean Conor, AKA Havoc receives a letter from his estranged sister asking him to come visit their home time. After his parents are killed in a car accident, his uncle Grover raises him away from Dean’s aunt and two sisters, Cam and Jackie. Once there he meets Eve and discovers that there might be something more than just a casual fling. In the meantime he gets closer to his sisters and realizes that something strange is going on in this sleepy little town.
Background:
This is the first book in the series and it is clear that we are introduced to the men of SBC. We get a glimmer into how challenging it is to maintain peak physical condition, and how difficult it is to balance a home life with the world of the professional fighter.
Female Lead:
Eve Lavon is a female character that I think all of us wish we could be: a self-confident, beautiful, and a good friend. Here we see Cam sticking up for her best friend Cam against Roger (Cam’s boyfriend). Our first introduction to Roger is that he is an ass.
“Eve could barely breathe. She didn’t understand Roger and never would. “One way or another,” she promised, “I’m going to make Cam see the truth about you.”
I will say however, there does not seem to be much depth to the character. We do not see any true struggle, other than struggling for a way to not fall in love with Havoc. I had difficulty finding quotes for this character, which to me is a sign there was nothing memorable about her.
Male Lead:
I loved Dean. We get to see a man who, is struggling with the emotions that he uncovers as he meets his sisters and a possible new love in Eve. He’s an Alpha in all of the typical sense, but he is also struggling with this new feelings. For example, we get an insight in the fighter’s mind:
The urge would return, as it always did. The cheers of the crowd, the satisfaction in getting bloody, in conquering a worthy challenger…. It was like a drug in his veins, his one and only vice.
But not only is he a warrior, but he is a philosopher of sorts:
“Being afraid doesn’t change the circumstances. It only affects how well you deal with them.”
Theme Summary:
Truly we can apply the previous quote to this theme. Dean is afraid to move forward into reconnecting to his sisters, as well as the possibility of a relationship. It’s how he steps up and meets the challenges head-on that demonstrate his integrity and honor.
Strong Points:
This is a unique book and series. The dialogue is strong and I enjoy the banter between fighters.
What could be better?
I do not know why Ms. Foster chose to have a mini relationship with his sister Jackie and Gregor. This seems to be a trend with this series, and I am not sure why. I do not need to have more than one romance story in one book. The only reason that I could figure out is that we needed to make this book longer and so a secondary love story stretched its length. But this is not a reason to tell the story. I would much have rather seen Jackie and Gregor’s story have their own book.
But other than that, what I found extremely lacking is Roger’s and Cam’s relationship. Starting the book, he comes off as an ass and he does not get any better through the book. But then at the end, we learn something that gets Cam and Roger together. But here’s the problem, he’s an ass and I cannot believe that Cam accepts him. It made me doubt her intelligence considering his actions.
And finally, I really didn’t feel that our heroine was fully fleshed out. If we had not had the sub-plot relationship (Jackie and Gregor) we could have had some character development for Eve.
Conclusions:
Overall, it’s a passable book. I am putting it as a 3-Star, as I do read it often, however, I tend to skip over the secondary characters. I would recommend the book, just don’t expect a great deal of thinking.
Bea
Bea's Hive 