Book Review: Full Contact, by Sidney Halston

I had the absolute pleasure of reading the ARC for Full Contact, by Sidney Halston. This book is the first that I have read by this author and I was thrilled to have enjoyed it so much.

Slade is a mixed martial arts fighter who has had to stop competing. After numerous concussions from past fights, he is one concussion away from serious, life threatening injury. He becomes a co-owner of the Academy where he now trains MMA fighters. Slade has a reputation of being a man who has thoroughly enjoyed the perks of his fame where the ladies are concerned. Though he has had no interest in having a relationship, he has never let that stop him from enjoying female company. Only one woman has ever truly caught his attention in a more meaningful way....Jessica Cross. Jessica is not free though. She is in a relationship with another man, Dennis Stavros.

Jessica is in a fragile way when we first meet her. The victim of a brutal attack, she is recovering in the hospital. Slade comes to her aid and offers her a safe place to recover from her injuries. As she recovers, Slade's feelings for her deepen.

Jessica returns home and the relationship between her and Slade begins to unfold. I enjoyed their relationship and how Slade was so involved in Jessica's recovery. Jessica was no shrinking violet though. A bartender by trade, she knows how to handle herself around alpha men. There is only one man who can really put the fear into her.

An underlying storyline that comes to light in the book is that of a stalker who has set his focus on Jessica. He is exacting in his efforts and eventually comes face to face with her. The resulting backlash of that confrontation haunts Jessica and shakes her to the core. Will her budding relationship with Slade survive the aftermath of the stalker's claims on Jessica? How will Slade ever forgive her once the stalker's actions are made known?

This book is a great read. I absolutely loved the characters in the story. Sidney Halston has gained a new reader with this book. I look forward to reading more of stories in the future.