Blog Tour - Review: 12 Rounds By: Lauren Hammond

Title: 12 Rounds
Author: Lauren Hammond
Publisher: S.B. Addison Books, 190 Pages (July 31st, 2012)
From: the Author
Format: eBook
Add to: Goodreads

NOTE: This is a "New Adult"/"Adult" title and is meant for an older audience.

Synopsis: Sean (Right-Hook) Reilly knows a few things about himself. One, he's the middle-weight boxing champion of the world with an undefeated record. Two, women find his cocky persona, chiseled biceps, and inked body sexy. Also, the fact that it's known that he doesn't do relationships only adds to his sex appeal. And three, he's Irish, proud of it, and a member of the Braithreachas Don Saol, a branch of the Irish mafia and king pins of the drug cartel taking over the streets of Cleveland.

Connor Doyle(aka Connie) the boss and leader of the Braithreachas Don Saol, has been like a father to Sean, taking him under his wing and teaching him how to survive on the streets after the death of his parents. Sean has never been ungrateful, but has always wanted one thing...

More. More to live for. More to fight for. More to believe in. A chance at a future without drugs or guns. A chance at a future without wondering which day will be his last.

There's only one problem with that. You live by the braithreachas. You die by the braithreachas. And Sean knows whether Connie considers him to be family or not, the only way he'll be leaving the braithreachas is in a body bag.

Hadlee Flax has had a year to overcome her issues. After almost being raped and brutalized, she's putting her best foot forward, seeing a therapist, and has even(with some persuasion from her best friend, Lara) enrolled in self defense classes. And she's doing well moving on with her life until she meets the dark, and conflicted Irish boxing champion of the world, Sean Reilly.

Hadlee is immediately drawn to the gorgeous, cold, and mysterious man who speaks with a slight Irish brogue. She soon learns that there is much more to him than his darkened gaze, cool demeanor, and body covered in tattoos. He's not the type of man she thought he was. And Hadlee finds herself doing something she never thought she would do in the last year...

Falling for a guy.

Falling for Sean Reilly. A man who is on the path to becoming a boxing legend.

One thing Hadlee doesn't know is the other part of Seans' life. His life of drug running, and killing. Or the fact that when he's not boxing he's walking the streets with a gat tucked into the back of his loose jeans, and glancing over his shoulder at every turn.

But it doesn't take Hadlee long to learn that some attractions and relationships can be fatal.
And sometimes...

They just might be worth fighting for.

Review: 4 Stars - 12 Rounds by Lauren Hammond is a thrilling story of two very different characters who initially meet under tragic circumstances, never to see each other again life goes on but then fate intertwines and their lives come together again.

The two characters in the story are Hadlee, a college girl with deep rooted scars who lives a life in fear. She’s lost so much at the hands of a stranger, yet wants nothing more to be that strong girl she once was. And then we have Sean, a guy who was forced into a life he thought he had no choice in taking in order to keep his remaining family together. He’s a pro boxer and knows also a pro at keeping people at an arms length.

While both are different, they each have problems they are trying to work through and changes they are trying to make in their lives and personally. Sean and Hadlee are drawn together, yet keep each other at an arm’s length. Which I was thrilled as it wasn’t insta-love. Their relationship takes time, builds while the two work through their issues and break down some walls before they can be who they really are with each other.

Sean has so many qualities that he keeps well guarded. Due to his life he feels he has no choice, but it was fascinating to watch those walls crumble while reading. The same goes for Hadlee, which is due to Sean and a best friend who was fantastic! There’s without a doubt that these two have a lot of things to overcome - on their own and together. It’s going to be a rocky road, and I hope Hadlee and Sean are both strong enough to fight through for what they both deserve.

Another thing I loved about this book was how it’s written from multi points of view. It’s that chance to get a better idea how the main characters are actually thinking and feeling. It adds depth and so many other layers. I love that chance to find out what one characters thinking, then the other.

All in all, the beginning of the book took a bit for me to get into, but I’ll tell you one thing, once you get through the back story it’s a fast read right until the end. And the end… okay, I need the next book ASAP! I can’t wait to find out what happens next. It was somewhat a cliffhanger, but thankfully we don’t have to wait too long until the next book comes out in November. 

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.