My mom always said it was just something about the way he moved. The same swagger Archie Valentine wore in the ring when he took his opponents down followed him like a halo everywhere he went. But make no mistake about it—he was no angel. He was like a drug. My mother was his addict.I never understood it…how love could make you blind and convince you to drink the poison. Not until I met Memphis … until I met Memphis Delaney.
At first, it was the familiar form. He’s a fighter, built like a god from the past, the kind of man the universe doesn’t make anymore. His eyes hide a story, and every time I’m in his presence I want to keep reading him until I get to the end. And then…there’s the way he moves. His boxing is violent but beautiful, and his body is a seductive weapon. When he’s in the ring, he wears the stare of a man committed to the battle until his very last breath.
He could end me; turn me into her. Too much of him will leave me as a shadow, and I’ve lost so much of myself already.
But I have discipline. It came the hard way. Lessons learned, scars left behind, and trust stripped away from life.
I will breathe his air, but I won’t fall for a man like him. The only boxer who’s ever going to break my heart is the one who gave me my name.
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“Lost souls find each other sometimes.”
Confession, this was my first Ginger Scott read. IKR? Where have I been? I’ve said many times that I have a weakness for broken characters, and she gave me two. They both have painful pasts that haunt them and it’s understandable that they have trust issues. But for some reason, they are drawn to each other like a magnet to metal. The question is, will they allow their chemistry to develop into something more, or will they let their fears keep them prisoner?
Olivia has been dealt a bad hand in life. She’s stopped believing that the next card will change her luck. It’s been one bad experience after another and it’s best to not even get her hopes up anymore. But she’s not blind. She can’t help but admire his form. His muscles. His skill. His…everything. “All he has to do is say one word, any word, and I will forget the rules I made when I was a little girl about kissing boxers.”
Memphis is living on his dream to become a champion. He lives a simple life, not requiring much. Just a place to train and another to lay his head at night. He’s following in the footsteps of a ghost, learning his way as he goes, trusting his gut. He doesn’t need any distractions, but he can’t unsee her, unfeel her. His body knows when she’s watching him. She has the power to derail all his plans for the future. He needs to keep his eye on the prize. But which prize?
All I can tell you is that this #Alpha had me from the beginning. He won me over without the need for a #KnockOut, I just fell at his feet. Memphis & Liv are amazing characters, but there are some support characters that leave a lasting impression too. A few had me searching eBay for some voodoo dolls and another had me ready to pitch a tent and camp out with him. I loved this story hard and I’ll most definitely be keeping my eye out for whatever this talented author comes out with next. The line forms here…
I read this book via KU and am leaving my review voluntarily.
Triggers: theres a small scene with physical abuse, talk of cheating
**spoilers**
This was a new author for me. I generally don’t like sports related romances but this was a solid 4 stars. It’s a bit slow/drawn out in places but overall a good read. Very few sexy times happening. It’s more about the H and h relationship.
Olivia aka Liv, grew up with a crappy homelife. She leaves home , wanting to be away from family drama and determined not to end up like her mom. But at 25, she ends up back in her family home after falling for a smarmy guy and then losing everything. I truly did not like Liv until around the 40% mark. The author did a great job making her family into the creeps they are. (Mom Angela, invalid/former boxer Dad Archie and Uncle Leo) The H, Memphis a boxer being trained by Liv’s family, was likeable right from the first time he’s introduced. Even Miles, the H’s homeless veteran friends character was believable and likeable.
Trouble from Liv’s past and secrets from Memphis’, almost keep these two apart. Attraction on both sides and loads of patience from Memphis eventually leads to the H and h getting together. – HEA
This was a slow burn read. Memphis an inspiring boxer is a remarkable Alpha hero in this book, his heart is just so good and he’s kind and just the perfect guy. Olivia Valentine is the daughter of the great Archie Valentine a legend in the boxing world. She hates boxers. She hates her family but left penniless must return home. Memphis is at least a nice change of scenery for Liv but he’s a boxer, and she will NOT become her mother. This read was freaking sad almost all the way through it was just heavy. They both have jacked up pasts, Liv’s is still horrible (that features abuse). I thought this book dragged in the beginning and some of the crazy left field twists were not needed. Memphis is a world-class Man that really made me love the story he deserves all the stars
You can always go home again. But can you really? Dysfunctional may be the most apt way to describe Olivia Valentine’s relationship with her family. The emotional tension is there from the beginning. And then you have Memphis Delaney who’s main focus is boxing and winning. Yet he can’t help the pull he feels towards Olivia. How do you overcome the messed up lessons you’ve learned growing up to be an adult with healthy relationships and outlook on life? Layer by layer, page by page we watch Olivia and Memphis try to do just that. All the emotions are there, tugging at my heart. I don’t know anything about boxing, but I feel like I’m in the ring. Memphis is a strong, noble guy with a beautiful heart and Olivia really is a good, strong woman. They are both wonderful characters that care deeply. Theirs is a solid story of love and the family you create not necessarily the one you are born into. Memphis is a knockout!
My first book by this author. LOVED it. Characters are so well developed and the story was gritty and realistic.
A beautiful story of 2 people finding their place in life and love. Memphis and Olivia were destined to be together and after having a hard start in life they are perfect for each other. Many times you hear you can’t pick your family and this book proves this but it also shows you can.
I loved Miles too and my heart went out to him, many times.
Thank you for a beautiful story Ginger!
Wow! Ginger Scott took me by surprise with this one. Ms. Scott’s latest novel, Memphis, is a contemporary sports romance. The characters are just outside the age range of the author’s usual YA/NA genre. The characters’ backstories and issues make Memphis a bit darker than the author’s usual stories. I don’t recommend this book to younger readers (due to some violence and disturbing scenes); however, I whole-heartedly recommend it to adult readers.
Ms. Scott never fails to deliver an extraordinarily well-written novel. Memphis is well paced, and the story is thoughtfully put together. Olivia’s backstory is revealed in such a way that the tension steadily builds throughout the novel. While the title of the book features the male lead (Memphis), Olivia and her family are the core of the story, and they create the story conflict. Each fact of Olivia and the Valentine family’s history foreshadows a shocking revelation to Memphis as well as a very emotional story zenith.
Memphis is a fantastic character. He had a sad, difficult start in life, but that didn’t turn him bitter or malicious. He is the embodiment of good. He pursues boxing not so much for fame but for a deep desire to live up to his name. Memphis juxtapose to the Valentine clan makes for a clear good vs. evil story. While I find the thought of boxing as a sport disturbing, Memphis is a wholly likable character. He is thoughtful, kind, generous, handsome and charming—yes, basically a sexy boy scout.
Olivia Valentine is the daughter of boxing royalty. Her dad, Archie, might have been king of the ring, but he was no prince. His behavior, along with her mom and uncle’s was reprehensible, and their actions form the foundation of the family’s dysfunctionality. Olivia endured a very negative childhood, and since then she has made one questionable choice after another. This smart, good-looking woman has not had any breaks. I found it easy to emphasize with her situation, but I did find her behavior/choices and reactions rough. While Memphis doesn’t harbor anger about his past, Olivia’s anger and resentment over her past has become her armor. She is happily estranged from her family, yet she returns home when her life tanks (with this group, living on the street might be a better option). Each time her despicable mother, Angela, throws down the gauntlet, Olivia takes the bait instead of ignoring her. Inevitably, it is Olivia’s anger and learned toughness that lead to her brilliant strategy and negotiations.
The secondary characters in Memphis are fantastic. They are fully developed and instrumental to the story every step of the way. The Valentines–Leo, Archie, and Angela are the most horrible family members you could ever imagine. Enoch, Olivia’s ex, is wonderfully dislikable. Charles and Miles are the virtuous secondary characters who positively influence Olivia and Memphis, respectively.
The denouement of Memphis is perfect. Olivia shows just how strong she has become, and she, with the help of Memphis, is her own savior. True to her style, Ms. Scott has made her lead female character not the damsel in distress who needs rescuing, but the strong heroine who saves the day. While there is a lot of anger and possibly ill will at the base of Olivia’s solution, in the end it is redemptive.
I love Ms. Scott’s writing, and even though I don’t find anything appealing about boxing, I thoroughly enjoyed Memphis. The characters are fantastic. The story is heart-wrenching at times and romantic at other times. Ms. Scott’s story of perseverance and redemption also delivers messages of inner strength, honor and generosity.
This book has so much heart!! Ginger Scott never disappoints, and this time I feel awed by her story of Memphis and Olivia.
This is about love that overcomes all odds. About two people who have been through it all, but still remain the beautiful people they are. Ginger Scott describes them best in the Acknowledgements, when she called them “my battered and bruised, with my strong and weak, my damned and beautiful, and precious darlings Memphis and Olivia.” This is a very emotional story. It’s absolutely beautiful, and I loved every minute of it.
I was a little hesitant going in, about the boxing. I’ve never watched the sport, except for Rocky the movie (of course). But I was nervous I’d get bored reading about it. HAVE NO FEAR!!! It’s not like that at all!!! Any of the boxing talk was so easily understood. That’s what I love with Ginger’s books! She loves sports and her books usually have some sports in them, but it’s nothing you can’t follow.
Anyway, Memphis and Olivia’s story is what you will really get wrapped up in!! I highly recommend this as an emotional, romance story!! Although I really think it’s SO much more than that!!! 5/5 BEAUTIFUL STARS from me!!!
Ginger Scott write sports like no other. Her stories are accurate and intriguing. She steps into the world of boxing armed with the know-how. Her storytelling is descriptive and beautiful.
‘Memphis’ is a complicated, emotional story set in the world of boxing. The pace is slow and steady, building up to reveals and revelations. Pay attention to the details, they matter! The tone is somber but rises as the story progresses.
Memphis Delaney is on course to fulfill his legacy. Except his legacy is a ghost. A father he never knew. He has some clues but yearns to know more. This is how he ends up training at “V’s” gym. But things are not always as they appear. Memphis has a huge heart and is not afraid to show his emotions. Although his life has not always been easy, he is humble, he is kind, he is loving. And of course- HOT!
“I’ve always fought for myself and for the Delaney name that I want to earn, even though there isn’t a living soul who cares about that legacy.”
Olivia Valentine is the daughter of boxing royalty. But it is not a badge that she wears proudly. Her family is complicated and dysfunctional at best. Circumstances bring her back home. Desperation is a bitter taste. Olivia’s haste to be free of her dysfunctional family leaves her in an unfortunate situation. She comes home and is desperate to disappear, become invisible.
“The three of them are all the family I have left on this earth, and the last thing I ever wanted was to see them again.”
Things are set in motion. Plans, motives, reveals and revelations all play out. This was an intense story. I loved Memphis! His loving nature, his positivity. A beautiful person. I also loved Olivia. Her drive, her fight. She was knocked down, repeatedly, but still came out swinging! This story for me was much more serious or written with a more serious tone than some of Ginger Scott’s other sports stories. I love her writing and cannot wait to see what she has coming next!
“Sometimes, it’s hard to see who your enemy is. Sometimes, it changes.”
4 stars!