Review: ‘Against the Ropes’ by Sarah Castille
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Against the Ropes
by Sarah CastilleSeries: Redemption #1
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 3, 2013
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 363
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Audience: 18+/Adult
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He scared me. He thrilled me. And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more...
Makayla never thought she'd set foot in an elite mixed martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it's these guys. Then again, at her first sight of the club's owner, she's the one feeling breathless.
The man they call Torment is all sleek muscle and restrained power. Whether it's in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when a soft touch is required and when to launch a full-on assault. He always knows just how far he can push. And he's about to tempt Makayla in ways she never imagined...
I’ve had Against the Ropes on my TBR since its release back in 2013. Thanks to the January 2026 TBR Tackle Challenge via StoryGraph, I made time to read it. Now, I’ve read a couple of Sarah Castille’s latest releases and enjoyed them, but this one wasn’t for me. You would think with such a steamy-looking cover that the story would live up to the cover, but what I got was something different. I should have DNF, but pushed through because I thought it would eventually become something I enjoyed. It didn’t, though.
The book is told solely from the heroine’s POV, and I found her immature and annoying, especially her actions at the end, where she puts herself in danger for her friend, whom I also disliked. I wanted to like her, but she isn’t very likable. Her EMT skills seemed implausible given her dislike of violence and blood, yet she ends up working at a fighting club. It just didn’t make sense, but I did learn why she was against violence, and it all stems from what she went through when she was younger, and it all made sense after that.
Max, known as Torment in the ring, didn’t fare better as a character. He manages an underground MMA club and works in a boardroom during the day, but his alpha traits leaned toward controlling and over the top possessive, especially with Makayla. Instead of respecting her boundaries once he understood her discomfort, he kept pushing. Their chemistry felt forced and unconvincing from start to finish.
Then, there was the overexaggerated debt collector who was harassing Makayla the whole time, who literally threatened her. I rolled my eyes at these scenes, especially when she refused Max’s help. Real debt collectors don’t act like this, so I kept thinking the debtor was a scammer or mobster.
I enjoyed some moments, especially the MMA fight scenes and Makayla’s interactions with other fighters, like when they end up in the ring together, making those moments humorous. Although I didn’t love Makayla and Torment’s chemistry, one scene, where Makayla teases Torment at his job, stood out as steamy.
This book had potential with the underground MMA fighting and opposites-attract dynamic, but since it’s told only from the heroine’s POV and I didn’t like either character or believe they had chemistry, it didn’t work for me. I’m disappointed it didn’t grip me like Sarah Castille’s recent releases (Havencrest U series).
Overall, I’m giving this book two stars. I’m unsure if I’ll pick up the next book, since the FMC is Makayla’s friend, whom I found annoying, but curiosity might win. I want to see if I end up liking her, or how the MMC forgives her actions from this story.
POV: First Person (Single POV) (Heroine Only)
Would I recommend this book? Just because I didn’t enjoy Against the Ropes doesn’t mean others won’t. If you like Opposites Attract stories or books with MMA fighting, check this out. It’s on KU as of January 2026.
What to Expect:
✔️Sports/MMA Fighting
✔️Opposites Attract
✔️Slow Burn
Read for the Reading Challenge: January TBR Tackle Challenge (StoryGraph) Hosted by BooksAre42
About Sarah Castille
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Sarah Castille, writes contemporary erotic romance and romantic suspense featuring blazingly hot alpha heroes and the women who tame them. A recovering lawyer and caffeine addict, she worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home near the Canadian Rockies.
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