Review: Win by Submission by Melynda Price Book 1 in the Against the Cage series

Here is a book with an outstanding blurb and wonderful prologue which reaches out and grabs you and makes you want to read the book. Melynda Price is a new to me author and Netgalley kindly gave me this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

The books started out with a bang! Unfortunately it kinda slowed down from there. Don't get me wrong this book has a ton of potential and I think having a beta group read the book would have done wonders. There were a few things that put me off. Repetition, how many times do we need to hear how attractive the heroine is to the hero? or How hot the hero is and how attracted the heroine is to him. I think we got it and didn't need it repeated ad-nosum. The premise of the book was great. An MMA fighter hurt in the ring after winning the belt, a physio-therapist with a history of abuse to help me recover so he can fight again. Good right? An parts of it were really interesting. I think though that you really have to stick with it. The first 1/3 of the book after the prologue was well...not great but if you stuck with it, the pace picks up and the story gets more involved. 

I really liked the characters and I think MP has a great talent for creating multi dimensional characters. I think she just needs to focus on the balance and rhythm of her story and have excellent editors to help her cut out the stuff that is just not needed. Much of the "blather" gave nothing to the story...nothing to the characters or world creation it just made the book longer. 

There was enough in the book that I did enjoy to give it a 3 star rating and I will be watching out for Aiden's story because as I mentioned the characters are very compelling. As far as a recommendation, I'd wait to see if the next book is cleaned up and that book 1 was just a warm up and vehicle to start a good series.