In Your Corner

Castille’s follow-up to the excellent Against the Ropes doesn’t pull its punches. Oakland’s Redemption fight club is now a legalized mixed martial arts training center. Fighter Jake misses his ex-lover Amanda and wants to start over, this time with some substance behind the sex. He reintroduces Amanda to Redemption, encouraging her to train with the colorful cast of friends while teaching her how to rely on people other than herself. Amanda is entirely capable of taking on a wide variety of enemies, from miscreants on the street to blackmailing harassers from her former law firm, but Jake hopes to show her that there’s value in partnership and vulnerability. Like real lovers, Jake and Amanda need to talk, fight, and have hot make-up sex to navigate their complicated relationship. Readers will be in their corner as they battle for each other. (July)