Working It (Ringside Romance #1) by Christine d’Abo

Nolan Carmichael is getting a fresh start—new career, new company, new life. The only problem is, he liked his old life just fine . . . until an accident robbed him of his health, his job, his self-confidence, and his ability to go out in public without having anxiety attacks.
Zack Anderson has scared away his last four administrative assistants. So when he hires Nolan on a whim, he’s not too worried, since Nolan will be gone within the week anyway. Two weeks later, Nolan has made himself indispensable, completely reforming Zack’s schedule, life . . . and libido.
But in a company already torn by internal politics, one wrong step could ruin both their careers. And not only are they working to reopen Ringside Gym, Zack’s retreat when he was a troubled teen, but they also can’t help themselves falling for each other. If only the rest of their lives could go as smoothly as things do when they’re alone together.

I think I’m gonna like this series. Anyone surprised?

The only other book I’ve read by Christine d’abo was a holiday novella, Rebound Remedy, which I really enjoyed. I almost passed this one up, but then a couple of trusted reviewers/readers read it and liked it so much I decided to pick it up. Needless to say, I’m glad that I did.

I loved Nolan from the start… Zack, not so much. The description should clue you in to the reasons why. On the surface, pairing these two should equal disaster. The more readers got to know Zack though, the easier it was to really hope that Nolan could see through the gruff exterior and know the true Zack. The one who deserved Nolan’s trust and more importantly, needed him.

My heart broke for both of these men when things inevitably imploded. This was one of those books where I wanted to jump in and beg the characters to slow down and just talk… *sigh* There were supporting characters that I loved and those that I loathed, which kept things more than interesting.

The next book in the series features Max and I can’t wait. He was one of my favorite supporting characters in Working It and from the sounds of it, I’m going to adore him in Faking It.