Review: Working It by Christine d'Abo (Ringside Romance #1)
Note: This ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
After surviving a horrific accident that led to numerous surgeries and pain in his leg that’ll probably last for the rest of his life, Nolan Carmichael is getting ready to become part of the workforce once again. He may be overqualified for the position he’s applying for, but he wants to become more independent, hoping to not rely too much on his older sister and to get a better control of his anxiety attacks. Unfortunately, his new boss is exactly the kind of anxiety-inducing kind of superior that has Nolan stressing out…but he’s willing to stick it out with Zack Anderson.
He knows he isn’t exactly anyone favorite executive at work, but Zack’s only staying long enough for him to have the funds to not just open but upgrade the Ringside Gym, the very same gym that helped him and his best friends during their troubled teen years. Hiring Nolan Carmichael to be his personal assistant was pure impulse, but in just a matter of weeks, it’s proven to be one of his best decisions ever. Nolan’s helped to ease his burdens, and he’s brought love Zack’s way as well. But what happens when office politics get in the way of their chance at a future with each other?
Working It is my second Christine d’Abo M/M romance read—but fourth overall—and it’s the first in her new series, Ringside Romance, which I’m guessing is about a group of three best friends who met as teenagers at the Ringside Gym, a place that became a refuge for LGBTQ teens in the past and a place that the three hope to bring back to life to help new and future generations of teens. Although we only meet two of the three besties here, this was still a pretty good beginning to the series, since we get some of the history of the place and a bit about how the three friends got together.
I really liked Nolan and how he was able to regain a piece of himself that he lost while recuperating after the accident. Zack may have been a pain in the butt but it was that demanding personality of his that pushed Nolan to prove that he was more than capable of doing whatever Zack required of him. I also liked Nolan’s relationship with his sister and how they went from Nolan leaning on her all the time to siblings that were there to be supportive of one another in the face of the new challenges and changes that were now before them. It was that extra something the book needed.
Then there’s Zack, who I admit could be quite a jackass, but once you find out about his mission to bring Ringside back and how it wasn’t about him but about him passing it forward. He’s also obviously a good friend, as showcased by his close friendship with Max Tremblay, and his concern for his co-workers can be seen with how meticulous he is when it comes to making decisions that he knows will adversely affect them. There was much more to both Zack and Nolan than originally meets the eye, and had a good enough love story to keep me going. Four stars go to Working It. ♥
Date Read: 08 February 2017
Learn more about Christine d'Abo.
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