"The Clinch" by Nicole Disney is a raw and gritty exploration of human struggles and the fight for survival, offering a poignant and thought-provoking narrative.

A very interesting setting with a compelling storyline and intriguing, well formed characters. I enjoyed this read and will definitely recommend this to others.

I agree with all the great, 5 star reviews on this book. I'll admit, I wasn't sure if I would be into a book about MMA fighters but I was willing to take a chance. I'm so glad I did, because I LOVED Eden. I eventually grew to love Brooklyn too, once you realize why she is the way she is out in the public eye, but right from the get-go Eden was a fantastic character.

There isn't much I can say other than just giving praise. The pacing, characters, character development, the relationship going from enemies to lovers was just all fantastically done. The side characters, particularly Brooklyn's family members, contributed to the story in both plot and her character arc like they should...just a great read.

Highly recommend the purchase, even if you are like me and have no real interest in martial arts/MMA. It's just so much more than that.

I love all books by this author, can highly recommend. Just wonderful. The main characters are well developed and its so well written you feel personally involved in the journey.

Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion. Copy given by NetGalley.

Not really my zone of romance but I can see how a following would love this book. Great job, Nicole Disney.

Fantastic!

Eden finds herself face to face with a confident and cocky newcomer to the world of UFC, Brooklyn. Brooklyn’s family come with a reputation, as does she, as a bit of a brawler. Not only does their rivalry have the attention of the world but it forces them into a closer position than they ever imagined to find themselves in. Teaching others and supporting students just like herself is something Eden is passionate about but Brooklyn is her biggest challenge yet and seeing past her front leads Eden to discover they might just be perfect for one another.

I adored this story. It had heart, emotion, and an undeniable passion where both characters were concerned to succeed, whatever the dream may be. And they did both have different dreams. I felt for both of them but loved their initially rivalry and ongoing internal, emotional wars with their feelings. It was such a dynamic story with many an important message, from that support is key to succeeding, to learning patience, working hard to achieve dreams, but also standing up for yourself no matter what the cost.

Eden and Brooklyn couldn’t have been more different but they just worked! As a team, focusing on achieving dreams they were brilliant. Brooklyn really needed putting in line and there was no one better for the task than Eden. I loved how she kept pushing Brooklyn mentally and physically to make her a better person and help her see the importance in not just hiding who she really was because external pressures dictated she should. Bringing out that insecurity in Brooklyn was key to making her a likeable character, and wanting her to succeed.

The best thing about this story was the unpredictability. I had no idea how it was all going to turn out in the end and therefore all I could do was hope that Brooklyn would redeem herself, especially now she had gotten to know Eden rather than just making assumptions about her. It was the emotion between them that really drove this for me, it was about their development as characters and people more than the romance, which was refreshing and brought something different. From this story, the experience, not only did I learn, but so did Eden and Brooklyn.

A story very much filled with hope but also all the raw emotion and angst to make you feel passionately on both Brooklyn and Eden’s sides. You won’t be able to pick just one because they equally make a good argument and I happened to love how I could totally engage with both sides of their story.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who likes an angsty, passion filled romance, with a little good rivalry and healthy sportsmanship thrown in for good measure. Very excited to see what Nicole will bring us in future stories, and hope to see these two again!

This was so good! I don't know the first thing about martial arts or MMA, but wow was I hooked. I just couldn't stop reading this book.

Edan and Brooklyn are both wonderfully full characters. Their families, their histories, their fight. I was invested in them each individually and in their story together.

This book already had many 5 star reviews, so you don't need me to go on and on.

Highly recommended!

I love a wide array of sports. Mixed martial arts is not one of them. The book description caught my attention and I decided to give it a go and I am very glad I did. Brooklyn Shaw, up and coming Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu talent, with an aggressive in your face personality. Brooklyn is hiding a secret. Eden Bauer, UFC featherweight champion of the world with a big heart to help underprivileged kids in her community like she was helped. Both Brooklyn and Eden come from challenging backgrounds though with very different challenges. Brooklyn has family pressure. Eden grew up with a drug addicted and absent parent. The supporting/secondary characters, especially Laila The'o and Jin where wonderful additions to the story. In this type of setting where you put your life at risk every time you step into the octagon, you need people that care about you.

I thought the story being told in first person from Eden's point of view was a good choice because the reader gets to hear not only what is going on but how Eden felt about what is going on. It also provides a close and personal feel for the beauty and violence of the sport. The description of blending different martial arts was interesting. To have two strong and likeable leading ladies, was a pleasant welcome. Write what you know and Disney did and it was a wonderful, sexy, and a touching story.

I feel like I'm late to the party here - sooo many people have reviewed the book and loved it to bits. I won't make this a long review, but I did want to add my 2 cents worth... I really, really liked it. I thought it was original in terms of setting the characters within the UFC world and how they had to navigate their growing relationship by hiding from the gossip-mad public and a homophobic family.

I love grand gestures and boy did we get one of those towards the end. The level of drama was just right throughout the book - everything from the anxiety-inducing match descriptions to the expected relationship crisis (it is lesfic after all). But, it was well done and not thrown in there just to follow a set formula.

I've been wavering between a 4 and 5 star rating on this. I want to to give it a 4.5 and I feel like I'm on a see saw (yes, this is better than most of my other 4 star rated books, but did I enjoy it as much as my 5 star ones?!) I'm literally on the 4.5 fence. But overall, there were too many good things about this to not go the full monty. Highly recommend!

This was my first Nicole Disney book and I have to admit, I was very skeptical when I read the synopsis because I wasn't sure if this book would be for me. Fortunately, I read a bunch of others' reviews and all were extremely positive, so I took a chance, and boy am I glad I did.

Nicole Disney did an amazing job of creating real and raw characters. I found her ability to describe each practice and fight sequence to be riveting. Her attention to detail was so on point that you could visualize everything that was going on. The romance was smoking hot as well! I really loved everything about this book and I look forward to reading every other book Ms. Disney writes!

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was awesome!! Eden Bauer has held her title as the UFC featherweight champion of the world for 4 years, and she is undefeated. Eden also teaches underprivileged kids traditional Taekwondo at her master's dojang. When a new, upcoming material artist, coming from a legendary family, called Brooklyn Shaw challenges Eden, she can't resist showing Brooklyn her place. Unfortunately, Brooklyn is also quite dreamy and hot. Their fight manages to attract the world's attention. However, as Eden and Brooklyn spend time together and get to know each other, they begin to catch feelings. Will they their feelings manage to survive the fight, or is the title to good to give up?
First off, I want to say that I'm not well versed in the MMA world. However, I thought the Nicole Disney did a great job and explained things well. I didn't really get lost as Brooklyn and Eden talked about MMA. One thing I have to say though, is that when the fight was described, I was a bit confused, but that might just be because I'm a visual person. That being said, I really loved this book! the pace was fitting for the book. It was really well written and drew me in. Don't be put off if you don't know must about MMA. Not only does Nicole explain most aspects quite well, but also MMA doesn't take up most of the book. The chemistry between the characters was perfect. There was equal parts of hot sex scenes and getting to know each other. The emotional twists got me worried for a second, but the ending was perfect. The emotion in this book was raw. When the fight began, my stomach was in knots. When they were have sex, my skin was burning. Nicole really took me on an emotional ride. Overall, this is exactly what I was looking for in a lesbian romance sports book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes lesbian romance and/or MMA.
TWs: alcohol/drugs, homophobia
Thanks #netgalley for a copy!

This book was incredible. If you don't believe me read some of the other reviews out there. This for sure will have to go down as the best Sports themed Lesbian romance of 2021 and it's just January!!!! I am not sure if Disney has another other romances out there, BUT I will be going to look to see what else she has to offer.

The Clinch has action, chemistry, serious topics of homophobia, love, and admiration. Jeez, it was just so good and I honestly can't wait until the audio version of this romance to come out. The main Eden and Brooklyn are both loveable characters. The secondary characters add value and even though their is homophobia in this romance, it is done well. Listen, just read this one - you will enjoy it.

5 amazing stars - I can't say enough good things about this book!

What I like most about this author is her fearlessness in writing stories about incredibly strong women. Oftentimes, I feel I have been grabbed by the pages and shaken furiously from one scene to the next. The Clinch is no different, where we find two MMA fighters fall in love with each other. Despite the violent nature of their occupations, neither woman is a knuckle-dragging miscreant, even though both of them grew up under harsh conditions for different reasons. The delicate balance of their love affair coupled with the raw power of the professional bouts is indeed jarring at times, but the softer edge is always found around the corner despite their up and down relationship. It does not matter if you’re into professional MMA or not, you will be swept away by the action and their journey to a happily ever after nonetheless. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻.

I went in skeptical about how this would pan out especially because sports-related books don’t entice me as much as other tropes do. And I don’t follow Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) so a story about two women fighting tooth and nail for the UFC featherweight championship title would never have gotten me to pick up this book. But reviews after reviews rating this 5 stars had me curious.

My thoughts: This book deserves every 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 it has been given. It had gripping scenes that had me on the edge and my brains are now completely fried. The MMA matches were fantastically written and so descriptive that it brought the fights to life – the punches, cheers, crowds and all. It brought back memories of a live Muay Thai fighting match I’d been to in Thailand, and even then I wasn’t as excited about the live match as I was reading this fictitious one. And if anyone can convert me into a sports fan, its Disney.

Disney did a great job with characterisation. Under the layer of fame and façade as MMA celebrities, the MCs themselves, Eden and Brooklyn were exciting people to know. Both came from underprivileged backgrounds, worked their asses off, and still managed to remain good people despite what they had achieved. The chemistry between the MCs were also off the charts because aside from the physical spark, there was a progressive connection between them that made it believable. And on this note, I would like to add that there a couple of scenes that were steamy and they were great.

This is my first book written by Disney and I am blown away. Can I have a sequel now, please?

This book is a knock out. The only thing I know about Mixed Martial Arts is that on Friends one of Monica's boyfriends wanted to be a champion. I thought I could skim through the fights scenes if I wasn't interested. I found I was more than interested. I was enthralled.

This is a sport romance and the author brings the world of MMA competition to life. Eden Bauer is the reigning UFC Featherweight champion. She lives and teaches classes in her dojang, where a Grandmaster once took her in as teen. Brooklyn Shaw is 22, Brazilian born and descends from MMA royalty. After a few fights she is the media darling and the only thing she wants is the championship belt. Eden stands in her way.

I was blown away reading about the training and the precision needed for fights. And in the fight scenes the action is fast paced and written so a novice like me can follow. I was on pins and needles not knowing who I wanted to be victorious. Circumstances allow the two to train together and to learn to trust each other. The attraction is sizzling between the two MCs as are the intimate scenes.

Disney brought in wonderful side characters to round out the story. Brooklyn's family members have their own distinct personalities as do Eden's friends and students. They add greatly to the storyline and let me understand what drives and motivates the two women. I held my breath in the final battle and was surprised at the perfect ending. I will probably never watch a MMA or UFC fight, but I came away with an appreciation for the sport. And I will gladly look for future books from Nicole Disney.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was fantastic! I loved it and while the year is still young, this book was so much better than everything else I have read in 2021. With the holidays and all the craziness going on, I’m a little late on this review. I kept seeing friend after friend rate this 5 stars. To see a sports romance get this kind of hype made me so excited to read this. But, we all know with hype sometimes comes disappointment… well I’m happy to say that was not the case and that the hype for this book is real.

I have been reading books from Disney since she started at Bold Strokes Books. Her first book was okay, but it showed some potential. Her second still had some bumps but it was a good step up. Her third book, Shadows of a Dream, was not my kind of book. It was way too depressing and didn’t fit my tastes but I could still tell that it was her best written book so far. And now with The Clinch, Disney has finally put everything together and came up with a 5 star book. It’s so nice to see that potential turn into such a great book. People say you should write what you know, and since Disney is a martial artist, I think she proved that saying is true.

I’m a big sports fan and sports romances are one of my favorite types of romances to read. However, I’m not a MMA kind of girl. I do watch boxing on the rare occasion and even some Taekwondo in the last Olympics, but that is it. As you can see from my rating that not being a fight fan did not mess up my enjoyment at all. The fight scenes are so well written, so well done, that being a complete MMA newb you could still understand everything that was going on. Disney made it so exciting that you feel like you actually are a MMA fan. So don’t let the MMA part put you off. This is a romance with excitement and if that combo appeals to you, this book is a must.

The pace on this book was so much fun to read. It was good and fast but perfect for reading about sports actions. Not only was the pace good but the whole book was really gripping. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book and the time flew by. I wanted to read half this book last night but instead I was up to 3am because I HAD to finish the story. There are no lulls or even places where you would want to stop reading. Even the romance has this high intensity that keeps you reading. There are no slow or boring parts and the whole book is just great reading entertainment. To be completely honest, I’m so tempted to start reading this whole book all over again. I have not read the same book back-to-back since I was a teenager but since this book just flew by, I feel like I need to read it again to look for fight details I might have missed, and I want to enjoy the romance again. I really don’t have the time now but this is absolutely going on my rare reread list.

I don’t know if Disney has plans for a sequel or spin-off book. I think she really struck gold here and there is a secondary character Laila that could make for a really interesting main character (if she fast-forwarded a few years so Laila was a little older). I’m going to be greedy and keep my fingers crossed for more. With everything going on right now, especially in the USA, this is the kind of book I really needed. All of Disney’s story choices where so well done and I just completely loved this. This is a book not to be missed and I absolutely recommend it to all sapphic fans.

Well, well, well… What a spectacular wlw sports book! I have to admit that I wasn’t convinced of reading a novel about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting even with the promise of a lesbian romance but I’m so delighted that I did because it was an incredible treat.

Eden Bauer came a long way from a traumatic childhood to become the undisputed UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) featherweight champion. That is, until new Martial Artist Brooklyn Shaw appears in the sports scene trying to dispute her title. But what starts as an aggressive rivalry soon changes into something completely different. Can Eden fall in love with her fiercest competitor?

I love a wide range of sports to practice and to watch but Martial Arts are not one of them. As a matter of fact, I hate violent sports like boxing, wrestling and… MMA. However, I was completely enthralled by this book as it became a complete page-turner from the very first page. Ms. Disney is a Martial Artist herself but there’s a huge difference between being proficient at a sport and being able to describe it with precision so the reader can form a picture in their mind’s eye. And even a bigger gap to make the reader have the full experience of the sport from the athlete’s point of view, to empathise with their struggles, their sacrifices and to feel their pain. Reading the fighting scenes was like reading an action story, fast-paced and exciting. That is what makes this novel shine.

The story is told in first person from Eden’s point of view, which was a great choice as the reader can immerse into a champion’s headspace and experience a high-performance athlete’s frame of mind. As readers, we get behind her dreams and experience her biggest fears. The exclusive pov also helps to keep Brooklyn as an enigma to both Eden and the reader. A mystery to unpack and reveal as the story progresses.

Talking about Brooklyn, who is half Brazilian, half American, I was worried that the author wouldn’t manage to portray her with authenticity. As an Argentinean, I know our next-door neighbours quite well and I have to say that Ms. Disney depicted her perfectly in her body language, the forwardness about her feelings, her religiousness, and her strong sense of family. That leads me to point out that the secondary characters were all well rounded and each one of them played a particular role in the plot like an extended family, which made the story rich and multifaceted.

If you are a sports fan, this will be up your street, if you aren’t, read it for the romance, it’s passionate and hot. Either way, you won’t be disappointed. I really cannot fault this book. 5+ stars.

ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

Ik had no idea what to expect from an MMA romance novel. But what I didn't expect is that I would be so involved in it. This book made me sit up on the edge of my seat and hold my breath a couple of times. 

The way Disney writes about fighting is both beautiful and realistic. Coming out of an MMA fight battered and bruised doesn't quite cover it and that's what Disney lets you read about. A trip to a hospital is no luxury and after the fight between Elena and Brooklyn very necessary. 

Elena and Brooklyn are both great characters. What you see is not always what you get and it was fun slowly peeling off all of Brooklyn's layers. 

Secondary characters are great too. We've got Jin (Elena's teacher), Laila (friend and training buddy) and Mateo (student) on Elena's side and Brooklyn's family. I favoured the first three but nearing the end Brooklyn's brothers grew on me. Mainly because of how they handled her coming out. Jin gave me a strong Mr Myagi vibe. 

Normally I find that with sports romance the attention is mostly on the romance and less on the sport, I think in this novel there is a better balance. It is very heavy on the sport and I really liked that. Don't fear there is not enough romance: there is and the chemistry between Elena and Brooklyn is great!
I would definitely recommend this book. Enjoy!

5/5 stars

Wow! This was amazing! I had so much to do today, but you bet I put it all aside to binge this book. It’s not that I had low expectations for this book, but it was a new author for me and I know absolutely nothing about MMA before jumping in. Now, I am hooked on these characters and want to read everything that Nicole Disney has put out. I’d also like to note how rare it is that I give romance five stars at this point because I read so many. But this book was fresh, exciting and just downright fantastic, and deserves all of the possible stars. The chemistry between Eden and Brooklyn was off the charts in this book. The physical aspects of MMA really just heightened their sexual tension and was a great avenue for developing their intimacy.

Despite this book a very fast-paced and relatively short book, I feel like I know these characters to their core. It’s hard to explain, but somehow the essence of these characters flowed from every page. Yes they were well-developed, but it was something more. I felt as if I really knew the characters, which made it so easy to root for them from the very beginning. Eden and Brooklyn were so different but they just complemented each other perfectly. While their initial rivalry and fight was flirty, exhilarating and fun, the real magic of this book comes after. The beginning was perfect in that it elevated my heart rate and made me obsessed, so by the time the characters truly met I was already completely hooked!

It is the chemistry that stood out for me. So much sexual tension!! Even when they were just talking or training in the gym, you bet I already had butterflies in my stomach. I know I’m going on and on a bit, but the heat between these characters was just phenomenal. Not only was the chemistry great, but as the book went on, their relationship was full of so many other great aspects. They were so supportive of each other, loyal and truly a powerhouse team of boss-ass athletes.

While I’m not going to pretend that the romance wasn’t my favourite part of the book, to my surprise I also really enjoyed the sporting aspect of it. I’m not a sports lover and especially something as confronting about MMA, but this book really opened my eyes to the sport. I was honestly so intrigued and interested in learning about the sport, the training and all the thought that goes behind it. As someone that has a very low pain tolerance, I have a whole new respect for mixed martial artists. Since it is the first time I’ve read a book that was so focused on MMA, it meant that it was all so exciting and fun.

When I first started reading, I used to record the pages of my favourite scenes to re-read when I wanted a pick-me-up or just wanted to remember a fantastic scene. Even though I haven’t done that in a while, I certainly did here. As soon as I finished, I went back and read some of my favourite moments. From the final fight, to gym moments or them just waking up together...I loved it all. This is the kind of memorable couple that will stick with me for ages. It was a story that worked for me in every possible way. I am already looking forward to a re-read!

Eden Bauer is a New Yorker who struggled as a teenager with a terrible home life. As she ran away from trouble one day, she was pulled into the neighborhood Taekwondo dojang. She never imagined that move would not only save her life, but put her on the path to be the undefeated UFC featherweight champion of the world and simply the greatest of all time. Bring in Brooklyn Shaw, a young and hungry for recognition Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert that immediately garners attention and an opportunity to fight for the belt. As the story develops, so does the relationship between the fighters and their unknowingly place blocking each other’s dreams.

Uff, that was a tough blurb as I do not want to spoil things!! This was a page turner for me. Started a bit slow, and I mean the first chapter, but nowadays that’s enough to derail my reading. In any case, it picks up quickly and amazingly. This story is narrated in first person from Eden’s POV. I have to say, this is my favorite type of narration. The intimacy of the storytelling suits me like no other. I was in awe at the description of the one particular event as it unfolded and Eden became aware of it. The descriptions were fabulous and had me wondering what was happening in that prodigal body of hers. It just pulled me into her body and the sensations in that moment in time. You will have to read it to understand!

The characters are fantastic in this one. Eden is a gem, honorable inside and outside the octagon. Brooklyn is unlikable at first, but the author effortlessly makes her endearing shortly after. And goodness, these two elite mixed martial artists drive the story with their unique and changing relationship. The secondary characters were also great, from sweet Mateo to grandmaster Jin and his relationship with Eden, to Théo on the Shaw family clan.

This was simply a great read. I will definitely look for it in audiobook as well. Thanks J for the recommendation! It was adrenaline pumping, yet very sweet when needed to be, because come on, we read romance. This novel covered a couple of tropes seamlessly, but it is mainly an enemies to lovers in a sports setting. Very well done. Non fans of the sport will appreciate and enjoy (for the record, I do not watch MMA). This was an easy 5 stars for me and no doubt will be reading more from this author in the near future.

ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.