Sunny Shelly Reviews Undefeated by Stuart Reardon & Jane Harvey-Berrick

 

When your world crashes down
When they all say you’re out
When your body is broken
I will rise.
I will return.
And I will be undefeated.

Nick Renshaw is the golden boy of British rugby. When a serious injury threatens his career, he starts to spiral downwards, a broken man.
Feeling abandoned and betrayed by those closest to him, he fights to restart his life. Maybe there’s someone out there who can help him. Maybe he can find his way back toward the light. Maybe … not.
Dr. Anna Scott might be the one person who can help Nick, but she has her own secrets. And when Nick’s past comes back to haunt them both, the enigmatic doctor is more vulnerable than she seems.
Broken and betrayed, the struggle to survive seems intolerable. Who will give in, and who will rise, undefeated?

It’s been noticed,” she began carefully, “that you’re not engaging with the team or … or with me during my teaching sessions.”

His lips pressed together and his scowl deepened.

“Look, I know this is all kinds of awkward,” she sighed, “but your behaviour is already giving Sim concerns. It’s making him wonder about your commitment to the team.”

Nick exploded, his anger filling the space as he leapt to his feet and began to pace up and down, hands scrubbing over his face roughly.

“He’s questioning my commitment?! I train harder than anyone! I train on my off-days,” he spat furiously, his voice tight with emotion.

“Nick…”

“I’m out there, slogging my fucking guts out harder and longer than anyone else during practices!”

“Nick…”

“I’ve fought to come back from injury. I’m fit! I’m ready! I…”

“NICK!” Anna slapped her hand down on the massage table. “Will you listen to me!”

His jaw snapped shut and his stormy eyes narrowed on hers.

“Sim didn’t see that commitment during my sessions.”

“And we both know why that is,” he sneered. “You don’t want any commitment from me.”

Anna’s eyebrows shot up and Nick looked as though he was already regretting his words. He took a deep breath and looked away while Anna chose her next words carefully.

“You assured me that you could be professional and…”

“Yeah, well excuse me if seeing you again is fucking with my head! Not everyone can be as cold and calculating as you!”

She knew she deserved his anger, but her own frustration was rising to meet his. The volcanic pressure inside started to build, searching for an exit, searching for weakness.

“I cannot have any sort of relationship with a client!” she hissed, her body rigid. “You know that!”

“Didn’t stop you before,” he taunted.

“You weren’t a client then,” she choked. “But you’re right—I should have stopped. Oh boy, am I regretting it now!”

And she tossed her clipboard onto the table, pointing a finger in his face.

“Are you trying to ruin this for me? Is that what this is? Your ego can’t bear it, so you’re going to make sure I lose this contract? Or maybe ruining my reputation forever will settle the score. You tell me, Nick! What do you want from me?”

She was breathing rapidly, and two points of colour marked her cheeks in an otherwise chalky complexion.

He spun around, prowling toward her, his jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists.

“What do I want? I want to fuck you so hard you’ll never forget it’s my cock that’s been inside you. I want you screaming my name. I want you to say it wasn’t a mistake. I want to make you come so hard you pass out. That’s what I want, Anna, and it’s fucking killing me to not even touch you!”

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to Undefeated, as it is former pro rugby star Stuart Reardon’s debut novel, and Jane Harvey-Berrick is a new-to-me author. But I went into the book with an open mind, and I was pleasantly surprised.

There is a sweetness to rugby player Nick and sports psychologist Anna’s romance. While their relationship is technically forbidden thanks to his team’s no-fraternization policy, the two embark on a genuine friendship at first, which gives their later romance a strong foundation. When they first meet, Nick is in a long-term relationship, and despite their attraction to the other, neither one of them do anything to cross a line. When an injury nearly ruins Nick’s career, and then his personal life falls apart as a result, Anna turns out to be the only person from that part of his life still rooting him on. She stands by him, lifting him up through one of the darkest times in his life, but when the tables are turned and Anna needs a personal cheerleader, will Nick return the favor and come through for her in the same way?

Undefeated has an uplifting HEA, even though Nick and Anna’s journey to get there is full of twists and turns and roadblocks and a helluva lot of angst. The rugby scenes are gritty and raw, no doubt colored by Reardon’s own personal experience with the sport. The story is told in alternating third person POVs; while I do love being able to read both his and her sides to a story, third person is not my favorite perspective. And there are several times where POV changes mid-chapter; it’s not a huge deal in terms of the flow of the story, but my personal preference is a clean character break with the start of a new chapter.

Overall, Undefeated is a solid feel-good romance, and I was rather impressed by Reardon’s first offering as an author. We all know he makes for a beautiful cover model (like on Undefeated!) and now he can say that he’s a pretty good romance writer as well. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.