Review: FELIX by Elizabeth Reyes

They say the only good thing about hitting rock bottom is that it can't get any worse . . . or can it?

World famous boxing champ, Felix Sanchez, had it all—the fame, the fortune, and all the women any man could ask for. When the hours of partying followed by hours spent in court and in rehab begin to outnumber the hours he spends training, losing his title comes as no surprise to everyone. The world assumes he deserved to lose it.

Only those closest to Felix know the real truth behind his sudden downward spiral. And if Felix has his way, no one else ever will. With an uncertain future ahead of him, he heads back to his roots—5th Street—the gym that started it all for him. It's where he meets the humble but mighty little Ms. Ella.

The only times Felix had ever decided to forgo the usual meaningless fling and try a real relationship he was burned badly. Now the adorable but tenacious self-defense instructor has him considering this love thing one more time.

Then just when he begins to worry that his past is letting his possessive and jaded heart get the best of him, he's blindsided in the most brutal way—he's brought to his knees—to what could be the one low in his life he may never recover from.

Reviewed by: Celia

Rating: 2 stars

 

Review: When I think of a boxing story, I think of Sylvester Stallone in that movie, Rocky, with its lame protagonist, overbearing machismo, and flimsy story line with endless theatrics. And I thought Felix was bound to be the same. Just by the cover alone, you can tell a central focus would be on muscle and manliness. Are we trying to overcompensate here?

Felix is the story of a has-been boxing champion, who, like many has-beens, has spiraled out of control and is going nowhere. As anticipated, Felix is a prideful, conceited, arrogant jackass. I don’t see what could be attractive about this guy. Quite frankly the fact that he was a drinker and a smoker was a turn off for me.

The story progressed rather slowly, centering mostly on a tantalizing romance and a head-strong decision to get back in the ring. All they could talk about was boxing. Obviously, the author was a die-hard fan of it; not me.

The romance was exemplary of many of Reyes’ books. In fact, I became a devout reader of Eli Reyes after checking out The Moreno Brother series. Unfortunately, almost every novel since then has been the same, following the same standard formula.

The 5^th Street series has been a good change of pace for this author.  If you like romance and boxing, then this is the series for you. But, in this reviewer’s opinion, you might be better off renting Rocky, because it’s the same basic story line.