{Book Review} Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine

Title: Phenomenal X
Series: Hard Knocks
Author: Michelle A. Valentine
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: Aprill 22, 2014

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Blurb:

Good Girl. Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love.

From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and women lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.

One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

*Due to the sexual nature of this book, it is not recommended for readers under the age of 17.

I promise myself, one day I will learn. I will. The hype circulating about this book may have been my own worst enemy here. You can tell me if you think I'm wrong when I'm done.

Young, innocent - but not virgin innocent - girl boards airplane and is seated a couple of rows behind first class. In walks a dashingly handsome, yet rough around the edges type of guy who she notices. He's a professional wrestler, I'm certain everyone noticed, but he winks and makes his way to his first class seat with his manager. There's an awkward meeting on the plane, plane lands, more awkwardness ensues, but he manages to sneak his number into her back pocket in the form of an autograph. And we're up and running.

Chances are I would have enjoyed this book much more given three things:

1. I needed a clue about what Phenomenal X looked like, well, there was that one piece of black hair that flopped in his eyes. I honestly don't recall there being much of a description outside of eyes and said hair, but I suppose that's all you really need. I do like my guys to be more than a pretty face. A whole package of hot bod I can do, but this novel left me hanging - oh, the pun we haven't gotten to yet.

2. If we had not repeated the same exact settings, as well as dialogue, throughout the entire book. The plane was a one time thing, though they did fly again, I just don't think we had to read about that flight twice. Xavier "X" Cold picks up Anna at a bar after she calls him, they hop on his motorcycle and head to a little 24/7 diner he enjoys, then takes her home. The next day she starts working with her cousin at what I'm assuming is a dive or maybe a bar & grill, I'm honestly not sure. X shows up, sits in one of her booths, then takes her back to the diner on his bike. Eventually, she gets fired not of her own wrongdoing, SHE drives to the diner and waa-laa, X shows up, offers her a job as his personal assistant, you know, since they are only friends and all. Seriously... they hadn't had a steamy encounter yet.

AND 3. What I should do is just end this review here, with you knowing there's one more thing that really, seriously bothered me with this book, because the cliffhanger is horrid. You think, "Thank all that is good, we're finally getting somewhere!" Then... BAM! It's over. All she wrote. See ya around. Not one single tiny thread of a rope got tied up. In fact, it's possible that I'm left knowing less than I did before I read the darn thing.

So, why 3 stars you ask? Okay, you didn't, but I'll answer anyway. The lack of grammar and spelling errors and because I loved Michelle's Black Falcon series are the only two reasons I'm not knocking it lower. And, hey guys, I understand this happens. Every single one of my very favorite authors have had at least one book that let me down, tremendously. Abbi Glines and Fall Too Far, Jennifer L. Armentrout and Cursed, also to her list I'll say this, while I LOVED Sentinel with all my heart and thought it ended perfectly, the editing was crap. I'm hoping Hard Knocks #2 will be much better, because I'm positive like that!