Customer Reviews

Simon Says (SBC Fighters, Book 2)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a huge Lori Foster fan, but this was not the best book of this series.

It was well written as always, and Simon is incredible, but I did not find Dakota likeable. I realize good characters have a past and baggage, but with Dakota it was almost too much and she had a chip on her shoulder the size of Texas. She was purposely rude, unfriendly, and combative the majority of the time, and I found myself not caring about her - hoping Simon would find someone else. She was physically strong and had knowledge of the SBC, but no other redeeming qualities.

Dakota Dream (you read that name right) can only get access to the letters her estranged mother wrote prior to her death if she reunites her evil stepfather with his biological son. But she soon discovers that introducing Barnaby and Simon will not be easy. Simon is an SBC trainer just getting over the betrayal of long time love Bonnie sleeping with another, and decides to re-ignite his career and starts training to return to the ring. When Dakota walks into his gym and gives him advice, he wants to send her packing, particularly when he learns that she's there for. He can live the rest of his life without ever meeting bio-dad. But an attraction between the two develops and his jealousy is piqued when she manages to attract just about every male within a 10-mile radius, including a cruel ex-husband.

I wanted to like this story, particularly since I liked its predecessor. But this one is all over the place. It's as if Foster wrote two different characters and merged them for Dakota. She just didn't make any sense from chapter to chapter, and I had a hard time figuring out why she was such a babe magnet considering she was slovenly most of the time, and just too young and immature for the hero. And I was tired of being hit over the head just how attractive Simon was. One aspect I liked is that Dean from "Havoc" plays a role in the novel, not just a walk on for the sake of linking the two novels. Just take it for what it is - a palate cleanser for the next SBC story, but a step above the "Law" series.

Simon Says is Lori Foster's latest release. What a heart tugging, suspenseful story it is, and a terrific read illustrating Lori's style of writing that we have all come to love and showing that family counts.

Simon Alexander Evans, a renowned trainer of SBC fighters, who's fight name had been Sublime decides to make a comeback into the fighting ring, after breaking up with his girlfriend of five years who had cheated on him. Trust, honesty and loyalty were the things that were important to Simon and she had failed them. Surprisingly he's able to walk away without a backward glance because he found that his heart had never been involved. Yeah he had planned to marry her one day, but the time was never right balking at the idea of tying himself down legally, emotionally and officially. Nope that was not for him, or so he thought.

Dakota Dream has had a life of hard knocks, some of them coming courtesy of her ex-husband. She has made mistakes, regrettable ones, and hates to be manipulated by her step-father who has always been trouble for her. When Barney demands her to bring his son to him, one that she never knew existed, Dakota has no alternative but to set out to do just that, hoping that finally she can put her past behind her. Naturally there are incidents and things that her step-father uses to manipulate Dakota to come around to his way of thinking guaranteed to keep her in-line. Dakota is determined to be successful, thankful for her skills honed working at her part-time volunteer job of locating missing people.

When Dakota arrives at the gym that Dean (Havoc) owns and operates in Harmony, Simon's attention is drawn to her from the very beginning. Dakota keeps him off balance, with her audacity to give pointers to the other fighters. He cannot figure out why, out of all the women in the country, he is drawn to Dakota. She stirs his blood like no one else has been able to do. Sparks fly, when Simon finds out the reason behind Dakota's appearance in Harmony, but above all the sexual tensions run hotter and higher and he has to have her. Simon finds her ballsy, smart, kind, caring and hot, but he can ill afford a distraction like her to his training for a comeback and yet he can't help himself. Dakota is stunned at the effect that Simon has on her and how hot he makes her. Simon experiences feelings he has never had before, anger, jealousy, lust for just Dakota no matter and something else, but what is it? When he finds out that she has not been totally honest with him can he overcome it?

How this story unfolds, just shows Lori's strength of pulling the reader in at the beginning and holding their attention to the last page. Mixing in an ex-husband, and the jilted girlfriend determined to win Simon back, there are many twists and turns on the trip to see how it all resolves. All blend together to make a suspenseful, hot read. We meet friends from Causing Havoc and also new ones. It shows how fighters ban together to protect one of their own when they are threatened, their love of family and what really matters. In the meantime, can Simon win the title fight and the belt back? Can Dakota put her past behind her? And after all is said and done is there a chance of Simon and Dakota working out the kinks in their relationship? So many questions penned in a wonderful story and resolved with a sigh ending that is Lori's strength. SIMON SAYS is a book not to be missed, and even if you haven't read Causing Havoc, this book is well worth picking up, I highly recommend it, and can't wait to hear more from the SBC fighters.

Simon Evans, aka Sublime, thinks that his life is working out great, until he finds out his longtime girlfriend has been cheating on him. It's then that he realizes that although he's rather angry, in all reality, he really doesn't care and that although he's been satisfied with his life and his job promoting the SBC fighters, he's fallen in a rut of familiarity. He quickly decides to jump back in the ring. A decision that leads him into the path of Dakota Dream and the father who walked out on him years ago, a father he has no intention of having in his life. However, Dakota intrigues him and despite himself he can't keep his mind off her or stop spending time with her.

Dakota's stepfather is blackmailing her. Either she succeeds in getting his son, Simon, to talk to him in person or he'll destroy the letters from her mother that were written before she died. Due to Dakota's disastrous marriage, Dakota and her mother had not been on speaking terms at her death and she is desperate to know if the letters contain her mother's forgiveness. Even though Simon is determined not to have any contact with his father, Dakota stays around to convince him to help change his mind. As their relationship takes unexpected turns, she finds herself discovering that Simon has become more important to her than anything in her past. Only now the past, in the form of Dakota's deranged ex-husband, has come back to haunt her and with Simon's ex-girlfriend determined to win him back, Dakota and Simon may have to fight for their lives and the love they've discovered.

In all honesty I have to say that Simon Says kept me up practically all night! It was that good. Simon was so yummy and when it comes to heroines, Dakota is my favorite kind! Filled with smoldering sensuality one moment, action the next and just the right amount of humor thrown in, Simon Says is one book that everyone should grab up immediately!

Melissa reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Unlike many reviewers here, I love "Causing Havoc". So I thought this one will be just as good.

However, I feel like the story is all over the place. I just can't feel "it": the chemistry, the thrill, even the "danger" that surrounds Dakota. Plus I am tired for reading young woman with man, like 10 years older than her. I'd like to see much more mature story. It's kind of a downer because I do like Simon when I first read "Causing Havoc".

If I could give more than 5 stars to this book I would ! From page one it had me chuckling, sighing and wanting to smack someone in turns.. The whole book kept me turning page after page without wanting to put it down. The relationnship of Simon Evans and Dakota Dream..yes that is her real name, is great from the start. Her reasons for searching him out change almost from the minute she sees him. Do yourself a favor and get this book. You will NOT be sorry! Again Lori has written a story that I will read over and over again!

Simon Evans recently moved to the small, quiet town of Harmony and is currently training for a return to fighting. He certainly doesn't need distractions, but one day at the gym, in walks luscious Dakota Dream. She's looking for Simon because she needs him to come with her to meet his never seen father. Simon balks at the request, but Dakota is not only persistent; she's now caught Simon's eye.

Dakota had a rough childhood and she hopes that in exchange for bringing Simon to his father, she will receive some letters from her late mother. Dakota has to admit Simon is a hunk, but his overbearing, protective ways get on her independent nerves. Why should she allow herself to get involved with a man who always has to be in charge? However, Dakota soon appreciates Simon's protectiveness when an attempt is made on her life.

SIMON SAYS is a sequel to CAUSING HAVOC (Feb. 2007), which introduced readers to the town of Harmony and the male fighters of the SBC (Supreme Battle Championship). Simon is the best trainer in the SBC, but has decided to reenter the ring himself. With enough male testosterone around, a woman could feel overwhelmed. But Dakota is not any woman; she's tough as nails and has no qualms about taking on Simon and his cohorts. Simon has no interest in meeting a father who abandoned him when he was a baby, and even the attractive wiles of Dakota will not make him change his mind. Simon believes in truth and honesty, so when he finds out the true relationship between Dakota and his father, all hell may break loose. How will it all pan out when Simon never wants to let Dakota go?

Wow, what another winner from Lori Foster! Mix in an emotional tale of male fighters, sexy banter, and some mild suspense, and you have a riveting tale you won't want to put down. Dakota is not afraid to take on Simon and, if she could, she'd probably drag him to his father! Simon wants Dakota in his bed, but at the same time, he knows she could prove to be too distracting while he's training. He's also aware she's hiding some secrets. Oh, boy, is she! What will happen when Simon finds out the truth? Why is she reluctant to get closer to Simon despite the obvious sexual chemistry between them?

In SIMON SAYS, we are reintroduced to Dean "Havoc" Connor and his wife, Eve, as well as Gregor, another fighter. Introduced for the first time are Simon's fellow SBC fighter, Mallet, and Dakota's musician friend, Barber. I'm not sure that Ms. Foster plans any more stories involving the SBC, but I would love to read more. Also, if you're not into sports themed stories, you can rest assured that the focus is on the romance, with the SBC and its fighters only providing a background.

With sexy characters and a story that's funny, heart tugging, and suspenseful, you won't want to miss SIMON SAYS. I highly recommend that you pick up your copy today.

Patti Fischer

for Romance Reviews Today

Lori Foster is always a dependable read... funny, sexy and with characters that win you over in a heartbeat... SIMON SAYS is no exception.

SBC fighter Simon Evans and heroine Dakota Dream.. (Ms Foster explains the name in a way that takes it from annoying to probable in less then a paragraph) are perfect. Perfect for a romance novel, perfect for each other, and absolutely perfect to set up a whole slew of new SBC fighters and books. Yea!

From the opening chapter to the last page this is a wonderful summer read, with plenty of torrid encounters and muscle bound brawls, it's well worth the price of admission!

Plot Summary: Simon "Sublime" Evans was an extreme fighter in the SBC, Supreme Battle Championship, circuit, and he hung up his gloves to train other fighters. After his long-time lover was caught cheating on him, Simon decided to kick-start his career again. In the meantime, his absentee scum-ball father decides that a reunion is necessary, and guilts his errant step-daughter, Dakota Dream, into dragging Simon back home by any means necessary. Dakota has been a fan of the SBC for years, so she's thrilled to hound Simon until she realizes that he has absolutely no intention of meeting Dad, and her manipulation starts to feel wrong. It's soon apparent that Dakota has bigger problems, when she gets a nasty stalker of her own.

It's pretty clever to build a whole series around a group of sexy professional fighters. What can I say? My primitive lizard brain likes the idea of hooking up with the strongest, toughest, baddest guy in the room. I don't even mind spending time with them in the gym, since I can't smell a thing. Seriously, those places reek in person, so I'm happy that my imagination can conveniently leave out that one little detail. Foster is a great writer, and although I don't think this book can hold a candle to her Servant Series (which totally rocks), it was perfectly entertaining. Although I liked the story, there were a few problems that are holding me back on the rating.

First, I had a hard time swallowing the whole guilt-trip scenario that Daddy dearest laid down on Dakota. She helped a man she despised because a few years ago he contacted her when her Mom was dying? She acts like he performed some kind of good Samaritan act, when common decency demanded that he find her no matter what. I don't understand why Dakota thinks that she owes him such a big debt that she'd agree to track down his son. I'd have told step-dad to shove it and left. Later on, Dad pulls out a much bigger bargaining chip to keep Dakota working on his behalf, and frankly the whole story would have been more believable if that was her prime motivation from the get go.

I found the romance to be entirely plausible, but I never got the sense that Simon and Dakota were on fire with love and lust. Their relationship progresses at a remarkably normal pace, and maybe I shouldn't be knocking the realism, but I can't help wishing for a bit more passion. One thing that bugged me, is that Simon is nicknamed "Sublime" because he is too hot for words, but he shaves his head. I have no problem with bald guys (yeah, I think Patrick Stewart is a stud, if an old one), but I do prefer my heroes to have hair, and the longer the better. In my mind, I secretly tried to picture Simon with hair, but then Foster would mention his shorn scalp again and it would blow my mental image.

Definitely five stars for Lori's latest book Simon Says!

Simon is a top notch fighter, intense, gorgeous, and so sexy. You have to love a guy who can kick [...] in the fighting ring, but be smacked over in love with his woman! His sensitivity to her past is so touching, and watching him scramble to deal with his unexpected feelings for her had me laughing at times, and sighing at others.

Dakota is the kind of heroine I love; feisty, headstrong, and more than enough to put the hero in his place when he gets out of line. She's vulnerable, but not whiny or helpless.

I enjoyed the sexual chemistry between these two...as usual for Lori's books, the love scenes are HOT and romantic. No matter how much these two try to fight their attraction, there's no denying the sparks that are there from the onset.

I can't wait to read Harley's story in Hard to Handle, and I hope Lori Foster keeps writing these SBC fighters!