Release Date: April 22, 2014
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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 woman 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.
Reviews
 Such a good book!
April 22, 2014 | By Kindle Customer
I really enjoy all of Michelle A. Valetine's books and .while I admit that I was sceptical about liking this one, I really did. I didnt really like the idea of the male lead being a professional wrestler, but I have to say Michelle proved me wrong.
Xavier and Anna meet on a plane. Anna is escaping her oppressive family and Xavier is heading to his home town after being gone for two years. Xavier immediately finds Anna's indifference to him very attractive. They become fast friends but Xavier insist that he isn’t good for Anna and Anna is not really looking for a relationship.
I really found it interesting that both Anna and Xavier suffered abuse at the hands of religion. Xavier having been punished harshly by his crazy religious grandmother and Anna being oppressed by her family because of their strict religious beliefs. Also, Anna is all things good while Xavier considers himself all things bad. Like she is the light to his dark. Their story really is a sweet one. Anna is experiencing that she doesn’t always have to be perfect and she is helping Xavier realize that he isn’t a horrible person in the process. The sex was really steamy in this book, when it finally happened. Seventy percent in on my kindle and let tell you, I was like, finally! Whew! The writing was fantastic as usual but let me warn you now; there is a huge cliffy at the end of this book. I was left feeling really pissed off. I am literally dying for the next. Thanks, Michelle! LOL
 A touching, juicy and fiercely intense smackdown!
April 22, 2014 | By Ripe for Reader "Margreet"
My rating: 4 of 5 ⭐️
After twenty one years of following the rules, Anna Cortez finally finds the courage to defy her father's wishes and flies off to Detroit to stay with her much more liberal aunt and cousin. Scared and excited with the prospect of starting a new life of her own design, she settles into her economy seat. But a slight mishap has the gorgeous man with the pretty eyes in first class offer her the seat next to him. Having lived in a very controlled and protected environment, Anna has no clue she has caught the eye of professional wrestling superstar, Phenomenal X.
It isn't often that Xavier Cold returns to the city he grew up in. He doesn't have very many good memories, although there are some good people in Detroit he likes to visit whenever he is back in town. A week off before he is back on with the wrestling tour and then the drive for the championship. A week he wouldn't mind spending with the gorgeous little brunette he manipulated in the seat next to him, but he knows she is not that kind of girl and he is not about to ruin her.
The attraction is almost instant but their boundaries are clear. Xavier needs an assistant and Anna needs a job, so friendship is as far as this will go. But if the week they spent getting to know each other as 'friends' wasn't enough temptation, finding themselves assigned to one and the same hotelroom due to a booking issue, was sure to push them right over the edge!!
****
Bad news is.... It's a CLIFFY!!! Good news is....There is MORE COMING!!! Yes, this is only the first book and it is open-ended, HOWEVER, it is a semi-happy ending, with a clilff-hanger twist. I know it doesn't make sense now, but if you just go out and read it, you will know exactly what I'm talking about!!
Solid writing by Michelle Valentine with an A+ for the voice of Xavier, who is sexy as sin... and can use me as his ring 'girl' any. day. of. the. week!
There were so many things I loved about Xavier. He was a big bada$$ on the outside, yet determined not to corrupt Anna, and with a soft spot a mile wide for the people who took him in when he was younger. Although he did not believe he had it in him, he showed evidence of his good character all the time. But the restraint only lasts so long, temptation ends up winning after all and once that dam is broken there is no turning back for Xavier.
Naive is a good description for Anna. And considering she hasn't been exposed to much, nor has she been away from the protection of her family, she seems to be taking some pretty careless risks. She must have tremendous faith in her instincts to take up with a notorious womanizer of questionable repute and leave the safety of family behind. Especially after her trust was already broken once. Anna was a little too meek for me, I like a bit more bite, but she is young, she might learn yet.
The heat between these two, once released is pretty intense, and even 'innocent' Anna seems to become unleashed. But there is no lack of romance either, in a very abrupt and alpha way, with occasional bouts of tenderness...... very yummy.
So we wait with baited breath for the next book to come out.....and trust me, I will read it! I have a need to find out if Anna will 'grow some lady nuggets' and I desperately want to know what will happen next. I have a feeling we have not heard the last of Anna's family, or Xavier's enemies yet. A lot more story yet to be told!!
✨A touching, juicy and fiercely intense smackdown!✨
**Copy provided in return for an honest review.***
Meet Your Next Book Boyfriend, Phenomenal X!
April 22, 2014 | By Holly "Holly's Red Hot Reviews"
Phenomenal X is Phenomenal X is Michelle’s best work to date. She gives us a headstrong feisty heroine; a broken yet lovable alpha male, and a tension filled love story that will have you fanning yourself from the moment Anna first lays eyes on Xavier. Phenomenal X will have you rooting for this couple and begging for more.
To see this book go from “So I have this idea for a book, the guy is a wrestler…” to what it’s become, I could not be more proud of it or Michelle. Michelle took her time in crafting book one of her Hard Knocks Series and it shows; she’s given us well developed characters. We have feisty, stubborn Anna who’s determined to live her life on her terms, starting over in Detroit, breaking free from her over controlling parents and Xavier “Phenomenal X” Cold, the newest wrestling sensation with a past so broken, who’s still haunted by nightmares of his childhood leaving him feeling unworthy of anyone’s love. According to him he’s a villain and would taint and destroy anyone that got close to him. His story makes your heart ache for him. As far as book boyfriends go, he’s up there with Travis (Beautiful Disaster) and Trip (from Michelle’s Rock The Beat).
These two meet by chance on a flight to Detroit; Anna is starting over, Xavier is taking a mandatory vacation from wrestling, and the minute these to come face to face the sexual tension is instant and the heat between them is hotter than the hinges on the door way to hell. Some of the stuff Xavier says makes ME blush, and believe me that’s not easy to do.
“I could do things to your body that most women only dream about while reading their dirty romance novels, and I promise you’d effing enjoy it.”
“I just want a little taste.”
Anna may have led sheltered life, but she’s no dummy, she’s not falling for Xavier’s game.
“Why do I have the distinct feeling that this man has just propositioned me after sitting next to me for less than ten minutes? No one, other than me, gets into these jeans that fast.”
Buuuuttttt Xavier isn’t giving up that easily, this sexy man beast is determined to get to know Anna, he can sense this goodness in her that he just can’t walk away from. Just as Xavier sees the good in Anna, Anna sees the genuinely good man that lies beneath Xavier’s hard exterior. After finding a way to see Anna again, their tension filled friendship begins…with three rules…
1. No getting naked in his bed.
2. No kissing.
2a. No open-mouthed kissing.
3. If either one starts developing feelings for the other person, they have to tell them.
Watching them become friends that slowly developed into more was a nice change of pace; there is no insta-love here. At first they think they’re so different but they learn that they both have suffered, in their own ways, due to the beliefs of others. I liked the way Michelle subtly weaved that commonality in between them. I was excited when they finally decided to smash their rules and make things official.
“If we smash these effing friendship rules there’s no going back. Once I have you—that’s it, you’re mine. I won’t allow another man to take what’s mine. Do you understand?”
My mouth drifts open and I whisper, “Yes.”
Mothereffing squeeeeeee!!! I jumped up whispered yelled a big fat YES myself here! This is where my heart started to race, I was running around in circles excited to see my beloved Xavier push his past baggage aside and follow his feelings for Anna. My heart pounded in my ears and I swear I felt the sweat forming on my own forehead the first time Anna and X got together. Total. Tummy. Flutters. I fanned myself, I swooned. I’ve love this book from the beginning concept to the final product and I cannot wait for book 2!
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