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Wrestling Girls #1
Sucker Punch
Pam is happy. She's a professional wrestler, surrounded by friends and co-workers who adore her and a doting Mexican aunt who has been spoiling her since she was a child. She and her cousin Sean run their own wrestling club, the Beatcave, in Camden Town, and her life is basically perfect. Emphasis on basically.
Lea, known to the world as AJ Käss, is a world-wide famous influencer and journalist coming back to London after living in Los Angeles for the past couple of years. She's popular among her acquaintances in LA, but has always been a loner. Family business suddenly brought her back to England and she's already looking forward to going back to the California sun.
Their paths cross one night in the dim lights of the Beatcave, and that is all it takes for their stories to become their story.
OR
A bunch of queer disasters wrestling in London.
[ Tags & tropes: POC protagonists; meet cute; strangers to lovers; slow burn; they don't know they're dating; idiots in love; plain girl/hot girl; romantic comedy ]
Lea, known to the world as AJ Käss, is a world-wide famous influencer and journalist coming back to London after living in Los Angeles for the past couple of years. She's popular among her acquaintances in LA, but has always been a loner. Family business suddenly brought her back to England and she's already looking forward to going back to the California sun.
Their paths cross one night in the dim lights of the Beatcave, and that is all it takes for their stories to become their story.
OR
A bunch of queer disasters wrestling in London.
[ Tags & tropes: POC protagonists; meet cute; strangers to lovers; slow burn; they don't know they're dating; idiots in love; plain girl/hot girl; romantic comedy ]
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 7, 2023
I don’t know why it took me so long to start this book. I enjoyed it a lot, it’s full of fantastic people and found family and exactly the kind of story I like. The author sets the mood brilliantly right from the start.
On a backdrop of book pages, an iPad with the cover of Sucker Punch by Kayla Faber. At the bottom of the image, a strip of torn paper with a quote: "Found family at its best." and a URL: judeinthestars.com.
Pam and her cousin Sean inherited The Beatcave, a wrestling club in Camden Town, and they’re doing their best to keep the family legacy alive. Professional wrestling is Pam’s life and she’s aware of how lucky she is to be able to share it with her favourite people and to always be able to count on Sean’s mom to provide warmth and too much food. Lea is an influencer and freelance journalist, reluctantly back in London for family business. Her ex, who is also Sean’s boyfriend, introduces her to the Beatcave and its people and suddenly, the London rain seems more appealing than the LA sun.
Sucker Punch is the first of at least four books in the Wrestling Girls series. I learned a lot more about wrestling than I ever thought I would and found it much more interesting than I expected. To be fair, the extent of my knowledge of wrestling so far came from the TV show GLOW (which I’m not sure I finished but I should, it was good) and this book gets a lot more technical without ever being boring.
The author had warned me English isn’t her native language (Italian is) and while it’s noticeable here and there, it never bothered me nor tore me out of the story. The writing is very effective, perfectly conveying mood and emotions. Some passages are beautiful, almost poetic.
The romance is a slow burn with a lot of inadvertent flirting and once they acknowledge their feelings for each other, Pam and Lea share a lot of kisses and small touches until they finally take it further.
My main issue is that the book is a bit long, but I’m looking forward to the next ones (the second book, my link text, is out already, I’ll review it as soon as I can). Besides the surprisingly (to me) fascinating wrestling aspect, I really liked the characters, main and secondary, the relationships between them, the respect, support, love. It’s found family at its best and most heartwarming. Despite all the bruises.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
March 11, 2024
4 Stars—I finished this a while ago, so my recollection is fading, but the feeling that sticks with me is that I really enjoyed it and found all the wrestling stuff interesting. The leads were cute together, and all the secondary characters were great. I am looking forward to reading their stories as the series progresses.
June 11, 2023
I was promised a light feel good Sapphic sports romance and this is that to a T. I would describe this as cozy because there’s little to no angst even the conflicts in the book weren’t too stressful and are pretty quickly resolved. This was definitely a good read to just sit and enjoy and decompress.
April 17, 2023
This one was a little too much for me. Too many happy tears, too many hugs, too much sappy friendship stories, etc. It was just slightly unrealistic. The wrestling bit was kinda weird too. I never understood the appeal of wrestling, and it seemed an odd angle for the story. If you are into sunshine barfing up glitter, go for it. I didn’t dislike it, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.
August 15, 2024
4.5 Stars
I get the hype now. Sucker Punch was very smile-inducing. Word smiths are dangerous creatures. They are capable of powerful things one will have difficulty fighting off. The little poems did it for me. I swear I felt like a teenager again. It was sooo ugh I don’t even know what to call that feeling.
On to more serious matters! The pacing was good. The dialogue was natural. The song references were bliss. The characters’ relationships were solid. I think the most surprising thing for me was the implied sex. I was of the notion because the cover looked that way, the characters were all hot and sexy that the sex would be super explicit. But it wasn’t. And it was a nice surprise.
I get the hype now. Sucker Punch was very smile-inducing. Word smiths are dangerous creatures. They are capable of powerful things one will have difficulty fighting off. The little poems did it for me. I swear I felt like a teenager again. It was sooo ugh I don’t even know what to call that feeling.
On to more serious matters! The pacing was good. The dialogue was natural. The song references were bliss. The characters’ relationships were solid. I think the most surprising thing for me was the implied sex. I was of the notion because the cover looked that way, the characters were all hot and sexy that the sex would be super explicit. But it wasn’t. And it was a nice surprise.
April 8, 2024
This was an interesting read for me. It took me a while to get into it but when i did i enjoyed it immensely.
Lea and Pam are just so cute together, it really is an already dating but they both don't know type of book. There were no exes or trauma coming between both of them, just the impending doom that Pam thinks they have. Also, It wasn't a slowburn in my opinion, more like Pam being clueless.i considered them already semi in a relationship halfway through the book. So a little bit sad that they didn't pine more for each other before getting together but it's fine without it.
Anyways, the side characters and dynamics between them were so amazing. They really brought so much to the book and i don't think it would've been as good without them.
4 stars.
Lea and Pam are just so cute together, it really is an already dating but they both don't know type of book. There were no exes or trauma coming between both of them, just the impending doom that Pam thinks they have. Also, It wasn't a slowburn in my opinion, more like Pam being clueless.i considered them already semi in a relationship halfway through the book. So a little bit sad that they didn't pine more for each other before getting together but it's fine without it.
Anyways, the side characters and dynamics between them were so amazing. They really brought so much to the book and i don't think it would've been as good without them.
4 stars.
October 6, 2024
To make you understand how well it is written, reading Rue's pov I couldn't stand Riz (character she loved in the previous book). and then don't get me started on the character development and the great plot twist of Blu. Just chef kiss. Can't wait to read the next one ( it will be your wish to once you finish this book 100% guaranteed)
December 31, 2024
It took me a while to get into this. There are a lot of characters. But once I got familiar with everything and around 30% I was totally immersed. It was so good. No third act break up. Found family aspect is amazing. I can't wait to read the next one.
February 3, 2024
Really cute feel good story. The characters feel well developed and are fun to follow.
July 31, 2023
Cute fluffy sapphic romance PLUS wrestling yessss!!! This book is so good and I actually adore my oblivious idiots Pam and Lea!
Fave quote: “good. Everybody’s fruity, we can go.” (Sums up the book in a sentence tbh)
Fave on of Lea’s poems: “Girls who love girls fall in love with their eyes closed and their heart open wide. Girls who love girls are always afraid of the fall because we never know if the girl we’re falling for loves girls the way we do.”
Fave quote: “good. Everybody’s fruity, we can go.” (Sums up the book in a sentence tbh)
Fave on of Lea’s poems: “Girls who love girls fall in love with their eyes closed and their heart open wide. Girls who love girls are always afraid of the fall because we never know if the girl we’re falling for loves girls the way we do.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2024
I found this a beautiful heartwarming slow burn romance.
I'm a fan wrestling and I have been wanting to read these series for awhile now and can't wait to read to others. I loved the characters Pam and Lea very likable and I liked the support and love of family in this. Beautifully written!!
I'm a fan wrestling and I have been wanting to read these series for awhile now and can't wait to read to others. I loved the characters Pam and Lea very likable and I liked the support and love of family in this. Beautifully written!!
March 23, 2024
‘It's not just how you throw your punches: it's also how you take them’
I really wanted to love this, I love the idea and the bones of it, I only really had one issue with it but that ruined the entire read— it’s so long?! Almost an 8 hour read time for a very simple feel-good romance?
I did absolutely love the characters and atmosphere, really nice found family, friendships and the portrayal of them. It was wholesome, super fluffy and inclusive with different sexualities and ethnicities/poc, just really lovely and cute. I did love Pam’s sense of humour and witty snide comments, her and Lea were brilliant to read together and adorable as a clumsy, loveable duo.
‘Holding Lea felt like holding the whole universe encapsulated in a warm, small body, the power of every star burning beneath her soft skin, the beauty of the deepest darkness glowing in her irises. There was nothing that could make a feeling stronger and purer than the fear of losing it.’
I feel like I would have really loved this with a little editing and a lot of stripping back, it was never intended to be a crazy, plot driven or fast paced book, but much more of an easy, leisurely feel good read, which is fine if it didn’t go on quite so long.
A great original idea that I love, I enjoyed learning about/getting a glimpse into the world of wrestling and this kind of thing. I know a lot more about wrestling than I did before reading (which was nothing to be fair) but I just did not enjoy how tedious it felt to read.
Time seems to pass really weirdly and I don’t love the instant fascination and moping over someone she glanced in a crowd, that comes across creepy to me. I do hate insta love though as it doesn’t feel authentic to me, and I don’t understand using it here when this book was so long their relationship developed slowly and normally anyway, but that’s a personal preference for me.
I really wanted to love it, and if it were maybe 1/3rd of the length it would have been really enjoyable and fun, but for what it was it was far too long. I loved the characters but ended up so relieved to finally reach the end. I’m a fast reader and yet this took me over a week to muddle through.
I really wanted to love this, I love the idea and the bones of it, I only really had one issue with it but that ruined the entire read— it’s so long?! Almost an 8 hour read time for a very simple feel-good romance?
I did absolutely love the characters and atmosphere, really nice found family, friendships and the portrayal of them. It was wholesome, super fluffy and inclusive with different sexualities and ethnicities/poc, just really lovely and cute. I did love Pam’s sense of humour and witty snide comments, her and Lea were brilliant to read together and adorable as a clumsy, loveable duo.
‘Holding Lea felt like holding the whole universe encapsulated in a warm, small body, the power of every star burning beneath her soft skin, the beauty of the deepest darkness glowing in her irises. There was nothing that could make a feeling stronger and purer than the fear of losing it.’
I feel like I would have really loved this with a little editing and a lot of stripping back, it was never intended to be a crazy, plot driven or fast paced book, but much more of an easy, leisurely feel good read, which is fine if it didn’t go on quite so long.
A great original idea that I love, I enjoyed learning about/getting a glimpse into the world of wrestling and this kind of thing. I know a lot more about wrestling than I did before reading (which was nothing to be fair) but I just did not enjoy how tedious it felt to read.
Time seems to pass really weirdly and I don’t love the instant fascination and moping over someone she glanced in a crowd, that comes across creepy to me. I do hate insta love though as it doesn’t feel authentic to me, and I don’t understand using it here when this book was so long their relationship developed slowly and normally anyway, but that’s a personal preference for me.
I really wanted to love it, and if it were maybe 1/3rd of the length it would have been really enjoyable and fun, but for what it was it was far too long. I loved the characters but ended up so relieved to finally reach the end. I’m a fast reader and yet this took me over a week to muddle through.
April 23, 2023
I don’t have the words to describe how wonderful Ms. Faber’s writing/storytelling is. I was one of those that read out of order, falling for the hype and reels and loving every minute of it so I kinda had maybe an inkling of the outcome. That said, I was completely immersed every time I was able to read this story. It is so very easy to leap into their world which is one of the reasons I love reading, losing myself in the story where the characters become family. Well I feel like I have found my family too right along with these characters 😊 Can’t wait to continue on this journey with the Beatcave fam!
August 25, 2023
This is one of those books that makes you feel so good and so bad at the same time. Good cause Im basically Pam and the fact that she found Lea gives me hope. Bad cause, let's face it, finding that kind of connection is not easy so... fuck. Having said that I absolutely loved this book and im prob gonna reread it for Christmases to come!
Thanks to the author for these amazing, complex characters, I've never felt so seen and represented in a character like I do with Pam. Thank you!
Thanks to the author for these amazing, complex characters, I've never felt so seen and represented in a character like I do with Pam. Thank you!
August 30, 2023
Absolutely in love with this book. I’m so glad to have found this “found family” and all of the feelings that come along with that. Lea is perfect and Pam is perfectly oblivious. The way the author links all the character’s stories together is like an immaculate puzzle. One of those books I will read again… and again. Slow burn and when it sucks you in, there’s no better place to be.
November 18, 2022
FOOD FOR THE WLW HEART
Found this on a mutual's blog on Tumblr and thought it sounded promising. It exceeded every expectation on every front.
If you're looking for a story that feels true and genuine and heartfelt, this is it. Stay away if what you want is an unrealistic romance packed with cheesy lines and a bunch of soulless models as characters. This is real shit: it's cute and sweet and heart-breaking at some points, but that's why it's so good. All the characters have their own personality and you know a characterization is on point when you can tell who's speaking just by their speech without needing to read their names. Big props to the author for the depth they gave to every single character in this book, even the secondary ones.
Fact worth an early mention: I read that the author's first language isn't English and I was baffled as I read, because... well, I've read books pulished by big editors that weren't half as well written and touching as this one. I had to google a few terms of British slang and also look up a bit of wrestling info, but this didn't make the reading any less enjoyable.
Now, without further ado... THE STORY!
Pam is not your typical romance protagonist: she's Latina (on her dad's side) and not ashamed to admit she isn't pretty. There is no magical transformation into a beautiful butterfly just because: she's plain and a little tomboyish and stays like that until the very end, especially because her love interest loves her just the way she is and that is very clear from the very beginning.
So, on one side we have Pam, the happy, bubbly, sunshine kind of character, and then, on the other side, we have Lea, who is quiet and conteplative and extremely attractive and carries some shadows with herself. Despite being a former model (I loved the "not black enough for some and not white enough for others" line) she's very down-to-earth and funny, you can see exactly why Pam falls so hard for her and vice versa. Fair warning: you'll fall in love yourself with them both and probably many of the other people in this book. (I'm looking at you, Fiona and Roxie! Hell, I even shipped the straight not-yet-a-couple-but-clearly-into-each-other pair in this book.)
Speaking of other chatacters: Lita, Pam's aunt and cousin Sean's mom, is an absolute Mexican GEM. Cousin Sean? Hot macho Latino with a puppy heart. Co-workers Fiona and Roxie? Oh, just wait until you get to know them, they'll steal the scene in so many moments. Vinke's side story touched my heart very deeply, too. All of this to say: this is a romance story, but it's also a story about families being more than blood and love being more than big words and fancy dates.
All of this to say: THREE MORE BOOKS ARE COMING? Why just three? Why not a dozen? Please and Thank you?
Found this on a mutual's blog on Tumblr and thought it sounded promising. It exceeded every expectation on every front.
If you're looking for a story that feels true and genuine and heartfelt, this is it. Stay away if what you want is an unrealistic romance packed with cheesy lines and a bunch of soulless models as characters. This is real shit: it's cute and sweet and heart-breaking at some points, but that's why it's so good. All the characters have their own personality and you know a characterization is on point when you can tell who's speaking just by their speech without needing to read their names. Big props to the author for the depth they gave to every single character in this book, even the secondary ones.
Fact worth an early mention: I read that the author's first language isn't English and I was baffled as I read, because... well, I've read books pulished by big editors that weren't half as well written and touching as this one. I had to google a few terms of British slang and also look up a bit of wrestling info, but this didn't make the reading any less enjoyable.
Now, without further ado... THE STORY!
Pam is not your typical romance protagonist: she's Latina (on her dad's side) and not ashamed to admit she isn't pretty. There is no magical transformation into a beautiful butterfly just because: she's plain and a little tomboyish and stays like that until the very end, especially because her love interest loves her just the way she is and that is very clear from the very beginning.
So, on one side we have Pam, the happy, bubbly, sunshine kind of character, and then, on the other side, we have Lea, who is quiet and conteplative and extremely attractive and carries some shadows with herself. Despite being a former model (I loved the "not black enough for some and not white enough for others" line) she's very down-to-earth and funny, you can see exactly why Pam falls so hard for her and vice versa. Fair warning: you'll fall in love yourself with them both and probably many of the other people in this book. (I'm looking at you, Fiona and Roxie! Hell, I even shipped the straight not-yet-a-couple-but-clearly-into-each-other pair in this book.)
Speaking of other chatacters: Lita, Pam's aunt and cousin Sean's mom, is an absolute Mexican GEM. Cousin Sean? Hot macho Latino with a puppy heart. Co-workers Fiona and Roxie? Oh, just wait until you get to know them, they'll steal the scene in so many moments. Vinke's side story touched my heart very deeply, too. All of this to say: this is a romance story, but it's also a story about families being more than blood and love being more than big words and fancy dates.
All of this to say: THREE MORE BOOKS ARE COMING? Why just three? Why not a dozen? Please and Thank you?
January 9, 2023
I have a prejudice about indie authors, especially new ones I've never heard about, so I only read this book because it was recommended to me from a friend who got an ARC of it. As per usual, I was ready to enjoy it but get to the end feeling unsatisfied because of how picky my taste in Romance, especially queer Romance, is. I was happily proved wrong.
It took a few chapters to get into the heart of the story, but when I finally got to it... I was sucked in completely. Pam, the protagonist, is an unexpectedly enjoyable character: very human, very believable, exceptionally genuine. She was the first Millennial girl representantion I could truly relate to: despite being almost 30, she's a teen at heart, bubbly and fun and comfortable in her ordinary looks, even though sometimes life makes her wish she were prettier. We've all been there.
Before getting to Lea, the other main character, I'd like to mention that the Found Family trope is truly the core of this story: The Beatcave, before a wrestling night club, is a nest of queer disasters. you'll love them all, I promise, because none of these characters is treated like a sidekick: they all have their own soul, their own personality, and with just a few lines you just find yourself growing fond of them like they are fond of each other.
Enter Lea, who's a famous and very beautiful influencer from LA who's just returned to London for her (arsehole) father's funeral. Let me be honest: I hated Lea, AKA AJ Kass, as soon as she was introduced: hot, popular, mysterious... I got very bad vibes from her from her first appearance. I was ready for yet another disappointment, but I told myself to keep reading, since this book was so strongly recommended. Thank fuck I didn't give up, because reading on I found myself entangled in the softness of the feelings blossoming between the two protagonists. And the true Lea actually started surfacing from beneath the influencer disguise, revealing herself for the cute, fragile softie she is inside.
I don't want to spoil more, but one thing I want to say: there is plenty of love between the lines of this book. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love, unrequited love (or is it?)... It doesn't hurt that basically 90% of the characters are queer, either.
All in all, a bit of editing wouldn't hurt in some parts of the book, some cuts here and there would make the reading more fluid, but it's so minor you won't even care.
I hope I can get my hands on an ARC of Pretty Devils now, because the epilogue of this first volume left me craving for more and the squel sounds very promising. We'll se if the author can satisfy my high expectantions after this first brilliant installment.
It took a few chapters to get into the heart of the story, but when I finally got to it... I was sucked in completely. Pam, the protagonist, is an unexpectedly enjoyable character: very human, very believable, exceptionally genuine. She was the first Millennial girl representantion I could truly relate to: despite being almost 30, she's a teen at heart, bubbly and fun and comfortable in her ordinary looks, even though sometimes life makes her wish she were prettier. We've all been there.
Before getting to Lea, the other main character, I'd like to mention that the Found Family trope is truly the core of this story: The Beatcave, before a wrestling night club, is a nest of queer disasters. you'll love them all, I promise, because none of these characters is treated like a sidekick: they all have their own soul, their own personality, and with just a few lines you just find yourself growing fond of them like they are fond of each other.
Enter Lea, who's a famous and very beautiful influencer from LA who's just returned to London for her (arsehole) father's funeral. Let me be honest: I hated Lea, AKA AJ Kass, as soon as she was introduced: hot, popular, mysterious... I got very bad vibes from her from her first appearance. I was ready for yet another disappointment, but I told myself to keep reading, since this book was so strongly recommended. Thank fuck I didn't give up, because reading on I found myself entangled in the softness of the feelings blossoming between the two protagonists. And the true Lea actually started surfacing from beneath the influencer disguise, revealing herself for the cute, fragile softie she is inside.
I don't want to spoil more, but one thing I want to say: there is plenty of love between the lines of this book. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love, unrequited love (or is it?)... It doesn't hurt that basically 90% of the characters are queer, either.
All in all, a bit of editing wouldn't hurt in some parts of the book, some cuts here and there would make the reading more fluid, but it's so minor you won't even care.
I hope I can get my hands on an ARC of Pretty Devils now, because the epilogue of this first volume left me craving for more and the squel sounds very promising. We'll se if the author can satisfy my high expectantions after this first brilliant installment.
March 10, 2023
This book is so freaking gay🤩🤩🤩
Who would have ever thought that I would love a story about a bunch of queer idiots apart of a wrestling club in London???
Hehe- the answer is EVERYONE!!! I knew I was going to like this book as soon as tye author reached out to me and told me about it. Thankyou so much for sending me the ARC to read this, Kayla– it was so much fun🫶🏼
What stands out to me the most about this book is the cast of characters that make up the main friend group. I loved them all as individual characters, but I adored them as a group. Their interactions and their banter made for such an entertaining and heartwarming reading experience. I can't wait to see more of them all in the upcoming books.
The other element of this book that I loved was the romance, obviously– I am a sucker for a sapphic romance💕. Lea and Pam were soooooo cute and their relationship felt very releastic which felt refreshing to me as the reader. I loved watching Pam pine after Lea and seeing Lea constantly surprise and uplift Pam. They're 100% couple goals.
And the SLOW BURN!!!!🔥🔥🔥 So good!!!!
Here are some other good qualities of the book:
- the romantic relationships among the side characters– so sweet😍
- the frequent references to queer music... I LOVE THAT SHIT (I think I died and went to gay heaven when there was a reference to "Sofia" by Clairo)
- the diverse ensemble of characters
- the humor (this book made me LOL several times)
- the representation of anxiety and insecurity (Pam's emotions were captured so perfectly!!!)
- and finally... the ending (that's all I'm gonna say)🥰
So yeah... I think you should all read this book, and you should definitely check out volume 2 which releases on March 20th!!! I will definitely be ordering myself a paperback copy to read as soon as it comes out🤗
Tw: death of parents, car crash, absent parents, cancer, physical abuse, stalkers, assualt, emergency room visit
Who would have ever thought that I would love a story about a bunch of queer idiots apart of a wrestling club in London???
Hehe- the answer is EVERYONE!!! I knew I was going to like this book as soon as tye author reached out to me and told me about it. Thankyou so much for sending me the ARC to read this, Kayla– it was so much fun🫶🏼
What stands out to me the most about this book is the cast of characters that make up the main friend group. I loved them all as individual characters, but I adored them as a group. Their interactions and their banter made for such an entertaining and heartwarming reading experience. I can't wait to see more of them all in the upcoming books.
The other element of this book that I loved was the romance, obviously– I am a sucker for a sapphic romance💕. Lea and Pam were soooooo cute and their relationship felt very releastic which felt refreshing to me as the reader. I loved watching Pam pine after Lea and seeing Lea constantly surprise and uplift Pam. They're 100% couple goals.
And the SLOW BURN!!!!🔥🔥🔥 So good!!!!
Here are some other good qualities of the book:
- the romantic relationships among the side characters– so sweet😍
- the frequent references to queer music... I LOVE THAT SHIT (I think I died and went to gay heaven when there was a reference to "Sofia" by Clairo)
- the diverse ensemble of characters
- the humor (this book made me LOL several times)
- the representation of anxiety and insecurity (Pam's emotions were captured so perfectly!!!)
- and finally... the ending (that's all I'm gonna say)🥰
So yeah... I think you should all read this book, and you should definitely check out volume 2 which releases on March 20th!!! I will definitely be ordering myself a paperback copy to read as soon as it comes out🤗
Tw: death of parents, car crash, absent parents, cancer, physical abuse, stalkers, assualt, emergency room visit
October 25, 2024
This is one of those sports stories for a sport I don’t really follow — but the book made it fun. :) I can’t say I recognized very many of the moves from their names, but it was easy to follow the discussion of the different roles and planning sessions and so on. The matches had just enough detail to be interesting without feeling like I couldn’t follow the specifics.
It helped that the cast was wonderful in this book. Though it focused on Pam and Lea, there were a lot of great side characters, both the other wrestlers who were constantly involved and other folks who showed up less frequently. They all seemed to have character, though, and the found family was wonderful. Their antics, especially Roxie and Fiona, were hilarious, except when they were occasionally heartbreaking (Vinke).
The book in general was both hilarious (Roxie the tank, Vinke’s emotional support, the animal nickname, etc.) and incredibly moving (Lea’s poetry, the P.S., etc.), and I was there for all of it. My only gripe, such as it is, was that Lea’s final plan was not very surprising, except to Pam. But that was fine, it was kind of part and parcel of Pam’s character to be oblivious to these things, lol.
The other nice part was that there was still some drama and angst in the story, even though not a lot of that was in the main relationship. And that’s the way I like it — if the relationship is going to be easier on the drama, best to include at least some in the rest of the story. The balance here was perfect.
All in all I thought it was fantastic, and I’ll definitely move on to the next. I sense it was set up in the epilogue. :)
It helped that the cast was wonderful in this book. Though it focused on Pam and Lea, there were a lot of great side characters, both the other wrestlers who were constantly involved and other folks who showed up less frequently. They all seemed to have character, though, and the found family was wonderful. Their antics, especially Roxie and Fiona, were hilarious, except when they were occasionally heartbreaking (Vinke).
The book in general was both hilarious (Roxie the tank, Vinke’s emotional support, the animal nickname, etc.) and incredibly moving (Lea’s poetry, the P.S., etc.), and I was there for all of it. My only gripe, such as it is, was that Lea’s final plan was not very surprising, except to Pam. But that was fine, it was kind of part and parcel of Pam’s character to be oblivious to these things, lol.
The other nice part was that there was still some drama and angst in the story, even though not a lot of that was in the main relationship. And that’s the way I like it — if the relationship is going to be easier on the drama, best to include at least some in the rest of the story. The balance here was perfect.
All in all I thought it was fantastic, and I’ll definitely move on to the next. I sense it was set up in the epilogue. :)
January 16, 2023
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 Stars
Sucker Punch follows Pam, an amateur wrestler running a wrestling club, Beatcave, in London with her cousin Sean, and Lea a social media influencer who falls in love with the Beatcave. Pam and the entire Beatcave crew were such a joy to spend time with. They created a tight nit found family, that was supportive of the new members. I enjoyed Pam and Lea's journey as "Love Sloths", coined by one of the Beatcave crew member.
The romance follows the roadmap of these kind of tropes. There was nothing new or fresh, on that front, but the characters are what made the reading enjoyable. I will say that I did struggle a bit with the wrestling lingo. I have never watched or know anything about wrestling and Faber doesn't quiet explain in terms I picked up on some of the terms and practices. Such has what a heel or babyface is. After doing some googling and being more aware of the terms, the writing became smoother and easier to read, but I wish I got that info from the story itself.
All in all, an enjoyable sport romance with a strong found family at the center. I would recommend this for fans of sport romances.
3.5 Stars
Sucker Punch follows Pam, an amateur wrestler running a wrestling club, Beatcave, in London with her cousin Sean, and Lea a social media influencer who falls in love with the Beatcave. Pam and the entire Beatcave crew were such a joy to spend time with. They created a tight nit found family, that was supportive of the new members. I enjoyed Pam and Lea's journey as "Love Sloths", coined by one of the Beatcave crew member.
The romance follows the roadmap of these kind of tropes. There was nothing new or fresh, on that front, but the characters are what made the reading enjoyable. I will say that I did struggle a bit with the wrestling lingo. I have never watched or know anything about wrestling and Faber doesn't quiet explain in terms I picked up on some of the terms and practices. Such has what a heel or babyface is. After doing some googling and being more aware of the terms, the writing became smoother and easier to read, but I wish I got that info from the story itself.
All in all, an enjoyable sport romance with a strong found family at the center. I would recommend this for fans of sport romances.
February 12, 2024
Kayla Faber is a new-to-me author and I’m very glad I picked up this book!
The main characters were so sweet. I loved seeing them express their emotions through poetry and song lyrics. I also love the “we didn’t realize we were dating” trope and that I thought it was excellently done here.
My favorite part of the book was definitely the found family aspect and all the side characters. I felt really invested in their stories and loved seeing everyone support each other.
I am not a fan of the miscommunication/lack of communication trope. It was well-written here and seemed realistic but still not my favorite. The lack of communication seemed to drive a lot of the plot in the last third of the book.
I wish the author had included a content advisory because there were some heavy themes. I am listing them below for anyone interested.
Overall, I would recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Content Advisory:
The main characters were so sweet. I loved seeing them express their emotions through poetry and song lyrics. I also love the “we didn’t realize we were dating” trope and that I thought it was excellently done here.
My favorite part of the book was definitely the found family aspect and all the side characters. I felt really invested in their stories and loved seeing everyone support each other.
I am not a fan of the miscommunication/lack of communication trope. It was well-written here and seemed realistic but still not my favorite. The lack of communication seemed to drive a lot of the plot in the last third of the book.
I wish the author had included a content advisory because there were some heavy themes. I am listing them below for anyone interested.
Overall, I would recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Content Advisory:
July 23, 2024
I wasn't really sure what I was going to get myself into with this particular book, it's my first wrestling romance. But, it was really good. I was impressed not just with all the wrestling stuff, but the slowburn romance was done really well too. There was so much pining and angst in this thing. It was pretty perfect all things considered. I liked that even after they got together the relationship built slowly and naturally.
Pam and Lea were a friggin delight to read. I loved their entire journey together. They are the epitome of useless lesbians despite both being at least bi or pan. It was actually kind of nice to have people not just blurting out their labels to everyone. The flirting started out pretty subtly, but then they actually admit to flirting with each other and they still ask, what if she doesn't like me like that. Ugh, so much pining. There are so many queer characters hanging out in this book. The MCs aren't even the only relationship being established. I also loved Roxie and Fiona. Their chemistry was off the charts from the word go. It was like getting two romances for the price of one.
There is no third act breakup. It's not so slowburn that they don't get together until the end either. There is time for the relationship to develop and some minor drama to ensue. Most of the drama is tied up in whether or not Lea is going to move back to LA as well as some things to do with The Beatcave as a business. Everything works out and there is a HEA.
Pam and Lea were a friggin delight to read. I loved their entire journey together. They are the epitome of useless lesbians despite both being at least bi or pan. It was actually kind of nice to have people not just blurting out their labels to everyone. The flirting started out pretty subtly, but then they actually admit to flirting with each other and they still ask, what if she doesn't like me like that. Ugh, so much pining. There are so many queer characters hanging out in this book. The MCs aren't even the only relationship being established. I also loved Roxie and Fiona. Their chemistry was off the charts from the word go. It was like getting two romances for the price of one.
There is no third act breakup. It's not so slowburn that they don't get together until the end either. There is time for the relationship to develop and some minor drama to ensue. Most of the drama is tied up in whether or not Lea is going to move back to LA as well as some things to do with The Beatcave as a business. Everything works out and there is a HEA.
March 10, 2023
I absolutely adore this book and I am so glad it is the first in a multi-book series because I need more of it! I wish I could go to the Beatcave and become part of this weird, wonderful, amazingly queer family!
Pam and Lea - my two favorite love sloths! ❤️🦥 #Crosstez #idiotsinlove
There were times I wanted to just jump right into the book with a giant sign saying, “She loves you, you idiot!” 🙄 But the sheer oblivion, even with all the flirting and signs upon signs upon signs…was just so typically lesbian and also very endearing that I kind of loved it! Lea’s little love poems and posts unofficially and indirectly (but also VERY OBVIOUSLY) dedicated to Pam were so beautiful and romantic. I’m pretty certain I highlighted every single one of them. 😍
This book also has one of the best sideships ever! Roxie and Fiona…another couple of stubborn idiots in love who definitely steal the spotlight a few times! Honestly...there are a lot of great sideships in this book and just a lot of love in general. This whole story is filled with strong and unique characters and you will fall in love with all of them!
My favorite part about this book, though, is that it’s all about found family. Pam and Sean are affectionately known as mom and dad to the whole Beatcave family…and it is a FAMILY, through and through. These aren’t just coworkers or friends. These are people who will show up for you and stand up for you. Who will have your back no matter what. And who will always…ALWAYS love you. There is so much love to be found in this story and it made my heart swell with happiness. It doesn’t hurt that it’s an almost entirely queer cast either! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
⚠️TW: stalking, physical assault (no graphic details)
Pam and Lea - my two favorite love sloths! ❤️🦥 #Crosstez #idiotsinlove
There were times I wanted to just jump right into the book with a giant sign saying, “She loves you, you idiot!” 🙄 But the sheer oblivion, even with all the flirting and signs upon signs upon signs…was just so typically lesbian and also very endearing that I kind of loved it! Lea’s little love poems and posts unofficially and indirectly (but also VERY OBVIOUSLY) dedicated to Pam were so beautiful and romantic. I’m pretty certain I highlighted every single one of them. 😍
This book also has one of the best sideships ever! Roxie and Fiona…another couple of stubborn idiots in love who definitely steal the spotlight a few times! Honestly...there are a lot of great sideships in this book and just a lot of love in general. This whole story is filled with strong and unique characters and you will fall in love with all of them!
My favorite part about this book, though, is that it’s all about found family. Pam and Sean are affectionately known as mom and dad to the whole Beatcave family…and it is a FAMILY, through and through. These aren’t just coworkers or friends. These are people who will show up for you and stand up for you. Who will have your back no matter what. And who will always…ALWAYS love you. There is so much love to be found in this story and it made my heart swell with happiness. It doesn’t hurt that it’s an almost entirely queer cast either! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
⚠️TW: stalking, physical assault (no graphic details)
July 7, 2024
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book!
The found family in this book is everything and I’m so excited to read the other books in this series and dive further in. The way these characters all love each other, go out of their way for each other, are all in with each other, made me heart sing.
Pam was an absolute sweetheart as a main character, though her self image issues were sometimes difficult to read. I just wanted to shake sense into her every time she put down her physical appearance! You don’t have to be “beautiful” to be beautiful, dammit. But ugh she was just so lovely and wholesome and she has such a big heart.
Lea was the perfect love interest. I am lowkey just as obsessed with her as Pam. If Lea was real, I’d absolutely be one of her biggest fans, no lie. Everything about her was just so lovely and I really loved watching their cute little romance play out.
I seriously can’t recommend this enough if you’re looking for a feel-good romance.
I absolutely loved this book!
The found family in this book is everything and I’m so excited to read the other books in this series and dive further in. The way these characters all love each other, go out of their way for each other, are all in with each other, made me heart sing.
Pam was an absolute sweetheart as a main character, though her self image issues were sometimes difficult to read. I just wanted to shake sense into her every time she put down her physical appearance! You don’t have to be “beautiful” to be beautiful, dammit. But ugh she was just so lovely and wholesome and she has such a big heart.
Lea was the perfect love interest. I am lowkey just as obsessed with her as Pam. If Lea was real, I’d absolutely be one of her biggest fans, no lie. Everything about her was just so lovely and I really loved watching their cute little romance play out.
I seriously can’t recommend this enough if you’re looking for a feel-good romance.
December 15, 2024
While the story was cute and feel good and makes you giggle and flutter. I do have issues, one of them being the wish that this work went through another round or two of editing before publishing as there was a handful of grammar and spelling errors that kind of breaks the immersion.
I understand this is supposed to be cheesy (love cheese), but it’s a good amount of times I forget our characters are grown and not teens from some of the corny things they say or do (lol perhaps a me thing..)
I also felt kind of weird with some of the ways Lea is described or talked about. It’s obvious author isn’t black and I wish she maybe had black colleagues to help write Lea so it wouldn’t leave that weird— stereotypical yet forgetfulness of her race— feeling on black readers like myself. Maybe that’s just a me thing though, I’m not sure.
Great read nevertheless when bored and just craving to relax and read something with not much drama
I understand this is supposed to be cheesy (love cheese), but it’s a good amount of times I forget our characters are grown and not teens from some of the corny things they say or do (lol perhaps a me thing..)
I also felt kind of weird with some of the ways Lea is described or talked about. It’s obvious author isn’t black and I wish she maybe had black colleagues to help write Lea so it wouldn’t leave that weird— stereotypical yet forgetfulness of her race— feeling on black readers like myself. Maybe that’s just a me thing though, I’m not sure.
Great read nevertheless when bored and just craving to relax and read something with not much drama
January 8, 2023
Lovely and Wonderful ❤️
Found this book by chance, and I was in desperate need of some fluff and love. Never thought I would be so wrapped up, both with wrestling, never ever considered it, and with the characters! I kind of read it in one night, it's so so so well written that I kept on reading, work next day be damned, .Both main ladies are fantastic: so in love and so stubborn to admit it and well, their rollercoaster of feelings and the way they falled in love is simply wonderful, refreshing and pure. A couple of time I may have shed some tears of pure joy and love. And also all the others characters are simply wonderful and amazing and very very well written! I hope there will be a sequel, I'm so in love with everyone and their situations that it would really be a pity not to have them anymore.
Found this book by chance, and I was in desperate need of some fluff and love. Never thought I would be so wrapped up, both with wrestling, never ever considered it, and with the characters! I kind of read it in one night, it's so so so well written that I kept on reading, work next day be damned, .Both main ladies are fantastic: so in love and so stubborn to admit it and well, their rollercoaster of feelings and the way they falled in love is simply wonderful, refreshing and pure. A couple of time I may have shed some tears of pure joy and love. And also all the others characters are simply wonderful and amazing and very very well written! I hope there will be a sequel, I'm so in love with everyone and their situations that it would really be a pity not to have them anymore.
January 22, 2023
This slow burn romantic comedy is so cute. Pam and Lea's story is wonderful, with Pam pretty much falling for Lea at first sight. Their relationship develops, and it is abundantly clear that they are meant for one another! It's adorable how they don't even know that they are dating, #IdiotsInLove #lovesloths.
Great book. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series! If you like a slow burn, I recommend this book. It is definitely worth a read.
Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating. 🌶
#sapphic #sapphicromance #sapphicromancebooks #booksofinstagram #loveislove🌈 #books #reading #readingtime #bookstagram #sapphicbooks #wlw #lesfic #lesficwriter #lesbian #lesbianromance #sapphicreads #AmReading #lesbianbook #chemistry #passion #POCprotagonists #meetcute #strangerstolovers #slowburn #TheyDontKnowTheyreDating #lovesloths #IdiotsInLove #plaingirlhotgirl #romanticcomedy
Great book. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series! If you like a slow burn, I recommend this book. It is definitely worth a read.
Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating. 🌶
#sapphic #sapphicromance #sapphicromancebooks #booksofinstagram #loveislove🌈 #books #reading #readingtime #bookstagram #sapphicbooks #wlw #lesfic #lesficwriter #lesbian #lesbianromance #sapphicreads #AmReading #lesbianbook #chemistry #passion #POCprotagonists #meetcute #strangerstolovers #slowburn #TheyDontKnowTheyreDating #lovesloths #IdiotsInLove #plaingirlhotgirl #romanticcomedy
August 31, 2024
This book really is a feel good sapphic romance in London! I love all the characters, the found family, and the pining between our Pam and Lea was amazing! I love the soft moments between them the cosyness its beautiful!
Also lets not forget the influencer turned wrestler... so fucking good!!!
The way the wrestling matches were written was soo gooooood I could see it happen in front of my eyes and I was hooked!
As for the writing itself: as a dyslexic girl who's first language is not english this book was so nice to read. The writing was beautiful but also very readable and I very much enjoyed it!
Yes I am hooked and I will put the rest of the series in my tbr 'cause I need moooooooore!!!!
Also lets not forget the influencer turned wrestler... so fucking good!!!
The way the wrestling matches were written was soo gooooood I could see it happen in front of my eyes and I was hooked!
As for the writing itself: as a dyslexic girl who's first language is not english this book was so nice to read. The writing was beautiful but also very readable and I very much enjoyed it!
Yes I am hooked and I will put the rest of the series in my tbr 'cause I need moooooooore!!!!
March 13, 2023
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a sucker (pun-intended) for some slow-burn sapphic romance and found family, which this book absolutely delivered on. I found the characters to be really relatable and I loved the dynamic between Pam and Lea, even though at times I was like "just kiss already!" (There were also other side-romances that were really cute and it was fun to see that element in the story as well.)
Definitely looking forward to reading more of Kayla's work in the future!
I'm a sucker (pun-intended) for some slow-burn sapphic romance and found family, which this book absolutely delivered on. I found the characters to be really relatable and I loved the dynamic between Pam and Lea, even though at times I was like "just kiss already!" (There were also other side-romances that were really cute and it was fun to see that element in the story as well.)
Definitely looking forward to reading more of Kayla's work in the future!
July 22, 2024
3,75/5
Sometimes all we need is a little touch of something we can't have.
This book was both disappointing and satisfying. I expected something less but what I got wasn't bad either.
This may be one of the only time when I loved the main couple more after they got together, they're just sooo perfect??and adorable???like I 1000000%%% believe that they will never break up,and that's so beautiful.
But of course the couple that actually winned my heart is Fiona and Roxie🫶.I was giggling like a little kid at every encounter between them.
Sometimes all we need is a little touch of something we can't have.
This book was both disappointing and satisfying. I expected something less but what I got wasn't bad either.
This may be one of the only time when I loved the main couple more after they got together, they're just sooo perfect??and adorable???like I 1000000%%% believe that they will never break up,and that's so beautiful.
But of course the couple that actually winned my heart is Fiona and Roxie🫶.I was giggling like a little kid at every encounter between them.
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