REVIEW: The Boxer by Courtney W. Dixon (Knights of Boston #2)

THE BOXER

Knights of Boston - Book Two

by Courtney W. Dixon

Release Date: August 31, 2023

Review

Do you like a slow burn with epic levels of pinning? The Boxer is the perfect choice then.

Whether you’ve read other books in this series/world or not, you’ll enjoy this boxer and manager story. Ferguson has been in love with Jack since he was 15, and ever since the boxer has had to settle for being friends and watching Jack love someone else.

Witnessing Jack finally realize what was right in front of him was fantastic. All while helping Fergs achieve his boxing dreams. It could be super complicated, or incredibly right.

This has its darkness, they’re associated with the Irish mob after all, and they both have demons and pain that have fueled them over the years, but’s also a swoony and sexy best-friends-to-lovers story.

Add to your TBR List

GOODREADS LINK

Synopsis

He was my first crush. My forever crush. He was the reason I discovered my true self.

Ferguson

I met Jack Hogan at fifteen years old when my dad took me to watch him box in an underground fight run by the mob. I was instantly drawn to the older man and the reason I discovered I was gay. But that was my secret and burden to bear. A year later, tragedy hit when my parents were murdered, leaving me gutted. And losing my father, who had taught me how to box since I was big enough to throw my first punch, turned me bitter and angry. Jack quickly took up the mantle as a father figure and my best friend while I used boxing to blow off my rage. I also had to earn much-needed money since my sister and I were left alone. Years later, Jack pushed me to get out of the underground scene and go pro with him as my manager. After my first win, I finally got to have a taste of Jack, and while it strained our friendship, I craved more. One taste wasn’t nearly enough.

Jack

Ferguson Mulligan thought he could hide his attraction for me. I had known it for years but kept it to myself. I was emotionally unavailable, clinging to another man whom I thought loved me. As nine years progressed, Fergs grew into a man with an amazing talent for boxing. I knew he could succeed at it, so I got him out of the illegal fight scene and into the professional world of boxing. After a night of celebration and too many drinks, I dropped my walls and went to a place I shouldn’t have. I hadn’t been ready to be with anyone else intimately, especially with my best friend. Plus, I was his manager. It was a bad idea all around. But that night awakened something in me, allowing me to see Fergs beyond a boxer and my best friend. I just wasn’t ready. He deserved all of me, not broken pieces.

The two men eventually let go of their fears to grow something deep and meaningful. But could their relationship survive when Fergs finally learned who killed his parents? With a need for vengeance and his temper out of control, it could destroy all they had worked for.

Tropes: Second chances, slow burn, boxing, best friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, age gap, pining, one that nearly got away, close proximity, work together, fighter/trainer. (While this has boxing, it's not quite a sports romance)

Knights of Boston is a three-book subseries from Kings of Boston, filled with fan-favorite secondary characters. Each book will work as a standalone and the characters will not mingle with each other. Each one will be its own story.

Triggers: Internalized homophobia (not the MCs), grief, explicit sex, violence, and language.

About Courtney W. Dixon

Courtney W. Dixon loves to write erotic romance. She writes both m/f and m/m stories all in one series to add a variety to her characters. Though there are erotic elements to her stories, they are rich with relationship growth. Even those enemies to lovers, a favorite of hers. Her characters are filled with deep POVs with trouble pasts, full of depth and emotion. She tries to give them complexity and growth as their stories move. And her favorite is to break her main characters down to lift them back up in order to give them their HEA's.

Courtney is also a mixed media artist who's primarily been focused on writing lately. You can find her working in Central Texas with her husband, two boys and two crazy dogs, none of whom know how to knock on a door while she's working.

Where to find them: