Book Review: 4th Degree

4th Degree by Nikki Castle is the 5th book in the Fight Game series. I’ve loved every book in the series so far and 4th Degree is no exception!

This novel follows Coach Dominic Caruso and Skylar Vega. Coach has been a minor character in all of the previous books in the series. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, it is an interconnected MMA romance series. In this book it’s Coach’s turn to find love.

Skylar is a college student who has had to grow up a lot sooner than people her age. Her father passed away when she was young and her mother was diagnosed with an illness shortly after so she has had to be the caretaker for her mother and younger brother since she was a pre-teen. Now she works 2 jobs, while going to college full time. MMA is something Skylar has always been interested in and she finally is in a position where she can take a little bit of time for herself so she joins Coach’s gym. Coach is in his mid 30s and is well known and respected in the MMA community in Philadelphia and beyond. He has always kept a professional relationship with his students, but there’s something about Skylar that draws him in. Skylar has done her homework on Coach and some of the other fighters at the gym like Tristan. She highly respects Coach and is excited to learn from someone as accomplished as him. But she also feels a pull towards him as well.

Despite their undeniable chemistry, the two try to keep their distance from each other because she’s a student at his gym and because of their notable age gap. But, how long can they stay away from one another when Dominic is the only person Skylar trusts outside her family and he is drawn to her strength, kindness, and has a desire to make her difficult life a little easier.

I loved both Dominic and Skylar! Age gap romances don’t always work, but this one does. Because Skylar has had to be a responsible adult since she was like 12, the age gap of a mid 30s man and college student young woman doesn’t seem so crazy. Their storyline was really good and I was rooting for them the whole time.

I loved the little snippets of Tristan, Remy, Jax, Lucy, Aidan, Max, and Kane with a tiny cameo by Isabella. I wish Hailey made an appearance or had a mention though! Anyway, we see all these characters but don’t get a lot of them which I guess makes sense since Dominic and them have a coaching and working relationship and they’re not besties.

Anyway, I loved the book and how much Dominic was a support to Skylar and how much Skylar lightened up Dominic’s life.

Read this if you want a spicy sports romance with the age gap trope.

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