Meet Veronica Cruz, or Ronni as you will come to know her. At only 28 she has been virtually severed from the rest of the civilisation. After taking a career break to care for her dying mother, Veronica is now in Limbo. Her mother passed away now she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. She wants to go back to work but has put on 40lbs and there is no way she is going back looking like that. She has turne into a frump, her clothes don’t fit her and she feels she has aged 10 years.

Enter Nellie, Veronica’s best friend. Nellie has brought Ronni a present, a pass to 5th Street. A Gym in East LA that isn’t like all those other gyms, full of love me do’s and exhibition artists. Nellie got two free 1 week passes. If her weight is the thing that is holding Ronni back from living her life then they would just have to do something about it.

Noah Quintanilla works at 5th Street, the well-known boxing Gym. He is just holding out for Jack, the Gym’s owner to let him start training, he is ready and anxious to start. Things start looking up for Noah when Jack tell him today is his luck day. He points to the two ladies and tells Noah to get to work.

Underneath the baggy clothes and extra few pounds Noah see’s not only a determination and motivation he never expected to see from Veronica but also into the heart of someone who is fast becoming one of the closest friends he has ever had. When circumstances find Noah renting a room for Veronica, he just can’t help the feelings that continue to grow. It’s not all one-sided either, but Veronica is adamant that with an 8 year age gap – there is just no question, it’s a non issue they cannot have a relationship. With Nellie’s own life hitting the skids Veronica has even more time on her hands, and now spending time with Noah not only at the gym but at home as well, she has to continually fight the feelings that just keep building in her.

After losing all her excess weight and deciding it was now time to get her life back on track, Veronica starts to make plans about going back to work and reviving her social life. With a big fight on the Horizon after months out of action due to an injury, Noah gets stuck in to his training, though is distracted every time someone tries to make a move on Veronica in the Gym.

Can Noah keep his head in the game? Will his attraction to Veronica spell disaster for his boxing career? Can Veronica stop thinking about Noah’s age for long enough to listen to her heart or is she so hell-bent on believing a 20-year-old couldn’t be on the same page as her that she may just throw away the best thing to ever happen to her?

Welcome back Elizabeth Reyes, we have missed you! Hot off the heels of the delectable Moreno Brothers we are now in East LA with the boxers of 5th Street Gym. Wow, what my imagination can do with the tasty descriptions of these boys. I’m fanning myself here as I write. If you were a fan of the Moreno Brothers then you will just love 5th Street. We meet Noah, Gio, Hector and Abel. Four boys sure to get the heart beating faster.

All the intensity we have come to expect from Reyes is there in spades. You can almost feel all the emotions bouncing off the page (or in my case screen ;)). Noah has it bad for Ronni, but what the hell can he do to get her to see that he is ready. He might only be twenty, but when you were brought up the way he was age doesn’t mean shit. She has to realise that life experience doesn’t come with age, hell there are men out there ten years older that aren’t half the man he is at 20. But how is he going to make her see that. Veronica can’t help the building attraction or how she feels when she is with him but there are other things she has to concentrate on first, like getting back to work, reviving her social life and get her confidence back.

As the lines start to blur with, good night kisses and lingering hugs – how will Noah react to Veronica’s social life plans. Will he manage to get her to give in to her heart, prove to her that age is just an illusion or is her stubbornness and her dinners with her ex going to break Noah’s heart and ruin the best relationship he’s ever had?

I absolutely love this book, and the best thing is that when you read this there are two more waiting for you. I have read them and I can’t recommend them highly enough. I started Noah on Friday and finished Hector today, and already I am pining for Abel. It is due later this year and Elizabeth Reyes assures me its her longest book. I for one can’t wait!

You can buy Noah on Kobo Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes

To read about the Moreno Brothers or the interview the wonderful Elizabeth Reyes did with me when i reviewed the series click here