Vi Keeland

It didn't matter that the ref called it a clean hit. Nico Hunter would never be the same. Elle has a job she loves, a great apartment, and the guy she's been dating for more than two years is a catch and a half. Then Nico walks into Elle's office and everything changes -- for both of them.

Worth the Fight

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You know how sometimes when you get into a book with a lot of drama and a fair bit of angst, you just know that everything is still doing to turn out right in the end? When you just know the characters will get their issues worked out and they will live happily ever after? This book never gave me that sense of security. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for the other shoe to drop the whole time. You’ll just have to find out for yourself if it did or not. 

  
    “Perfect is highly overrated. I’m a character in my story, going through the chapters of my life as if it was written by an imaginary person, when I should be the author.”
  

Worth the Fight is the story of Elle and Nico, two people whose traumatic pasts are getting in the way of their futures. Elle is a successful lawyer. On the surface, she has it all: good job, great apartment and a wonderful boyfriend. Underneath, Elle wants more, but is afraid to lose control or feel too much because of something that happened in her past. Nico “The Lady Killer” Hunter is exactly what Elle thinks she doesn’t need, despite how attracted she is to him. He’s a super sexy, tattooed MMA fighter. He killed a man in a fight. It was a clean hit, the man had a health issue that caused his death, but that doesn’t matter to Nico. He caused the death of another person and he can’t live with himself because of it. 

  
    “You’re smart and confident and the people around you seem to love you.” He stops and watches me, I can tell he is deciding to continue. “And when I look in your eyes I see a little light flicker… And for the last twenty four hours all I could think about was what it would take for me to turn that flicker into a flame.”
  

Nico is a client of Elle’s (nice, but suuuuuuuuuper boring *yawn*) boyfriend, William. William pulls Elle in to advise on Nico’s endorsement case and sparks fly immediately when Elle and Nico meet. It’s not until later, once Elle puts two and two together and realizes that Nico is an MMA fighter, that she recalls him and the events that unfolded the night she was in the audience when Nico’s opponent died. Her heart breaks for the man who she fears will never be whole again, the man she met for the first time the day before and was immediately attracted to. Despite her best intentions to not get involved with him, their chemistry is hard to ignore. She agrees to dinner with him and they begin to get to know one another. Ultimately, she winds up breaking off her relationship with William in favor of Nico and the story really gets started. 

  
    “You’re a beautiful, smart, strong woman who is used to being treated like a lady. But when I finally get you underneath me, I’m definitely not going to treat you like a lady.” 
  


  
    “I feel like I’m stuck in a bad movie, with a little devil sitting on one shoulder and an angel on the other. But the goddamn devil is twice the size and my angel is a fucking mute.”
  

Elle and Nico were perfect for each other. I loved both of the characters. Elle was strong and focused, even though she was still a bit of a mess from the event that occurred in her past. It was easy to connect with her. Nico was hot and strong and vulnerable. He treated Elle so well. He’s completely swoon-worthy. Their sexual chemistry was intense, but so were their feelings for each other. They clicked immediately. And I fell for them nearly as quickly. 

  
    “You’ve brought me further along in the last two months than a year and half of trying to work it out on my own ever did. Before I met you, I was hitting my head against a concrete wall, going nowhere fast. Only I didn’t know it. Didn’t even realize I was stuck, until I met you and took that first step.”
  

Their journey was not an easy one. Not only were they dealing with their own demons and fears, they were dealing with those of the other person. Nico was back in training for a fight, despite the fact he didn’t feel he was ready. Elle was trying to help him realize that he wasn’t to blame for what happened in that fight. She was trying to help him find redemption and move on. He was trying to do the same for her. This is why they work perfectly together. I only hoped things would work out for them. I was terrified of what would happen when he got back in the cage. 

  
    “I’m a mess, but it’s beautiful and real and I can’t get enough of him. Not now, not ever. He’s right. We’re two lost souls that found each other and became one. And I’m the luckiest girl on the planet.”
  

There are a lot of books out there with main male characters who are either current or past MMA fighters. It’s a staple of the New Adult Genre, much like rock stars or military men. Sometimes I find myself reading one only to come to the realization that, while I enjoyed the book, nothing about it or the characters will stick with me. That is not at all the case with Worth the Fight. I connected with the characters and their struggles and they will stick with me for a long time. So far this book has given me a pretty big book hangover. I wasn’t ready to let go of Elle and Nico. 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

"Liv Michaels is almost there. She's smart, determined and weeks away from landing the job she's dreamed about for years. Time healed old wounds, even her broken heart from the devastation of being crushed by her first love ... Vince 'The Invincible' Stone is every woman's fantasy ... strong, sexy, confident and completely in control. Growing up surrounded by chaos, he's learned never to get too attached. Love will drag you down. He adores women, treats them well, puts their own needs before his own ... for the night anyway. With the biggest fight of his life coming up, his focus should be on training. When fate brings Vince & Liv back together again, there's no denying the chemistry is still there. But can Vince erase the old scars their past left behind? Or will Liv hurt him instead?"--Amazon.com, viewed on 4/4/2014.

Worth the Chance

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When I read Worth the Fight a few months ago, I fell head over heels in love with Nico and Elle and their story. I also fell for Vi Keeland's writing. I was thrilled to learn Worth the Fight was the first in a series of standalone romances and anxious to get my hands on the next book. As incredible as Nico and Elle's story of fate was, I wasn't near prepared for the pure awesomeness that was Liv and Vinnie's second chance love story. It was passionate, sexy and realistic. I was hooked from page one and remained absolutely enthralled through the end, where I was left still wanting more of these characters.

I loved the juxtaposition of the difference between the (mostly) innocent story of how they met and grew together in high school and the progression of their (ahem, sexier) relationship when they were brought together again years later. Vinnie was absolute perfection. What can I say? I have a thing for reformed bad boys who wear their hearts on their sleeve, especially when their feelings are more than lust and they've never quite gotten over "the one who got away." Liv was great, though a little frustrating at times. She was a driven woman who was dangerously close to giving up an amazing with Vinnie thing because of her career. I found myself wanting to shake her a few times throughout the book. I definitely connected with these characters. They were pretty easy to love... especially Vinnie. What a perfectly imperfect specimen. 

Worth the Chance was fantastic. Not only was it an emotional roller coaster, but there were plenty of surprising moments and secrets and lies which you just know are going to come back to bite someone in the ass. I blew through this book in a couple hours because I simply had to know what happened with this couple. Also, there are some pretty sweet Elle and Nico scenes that thrilled me to the core. I love those two together and their friendship with Liv and Vinnie was a great part of this book. 

There are a lot of books out there that feature alpha male MMA fighters. Vi Keeland's MMA Fighter stands out from the crowd because of her writing, the complexity of her characters and the depth of emotion in the books. I can't recommend this series highly enough.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

Woohoo! I LOVE fighter romances, and Worth the Chance was a perfect read for me! This is my first time reading Vi Keeland (I know–I really should’ve read Worth the Fight first, but I will now, I swear!), and I had SUCH a great time reading! I loved the writing, and Liv and Vinny are amazing!

Liv and Vinny met back when they were in high school together, with Liv as Vinny’s English tutor. The two of them are so adorable together, but there was always an underlying tension between them. Liv has a huge crush on Vinny, but he broke her heart one day when he abandoned her.

And now seven years, they reunite. Yes, it’s a SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE!! One of my absolute favorite tropes! And add the whole fighter thing – perfection. Vi Keeland perfectly captures the hurt Liv still has, the history between Liv and Vinny, and the HOT chemistry they still have. I was totally grinning like a fool when they see each other again. Because they’re hot for each other all over again. And while Liv tries to keep her distance because she doesn’t want to get hurt again, Vinny is a persistent man and won’t let Liv go a second time.

“Guess you have to decide. Is he worth the chance? The chance that maybe if you let him in, he’ll stay this time?”

Liv has some big dilemmas to contemplate. Can she give Vinny a second chance? Or will she have to protect her heart from him? I totally LOVED Liv! She was a great heroine–she’s funny, sweet, and can hold her own against Vinny and his commanding ways. She and Vinny are so great together. They easily fall back into their friendship, but the sexual tension between them now is heightened. I was literally just waiting for them to give in to each other, and when they do, wow, it’s explosive! So, so hot. Vinny the sexy beast is commanding in and out of the bedroom. ;)

And another problem Liv has? She’s a intern/writer at the Daily Sun Times, and the story that can make or break her career is to expose Vinny’s past and hurt him. So… can she do it? Can she give up the chance at love to get the job she’s always wanted? Or will she take that love and tell the job to shove it? You HAVE to read this book to find out! It’s not going to be easy for Liv, but her and Vinny’s story is so freaking gooood.

We get both Vinny and Liv’s POVs, and we get to see them fall in love with each other more and more every day. Vinny is a total alpha–male, but he’s also so sweet to Liv. I was swooning so much at the things Vinny does for her. Just – AH! I love the sweet sides of alpha males, and Vinny is just the sweetest.

I highly, highly recommend Worth the Chance. I loved it! I couldn’t put it down and I didn’t want to end.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.

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Worth the Fight

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