BOOK REVIEW ~ FIGHTING LOVE BY ABBY NILES

Title: Fighting Love (Love To The Extreme, Book Two)
Author: Abby Niles
Expected Release Date: December 31, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Select
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Paperback, 352 pages

ARC provided by NetGalley

Book Blurb

Former Middleweight champion and confirmed bachelor Tommy "Lightning" Sparks has lost it all: his belt, his career, and now his home. After the devastating fire, he moves in with his drama-free best friend, Julie. One encounter changes everything and Julie is no longer the girl he’s spent his life protecting but a desirable woman he wants to take to his bed. Knowing his reputation, he’s determined to protect Julie more than ever—from himself.

Veterinarian Julie Rogers has been in love with Tommy since she was ten, but would love to get over the man. She’s quiet nights at home and a glass of wine. He’s clubbing all night and shots of tequila. As friends they work great. As a couple? No way in hell. She just can’t get her heart to agree. When she starts spending time with another fighter, the man who’s always treated her like a sister is suddenly not being very brotherly and inflames her body like never before.

Can two childhood friends make a relationship work, or will they lose everything because they stopped FIGHTING LOVE.

Book Review

Fighting Love is a story of best friends, Tommy and Julie, who become lovers. 

Tommy Sparks has had a horrible case of bad luck. He's lost his MMA title, is banned from fighting in the MMA, and now his house has literally gone up in flames. And along with his home, he has lost a box filled with memories he's collected over the years. Memories that can never be replaced. 

Enter best friend, Julie Rogers. Being homeless, Tommy has no choice but to move in (temporarily) with Julie. So the two friends "shack up" while Tommy tries to get his life in order.

There's just one tee-tiny problem. 

Julie has been fighting a very inappropriate attraction to her best friend since she was ten. Something that she's never told him, for fear of losing the best friend she has ever had. But living together is something all together different, and each accidental brush of Tommy's body against her own has Julie's body tingling with a different kind of awareness.

And it doesn't help that Tommy can be quite the charmer.

I absolutely adored Tommy. He starts out as a very egotistical, sexy-and-he-knows-it MMA fighter with money, fame, and the world at his feet. But all that cockiness leads towards his downfall--and he loses his title. Soon after losing the title fight, he's punching out the son of the president of the CMC. He has lost his career and his home, but Julie has always been there for him. 

Now he's coming to realize how much of an ass he's been and how much he has screwed up his future. He has disappointed the only family he has (Julie) and, more importantly, he has disappointed himself. It's time to right a few wrongs...

I love the dialogue between Julie and Tommy. There is something magical about a friends-to-lovers story and Fighting Love has that alluring quality. 

There is a scene (one of my favorites) where Tommy gives Julie the most perfect gift--the gift of memories--as he recreates their alter-egos from when they were kids:

As she spotted Tommy standing beside a blanket he'd spread on the ground and the TV from his room sitting atop it, a bubble of laughter shot past her lips. He was wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and dark brown slacks with a black belt low around his hips--with a wooden sword hanging at his side. An almost exact replica of the outfit he'd change into daily after school to become the Green Knight when they were kids.

Happiness filled her chest as she walked toward him. He hasn't forgotten. And this was the best gift he'd ever given her--memories. 

Tommy is ADORABLE. 

But when Tommy starts training to fight and has been re-instated in the CMC with a title fight in his immediate future, Julie is afraid that Tommy will fall back to his old ways...and leave her again in the shadows as he shines in the spotlight. 

Will Tommy realize just what he has with Julie before it's too late? 

I truly enjoyed reading this friends-to-lovers journey and even though some parts were a bit predictable, it was still a treat to read. 

BOOK REVIEW ~ THE AWAKENING: LIAM BY ABBY NILES

Title: The Awakening: Liam ( The Awakening, Book Two)

Author: Abby Niles

Expected Release Date: August 26, 2013

ARC provided by Entangled Publishing for an honest review 

Shifter, Liam Doyle knows Hell. At least he believed he did. The night he feels his mate die, he learns how very wrong he was. Nothing he’d struggled with since Ava’s rejection compares to the emptiness that fills his soul by her death. Lost in his grief, he’s taken by surprise and drugged. When he wakes, everything changes. Nothing is what it seems, and someone is dead set on making him pay.

When Ava Michaels is taken captive, she’s thrust into a dark and terrifying world along with the man she was forced to leave behind. While being near Liam again is heartbreaking, the motive behind her kidnapping is gradually revealed. The more she learns, the more she worries Liam isn’t the man she believed him to be. He has enemies willing to do anything to extract their revenge. Can their love survive a crazy man’s vengeance?

Book Review

I am a fan of Abby Niles and her unique shifter world. After reading the first book of the series, Aidan, I knew I wanted to follow up with book two.

Liam was seen in the first book and has been rejected by the woman that he loves--his mate--Ava. Most men would typically mutter a "Screw you" and go on their merry way. But Liam is different. He's not human, but a shifter. And when a shifter finds his mate, only to be dserted, that shifter loses his connection to the beast that lives inside.

Unable to completely bond with Ava when she rejects him, Liam has been falling into a coma-like state called bahrraj.  The more frequent these episodes occur, the higher the risk that Liam will not be able to return to his normal state.  It is ultimately a death sentence for the dserted shifter.

At the beginning of Liam's story, Liam senses that Ava is being threatened and in serious trouble. But before he can reach her, he feels her life force slip away. When he rushes to her home, he finds her lifeless body on the bedroom floor covered in blood. Cradling her, rocking her back and forth, totally distraught, an unseen enemy approaches and knocks Liam out.

When Liam awakens, he finds himself a prisoner of a mad man. And this mad man's evil plan starts to unfold with a shocker--a two-way glass revealing his precious Ava strapped down and alive.

And Ava and Liam are his pawns in a very deadly game.

I loved Liam the shifter and Liam the man. His alpha instincts, the caring gestures he has toward Ava, make a sexy package that Ava has a hard time resisting. And Ava has her altruistic reasons for rejecting Liam, even though she has continued to love him. Their story is beautifully told with heart breaking emotions and sizzling chemistry.

Niles starts out Liam's story with nail-biting intensity and I couldn't put it down. A must read for fans of shifter romance readers out there who love a protective hero who will do anything for his mate.

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ THE AWAKENING: AIDAN BY ABBY NILES

Title: The Awakening: Aidan 

Author: Abby Niles

Release Date: April 21, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

Is the gift of eternal love a blessing or a curse? 

After years of counseling grieving shifters, psychiatrist and half-shifter, Dr. Jaylin Avgar has become jaded on shifter mating. She wants to marry a human and forget about the love for eternity crap. Then she meets Aidan O’Connell, an infuriatingly laid back shifter who represents everything she doesn’t want. Yet, the more he pursues her, the more she craves a future with him. Only one thing stands in her way: death. Can she overcome her fear of losing Aidan to the one guarantee in life? 

Millionaire consultant, Aidan O’Connell knows he’ll one day meet a woman who’ll awaken an unrelenting mating instinct. Unfortunately, that woman is Jaylin, who has no qualms about telling him that he and his so-called eternity can shove it. When she pushes him away, he takes a drastic step so she can no longer escape. The close proximity throws the instinct into overdrive. Can he control the need ingrained in him until he’s certain she will reciprocate the bond, or will a moment of weakness doom him to hell on earth?

Book Review

Jaylin Avgar is a half-shifter and a psychologist, who, until recently counseled grieving shifters. But the torment that they suffer when their mate either dies or deserts them has left its toll on her. And she refuses to let its claws sink into her own heart. She is through with alpha shifters. 

Aidan O'Connell knows that Jaylin is his mate and he is determined to have her. But he cannot understand why Jaylin would refuse him. Why would she consider a human as a possible mate, when he would do anything for her? 

Abby Niles does a fantastic job of world building with this paranormal series. It isn't overwhelming or confusing. There are terms that when you take a second look at them, make complete sense.

Dsershon--when a mate leaves or is abandoned by his unbonded mate.

Fewshon-- a "buzzing" sensation--the overwhelming urge to bond with your mate.

Wydow--a death of a mate leaving the living one waiting to be reunited after death.

Bahrraj-- (yeah, that one is a little bit more difficult, lol)- an episode that is like a trance, where the shifter is "stuck" inside his own head, connected to his mate. Very difficult to return from. 

Aidan's buddy Liam is suffering from dsershon after he has bonded with his mate. She was unable to accept the fact that he was a shifter. She was human. He is experiencing a bahrraj episode and no matter what he does, Aidan cannot reach him. He calls for Dr. Avgar for help. 

Jaylin is sympathetic to Liam's peril but she tries to keep her distance from Aidan. Even though there is a very obvious attraction, she refuses to leave herself vulnerable or Aidan vulnerable to the fewshon. She knows the horrific psychological damage that dsershon brings upon a shifter. 

But Aidan wants her and he uses everything in his power to make it happen. Even a bit of trickery. 

What follows is Aidan basically trying to woo Jaylin. Court her. Make her see how wonderful things could be between them. Fate has chosen them as mates for a reason. 

Jaylin cannot help but fall a little for Aidan. He is charming, loyal, protective, and they do seem to fit like pieces of a puzzle. But she tries to keep him from falling susceptible to the fewshon--something that could make Aidan lose control and bond with her. 

But when a storm engulfs the island, fatally injuring Jaylin, Aidan's attempt to save her puts him at risk to lose everything. Even the connection to the animal inside him. 

Although the tug-of-war between Aidan and Jaylin was a bit vexing at times, I could understand why Jaylin kept rejecting his endeavors. The Awakening put a unique twist on the whole mating ritual in shifter romances and I look forward to reading more. 

Hopefully, poor Liam will find his HEA in a possible upcoming book? Inquiring minds want to know, Abby Niles. 

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ EXTREME LOVE BY ABBY NILES

Title: Extreme Love

Author: Abby Niles

Release Date: April 30, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

New body. New clothes. New men.

Used to the average Joe, Caitlyn Moore is overwhelmed when the supremely masculine Dante Jones walks into her life and expresses an interest in her. At first she pushes him away, refusing to encourage the attention of a cage fighter. Then she learns Dante has a love ‘em and leave ‘em reputation. What better way to fine-tune her non-existent flirting skills than with a male who won’t stick around? But Dante has no intention of being a practice dummy; he’s out for all or nothing. Now Caitlyn must accept Dante—violent career and all—or let him go.

Dante “Inferno” Jones has one goal: win the Welterweight Championship. At a time when focus is crucial, the last thing he needs is a distraction. Yet Caitlyn Moore becomes a challenge he can’t resist. When the light-hearted pursuit shifts to a battle to win her heart, his focus is shot. Faced with losing the biggest match of his career, Dante must decide if his extreme life also has room for Extreme Love.

Book Review 

I'm a sucker for a fighter and a huge fan of UFC fighters, so it was an easy decision to pick up Extreme Love, a romance book that features a muscled and sexy fighter. 

The book starts out when Amy takes her BFF, Caitlyn, to a fight, where Amy's boyfriend Brad, and is currently kicking the shit out of his opponent. Fists flying, blood spilling, bones crunching...and Caitlyn Moore is covering her eyes, refusing to watch the violent sport. 

Caitlyn hates violence and is feeling a bit green at the barbaric methods the fighters use, and can't believe her best friend took her to such an event. But she agrees to attend the victory party to celebrate Brad's win in the cage. Caitlyn feels totally out of place in a sea of skinny women with perky breasts and perfect bodies. She hides in a corner, alone, and hidden in the shadows, not wanting to be the center of attention.

You see, Caitlyn has some serious body issues and hides in unattractive clothing that swims on her, too big for her frame. Even though she has lost eighty pounds, Caitlyn cannot see past the size she used to be. 

So when Dante "Inferno" Jones, another fighter at the party, flashes a heart pounding smile in her direction and asks her to dance, she cannot understand his attraction to her. Surely such a gorgeous man who is ripped with muscles couldn't find her appealing...right? 

Despite the sexual attraction that simmers between them, Caitlyn stays her distance and refuses to make things easy for Dante. 
Dante is not only physically attracted to the beautiful Caitlyn, he is intrigued by the fact that she doesn't fall at his feet. She is shy and his curiosity has been stoked. He wants to get to know this woman. 

Amy warns Dante that if he is truly interested in Caitlyn as a person,  then he must take things slow and be patient. But what Dante wants, he is determined to get. 

Slowly, Dante and Caitlyn get to know one another and Dante sees the fire and passion hiding inside Caitlyn, the side she rarely lets shine. He woos her with words, with his touch and Caitlyn begins to not only see how beautiful she is, but truly feel beautiful in her own skin. 

But the fact that Dante is a fighter--lives and breaths it--still comes between them, threatening to sever the fragile bond between them.  How can she love and accept the fighter that resides inside the man? 

I can totally relate to Caitlyn. I have battled the ups and downs of weight loss/gain my entire life. I have ranged from the too skinny size 3 to the OMG size 16 while in college. Self-image is a huge theme in Extreme Love and Caitlyn's struggle was easy to relate to. We (women) tend to be our harshest critic, wanting to turn out the light when we are in bed with our man. Caitlyn's pain is palpable and I sympathized with her. 

Extreme Love sometimes leans more toward the personal journey that Caitlyn goes through--learning to love herself and see past the weight, the imperfections, and realize that she is more than just her body size. But there are laughs along the way and a few sexy times between Dante and Cait that make this an enjoyable read. 

Abby Niles is a new-to-me author that I will definitely pick up again in the future.    

LUSTING FOR COVERS ~ THE AWAKENING: AIDAN BY ABBY NILES

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

This meme is hosted by TBQ @ TBQ's Book Palace.

To view complete instructions on how to participate, as well as grab the HTML code for the graphic, see this page first!



Once you are ready to join the fun, please fill out Mister Linky over at TBQ's Blog with your name/blog name and the direct link to your Lusting for Covers for this week!



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Here's my candidate for the week:

Is the gift of eternal love a blessing or a curse? 
After years of counseling grieving shifters, psychiatrist and half-shifter, Dr. Jaylin Avgar has become jaded on shifter mating. She wants to marry a human and forget about the love for eternity crap. Then she meets Aidan O’Connell, an infuriatingly laid back shifter who represents everything she doesn’t want. Yet, the more he pursues her, the more she craves a future with him. Only one thing stands in her way: death. Can she overcome her fear of losing Aidan to the one guarantee in life? 
Millionaire consultant, Aidan O’Connell knows he’ll one day meet a woman who’ll awaken an unrelenting mating instinct. Unfortunately, that woman is Jaylin, who has no qualms about telling him that he and his so-called eternity can shove it. When she pushes him away, he takes a drastic step so she can no longer escape. The close proximity throws the instinct into overdrive. Can he control the need ingrained in him until he’s certain she will reciprocate the bond, or will a moment of weakness doom him to hell on earth?

I was drawn to this cover as soon as I saw it...his eyes lure you in, sweat dripping off his nose, or is it rain? I don't know, but I love it. The grey clouds shrouding the full moon, the shadows and light on his back...Yum...great cover and the blurb does its job as well. Sounds very intriguing. 

Tell me about what cover you're lusting over this week...I'd love to hear!