REAL by KATY EVANS

MMA Romance – Standalone

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SYNOPSIS

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong—but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents…

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

********

Reviewed by Jenny and Gitte – 4.5 Stars

Jenny:  We can never get enough of MMA book with a tortured hero can we Gitte? But what I found with this one was that there was a twist with regard to the MC which I found quite different and, as sad as that was, I enjoyed that this delved a little further than being a romance. Remy was at the heart of this story and I found him such troubled and interesting character.

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

Remington Tate. Remy. Riptide.  We know him by many names, but knowing the man. What makes him tick, what drives Remy’s compulsive and at times unpredictable behaviour? Where does his anger, confusion and uncertainty stem from?  Why was he so tortured and could Brooke  be his salvation? Was she going to be the woman who sees so much more than the angry, manic fighter the fans see? That’s what I wanted to unravel and I couldn’t wait to find out.

Remy finds it hard to communicate, finding it hard to express himself and is most definitely a man of few words, and this again was something I really wanted to further explore.

Brooke knocks Remy for a six when he first locks eyes with her and continues to be confused by the intense feelings he has for her.  Unable to precisely communicate his emotions through thought and words, Remy uses music/songs to express his feelings and this was such a poignant and beautiful part of the story and being an absolute music nut, I LOVED it!  The author put a lot of effort into having the right songs for Remy and Brooke, even so far as to obtaining lyrics, and I’m so glad she did because this really did add to the story.  I know there is one song in particular I will listen to from now on and always think of Brooke and Remy.  Somehow the author turned it into “their song” for me and I loved that.

Gitte: I loved this story Jenny, for so many reasons, not just for the obvious ones like the fact that we have a gorgeous tortured hero in Remy, but the fact that this one absolutely put a different spin to the typical MMA stories out there. Remy is a complete force of nature. He is F.I.E.R.C.E! Like the dangerous quiet before the devastating storm. There is something so utterly raw and intense about Remy that just traps the reader…he exudes this power that is unrivalled. He makes you miss a breath. He is like no other. He left me speechless!

What I loved most about him though is the way he communicates through music. Remy is a man after my own heart. He reduced me to a puddle on the floor by his feet in complete captivation and desire.

His immediate and intense attraction to Brooke, an attraction he is unable to communicate, gave me chills.

You cannot relax into this story completely as the danger is there and you just don’t know which way it’s going to go. Remy was complex and his story broke my heart…made me cry! This Author had me gripped and on the edge of my seat through the whole story, oh and the music…spot on!

Jenny:  You’re so right Gitte.  In a way, you do read this with some measure of dread in your heart because you feel so much for this tormented man.  Brooke is a tough cookie and tries to deny her feelings for the intensely closed off Remy, who fights as a way of dealing with his aggression.  This man brings out such a need in Brooke she is unsure of how to proceed with Remy but knows she has to proceed with caution.

As her physio it is her job to keep this man in peak condition, to make him ready for every fight on his calender, to take care of him and keep him in peak condition physically and mentally.

Remy relies on Brooke in more ways than one and his feelings are so extreme towards her she must be guard herself against the intense and unpredictable Remy. Remy, what can I say about Remy? Loved him. Remy will melt your heart.  He will break your heart at times and you will want to just grab this big bear of a man and hold him. Hold him until you make everything right for Remy.  His has not been an easy road. Misjudged, used and misunderstood, but with Brooke by his side, can she help him tame his demons and be the Remy he desperately wants to be? I really enjoyed Real, it was a different take on a theme I love, the sexual chemistry was off the charts and I’m glad I got to read Brooke and Remy’s story.  A story with heart about a man who will steal it. The ending completely melted me.

Gitte: Brooke was a great heroine. She too has had emotional trauma in her past and it has shaped her into who she is the day she meets Remy and affects her actions from then on in respect to the intensity of feelings she has for him. Brooke has had to change her life and find her place and now has the added uncertainty of Remy.

Remy has so much turmoil within him yet lacks the words. The reasons for who Remy is, his struggles and his aggression he cannot put into words.  By keeping Brooke at his side he tries to show her, tries to convey who he really is through music, show her another side. Brooke reciprocates and I thought this journey was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking at times despite the ugly and gritty rearing its head throughout. The sexual tension was so intense, built up to the extreme so that you literally can’t take any more.

I loved this story and without a doubt I absolutely fell in total LOVE with Remy. I applaud this new Author for taking a different path in the genre of MMA romance. It worked and she nailed it!

ARC supplied by author for an honest review