Release Blitz and Reviews: Legend: Katy Evans
Maverick “the Avenger” Cage wants to rise to the top and become a legend in the ring. Though he keeps his identity well guarded, he's known on the fighting circuit as the new kid with a chip on his shoulder and a tattoo on his back that marks him as trouble. He's got a personal score to settle with the Underground's one and only Remington "Riptide" Tate.
As Mav trains, he meets a young girl—the only other new person in the town--and sparks fly. When things get heated between them, he finds out she's none other than Reese Dumas, the cousin of Remington Tate’s wife. A girl who's supposed to root against him and a girl he's supposed to stay away from.
But Maverick fights for the woman in his heart, and the monsters in his blood. The world’s eyes are on them and the victor will go down in history as the ultimate fighting champion; the ultimate LEGEND.
* LEGEND is the 6th and final installment of the REAL series, but it can also be read as standalone or after the three Remington and Brooke books (Real/Mine/Remy.)
I immediately was transported right back into the intricate MMA world that Katy Evans has created for the Real series. She not only brings us back in touch with our old friends, but succeeds in introducing us to a new, younger couple that completely captivated me.
Maverick Cage is a mystery. He is a determined loner just fighting for a chance and having trouble finding someone to give it to him. Reese Dumas is spending the summer with her cousin, Brooke, and her husband, Remy Tate, who is still the current undefeated champion of the Underground. One chance meeting causes Reese to do a a couple of good deeds for Maverick that at least help him get his foot in the door. And that is enough to spark an interest and connection.
Maverick and Reese both have their own demons and their own quiet demeanor and walls up. But somehow as they begin to recognize that in each other it succeeds in amplifying how they could truly see and hear what the other was or was not saying. They began to feel that connection, that spark, that hold on each other that could not be ignored or forgotten.They find themselves attracted and getting under each other's skin, but they do not really know that there are other factors also connecting them. But their lives, their families, their fears, and their circumstances all create complications that have the potential to destroy any chance they could have together.
Maverick and Reese both have their own demons and their own quiet demeanor and walls up. But somehow as they begin to recognize that in each other it succeeds in amplifying how they could truly see and hear what the other was or was not saying. They began to feel that connection, that spark, that hold on each other that could not be ignored or forgotten.They find themselves attracted and getting under each other's skin, but they do not really know that there are other factors also connecting them. But their lives, their families, their fears, and their circumstances all create complications that have the potential to destroy any chance they could have together.
He's the newest young buck wanting to take over the Underground and that means he would have to fight his way all the way to the top to be champion.
I absolutely adored Maverick! He was part lost, abandoned boy and part tenacious, protective, alpha man. He had an agenda to avenge his past and prove he was worthy. He knew what he wanted and needed and was not afraid to fight for it. He was impatient, driven, intense, and intimidating. But he was also vulnerable, had a big heart, and craved to be loved and feel accepted. She believed in him when no on else did forging a bond that just kept building and just made with him want to work harder and succeed.
Reese initially appeared a bit weak and lost too. This was supposed to be her summer of empowerment and making positive changes. She needed to find a way to believe in her own inner and outer beauty, strength, and worthiness. The shy quiet girl who needed love and attention, also needed to figure out where she wanted her life to lead and wanted to make healthy, sustainable choices. Maverick made her come out of her shell, be more bold and reckless, but in a good way that brought out her true personality and emotions.
Together they balanced out each other and gave each other strength in order to try to rise from their past and forge their own futures. But they were also torn by loyalties, fears, and insecurities.
This is a story about determination, strength, passion, hope, and redemption. It's real, emotional, and powerful. I loved getting both of their points of view and seeing the characters open up and mature along the way.
This is also about the importance of family. Remy and Brooke still touch my heart. I loved seeing them with their little charmer, Racer, and the continued support of Pete, Riley, Lupe and Diane. They are a team and a family that are willing to support those they deem worthy. I fell even harder for the more mature, experienced Remy in this one. He is still a charismatic hero who has not forgotten where he has come from. I also enjoyed the side story with Oz and how he fit into the picture.
Even though initially I was not even sure this series needed another book, I am now convinced their series would not be complete without it. This brought it all back home. It showed how much the characters have grown, loved, and what they have built. And it gave us a new couple to watch struggle, hope, and work towards their goals Merging the two stories was the perfect way to bring this series to a close and give us all the raw and real feels that we have come to expect from this series and these characters. They've all had their monsters to fight and overcome both personally and professionally. I was captivated, engaged, and completely invested from the first page to the last. I liked that there were mysteries and secrets to uncover along the way and that it was not obvious how the story would ultimately play out.
Who is the Legend? What is a real legacy? What is most important in life?
I am sorry to say good bye, but leave with a full heart and big smile. And Katy's end notes were just extra icing on the cake.
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In the final book in the Real series, a new contender has entered the Underground ring. A contender with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. A contender who is determined to be an Avenger. Determined to become a Legend. Maverick “The Avenger” Cage is fighting shadows.
Reese Dumas hopes to find herself while traveling with her cousin, Brooke, and Brooke’s MMA fighter husband, Remy “The Riptide” Tate. Taking care of their son Racer, Reese can’t help but forget her past, her pain, and begin to reclaim herself. When she meets a new fighter, she is intrigued by his aloneness and the fight she sees in his eyes every time they interact.
There is something between them, though they are on opposite ends of the ring, with the champion between them. He shouldn’t be chasing her, rather he should be focused on his fighting goals. And she shouldn’t want him near, not when rooting for him means turning her back on family.
Once again, I fell hard for a broken fighter almost as soon as he is introduced. Katy Evans has a way of writing these damaged men, while keeping them strong and masculine. Maverick’s intense desire to avenge both broke my heart and made me root for him (even though I was not a fan of his cause). But it was his way with Reese that truly made me love him. The way he saw her was perfect and precious, and reminded me of Remy and Brooke in their early days.
Reese was a bit more of a mystery. While I suspected early on the connection Mav was hiding, her history was a puzzle. When that reveal happened, and the way it came out, I couldn’t help but admire the strength that she had built. Her strength is a much quieter version, fitting of her personality.
As they battled the voices they heard telling them they wouldn’t work, I couldn’t help but turn the pages faster and faster. This was one of those books where I was engrossed in both the main romance thread and the fight season running in the background. The way those two threads wound around each other, pushing, pulling, winding and unraveling was perfection.
Reese Dumas hopes to find herself while traveling with her cousin, Brooke, and Brooke’s MMA fighter husband, Remy “The Riptide” Tate. Taking care of their son Racer, Reese can’t help but forget her past, her pain, and begin to reclaim herself. When she meets a new fighter, she is intrigued by his aloneness and the fight she sees in his eyes every time they interact.
There is something between them, though they are on opposite ends of the ring, with the champion between them. He shouldn’t be chasing her, rather he should be focused on his fighting goals. And she shouldn’t want him near, not when rooting for him means turning her back on family.
Once again, I fell hard for a broken fighter almost as soon as he is introduced. Katy Evans has a way of writing these damaged men, while keeping them strong and masculine. Maverick’s intense desire to avenge both broke my heart and made me root for him (even though I was not a fan of his cause). But it was his way with Reese that truly made me love him. The way he saw her was perfect and precious, and reminded me of Remy and Brooke in their early days.
Reese was a bit more of a mystery. While I suspected early on the connection Mav was hiding, her history was a puzzle. When that reveal happened, and the way it came out, I couldn’t help but admire the strength that she had built. Her strength is a much quieter version, fitting of her personality.
As they battled the voices they heard telling them they wouldn’t work, I couldn’t help but turn the pages faster and faster. This was one of those books where I was engrossed in both the main romance thread and the fight season running in the background. The way those two threads wound around each other, pushing, pulling, winding and unraveling was perfection.
From the time I picked up this book to the time I finished, I don’t think I put it down for more than a few minutes at a time, and only when my kids wouldn’t let me avoid things like mealtimes. I can’t imagine a better ending for this series and love what it says about all the characters.
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
At Tate’s corner, outside the ropes, his coach whistles. “You two get some headgear on. Stat.”
Tate’s lips curl rebelliously, and he looks at me with challenge in his eyes.
I smile back, a feral curl of my lips.
We tap gloves.
No headgear.
I jab. He swings his arm, blocks the hit, leaps back, and I jab again, blocked again.
We space apart and jump in place, shaking our shoulders, loosening up. I pull my gloves back up, narrow my eyes, and he asks, “You think you’re the shit because you’re fast and strong? I got news for you. I’m faster, I’m stronger, and I’m disciplined. Your coach isn’t doing you any favors.”
“He’s in my corner, and that’s enough for me.”
He swings, I duck fast and come up behind him. He straightens and faces me again. “If you settle for that, then you should settle for second place.”
“What the fuck. You want me to win?”
“I want a good fight. I like keeping things real. Reminds me I’m a man. Mortal.”
“I want to be a legend. Legends never die. Even if they die alone.”
He swings again, and I duck, come up, and jab three times.
He blocks repeatedly, then hooks with his right; I deflect. He grins and jabs again. I block, then I duck before he puts me up against the ropes, and I head back to center. He follows.
“To be a legend you need to fall seven times, get up eight,” he says.
I remember a final a few years ago when my father kicked Tate to a pulp. “Or not fall at all.”
He backs up his arm and then smacks the smirk right off me. “Before you stop falling, you need to embrace the fact that you’re going to hit the ground.”
I clean the blood from my mouth, glowering.
We take positions again, and he watches me as if waiting for my next move as we start dancing around, jumping, waiting for the other to strike.
“Do you want the headgear now?”
I lunge and start hitting, and he blocks, deflects, blocks. “Fuck you,” I grit out.
“Getting angry doesn’t help. You control the anger, not let it control you.”
I want to prove him wrong; I loop out my arm and aim for his head.
He ducks and hooks, his knuckles cracking into my jaw. I spurt blood and bounce against the ropes.
I shake my head, wipe the blood away, grit my teeth and straighten, narrowing my eyes. “My turn,” I growl, and I swing. My fist connects: a kidney punch.
He blocks my next hit, frowning in thought. “You’re cocky for someone who just lost yesterday.”
He jabs.
I dive my upper body to the side, evading. “You got to play it to become it.”
“I’m the champion, not you.”
“You won’t live forever, champ.”
He jabs three times, then leaps back, flexes his arm and looks at it.
“Muscle memory. You hit enough times, you fight on instinct; part of your brain works on your assault, the other is focused on the other’s assault. Let your muscle memory work for you and consciously stay focused on your opponent’s eyes.”
I laugh mockingly. “I don’t need your pointers.”
“Go back home to daddy, then.”
“When I’m finished with you.” I punch him, then raise my left hook and connect hard enough to stun him.
He raises his head, shakes it to clear it, and wipes blood from his nose. I catch my breath, satisfied I got some blood. At least I won’t be the only one with an ice pack tonight.
He sees the blood on his arm and looks at me, impressed.
“TIME!” his coach yells out from the corner. “You two won’t have shit for the fight if you keep up this nonsense.”
Tate grins at him, then turns back and glowers at me. “You get enough?”
“Barely warming up here.” I squint the blood out of one eye and raise my gloves. “Come get it, Riptide,” I growl.
Real (Book One) The Real Series
Katy EvansHey! I’m Katy Evans and I love family, books, life, and love. I’m married with two children and three dogs and spend my time baking, walking, writing, reading, and taking care of my family. Thank you for spending your time with me and picking up my story. I hope you had an amazing time with it, like I did. If you’d like to know more about books in progress, look me up on the Internet, I’d love to hear from you!
Email: authorkatyevans@gmail.com
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