Review, Excerpt Tour and Giveaway: Fighting For Everything: Laura Kaye
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Release Date May 22, 2018
Loving her is the biggest fight of his life…
Home from the Marines, Noah Cortez has a secret he doesn’t want his oldest friend, Kristina Moore, to know. It kills him to push her away, especially when he’s noticing just how sexy and confident she’s become in his absence. But, angry and full of fight, he’s not the same man anymore either. Which is why Warrior Fight Club sounds so good.
Kristina loves teaching, but she wants more out of life. She wants Noah—the boy she’s crushed on and waited for. Except Noah is all man now—in ways both oh so good and troubling, too. Still, she wants who he’s become—every war-hardened inch. And when they finally stop fighting their attraction, it’s everything Kristina never dared hope for.
But Noah is secretly spiraling, and when he lashes out, it threatens what he and Kristina have found. The brotherhood of the fight club helps him confront his demons, but only Noah can convince the woman he loves that he’s finally ready to fight for everything.
Noah Cortez is an ex Marine who is not transitioning very well back into civilian life after being injured and suffering lingering issues. He is lost, angry, resentful, anxious, and also dealing with other physical and mental problems. But worst of all, he feels like nothing...completely unworthy.
Kristina Moore is his long time best friend. She is sweet, caring, outgoing, and supportive. She understands dealing with people who have mental issues. She would do anything for Noah, if he would let her.
Their relationship is changing just as Noah's personality has changed. There is more tension, sexual and otherwise. Suddenly there is more need, want, chemistry, and intensity between them. But by exploring that new side of their relationship, it opens them up to more chances to be hurt, stressed, and worried.
He is her everything. But he feels like he is not worthy enough to give her everything she deserves.
This moved a bit slow for me especially in the beginning. But I think it is because the author really established all of Noah's issues, feelings, and their relationship well. The second half did pick up and move faster. And I did like Noah and Kristina both separately and together. But sometimes it was hard to keep dealing with all the negative stuff, and I guess I was wanting to get to some healing and happiness faster. But it was also understandable due to all that Noah was dealing with. He was confused, conflicted, hurting, and hopeless at times and was struggling to get his footing. And although Kristina wass loving, strong, and supportive, she had her own insecurities and wass often left worried and upset. The author did not pretty up this story to make it an easy romance, it was real, raw, and painful. My heart hurt for both of them.
This is an emotional friends-to-lovers story about hope and healing. It sets up the new series featuring the Warrior Fight Club of ex vets and I am interested in their stories.
I was gifted a copy.
Noah is having a hard time adjusting back to civilian life, especially after coming home wounded. He is hiding his struggles as much as he can from his family and closest friends. Only when he finds the Warrior Fight Club does he begin to find some relief from his pain.
Kristina has been his best friend since they were children, and hiding a crush nearly as long. She wants to support his transition back to regular life, but though she has experience with mental health, isn’t sure how to help him when he pushes her away.
This was a tough read for me simply because of the vivid character building and storytelling. Noah’s mental health and his transition are a major focus of the story. I found myself hurting for him and waiting for him to hit bottom so he could find help, but having a hard time focusing because it he was in such a dark place. Once the state of Noah’s health had been established and things started moving between Kristina and Noah I really dug into the story and started enjoying it even more.
The second half of the book definitely picked up and hooked me completely. I enjoyed watching these two fight for what they wanted, both together and as individuals.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and as the story progressed I was just as interested in learning more about the people around Noah and Kristina as I was in their actual story. Though this one took a while for me to get into, I know I typically love this author and am looking forward to diving further into this new series.
I was gifted a copy.
Kristina has been his best friend since they were children, and hiding a crush nearly as long. She wants to support his transition back to regular life, but though she has experience with mental health, isn’t sure how to help him when he pushes her away.
This was a tough read for me simply because of the vivid character building and storytelling. Noah’s mental health and his transition are a major focus of the story. I found myself hurting for him and waiting for him to hit bottom so he could find help, but having a hard time focusing because it he was in such a dark place. Once the state of Noah’s health had been established and things started moving between Kristina and Noah I really dug into the story and started enjoying it even more.
The second half of the book definitely picked up and hooked me completely. I enjoyed watching these two fight for what they wanted, both together and as individuals.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and as the story progressed I was just as interested in learning more about the people around Noah and Kristina as I was in their actual story. Though this one took a while for me to get into, I know I typically love this author and am looking forward to diving further into this new series.
I was gifted a copy.
FIGHTING FOR EVERYTHING EXCERPT
LAURA KAYE
“All done,” Noah said. He gently applied tape to hold the bandage in place, but with the way the back of her hand was swelling, there wasn’t any safe place to press. Sonofabitch. He couldn’t believe this had happened to her. And on his watch.
“You’re taking really good care of me, Noah. Thank you,” Kristina said with a small smile.
“I will always take care of you,” he bit out. And then he realized what he said, and just how vehemently he’d said it. And damn if it hadn’t sounded a whole lot more than friendly. He chanced a glance at Kristina, and it was clear that she’d registered something in his tone, too. He threw away the trash and sat against the edge of the desk. “Why don’t you sit with the ice for a few minutes?”
She rose and stood right in front of him, her pretty eyes even with his given how he was leaning. “I don’t need to sit,” she said in a low voice, her gaze boring into his.
“Well, I need you to sit. So sit.”
Her eyebrow went up. Just the one.
Under other circumstances it might’ve made him laugh. Could she ever just fucking listen to him? But he was wound so tight over witnessing her getting hurt, over the idea that it could’ve been so much worse, over seeing her spilled blood, that it was all he could do not to redecorate Mr. Johnson’s office along the lines of his shower wall. He was nearly vibrating with pent-up frustration.
And now Kristina was boxing him in, observing him too closely, not giving him an out.
“Here’s the part where I’m gonna say ‘thank you,’ and you’re going to say ‘you’re welcome.’ Ready? Thank you for protecting me and taking care of me, Noah.” Her expression was expectant, and not a little amused.
Something about her playfulness wound him a notch tighter. Because he wasn’t playing. His gaze dropped from her eyes to her full pink lips, and desire sucker-punched him so hard he nearly gasped. “Does your mouth hurt?” he rasped.
“Why would my—”
Noah was on her in a flash. Hand cupping the side of her face, arm hauling her tight up against him, mouth claiming hers on a deep, needful, soul-healing kiss. Kristina’s muscles braced in surprise, but then she melted against him, going soft and pliant against all his hardness. And he was hard. So hard, so on edge, so in need of release, that he could’ve spun her around, lifted her onto the desk, and buried himself deep right here and right now.
He needed to be more gentle with her, but the need roaring through him wouldn’t allow him to slow down or back off. And her eager responsiveness didn’t help, either.
Her good hand fisted in his hair, her mouth sucked maddeningly at his tongue, and her body writhed against his erection. And goddamn the noises she was making, because the desperate moans and little mewls of need were hot as fuck, every one stroking his cock and making him harder.
Instinct told Noah that Kristina wouldn’t hinder him playing out his little fantasy on the desk.
Except she was hurt. And they were in a fucking sub shop. Annnd, he couldn’t forget about what was behind door number three—they were supposed to be Just. Friends.
“Shit,” he rasped. “I did it again.”
She grasped at his face. “Yes, thank you for that, too. Keep doing it.” Kristina went in for another kiss. This time, her tongue penetrated him, like she wanted to fight him for control. And hell if that didn’t set off all kinds of heat inside him.
He flipped them around and pinned her to the desk, nearly leaning her backwards over it. The position brought his hard-on flush with that sweet, hot spot between her legs. She cried out and tried to grind against him, but his weight and her skirt kept her pinned tight.
Hurt. Sub shop. Friends.
“Shit, wait.” He stepped back, putting space between them. Because he didn’t think he’d have the strength to resist a third time. Especially when she stared at him with such abject fucking need, her cheeks flush with desire, her hair mussed from his hands, her luscious breasts heaving under that clingy V-neck top. “You’re hurt.”
“And?” Kristina asked.
Noah glared. “Kristina, I’m kinda on the edge here, if you can’t tell.”
She slipped up onto the desk and spread her legs, just the little bit the skirt allowed.
Fighting for What's His (Warrior Fight Club, #2)
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Expected August 7, 2018
Fighting the Fire (Warrior Fight Club, #3)
Worth Fighting For (Warrior Fight Club, #3.5; Big Sky, #3.3)
Laura Kaye
Laura Kaye is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of thirty books in contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Laura grew up amid family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. A former college history professor, Laura also writes bestselling historical women's fiction as Laura Kamoie. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
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