Getting in deep has never felt this good... 

Commercial diving instructor Tara Hunter nearly lost everything in an accident that saw her medically discharged from the navy. With the help of the Warrior Fight Club, she’s fought hard to overcome her fears and get back in the water where she’s always felt most at home. At work, she’s tough, serious, and doesn’t tolerate distractions. Which is why finding her gorgeous one-night stand on her new dive team is such a problem. 

Former navy deep-sea diver Jesse Anderson just can’t seem to stop making mistakes—the latest being the hot-as-hell night he’d spent with his new partner. This job is his second chance, and Jesse knows he shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. But spending every day with Tara’s smart mouth and sexy curves makes her so damn hard to resist. 

Joining a wounded warrior MMA training program seems like the perfect way to blow off steam—until Jesse finds that Tara belongs too. Now they’re getting in deep and taking each other down day and night, and even though it breaks all the rules, their inescapable attraction might just be the only thing truly worth fighting for. 

Tara Hunter and Jesse Anderson met as strangers in an empty bar. Over late night nachos, interest develops that leads to continued conversation and a night neither wants to end. They may have found a connection, but the moment they find out they work together, the brakes go on hard. Jesse doesn’t want to make any more mistakes on the job, and Tara needs to keep her focus. But that connection they felt on their first meeting is strong and isn’t easily ignored, especially when Jesse starts to attend Warrior Fight Club, where Tara is already a member.

Even though they hook up almost immediately, this felt like a slow burn with the amount of circling they do through the majority of the rest of the book. They want to do the right thing, and Tara is determined that the right thing is to focus on the job and not add the distraction a romantic relationship with a coworker would add.

I loved the pacing in this. It is a quick read, as a novella, but it tells a detailed tale of the struggles Tara and Jesse are dealing with in their day to day. Both have challenges that stem from their time in the military that need to be handled with care. Tara may have physical scars that have healed, but she hides her emotional ones deep. Jesse doesn’t have the obvious scars Tara does, but he holds on to some hefty survivors guilt.

I have read both of the series these characters originated from and enjoyed them. Seeing them come together here was a perfect twist. The connection to the Warrior Fight Club series is definitely stronger than the connection to Big Sky, with only a brief cameo by Willa (Jesse’s sister) and her son. Each series is so different, but blending them with these characters is a great tie in from Proby’s small town Montana to Kaye’s military heroes. It was refreshing to have the female lead be just as much a hero as the male lead, and Tara is one strong woman.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.