Worth the Fight by Vi Keeland

4.5 out of 5 TKO stars

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

Elle James, a lawyer, is stuck in a dead end relationship with William Harper. William, a good friend she met during her college days, is also a lawyer. Somewhere along the line, their friendship became sexual, but lacked sparks and fireworks.  Feeling trapped, Elle's life has become so routine, and her “sex-once-a-week” booty calls with William are no longer satisfying. Regardless of how mundane Elle’s life is now, it is prefect in comparison to her past.  Surviving an abusive childhood has left Elle troubled and scarred.  In order to endure the horrors, Elle is guarded and keeps her secrets locked up tight.  Nonetheless, she will continue to coast through her life on autopilot, suffocating…but always hoping for the circumstances in her “perfect” life force a change.

Elle

“I’m a character in my story, going through the chapters of my life as if it was written by an imaginary person, when I should be the author.”

What change does troubled girl like Elle need to spice up her life?  I’d say meeting a hot MMA fighter named Nico  “The Lady Killer” Hunter would due.  Enter Nico, a new client and a hot as hell, sex-on-legs, tattooed hard body. YUM.  One look at him seems to wake Elle up from her perpetual slumber.  He is drop dead gorgeous, possessive and total Alpha.

Nico:

"...I want you to give yourself to me.  I want you, Elle. All of you."

     

 “Sexy, Sensual. Rough.  All man.” 

The sexual energy between these two is off the charts.  I fell in love with Nico’s character immediately.  He is as gentle, loving and vulnerable as he is rugged. Got to love a dirty talking growler who thanks a girl after each wham-bam ;)

"...I want my smell on you. In you. So that the whole God damn world knows you're mine."

Nico, like Elle, has a barely survived a tormented past. He is a broken man who feels culpable for a situation which was totally out of his control.  Struggling to work past the anguish of his last fighting match, Nico is training (psychically and mentally) to once again enter the ring.  But, tensions are running too high and Nico can not seem to work through the catastrophic events which altered his life forever.  Instead, he emotionally shuts down from his family, friends and his relationship with Elle becomes strained and eventually crumbles. 

“Elle, run while you have the chance.  You can’t fix me.  I’m not some project for you to take on like charity. You’re better off with someone who is more like you.”

Discovering she is deeply in love with Nico, Elle fights her own demons and realizes the only way to get him back is if she shares her dark secrets, tearing down the walls she built to protect herself.  Revealing her painful past with Nico would make him realize they have so much in common.  Opening her self up is the only way their relationship can survive.  And when those walls come down, they free themselves of guilt and pain, and a whole new life lays ahead of them - one filled with happiness and joy.

“...I made peace with it, Babe.  And you gave that to me.  I only wish there was something I could give you back that meant as much as what you did for me.  But there isn’t one thing big enough to call it even.  So if you’ll have me, I want to spend the next fifty or sixty years trying to repay you…saying thank you every day.  Because you, lady, are all I need.”

“When we met, we were two injured souls.  Both keeping the real out of our lives for fear of what we might find.  But nothing could have kept us apart.  I never believed in destiny...Until I met you.  You’re it for me, Babe.  I didn’t even know I was missing something until I found you, but now I don’t know how I got through a day without what you’ve given me.  You’re my soul mate…  You’ve filled all the cracks in my heart and made me better.  I never thought I’d say this after what I went through, but I’m the luckiest bastard on this earth.”

Vi Keeland writings me laugh, scream and cry while experiencing the love story of Nico and Elle.  I truly enjoyed reading this story from alternating POV’s. Worth the Fight is definitely worth the read.