Synopsis
An Irish Mixed Martial Artist who is fighting for the UFC Championship in Las Vegas.
A beautiful hustler who is counting the clock down to her twenty-eighth birthday when she can finally retire and enjoy her life.
A chance encounter that changes both of their lives forever.
“I can’t allow what I feel for him to stop me from seeing the end goal. I never wanted this to be my life and in six months, it no longer will be.
“But there is something about Torin Duffy that makes my heart race, and creates a shortness of breath I have never felt in my life.
“I’m jaded; part of me feels like I am unlovable but when I am with him, he makes me feel wanted, needed, protected and it’s a slow burn that is leisurely turning me inside out and my emotions upside down.
“We both know how dangerous this is but nothing can stop the hurricane of emotions we make each other feel, and his touch is so dangerous, I know he could leave me broken beyond repair.
“How do we stop something that can destroy us both? Why should he risk what he’s wanted his whole life over me?
“We both know where this is leading but how can we stop it when it’s too late to turn back now?” – Chiara Bassi
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18894020-love-tko?from_search=true
Review
Can two wounded and scared souls move on from the sins of their pasts and find redemption in each other? For Chiara Bassi and Torin Duffy, that’s the ultimate question, but there’s not an easy answer. For most of their lives, they have had to endure constant hardships; the people who were supposed to protect them the most betrayed them both on grand scales, requiring deplorable acts to be taken. Both Chiara and Torin are plagued with regrets and find it extremely difficult to see the good inside themselves. To battle against their pasts and find some kind of absolution, they are going to have to rely on each other more than they have ever relied on someone before. But will it be enough to leave their pasts behind them or will they forever be members of the walking wounded, never getting out from underneath their past decisions?
Chiara Bassi’s life has really never been her own. At age 18, she signed her life over to a man for ten years in order to get treatment for her older sister’s bi polar disorder. For nine and a half torturous years, she has had to give her body over to numerous men without a say in what they do with it. Because Chiara finds herself so unworthy of love, she gave up hope for a happily ever after a long time ago. But that all changes when Torin enters her life. For once, she’s letting her feelings complicate her interaction with a man, and even though it terrifies her, it also feels good to have someone find her worthy of his love.
Torin Duffy has lived by one golden rule: “women can never be trusted.” There’s not room in his life for more than a series of one night stands because his focus is on the MMA Championship. No matter the amount of success he has obtained, nothing will solidify his career but that championship, and Torin feels like this is his last shot because he’s getting too old. When he meets Chiara at a party, he feels a pull to her like he’s never felt, and now, he just might have to figure out how to win the championship and get the girl.
Love TKO is a gritty look into the world of MMA fighters as well as high end escorts. Chiara and Torin are two tortured souls trying to not only save themselves but their family members as well. Selene Chardou created two incredibly strong characters in Chiara and Torin. The pasts they are fighting against and the demons that still haunt them are portrayed expertly in the text. Separately, they are incredibly dynamic characters, and while at times, I felt the connection they shared; other times, I struggled with their commitment. Once the main conflict is explained, I also felt like the story’s pace slowed down too much and left me wanting the resolution to happen earlier. But despite those issues, I really did enjoy the text. Two damaged souls finding love and redemption in each other always makes for an enjoyable read and adding in the MMA aspect with a bit of suspense helped boost my rating.
Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
3.5/4 poison apples
About this Author
Ms. Chardou’s writing is all about hot romance and exciting times with the rich and famous set in the New Adult realm.
She is currently working on Falling into Love (One More Night Trilogy).
There will also be a spin-off series titled simply the Scarlet Fever Series which will chronicle the relationships of all four band members in separate novels.
She also has a pop stars series planned titled Young, Rich & Talented, which will also be a trilogy.
Ms. Chardou has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/selene_chardou
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