DEFYING THE ODDS
(Battered Hearts #1)
Kele Moon
BLURB
Fighter Romance
When struggling waitress Melody Dylan gives a handsome, lonely stranger a simple gift she has no clue her life is about to take a drastic turn.
The stranger ends up being Clay Powers, a famous UFC heavyweight fighter. Clay’s large build and dangerous fists have always intimidated. People in his hometown keep their distance and Clay is fine with that. Everything changes when a new waitress at the local diner buys him a piece of pie on Thanksgiving. Touched by the gesture when it’s obvious she can barely afford to survive, her warm smile and lush body churn up powerful feelings that leave Clay wanting more from her than pie.
Melody is running from her past and the small, country town of Garnet is the perfect hiding place. With an ex-husband after her and scars from her abusive marriage etched deep, the last thing she expects is to fall for a man who makes a living with his fists, but she can’t resist Clay or the tender connection they share.
Finding love in the most unlikely of places, the passion is undeniable, but Clay and Melody know their haunted pasts and unpredictable futures leave the odds stacked against them.
★★★★★
Defying the Odds is an old-school romance. What do I mean by that? This book was written in 2011 back when there wasn’t a ton of sports romance books to pick from. There was a phase, about 4 years ago, where readers would claim books like this had too many themes that were overdone (a surly guy who’s a famous UFC fighter happens upon a down-and-out waitress who is running from her abusive ex-husband. She’s clueless about who this guy is sitting at her table on a Thanksgiving evening. Her act of kindness sets in a motion a romance). Yet, this trope is a winning one and that’s the reason why almost 7 years later it still captures readers interest.
I’ve spent the last two weeks with a book hangover and every book I’ve picked up just hasn’t clicked with me. I decided to give this book a try and I, for one, enjoyed reading this storyline. It made me smile because it made feel like when I first joined Goodreads and was reading romance books with my friends. Sort of like a comfort food for the soul.
It’s hard to believe but Ms. Moon is new to me author. I’ve had friends over the years sing her praises. I can now see why she’s so popular. I’ve already got the next book loaded on my kindle.
“It felt like she had accidentally fallen into a relationship with a rock star.”
DEFYING THE ODDS is the first book in Battered Hearts series. This series is filled with UFC fighters. If you love sports romance, especially fighters than this is series is for you! Be in the octagon with Clay and also watching from the sidelines with Melody.
P.S. Currently $.99 on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2oHJkAt>
