Laura Kaye has been one of my favorite authors for years. I was so excited to hear she was writing a new series centered around a fighting gym for individuals with PTSD. Starting Fighting for Everything, I was quickly reminded how well Ms. Kaye portrays mental health in her novels. Our hero, Noah Cortez, has limited hearing and sight on one side as well as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) due to an injury he sustained as a Marine. Working with individuals with disabilities, I know that it is often the people with invisible disabilities who suffer the most because people expect them to be “normal”. Noah experiences all of this. There is no magic “cure” for mental health. Kristina’s love doesn’t “fix” his problems nor do they go away overnight or really at all.
Friends to lovers can be a difficult trope to perfect because often the character’s relationship has developed off “screen”. Kristina and Noah have known each other for years but Ms. Kaye let you in on every inside joke and intimacy. Both characters have changed throughout the years and their romantic love develops believably from their deep friend-love.
As I mentioned, this is the first book in a new series for Ms. Kaye and you can tell what a seasoned author she is. The world was neatly set up but the hero’s journey and the relationship between Noah and Kristina was always front and center. Future books and relationships were very much in the background (as I think they should be).
This book is the perfect balance of sexy, sweet, and angst. I would highly recommend to anyone looking to dip their toe into the contemporary romance genre. Ms. Kaye’s novels are always satisfying and immensely readable.
As a side note, I think Kristina and I are kindred spirits. As a resident of Arlington I just loved seeing a few of my favorite haunts highlighted. The heroine even lives in my specific part of Arlington!
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
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Romance Reader 