Should passion come at the expense of friendship, or is the cost too high? It took a while, but Louise Becker’s life is back on track. After starting nursing school and a new job at an MMA gym, everything’s going well. Until she loses her apartment. When he discovers her misfortune, MMA fighter Usalv ‘Madman’ Markovski invites Louise to become his roommate.She vows to check her attraction and … invites Louise to become his roommate.
She vows to check her attraction and keep their relationship friend zoned, but at close quarters good intentions take a backseat to desire.
Their pursuit of suppressed needs creates a haven from high-pressure lives and soothes past wounds. But as tragedy threatens the future, can their passionate bond endure, or will they become victims of disaster?
more
I loved this friends to lovers story! Both main characters have emotional baggage which makes them that much more relatable. The story has the full range of emotions/feels.
Louise Becker is a nurse by day and taekwondo/kickboxing instructor on the side. She is a fourth degree black belt but looks like a model. Usalv Markovski is a professional MMA fighter training at the same gym where she teaches. She has to move out of her shared apartment in a hurry and he volunteers his second bedroom to her. They click and eventually fall into a romantic relationship. They have to work through the demands of their careers and a mugging but get their HEA in the end. Highly recommend.
A new author and a terrific read. This story is about professional fighters – who train at a top notch gym. The author paints a vivid picture that makes the story all the more entertaining. Our couple is Macedonian, an immigrant Usalv and Louise, a trauma nurse who are both are into martial arts big time. Usalv is a world-ranked fighter, and Louise has a fourth degree black belt. Both are likeable, caring characters you root for. I voluntarily received an arc copy of this book from HiddenGems
** spoiler alert ** Usalv struggles with showing his feelings. Louise wants to put relationships on the back burner. Will they learn to communicate before it is too late?
I LOVED how Usalv was this big strong fighter, BUT when it came to Louise he was a complete sweetheart and showed there was more behind the fighting. I didn’t blame Louise for being scared after the fact that others had put her down, but loved how she continued to want to improve herself. Good read!
Annabeth Saryu, ‘Fighting Hearts’.
A friend to lovers steamy sport romance.
As an Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy and promised an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 3 (of 5 stars).
In general: Complicated love life of a MMA fighter.
Main characters:
– Usalv Markovski.
He’s born in Macedonia and came as a kid to Chicago. Now he’s a professional MMA fighter .
– Louise Becker.
She’s a trauma nurse and in her free time a black belt taekwondo and kickboxing instructor in a fight gym.
Usalv and Lou meet in the gym when he helps her out of an unfortunate situation. They like and respect each other. When she has to leave her apartment Usalv helps her again and they become temporary roommates and both feel a strong physical attraction.
Then the author, Annabeth Saryu, describes how they fall in love but especially Usalv has problems with a lasting commitment due to bad experiences in his past. And that causes a lot of confused feeling in Louise.
However in the end they find their HEA.
The author created wonderful main characters and interesting boxing scenes but left me with some questions about the plot:
– How is it possible that a black belt taekwondo instructor and equivalent sparring partner of a MMA fighter cannot defend herself against a harassing young man?
– How is it possible to pick up a person who wanders randomly in Chicago for half an hour?
– How is it possible that intelligent persons who love, trust and care for each other never clearly speak about their real mutual feelings for such a long time? And make reaching a HEA so complicated?
Nevertheless for me an interesting book to read.
R. Huiszoon.
Sweet MMA! Book one in the Hearts So Fine series. Can be read and enjoyed as stand-alone. Full length told in dual POV with HEA. Usalv and Louise pull you into their story. They both have hang ups from their past relationships and take things slow, but that doesn’t prevent some miscommunication / lack of communication. I enjoyed this book and would recommend!
Enjoyed this book. Liked the characters. HEA.