Three full bestselling novels, over 280,000 words, and 8 pages of extended, uncut scenes!An artist.A boxer.A love that was never meant to be.Follow Jenna and Kellen through their tumultuous relationship full of passion, longing, and a trust so true it will hold them tightly together even as their worlds fall apart around them.*This is not a cookie cutter romance. It is a knockdown, heartbreaking … romance. It is a knockdown, heartbreaking journey through friendship, love, and loss – all to find the one person who can see you clear as day, even when you’ve lost all sight of yourself.
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Overall this was a well written series following Kellen from his teen years to adulthood. Along the way, he finds hope, family, and friendship, makes mistakes, struggles with childhood trauma, survives an accident, and ultimately finds unconditional love.
Well edited. Most misses were missing letters (open vs. opener, answers vs. answer) and odd sentences.
The majority of the story begins when Kellen is 17, and follows him forward as he is befriended by the Monroe family. There are a few flashbacks to Kellen’s childhood that reveal what happened to his mother and his trials and trauma in foster care. The abuse Kellen suffered in foster care effects how he views himself and the the people in his life. He doesn’t trust easily, and he distances himself from people and situations emotionally. One of the ways in which he has learned to cope is through boxing. So, Kellen has boxing, the Monroe family, and the fact that he is super smart going for him.
Brawler (#1)
We meet Kellen at 17 when he stands up for a girl being bullied by two guys. This leads to a night in jail for Kellen, followed by a meeting with Dan Monroe. Dan is a lawyer, and takes on Kellen’s case pro bono. From this meeting, Dan brings Kellen into his home, where Kellen meets Dan’s wife and two daughters, Laney (15) and Jenna (13). Kellen and Jenna form a tight bond – similar to big brother and little sister. Meanwhile, Kellen’s teenage self allows his hormones to direct his path, and he starts dating Laney. Their relationship is quite tumultuous. When Jenna is 15, a 19 year old Kellen suddenly sees her as more than a little girl. Freaked, he heads back to college and throws himself into school, girls, and continuing his on again/off again relationship with Laney. Eventually, he proposes to Laney and begins a miserable four years of postponing the wedding. On the eve of ending his relationship with Laney, they are involved in a serious car accident that lands Kellen in a coma. When he eventually awakens, he finds Jenna waiting for him. From then on, he begins to remake his life as his own, and finally realizes that he needs therapy. The therapist helps Kellen to find a new path – one that includes Jenna. By the end of this book, Kellen and Jenna are finally together and looking forward to finding a future together.
Knockout (#2)
This one is mostly a rehash of Brawler, but told from Jenna’s POV. There are some helpful insights, but large chunks are exactly what was in the first book. (Which is not necessarily bad, as it is consistent.) We do learn how Jenna felt throughout the years – from her friendship, to her deeper feelings, to the hurt when Kellen was with Laney, to her deep love for Kellen. Towards the end, we also see how she struggles to let Kellen move at his own emotional pace – balancing when to push, when to pull back, and how to persevere as he heals.
Ringside (#3)
This one contains both Kellen and Jenna’s POV. We back up a little and rehash some of the end of Brawler and Knockout. Then, we finally get to move forward as Kellen goes to Ireland to meet his relatives. Finding family and connecting is very rewarding to Kellen personally. He charts a new career path, and steps back into the boxing world. Boxing leads him back to Las Vegas, where he finally meets and talks to his father. This meeting reveals so many things, and yet it creates more questions. Kellen really struggles with the decisions his mother made – especially as they caused him to be placed in foster care where things turned so bad. By the end, Kellen and Jenna have found a way to move forward, and are embracing their future.
Overall, this is a lovely story of perseverance and love. Jenna never gave up on Kellen – loving him even when she had to let him go. Part of Kellen’s path is spent trying to live up to the ideal of Dan – a man who truly looked out for Kellen’s best interests. However, Kellen finally realizes that he has to follow his own way, and not try to be someone he is not. Ultimately, Kellen realized emulating Dan’s character without replicating the details was the best way to honor Dan. And, it was ironic that Kellen thought Laney was the answer to replicating Dan’s choice in life, when she was really more like his mother than he realized. Thankfully, Kellen was able to find people in his life that truly looked out for him and not what he could do for them. We all need people like that in our lives. Enjoy!