Breaking
a Legend
Kavanagh Legends #1
By: Sarah Robinson
Releasing September 29, 2015
Loveswept
Blurb
Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and
Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the
Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and
love with all their hearts.
As one of the big names at his
family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the
spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left
feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come
with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and
gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in
Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get
his life back into fighting shape.
Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be
able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx
neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her
past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady
work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s
more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he
looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with
love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.
GoodreadsLink
Goodreads Series Link
Author Info
Sarah Robinson is the bestselling
author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A
native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is
just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo
of rescue and foster animals.
Excerpt 1
Three!
Two!
One!
Fight!
The
crowd roared around him as the bell sounded, vibrating through his entire body.
Rory Kavanagh immediately moved into position, his head low and his fists in
front of his face. His arms were tucked in, shielding his body as he advanced
on his opponent. This was it. A lifetime of practice, sparring, training: It
was all for this moment.
It
was all for this fight.
He
was bigger than his opponent; this would be a simple win. He had the strength,
he had the power. He towered over him by several inches, his shoulders broader,
and his muscles thicker. This fight was in the bag. Punch, block, jab, shield, kick,
sidestep. His opponent was moving fast, but Rory
practically danced around his attack. He rained down jab after jab, his
opponent staggering backward with a bloody lip. The bell sounded and both men
retreated to their respective corners.
“Water,”
Rory grunted, leaning against the cage side as his father handed him a water
bottle, his brothers eagerly watching from outside the cage. He dumped a mouthful
of water onto his tongue before swirling it around and spitting it out into a
nearby bucket.
“You’re
doing great, Rory, but remember technique. You’re too heavy-handed on power,
and you’re not focusing on skills. That’s how fighters get hurt.”
“I’m
fine. This is in the bag.” Rory tossed the bottle at him, strutting back toward
the center of the ring as the ref began announcing the start of the second
round.
“Fight!”
The ref backed up quickly as the men converged on each other. Rory landed the
first hook, blocking the return. Breathe, focus.
And
that’s when it happened.
He
blinked in surprise as blinding pain coursed through him. He looked down for a
second, just a second, and it was over. Rory hadn’t even seen it happen; his
opponent had been too fast. He looked down at his leg, but it was entirely
twisted at the knee and bent the wrong direction. Bones were protruding and
blood trickled morbidly down his calf. Searing pain inexplicably mixed with
tingling numbness shot through his body in pulsing currents as he wavered.
Then
all he saw was black. He felt the cage floor hit the back of his head as he
went down hard. He heard the screaming from audience members, his family
included. The ref’s whistle was blaring and medics were asking if he was okay.
Rory
said nothing, and gave in to the black.
I was gifted an ARC by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review. Before I knew I got an ARC, I did go ahead and pre-order a copy.
This is my first MMA read, but not my first Sarah Robinson novel that I've read. I love the cover and the concept behind the overall story. It was great to read about a city I used to live in. This is Rory's story about his personal battles after a major professional loss. We meet his family pretty soon. I'm hopeful the author will give Casey her own story because she captured my attention anytime she was in a scene. Rory's love interest is Clare who's just moved to the Bronx. While I enjoyed the dynamics between Rory and Clare, I felt that Rory got over his "issues" too quickly. However, I still enjoyed the novel. Overall, this is more like a 3.5/3.75 rating read for me.
Great job, Sarah, and all the best with your series.
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