Review: Knock Out by Jiffy Kate

Knock Out by Jiffy Kate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author and Smartypants romance, all opinions are my own.

This appears to be the final book in the Fighting for Love series, but you can read it as a standalone. The same is true with the previous books. If you want to get to know the rest of the Erickson brothers and their significant others, I highly recommend reading the rest of the series. I'm sad that this series has come to a close, but I look forward to reading more from Jiffy Kate, I love this writing duo and have quickly become a fan of their work through their Green Valley Chronicles.

This follows Willow, a twenty two year old who has been put through her paces. She's bounced around the foster care system and has been on her own alot longer than any young person should. She makes ends meet in Green Valley working at the local grocery, but when she get some surprise news she needs to make some additional income. She attempts an audition at the local strip club, but when that doesn't quite pan out she finds herself at Viking MMA taking classes and training to be an MMA fighter. While that doesn't solve her income problems, it taps into her natural talent. It also introduces her to one of the younger Erickson brothers, Ozzi who has been assigned to be her trainer. Ozzi is in town visiting his family after they all relocated from Dallas to Green Valley when his older brother opened the MMA studio. Ozzi is a good trainer, but he can't deny that Willow is attractive and he wants to get to know her. He quickly realizes as he gets to know her that he can't begin a relationship if he isn't staying put for good. The more they train together and spend time together their relationship turns into something more.

This was an emotional story. It brought me to tears several times. Keep some tissues handy, you are going to need them. Willow's story is a tough one, especially as she tries to reconcile her feelings regarding her past. I don't want to spoil too much about the story because it is so powerful. She is a warrior and I love her! From her dedication to training to always trying to do the right thing while still protecting herself. I thought she and Ozzi were great together, it just took him a bit longer to figure out what path he wanted to walk. The diner scene when he goes to visit his big brother to get his head figured out was precious. I thought the character development between Ozzi and Willow was awesome. Willow had alot going on in this book and she handled it with so much grace.

Did I mention this was a very emotional read. There are mentions of foster care, addiction, abandonment, a death of a parent. If you are looking for a good emotional read that also has some good banter and some fun moments with a hoard of Viking MMA fighters check this one out.

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