Fighter: A Novel

by K.J. Morgan

Savannah Reed hasn't willingly touched someone in fifteen months, four days, and ten hours. Until she meets MMA fighter Kai Makenzie.

Former adrenaline junkie and white hat hacker Savannah Reed wasn't always a recluse, afraid of the world around her. But when a contract job went wrong, she barely escaped with her life. Her loved ones weren't so lucky. Now, alone and deeply scarred, Savannah knows she's losing her life to the trauma that still haunts her. Determined to save herself from the darkness of her past, she reaches out to the local MMA gym and the harsh, tattooed fighter training there.

Undefeated MMA fighter Kai Makenzie spent his life training for a career in the UFC until an unforgivable mistake stripped him of everything he cares about and sent him to prison. Now, out on parole, he's desperate to get his life and career back on track and find a way to forgive himself for destroying the lives of the people he loves.

They're an unlikely pair, but Kai's the only person that Savannah can let close enough to teach her self-defense. And Kai can't stand that constant look of fear in her eyes. As they spend more time together, they find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other. But when an attack on Kai from old enemies draws Savannah deeper into his world, they discover the past isn't as easy to escape as they thought.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 2, 2027

About the author

KJ Morgan is a hiker, a climber, a martial artist, and an adventure seeker. She trains and teaches Krav Maga and women’s self-defense, and trains Muay Thai kickboxing. Her passion is showing everyone that they are strong, valued, and deserve to be safe. When she’s not writing dark, angsty romance, she’s either hiking something, climbing something, or kicking something. Find out more at www.kjmorganbooks.com.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

your experience with this novel is going to depend entirely on your tolerance for toxic drama.

୨ৎ DNF 20%, as for me, I'm too old for this much drama.

I really hate messy other woman drama that feels like the male love interest has one foot in and one foot out the door of a prior relationship. from the mmc risking violating his parole to hold back his ex's hair in the midst of her drug withdrawals to being served divorce papers in front of his place of work and then being so upset by it that he punches and dents a street sign...I'm running for the hills.

I was expecting a rough-around-the-edges MMA fighter to be presented with the opportunity to teach self-defense to the clearly traumatized female protagonist and intentionally approach this opportunity with the care and sensitivity that is required. I was expecting tender moments where he instills confidence and encourages her and empowers her. Instead he takes on this cruel tough love approach, telling her seconds after coming down from a panic attack to get up off the floor and stop cowering. not the empathetic, supportive response that I was looking for.

the female protagonist clearly has a traumatic backstory that I didn't stick around long enough to delve into, but it baffles me that she carries an unregistered weapon. If you insist on carrying a weapon, why are you not acquiring one through the proper channels?

thank you SMP for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review. sadly this one did not work for me but my hope is that this review will rule out the wrong readers and rule in the right readers for this book

source netgalley ebook arc

[Erin Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.
Entertaining for sure, but the writing wasn’t as strong as it needs to be for the subject matter to have the impact that the author is hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

This book is beautifully written. It showcases grief and trauma, with the journey of coming back from them. Finding love and safety where you never thought it would be.

Kai and Savannah are officially one of my top favorite couples. How Kai starts out trying to get Savannah to trust him, he didn’t push her too hard and he made sure she felt safe around him. The way Savannah slowly starts to heal from her past. It’s all written so beautifully. KJ Morgan has done an excellent job at bringing this story and relationship to life, at times I felt like I was right there in the story, immersed in it.

And then reading the authors acknowledgements at the end and finding out everything she has been through, how this book was her way of processing her own grief. (Definitely ended up shedding some tears then.) The authors backstory definitely added even more perspective to this book.

I can see myself reading this story again. It captured my attention and my heart, and was definitely something I would want to experience reading again. My only grievance with the story is Brooke. I know that was the point, but I just kept getting so annoyed by how Kai just kept going back to her. I hated how realistic it was. The relationship between an addict and their family. It was tough to read and that’s the only reason I didn’t like that aspect of the story, because it was too real and it hurt to read. (But I obviously get it and why it was apart of the story, it’s real.)

I definitely recommend this book. It tugs at your heartstrings and drag your emotions through the wringer. But it also makes you stronger and more able to understand other peoples perspectives. You see two vastly different people who are actually quite similar, a scared and traumatized woman and a guy filled with self-hatred who is loyal to his core. A 5 star read for me.

[Cass☀️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and K. J. Morgan for the opportunity to read this book before publication and provide an honest review.

I recommend this book if you:
🔸enjoy emotional heavy romances that explore difficult topics such as trauma, grief, addiction, and incarceration. This book will tear your heart to pieces, but the journey is so worth it!
🔸enjoy sports romances and/or specifically MMA fighting. I knew little to nothing about MMA fighting going into it and I really enjoyed learning about the training process as well as behind the scenes of professional fights!
🔸enjoy strangers to friends to lovers romances. Personally, I love this trope. I find it so entertaining to see how their relationship grows!
🔸enjoy romances that have morally grey characters and suspense. This book will definitely keep you on your toes with the amount of drama and twists to the plot!

I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this novel, but I think my favorite aspect was the trainer x trainer dynamic that Kai and Savannah have throughout the novel. I loved how Kai championed Savannah and helped her build her confidence in herself as well as learning to save herself. It was wonderful to see how they progressed from strangers to friends too.

Now, unfortunately, I do think this is a solid 3 star read for me. I struggled especially with how quickly the romance moved from friends to lovers especially with all the trauma in both the FMC and MMCs history. I also really struggled with the MMC and his relationship with his ex for a majority of the book. I enjoyed the book enough that I wanted to see how it ended, but I don’t see myself recommending it to someone who doesn’t really enjoy these tropes! I think it will be a great read for those that vibe with it though!

[Preet · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIGHTER by KJ Morgan is one I didn't have on my radar until a review copy showed up at the store. I immediately read the synopsis on the back and new I had to read it. I'm so glad I picked it up. It's not an easy read- from the moment Savannah steps on to the page you know she's survived something so brutal, it's unfathomable. Kai is gruff, scary, but somehow able to see something in Savannah. The story unfolds slowly and learning about what both Savannah and Kai have survived makes you root for them even more, and not just for them to be together romantically. KJ Morgan has written one heck of a debut. I highly recommend reading the content warnings, but don't let the cover fool you, it packs a punch, much like Kai and Savannah. It's definitely a book for any sports romance lover, but also for those who love found family, second loves, redemption, touch her and die, or touch him and die.

[☆Laura☆]

No sé qué calificación ponerle. La historia entre Savannah y Kai está bien, aunque hay cosas que siento que se pudieron tratar mejor, como el tema de la violencia. A esto le sumo la relación de J y L, donde se menciona que ella se enojaba y le pegaba. No era una escena tan descriptiva, pero sí decía algo como: “Lexi daba las mejores patadas y la marca en el brazo de Josh lo demostraba”, ya que lo hizo cuando él la estaba molestando o por alguna tontería. Es decir, le pegaba a su marido y siento que eso debió tratarse con un poco más de seriedad y no como algo de risa o inocente,

[Xaqueline Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly I have a few words, the plot was amazing! I would have given it a 5/5 but I just feel like it had unnecessary smut. Now as an author that is all up to you on what you put in your book, but I do feel that if you were going to put smut in it you should have put it in the content warning, so those who would prefer not to read smut because of their own problems know to stay away from the book. Otherwise that was my only complaint but I really did enjoy the plot of the book!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley, K. J. Morgan, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the arc copy of Fighter.

Savannah is grieving a traumatic loss and recovering from an accident, but she is determined to rise above these events. She begins taking self-defense lessons from Kai, an MMA fighter and recent parolee who is also working to rebuild his life after his own losses. Together, they help each other navigate some of the most emotional and challenging moments of their lives.

Thoughts
•The MMA fighter romance was a nice new twist for me. I haven’t read many romance books with this sport as the central theme. I was able to follow along and easily understand what was happening in the sport, even though I had no prior knowledge of MMA fighting.
•I could easily tell this book was going to have a lot of tough moments based on the synopsis and the first few pages.
•Brooke…ooftah, I have no more words for this crazy woman. She’s on a whole new level—UNLOCKED and then some! She’s the kind of girl you hope you never come across.
•The pacing of this book was very fast! I was just getting used to one aspect of the characters when BAM—something else major happened out of nowhere, while I was still processing the previous event.
•I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Kai and Savannah, and I need chemistry!
•I did have to finish because this is one of those books where you just have to know how it ends. You think you know, but you don’t.

[Veronica Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this until I didn’t. Kai, Savannah , Josh , and Lexi— loved. The found family in them was sweet. The individual stories— heartbreaking. I love MMA, so I was invested in the whole story.
Brooke? I was waiting for Kai to cut the cord. The nerve on her was just too much for me.

Thank you to KJ Morgan and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

I finished this in 24 hours. Realistically, less. This book is a lot—there is so much that goes into this story, and it could be too much but it’s not. It’s so seamlessly executed. Though it’s written in a third person POV, this was the most feelings-oriented writing I’ve read that doesn’t rely on 1P or inner monologue. It’s actually brilliant. You see such clear pictures of the main characters, completely depicted by their loved ones. There’s a complex relationship between love and suffering in this novel, but there’s also growth and excitement and rediscovering what makes life an experience we’re willing to live.

If you can’t tell, I truly enjoyed reading this book. It’s a bit long, but I never lost interest. Arguably, the pace sucks you in and compels you to become invested in the characters. I would describe it as a sort of character study—though it’s not literary fiction. Some elements reminded me of We/Meet The Brennan’s (I might have that title wrong) but they are two totally unique books.

Grief and trauma. Do I know em? Oh boy, do I…and it is the perfect time of year for me to read this book. I’ve been in a slump and this is a reminder. I also appreciate the authors note at the end of the book. It was personal and not necessary so it feels special that they chose to share with their readers. Though I’m not religious, and I can be quite sensitive about the ways we’ve been socialized to talk about suicide (or rather very intentionally not socialized, despite it being so prevalent) the general sentiment hit home. Everyone has their sensitivities and developed norms for the experiences they’ve survived which is probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned on this grief journey; I can appreciate the vulnerability—especially from someone who could probably understand my pain more than most.

I think it’s incredible that she took those experiences and turned it into a book that’s so inventive but also completely captures her feelings of grief. She translated this universal suffering that people know in one way or another, while breathing life into a ‘larger than life’ (though I guess not for some…) story that helped alleviate the heaviness of everything that was going on.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.

[LouWeezy · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, this one was a little bit of a mind twist on how to rate it. There were many elements that I enjoyed about the story and others that threw me off.

Let's start with what I liked. Overall, I think the premise of the story was interesting and it kept me engaged. I loved how our FMC was built up and encouraged by Kai, Josh, and Lexi in her strength, (not just her physical strength, but her ability to push through all of her mental and emotional hurdles).

Now for what I didn't enjoy. My biggest complaint is with Brooke. Kai had too much attachment to her for us to readily believe he was ready to move on with our FMC. He was always at Brooke's beck and call. She said jump, and he jumped beyond the goal post. She was always cheating on him and in a "relationship" with another man, and yet he wasn't allowed to interact with other women. In fact, even when he thought that Savannah was dead, he went to Brooke first! He didn't look for Savannah. He didn't check to see if the story was true and if she was still alive and needed his help. Instead, he went to Brooke to help her get away from Ian. That is a big "Nope" for me. I needed to feel that his love for Savannah meant more to him, was more real, was more important, and was stronger than how he felt about Brooke. Yes, in the end, he cut her off, but it should have happened earlier when he knew he wanted to move on. Boundaries didn't exist for her because he never set them until the very end.

For some smaller scale things, some of the language was a bit juvenile. Examples: "He called him a not nice name" and "You're awesome." Stuff like this needs to be stronger. Also, Kai was continuously referred to as "her trainer" throughout the story (instead of using his name), even when their relationship had progressed beyond this. Last, we are led to believe that Kai was traumatized about his time in prison, but we are never given any more than that.

Safety squad:
-OWD
-No OMD
-No cheating
-No 3rd act

Overall, I think this has potential to be a very strong book. I did enjoy myself even though I wanted to throat punch people on several occasions. Thank you so much for the ARC read, and I will definitely be following to see what this author puts out in the future!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy MMA romantic suspense, but this one went a little darker than I expected once Savannah’s full story was revealed. Both Savannah and Kai are dealing with trauma from their pasts and trying to find a way forward. He helps her by becoming her trainer, while she helps him simply by believing in him.

I enjoyed watching Savannah’s story slowly unfold, although some of the focus on her trauma started to feel a little long and repetitive at times. I liked the relationship between her and Kai and how they helped each other heal without either one magically “fixing” the other.

Overall, this was an enjoyable 4-star read. I would definitely read another book by this author.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn about Fighter...it has an intriguing premise, some good angst, some mysterious trauma, and a damaged but protective hero. I think my problem is that the emotional tone of the book is not consistent, and the characters don't act or respond in ways that I think make sense for them. Some of the pacing is disjointed and abrupt, as well, which threw me off.
Also, the reveal where we learn what Savannah's trauma is really about was tough - there should have been some more descriptors of how horrific her sister's injuries were, in order to make what Savannah did a little more acceptable. Cause if you're not a doctor, then yeah, maybe you did kill her prematurely?

All in all, it was a good but not great read. It has real potential, but the execution didn't pull me in completely.
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC - all opinions are my own!

[Ashley Millis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fighter was SO much more than I expected going into it.

I went in expecting an MMA sports romance, but what I got was an emotional, angsty story about trauma, grief, redemption, and two people trying to figure out how to live again when the past has taken so much from them.

Savannah absolutely broke my heart. She is living with the kind of trauma that makes even the simplest everyday things feel impossible, and watching her slowly try to reclaim her life was both heartbreaking and inspiring. I loved that her journey wasn’t about magically getting over what happened to her. It was about taking small steps, facing her fears, and learning that being strong doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to struggle.

And then there’s Kai.

A tattooed MMA fighter with a criminal record, a mountain of guilt, and plenty of his own demons? Sign me up. He’s rough around the edges, complicated, and definitely not perfect, but underneath all that is a man who is desperately trying to figure out how to forgive himself and become someone he can actually live with.

I really enjoyed the way Savannah and Kai’s relationship developed through their self-defense training. There was something meaningful about watching Savannah slowly become more comfortable with physical contact and begin to trust again, while Kai was learning that redemption isn’t something you can earn by punishing yourself forever. Neither of them could magically fix the other, but they could show up for each other, and I loved that.

The found-family element was another highlight. Josh and Lexi brought some much-needed warmth and humor to an otherwise heavy story, and I appreciated seeing Savannah and Kai surrounded by people who genuinely wanted them to succeed.

I also really enjoyed the MMA aspect. The fighting, training, and gym environment gave the story a different feel from a typical contemporary romance, while the suspense and danger kept me turning pages. This definitely felt like more than a sports romance, and there were moments when I genuinely needed to know what was going to happen next.

My biggest frustration was the drama surrounding Kai’s ex-wife. I understood that his past and his guilt were complicated, but there were moments when I wanted to shake some sense into him. I also would have loved a little more time spent developing certain parts of the romance and allowing some of the emotional moments to breathe. There is SO much happening in this book that a few things felt rushed or could have used a little more development.

Still, I was invested in Savannah and Kai’s journeys, and seeing how far they both came made the emotional payoff worthwhile.

At its heart, Fighter is about learning that your worst moments don’t have to define the rest of your life. It’s about surviving, rebuilding, trusting again, and realizing that you deserve happiness even when you struggle to forgive yourself.

If you enjoy MMA romance, damaged and protective heroes, strong heroines finding themselves again, found family, redemption, emotional angst, romantic suspense, and stories about healing after trauma, this one is definitely worth picking up.

A solid 4 stars from me. This was an emotional ride, and I’m looking forward to seeing what K.J. Morgan writes next.

[Meg Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not normally a huge fun of the genre Sports Romance, but I found that I had great time reading this book. It had a good mix of funny moments and more emotional times and kept me turning the page even late at night. Savannah is a woman with a traumatic past and is trying to overcome it by taking a women's self-defense class. Unfortunately, her past traumas overwhelmed her and she left class and asked for a refund from the front desk. There she meets Kai, one of the instructors and an MMA fighter himself. Later, Savannah agrees to train with Kai on a 1-on-1 basis and we see their from their story of pain, fear, and grief comes a blossoming relationship that both serves them well in the end. Rounding out the cast is Josh, Lexi and Brooke, Josh and Lexi are married and owners of the gym. Josh is Brooke's older brother and Brooke is Kai's ex-wife.

I truly enjoyed this story mainly because everyone is pretty much a morally grey character and this helps make the characters more down to earth and shows that their past traumas are relatable to us readers. As a 35 (soon to be 36) year old mom, it is also awesome to read about characters that are not young adults who can always "save the world". Sometimes, we really just need to save ourselves.

Unfortunately, I did give 4 stars because there were two events that seemed very clunky during the story transition. First was when Kai and Savannah first realized that they were falling for each other, way before their first kiss. Second is when Savannah revealed her past trauma to Josh. With the first, I felt that there were not enough signs, banter, etc. to show that Kai and Savannah were becoming romantically involved, so when the time came, I felt that their romance came out of left field. Yes, I know that this is a romance and the leads are expected to fall in love, but you have to show more signs that they are falling in love so their relationship is more believable. In the end, I was left rereading all the pages leading up to this to parse out whether they truly liked each other or if their relationship in the book forced too early.

I was also left confused when Savannah sits down to Josh to reveal her past, even after she has spent a lot of her time before this refusing to speak to Kai about it. To me, it didn't make sense that Savannah should choose to bypass Kai and just dump her past traumas at Josh's feet especially since they were not even remotely close to begin with. In fact, Savannah was terrified of Josh so I did not like this scene at all because I felt that it didn't make sense in the overall context of the story. Lastly, I found a lot of different typos ranging from misspellings to just plain missing words. Because of this, it gave me the impression that they hardly spent any time at all editing the manuscript before publishing, which is not very professional.

Overall, I had a great time reading this book. It had it's funny, easygoing moments but also contemplative when it needs to be. Seeing that this is the author's debut novel, I hope to read more from her in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

[Misty (Red's Romance Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah Reed knows she needs help. For the last fifteen months she's been living in a little bubble and is too afraid to venture out of it. Her last job went sideways, lives were lost, and now she is hesitant to let anyone close...afraid of getting hurt again. Then she finds the courage to wander into a women's self defense class. But after a few moments of it, fear takes over again and she bolts for the door...then she meets him. Could he be the one to save her from her fears? Or will she push him away too?

Fighter is a story of strength, healing, resilience, self rediscovery, trust, and hope. From the opening lines of this one it's easy to see our heroine has faced a lot of tragedy in her young life and it's lead her to live a very sheltered life. But she knows that she can't keep living her life that way, she needs to find the courage and strength to step out of her bubble and start living again.

After her first attempt at stepping out of her bubble leaves her rattled she does what she knows best and bolts for the door, and bumps into someone that recognizes the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. Meeting Kai wasn't part of her plan that day, but there is something about him that puts her at ease. He offers to help her find peace again and she reluctantly accepts his offer. He promises that he can help her but she still can't help but carry the fear that's haunted her for the last year, it's all she's known for so long. But maybe, just maybe he can change that.

This first time read really did a number on my heart, Savannah was so broken and Kai found a way to bring her out of her trauma filled world and help her to find peace. It was such a beautiful and hopeful thing to watch unfold. I was with them for every up and down, every stolen appreciative glance, and every step of their well deserved fall. If you like emotional heart string tugging tales then I have no doubt you will love what you find between the pages here. This one will give you all of that and much more! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Francesca G. · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Preface: I usually avoid reading books in which the main characters have experienced or are experiencing severe trauma or suffer from PTSD because certain topics trigger me (and I prefer lighter reading, since I have an emotionally demanding job). However, something about this book’s plot piqued my curiosity, and I was right to give it a try: I actually enjoyed it, and despite the heavy themes, it didn’t give me a knot in my stomach the way other books have. At the beginning, you’ll find trigger warnings, including: physical and psychological violence, past and present trauma, PTSD, kidnapping, manipulative behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, prison, etc., so it may not be suitable for everyone.

As for the plot, Savannah survived a very traumatic event that left her with both physical and psychological scars. Since then, she has suffered from PTSD and has been living as a recluse in her home. Trying to get her life back on track, she signs up for a self-defense class at an MMA gym but can’t seem to get over her inhibitions and participate until she meets Kai, a massive MMA fighter who is fiercely protective of those he loves and kind-hearted. Kai offers Savannah private training sessions tailored to make her feel as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, Kai hasn’t had an easy life either: he’s going through a divorce from a drug-addicted ex-wife who’s still in his life and manipulates him at will, and there are some bad people who are just waiting to send him back to prison. Savannah herself is haunted by ghosts from her past. Kai and Savannah are two kind but traumatized souls, haunted by the wrong choices they made in the past, constantly prone to self-flagellation, who unconsciously choose to heal one another.

As I was saying, despite the serious nature of the topics, the book didn't make me feel anxious; on the contrary, I couldn't wait to finish it. The writing is enjoyable, and you can't help but look forward to the happy ending, rooting for Kai and Savannah. There are also several plot twists. A great read.

[Kay Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fighter
By: KJ Morgan
Publish Date: February 2, 2027
Rating: 3.5\5 Stars
Genre: Romance
Premise:
Former adrenaline junkie and white hat hacker Savannah Reed wasn't always a recluse, afraid of the world around her. But when a contract job went wrong, she barely escaped with her life. Her loved ones weren't so lucky. Now, alone and deeply scarred, Savannah knows she's losing her life to the trauma that still haunts her. Determined to save herself from the darkness of her past, she reaches out to the local MMA gym and the harsh, tattooed fighter training there.
Undefeated MMA fighter Kai Makenzie spent his life training for a career in the UFC until an unforgivable mistake stripped him of everything he cares about and sent him to prison. Now, out on parole, he's desperate to get his life and career back on track and find a way to forgive himself for destroying the lives of the people he loves.
They're an unlikely pair, but Kai's the only person that Savannah can let close enough to teach her self-defense. And Kai can't stand that constant look of fear in her eyes. As they spend more time together, they find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other. But when an attack on Kai from old enemies draws Savannah deeper into his world, they discover the past isn't as easy to escape as they thought.

Review:
Fighter by KJ Morgan is a wonderful blend of high-stakes intensity and deep emotional warmth!
What truly makes this story special is the bond between Kai and Savannah. Seeing the way their relationship grows into a source of genuine healing for both of them is so incredibly sweet and touching. Amid all the grit and challenges, their connection provides the perfect heart and balance to the story. A fast-paced, deeply satisfying read that leaves you feeling completely invested in their journey!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and KJ Morgan, for this eARC; I could not be more grateful!

4/5 ⭐

✧˖ ⋆ ✰☄⋆ꕤ ❤︎ ⊹✧˖ ⋆ ✰☄⋆ꕤ ❤︎ ⊹
Finishing this book was like saying goodbye to someone I had just met and forever wishing I had met them sooner. I am so glad I got to read this book, and it is a PHENOMENAL debut romance by KJ Morgan. From the characters to the plot to the writing, this book was un-put-downable!

– ✧˖ ⋆ ✰
Savannah Reed hasn't willingly touched someone in fifteen months, four days, and ten hours. Until she meets MMA fighter Kai Makenzie.
– ✧˖ ⋆ ✰

Following Savannah, who has lived through unimaginable trauma and has to navigate her life while also meeting tortured MMC fighter Kai, had me ECSTATIC. From the moment they meet on the page, their chemistry is absolutely undeniable and seriously well written. The pining and the devotion in this book were on another level. Growth is also a big theme in this book, and that is evident with every turned page. Each character’s personal growth journey was written with the utmost care, and making the journey with them was so incredibly special. KJ Morgan and this book had my emotions in an absolute chokehold (Kai would definitely be proud)!

I cannot wait to have this book on my shelf next year and be able to reread all my favorite Savannah and Kai moments (there are A TON)! Please pick this book up if you want your heart ripped out and then gently put back inside your chest, only for it to be ripped right back out. If not… Yes, you do, and you absolutely need this book!
✧˖ ⋆ ✰☄⋆ꕤ ❤︎ ⊹✧˖ ⋆ ✰☄⋆ꕤ ❤︎ ⊹

Thank you all again for the opportunity to read this ARC, and I cannot wait to see more from KJ Morgan!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Two broken people trying to heal from their pasts become training partners in an MMA gym. Together they slowly heal, learn to trust and fall in love, all while combatting the demons from the past.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
I am a big time romantic suspense fan, so I had high hopes and was pleasantly surprised by this one!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱:

❤️Found family - I absolutely loved this group! I thought Josh & Lexi were great side characters & I loved that they each had their moments with both Kai & Savannah. The support between all of them was so amazing!

❤️Slow burn - I am SO glad the author took it slow with Kai & Savanna. She laid down a pretty heavy story for each of them, so it just made so much more sense for them to build that trust before anything else. I really enjoyed their journey together & the trust between them.

❤️The fighting - I will admit I am not a fan of boxing or MMA, but I really enjoyed the training scenes. It just felt so empowering for Savannah’s characters.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

I felt like the Brooke storyline dragged on FAR too long. I know what it’s like to have an addict in the family, so I do understand, but for the context of this book it was just really annoying & drug out. She divorced Kai & yet he still trails after her because he feels like he owes her? It just got really annoying to me.

Overall I thought this was a solid book, with great found family & growth for both of the MCs.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
✨hacker x MMA fighter
✨he trains her
✨both recovering from trauma
✨found family

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Tiffany Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of an advance copy received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was pleasantly surprised by Fighter! Once I started reading, I could not put it down. I swear I finished this book in a day. 😂

Savannah’s growth really impressed me. I have experienced losing a loved one myself, and I know how difficult grief, PTSD, and counseling can be. I loved watching Savannah work through everything she was facing. She never gave up, even when things got difficult, and seeing her become stronger throughout the story was one of my favorite parts.

Kai’s loyalty is unmatched. He put up with more than he probably should have, but I loved how devoted he was to his family. I also really appreciated the author showing that you can grieve someone who is still alive. That was such an emotional aspect of the story, and I thought the different perspectives worked really well together.

I honestly loved everything about this story. Savannah and Kai are perfect for each other, and let’s not forget Josh and Lexi! 😂 As Lexi likes to say, “Kicking butt isn’t a privilege. It’s a women’s God-given right.”

My only real critique is that the ending felt a little rushed. I would have liked a little more time to see everything play out.

I also have to mention KJ Morgan’s acknowledgments. They felt so personal, and after reading them, I felt even more connected to the story. I really respect the author for being so transparent and open, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of her work!

4.2 ⭐️

[A. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this novel. There was a certain point I wanted to finish this book as fast as I could because I couldn't put the book down. This novel is a sports romance with 2 people who are dealing with painful emotional issues.

Kai's story comes out a little faster and easier than Savannah's. Savannah holds onto her secrets longer. It is clear something happened to Savannah because Savannah doesn't willingly allow any physical contact whatsoever. When Savannah wants trained in self defense by Kai's gym, touch becomes a issue. Kai, probably reluctantly at first, agreed to help Savannah. I think Kai understood Savannah at least a little. I think what Kai went through made him want to help reach Savannah. Because of Savannah's issues there isn't a lot of spicy content. That wouldn't make sense. There is chemistry and yearning.

There is a scene in the book where Savannah watches Kai's first professional fight. I liked what Savannah said to Kai. Basically paraphrasing here, the fight is never going to be fair so why bother trying to win or train. That speech had a profound impact on Kai.

I enjoyed Kai's brother in law and sister in law. The in laws were kind and comical considering everything. Savannah was way too nice especially with Kai's estranged wife, Brooke. I can't get myself to like Brooke at all. I enjoyed the ending as well. Every secret finally came out. I liked how the book wrapped everything up. I'm glad no one gave up on Kai or Savannah.

I received an ARC of this novel and voluntarily left this review.

[Leah D · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

This was such a solid slow burn romance. You know you love the main characters on their own and together when you’re melting into a puddle of goo because they HUGGED at 41% into the book.

Savannah is dealing with some pretty intense PRSD after going through a violent, traumatic event which has made her become somewhat of a recluse who is extremely touch-averse and very jumpy. She goes to a few select places and has armed her house hidden away in the mountains to the absolute max as far as a surveillance system goes.

She eventually works up the confidence to go into a gym where they teach self defence classes for women where she meets Kai. Kai is dealing with his own demons and feels like he doesn’t deserve to be happy or have a fulfilling life because of mistakes he’s made in the past. The way that these two support each other and save each other in the most wholesome, heartwarming ways, their banter and when they finally get there, the loving physical touch and sense of absolute safety they get is just chefs kiss.

Do I feel like the people we don’t like had a lot of consequences for everything they did? Not particularly but the actual love story between Savannah and Kai was beautifully done and I was so invested in them and loved this book. Definitely check trigger warnings but if you like romantic suspense kind of stories this will probably be right up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author for this advanced reader copy of the book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily


4.25⭐️
2🌶️

[Jackie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 / 5 ⭐

I really loved this book! I had a hard time putting this book down lol

I really enjoyed how it was written. It was so easy to picture everything happening in my head (and sometimes my imagination sucks lol) —it honestly felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. I could see the scenes playing out so clearly, which made it easy to get completely immersed in the story.

Kai and Savannah are definitely one of my top favorite book couples - they completely pulled me in, and I was really invested in their story. The way their trauma was portrayed felt very genuine and added so much depth to them and their journey without feeling forced. I just loved how they healed each other and were exactly what the other needed - the chemistry between them was amazing and sweet. My only critique is that I did feel like the relationship from friends to lovers was a little quick. I would have loved to see more of that buildup between them and a little more time spent exploring how their feelings started to shift.

Overall, I think the book was great! It had all the emotions and so many beautiful moments. There’s a nice mix of humor and lighter moments, but also takes time to explore some deeper elements. I really enjoyed how naturally it moved between the two without either side feeling out of place. Hope to read more from this author again!

So glad and thankful to have won a copy of this! ❤️

[Gabby Hurley · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25/5

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author K.J. Morgan for gifting me with this ARC to review!

I really enjoyed this one and I’m excited to see what this author comes out with next!

Liked:

- Savannah and Kai! I love how patient Kai is with helping her learn to defend herself and her trauma with people being in her space/touching her. It made me so happy that Savannah kept pushing herself to keep going even though it would’ve been easier to give up. Seeing them heal each other was a beautiful thing.

- MMA fighter with a heart of gold 💛. Kai genuinely is such a good person. Yeah, he’s made some mistakes and had to pay for them but he’s trying to be a better version. He’s loyal to a fault, he cares about strangers, and he will protect his family from anyone that tries to hurt them.

- learning how to live again and forgive yourself. Both Kai and Savannah have this that they deeply regret in their lives. Savannah’s is attached to her sister’s horrible death and Kai’s is attached to his ex wife addiction fueled affairs. They both did what they did to protect/help the person they loved, but that doesn’t mean they don’t carry the weight of those decisions.

Disliked:

- the final confrontation with Savanah’s past. I personally think it might’ve happened a bit too late in the book. It just felt slightly rushed and I wish there would’ve been more confrontation and dialogue between Savannah and the bad guy.

[Heather Langston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.5 ⭐️ for me!!!

ARC thank you NetGalley and KJ Morgan for the opportunity!

This book was an amazing story of past trauma, grief, finding yourself again and redemption!

Savannah is trying to overcome immense pain and grief and loss and struggling with living in the real world. She struggles with even being able to walk inside the MMA heavy gym to take a self-defense course and the trainers, especially Kai, notices.

Kai is fresh on parole from 5 years incarceration and trying to keep his head down and nose clean but his soon to be ex-wife Brooke who is also Josh’s sister and Kai’s best friend, makes that extremely hard. Brooke struggles with addiction and always runs to Kai when she needs help even though she walked out in their marriage multiple times in the past.

Kai agrees to train Savannah and slowly very slowly starts to break through her barriers. He becomes a constant steady in her otherwise chaos, even helping her to focus during extreme panic attacks and flashbacks. I absolutely loved the dynamic and the story between the two and the way they both overcome their struggles to come out in the end finding trust, respect and love in each other!

This book is for you if you like:
-Books with heavy emotional trauma including grief, loss, addiction, betrayal and death.
-Sports romance - MMA fighter becomes trainer x trainee
-Strong willed FMC and a morally grey obsessive MMC

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is yet another story I devoured in 24 hours! I just could not stop reading. I had to get a replacement crown at the dentist today, and I was even telling the dental assistant about the crazy chase scene between one of our main characters and one of the antagonists! I will bullet point the things I LOVED

-Fabulous chemistry between our FMC, Savannah, and MMC, Kai.
-Thrilling, and I mean thrilling moments!
-Two broken people doing the work to heal themselves and being there for each other
-I legitimately wanted to throat punch the ex of our MMC and the ex of our FMC. I don't always love the messiness that comes with ex-partners in books but I looooved it here
-Moments where I literally beamed with pride for our main characters, especially Savannah
-Side characters that made me feel like I was a part of their chosen family
-He's the only one that can calm her panic attacks
-She chooses the scariest looking guy in the gym (Kai) to train her

*Side note: Make sure you read the acknowledgements at the end. I audibly gasped. The author's explanation and personal story brought even more meaning to the one she wrote.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is officially my God tier book. One of the very few books I have given 6 stars to. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, and consuming.

I don't know what it is about this book, but as I was reading it, it felt incredibly familiar. It was like I read it before (don't know if there is another book out there really, really similar).

***"Best day so far"***

Kai and Savannah have both experienced very traumatic events in their lives. Somehow, Kai is the only one Savannah feels safe with. You could see their feelings for each other develop very early on in the story and it just felt natural. Their dialogue, their banter, the way they understood each other...these two characters were perfect for each other.

The story was tragic. It tore my heart out, ripped my heart up, pieced it back together, and shoved it back into my chest. I will happily read this book over and over and I will be buying a physical copy because I love it that much.

If you like tragic, sports romance stories, I highly recommend you buy this book and give it a read.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read anything from this author but I definitely will now. Savannah is suffering and so she tries to attend a self defense class at a local MMA gym. When it's too much to handle, Kai (the fighter), offers to help her with private lessons. While it's no walk in the park, her walls start to lower inch by inch and while Kai is battling his own family problems, she lets him in. Eventually feelings develop but someone from Savannah's past may derail everything thing they worked so hard for!

This story was very well written, although I am not too much a fan of third person it didn't deflect from the plot. I really enjoyed the characters and thought they were well developed. This story was about resilience and finding your voice and life after trauma and grief. I don't normally read the acknowledgements but this one caught my eye and I urge everyone to read it. It really opened my eyes to what the author had gone through and how this story is a reflection of her life. I would highly recommend this book! 4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, KJ Morgan, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to review this ARC!

[Alyssa M · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, in the best way. It’s a sports romance with some darker elements.

Kai is an MMA fighter out of prison, still tangled up with his ex-wife. His story was different from what I anticipated. Life hasn’t exactly dealt him a fair hand, even if he’s made his own share of mistakes along the way. There’s just something about a character who is flawed, messy, and still trying to figure things out.

Savannah is navigating trauma and PTSD, but she’s such a unique, quirky character. All she wants is to find the courage to walk through the door of the MMA gym and attend a self-defence class. I couldn’t help but root for her. I was also not expecting the darker parts of her story once they were revealed.

This story was full of unexpected turns, and while Kai and Savannah are two very different people, they complemented each other in the best ways. I liked how they helped each other heal and find courage.

I really enjoyed this one, and I thought the sensitive topics were handled with care. I also liked the MMA sports aspect as well!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.