Tyed

by L.J. Shen, Rebecca Snow (Narrator)

Rock bottom has built way more champions than privilege ever has.

Blaire, an underachieving college student with zero prospects and a ton of issues (hey, being the less-successful twin of a gorgeous supermodel would totally do that to you) needs something from Ty.

Mixed Martial artist Ty, a soon-to-be Welterweight champion of the Xtreme Warrior League and the hottest guy in the Bay Area, wants something from Blaire.

But Ty has a secret.
And Blaire can barely even handle his truths.

Life is about to throw a few knockout punches at both of them. Can they handle the pain?

Genres: Romance, Sports, New Adult, Sports Romance, College, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

7 pages, Audible Audio

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

L.J. Shen is a New York Times, USA Today, WSJ, Washington Post and #1 Amazon Kindle Store bestselling author of contemporary romance books.

She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).


Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
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Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com

Reviews

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 5 out of 5]

***5 "BMine" stars***



Did not hear it, yet???
There is a new fighter in the town and he is just gorgeous!!!

His name is Tyler "The Zombie" Wilder... but everyone calls him Ty.
Ty is yummy!!! Sexy as hell!!! Hot as a sin!!! Shall i continue???
Oh, God!!! I think...

... and i'm fuckin' drooling!!!

But i have to be fair... Blaire is equal amazing.

Those two together were amazingly delicious...
I loved that book!!! I really did!!!


L.J. Shen, your debut book was a kick a** journey!!!

I lost my mind in there and i couldn't stop reading it...
I laughed so much, especially in the half book and i got a little bit emotional at the other half, but i enjoyed every single thing in there...


First of all, i have to say that Blaire hooked me up from the first chapter.
She was so fiesty, she had no filter to what she was saying and that was deliciously adorable...
I couldn't stop laughing!!!


Well, Blaire was boring of her life, her college studies... everything. She had low expectations and not such a good impression of herself. She was counting to her parents and her twin sister to made it through her life and if she wanted to graduate eventually from college she had to write a paperwork about MMA fighters...


And then, her path collides with the sexy, cocky MMA fighter, Tyler Wilder... and their first encounter was a little bit strange...
Her attraction to him was unwelcoming and dangerous... so she tried to supressed it!!!


"I’m calling you a liar and a bullshitter. All girls like violence. Every woman wants to mate with the victorious warrior. It’s okay, Blaire. It’s in your DNA. Don’t feel bad about it.” His mouth curves into a devastating smile as he brushes his thumb down my spine."

Ty was one of the best MMA fighters in the town and he was working his ass so hard to earn the title of champion of the Xtreme Warrior League.
He is the hottest guy around and all the women are melting in his presence, but he doesn't care so much about that.

The women manage to earn his attention about an hour and then puff... he is moving to the next target.
But when he first meet Blaire, there's something about her that made her worthy the trying...


"I see you... I see what you don't see about yourself, and it pisses me off that Shane sees it too."

So from that moment, started a game that Ty was pushing and Blaire was running away.

But her heart was stubling all the time around Ty and as much as her mind trying to persuade her that he was dangerous for her, she just could not resist him.
When they are together is like fire feets gazoline and they burn everything around them. Blaire is discovering a new Ty, a Ty that can be sweet and caring and everything are great between them.

The only shadow above them is that Ty is hidden something from her and when she will discover his secret everything is about to change...

" I kissed him and survived. I kissed him and it was delicious. I kissed him and found out that despite his reputation, and the fears I failed to keep at bay, he was just a boy, kissing a girl, hoping she'd like it—and him—after all."

As i told you above, i really liked Blaire's spirit. I liked the way she was seeing life in generally.
The thing that i didn't like was that she was holding back to Ty and i didn't like her stubborness in some point. I know that she was in shock after the discovering of his secret but she was too stubborn to accept his truth and she did what she used to do all the time, she run away from him...

In this point, i have to say that i adored her Nanna Marty.She was an incredible and very funny woman...

As for Ty??? I loved that guy from the first moment in that parking lot. He was handsome, hot, cocky...

He was a fighter inside the cage and outside...
I liked the fact that he never gave up on Blaire, his "Barbie" and their first moments was very hot and funny.
I also liked his tattoos, especially the last one and its meaning...
I know that the guy had some anger issues, but for me he was perfect.


Can i have him??? I'll take care of him!!! No???

God damn it!!! Okay, Barbie, you won!!!!
But you should know that i didn't like how much you hurt him near to the end.
You should at least had to let him explain you... You gave up so easily on him.... and that made me really, really sad... and angry.


And finally, i have to say some things about Shane.
That guy confused the hell out of me... and i think that i'm still in the same ignorance.
Who the hell he wanted??? Blaire or Izzy???

WTF, man??? I'm possitive that he wanted Blaire...
But still i can not justify his interferences in her relation with Ty all the time!!!
Really, man, you fucked up the things very bad about those two, and that was sneaky and totally unfair.
She didn't want you, man!!! She wanted Ty!!!


That's all from me!!!
Tyler Wilder was a fuckin' amazing bastard and i think he just earn one place in my favorite book boyfriends list forever...
And Blaire... you are the kind of heroine that i adore in the books...

I think that i needed a little bit more of them... But i'll live!!!

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars (3 stars for the first half, 2 stars for the second half). Review posted June 11, 2015



The first half of Tyed reads like an OTT comedy. Even though I wouldn't have fawned over it at any given moment, it was nice, light and fun. Until I hit the second half, that is. Then it started to get annoying.

The first half was…cute? Even though it was clichéd, it was actually kind of entertaining. Although Blaire was seriously exhausting. I mean she was funny, all right, but her brain and mouth were always running around like marbles. She couldn't stop. At first sight it may be kind of hilarious but when you take another look it's just not believable and so out there...I just couldn't relate. In German we have the perfect word to describe that kind of storytelling: it is überzeichnet. There are no appropriate translations as far as I know. Another word I could use to describe it is exaggerated but the meaning is not really the same. Frankly, if I had been in Blaire's shoes, I'd have sutured my lips shut after a while because that incessant chatterbox attitude would have been the death of me.

The first 45% were very fast paced, mainly due to Blaire's hysterical narrative, her thoughts and dialogue. She was like an avalanche--simply unstoppable. For many readers this won't be an issue but it was for me: both MCs came off as very young and somewhat immature. Considering their age (23 and 26), one would assume it's an adult romance but the story had a very NA feel and my opinion got validated once they hit the sheets. Her reaction to the impending intercourse "I'm scared" killed the mood for me. She's a shining example why I prefer my heroines to be self-assured, experienced female leads. I want them to embrace their desire, to be straightforward about what they want and they shall take it with gusto because I find that sexy. Blaire was insecure, a little grey mouse in sexual matters and the whole scene fell flat for me. The scene not being overly explicit wasn't the issue for me; but the execution lacked big time. It was a far cry from being hot, sexy or sensual. Fact was, it was awkward and lacked passion. Plus, the alleged bad boy cage fighter was way too lame as a lover, at least to me. Overall, the smexy times were a letdown. As an afterthought: Wouldn't you expect a cage fighter to be a great dirty talker? No great dirty talk here, though.

Once I hit the second half, the story lost its pace big time…and got tangled up in idiotic actions, mainly thanks to the dumb female lead.

His text says
Don't do this to us.
It was sent way past midnight, a few hours after he was done fighting, and it clearly suggests there was no after-party on his agenda.
Not that I care. We're done.


"I had every fucking right. It's my past, not my present, not my future. Besides, I remember pretty clearly I did promise to share my past with you at some point, when I was ready, not when your little BFF decided to throw another bash-fest for me."
(…)
…You always kept running away every time things didn't fit into your perfect existence and listened to Shane instead of running things past me. But you know what? I don't remember giving you shit about it, Barbie."


What drove me nuts
I know that Ty made mistakes but what the so-called heroine did was once again beyond stupid. So. What is it with heroines portrayed as self-righteous, ignorant dumb twats? How come they can't ask direct questions? How come they rather assume things that might probably not be true? Or, if they might be true, why the fuck can't they address their issues like grown ups? WHY? How come she said 'We're done' even though she didn't even bother explaining her issues to the alleged culprit? She can't even break up being face to face with him, for Pete's sake!

I feel his pain pouring down on the floor in waves.


Other quibbles
There wasn't much of a story going on, actually, and there wasn't any in-depth characterization either. The cage fights were extremely short and anything but thrilling. And last but not least there was no believable resolution. It was rushed and…bam. They were back together. HEA. End of story. I was like, are you kidding me? That is all? After all this drama it was ludicrous to get such an overly lame conclusion.
Also, I hated the inner goddess shit in Fifty, so I can't say that I was enamored with Blaire's Heart, Brain and Hormones…

Heart's throbs are piercing my ears, Brain swirls in a pool of sticky goo, and Hormones are dry-humping Ty's leg.

Seriously. That's not even worthy of teenager speech, let alone when it comes out of the mouth mind of a 23-year-old adult.


Hipster hot. He's got messy, light brown hair, a dashing face and dreamboat blue eyes.
(…)
But I can't get myself to get even remotely excited about the idea of working closely with him when I am still so totally and completely hooked on Ty.

Right. You dumped him, remember?

The hero calling the heroine Barbie irritated me greatly.


Tyed is riddled with out-of-this-world gorgeous people, except Ty's mother. Then again, Blaire clearly realized that his mother must have been beautiful too as a young woman when she showed her the dimples. It's just tragic that fast food and hard living ruined her beauty. I quote, Ty even out-hotted Brad Pitt and Charlie Hunnam. His pretty face was one of the main features of the entire story. And, of course, the heroine was incredibly pretty too, she just hadn't realized it yet. It's always good when people remind us of how stunning we are, though. That helps us to make us feel better.

Cam pushes through the masses, leading the way to the press area, which is literally only fifteen feet from the ring. I can barely hear myself think, which is great, because thinking is not my strong point at the moment.

How about never?


Bottom line, why is it that authors still use that stupid trope (lack of communication, miscommunication and ASSUMPTIONS) to create stilted and unnecessary drama? For fuck's sake, normal women with a normal IQ do have common sense, don't they? Make.Use.Of.It. I gotta say I refuse to reward that kind of storytelling with additional stars because it.Annoys.The.Living.Daylights.Out.Of.Me. As it is, I have no patience whatsoever for childish and ludicrous drama that could be avoided with a simple conversation.


**Review request of author, L.J. Shen**

[✦❋Arianna✦❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!!



After reading 'Sparrow', Mrs. Shen’s other book, I was eager to try this one, especially since I’ve heard is as good as that one. If you are looking for a fighter romance novel, look no further because 'Tyed' was a great, entertaining, sexy fast paced NA/MMA romance with just a little bit of everything for you to be invested in these characters and their story from the very beginning.

"What are you doing to me, Blaire?"
"I'm not sure, but you did it first to me."

Blaire hates college and hates studying Communication, especially since she does it only to please her parents. Needless to say Blaire is counting the days until she graduates, until she’s free, until she has to decide what she wants to do with her life. On top of that, her parents believe she can’t graduate since she failed at her first year of college. In order to graduate, Blaire has to complete an assignment for her journalism class – on MMA. She doesn’t have a clue what MMA is, but she’s determined to prove everyone wrong and work her ass off because she must graduate, no matter what.

“You’re right to be scared. I would never hit you, Barbie, but I’ll hurt you, alright.”

Tyler or simply Ty is one of the Grind’s superstar, a talented MMA fighter who seems to be trouble from his head to his toes. He is cocky, sexy, tattooed, but Blaire needs to stay focused and not forget that he’s just a distraction. Ty wants Blaire and he wants more than one hot night between the sheets, so he’s determined to win her over and go on a date with him, even if Blaire says she just wants an interview. While Blaire tries to lie herself about her attraction towards the sexy MMA fighter, Ty tries to make Blaire admit as smitten with him as much as he is with her.

“His lips find mine, brushing my mouth, leaving warm tingles wherever they touch. He's testing the waters. No tongue. No rage, just pure, surprising gentleness.”

For a debut, 'Tyed' was really a great read! Told entirely from Blaire’s POV, the story was gripping from the start, was well paced and pretty entertaining. Our heroine was very easy to like from the start. Her voice was simply delightful at times, so being in her head was fun. She was easy to connect with and she had a fantastic personality. Her inner dialogue and her wittiness put a big smile on my face and overall I found her character to be well developed and quite endearing.

"I crave you. I want all of you, every single inch of you. And call it an only-child syndrome, but I. DO. NOT. FUCKING. SHARE.”

Ty was cocky and at times a little asshole, but as the story unfolded he became more endearing with each and every chapter. His possessiveness and his dirty talking were hot and I have to say I liked how hardworking he was and also his determination when it came to Blaire. I enjoyed the playful banter between these two and I loved their palpable connection. The steam aspect was as good as the other aspects. The sexy scenes were not very explicit, but they were pretty great. However I wouldn’t have minded the story to be steamier.

What I didn’t like too much was how Blaire handled some things as the story progressed. She just frustrated me and her decisions at times created more drama than it was necessary. I can’t say it was overwhelming, but still…

Overall, a great fighter romance!

[Patrycja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Tyed
Series: standalone
Author: JL Shen
Release Date: 1 July, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Cliffhanger:. No
HEA: Yes






Blaire is studying Communications only to please her parents. She doesn’t have much of a choice in that matter. So while counting down days till her graduation and anticipating a start to a new (preferably better) life, Blaire has to write her last journalism assignment about something she has no idea of. The topic of her article is MMA…

That’s how she meets Tyler ‘Ty’ Wylder. Broody, violent MMA fighter, who makes her feel not only fear but desire.

I instantly connected with Blaire. Her goofiness and witty remarks made me laugh. If you, like me are a fan of quirky, albeit a little bit crazy and full of shit, sorry I mean sass heroines Tyed is an absolute must read. Blaire is just one of those girls without filter and boundaries whose inner monologues make reader chuckle like a hyena. Her silliness is just so cute! And even though she can act very careless and stupid, it’s hard to stay angry at her. If I had to compare her to some of the other heroines from New Adult novels I’ve read, I would say she reminded me of Elle Casey’s characters – silly, hot tempered yet adorable and witty.



Ty, on the other hand was a hard nut to crack. Sadly, we don’t get to read from his P.O.V and I badly wanted to see what was inside his head. On the bright side, he definitely made me swoon. How could he not? With his hot body, tattoos and perfect amount of alpha pheromones, Ty is not a hero I was able to ignore. For a great part of the book, I found myself trying to figure him out as well as his secrets, but I couldn’t do that, the revelation shocked me. I was very surprised which a plus since romance novels rarely do that to me anymore.



There were few things, I didn’t like though. I didn’t hate them, not entirely, I was just disappointed they turned out like they did. First of all, I kind of wished the sex was hotter. It was not bad, just not overly explicit. I missed that. I was also upset with how Blaire handled some things. I hoped she would be more mature in some areas. She disappointed me greatly.



Despite those issues, Tyed turned out to be entertaining, fast-paced read. Something worth recommending to those ladies who find MMA fighters sexy as hell, enjoy some light-hearted, silly situations and are not opposed to cheeky heroines.

Overall, L.J Shan’s debut novel is definitely noteworthy. I will looking forward to her next releases.






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[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is L.J. Shen's debut novel and what a debut it is. I especially loved the main female character, Blaire...she is my kind of girl :P



Blaire is your typical college student. She went to college because her parents wanted her too, she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life once she graduates and on top of that the fact that her twin sister is a gorgeous supermodel and the equivalent of a Victoria Secret angel isn't helping at all.



Blaire is also very awesome. She's a little bit crazy (sometimes a lot :P), very beautiful (but doesn't even know it), all over the place and has some weird inner dialogue (Brains and Hormones are always at war meanwhile Brain was trying to stay out of it...who do you think wins at the end? :P)





Ty is a Mixed Martial Art fighter and a soon-to-be Welterweight champion of the Xtreme Warrior League. Calling him hot would be an understatement so here's how Blaire describes him the first time she sees him in the parking lot of the gym:

Hot Parking-Lot Dude is so sizzling, calling him beautiful would be an insult of the century. He's lucky his nose is slightly crooked, like it's been hit one too many times, because otherwise, he'd be sickeningly pretty. What the hell is he, anyway? Latino? Asian? Mixed Caucasian? He looks like he's been photoshopped by a bunch of horny teenagers. He has pouty, perfectly shaped lips, slanted Asian eyes and a chiseled Brad Pitt-like bone structure girls shit themselves over.

And did I mention the tattoos? :P





He's also a total manwhore and takes advantage of his status and fame that brings the girls crawling to him ;)



She wants an interview from him...he wants a date.

He takes her to his house for the interview...she finds out that his garden fence is covered in panties and bras and love letters from girl fans.

She doesn't want to be another notch on his bedpost...he just wants her in his life.

So who is going to win? Brain or Hormones?



I really liked this novel. I loved the story and the main female character. Even if I didn't feel as connected to Ty as I would have wanted (maybe it was the first person type of writing) and I didn't get an Epilogue it was still a good read that I totally recommend.

If you like NA and love a good story with a hot tattooed fighter this book is definitely for you and you can preorder it HERE!

That being said I can't wait for Izzy (Blaire's sister) and Shane's (Blaire's best friend) story because this one I think is going to be just as awesome...if not more :D



*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Forever Tied stars

I kissed him and survived. I kissed him and it was delicious. I kissed him and found out that he was just a boy, kissing a girl, hoping she'd like it—and him—after all.

Blaire has two months and twelve days left until she is free. No one believes she can graduate, which makes her want to prove them wrong even more...she may not know what she wants to do with her life, but she has a goal and that is enough for now. She's tired of being compared to her twin super-model sister, needing to graduate, she has to complete one assignment for her journalism class on a subject of the teacher's choice, MMA. She dreads the assignment, the bloody sport turns her off with it's brutality, but most of all she is scared with the one who threatens her plan...Ty.

"What are you doing to me, Blaire?"

"I'm not sure, but you did it first to me."

Ty is one of the Grind's superstar, up for a shot to be the Welterweight champion of the Xtreme Warrior League. He is cocky and is all trouble, he has a chip on his shoulder and doesn't take kindly to Blaire who happens to drive him wild with mouth and questions. Her ability to challenge him only intensifies the mental foreplay they got going on, to the point where Ty finds himself doing something he's never done before...date. But Blaire stubbornness matches his own, he has to make her admit that she wants him just as much as he wants her.

"I crave you. I want all of you, every single inch of you. And call it an only-child syndrome, but I. DO. NOT. FUCKING. SHARE.”

Blaire has one hell of a fight going on inside her, pulled in all directions; between brain, hormones and heart. Blaire is the first girl that made him want to be a better man, be a man worth her smile, body and mind.

“Guess you had me at ‘I won't hit you, but I'll hurt you'.”

“You had me at ‘Keep walking, cowboy,’” he rasps.

She knows Ty is keeping something from her, and the hot/cold treatment he keeps throwing at her doesn't help keep her fears at bay. But when faced with the truths of the past, is the hope for a better future enough to accept the decisions that made him the man he is today???

Tyed is a sexy-MMA-second chance at life kind of read. I had a very interesting relationship with Tyed, while I really enjoyed most of Ty and Blaires story, there were a few times I wanted to throttle Blaire and her BFF. Blaire was strong when she wanted to be but was in a way judgmental, only coming to the right conclusion after her long talks with herself. I didn't really get what the deal was with her BFF, his words, motives and actions kind of contradicted each other.

Now for Ty, he was cocky, a bit of an asshole, so it's really no wonder why I liked him. He was strong with an underlying fragility, so it's no wonder that I would be pissed on his behalf. Loved the mental foreplay he would dish out, their playful banter about music, his nickname for her and his sweetness that rivaled his outward persona. This standalone dual POV read is definitely something I would recommend, especially to my friends who loves a lover and a fighter.

ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Tyed to TY stars

"You're wasting your time, Barbie. I'm not giving you up."-Ty



Tyed is a heart pumping riveting tale of an MMA fighter and America's Sweetheart. It is full of action, tension, passion, tenderness, and romance. The story of Ty and Blaire is not your conventional fighter story. The writing is quick and witty and the in-depth characterization will have you hooked from the first word on the first page.



Blaire is a good girl just trying to finish her college degree. She has spent her life in the shadow of her twin sister Izzy. Izzy is a supermodel and seems to do no wrong in the eyes of their parents. Blaire, on the other hand, hasn't been able to finish anything. She is currently stuck in a rut and unable to feel passionate about anything. She finds medial comfort in her best friend Shane but overall, she is just waiting for something. Although, she really doesn't know what that something is.

"What am I doing with my life?"
"I want to feel as passionate about something as they do."
"I want to feel fulfilled and alive like them."-Blaire

When her journalism teacher gives her an unconventional assignment, that something will walk straight into her arms. All she has to do is interview some MMA fighters and write paper on her findings. No problem, right?



Ty is an MMA fighter. He is rough, tough, and full of tattoos.

"Final verdict? Ugliest tattoo to ever be inked on human flesh, but Ty somehow pulls it off without looking like a serial killer. The guy as such an attraction to death that I'm surprised he is still alive."
"Figures. Sucks to be him, or anyone else with a dick in this room, for that matter. Talk about alpha-male dominance."-Blaire

When Blaire steps foot into his gym, their initial meeting includes some verbal head butting and then the sexual tension begins. Blaire begins to immerse herself in the MMA world. As a non-sports loving individual, Blaire has a lot to learn. For the sake of research, she begins to train with the athletes. It doesn't take Ty long to make his first move on Blaire.



Initially, Blaire is hesitant to spend time with Ty. She knows that he is bad news. However, in order to complete her paper she must get that one interview. Ty uses the interview as bait to get her to agree on one date with him.

"I'm positive that if I'd let my guard down, he will crush me. Just like he does in the ring."-Blaire

As Blaire and Ty begin to connect, it is evident that these two were made for each other. Ty is so tender with Blaire. Their connection was sweet, passionate, and so endearing. I truly enjoyed every moment of these two together! However, the road to romance is full of roadblocks. Ty is harboring secrets and Blaire is very self conscious of his previous attachment to woman. Additionally, Shane seems to be showing interest in Blaire OR is he just harboring feelings that he doesn't know how to control? When Izzy returns home from jet setting, the conflicts seem to be never-ending. Can Ty and Blaire make things work between them?



What is so refreshing about this read is the funny dialogue between the characters and Blaire's internal monologue! I couldn't stop smiling with all of the pop references and the imagery that the writing evoked. I was quite fond of all of the secondary characters as well. Blaire's grandmother was a show stopper with her unwavering support for her granddaughter.

"Nanny Marty always tells me I'm a lot like her. Independent, stubborn and fundamentally bat shit crazy."

Additionally, I cannot fail to mention the interest that I have in exploring Ty's friends from the gym. Who doesn't like a good book about a hot athlete?

At times, I got very frustrated with Blaire. There was a certain point in the story where I felt like she really made the wrong decision. It was annoying and quite frankly painful for me to read. However, I cannot allow that moment to tarnish my overall feelings of her character. It was a gentle reminder that we all make mistakes in life and especially with the people we love. In the end, it was the redemption that both Ty and Blaire needed that brought them back together.



I simply cannot rave enough about this book. The writing style of Ms. Shen is fluid and the moments are carefully constructed to draw every emotion out of each scene. The action of the cage fighting was surreal and I felt like I was in the stands experiencing every punch, kick, and jab. Even though I felt frustration regarding some of the actions of some of the characters, I know it will only make the resolution down the road that much sweeter! I can only wait and look forward to more! I know that I have enjoyed a book when I feel all of the emotions come back when I go to write the review. I also know that there are a million books out there. If you love a rough tattooed fighting hero then you must add this to your TBR shelf right now. This is one amazing book.



ARC received from author in exchange for honest review. Thank you L.J. Shen for sharing your work with me.

BR with my girls Loyda and Stacie. As always, it has been a pleasure sharing the joys of reading with my friends!

[warhawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Female
Rating:


ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review




Blaire Sterns was just skirting through life. Not only having a supermodel as her twin sister put a blow on her confidence, she also wasn’t doing well at school. As a reluctant communications student, she was assigned to write about MMA which she had no knowledge about.

Tyler Wilder was the local MMA hero touted to be the next Xtreme Warrior League champion. He had the lethal combination of fighting skill, good looks and confidence. She needed him to complete her project, but he will not cooperate until he got what he wanted.



One of my literary weaknesses are fighter heroes. When I got the opportunity to read this one, I jumped on it and I’m glad I took a chance on a debut author. Tyed was sexy (without the actual sexy times), intense and entertaining with an overall light tone of an easy read.

People praise him, curse him, love him and hate him, fear him and respect him. I seem to share those mixed feelings. He attracts me and repulses me at the same time.

Ty was definitely one sexy hero. Him being a fighter alone max out his sexiness in my book. He was an intense alpha with a little bit of caveman tendencies. He wasn’t a broken hero but he had a dark past.

I wish Jax Teller were here to sponge my back. I allow myself to get lost in this fantasy momentarily when Ty's stupid face floats into my thoughts. Sneaky bastard. Get. Out. Of. Here.

I love being in Blaire head. The things that came out of her mind and mouth were entertaining. There were plenty of self deprecating humors. I can absolutely connect with her character.



As for their relationship, I really loved the first part of the book. Ty and Blaire had great chemistry and their love-hate tension was good. But as their relationship progressed, I felt the spark dimmed a little.

I like the issue that put a roadblock on their relationship but I wish it was elaborated more. I also felt the ending felt a little rushed and personally I’m not a fan of “everything turned out well”, but that’s just me.

“But you mustn’t lose any weight. Your body’s perfect! Your butt is the cutest I’ve seen in twenty years, and boy, I’ve seen some cute butts in my lifetime.”

I love the supporting characters especially Nana Marty. That old lady was a riot! I can totally imagine Blaire turning up exactly like her grandma when she got old.

“Do him for the both of us. I hear twins sometimes have a physical connection that allows them to feel the pain and pleasure of their sibling. Have a chain orgasm and teleport it to me, okay?”

Izzy, Blaire’s twin, was also a fun character. She was nice, but also vain and self centered. She was real.

I also really love Shane who was Blaire’s best friends and wanted more of him in the book, so I’m really happy to find out that he will get his story told in the next book. I’m looking forward to know more about these interesting characters.


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[* Meli Mel * · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥ ♥ ♥ 4 STARS ♥ ♥ ♥

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"What are you doing to me, Blaire?"

"I'm not sure, but you did it first to me."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Blaire Stern has an assignment she is sure she will fail. She is stuck in an unhappy life, bartending part time, and doesn't know which way to go in life. She has a perfect supermodel twin sister that travels the world, while she is in college trying to please her parents. And now with this assignment that she has no knowledge about, she knows she is bound to fail. The topic she got is MMA, "Mixed Martial Arts". Blaire is to write a report on this subject but doesn't even have a clue what it means. Thanks to her best friend Shane, he points her the gym she can go to do interview a few people.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"I see you. I see what you don't see about yourself."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

This is where Blaire meets Ty "The Zombie" Wilder, the star MMA fighter. All she went in for was to get an interview, but he wanted more, he wanted a date. Blaire hoped her heart wouldn't get involved with how strong their attraction is. Blaire quickly learns of his manwhore ways, and wanted to steer clear of him. But Ty didn't make it easy for her, especially when he seemed to be everywhere. Her Brain and her Hormones are at odds with what she should do. How could she possibly resist the sexy man of hotness? She couldn't, so she finally gave in.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

'I kissed him and survived. I kissed him and it was delicious. I kissed him and found out that despite his reputation, and the fears I failed to keep at bay, he was just a boy, kissing a girl, hoping she'd like it.---and him---after all.'

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

This was a great debut read by L.J. Shen. I instantly liked Blaire, especially her inner monologue that had me chuckling quite a few times at her silly banter. I also really liked Ty, like a lot. He was super hawt and had a good amount of alpha to him. Did I mention that he has tattoos?? Well, he does *melts*. I was very intrigued by him, so on more than one occasion I desperately wanted his P.O.V. We didn't get it unfortunately, since this was told completely in Blaire's P.O.V. There was just something about him that was mysterious, and then when we find out he was hiding a secret, I am going crazy with curiousity. In the last part of the book, I was quite upset with how Blaire handled the situation about the secret. I thought she would have reacted differently. I was happy with how things ended for them, though. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style, and the story. It wasn't bad for a debut. I would have liked an epilogue and a bit more steam, but still it was really good. Can't wait to see what else this author releases.



~ARC kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review.~

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC provided by the author for an honest review*

This was totally amazeballs luvd it

Tyed is about a MMA fighter Ty an Blaire a college grad there is story is great Blaine as 2 do an college assignment on a man's topic an her teacher as picked MMA it's not Blaine thing but she can't swap or change the topic so when she sees what she as she hasn't a clue what it's al about when she finds out how brutal it is an the hyper about it good an bad she as no choice but 2 look it up an talk 2 the people who do it when she turns up at Grind where the 2 hot up coming fighters r she is shocked when she bumps into a super hot sexy fighter she just doesn't know he's 1 of those fighters when she goes in Grind 2 talk 2 the boss but yet again she bumps into this hot man there is chemistry between them but she tries 2 keep her distance from him but it just doesnt happen cause of the assignment so she ends up bein at Grind a lot when she as 2 interview Ty there is a condition Blaine as 2 go on a date with him they have a few close kisses but nithin happens she as heard about his man whore ways but she can't seem 2 stay away from

Blaine is luvin the way everything is goin with Ty she as shared stuff with him but Ty is hidin stuff he can't tell her yet he as big fights coming up an he needs her there Blaine as never had something like this b4 an doesn't care that she as fell head over heel in luv with him in such a short time an Ty is the same but there is something big that's goin 2 wreck what they have

The sexual tension between these two was totally hot through the begin of the book an it just got hotter when they were 2gether Blaine wasn't a very experienced an she knew Ty was over experienced but put them 2gether an whole shit sizzle they r just hot

This book was really good I nearly read it in 1 nite just couldn't keep my eyes open this is the author L.J. Shen first book an I have 2 say I m dyin 2 know what she is goin 2 do next this book just had everything in it the story was great I luvd the characters overall an amazin read highly recommend it xxx

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars



Tyed is my first LJ Shen book, but it definitely won’t be my last! I love ‘fighter’ books, and this audio hit the spot. 

Blaire is a college student who has one last project that will determine if she graduates. That project is for her journalism class, and she has to write an article about the MMA. She knows nothing about the MMA, but she’s willing to do whatever to get the grade to pass, so she does some research…

Ty Wylder is one of the MMA fighters where Blaire goes to research. When these two first meet, sparks fly, but they’re both stubborn so they have a rub there as well. I loved watching the two of them fight their attraction for one another. It just made the tension between them build so much higher. Blaire needs an interview, and Ty wants a date… Blaire is hesitant to give him one.

"What are you doing to me, Blaire?"
"I'm not sure, but you did it first to me.”

I liked Blaire a lot. I think she was a relatable heroine. Ty irked me at times towards the beginning, but by the end I loved him. Their romance was rocky at first, but the fight to their hea made it that much sweeter! Tyed was a fast-paced and highly entertaining read! I enjoyed it lots.

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book – Tyed
Author – LJ Shen
Publication Date –July 1, 2015
Genre –New Adult/MMA
Type – Stand Alone
Cliffhanger – No
Rating – 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Complimentary copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts - Story
Wow…what a great debut novel from Ms. Shen. Job well done and I’m not a big fan of the MMA genre but this book gripped me with the witty banter and arrogance turned to a perfect specimen of a man.



Both of these characters were developed perfectly throughout the story and the author was able to express the emotions and feelings these two went through during their relationship. It was easy to connect with them and with the story that I felt the flow and storyline was smooth which made this a quick and easy read.

I was captivated and devoured this book in no time from the moment I picked it up.

Ty was easy to hate in the beginning but shit…I fell for him hard when I learned more about him and his outer shell he showed to those not close to him. Boy oh boy…I want a man like him!



Re-Cap
Blaire has the assignment from hell and she HAS to get a good grade in order to graduate. She must write an article about MMA for her journalist class. She gets into an altercation with some hot guy in the parking lot before her interview and it turns out he is the one she will be following around.

What can get worse than that?

How about how much her lady parts tingle when he’s around? Or maybe how he is dead set on irking her whenever possible…is it attraction? Or just plain annoyance?

Reason for Reading – Author Request
Story – 5 out of 5 Stars
Steam –  4.5 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 4 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
HEA (Spoiler) – Yes
Would Read More from Author? Yes
Recommend To – Readers who like angst, MMA and a pure Alpha male with a heart of gold

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Eliya Orman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never believed in lust at first sight.

...Until Ty Wilder stormed into that parking lot in grey sweatpants and black MMA shirt that highlighted every sculpted muscle, every vein and every tattoo in his body. I used every ounce of self-control to use my brain cells to try and not to drool.
And then he opened his mouth. And I knew I was done for, just like Blair.

It seems like every word Ty shoots from his mouth flies straight into your underwear, and he has a knack for making your heart go wild like a fish out of water.

I consider it difficult (perhaps even virtually impossible) to make me fall in love with a male character, especially when it's within the first few pages, but L.J Shen did it for me.
Even when the characters reached agonizingly difficult low points in their lives (there were quite a few of those), I was completely possessed. Broken, but possessed.

Maybe it's the plot, maybe it's the writing or maybe it's the sarcastic, easy-to-fall-in-love-with characters, but this book totally did it for me. From the first page to the last. It didn't feel like the tingly, cute, fuzzy feeling of falling in love. It felt like sweat, moist, burning sensations and abdominal cramps that shoot down to your crotch, begging for a release.

Just to give you the heads up, here's a list of feelings you're likely going to go through: elation, heart ache, anger, annoyance, disappointment, sadness, happiness, passion. Sometimes you'll experience two, very different emotions all at once (there's a scene that made me cry and laugh at the same time, and I was literally moments away from throwing my iPad against the wall and cursing the author to oblivion and back).

I liked that the ending was not a cliffhanger, there was definitely a sense of closure. I'm not a sucker for HEA but I know many reviewers are, and you will not be disappointed.

I took the liberty and prepared a few teasers for this book, just to show you what you're in for. Hope you have a spare pair of undies...

An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelli C · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.J. Shen did a great job on her debut novel!

Recap: Blaire, aka Barbie, is like many college students...trudging thru a boring major, uncertain what she really wants out of life. She really is a bit lost until her journalism major puts her on an assignment into the world of MMA fighting! Ty "The Zombie" Wilder is her first MMA encounter and it is quite a lasting one. Instant intrigue and lust, but worlds apart. So begins the tale of a simple assignment...then a date...then a relationship...then more than either bargained for!








Overall, I enjoyed the chemistry and the build up of Ty and Blair. There was great attraction between a bad boy and an ordinary girl. I liked how Ty made no qualms about being "not good" and about having the ability to hurt her. He was quite closed off and difficult to read so I just put him in the "mysteriously hot" category! I would have loved his POV because Blair's inner dialogue made her so endearing and so normal! She was a bit quirky and sassy so I don't think that Ty had a chance!

I do however have a few gripes in that the angst moment of the tale didn't really work for me. Also, I could always use a bit more heat when it comes to intimacy!

I admit that Blair's bff Shane and her twin supermodel sister rubbed me wrong from day one, but the big bomb drop that affected the love story had me shaking my head! I wasn't a fan of Blair's reaction to Ty's past. Ty was a HUGE fan of no lying and he NEVER did. He wasn't ready to talk about his past, but that didn't stop others from exposing him or from Blair jumping the gun and not giving him a chance. Boo on her for that!

I still found Tyed to be a good read! I can see L.J. Shen is going to have a great future and I cant wait for her future works!

*book provided generously by author in exchange for honest review*

[Yeasmin Alo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you have Bad-Boy-Fetish?
Do you like them Douchebag?
And
Do you like LOVE dimples accompanied by six-pack abs 🙊😜?
Then honeyyyyyyy
THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!!!!!






I read the whole book with a shit-eating grin on my face
I had to take 2-3 minutes break to breathe because this book made me laugh so hard 🤣😂😂 It was hilarious and super smug 😂
And now I am mentally kicking myself for not reading it sooner

A few days back L.J shared a story in her group about Punk and since then I wanted to read a book on Punk from L.J Shen.
Yes Penn from Pretty reckless gives Punk vibes but not Punk enough for me

But little did I know the Punk-ish book already exists.

MMA/Boxing/Kickboxing is another major weakness of mine so there’s that.
I love to read about athletes.
This girl here is a sucker of Sports Romance.
And I love to read about men who fight especially if you know L.J Shen you would know about Defy 😍, so it was like she got the inspiration for her Defy gig by writing Tyed ✨ and also this book enlightened me with some MMA info which I truly appreciate.

Mental foreplay is one of the most important things about this sport. I wanted to get into his head, and I did. I kept him on his toes throughout,
and it paid off.

Sneak peeks at Tyler(H)'s career is an impressive part of this book. I love a guy with a career, passion, goal, and focus.

Having said that
My dude, Ty is such a douchebag, asshole, casanova, the typical tattooed bad boy who is all about I-am-not-the-man-for-you you-should-steer-clear-of-me and here my sorry a$$ is instantly intrigued 🙊

“No, I took you out on a date because I want to fuck your brains out,
among other things, and I know that the feeling is mutual. Unlike your buddy Shane, I don’t sugarcoat my intentions. I don’t want to be your friend. I have no interest in hanging out with you at the mall or choosing outfits with you or crap like that. I crave you. I want all of you, every single inch of you. And call it an only-child syndrome, but
I. DO. NOT.FUCKING. SHARE.”

A guy with anger issues, childhood problems, mystery, and Secrets but extremely extremely extremely Loyal?
Give it to me!! I would devour and savor him faster than diabetics patients do a chocolate cake 😇😋.
TYLER WILDER IS A KEEEPER


And my girl Blaire is funny and finally a Tom boy heroine I am like yassssss sis you tell him 😍😍😍
I didn't even realize that I needed a break from goodie two shoe heroines until now.

Overall it was a good read 🎆🎆🎆

Since I started my review screaming about bad boy fetish, Imma end my review with the root cause of my said fetish
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️




Happy Reading 💝🖤

[Dee Montoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

****4 Very Entertaining Stars****

(Arc kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review)


Whenever I accept an ARC from a new author I get excited and nervous, only because I never know if it's going to be match for me, or not. But there's always that book that takes me by surprise and I end up loving so much that I can hardly even put it down; that was Tyed for me. Awesome weekend read!!!



Blair is counting down the days till graduation. She's studying communications but only to please her parents it seems, because she's not really sure about what she wants to do with her life. Other than hanging out with her best friend, eating delicious baked goods and listening to great music, she really doesn't have any other interests or passions. Blair is a twin and her sister is a very successful super model, who is in a different part of the world everyday. The sisters are very close and have a great relationship but is hard for Blaire to always be in the shadow of her sister. Blaire's last journalism assignment is to write an article about MMA, she's dreading this project because she knows nothing about the sport, other than its very violent and that scares her. On her first day doing her research she goes to a boxing gym and the first person she meets is non other than the ultra sexy and scary Ty " The Zombie" Wylder. These two are at each other's throats every time they see each other but the sexual tension is also very high between them. Blaire needs to interview Ty for her paper, but he's giving her a hard time and the only way he's agreeing to sit down with her for the questions is in exchange for a date. Blaire and Ty are complete opposites but for some reason they complement each other so well that the romance between them unfolds naturally. Ty's career and everything that comes with it, is not an easy pill for Blaire to swallow but the way she feels when they are together is completely exhilarating and hard to give up . Her family and best friend will also cause issues in the the relationship. She's very confused and can't understand how something she knows is totally wrong for her can also feel so right, and so good.

The plot in this story was like a breath of fresh air. I loved Blaire's attitude and the way she handled herself, even in those moments of struggle. She's funny, sarcastic and completely lovable. The angst and steam levels are not high in this book but I really had a great time reading it. The writing style of this author was totally me, I could tell that she's someone who is super smart but doesn't take herself too seriously and her book was so easy to read, I just loved it!



Give this new author a try and I promise that you will swoon and laugh with her story. I can't wait to read more of her books...

[Eda** · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 3,5-4 “Barbie” STARS **

“It looks like BRAIN and HORMONES are in for a fight. Just as long as HEART stays out of the ring…”
~ BLAIRE

Blaire Stern isn’t much happy with her life. Having a lingerie-model “perfect” twin sister, pushy parents that want her to study something she isn’t interested in at all, mostly flunking her classes because of her non-existent interest and having to work part-time as a bartender in order to be able to afford her rent, isn’t exactly the “dream life” she had in mind.

Blaire is studying Communications, just to please her parents, counting the days till freedom (two months and twelve days), and has no idea what to do with her life after graduation. When her Journalistic Reporting professor decides to randomly assign them with gender-switched subjects and she gets “MMA”, all she can do at first is freak the f*ck out, because if she doesn't even know that MMA is short for “Mixed Martial Arts”, how in the hell will she be able to write a full report on it?



With the help of her best friend Shane Kinney, whose roommate Works at a XWL (Xtreme Warrior League) gym called “The Grind”, she arranges an interview with the manager and his top-shelf fighters. When she first meets Tyler “Ty” Wilder , the soon-to-be XWL champion, “The Zombie” in the ring and the hottest guy Blaire has ever seen, in the parking lot of the gym, all he has to do is pluck the blunt she’s smoking out of her lips and throw it on the ground with a growl to make her forget all about his sexiness and get into her sh*t-list.

“You’re right to be scared. I would never hit you, Barbie, but I’ll hurt you, alright.”
~ KY

Ty has secrets. Secrets that Blaire might not be able to handle. Secrets that might destroy the bond between them and free Blaire from being "TYED"...

“Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to pay our final tribute of respect to my deceased HEART. Heart started off as a casual dude not ready for commitment. It was often bullied by HORMONES and pushed aside by BRAIN. But once Ty took over it, I knew we were both f*cked.”
~ BLAIRE

OVERALL: Since this is a debut novel, I will be nice and keep it short. I loved the writing style, how the characters had distinct personalities, and how the author included actual fighting scenes (unlike some of the others writing Boxer-Romances that have zero fighting in them...WTF, right?) Though I had a problem with the rather unoriginal plot twists, Blaire's somewhat childish attitude, and the fact that I still have no idea WHY Ty fell for her, he just DID, and I'd rather he'd shown or told us about it...

Will Eda recommend this book?

I mean, Ty loves “Zombie” by The Cranberries and Blaire is a total Charlie Hunnam fangirl....so HECK YEAH! ;)

“What are you doing to me, Blaire?”

“I’m not sure, but you did it first to me.”

** ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review **

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

23-year old Blaire has to write an essay about mixed martial arts for her journalism class.



A class that she doesn't really like - journalism wasn't really the thing she wanted to do for the rest of her life. But mom and dad - and her supermodel twin sister - are paying for her life, so she needs to finish her degree, or they will stop with the money!

She has never heard of MMA, doesn't really know where to start.
She ends up at a gym......



...where professional fighter Tyler Wilder trains.



Tyler - aka the hottest guy on the planet!!

He looks like he's been photoshopped by a bunch of horny teenagers.

And also the most infuriating guy ever!
Blaire wants to both kill him and kiss him, at the same time!
And he only agrees to do an interview, if she goes on a date with him.
But she doesn't want to be just another notch on his fighting-belt.....

Lots of sexy and funny and frustrating moments to go through until they might get their HEA......

What will happen to Blaire & Tyler?
Will his secrets destroy everything before it even starts?
Will there be a HEA??
Will there be a horrible Cliffhanger?



Nope - I'm not telling you ☺



Ok - I can tell you that there won't be a Cliffhanger!! It's a stand-alone Romance!!! BUT - there will be a book about Blaire's twin....

_____________________





I really enjoyed reading the book!!


Which honestly surprised me a tiny little bit.
New author - first try et cetera - but I realllly liked it ☺



...what's not to like about a reallllly hot and sexy and gorgeous and did I mention HOT AS HELL MMA fighter???? ☺



And Blaire is very likeable too. She's such a sweet person - she doesn't know how pretty she is, how loved she is, how smart she is.... but Ty is here to show her...

But of course it's not all hearts and flowers...there are lots of secrets and mistakes and jealousies...
Those two have a lot to overcome until they can find their happy end ☺

I was a tiny little bit unsure if I liked how Blaire reacts to his secrets coming out...and how then suddenly she's over it...but I still totally loved the story!

If you like sexy and funny romances with a hot fighter - this is so the book for you!

TYED was a beautifully written first book! Lots of sexy & funny & suspensy & frustrating & adorable moments! ☺ GO AND BUY THE BOOK!!!! You don't want to miss Tyler!

And now Leigh - hurry with your next book - I want to see how Shane & Izzy will get together!!!

[Lin (From Chika With Love - Blog) Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

soooo I was one of the luckiest beta readers that got the chance reading this amazing story!
Ty is defenitly the one that is going to live in my heart and dreams for a very long time :-)
I just couldn't stop reading from the first word 'till the last one...
in L.J. hilarious writing I enjoyed it so much (even in the sad parts!!! sorry L.J.)
the only thing that disturbed me the most is the open ending of the story...
I understand that this is a trilogy and "to be continued" is in order, but - HELLOW!!!!!
burning ovaries are in the house!!!!!!!!!!
my lovely L.J. Shen, you've got yourself a fan for sure!! can't wait for your next book! please please please make it fast because "its getting hot in here! so take off all your clothes..." is on the radio and I want TY to take them off of me!!

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

blehhhh

[Ilanit Adani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from this author in exchange for an honest review.

I will try to keep it short because I don't usually write reviews, but it's not every day that you receive an ARC, and it's not every day that you read a story like this.

So, we meet Ty Wilder pretty early on, and even though the author thoroughly describes him as the hottest thing to ever walk on earth, she ain't shy about making him a major douche, either. It's a no-brainer for me, because I like H's with an edge, and Ty has an edge, but at the same time, it's like




Then a bunch of stuff happen, and before you know it, it's 3am and the author totally screwed over your night's sleep and you're ready to give the book a rest, but then....



Something brilliantly tragic happens and we find out Ty has a steaaaaamy secret. And Blaire is no doormat, so she is like



I liked this book a lot. It was funny yet emotional, a perfect combo in my opinion. It made you feel good and the chemistry between the characters was off the charts. I'd like to know how things go for Shane and Izzy. I would definitely read a Shane and Izzy book.

A job well done for a debut novel and quite frankly even if it wasn't a debut novel.

[S.M. West · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 “I see you” STARS

Blaire Stern is used to being “Boring Blaire” in comparison to her supermodel, twin sister “Sizzling Izzy.” She’s also used to be a disappointment to her parents and being ignored by most.

Blaire has a final assignment for her communications degree and the professor chooses the topic; no chance for changing the subject matter. Blaire’s topic is MMA – mixed martial arts – which at first she has no clue what it is.



With the help of her best friend, Shane, she’s gets connected with a MMA gym. This is where Blaire meets "up and coming" champion MMA fighter, Tyler “Zombie” Wilder.



Tyler and Blaire appear to be total opposites yet they're drawn to each other. Blaire needs to interview Tyler for her assignment and he’ll only agree in exchange for a date. From there, these two get to know one another. There’s a lot more going on as Shane, Blaire’s BFF has an agenda; Izzy, her twin is also keeping secrets and majorly self-centered which is a detriment to her relationships; Blaire doesn’t trust Ty’s interest in her; and Ty is a mystery, we know something’s lurking in his past.

I liked Blaire and had to laugh at some of her antics. But there were moments when I had to…


She could be silly and immature. I really liked her with Ty. As for her BFF, Shane, he wasn’t always on the up and up and I so wish that Blaire had put him in his place.



I loved Ty. Yes, he was sexy, hot body and all broody alpha but the refreshing thing about him was he was mature. He'd made his fair share of mistakes and he wasn't telling Blaire everything but, he straight out told Blaire -- I'll tell you when I’m ready. Fair enough if you ask me. I would have loved getting Ty’s POV.

While there wasn’t a lot of smexy times, these two had chemistry.


“I crave you. I want all of you, every single inch of you.”

I would recommend this book if NA is your thing, you love sexy, confident MMA fighters and you're looking for a good romance with a little angst, some laughs and sweet times. This was an enjoyable debut novel and I look forward to what else Ms. Shen has in store.

*an ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

For more reviews and blog posts.

[NMmomof4 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

Overall Opinion: I think this was one of those that I went into expecting greatness, and was sadly disappointed. I had huge issues with the pacing and time jumps. I like to experience the h and H developing feelings, and this had only a minimal amount of that. I ended up not feeling the connection that much because of it. I also would've really liked to have some of Ty's POV. I thought the h was overly judgemental at times to where I would find myself rolling my eyes. She also had such a strong loyalty to her friend (which I can usually appreciate), but at times I wanted her to wake the heck up and realize that he might have other intentions!! But on the other hand, I was confused by the whole thing with the friend too. What were his real intentions? I still don't know!!! The ending was also another issue for me. I hate how some authors are having the conflict being resolved pages from the end, and we are not given any time to see them as a healthy and healed couple!

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Blair and Ty's story. Blair is assigned her final for her journalism class to cover MMA, and she needs Ty for an interview. Ty is moving quickly up the ranks in the MMA world, and is the type of bad-boy that Blair knows she should avoid. They dance around their attraction, but finally Blair gives Ty a chance and they start dating. There are some sexy times, some friend drama, some big secret revealed...but they get a HFN ending.

POV: This was told in Blair's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Not so great. There were multiple time jumps that I felt like covered some of the development of feelings between the characters that we really needed. I never skimmed, but with these time jumps and the ending -- I thought it felt off on pacing.

Instalove: No. They take time to develop stronger feelings.

H rating: 3 stars. Ty. I liked him, but then I didn't like the way he lashed out when she finds out his secret.

h rating: 2 stars. Blair. She was a little too judgemental for my tastes, and wore blinders with her friend.

Sadness level: Low. No tissues needed.

Push/Pull: Yes The h is hesitant to start anything with the H because of his manwhore past, so she pushes him away at first. He pursues her. The h then pushes him away a lot when she finds out his secret. Then the H ends up pushing her away because of her reaction.

Heat level: Moderate/low. The scenes are just meh, and there aren't that many of them.

Descriptive sex: Yes.

Safe sex: Yes. Condoms are used, and there is a mention that condoms were always used in the past.

OW/OM drama: Yes The h's best friend is a man, and causes some drama. He acts like he wants her, but he ends up really just wanting to hurt her twin sister by getting with the h (I think?!? It's kind of left out there with no clear resolution).

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes There is a separation of about 4 months. Neither of them have other partners during this separation.

Possible Triggers: Yes Drug use, violence, manwhore H, and prostitution

Closure: This had one of those endings where the conflict is resolved right before the end, so there isn't much time for closure. I would call it a HFN ending.

How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.

Safety: Safe with exception

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the h pushing the H away and then the H pushing the h away
- Does have a ~4 month separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does Not have OTT sad parts
- Does Not have a HEA ending

[Limor Moyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm a tad in love with Ty Wilder!!!



Soooooooooooooo, what did I like about this book so much? Well, for one, it was FUNNY. I mean, damn, it's been a long time since I've LOLed from a book. Elle Kennedy is the only author who makes me laugh out loud, and since I've already read all of her stuff, my mind was blown when I discovered that a new author can do that to me too.

Second of all - the hero. I mean, Blaire was a cutie, don't get me wrong, but TY WILDER! Man, you are on fire, do you even realize that? I loved his broody, alpha, in-your-face attitude, and I loved how he was after the girl that he wanted, but still wouldn't let her walk all over him (too many heroes tend to do that in books and I just find that as a turn off. :( ).

In one word: amazeballs. In two words: totally amazeballs. In three words: TY MARRY ME.

[Belle · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5/5 stars

Well, all I can say was this book started off on a bad note from the get-go. A suicide joke on the first page is a sure way to ensure my skepticism for a book, it's something that irritates me to no end, constantly reading books where mental illnesses are used as the punch line of a joke.

Just the thought of somebody making light of the fact that people can be feel such hopelessness that they want to die, irks me. The joke used in a ‘quirky’ little sentence to describe how a privileged little girl isn’t happy with her life. Because having your sister and parents foot the bill for your living expenses and university is such a motherfucking chore. Honestly, what a difficult life she must be living.

Blaire Stern is a twenty-three year old woman who has literally zero drive in life, letting her parents and sister foot the bill for everything because she ‘can’t afford it.’ Her parent’s one condition is that she study journalism. She puts in no effort to school or anything else in life, she whines, bitches and moans for the majority of the book.

"Izzy pays for my stuff, my parents pay for my stuff. Sometimes it feels like I’m being held hostage by my relatives’ capability to offer me everything I can’t get for myself.”

It’s like the idea of working full time and working your ass off to save enough to buy yourself the things you want in life never occurred to her. She’s just content to sit on her ass and complain about how it’s not fair that her twin sister had made a career for herself, and it’s not fair that her parents care enough to provide for her.

Blaire’s one of those characters that is introduced as the lesser sister. Her twin being a supermodel had been the thorn in her side, something she could never live up to. Until suddenly everybody with a dick is coming onto her, her best friend, her boss and the hot fighter who could get any female on the planet.



Ah, the sweet stench of clichés.

Blaire gets assigned to write a journalism piece on MMA fighting, where she meets rising star, Tyler Wilder. The two get off on a rocky start, Blaire’s inner monologue (unsurprisingly) drives me up the wall. Ty was a character that suffered with clear and uncontrollable anger management and Blaire just worms her way into his heart with her quirky personality and bitchyness. But she continues to find every opportunity to run the other way.

It was all a bit of a mess, with Tyler clearly being blessed with superpowers and super strength because he kicked down not one, but two, hotel doors. I don’t know about the hotels you’ve been too, but they usually have thick doors that aren’t prone to just breaking off the hinges.



Every bit of angst and drama that was created was of the typical “he said she said” variety. It eventually began to annoy me that Blaire let herself be feed lies time and time again, and her reactions were so freaking overdramatic, I mean honestly?!

"I turn to the planter behind me and throw up in the middle of the bushes. Shane jumps from where he stands to avoid the stream of vomit, and I rest my hands on my legs to support myself from falling. My head is spinning and my arms are shaking."

All that drama because somebody told her an unsubstantiated rumour? And from a person who had been proved to push narratives to fit his own agenda? SO predictable, drama for the sake of drama :)(:

I began to enjoy myself in the last four chapters and the ending wasn’t too bad, but it couldn’t make up for the boring and frankly annoying beginning. I also want to make it clear that although the mental health joke annoyed me, it wasn’t the reason I didn’t enjoy this book. I attempted to push past my vague annoyance to enjoy a book I paid for, but ended up not enjoying the majority of it’s content anyway.

[Ida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I promised my self that if I just got through the book, I wouldn't spend time on writing a review, but I really feel like I should at least explain why I disliked it enough to give it 2stars (honestly, it was closer to 1.5), because I'm sure a lot of people will like it.

The university is located between San Francisco, Oakland and my internal wish to kill myself.

I expected this book to be funny, the characters to be believable and the storyline to be intriguing (based on reviews and the fact that it was recommended to me), but it. was. not. And if you think that was a lot of punctuations, don't read this book...

I'm not sure if my biggest issue was the characters, the story or the writing.
Normally, I enjoy sports romances and "imperfect" characters, but I couldn't relate to Blair nor Ty, and I honestly hated a lot of the decisions they made. Blaire was exhausting, and a lot of times acting quite differently from how she describes herself. Ty's personality, or maybe mood, made a 180 in the book without much explanation (maybe I missed it?), and I honestly could not understand what Blair saw in him other than his good looks. He seemed to be a good guy towards the end, but he went from being a complete ass to super into Blaire without any buildup. There were also no character development. Considering the characters are in their mid 20's, I really expected more of a mature feel to the book, but this read very much like a YA book.

The writing seems to be all over the place, but that might just be because I wasn't invested in the book, and although I did finish it, I definitely didn't give it 100%.. The pace was inconsistent, with the first half being very cliche and driven by the main characters inner monologue, and the second half of the book was just a complete mess with one bad decision after another.

Why I ended up hating the book though was because the main character kept going against her words.

“You hid your past away from me. You had no right.” “I had every fucking right. It’s my past, not my present, not my future. Besides, I remember pretty clearly I did promise to share my past with you at some point, when I was ready, not when your little BFF decided to throw another bash-fest for me.”

This right here, people. He tells her there are dark stuff from his past, and that he will tell her, but he's not ready, so he asks her to give him a chance and to not leave him when things get hard. She promises. Yet she goes digging for the truth and then hates on him for not telling her? It's just so so stupid..

Also

Considering Ty is the most undramatic person I’ve ever met, this is news.

He is nothing but dramatic, kicking in every door instead of just opening them like normal people, and Blaire stating that he is the most undramatic person she's ever met just says something about the people in her life (which I assume is not what the author intended with the statement?)

And then this

We read each other like open books.

This is just proved to be wrong throughout the entire book..

I now regret buying four books from the same author before reading anything.. I hope I've learned

[Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

No review. Just will say that I liked it but certainly didn't love it. The pace at which the relationship progressed was a bit too fast for my liking but that's totally a personal preference here. There was a bit of a... well, can't really say TWIST, but some things were revealed which surprised me. And not in a good way either. The ending was a bit immature for my taste. I never fell in love with the hero. He didn't really come off as mysterious as he was supposed to, methinkes. I don't know.

[~Stéphanie~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars



Tyed is the debut novel of L.J Shen. When she contacted me to review her book I was a little anxious because I had two other bad experiences with authors and I nearly refused but who can really resist a MMA fighter?



Blaire is about the graduate from college and doesn't really know what to do next. She doesn't have the support from her parents; her twin sister is a model and travels a lot so she has only her best friend, Shane to rely on.
When she has to write a paper about MMA, she is in big trouble because she doesn't even know what it is.

From the start, Blaire was a character I loved. Nothing seems to faze her; she takes life as it is. She has some very fun inner dialogue. She has a smart mouth and she hides a little insecurity that I found cute ( and I'm not even speaking about her love for Charlie Hunnam – the girl made me want to watch SOA for the first time :p

When she meets Ty, she is hooked! The guy is all male, all muscles with a lot of confidence – dare I say a little full of himself?
“You’re right to be scared. I would never hit you, Barbie, but I’ll hurt you, alright.”

Blaire knows that as a MMA fighter, she is in big trouble with him. She needs an interview and Ty wants a date



The first half of the book was extremely good. I knew I had a winner right away.
L.J Shen knows how to interest her readers and gives us two enthralling characters and some friendly secondary characters.

Blaire is funny. She is conflicted between what Brain says, what Hormones wants and when Heart is involved, all bets seems off.

Ty was my kind of guy; all secretive, yet very charming and attractive. He's scary but he's like a big Teddy Bear near Blaire.

“What are you doing to me, Blaire?”
“I’m not sure, but you did it first to me.”



What bothers me a lot and why my rating is a little low is because after 60% the story took a turn I didn't like. Blaire was mostly annoying and childish. I disconnect with her thoughts and her way of acting.
I also wanted more time between her and Ty.

Tyed is overall a nice and very good first book. L.J Shen 's writing is very encouraging for the future.

I have one new author to follow for what comes next

"I don't want someone like me. I want someone who will drag me out of my comfort zone and introduce me to new things. Different things."

~ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review~

[Stephanie Beasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a great book, the writing was easy to read and understand. I enjoyed the story between the characters and I look forward to more of this story I would like to know what happens to the sister so maybe there will be a second book?? ((hehe i never hurts to ask if you like the book for more!!!)) anyway.. I recommend this author and the book. Please support her and buy her book, I am sure you will love it as much as I did!!

I received a ARC of this book for a honest review.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I WAS PROVIDED WITH AN ARC FROM THIS AUTHOR FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH LJ SHEN!!!!

UN-FREAKING-BELIEVEABLE THAT AN AUTHOR RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE GETS SOMETHING SO RIGHT. I THOUGHT ONLY LORI FOSTER HELD THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR WRITING ABOUT MMA FIGHTERS BUT MY GOD GIRL, L.J., YOU ARE DEFINITELY A CONTENDER! I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE BY YOU, I'M A FAN NOW... I ADMIT I'M NOT A FAN OF THIS BRUTAL SPORT, BUT THAT'S MY OPINION ONLY.
THIS IS A STAND ALONE BOOK BUT WILL BE A PART OF A TRILOGY AND I'M IN HOPES TO GET THE ARC FOR THOSE TOO, ONE CAN ONLY HOPE, RIGHT?

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING, THE CHARACTERS ARE SO WELL WRITTEN, LOTS OF WITTY HUMOR, LUST ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THE PLOT IS TO DIE FOR.

Tyler "Ty" Wilder, aka: The Zombie, is a MMA fighter and upcoming Champ of his weight class and he has secrets he keeps close and exudes a lot of attitude. Ty doesn't do interviews...
Blaire Stern, a unimpressed college communications major, who doesn't know what to do with her life once she graduates. She is a twin to a supermodel and she has always been the boring one. Her parents pay her tuition in a major she has no interest in until her professor gives her the subject of MMA to do a report on.
Blaire comes to The Grind Gym to do some interviews for her paper and while in the parking lot smoking a blunt, she somewhat meets Ty. She dislikes his attitude but her Hormones take a liking to him, her Brain tells her to keep her distance.
His work and her interviews at the gym keep them in constant contact. She fights the attraction but he keeps coming at her. In order for her to get her interview of him, he talks her into a "first date".
So far so good, only Brain and Hormones are involved and she is thinking no way her Heart can get involved. He seems to become a different person around her and vice versa but secrets get exposed and life takes a left turn.
Will Brain, Hormones and Heart come together for Blaire? Will she be able to overlook a secret from Tyler's past and can Tyler put his past behind him and overlook her habit of running?