Fighting Chance

Rock Hard Gym #5

by Faith Ryan, Ember-Raine Winters

Connor O’Malley knows the meaning of a rough life, after all he’s lived it. As a young boy, he survived his father murdering his mother. With no other family, he was sent to live with his uncle and forced into illegal fights on the underground circuit until Mad Max Malone rescued him. Three years later Connor is now a legit fighter for Rock Hard Gym and pursuing a business degree, while searching for answers.

Ceara Kennedy has lived a sheltered life and college is an experience she has been looking forward to as long as she can remember. If only her father would stop sending his goons to watch over her. Ceara bumps into Connor at the library while hiding from her babysitters. He is trying, and failing, to find information on his mother’s murder. Intrigued, and bit starry-eyed, Ceara agrees to help him.

But as more questions than answers arise, Connor and Ceara find their relationship may have been doomed from the beginning. Are the new revelations too much of a hurdle, or will they beat the odds and seize their happily ever after?

122 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2019

About the author

Faith Ryan is a mother to three, yes three, teenagers. She lives in a small town in Ohio and is a weirdo to the max. She is in love with love of all kinds, especially the dark, dirty, and forbidden. Faith's writing almost always includes an element of the LGBT+, typically in the form of MM romance. If you like your stories a bit unconventional, you're looking in the right place.

Unconventional love stories because love doesn’t discriminate.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth book in the Rock Hard Gym and it does end on a cliff-hanger. College student and MMA fighter Connor O’Malley meets Ceara Kennedy in the library and it is instant attraction on Connor's part.This story has questions I hope the next book answers. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[annette k · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connor is a MMA fighter. He's going to college and runs into Ceara Kennedy. When he meets this beauty he is instantly smitten. He wants to ask her out and see what happens. Ceara has body guards who she hates following her around.
It's hard for Ceara to make friends and date. Connor shows her how to feel free and just be.
Connor has things that haunt him from childhood. There are secrets and lies along with who he thinks was a murdered mother. When Connor goes home with Ceara to meet her dad all things shake out.
The good, the bad, and the unthinkable happens. Can these two lovers find there happily ever after or does the mafia stand in there way? Read now to see how there story rolls out.

[Kylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fighting Chance is a story of not only love but family. As Ceara stumbles into the life of Connor these two find themselves drawn to each other. As their relationship takes hold hard and fast, secrets will be uncovered that may just cause these two to tap out for survival. The fifth book in the Rock Hard Gym series is steamy, action packed and filled to the brim with revelations that will have you on the edge of your seat.

[Sophie Ruthven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book gripped me from start to finish. This is definitely one writing duo to look out for.
Can't wait to find out answers to my many burning question that these ladies have hidden up their sleeve.
Definitely a must read!

[Up All Night With Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Fighting Chance by Faith Ryan and Ember-Raine Winters is book five in the Rock Hard Gym series and is the best one yet!!!. I am in love with this story. I have a serious book-hangover because although there is no cliffhanger, it left me wanting more!!!! These two authors make one amazing writing duo.

Brilliantly written, the story is so intense that I felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop at any minute. When things started heating up...holy smokes the heat was jumping off the pages. There is something about this one that just grabbed me and swept me up into the story. Not to mention all those little things that were weaved in. AMAZING!!!!!!

Connor has not had an easy life. To say it was rough is putting it mildly. When Max rescues him and gives him a purpose his life starts to get easier. But when his path crosses Ceara, he feels like he can breathe a little bit easier but his life starts to unravel at the seems.

Holding onto each other might just tear them apart.

What a ride we are taken on! This book can be read as a standalone but it's so much more enjoyable reading the Rock Hard Gym series in order.

***ARC received in exchange for an honest review***

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connor is an MMA fighter and has lived a rough life. Ceara is a Mafia Princess and lived a sheltered life. Both from totally opposite worlds but perfect for each other. The writing is good, unexpected twists, secrets revealed and an action packed story that had me on the edge of my seat ready to find out what happens next. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Jennifer Richey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible story added to this series we get connors back story and what really happened to his mom and him meeting his queen! We also catch up to the fighting gang they always get me alittle teary. But Connor and Ceara great chemistry. Can’t wait to read more from the gang!

[Ashley Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book

I really enjoyed this story the characters are different than what you see. Connor is this down to earth MMA fighter that is not afraid to show his emotions and ceara is this shelter shy girl. The secondary characters make this story that much better

[Debbie Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in this series and ends with a cliffhanger with a lot of unanswered questions

Connor O’Malley is a MMA fighter who hasn
t had the easiest child hood but he is finally starting to get his life together. He meets Ceara Kennedy a student at the library Ceara is very protected by her father and is continually followed by his guards Connor teaches her how to live in the moment and the two fall in love What they don;t know is that there are links between the that neither knows about. Will they survive all the secrets that are wrapped around them You will have to read this and the next book to see

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Conner & Ceara's story. Great characters. Loved how they made each other better. Great book. I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review for a copy of the book via booksprout.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big part of this story is that family is not about blood relations. Connor didn’t know real family for a long time. Now he has a taste of it and literally runs into the girl of his dreams. Ceara’s father is a very bad guy, but she is about to find out exactly how bad when she brings Connor home. Lots of secrets and history exposed and hearts broken. And they find out who their true friends and family are while finding love along the way.

[Chrystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was my first rock hard gym book I read.

[Laurel Nilsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fighting Chance is book 5 in the Rock Hard Gym series. Connor O’Malley has been given a second chance and is taking everything that he has been given to make him the man he was meant to be. Ceara Kennedy is the shy nerdy girl that is always being watched over by her fathers goons when a chance meeting has her and Connor falling for each other neither one knew that they are a lot more connected that they could imagine. This book is a story of young love but they grow up very quickly with everything that is thrown their way.

[Christy Kremsreiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course she did it again, hit this one out of the ballpark. I think each one of the Rock Hard books just keeps getting better. This one was written by both Ember-Raine Winters and Faith Ryan and let me tell you it is unbelievably heartwarming story. I couldn’t put it down it broke my heart when it ended.

The story of Conner and Clara and the story of their screwed up family lives only pushes them closer. Young love only made stronger due to shitty past family dynamics and awesome bonds formed with new “family” & friends.

I would definitely recommend this book and I would recommend the whole Rock Hard series to be read. Ember-Raine and Faith Ryan have done an amazing job with this whole series so far, looking forward to more.

[V Meade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connor and Ceara seem like an unlikely couple. Connor is an MMA fighter and Ceara is a sheltered Mafia Princess. Ceara is fighting for her freedom and Connor is fighting for Ceara. This story has a lot of twists and turns. It’s action packed and filled with love. When Connor and Ceara must fight their biggest fight together in order to remain alive and together will they conquer the evil that surrounds them?
Love love love this story!

[Jillian Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im loving each new installment of the Rock Hard Gym series! Fighting Chance goes beyond the cage and crosses into the mafia. I loved the storyline and Connor and Ceara's characters. The flow and detail were a little choppy for me at times, but overall this book was everything you'd expect from Ember and Faith!! Looking forward to whats to come!!