Violent Life

The Men of River City #1

by Nola Marie

I live for her. Will die for her and kill for her. What I can’t do is live without her.

Zoey is the love of my life. Has been since she was eight years old. She is the air I breathe and everything I worship. Everyone knows we belong together. But one devastating attack steals everything from me.

I exist in darkness without her, my body going through the motions while the rest of me, mine, heart, and soul, are lost in Hell. Because I know that my pain is nothing compared to hers.

I have a chance. One chance to save her. To bring her back and coax her out of the darkness. And I will fight with everything in me to save my Zoey. My life.

Previously released as Fighting for His Life

WARNING: This book is not for the faint of heart. It will tear your heart out and stomp on it before putting it back together. The characters are not perfect and the heroes are flawed. If you’re looking for sunshine and rainbows, I suggest you try another book. But if you want real emotion with a happily ever after, then you’ve found your book.

TRIGGERS: human trafficking, attempted sexual assault, violence, kidnapping, talks of rape

Genres: Dark Romance, Friends To Lovers, Dark, Second Chance, Sports, Romance

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 22, 2020

About the author

Louisiana-born and raised Nola Marie loves spicy crawfish, rock music, high drama, and all the glitter, despite being extremely introverted with a severe case of anxiety. As a child, she preferred her imaginary friends to real ones and fiction to reality, a condition that has lingered and grown, and in 2019, she decided to share the voices in her head with the world.

When she's not writing, she can be found with her nose in some other fictional world or having conversations with people no one else can see, but it's okay. She's a writer ;-)

Feel free to find her and yell about her dramatic character through Instagram or Facebook. She loves to hear from you.

Reviews

[Coastie Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoey and Zane (twins) and their best friend Jax have been inseparable since they meet at the age of 8. I think this is when they first fell in love with each other, only the didn’t know it! As they got older, Zoey and Jax didn’t think the other thought of them in that way, but boy did they both have it bad. Everyone else could see they were in love with each other, Finally the night of graduation, everything clicked into place and I wish I could say everything was nothing but happiness, but then, there wouldn’t be a story!

While Zoey is away in New York at an Art Exhibition, the unthinkable happens. From there Zoey spirals out of control and Jax and Zane are lost without her. Angst, drama, loss, fear, passion, real love, secrets, family, and forgiveness are just a few things you will see while reading this roller coaster of ride of emotions!

Great start to a new series. This is the first book I have read from this author, and I am loving it. My emotions were all over the place and my heart was hurting for everyone. I shed some tears as I read and I was so into this story, that I read it in one sitting. Nola Marie gained another fan today and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. If the other 3 are like this one, then I need to invest in some tissues!

I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[C.M. Danks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!
When I first started reading this book, I was hooked from the start. It seemed like a cute young friends to lovers and a traditional yummy read. The male lead, Jax, is a complete Alpha and the other men were just as hot. After a little way through...

BAM! 💥 😦

Everything completely changed. Zoey endures some pain and tragedy that left me completely speechless. But who wants to be there to pick her up when she falls? Jax... our sexy, hot, protective alpha. 🔥

They may have to go through some pain in order to find their way back to each other, but it was definitely worth the jaw dropping moments.

The men of River City are in fact going to leave us crushing hard. I thought Jax was going to be my man crush throughout this book. But I have to be honest, Rory may be the one I long for. 🥵
Or maybe it’s Zane... 🤔
Wait there’s also Bastian. 😆
🤷🏻‍♀️ I 💜 them all.... highly recommend this book! 💫

[Coco.V]

🎁 The Men of River City Series (2 book series) is FREE on Amazon today (8/31/2020)! 🎁

[WhiskeyandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was literally a hot ass crying mess reading this.

[Stephanie Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, super emotional read

This book will rip you apart...but then it will put you back together in the best way imaginable. Zoey and Jax have a love story for the ages that I loved (despite wanting to kill them half the time). The author does a wonderful job of pulling you into their story and really making you empathize with them.
There were a few typos here and there but not enough to distract from the story. Can’t wait to read book 2.

[Mrs D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

After loving the second book in this series, l grabbed the first one and read it in a day. Wow. Three characters who had bit parts in the second book, have their story told here. And what a story. Seriously worth reading, the story is hard but does give a great ending. Seeing how the second book was happening while this story was being told? Brilliant. Off to download the third book in this series right now.

[C.C. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet as honey

This story is dark but beyond sweet. The words dripped like honey from the pages and I loved it. Jax’s love is unconditional and Zoey is a broken angel but she overcomes and retribution arrives at the very end. I loved this book. It is the second book I have read from the series and I WILL read the others because they naturally pull you to the beautiful story-telling of passion and love . ❤️❤️❤️

[Sionna Trenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story. There was So much emotion poured into this book that the characters’ journey felt deeply personal. Everything about it from the relationship between Zoey & her twin, Zane, to a young but true love that grew up with Zoey & Jax felt real. Powerful. Very well done!

[Katerina Degratte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read:captivating

Not your average love story.
The perfect amount of sweet, yet angst to keep you turning pages.
A beautiful, painful story

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a winner!

Keep the tissues close, but this one is definitely a winner!! The relationship between Zoey and her brother are precious.. the love of Jax is heart melting!

[Joni Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review

Basic Details:
Book Title: Fighting for His Life
Subtitle:
Author: Nola Marie
Genre: Romance
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
Twins Zoey and Zane have been best friends with Jax since they met him. Actually, Zoey has been in love with Jax ever since they met at the age of 8. Only at graduation night do they admit this fact to each other. Friends and family have always seen it. Life is great for the three-some until Zoey is attacked in New York. Will they be able to help her heal?
What I liked about the book:
The story was great and kept me turning the pages. The storytelling was good.
What I didn’t like about the book:
The book still needs some significant editing. There were several grammatical errors, duplication of words or missing words. This did, however, not take away from the great storytelling.
My favourite bits in the book:
The time where Zoey and Jax finally realised their feelings were mutual.
My least favourite bits in the book:
The painful separation Zoey, Jax and Zane went through.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I understand the author has written several books. I have also read the second book in this series.
What books could this be compared to and why?
Interestingly, this book uses the same writing style of separate chapters for different points of view as I employed in my books. The chapters are set out showing the viewpoint from either Jax or Zoey’s side.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes

If you like romance with a twist this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Zoey

I met him when I was eight, and loved him. He was my best friend. At fourteen I fell in love with him. Maybe I always was. Then graduation night he kissed me. Told me he loved me too. That day made me think everything would be perfect.
Until the unthinkable happened, and nothing was perfect. I've lost myself and I've pushed him away. That day left me so broken and damaged, and I don't know if I can find my way back.

Jax

I've loved Zoey for so long I can't remember not loving her. Until that fateful phone call made it seem like the end.
I have to find a way to help the girl I love heal because living without her isn't an option. She is everything to me. She is my life.
About the Author:
Author of sexy romance with all the feels.

[BookLover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fighting For Her Love 💗

Our two main characters Zoey and Jax grew up together after meeting as kids in primary school. There are quite a few secondary characters who play significant roles so I suggest reading these books in order. Zane, Zoey’s twin brother and Rory, Jax’s older brother and Sebastian, Rory’s friend and business partner who all get their own books. Confused 😆
This is told in dual points of view with flashbacks to their pasts.

The story started off well and I was excited that just maybe this was going to be that elusive 5 star read. The blurb eluded to something tragic happening and I won’t say what as I was wrong in my assumptions and I don’t want to spoil the reader experience.

Unfortunately after a good start the story lagged and floundered with little story and character development. There were some themes that became a bit repetitive, the constant referral to the twins having lived together in the uterus together for 9 months became a bit overdone. Also Rory’s lifestyle isn’t openly discussed but more eluded to but we hear over and again that he’s a bad scary dude, violent and he might kill people so don’t mess with Rory unless you need someone to disappear or you might just disappear yourself.

Around the 50% mark we’re back into it but it became predictable and overall there was still not a lot of story growth as we moved towards the happily ever after. You’re my best friend and you have always been my best friend and I can’t live without you type of stuff which became repetitive and a little overdone. Big strong controlling alpha male who’d do anything to protect and care for his woman. I don’t quite get the title name as it’s Zoey that has to fight for her life, Jax has to fight for their love?

Now, one of my biggest peeves. Editing and proof reading was absolutely non existent. So many misspelt words or more annoyingly wrong words. Incorrect grammar and spacing between words and lines. It was on almost every page and really spoiled my reading experience. Needing to reread sentences and paragraphs multiple times and needing to insert what word I thought it should be got tired real fast and disrupted the flow of the story. It became frustrating and made no sense at times so there were paragraphs l gave up on as I didn’t know where the author was taking us. Disappointing.

[Arabella Auberon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sweet, it was heartbreaking, it was hopeful and it was an emotional roller coaster from the get go!
It is incredibly well written and the characters are gripping and interesting and full of complexity. The plot points were moving and there’s not much bad I can say about this, but I do want to warn readers to check the trigger warnings, they’re there for a reason. Had I not been aware of what I was getting into this kind of story could have caused my heart a lot of pain.

5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.

4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.

3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.

2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.

1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alex E. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can somebody explain to me how it is possible for a man to sleep with many other women and even have a girlfriend for 2 months, within a year of his ex's disappearance????

The love of his life (when he finally admitted his feelings) is brutally raped and beaten, she then feels it would not be right for them to continue, she writes him a letter to let her go and disappears. A FUCKING LETTER and he accepts it. Yeah, because she told him too.

He believes her, he takes her words to value and he fucks around within a year. We are not talking about years like decades but 12 months.

The love of your life goes through something horrific, then disappears, there is no closure, you are a freaking super athlete with enough money to hire a private investigator, your brother belongs to the Mafia and you don't do anything to check where she is at least? To make sure she is still alive???

I don't get it.

At least she was not a virgin when they first got together and she obviously slept with men probably to get drugs during this year.

What pissed me off was also the Spiel of "I don't care that you sampled the female college population before we became a couple or that you had countless hookups during our year of separation, since your heart belongs to me".

I never liked Zoey, not for what she went through and the horrific psychological state she was after the assault but because she was always painted as a divinity. And this continues on Maddox's book and that pissed me off, because she was always portrayed as someone out of this world, a fairy or whatever, that made all men fall in love with her.

But I am mostly annoyed with the fact that Jax moved on so quickly and slept not with one but with many many women, simply because he got a letter from her telling him to move on.

So this story was a no go for me. A big fat no

[Sionna Trenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Nola Marie, and when it was re-released (original title, Fighting for His Life), I re-read it. The first time, I ugly-cried. This time, I cried again. Multiple times. Maybe because I've read all the other books, so the characters - even beyond Jax and Zoey - mean more now than they did the first time.

As a re-release, this book has had extensive editing that was missing from the first. The writing itself is cleaner, and more in line with how Nola Marie's writing has improved since this, her debut book, made its first appearance. There are also a few added nuggets that close-reading fans of Nola's books will pick up. As such, even if you've read the original, I'd highly recommend reading this version.

For those who haven't read the original, I'd HIGHLY recommend reading this book. Jax and Zoey's love is the sort of "fated-mates" type you see in PNR, yet this is set in the very real world. The struggles these two go through to achieve their own happily ever after are heartbreaking, and make the emotion between them even more beautiful. I would recommend reading the trigger warning first, however.

This is a contemporary, mafia/sports romance. Dark thematic elements and high steam levels. If you love a volatile alpha-hero who will burn the world down and destroy anyone who hurts the woman he loves, Violent Life is a must-read.

[Andrea ( books_fiction_desire ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only love so strong can bring two people back together

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t really know where to start with this review. This story has me from the start till the end. I felt their love and felt their pain and also cried with them.

Zoey and Jax have loved each other since the first time they met when they were still kids. With Zoe’s twin brother they became best friends and they were inseparable. When they finally admit their feelings to each other and start with their new life as a couple they are faced with the most broken part of their life.
There is a happy ending however the ride to get there was a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs.

Very well written story by this author and I will now have to get to know Rory and see what his story is ❤️

[Andrea ( books_fiction_desire ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t really know where to start with this review. This story has me from the start till the end. I felt their love and felt their pain and also cried with them.

Zoey and Jax have loved each other since the first time they met when they were still kids. With Zoe’s twin brother they became best friends and they were inseparable. When they finally admit their feelings to each other and start with their new life as a couple they are faced with the most broken part of their life.
There is a happy ending however the ride to get there was a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs.

Very well written story by this author and I will now have to get to know Rory and see what his story is ❤️

[Journey Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional rollercoaster doesn't begin to describe this book. Jax and Zoey, as well as Zoey's brother Zane, have been best friends since childhood. Zoey is in love with Jax, but thinks he sees her as a sister. Jax is in love with Zoey, but it afraid of breaking some kind of bro code and afraid of losing his best friends. Fortunately, Zane tells Jax to get a grip and get the girl. Tragedy strikes and it leaves the two devastated. Without giving away too much, lets just say the emotions of this book felt real. The way tragedy was handled, was not with grace by any means at first, but it does show that real love is worth fighting for. This is an absolute must read.

[Jenn M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this series - I almost never read a book, no matter how much I love it, more than once. I can’t get enough of this author!!!

Jax and Zoe grew up with one another and always loved one another, however, things got in the way and bad things happened. This book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions! I laughed, I cried, the angst gutted me and I needed to have my fan beside me for all of those delicious steamy scenes!!! Nola Marie is the real deal and her books are truly some of the best I have ever read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[R M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is in serious need of an editor and proofreader. Many and multiple errors detract from the story. Please, your. You’re.
That said, I read the Sons of Sin books first (the ones available). Then decided to go back for backstory.
What’s the deal with Zoey and Maddox was my first question.
Well, I got so much more. Zoey and Jax are soulmates and a power couple until her world implodes.
Nola Marie never shies from the grit and grist of the heinous and evil men do.
There’s triumph at the end.
So despite all the errors, it’s worth the read.

[Caitlyn Turcotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read many even better if you have ever been sexually assaulted, and want to read about someone else learning how to move on with their life and learn to love again.

For me the writing was good, spice was good at times, but the overall theme just wasn’t for me. I really liked the brother Rory and think maybe his story would be something I wanna read but this wasn’t the sports romance I thought it would be even though the description shouldn’t have made me think it would be a cute sports romance.

[Samantha Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. All I can say is a well-done story. The formatting and there were a few typos... it did not make me have a hard time reading this book. BUT the storyline is superb! Such a beautiful love story. Made me cry a few times. I am not a fan of romances...but this one is a major doozy! I do not want to say much because I do not want to spoil much! The story is SO addicting it took me a few days. I cannot wait to read another from this author.

[Dakota Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love romance stories, especially ones that are written beautifully and have a captivating plot, taking the reader through the journey with rich and believable characters. I was delighted to find that this book had it all! The dialogue was spot on. The emotions it brought out of me will be felt for a week after. The best books do that to me, and when it happens, I love it. I’m not going to say anything about the ending, other than amazing!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the story line of this series and can’t wait to polish off the remaining books in this series. In this story we meet Jax and Zoey. Jax and Zoey have been in love since they were kids, Jax conveniently Zoey’s brother best friend. This take a change in the plot of this story but I will definitely have to finish this story!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angelica Andersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book that is raw and filled with emotions well you just found it.

This one is deep, filled with emotions and it will rip your heart out and break it into million pieces. I cried so much for Zoey and Jax. It has a TW from the author so make sure that you read it cause you do have to do that.

I just.. wow my heart is hurting but I love this one and I will pick up the next one.

[Naomi Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly amazing

I love this book. I found myself laughing and crying right along with the characters. You truly fall into the story with the characters. I couldn't put the book down til I had read it cover to cover. You are an amazing writer. And I can't wait to read the next in the series.

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book on my kindle. It had me worrying, crying and every emotion in between. I absolutely loved the story line. The characters came alive in my mind as I got to know each one. I never wanted to put it down but I had to make myself. I will definitely be reading this again.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Violent Life
Book 1 of The River City Series
Nola Marie

This book stirred so many emotions inside me. The story and characters, Jax and Zoey, are so emotionally written. I loved the warning, and you definitely should make sure to read it befoore jumping into this series. I cannot waitof the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jack Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This romance story was really captivating, a powerful plot and a great connection between Zoey and Jax the main characters of this love story.

There is drama and sexiness, and a great ending. Recommended for fans of the genre, will enjoy this one for sure.

[Becky Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and heartbreak. Tragedy and triumph. There are so many emotions at play in this book. It feels real and relatable, but is not for the fainthearted. But it wouldn't be a romance if it didn't have a beautiful happily ever after. Bravo.