Review: by Maria
Title: Real (Book #1 of The Real, Raw & Ripped Series)
Author: Katy Evans
Genre: Mature New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5
~ Synopsis ~
A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…
He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…
Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.
He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .
But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.
I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.
If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?
Recommended for ages 18 and up.
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~ Review ~
I picked up this book thinking it would be a good, quick read. It ended up being so much more than I expected. In fact, this story stayed with me. For days, I thought of nothing else but Remington and Brooke. This was not just a romance. It was about two flawed characters, coping with their issues the only way that they knew. When they met, everything changed. The attraction they felt was instantaneous and sexually charged, but for Remington Tate, it was so much more right from the start.
“I am every woman’s adventure, damn you, and I don’t want to be yours. I want to be your fucking REAL. You get that?… I want you to belong to me”
Remington “Riptide” Tate is a total alpha male, champion of the underground fighting circuit. He is Intense. Hot. Sexy. Possessive. Damaged. Vulnerable. From his tortured childhood to his struggle with his mania and depression, I wanted to wrap my arms around him and make everything better. I could not help but fall in love with him, as does Brooke. He feels unworthy of love. He does not speak his feelings but rather uses music to speak for him. One of my favorite things about this book is the way the author uses music to communicate feelings and emotions.
Brooke Dumas is a former Olympic hopeful, post graduate physical therapist. Their story begins when they meet at a match. She falls completely in lust with him, which is out of character for her. He offers her a job to keep her close. The desire and sexual tension between them is palpable, but he keeps her at a distance. He is hiding something about himself because he fears she will leave if she finds out. Brooke knows there’s something he’s not telling her but she gets frustrated by the mixed signals.
“When I take you, you’ll be mine. I want you to know me first, and then, I want you to let me know if you still want me to take you.”
The author does a terrific job building sexual tension. Remy refuses to just sleep with Brooke. He wants her to know him, really know him, before that happens because, once it does, he refuses to let her go. However, that doesn’t stop him from claiming her in the most primal of ways. One of the things I love about Remy is that, despite his alpha male, controlling nature, and the darkness he fights within himself, he is so loving and protective of Brooke. When we discover some disturbing news about her sister, he is all about helping Brooke help her sister. Brooke’s happiness is all that matters to him. She is able to do things for him that no one could before. He feels things he has never before felt. Brooke keeps him grounded. She is good for him. She is the light to his dark, the calm to his storm. He will do anything, fight anyone, even his inner demons to keep her safe.
“Protecting you is my privilege. I will protect you and anything that you value as if it were mine.”
However, Brooke decides to leave him out of it because she wants to protect him. She doesn’t want to be the reason he does something that will get him in trouble. Of course, this leads to an epic misunderstanding with major fallout. He sacrifices everything he worked for to save her sister, despite his feeling of betrayal.
I loved this book. I loved everything about it. The supporting characters are great and add to the story. I love the way the author uses music and the songs she chooses to express the way they feel for each other. The author explores the subject of mental illness in a unique way, but keeps the focus on Remy and Brooke. Their story is emotional, raw, and heart wrenching. It is a story of acceptance, love, inner strength, and trust. I cannot wait for the sequel but this story does not end with a cliffhanger.
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