Laura’s Review of Knocked Out by Ty Langston

If you have read and enjoyed Willing Victim by Cara McKenna, Seducing Cinderella (Fighting for Love, #1) by Gina L. Maxwell, and Beautifully Damaged (Beautifully Damaged, #1) by L.A. Fiore then you will LOVE this book!

Synopsis

  

            Fresh out of Grad School, Hayley Monroe gets the chance of a lifetime when her boss gives her the opportunity to produce and host a reality series on finding MMA’s “Next Great Hope”. 

            Enter former MMA contender Evan Bates. His sudden re-appearance into the sport after a mysterious five year absence not only raises eyebrows, but also temps both in and out of the Octagon. 

           Can Hayley keep everything in check? Or will she be Knocked Out?

What I Loved

            First of all I am sucker for fighter stories, I don’t know what it is about a man that punches and kicks the crap out of the other people that turns me on but there’s something.  I love Evan Bates; he’s definitely to your typical MMA fighter, which is what makes this story so good.  He’s not just someone that fighting in their blood, but is a hard worker and an amazing fighter.  I obviously cannot get enough of Evan’s daughter Everly, she is too cute for words and I love how Evan is around her.   Haylay was a great female lead, I loved that she had her shit together, had a professional career and worked hard for what she wanted. 

Not So Much

            I really wish this story was a little bit longer.  I get that it’s a short story or novella (whatever you want to classify this as), but there just wasn’t enough in it.  I felt like the plot didn’t really flow nicely because there were just these holes in the story.  It was weird to me that Hayley and Evan went from barely talking to each other, to him being kind of asshole to her, then to them having sex.  I wish there was more padding in between each of these scenes to it flowed more naturally into the next one.  Plus there wasn’t great follow up with certain things either, you meet Evan’s ex-wife Tamara and there is story line there but then it just kind of ends.  I wish there was more closure with that, or just a little bit more follow up.  I also wish there was more detail about competition Evan was in, like maybe show more than just one fight, or talk about the competition a little bit more. 

   

This Story Was…

                Great!  If you love fighter stories, that feature the underdog then this is definitely the story for you.  I really loved the many characters, and each one added to the plot rather than take away which was great.  I loved that Hayley was a strong female lead, and that she never questioned herself with Evan.  It was great that even in a short story the point of views changed often so you got a fuller rounder story.  I do wish it was longer though with just more padding and details of the plot and the characters.  I get in short stories there isn’t the luxury of massive detail, but I would’ve been more emotionally invested in the plot if there was more to read.