This book follows Annie Armani, a junior MMA fighter. We start the book with her winning her first title fight with a knockout punch, but Annie doesn’t think she deserves the attention. She thinks the punch was a fluke, and she’s still grieving the loss of her older brother who used to train with her. So when her agent lines up another title fight for her, her feelings are mixed, especially when they bring in Jake, an olympic fighter and a junior MMA champion, to be her sparring partner. Because her brother hated Jake, and working with him feels like a betrayal. But Jake will also make her a better fighter, giving her a shot to actually win her next match. Or will he? Throw in an interfering TV crew and there is a lot of drama that makes this a highly entertaining read.

I think Annie is a brilliantly written character. Not only is she facing the loss of her brother, her father abandoned her when she was a child, her mother is constantly working, she’s feeling guilty that her little sister is left alone a lot, and she doesn’t feel like she deserves what she’s achieved. That last one especially is a feeling a lot of girls can relate to. I think Annie’s struggle is handled well, but so is her acceptance. It’s a struggle and the emotional payoff is amazing. My only gripe was that Annie constantly makes assumptions that lead to misunderstandings that could have easily been solved if she’s just asked. But of course she’s a teenager.

If you want a book about women in sports alongside a cute high school romance, this book is definitely for you. The plot was great. The characters well developed and the writing was entertaining.

This uplifting and compelling enemies to lovers romance set in the world of MMA fighting had me hooked from the very start. It's funny, fierce and relatable. It also deals with themes of grief (Annie struggles after losing her brother) and this idea of not feeling deserving of your own success - worrying that it's a fluke and that failure is just around the corner (something so many readers will relate to).

This is a light read and a lovely romance at the same time as covering some deep issues, notably grief and how to deal with the hole left by a family member dying and leaving us behind to go on without them. Annie is a little lost. She has just won a major MMA fight and is being pushed to fight on and take the world by storm. She isn't sure she is ready, she isn't sure if she is that good or importantly, she doesn't know how to let anyone in so that they can help her and support her. Jake arrives on the scene, and could be the best thing to happen to her - if Annie can see it. He is a great fighter with some excellent wins under his belt, but Annie isn't sure and steps back. While the romance might have a chance, the manipulative media gets involved, and all of this swirls around as Annie tries to work out her next steps and who she can trust to be her people.