Fighting Against Fate (Fighting for Love) by Raquel Riley

 

In the Fighting for Love MMA combined universe we find all sorts of queer people take their shot for love. In Fighting Against Fate we have two lovers turned enemies work their way back to love.  Aaron believes he can beg for another chance, but Cortez doesn't believe in second chances. Can Cortez forgive and let his one true love back into his heart?

From the blurb:

Love is like a roundhouse kick, you never see it coming the second time.  

-Aaron

I fell in love with the first guy I got close with. Not out of convenience, but fate. We shared everything—the same apartment, the same trainer, the same gym, and ultimately, the same dream—to become famous and successful UFC fighters.

But the reality was much different from the dream. It was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that if we wanted to find success, we couldn’t do it as lovers.

I only found the strength to walk away from him because my drive to succeed was greater than my need to be loved. Or so I thought…

-Cortez

Once upon a time I was a fool in love. A naïve kid with starry eyes. I thought being a great fighter was all it would take to launch me to the top. I had so much to learn. And the hardest lesson of all was finding out the one man I thought I could trust, who would never betray me, could rip my heart from my chest and crush it in his fist like I never meant anything to him.

Lesson learned. Don’t shit where you eat. Don’t sleep with your coworkers. And above all, don’t ever fall in love with your rival opponent…again.

Fighting Against Fate is an MM standalone novella in the multi-author series Fighting For Love. All stories take place at the shared gym, Knockout MMA Training Facility. At Knockout Gym, happily ever afters are hard-won. These friends-to-lovers turned rivals realize there are no second chances in the ring, but when it comes to life and love, forgiveness is always possible.


Nedra's Review:

Raquel never ceases to amaze me with her writing, nor her ability to capture her characters emotions and articulate their personalities with such precision and depth. Not just characters but also her readers imagination and placing them in the world of fictional stories. I swore I could feel their perspiration through the pages when they were in the ring together! The tension was palpable and the audience enamored.

Not only was the storyline intense, their chemistry skyrocketed from every angle of the show. Visually, I could see their reactions, I could feel their presence and I could hear their sweat slapping. And the breath play….THANK YOU!!!! I had to pause numerous times, but after their performance with their kink, I was soaked by my own perspiration!! This is by far one of the steamiest moments of her career and hopefully just the beginning!

SN: I need an episode of their wedding day/night where Trevor meets his forever!!

Molly Otto's Review:

Okay, now this is how you write a novella! Raquel draws us in with a prologue that shows the angst you are about to endure for these two men to have a shot at a hea.
These two are stubborn, and that's what makes this relationship so tense and so explosive that they have a hard earned fight to forgiveness. Neither party is blameless in their demise, so many things could have been different, but that what makes their dynamic work. Some of the best cnc/breath play mixed with Primal Play I've read in a long time.
This was my first read from this author (wanted to read the whole Fighting for Love series) and if they write a novella this engaging, I cannot wait to see what they do with a longer book.

ChaosKay's Review:

I’ve read most of the Fighting for Love collabs and this is one of my favourites i loved the plot and the will he or won’t he forgive him was perfect it kept me reading on , there is a lot more spice as well . Cortez may act all tough and unaffected but a few things he did you know he’s just a pussy cat at heart and when he went to talk to the Rocky statue oh my heart broke for him. Aaron was adamant he was going to make Cortez listen and although he made it hard he gets to say his piece thinking everything will be ok however he has to wait a little longer to make Cortez understand he wants him and only him. This is my first book from Raquel Riley but I will definitely be looking to read more books.

SNiK's Review:

Part of a multi-author series (Fighting For Love), but can be read as a standalone. Second chance. Friends/lovers to rivals to lovers. Quick read. Dual POV. When they were much younger Aaron and Cortez used to train together, room together, love together, but their MMA careers got in the way. Twelve years later Aaron is still regretting throwing the fight to Cortez, but he doesn’t regret where life has taken him and wants another shot at forgiveness and maybe more with Cortez. There is no easy forget and forgive in this story, but the chemistry and love between Aaron and Cortez lights up again as soon as Aaron starts insinuating himself into Cortez’s life. I enjoyed the push and pull between them, and as it was a short story, their ability to love again even after being apart for so many years. Very steamy, and if the author had included some more about their past together this would have hit harder, but it was still a very fun read.

Fighting Against Fate is available in paperback and e-book format and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.