Book Reviews

Book Blurb

An abusive father drove Tom Delaney away from Lincoln Beach. Now that he’s back, he’s finding that not even the good things he left behind are the same. The old neighborhood is a dangerous slum. Eddie’s diner is on its last legs. Gloria, who looked after him like her own son, is seriously ill.

His only refuge is Bannon’s Gym, where Danny Bannon nurtured his talent for mixed martial arts. Bannon’s also harbors Travis, his ex—as in ex-sparring partner, ex one-night stand. The man who, the last time they faced off in the ring, left Tom with a broken jaw and a concussion.

The sparks are still there, in and out of the ring. But when Travis’s own troubles quite literally explode, their only chance to build something solid on their broken past could go up in flames.

First Edition published by Samhain Publishing, 2014.

Book Review

It truly feels like forever since I've been waiting for this second book in Cat Grant's 'Bannon's Gym' series. I adored the first installment and loved all of the characters, Danny, Eddie, Gloria, and, especially, Tom. Tom was a teenager, homeless and abused, when I first made his acquaintance. Even then, there was something about him that tugged at my heartstrings and made me want to bundle him up and protect him from the world. Luckily for Tom, he had Gloria to be his mom, and instead of protecting and sheltering him, Eddie and Danny taught him how to fight. I couldn't wait to discover what the author had in store for me in 'Takedown'.

Two years ago Tom was in the finals for the MMA bantamweight, fighting against his ex-friend, ex-sparring partner and an ex-one-night stand, Travis. Tom woke up in the hospital with his jaw wired shut and he's never put the gloves back on. Instead, he's gone to college on the East Coast but now he's come home to Lincoln Beach. What he finds is the old neighborhood just about all closed up; Eddie's diner is on its last legs, Gloria has retired and is not doing well, Danny is thinking about relocating the gym, and Travis is working at the gym. What a homecoming. Oh, and Tom's dad died in prison a week before. Welcome home, Tom.

Travis is a physical therapist at the local hospital and he's got plenty of his own bad karma going on. When Tom discovers that the trust fund left to him by his mother is gone, used to help care for his grandmother, Tom has no choice but to get a job at the gym. Tom may have a college degree, but without a master's in his field, his degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on, and since now there's no money left for him to finish his schooling, he's kind of stuck. This, of course, puts Tom and Travis in close contact at the gym. Never a better time to let bygones be bygones. Or, beat on each other in a cage. *snort*

This was, by no means, an easy love story. Tom has so much baggage that it was almost impossible for him and Travis to not have a ton of miscommunication. Combine that with Tom's desire to leave Lincoln Beach and never come back, running away again, and I'm surprised these two made it to a relationship. I, of course, enjoyed the entire struggle. *grins* This was a really good addition to the series and I'm looking forward to the next book.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 250 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-June-2017
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Takedown-Bannons-Gym-Cat-Grant-ebook/dp/B072JM1KB2