As a fan of sports-themed romances I was immediately drawn to a tale of family, lost dreams, and the rebuilding of a life tarnished by betrayal seen in Breaking a Legend by Sarah Robinson. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of this first installment in the Kavanagh Legends series along with my impressions of it. Learn even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour and then add it to your bookshelf when it releases on September 29th. In honor of this upcoming release make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a bundle of eBooks from Loveswept too!
Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and love with all their hearts.
As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.
Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.
EXCERPT:
Rory felt his jaw drop slightly as he watched her, his interest piqued. He wasn’t normally one to let a girl walk away without snagging her phone number, but something about her told him that she wasn’t the type to give that away so easily.
“Already hitting the latest talent?” Quinn came up beside his older brother and handed him a beer.
“Fuck off, Quinn,” Rory ribbed, surprised at how light he felt at the moment. It had been some time since he had laughed at all, he realized, as he downed the beer Quinn gave him.
A third brother, Kane, appeared behind Quinn a few seconds later, nodding at Rory. No one would know those three were related if it wasn’t for the famous Kavanagh name.
Quinn was the odd man out in the group of brothers, with his straight black hair, clean-shaven face, and snakelike black eyes. Quinn had even added to his differences by covering his arms and chest with tattoos that peeked out from under his sleeves and shirt collar, along with piercings on both ears and several other places.
“You coming to Ma’s tomorrow?” Kane asked Rory, leaning his back against the bar.
His body was turned to face Rory, but he was obviously scoping out the bar as his dark blue eyes peered around the room. Rory followed Kane’s stare, noticing more than a few heads turned in their direction. He didn’t bother rushing to answer his brother, since Kane’s attention was clearly elsewhere.
The Kavanagh brothers were well known in the Bronx, especially Woodlawn, but even if they weren’t, the group of athletic men was hard not to stare at. Several women on the other side of the bar were giggling, batting eyelashes, and attempting flirty glances as they openly gawked at the three men.
Rory knew Kane was a notorious ladies’ man; he watched him smile eagerly at a woman passing by. Everyone had always told him that Kane resembled Rory the most out of all the Kavanagh brothers, which was ironic since Kane was one in a set of twins. Rory wasn’t as close to Kane’s twin, Kieran, who was currently serving time in prison. They had had a falling-out before Kieran landed up in jail and not gotten around to resolving things between them yet.
Considering their similar dark brown hair, scruffy beards, and muscular build, the biggest difference Rory could see between himself and Kane, aside from their eye color, was that Rory liked to let his hair grow to chin length, leaving the wavy locks down to frame his face. He liked his longer style versus Kane’s short hair, and most of the women he found himself around seemed to share that opinion.
One woman had even told him he appeared medieval, as if he could be her knight in shining armor. That was a comparison that still eluded him, since his refusal to settle down or be in any type of serious relationship usually had women calling him much different things, none of them very pleasant.
Pulling back his attention to his brothers, Rory purposefully stayed noncommittal, though he knew Sundays at the Kavanagh house really weren’t optional. Not if their mother had anything to say about it.
“What about Monday, coming to Legends?” Quinn asked, nodding suggestively at one of the women watching them, as he referred to the MMA club and gym that the Kavanagh family owned a few blocks over.
“I can’t start training yet.” Rory pushed his hand through his hair, wanting to avoid the topic.
He was suddenly feeling a lot more sober than he liked, wanting his brothers to leave so he could slip a few more pills out of his pocket undetected. The numbing feeling they had brought earlier was already wearing off.
“It’s been over a year since the fight, man. The hell you can’t train—you’re Rory ‘Knockout’ Kavanagh, best MMA fighter in New York!” Quinn said sarcastically and slightly louder than was necessary.
“New York? Try the entire nation, Quinn,” Kane added, a swell of pride in his voice as he beamed at Rory.
“Was, guys. Past tense.” Rory spoke through gritted teeth as his hand touched his own knee, feeling the thick scars through the fabric of his pants, gruesome evidence of the injury that had ended his mixed martial arts career. The bottle of pills was now burning a hole in his pocket as he thought about how badly he wanted some relief.
“Maybe it would be present tense if you didn’t reek of booze all the damn time,” Kane said, daring him to counter the statement. Rory took a slow, deep breath to calm himself. He loved his brothers, but he didn’t need their pity.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Readers who love heroes mired in pain and angst, but with a hidden heart of gold, will be drawn to former MMA champion Rory Kavanagh and his burgeoning relationship with the sweet but emotionally scarred Clare. In a story full of familial love Ms. Robinson also addresses issues surrounding domestic abuse, along with drug and alcohol abuse, in a believable and heartbreaking way that brings the main couple together and puts their newfound feelings to the test as their pasts continually come back to haunt them. From start to finish readers join them on an emotional rollercoaster ride that leaves us hurting right alongside them while cheering them on to their HEA.
Rory was once on top of the world until arrogance left him vulnerable to a career-ending injury that left him lost and mired in pity with alcohol and pain pills his only balm. He no longer knew what to do with his life and felt like a disappointment with rehabilitating abused former fighting dogs his only joy. One night stands were once enough for him but meeting the sweet and bubbly Clare shows him a path to a new life, one that has him embracing the positives and discovering the power of love he sees in her eyes. Being with her gives him purpose and the desire to be a better man. It also brings out a sexy and charming side, a glimpse of a white knight, that's immensely appealing. Rory's protective of Clare but gives her the tools to become more independent, helps her in the way she's helped him gain the strength to recover fom his past both physically and mentally. It's not an easy journey that he undertook but an emotionally intense one that brought out many appealing sides to him that have me annoiting him as my latest book boyfriend.
Clare lost her family at an early age and ended up falling for a bad man who promised her safety and a feeling of family, but it was all a lie as he was an abusive addict. He physically and mentally abused her making her doubt everything about herself. In a moment of bravery though she left it all behind to start a new life doing all she can to regain her self-esteem. Her newfound life ultimately entangles her with the supportive Kavanagh family, and the equally damaged Rory, with their friendship and caring nature giving her her first taste of family in years and the subtle encouragement to become independent once again. For the most part I liked Clare. She had a positive attitude despite everything that happened to her and did everything she could to keep herself safe. Though she was at first afraid and routinely timid, being with Rory brought out a playful and flirty side that made their burgeoning relationship entertaining to watch strengthen. The only thing that frustrated me was her not divulging her past to Rory much sooner, along with her acting the martyr despite the pain it causes Rory, which put her and their fragile relationship in jeopardy repeatedly. Despite that she and Rory were a good match that brought out the best in each other.
From start to finish this was a satisfying read that beautifully balanced intense emotions with sensual encounters along with vivid depictions of living the life of an MMA fighter. The Kavanagh family are a delightful clan with their playful yet heartwarming nature and I enjoyed the glimpses we get of each member that has me excited for more stories featuring Rory's sexy brothers. While Clare was an admirable heroine it was Rory who held me captivated with his charming and sexy attitude and his painful journey of recovery. Ms. Robinson's depiction of animal rescue further showed his kind heart and made his dog Ace another highlight of the story with his good judge of character and heroics. The sensual interludes too were nicely spaced throughout the story and were hot as well as playful and showed Rory to be both caring and commanding. While the story does go on a bit longer than necessary it all leads to a satisfying and richly rewarding conclusion that shows the true power of love.
Rory was once on top of the world until arrogance left him vulnerable to a career-ending injury that left him lost and mired in pity with alcohol and pain pills his only balm. He no longer knew what to do with his life and felt like a disappointment with rehabilitating abused former fighting dogs his only joy. One night stands were once enough for him but meeting the sweet and bubbly Clare shows him a path to a new life, one that has him embracing the positives and discovering the power of love he sees in her eyes. Being with her gives him purpose and the desire to be a better man. It also brings out a sexy and charming side, a glimpse of a white knight, that's immensely appealing. Rory's protective of Clare but gives her the tools to become more independent, helps her in the way she's helped him gain the strength to recover fom his past both physically and mentally. It's not an easy journey that he undertook but an emotionally intense one that brought out many appealing sides to him that have me annoiting him as my latest book boyfriend.
Clare lost her family at an early age and ended up falling for a bad man who promised her safety and a feeling of family, but it was all a lie as he was an abusive addict. He physically and mentally abused her making her doubt everything about herself. In a moment of bravery though she left it all behind to start a new life doing all she can to regain her self-esteem. Her newfound life ultimately entangles her with the supportive Kavanagh family, and the equally damaged Rory, with their friendship and caring nature giving her her first taste of family in years and the subtle encouragement to become independent once again. For the most part I liked Clare. She had a positive attitude despite everything that happened to her and did everything she could to keep herself safe. Though she was at first afraid and routinely timid, being with Rory brought out a playful and flirty side that made their burgeoning relationship entertaining to watch strengthen. The only thing that frustrated me was her not divulging her past to Rory much sooner, along with her acting the martyr despite the pain it causes Rory, which put her and their fragile relationship in jeopardy repeatedly. Despite that she and Rory were a good match that brought out the best in each other.
From start to finish this was a satisfying read that beautifully balanced intense emotions with sensual encounters along with vivid depictions of living the life of an MMA fighter. The Kavanagh family are a delightful clan with their playful yet heartwarming nature and I enjoyed the glimpses we get of each member that has me excited for more stories featuring Rory's sexy brothers. While Clare was an admirable heroine it was Rory who held me captivated with his charming and sexy attitude and his painful journey of recovery. Ms. Robinson's depiction of animal rescue further showed his kind heart and made his dog Ace another highlight of the story with his good judge of character and heroics. The sensual interludes too were nicely spaced throughout the story and were hot as well as playful and showed Rory to be both caring and commanding. While the story does go on a bit longer than necessary it all leads to a satisfying and richly rewarding conclusion that shows the true power of love.
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Sarah Robinson is the bestselling author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescue and foster animals.
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