Fighter - Anna Ray

 True love sounds great until it shows up on your doorstep wrapped in a warning label.

When Tristan walks back into my life, he’s not the childhood friend I remember. He’s harder, dangerous, angry. But he’s gentle with me. And he wants to know why I gave up my dreams of being an artist. 

An underground fighter with a track record of leaving is the worst person I could fall for. But he keeps showing up at my door, telling me that my paintings are amazing and I’m even better. My head says, “No,” but my heart says, “Yes.”

He thrives on violence. I’m desperate for security. 
He’s angry and lost. I know exactly what I want, if only I dared reach for it. He’s on a dark, self-destructive spiral. I’ve already lost one person. I refuse to do it again.

Wonderfully written and delivered with remarkable love! I adored it. - Elsie, booksprout

Will the passion they’ve found together burn out in the light of day? Or can they change enough to find real happiness? 

My Review

I'm not always a huge fan of romance novels where the lead characters are so young, but in the Fighter, it works. Tristan and Kaia are both students in their very late teens (18-19). They knew each other as youngsters, but have lost trust. In the time, they've both gone through some difficult times. Tristan found out that he was adopted and Kaia's mother died from an overdose. Now they are both studying, but neither really wants to do the courses that they are doing. Kaia loves art and Tristan spends his time taking part in illegal fights.

I liked this love story between this pair of old friends. Something that often puts me off them is that the characters are sometimes treated as though they are still children. Fortunately for the most part that didn't happen here. Tristan and Kaia both need to find the courage to follow their dreams and for Tristan, he also needs to face up to who he is.

They worked well as a couple and I enjoyed their story. All in all a good read.