NEW RELEASE & REVIEW!!! ~ Takedown by Nikki Ash

Title: Takedown

Series: A Fighting Love Novel

Author: Nikki Ash

Genre: MMA/Single Parent Romance (Stand alone)

Release Date: July 28, 2018
Cover Design: Juliana Cabrera @ Jersey Girl Designs
Cover Image: Shauna Kruse @ Kruse Photography

Mila

Pregnant and married at the young age of eighteen, I settled into my life not knowing there could ever be more.

Until Mason, with his cocky smirk and magnetic baby blue eyes. With a single look and a few words, he made me feel sexy and alive. But as quickly as he came into my life, he was gone, leaving me wanting more.

A few days later my mom died, and her final words of advice—life’s too short to settle—are what I vowed to live my life by. Not even a year after her death, I was divorced and ready to find the one.

Only I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find someone who could make me feel the way Mason did. Five years later, and I’m still single, looking for my forever.

Mason

I’m the guy who fights and f*cks. The guy who goes fishing but never keeps what he catches. The responsibility that comes with commitment isn’t for me.

Until Mila comes back into my life making me want things I’ve never imagined wanting. Now, the man I’ve always been is quickly losing the fight against the man I want to be.

I’m supposed to want the woman who wants the right now. Yet, I’m falling for the woman who wants the forever.

The first thing I have to say about Takedown is that Nikki Ash did a damn good job of giving us Mason & Mila’s backstory without overloading us with it. Since this story was written in the first person (which I am not a fan of) I was glad that we didn’t get bogged down with a lot of telling about the backstory, an since it was so heart-wrenching I’m glad she decided to keep it concise.

Now Mila and Mason. I loved Mila right from the get go, how she didn’t let Mason’s good looks suck her in the first time they met or later. I mean, this is a romance novel so we know eventually she’s gonna give in but it was so instantaneous that I rolled my eyes. In fact, it took some time for her to warm up to him as something more than a human being, and an attractive one at that.

Mason however, took a bit longer to warm up to. I don’t judge him for being single and taking what’s being offered, but a guy who talks so blatantly about his conquests in front of strangers is…well someone I wouldn’t want to know for longer than a night. And it did take me some time to warm up to Mason even knowing what his past was like, because hello adulthood, you get to take an active role in your decisions now. But slowly I began to see how warped Mason’s perception of himself was and then I softened.

As a UFC fan in real life, I can admit that I loved that Takedown focused so much on this sport and in such a real way. And I don’t always love stories where kids factor heavily but Alec was so much fun when he was around and Lexi certainly had a hand in my softening feelings towards Mason.

Now on to the romance. It was a slow romance because each of them had A LOT of work to do on themselves before they could be anything for another person. It was nice to see the friendship develop first because for a guy like Mason there was no other way it could realistically go down. But don’t worry because Takedown has steam. Plenty of it.

I haven’t read the other stories by Nikki Ash but now I’m curious about these characters I now know.

“Mason!” Mila screeches. “Stop staring at me like I’m a piece of meat!”
I smirk, imagining Mila splayed out in my bed, her legs spread wide open while I feast on her like she’s my last meal.
“I wouldn’t call you a piece of meat. More like a piece of mouthwatering fruit.” I bridge the small gap between us. “Mmm…like a strawberry. I bet one bite into your sweet cunt and I would be addicted to your taste.” There’s a knock on the door and Mila moves away from me.
“Well…” She gulps loudly. “It looks like you’ll need to find yourself some other fruit to bite into because this strawberry has a date tonight.” She swings the door open and standing in the doorway is the anti-touch jackass from the other night at the art studio.
She says goodnight and they’re both out the door as quick as he came in.
“What a prick.” I sit on the couch next to Charlie.
“He’s okay.” She shrugs. “He’s a good dad and makes a good living. A little stuffy, maybe…”
“He told his son tag was too violent. He’s a pussy.”
“Hey! Don’t be hating on pussies. They’re tougher than you think. Just ask Betty White.” I grab the remote and click on the television, giving her a side-eye. “You know…because they can take a pounding.”