Fighting Chance by Ember-Raine Winters

Connor O’Malley knows the meaning of a rough life, after all he’s lived it. As a young boy, he survived his father murdering his mother. With no other family, he was sent to live with his uncle and forced into illegal fights on the underground circuit until Mad Max Malone rescued him. Three years later Connor is now a legit fighter for Rock Hard Gym and pursuing a business degree, while searching for answers.

Ceara Kennedy has lived a sheltered life and college is an experience she has been looking forward to as long as she can remember. If only her father would stop sending his goons to watch over her. Ceara bumps into Connor at the library while hiding from her babysitters. He is trying, and failing, to find information on his mother’s murder. Intrigued, and bit starry-eyed, Ceara agrees to help him.

But as more questions than answers arise, Connor and Ceara find their relationship may have been doomed from the beginning. Are the new revelations too much of a hurdle, or will they beat the odds and seize their happily ever after?