This is my second book by Abby Niles--and it won't be my last.

Friends-to-lovers can be such fun when done well, and this one definitely is. Tommy was a bit slow on the uptake--but, you know, he is a guy--and I absolutely loved the foil that Brody's character provided. Tommy wouldn't have clued in so quickly--relatively speaking--to the fact that his relationship with Julie had gone beyond the BFF stage without the jealousy that the other fighter inspired. (He's going to get a book too, right? And Mac? They definitely deserve their own stories, both of them.) Julie, of course, had known that she was in love with Tommy since, oh, forever, but felt like she was in permanent "friend zone" territory.

And then he moves in with her....

There was a lot of fun "almosts" in this book, and a whole lot of drama going on behind the scenes that made it an entertaining read. (Did I mention Brody already? Yes? Well, let me just reiterate--he's awesome! Needs own book!) I'll admit that both Tommy and Julie went a tad bit too far at times with their internal struggle, creating unneeded drama and that the ending was fairly abrupt, BUT Tommy made an absolutely lovely grand gesture, which was enough to cover a multitude of sins, let alone the small handful that were here.

Fighting Love is the second in the series, but works fine as a stand alone.

4 stars/ B rating.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Julie and Tommy have been best friends for most of their lives. They've always been there for each other, but Julie has secretly loved Tommy for many years. Tommy is completely oblivious though, and goes through women like candy. Julie has finally had enough and decides she just has to get over Tommy, once and for all. He'll never see her as more than a friend. Then Tommy's place burns down and he has nowhere to go…except to Julie's. Of course, Julie will let him stay with her, but that only makes it harder on her considering her feelings for Tommy. When she starts dating a fellow fighter, Tommy sees red and will stop at nothing to get rid of Brody. Tommy doesn't understand his intense feelings against Brody. He's just trying to protect his best friend, Julie, right?

Ooh la la, this is one sexy romance with an uber-hot hero I couldn't get enough of! He's stubborn and sometimes a little dense, but he's also protective and dedicated to his best friend, Julie, which makes him the perfect hero. When it comes to romancing a woman though, he just needs a little push in the right direction and Ms. Niles gives us an ingenious heroine who will do just that…and then some! When Julie decides she's tired of playing nice, she'll pull out all the stops to get her man and that made Fighting Love a fantastic romance novel to me. I adored how Tommy fought his feelings and held back his lust, trying to protect his best friend. It makes his fall that much sweeter when the hero and heroine finally get together. I highly recommend not only this book, but the author, Ms. Abby Niles, too! I'm not only going to read her next book, but I'll be scurrying to find all those that I've already missed! Fighting Love is an excellent read and most definitely a keeper! ( )

If you like fighter romances, this is a good one. Read it, it's worth it.

Best friends both attracted but scared to act. Julie has had enough, either Tommy will be her man or it's time she stepped back from their friendship. She knows the attraction is there but is that enough to make this bad boy hers? And can he be the man she needs?

I received this book in exchange for an honest review for Netgalley. ( )