"Alex" by S.M. Shade

There was a lot going on in this book.  Alex is an MMA fighter dealing the sudden death of his lover, the impending execution of his father for killing his mother, homophobic fight opponents, hovering older brothers and their wives, a Hawaiian vacation, unwanted attraction to his straight roommate, roommate's major health scare, and more.  The story was told in the alternating POV of Alex and his roommate, Ian.  The author gave readers lots of angst and partial side stories that could have been pared down a bit.  151 pages (Kindle edition).

Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Summary: "Abandoning kickboxing after a tragedy in the ring, champion fighter Haley is forced to train an attractive mixed martial arts student who secretly fights on Haley's behalf to redeem his troubled past."

I made a huge mistake by reading this book out of order from the rest of the Pushing the Limits series by Katie McGarry. The story was not quite what I expected, as there was a ton of unnecessary drama heaped upon the characters. I almost couldn't enjoy the simple story of the training/fighting because the two main characters were so bogged down by ridiculous burdens. Overall, there were some really great moments and memorable lines, but it was exhausting to read. I hope the other books in the series are not so over-the-top. 

455 pages