Tough Enough by M. Leighton

4 Stars|Amazon|Goodreads

I read this novel as a standalone without having read the first and still highly enjoyed it. I will definitely be going back to read the first novel. It was an all around great read for me. Not quite a novel that had me swooning or completely engrossed, but one that I enjoyed start to finish and would eat again. This book jumps right in and doesn't stop from there. I loved how from the very first page you were thrown right in. Sometimes that is exactly the type of book I am in the mood for. I really felt for the characters in this book s well Katie is a FANTASTIC heroine that is really real. She has a rough past and is trying to make the best of the present. Kiefer is an actor and ends up crossing paths with Katie as she is a Make-up artist. This was another great plus for me. LOVE a good hollywood ish story. Two well-developed character, two rough pasts, and a fun chase that leaves you rooting for a HEA. This novel really did have a little bit of everything for me. This book is like curling up to watch a movie and once the credits roll you are content and yet still wanting more. Perfect.

Synopsis:

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Bad Boys novels comes the second book in a dark, sexy contemporary trilogy. He’s a fighter who never loses, but is he tough enough to win her heart? There was a time when I had everything–a wonderful family, a bright future. Love. But all that was taken away in a single night, torn from me like flesh from bone. Since then, I’ve hidden away in my second-choice job as a makeup artist. But I prefer it that way, actually. I’m comfortable in the shadows, where no one can see my scars. Kiefer Rogan literally took my breath away the moment I met him. MMA champion-turned-actor, notorious playboy, charming to a fault—he’s everything I vowed to avoid. But he just wouldn’t stop until I opened up and let him in. Maybe I should’ve tried harder to resist him. Maybe I shouldn’t have fallen in love with him. Because I, of all people, know that everyone has secrets. Scars. And that they’re usually ugly and painful and destructive to the people we love most. I just never guessed that they could be deadly, too.