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BREAKING A LEGEND
Kavanagh Legends #1
Sarah Robinson
Released Sept 29th, 2015
Loveswept
Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and love with all their hearts.
As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.
Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.
Well,
if it isn’t our long-lost brother,” a familiar voice said a few
minutes later, as he meandered into the neighborhood bar that
everyone he knew frequented. A hand clasped his shoulder. “Shit,
Rory, where the hell have you been?”
Rory
inwardly groaned as he turned to face his younger brother, Quinn
Kavanagh. Rory wanted to wipe Quinn’s smug smirk off with his fist.
He had been sporting that same cocky attitude since the moment he
popped into this world, a trait that Rory found uniquely irritating.
Now
I remember why I’ve been avoiding this bar, Rory
thought as he forced a smile at his brother.
“Just
stopping in for a quick drink, Quinn,” Rory said, attempting to
make clear that he wasn’t interested in socializing.
He
headed over to the long wooden bar that wrapped around two sides of
the small pub and stood before walls of liquor bottles and
televisions. Several bartenders moved around swiftly, filling drink
orders and talking with the full crowd that O’Leary’s always
attracted on weekend nights. Rory found an empty stool down at one
end, far away from the door, and quickly staked his claim.
He
saw Cian, who had worked at O’Leary’s for as long as he could
remember, and nodded his head to him. Cian nodded back and put up his
hand, indicating he would be over in a minute, as he finished serving
the group of college-aged kids at that end of the bar. The door to
the kitchen swung open and a short, petite blonde ambled through
carrying a large bucket of ice that seemed much too heavy for her
small frame to manage.
Rory
smiled slightly as he lifted one eyebrow, watching her with interest
while she carefully poured the ice over the liquor bottles that sat
in a metal bin below the bar’s surface. She huffed and her face was
slightly red at the task, but she still managed to completely empty
the bucket’s contents evenly around each of the glass bottles.
He
took advantage of her being distracted by her task to stare at her
shapely legs, which disappeared under a short skirt barely longer
than her small apron. Her skin was delicately pale and smooth, and he
wondered what it would feel like to slide his fingers up the length
of those legs. His eyes traveled up her body, disappointed that the
thick, blond ringlets dangling halfway down her back were also hiding
most of her face as she leaned over the bar. He wanted to see her
perfectly sloped nose, catch her eyes with his, and see what her
small pink lips would look like when they smiled.
Something
about this woman was intriguing him, although he couldn’t pinpoint
what.
Her
work completed, she exhaled loudly and plopped the empty bucket at
her feet, taking a breather. Rory chuckled lightly, finally grabbing
her attention.
“You
laughing at me?” She put her hands on her hips, daring him to make
fun of her.
Her
eyes narrowed as she spoke, but he was still able to catch a glimpse
of the dazzling emerald color that contrasted against her light skin
and golden hair so perfectly.
“Wouldn’t
dream of it, mhuirnín.”
A smile spread across his face as he watched her saunter over to him,
her full, pink lips tightly pressed together in irritation.
“What’s
that mean?” she asked when she reached him, standing across the bar
with her arms folded across her chest and one hip tilted higher than
the other. Her tone was defiant and he loved the feisty spirit she
exuded.
“Mhuirnín?
You’re all questions today. I’ll answer your question, if you
answer mine.” Rory concentrated on keeping his speech normal and
not slurring his words. He might have had a bit more to drink tonight
than he had intended.
She
turned away from him, looking back down the length of the bar and
drumming her fingers on its surface.
Rory
could sense her nervousness. He already missed her green gaze and
silently begged her to turn back to him. There was something about
her that stirred a protective instinct in him, a feeling entirely
foreign toward anyone who wasn’t family. She was smiling, but there
was an undercurrent of pain breaking through her friendliness.
He
didn’t like it.
“I
guess that’s fair,” she relented, turning back to him and leaning
against the wall.
“I
haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name?” His question
was simple, but the desire in his eyes was not as he licked his
bottom lip and admired how perfectly her uniform hugged her curves,
even on her small figure.
“Clare
Ivers. I’m new in town. Needed a job.” She shrugged, not
divulging much, but he felt a sliver of hope when he saw that the
smile on her face had yet to disappear.
He
knew that she could feel his attraction toward her when he saw the
blush creep up her cheeks. The smile she couldn’t push away told
him she was enjoying their banter as much as he was.
Despite
her clear interest, there was a hint of disapproval as he watched her
eyes roam over his torso. It was a look he was way too familiar with
from the last year. Rory worried he might be slurring his words or
sounding more drunk than he felt.
Wouldn’t
be the first time,
he thought.
“Your
turn.” She pointed at him, biting the corner of her lip in an
attempt to hide her smile.
“Mhuirnín
means sweetheart. If you’re going to work in Woodlawn, Clare, you
gotta learn some Irish.”
“Is
that right? I guess I’ll have to find a good tutor then,” she
taunted, before turning on her heels and sauntering off.
Sarah Robinson is the bestselling author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescue and foster animals.
This is the first book I've read by author Sarah Robinson and fitting that this is the first book in her new series Kavanagh Legends. Set in the Bronx neighbourhood of Woodlawn, the action centres around the infamous Kavanagh family gym.
Likened to a knight in shining armour because of his medieval long haired looks, Rory Kavanagh's life has lost purpose and meaning. In constant pain due to injuries sustained in his last professional MMA fight, he's masking his problems with alcohol and drugs...or so he thinks.
Clare Ivers is attempting to re-build her life thousands of miles away in Woodlawn. She's evasive about her past, cautious not to draw attention to herself. It isn't long before see meets the famous Rory Kavanagh – a tough, bitter man. However, Clare isn't intimidated by his demeanour, on the contrary she's drawn to him, which is something she didn't want to happen.
Peel away the mask and underneath is a compassionate, caring man in need for a new direction in life. I love how the author clearly defines Rory's transformation from destructive looser to a man of purpose. How his Mhuirnín-sweetheart Clare inspires him to re-evaluate his life and take steps to wean himself off the substances that are making his physical injuries worse rather than better. Clare may be petite in stature but certainly not fragile and has no problem holding her own in O'Leary's pub and dealing with Rory's intense personality. Despite their differences, they share a mutual love, which cements the foundations of their relationship.
I just know that future stories in this series will be equally as good as this fast paced first book. We are introduced to the other members of this colourful Irish American family, who maintain a clan like existence with a notoriety embedded in local folklore, which only accentuates their colourful personalities. I can't wait for Kane's story.
4 Stars
***arc generously received courtesy of Loveswept Publishing via NetGalley***
