REVIEW: SUCKER PUNCHED by L.K. Owen

Caitlin Riley survived and escaped horrid abuse at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, yet she lives life looking over her shoulder. Caitlin flees England to settle in Philadelphia. Although an ocean separates them now, her thoughts are often preoccupied with memories from her past, and she has serious reservations about her future. She keeps to herself as much as possible, convinced any little slip up could lead Stephen to find her. He had vowed he'd never let her go, and she's terrified because he always keeps his promises.

Ethan Kendricks is a hardworking Army veteran who co-owns a gym with his brother. Through his own life experience, he knows a suffering soul when he sees one. When Caitlin signs up for kickboxing classes at the gym, he realizes there is something different about her. She's not his typical conquest; she's nervous and timid for the most part, yet snippets of her strong personality shine through every once in a while. Ethan's intrigued, but does he have what it takes to help her overcome her past?Can Caitlin and Ethan work through their individual issues to give love a chance or will one of them end up sucker punched, knocked out cold before the bout even begins?

5 EMOTIONAL STARS!

CAITLIN...

She has been through some tough stuff. But the thing is... she's not helpless. She's strong, smart, loving and fun. She made me laugh so hard! She's just... real. She knows kickboxing (which was an awesome and original premise) and she's kickass. We see her grow as a character, turning into an even more awesome human being.

ETHAN...

He's such a guy... but he's so loving and caring towards Caitlin. He's genuinely nice, and even though he has his own share of hurt and bad memories, he doesn't let his past define him. He's one of the best male leads I've ever read. More than anything... he deserves it. He deserves Caitlin and he deserves a HEA.

This is a story... about life. Its ups and downs, its sweets parts and its bitter parts. It's ultimately about love and about getting up when you've been knocked down. It's a story about a girl who has been let down meeting a boy who is worth it, and learning to love and trust him. About moving on and letting go.

The writing style was raw and beautiful...

~The strong voice both main characters had when I read their POVS was INCREDIBLE.
~The descriptions were ON POINT!
~Everything and everyone had reasons for their actions and behaviors, and the plot twists were believable and surprising at the same time.

Friendships are a huge deal in this book...

The crew made each other better and they helped each other out. It's heartwarming. This is also the main reason I want so badly the next books in the series, to see how these secondary characters stories develop! They stole my heart. I LOVE THE WHOLE GANG!!!
Donnie is a character that I adore. Everything about him is perfect. How sweet he is, how he doesn't let his syndrome stop him from anything. He's inspiring.

FAVORITE QUOTES: (Slight spoilers ahead)

~My instinct is to expect pain after an intimate touch.
~Nerves assault me, but I want this so badly. I crave a gentle touch. A non-abusive touch. Ethan's touch.
~Moving on and letting someone in again is the big issue, but trusting someone to not hurt me again weighs just as heavily.

~"It's the same story that's been told a million times before." I shrug. "But this is YOUR story."
~"Every day I will tell you just how strong and how amazing you are until the day comes that you finally believe it."

Author links:

Email: Authorlkowen@gmail.com