This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5


First Impressions
Fighting Fate is the first book in the Granton University series. And I finally have been able to get to this series as I have been wanting to read it for a while now. This was a wild and angst filled story that tore through my emotions so deeply and yet I couldn't get enough of this one here. There was something so tangible between our couple that hooks you in so completely and you just want more for it. Its definitely new adult, but our characters have a maturity to them due to experience that I found quite refreshing. They are far from perfect but we see them go through an honest struggle in this one here and it has such a strong tone of relatability to it.

First Line
Paige Zukowski dressed in the dark, her fingers fumbling over the buttons on her blouse.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Logan Xander
Logan is a deeply tormented soul, he has so much pain and guilt weighing on him. His family won't claim him and he just wants to get through college safely and go somewhere quiet in his life where no one knows him.

The Heroine: Paige Zukowski
Paige has come to the university in honor of her brother but she will soon have to face up to the anger that she has building inside of her from losing her brother.

Summary
Paige Zukowski has come to Granton University in the name of her brother. Coming to college here was his dream. But when he was killed in a sport rivalry fight, she is determined to go into business and marketing like he was going to. What she didn't expect was that his killer would be in her classes and grief group and would work along beside her. Logan Xander lives with a heavy burden. A burden of killing someone and it tortures him emotionally and mentally. We have a story where we these two go through a slow and painful transition of distrust and hate to a relationship of slow tender love that builds gradually between them in a vibrant way, but they are headed toward disaster when everyone finds out they are together and something is coming soon that will test the boundaries of their love...

What I Loved
Whew! This book blew me straight out of the water and into a sky of torment and poignant love. I honestly am so speechless after reading this book and its been three days since I originally read it. But seriously this one really tore me apart and I honestly don't know how to handle it. I have read a ton of tormented heroes, but this is the first one that I have seen quite so tortured and it killed me seeing Logan's struggle. We see him face up to a truth, and quite frankly, what happened with him and Paige's brother was a accident gone wrong. But his family kicked him out and the way he has treated even himself is bad to the point of suicide. Seeing his guilt and hurt from it just urges the reader to want to give this man a hug. He so deserves it. He needs so much love and support, which he never received.

As for Paige we see so much hurt and grief and especially anger she is holding within her. And its so tough to witness. My heart just tored apart for her. I wasn't necessarily a fan in how she treats Logan, you can see that she hasn't even come close to dealing with her anger about it and has been keeping it all bottled up. And when she is near Logan, she is forced to face up to it. Probably the best scene for this was when they are in the grief support group, and she shares her story and then she witnesses the pain that Logan is going through and that it's not quite as simple as she had thought. She had seen him as this evil ogre who murdered her brother, when it was merely an accident and when she sees signs of him attempting suicide and not enjoying life and in so pain, she realizing he is suffering just in a different way but its just as valid. We really see how she has to face up to her grief and pain and work through it and that is when love starts to build between them.

I honestly adored both of these characters. They were so endearing to read, and each of them have a heart of integrity and good souls to relate to. It is kind of hard seeing how the heroine treats the hero especially in the beginning, but once she starts to see another side to him that is when it gets really really good for them. I adored Logan so completely. He is such a good hero and loved his heart and sweet pained heart. And when it matters, he is such a protector and fights for the heroine. And once they resolve their issues, seeing them together is so charming. They make such a great team once their issues become resolved and truly come together through the pain they both feel to love and acceptance.

What I Struggled With
As much as I loved this book....I did struggle with the emotional turmoil in this story. And check content warnings for the end as there is some things with a school shooting to be mindful of.

Overall View
I found Fighting Fate to be a story of heart, deep emotion, battling grief and pain and learning to accept the past and embrace the future and love when it really matters! This is a story that will dig deep into your soul.

Favorite Quote(s)
After living for three years in a house where no one wanted to deal with their problems, she was awestruck by the courage and strength it must take for Logan Xander to admit daily he was flawed and for him to actually do something to correct his character.

“I know you never meant to kill him. I know it was an accident. And I know how much you regret it. I forgive you for having any part in Trace’s death. It’s not your fault he’s gone, and I’m sorry I’m admitting it three years too late.”

“I can’t remember the last time I really wanted a girl. But I want you, Paige. In every way possible. I know it hurts you to hear this, but you’ve healed me like nothing else has. You’ve made me feel . . . forgiven. And hopeful. And complete.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: College Students, Protector
Themes: Heart/Emotional, PTSD, Slow Burn, Taboo, Tear Jerker, Danger Elements
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Mostly Relationship Conflict, slight plot conflict in the third act.

Song This Book Inspires
Over and Over Again by Nathan Sykes, Ariana Grande

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone

Steam/Spice Explanations

Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.