Making It by Christine d'Abo

****

From Riptide:

Devan knows exactly what he wants from life: a good career, a husband who loves him, and a child to call his own. He’s working at the perfect job, and has found the man of his dreams in Eli. That only leaves one box left to tick. When his friend offers to be a surrogate mother for Devan and Eli, he’s convinced all his dreams have come true.

Eli has been fighting his entire life. Fighting to keep his sick mother safe, fighting his frustration, and fighting daily as an up-and-coming MMA star. The one thing he can’t fight is the feeling that he’s made a terrible mistake agreeing to be a father with Devan. On the worst night of their lives, Eli knows Devan is better off without him, and leaves.

When Eli returns three years later, he comes face-to-face with Devan and a son who might be his. Devan has moved on with his life, but seeing Eli once again reignites forgotten passion. Yet if Eli wants to make it work with Devan, he must decide if he’s ready for the biggest fight of his life.

Source:  Advance electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Eli's a messed up dude.  His past has completely wrecked him, leaving him no ability to deal with emotions.  Couple that with living deep in the closet as an MMA fighter and he is just a mess.  Devan's actually got his life together, but sometimes ignores what others want or need when he's focused on his goals.  When Eli leaves him without warning, he's devastated.  When Eli suddenly comes back to town, he's conflicted.  

Devan has to figure out if he can move on from the past and Eli has to figure out what he's willing to do for love and family.  Making It has d'Abo's signature smoking hot sex, a sexy fighter, and a baby!  What more could you ask for?

Making It is the third in the Ringside Romance series, each featuring a different friend - Zack, Max, and Eli grew up together training at Ringside.  Now they are re-opening Ringside and finding love.  Book 1, Working It, is my favorite of the series, but all three are well worth the read.  

~Shel

Faking It by Christine D'Abo

***

From Riptide:

Max Tremblay should be happy. His nightclub, Frantic, is one of the most popular gay clubs in Toronto, and his childhood refuge, Ringside Gym, is well on the way to reopening. But when he finds yet another drunk in the alley beside the bar, Max isn’t sure this is the life he truly wants.

Grady Barnes has it all. He’s rich, famous, and wants for nothing. Well, nothing but a good relationship with his father. When he discovers that his father is going to force him into an arranged marriage, Grady has had enough. He tracks down Max, the man who got him to safety after a night of overindulgence, and makes him a proposal: pretend to be his fiancé for two weeks and he’ll invest in Ringside Gym.

When the pair travel to Vancouver to attend a family wedding, the flames of their mutual attraction ignite, and they discover that the only difference between pretend and reality is how well they can fake it.

Source:  Advance electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Faking It is a fun fake fiance story.  I love these stories - the couples in question are always to clueless and while the stories are often predictable, I find comfort in them.  And their silliness.  I hadn't read Working It, when I grabbed Faking It, but they can be read as standalones.  Max and Grady come together at a time when they are both are examining their lives and finding them wanting.  Grady's got some angst, but together he and Max find something worth fighting for.  

Faking It is an entertaining story.  It's not my favorite in the Ringside Series, but definitely enjoyable.  Making It is my favorite.  I love that book so much.  Book 3 - Making It released last week, you should check it out while you are at it.  

~ Shel