Quickie Review: Defying the Odds by Kele Moon

Title: Defying the Odds (Battered Hearts)
Series: Battered Hearts, #1
Author: Kele Moon
Published: December 20, 2011
Pages: 171
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Loose Id
Rating: C+
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "Go ahead.” Clay’s voice turned low and gravelly with sex. “Use it; fuck it. It belongs to you; own it.”

summary from Goodreads
When struggling waitress Melody Dylan gives a handsome, lonely stranger a simple gift she has no clue her life is about to take a drastic turn.

The stranger ends up being Clay Powers, a famous UFC heavyweight fighter. Clay’s large build and dangerous fists have always intimidated. People in his hometown keep their distance and Clay is fine with that. Everything changes when a new waitress at the local diner buys him a piece of pie on thanksgiving. Touched by the gesture when it’s obvious she can barely afford to survive, her warm smile and lush body churn up powerful feelings that leave Clay wanting more from her than pie.

Melody is running from her past and the small, country town of Garnet is the perfect hiding place. With an ex-husband after her and scars from her abusive marriage etched deep, the last thing she expects is to fall for a man who makes a living with his fists, but she can’t resist Clay or the tender connection they share.

Finding love in the most unlikely of places, the passion is undeniable, but Clay and Melody know their haunted pasts and unpredictable futures leave the odds stacked against them.

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Marq's thoughts:
This is my first Kele Moon book and it definitely won't be my last. Defying the Odds was a sexy and emotional read. I enjoyed the mild flirtation between Clay and Melody at the beginning. It was a nice start to the romance. I really liked the beginning but wish there was more build up to the romance. I had a problem figuring out how much time had passed so it felt like a day had passed when it was actually a week.  As the story progressed,  the plot kinda got bogged down for me. I found myself impatiently waiting for the arc and climax of the story. When it finally happened, I found that I had already lost interest.

I really liked the hero. Clay as a sensitive UFC fighter was unexpected. Both Clay and Mel are battered and broken people. Mel was able to find love with someone who's career is based on violence. Overall the story was good. I really liked the characters and can't wait to read the next book featuring Jules. She is a Powerhouse in her own right and I feel sorry for the man that falls for her. I will definitely read more by this author. She knows how to write amazing sex scenes that are hot and emotionally charged. My only other issue was the dialect. I know that these are working class people living in a small town but sometimes the dialect slowed down my reading.