Edgy, emotional, and sexy Takedown by Cat Grant is another exceptional book in her Bannon’s Gym series. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures
Description:
Home may not be what he remembered, but it might hold what he needs.
An abusive father drove Tom Delaney away from Lincoln Beach. Now that he’s back to settle his family’s affairs, he’s finding that not even the good things he left behind are the same. The old neighborhood is a dangerous slum. Eddie’s diner is on its last legs. Gloria, who looked after him like her own son, is seriously ill.
His only refuge is Bannon’s Gym, where Danny Bannon nurtured his talent for mixed martial arts. Bannon’s also harbors Travis, his ex—as in ex-sparring partner, ex one-night stand. The man who, the last time they faced off in the ring, left Tom with a broken jaw and a concussion.
The sparks are still there, in the ring and out of it. But when Travis’s own troubles quite literally explode, their only chance to build something solid on their broken past could go up in flames.
Warning: Hot guys slugging it out. Heaps of sexual tension and cursing. Fighting. Grappling. Kicking. Throwing elbows. All drenched in buckets of manly sweat.
Review copy provided for an honest review
Cat Grant is one of those authors whose books never disappoint. Takedown is the second book in 
her Bannon’s Gym series and it is an excellent story. All the characters from the first book are back as Tom Delaney returns to Lincoln Beach following the death of his abusive father. Tom is still unsettled, maybe even more so than in the first book and the family that claimed him tries to see him through yet another tough time in his life. This is a gripping and emotional story; it’s not pretty but it is a tribute to someone who has survived some pretty bad stuff and is trying to come out on the other side.
This is such a complicated story because while Tom has such horrible memories of the town he grew up, it is the place where he met the “family” who took him in and helped him through one of the worst times in his life. It’s also the place where he felt he was betrayed by a friend/lover that sent him running out of state. Back in town he discovers Eddie’s diner is on its last legs, Gloria (the woman he loves like a mom) is extremely ill, and Danny (Eddie’s life partner) still employees Travis the guy he never wanted to see again. To top it off he gets some news from what is left of his real family that sends him reeling.
As Tom begins to realize you can’t go home again he also discovers that the lust he once had for Travis is still there even though he doesn’t want it to be. When he and Travis resume a physical relationship, Travis begins to realize that Tom has more issues than he ever imagined. I enjoyed watching Tom and Travis try and work through their very volatile past. Travis had a very hard time with some of Tom’s hang-ups and on more than one occasion they come to blows over their differences, but thankfully they have some good friends who help them make sense of the things that threaten to pull them apart.
Edgy, emotional, and sexy Takedown by Cat Grant is another exceptional book in her Bannon’s Gym series.
4.5 Stars
Thanks for the review Slick