Book picks similar to
Knock Out by Michele Mannon


romance
contemporary-romance
fighters
fighter

No Limits


Lori Foster - 2014
    He's also the guy who rescued Yvette Sweeny from kidnappers, only to put an end to her romantic dreams. These days, she's older, smarter, determined to face whatever life throws her way. Even the prospect of sharing a house and business with Cannon. Cannon knew Yvette wanted him three years ago. But she was young—and some things are worth waiting for. Thrown together by her grandfather's legacy, he realizes how deep Yvette's scars really go, and how much danger lurks in their quiet town. As pent-up desire explodes between them, protecting her becomes the only fight that matters. And he'll break all the rules to do it…

Win by Submission


Melynda Price - 2015
    They say it’s a miracle he can walk, if that’s what you call his crutch-dragging limp. Unwilling to give up on him, Cole’s manager sends the injured fighter to the best physical therapist he knows: his niece, Katie Miller. When Cole arrives in the small town of Somerset, Wisconsin, he quickly discovers his sly manager may have had reasons other than rehab for sending him to this frozen tundra.After a year of running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, Katie has returned to her hometown to care for her father, who’s recovering from a stroke. When Uncle Marcus calls in a favor, she reluctantly finds herself taking on a rancorous MMA fighter, broken at the height of his career. He’s insanely sex-on-a-stick hot—and everything she loathes in a man.If Cole thinks his fighting days are over, he’s dead wrong. To save Katie from her past and to win her heart, he’ll be in for the fight of his life.

Dare


Allie Juliette Mousseau - 2015
    But for Sophie it’s a risk that could cost a lot more than just her heart – if she’s found, it could cost her her life. Should she dare? Josh wants to break through Sophie’s fortified walls, but is unwilling to put the jackhammer to his own and reveal his secrets and the side of him few have ever known or seen. To do that, he’ll have to confront the darkness of his past. Will he dare? *-*Note: "Dare" contains no cheating, a guaranteed HEA, angst, violence and mature themes. It is intended for 18+ readers, and can be read as a standalone (but the overall story arc is strengthened by reading each book in the series order). Enjoy!!

Unbelonging


Sabrina Stark - 2013
    But she knows all too well that no one wants a pauper in their mansion, so she's gotten good – maybe a little too good – at faking it 'til she makes it. With more baggage than any airline, Lawton Rastor made his money through prizefighting – and not the kind with padded gloves and some bowtie-wearing referee. He made it through the gritty, back alley kind where sweaty money changed hands over beer and bimbos. She's a poor girl from Hamtramck. He's a billionaire bad boy from Detroit. They should've never crossed paths. But when they do, thanks to Chloe's latest housesitting gig, the collision of sparks, secrets, and misunderstandings leaves both of them yearning to belong exactly where they shouldn't – with each other. A full-length novel, this new adult contemporary romance is book one of the two-part Unbelonging series. It features mature content, sexual situations, and adult language. It's not advised for under-age readers.

Tyed


L.J. Shen - 2015
    Blaire, an underachieving college student with zero prospects and a ton of issues (hey, being the less-successful twin of a gorgeous supermodel would totally do that to you) needs something from Ty. Mixed Martial artist Ty, a soon-to-be Welterweight champion of the Xtreme Warrior League and the hottest guy in the Bay Area, wants something from Blaire. But Ty has a secret. And Blaire can barely even handle his truths. Life is about to throw a few knockout punches at both of them. Can they handle the pain?

Tyler's Undoing


L.P. Dover - 2014
    It was a decision that not only saved their friendship, but it was one that would change Tyler Rushing’s life forever. For the past couple of years, Tyler was known as being one of the UFC’s most memorable and sexy heavyweight fighters. Now he has the chance to win the title and claim the fame he so deserves. Having all the women he wanted was the highlight of his days; at least until Kacey Andrews walked through the door of his gym. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her; there was an innocence about her that sparked his interest and he wasn’t going to give up until he had her. Little did he know that Kacey Andrews wasn’t a stranger … she was part of his world; he just didn’t know it. It was a secret she’d worked hard to keep hidden.Kacey spent years trying to get away from the fighting world, away from the man who was hated among the MMA elite … her brother, Kyle Andrews. Unfortunately, she was brought back into it when Tyler’s relentless battle for her heart won her over, drawing her in. The only problem is that secrets never stay buried forever. In the end, Tyler will have a decision to make, and it’s one that could possibly destroy his and Kacey’s life … forever.

Phenomenal X


Michelle A. Valentine - 2014
    Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love. From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and women lose their minds with desire.Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.Join Michelle's Facebook Reader Group: Valentine Vixens

Breaking a Legend


Sarah Robinson - 2015
    As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong. Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title. For 18+ years of age.

Dirty English


Ilsa Madden-Mills - 2015
    She’s learned the hard way that people you love the most always hurt you in the end.But then she meets Declan Blay, the new neighbor at her apartment complex.A tattooed British street fighter, he’s the campus bad boy she’s supposed to avoid, but when he saves her from a frat party gone bad, all her rules about sex and love fly out the window.She gives him one night of unbridled passion, but he longs for more. With only a cardboard-thin wall separating their bedrooms, he dreams of possessing the vulnerable girl next door forever.One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime. *A modern love story inspired by Pride and Prejudice*

Among the Echoes


Aly Martinez - 2014
    Including sexual abuse, graphic language, and adult situations. Intended for readers 18+.*My name was Dr. Erica Hill. I was a victim, then a witness, and then I ceased to exist altogether.I may still be breathing, but stripped of my identity, I have long since stopped living. I am invisible, and my life depends on my ability to stay in the shadows.But he sees me.Slate Andrews is the embodiment of everything I have been taught to avoid. He’s rich and famous, and one image of him with a woman would earn millions for any paparazzi lucky enough to snap it. He has vowed to protect me with his life, yet he exposes me with his every breath. I should be stronger and walk away. I should disappear. But I’m terrified he would come after me.I’m on the run, determined not to take him down with me but absolutely unable to let him go.My name is Riley Peterson… at least for today.

Defying the Odds


Kele Moon - 2011
     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.

Real


Katy Evans - 2013
    One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting...Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I've ever met in my life.He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I've never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong—but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents...But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

Down and Out


Kelley R. Martin - 2014
    And don’t read this book if you don’t like sassy, strong-willed, fiercely independent heroines who use phrases like “bossy asshole” as a term of endearment. You have been warned.*“Tattooed package of sin.” That’s how Savannah Ryan would describe her new boss, Declan Whitmore, the deliciously tatted and pierced fighter who holds the top spot in Boston’s newest underground fighting organization. She’d also describe him as bossy, arrogant, and—depending on what he does to piss her off that particular day—an asshole.It’s that aloof attitude, along with Savannah’s witty comebacks and tight little body that land her on his radar. Unfortunately for her, Declan is relentless when he sets his sights on someone, both in and out of the ring. Unfortunately for him, this recently reformed bad girl is trying to go straight after heading down a dangerous path. She’s not going to make this easy for him. In fact, she’s going to make it—and him—very, very hard.Declan’s not worried, though. He’ll have Savannah come hell or high water, because if there’s one word he’d use to describe her, it’s “MINE.”Genre: New Adult, ContemporaryAges: 18+

Want


Emma Rider - 2015
    Savage in the bedroom.Powerful. Brutal. Mixed Martial Artist, Ryland “The Savage” Cole doesn’t play by the rules. He wants it. He takes it. And he wants Jade. Professional cuddler Jade has not only been hurt but also deceived by the one she once loved. She’s not going to make a mistake again by giving her heart to a man. Especially since she’s now free. When a motorcycle club threatens her best friend, she puts her life on the line in order to save him, but in order to do that, she must spend every night in Ryland’s arms. Longer synopsis(Paperback): A woman with an extremely odd job attracts all kinds of trouble.Jade’s career choice is unusual. She gets close to her clients for a living—super close—as in, she snuggles in bed with strangers. Professional cuddling isn’t the first job she chooses after getting her degree, but with her tainted record, it’s the first job she finds that’s lucrative. She has been knocked down and set up by guys in her past, but she pops right back up, determined to fight to survive.A playboy MMA fighter on his last tour needs no distractions.The moment Ryland “Savage” Cole lays eyes on knockout Jade, he knows he has to have her. His unexpected attraction is an unwelcome surprise, because he’s vowed to stay away from distractions during his final run, but he wants her. What the Savage wants, he gets. At any cost.When these two souls face off in their own octagon, the sparks cannot be denied.Forced to sign a contract and join Ryland’s team, she becomes his personal bed warmer for her own safety. Jade tries to keep their close contact platonic, but her body betrays her. As in any fight, Ryland doesn’t hold back, using everything he has to win.With the past catching up with her, danger closes in.Fighting to guard her heart and protect them both from her past, Jade is no match for Ryland, who wrestles her into a corner, smashes all her mental walls, and bares her deepest desires. If she submits completely, both their lives could be thrown into peril.

Beat


Amity Cross - 2014
    Then one day they lose the battle and she’s all alone.Now twenty-two, Ren reluctantly goes to find her estranged father. He owns the down and out boxing studio, Beat, and Ren finds herself drawn to the ring. She thrives on learning a new way of fighting a life that kept kicking her down…instead of struggling against the current, she kicks it right between the legs.Then one day, Ash Fuller, her Dad's star fighter comes back to town. Mysterious, handsome… Dangerous… Everything Ren doesn't need.But he's got other ideas……and so does she.