2.5-3 stars

***fair warning, this review has a few small spoilers but nothing major***

This was an alright story. TBH, I was enjoying it at first but the ending wasn't to my liking and really brought down the story for me.

Liv is an intern at a newspaper that she's hoping to get a permanent job at. She has always loved writing and it's been her plan to be a writer since she was a kid. Liv used to tutor Vince when they were in high school but for some reason (that never seems well explained to me) Vince left Liv and after recovering from the heartbreak, Liv learned to move on.

Vince is a MMA fighter that's getting ready to fight for the championship title. Vince's mom is a drug addict that couldn't take care of herself, let alone take care of Vince. From a very young age, Vince had to take care of himself and his mom and it was a rough life. Vince has a lot of anger issues and got in fights in high school until one of Vince's teachers got him to start working with Nico in the gym. It helped because it gave Vince a place to work out his aggressions and stay off the streets.

As an intern, Liv is competing against another woman (a spoiled rich skank who only got the intern position because her daddy is rich) for the permanent position at the newspaper. They're both given assignments for articles to write in hopes of doing well enough at them to land the job in the end. Liv is given an assignment to write an article about a fighter that also teaches women's self defense classes and doesn't look at the info before rushing to one of the classes to take part and hopefully speak to her intended interview subject. She's shocked to find that the instructor is her high school crush, Vince. Since he broke her heart back in high school (and he's obviously still a huge man whore) Liv wasn't very thrilled about being near him again and tries to get out of her assignment...not that's she's very successful thanks to Vince.

Vince has slept around a lot and treats women like crap but once he sees Liv again, he can't forget about her. He decides to pursue her and once he makes an effort, Liv has trouble staying away from him. They come together as a couple but there are some issues that make things difficult for them. The main issue is her job because she's put in a horrible position where they want her to use her relationship with Vince to get a story. There's also issues with Vince's mom and her drug problems to deal with and ties into other crap. They deal with those issues and more and end the story with a HEA together.

So...this story wasn't great and I'd already been planning to rate it around 3 stars but it was going to be a high 3 star rating that I was still planning to recommend. But then I hit the 87% mark in the story...Vince and Liv have a big fight and the story makes it seem like he slept with a skank...one that disgusted me so much that I almost DNF the story right then and there. I did continue and Vince later claimed that nothing happened between him and the skank but I don't really know if I believed him or not. Regardless of whether he slept with the skank or not, I just couldn't get into the relationship between Vince and Liv after that. Overall, I ended this story feeling a cross between disappointed and "meh" so I can't recommend it. :P

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator did a pretty good job.

Very, VERY good story! Emotionally jarring, tho. Not in a bad way at all - I really enjoyed the story of Vinny & Liv a lot! They were friends and a bit more in HS. Vinny protected Liv - even from himself, and w/o her being aware - but in the process broke her heart. Several years later, when a chance encounter has them reconnecting, the sparks that never faded are there, front & center. This part of the story is "Awwww!" super sweet! And then there are some wrenches thrown in, and then it's "Awww!" bring out the tissues. *sniffle* But all in all this was more sweet "awww!" than sad, and there was a pretty good set up for book 3. We also got to catch up w/ Nico & Elle from book 1, and see how their relationship w/ Vinny had grown.

Definitely thumbs up, but not the recovery read I was expecting. This pulled me in & kept a tight grip on my heart straight through to the very well-written ending. : )

4.5 Stars - Vi Keeland delivers an emotional second chance romance with Liv and Vince’s story in Worth the Chance. Having met Vince as a teenager in Worth the Fight, I was curious to see where the author would take this obviously troubled boy and the result certainly exceeded my expectations. All grown up and just as angsty as ever, Vince is MMA fighter perfection. When fate reunites Liv with her first love Vince, sparks fly and an unshakeable connection is forged. I absolutely adored the chemistry that Vi Keeland has created between these two. At times it was understated, a slow burn that moved throughout the story, and at others it was a fierce flame that demanded to be felt in all of its intensity. This couple had plenty of sizzle that, when paired with their emotional history and easily rekindled friendship, made them absolutely addictive.

Liv was the kind of heroine that you just love from the beginning. She was smart, sassy and unafraid of hard work. She was down to earth, friendly and perfectly sweet – a combination that had me wishing we were friends. As we got to know Liv over the course of the story, the depth that Vi Keeland gave this character became apparent and I found myself connecting to the heartache and hesitancy that kept Liv from going all in with Vince. Her feelings, fears and insecurities were genuine through and through and it was these raw and vulnerable qualities that touched something in me. Before I knew it, I found myself completely invested in Liv and rooting for her to find her happily ever after.

Vince also surprised me with his complexity of character in Worth the Chance. While we met him as a troubled boy in need of an outlet, he had become a man very much in control of his demons. However, as he spent time with Liv, his evolving emotions and her role in his personal history opened him up to everything he’d tried to put behind him. Vi Keeland did an incredible job capturing the intensity of both the war Vince was waging with himself in regards to his past and the freedom to feel he was trying to unleash with Liv. I found myself experiencing Vince’s angst, uncertainty and overwhelming need to be loved as my own while his journey progressed and ultimately, I was wholly impressed by the beautiful transformation this character underwent during this novel.

While some of Worth the Chance was fairly predictable, there were some cool twists and turns that Vi Keeland had in store that kept me captivated and it was these unexpected plot points that made this book stand out as more than just your typical MMA fighter romance. There were also plenty of intriguing new characters who, along with the familiar faces that made me grin, balanced out all of Liv and Vince’s angst and intense passion with just the right amount of heart and humor. Overall, the storyline was fun, sweet and delightfully steamy, making this well-paced novel a memorable reading experience. The icing on the cake was Vi Keeland’s fantastic writing which effortlessly brought the storyline to life. I adored the authentic feelings, witty banter, vibrant imagery and brilliant prose that painted the pages of this book and will definitely be on the lookout for more from this talented author.

I always love to read stories about lost youthful love that finds itself again.

Vince is a MMA fighter who has grown up fatherless with a drug addict for a mother but still manages to pursue his dream and become a prize fighter. While teaching a defense class for women a blast from the past hits him straight in the face when he recognizes Liz. As a young girl Liz had always loved Vince, although, they stole a few kisses their relationship never really surfaced to anything more than friendship. Now years later, face to face with him old feelings surface. Is this a chance for the two to have a new start?