"What are you doing to me, beautiful? You're changing me in ways I never thought possible."

Author Michelle Valentine left readers with one whopper of a cliffhanger in PHENOMENAL X, the kind that has you staring at the page thinking 'What the HECK just happened? Are you kidding me? I have to wait HOW long to find out what's next?!' Yeah, that kind of a cliffhanger. Suffice to say that XAVIER COLD, the second book in Michelle's Hard Knocks series, was heavily anticipated by fans of the first book, and well worth the wait.

The rivalry between Xavier Cold and Rex 'The Assassin' Risen, wrestlers for the Tension group, has reached an all-time high. Having lost control in the ring, Xavier finds himself banned from all things Tension for three months. Determined to keep his suspension from destroying their relationship, Xavier and Anna return to Detroit, X's childhood home, and the dwelling place of all of his personal demons. But the road to happily ever after is not an easy one, and these two have their work cut out for them.

Where PHENOMENAL X is the story of the beginning of Anna's and Xavier's relationship, this book is about overcoming the things that keep us from being the best version of ourselves, and creating our own reality. It's about their love for each other, and the freedom that this kind of love offers. And, finally, it's about the redemption that comes through such unconditional love.

I could not read this book quickly enough. It's full of grittiness and intrigue, secrets that are jaw-dropping, and the kind of love that completely changes the landscape of lives. 4.5 phenomenal stars for XAVIER COLD, and kudos to Michelle Valentine for another awesome read.

***ARC provided by the author for an honest review.***