The Love You Fight For: Next Life, Book 3

All the stars for Sam & Casper. This story was everything. There’s not a Brit Benson book I don’t love with all my heart and this one? This one was no different - it was absolute perfection. Brit is such a brilliant storyteller; her ability to fully transport you into the story and make you feel so deeply connected to the characters is unparalleled. Sam and Chris’ story was so beautifully written, completely addicting, and full of depth. I loved every freaking second of it and never wanted it to end.⁣⁣⁣⁣The Love You Fight For is an opposites attract, hook ups to lovers romance with a black cat heroine, and a spicy cinnamon roll hero (who just so happens to fall first.) It is both heart wrenching and heartwarming, emotional, captivating, and full of intrigue.⁣⁣⁣⁣We first meet Sam and Chris in the Next Life duet and I was so unbelievably happy to get their story. There was so much mystery behind Sam’s character in the duet and I love how Brit peeled back her layers so we could see who she truly is underneath. Sam has been through so much and yet she is so strong, fierce, resilient, and determined. I was completely swept up by Chris and his patient, supportive, giving character. Did I mention he has tattoos, wears a backwards baseball hat, cooks, and says, “Who did this to you?!” 🫠 Despite being complete opposites, Sam and Chris could not be more perfect for one another. I loved seeing the growth in their relationship and watching Sam feel safe enough to be vulnerable with Chris and allow him to be exactly what she needed: her peace. The love these two share is everything. They truly embody true love.⁣⁣ I fell so hard for these characters.⁣⁣Between the engaging plot, the found family and friendships (Sam & Lennon’s friendship is truly beautiful - there is nothing like it), the unforgettable spicy scenes, the incredible details, the banter, and the romance, TLYFF is an absolute must read!⁣⁣It was so nice to be back in this world. I am⁣⁣utterly obsessed.“The love I could have with Sam is the kind you fight for. It’s the kind you don’t give up on.”⁣⁣

Sam and Chris’ story was addictive and amazing. The cold ice Princess who knows when to put on her mask and play a role finally met her match with Chris. He saw HER and accepted her as she was. He was such a good and sexy cinnamon roll hero with a dirty side. Their chemistry was superb.I really liked how he slowly broke down her walls with the most simple yet beautiful gestures. It was difficult at times cause Sam didn’t make it easy.The couple from the previous books Lennon and Macon were present and I just loved their dynamic with Sam and Chris. As a group but also just the women together and the men.The Love You Fight For is a fabulous addition to the Next Life series. Sam finally found her true north and it’s well deserved.

“Strength. Protection. What better way to take down dangerous men than with the very monster they created?”Well, Brit Benson has gone and melted my heart all over again with The Love You Fight For. Not as crushing as The Next Life Duet, The Love You Fight for is a low-angst, opposites attract romance with a thread of nail-biting suspense. After a tempestuous introduction, Samantha Harper won me over in This Life and All the Rest. Sam is a badass queen who had me hooked from page one. I have been eagerly awaiting an HEA for Chris Casper and Brit delivered an epic love story for these two! Their backstories are heartbreaking, the suspense is on point, and the swoon factor is off-the-charts! The witty banter between Sam & Chris is marvelous and the heat between the black cat & hometown hottie is deliciously spicy! Chris is the cinnamon roll with a filthy mouth we all adore! I loved how entwined their story was with Macon and Lennon’s lives. Sam’s family filled me with rage while Chris’s family warmed my heart. This love story had heaps of small town charm, big city drama, and heart melting romance. Brit Benson’s storytelling was amazing, I loved every minute of The Love You Fight For! If you’re looking for a spicy opposites attract, he falls first, fierce FMC romance, grab The Love You Fight For now!Desireé Ketchum and Austin Stone were phenomenal as Sam & Chris! Their pacing, energy and tone matched each other perfectly in this duet narration. I didn’t think I could love Casper more, until I heard Austin Stone speak his words in my ear. I mean, the audacity! Hot dayuuum, that man whispering Casper’s sincere and filthy words dripping with lust in his low, seductive tone. Oof! Desireé portrayed Sam’s complex, vulnerable, icy, endearing, unfukwithable character beautifully. I loved the genuine and playful dynamic Austin & Desireé brought to the booth to vault Brit Benson’s wonderful love story off the page!

Audiobook review: Narrated by Desiree Ketchum and Austin StoneFive stars all around for this one. While we've met both Sam and Chris in books one and two, this story brings so much more to each of these characters. Sam had a troubled past and a history of drug use in high school, but we now know her history is much darker than originally believed. To say this woman has her redemption arc in this story is a gross understatement. She has got to be one of the strongest, most determined female main characters I've ever read. Chris is the definition of a non-toxic masculine main character. The way he silently supports Sam NO MATTER WHAT makes him one of my favorite MMCs ever. This is a powerful story and I suggest checking content warnings as there are sensitive topics that come up. If you are able to read and/or listen to this book though, I highly recommend it!The audio aspect of this book was so well done it was easy to get lost in the story. Every emotion was brought to life in a beautiful way, and I have nothing bad to say about either of these narrators. The duet style is always a huge pro for me and to hear both Desiree Ketchum and Austin Stone playing off each other was a great listening experience.

Brit has done it again. This is book 3 in the Next Life Series (following the duet for Lennon & Macon) and it really does need to be read in sequence. Sam’s evolution, her relationship with Lennon, Macon and her hero Chris build out of those high school foundations. Also, for anyone that has read all of Brit’s works, there are little treats for you to happy dance over, if you’re sharp enough to spot them (I love when authors do this BTW). Sam is so complex of a character. She has so many facets to her personality, so many masks that she wears in her life. It seems like no one ever sees the real her. But Chris starts to see her, he starts to crave seeing under the mask of perfection, the armour that Sam wears to go into her daily battles. I love the way Chris sees her and won’t let her shut him out. He falls so hard, so fast and works endlessly to show her that he cares. He wants to be the one that she can let it all go with and just be “Sam”, to care for her body and spirit. The journey in this story is intense at times and so layered. Sam is on a mission and it’s draining to see her start to crack under this pressure she’s imposed upon herself. But when she’s with Chris, I love the way he coaxes her to relax and just be still, at peace for as long as possible. These two are so very opposite in so many ways, but so essentially perfect for each other. Like pieces of a puzzle, they just fit.The audiobook is performed in Duet style by Desireé Ketchum & Austin Stone. These two bring the characters to life so perfectly. Desireé ran me through Sam's emotional range from Ice Princess, to Masked Warrior to vulnerable and real with Lennon and eventually Chris. She build the walls into her voice and when the crashed down, the pain, the torment, the anguish, it was all there making me all teary and sick. Austin has such skill with his vocal expression. He made me swoon and melt with Chris, the dirty talk, the caretaking, the support for Sam, the little laughs and smirks, I could just hear it all in his voice. But then he gave me the characters and voices that made my skin crawl. I didn't need to know who they were (but once I did it made it worse, because I KNEW), I heard the slimy, scummy nature of those men in the choices Austin made. I'm blown away.I requested and was provided with an advanced copy of the ebook and the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.

"The Love You Fight For" by Brit Benson is an enchanting romance that effortlessly tugs at my heartstrings.Benson's storytelling prowess never fails to satisfy my craving for love stories that will feel wholesome and meaningful in every possible way.Samantha Harper's flawless facade conceals a world of vulnerability, and as her story unfolds, I was so intrigued by her character. Benson masterfully captures the intricacies her ways of transforming her from an ice princess into a resilient warrior. The chemistry between Samantha and Chris is so palpable and draws you into their captivating love story right from the beginning. Despite the challenges they face, I was left feeling hopeful and deeply invested by their unwavering determination to fight for each other.“The Love You Fight For" is a must-read for anyone seeking a heartfelt and satisfying romance and my favourite book of the year so far because it encapsulates everything I want from a great love story.

This story…it was wonderful. Chris was amazing. I adored Sam. I can’t think of any other characters I’ve read recently that deserve peace the way she did.In many ways Chris and Sam are retelling Sam’s favourite book, Pride and Prejudice. Sam has a lot of pride that she wears as armour, while Chris and his family allow their prejudice to shape their beliefs about Sam. Both of them grow and change - like Chris’ favourite book Walton tells them to. I love the check-ins with Lennon and Macon across the story, seeing how they are so integral to Chris and Sam’s lives.I will definitely put this on my reread list. Thank you for a magnificent story.

This was such a good read ♡ I loved every moment of it... Chris was top-notch book boyfriend material. He's what every girl who's been wronged needs in her life to have her back whilst she fights her battles. Sam, my girl, you beauty ♡ I loved her strength throughout this whole book. She didn't need a knight she needed someone to be her place to find peace, and she found that is Chris. I loved how she finally got her revenge, too.Samantha may have grown up in a small town, but she was still from an entirely different world to that of her friends. Her father was a senator and was now running for president. She was no stranger to slimy men and what lengths they'd go to for power. Even stealing her innocence if it meant gaining another notch higher on the ladder. Haunted by dreams of the evil done to her, she always saught solace in her best friend. Until him. She'd known Christopher all her life, ran in the same circles, but they were not the same. To her hometown, Samantha was almost Royalty, she held herself as such, but it was all a mask she'd learned to wear well. A mask he saw through easily. She couldn't hide what was underneath to him, but she still tried. Refusing to let anyone in. She had a plan, a plan to bring down the men that had wronged her, and she had no time to let anything or anyone sidetrack her plan. But he didn't want to derail her plans, Chris merely wanted to be her peace amongst the chaos. And soon enough, she found herself running to him instead of away. She fell for him, but would she be able to keep him when all was said and done.Definitely Recommend Reading 📚

I almost didn't read this book, but I'm so glad I did!!! I love Chris. Everything about him is perfection! The first two books were filled with miscommunication, which drove me crazy but this made up for that. Don't get me wrong, I like the first two books, but I loved this book.