Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1bc7vWx
Synopsis:
Ryan Kendall is broken. He understands pain. He knows the hand of violence and the ache of loss. He knows what it means to fail those who need you. Being broken doesn’t stop him wanting the one thing he can’t have; Finlay Tanner. Her smile is sweet and her future bright. She’s the girl he grew up with, the girl he loves, the girl he protects from the world, and from himself.
At nineteen, Ryan leaves to join the Australian Army. After years of training he becomes an elite SAS soldier and deploys to the Afghanistan war. His patrol undertakes the most dangerous missions a soldier can face. But no matter how far he runs, or how hard he fights, his need for Finlay won’t let go.
Returning home after six years, one look is all it takes to know he can’t live without her. But sometimes love isn’t enough to heal what hurts. Sometimes people like him can’t be fixed, and sometimes people like Finlay deserve more than what’s left.
This is a story about war and the cost of sacrifice. Where bonds are formed, and friendships found. Where those who are strong, fall hard. Where love is let go, heartache is born, and heroes are made. Where one man learns that the hardest fight of all, is the fight to save himself.
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1e4i98H
Review: Kirsty Lander
I've written and deleted this review three times already because I just DO NOT KNOW how to sum it up and do it justice at the same time. This book was all kinds of incredible and I feel that anything I write won't be good enough.
Right from the start I knew I was going to be in for a treat.. and lots of pain. The prologue pretty much destroys you before the story has even started. Without spoiling anything, I was scared. I knew there would be death, that there would be pain.. I just didn't know who the victims were going to be.
The story centres around three friends.. Ryan, Finlay and Jake. Ryan, my word.. I loved him from the start. He is living with such awful pain and hate inside of him, he's lived through more hell than anyone at such a young age should, and signing up to the Australian Army is his release, he has to get away from home. Jake and Finlay are not only brother and sister, but friends too, and I loved their relationship. The three of them in fact, had the best friendship anybody could wish for. For Finlay, it wasn't enough heartache that her brother and his best friend were going off to Afghanistan, on top of that she had to deal with her growing feelings for Ryan.. how was she going to deal with him going off, not knowing when she'd see or speak to him again?
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1e4i98H
Review: Kirsty Lander
I've written and deleted this review three times already because I just DO NOT KNOW how to sum it up and do it justice at the same time. This book was all kinds of incredible and I feel that anything I write won't be good enough.
Right from the start I knew I was going to be in for a treat.. and lots of pain. The prologue pretty much destroys you before the story has even started. Without spoiling anything, I was scared. I knew there would be death, that there would be pain.. I just didn't know who the victims were going to be.
The story centres around three friends.. Ryan, Finlay and Jake. Ryan, my word.. I loved him from the start. He is living with such awful pain and hate inside of him, he's lived through more hell than anyone at such a young age should, and signing up to the Australian Army is his release, he has to get away from home. Jake and Finlay are not only brother and sister, but friends too, and I loved their relationship. The three of them in fact, had the best friendship anybody could wish for. For Finlay, it wasn't enough heartache that her brother and his best friend were going off to Afghanistan, on top of that she had to deal with her growing feelings for Ryan.. how was she going to deal with him going off, not knowing when she'd see or speak to him again?
"For six years I fought every day not to think of you, and I lost,
because every day you were all I could see."
Ryan and Finlay's story broke my heart over and over. Six years go by before they see each other again. Six freaking years. I couldn't believe it. Fin has moved on, Ryan has tried.. and failed to move on, so when they see each other again, all of the old feelings that both of them tried to hide come flying right back to the surface. In full force.
When Ryan and Finlay finally admitted their feelings to each other, and finally they got together and became a couple, I was so relieved. I thought, what in the world could possibly happen to these two now? They had already been through so much, having wasted 6 years that they could have spent together, I was convinced that they deserved their HAE now. But I was wrong. Kate McCarthy had so much more in store for us. I always had the prologue hanging over me, and I felt like I was waiting for the worst to happen. I just didn't know when. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the whole story. And I loved that.
"You're so beautiful."
"So are you."
"I carry scars, Fin, both inside and out."
"Everyone's perception of beauty is different."
The way in which Kate McCarthy told this story was beautiful. We get the whole picture of what went on by not only one POV, but POV's from Finlay, Ryan and Jake. I loved being able to see the story through all of their eyes and to witness exactly how everything made them feel and why they'd react in such a way. It made the story so much more real and enjoyable. I loved every minute of it, even the bits that had me crying like a baby.. and let me tell you there were a few.
"I'll love you longer than the stars that live in the sky."
This book is easily one of my favourites from this year and I was sad when I got to the end of it, I wanted to read about these characters forever and always, but it was also a relief to get to the end, because I had to know how the story ended for them. I couldn't handle the not knowing, a sign of a brilliant story. I gave "Fighting Redemption" 5 hearts Excerpt:
Later that morning after their workout and shower, Jake fell asleep on the couch. Feeling at a loss with nothing but time on his hands, Ryan wandered down the hall towards Fin’s room. She was sitting at a little study nook in the corner, laptop open with one foot resting on her chair. She was wearing a tank top and a little pair of shorts. Leaning up against the doorframe, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from those long, delectable legs.
As though sensing his presence, she turned in her chair. He forced his eyes upwards, catching a sexy flush fill her cheeks at his blatant perusal.
“Morning, Ryan.” She took off her black framed reading glasses and tossed them on the desk.
“Morning, Fin,” he replied.
Against his better judgement, Ryan pushed away from the door and walked farther into the room. Fin hadn’t changed at all and neither had his desire for her. His heart kicked over when she met his eyes. He knew everything he was feeling right now was written all over him, but he couldn’t seem to shut it off.
Her eyelids fluttered closed and she whispered, “Why now?”
Ryan took a deep breath. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.
He shouldn’t still be feeling this way after so many years. Why was he doing this to her, and to himself? It was better for everyone if he stayed away like he was supposed to.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I’ll go stay at the barracks.” He turned to leave.
“Ryan!” she called out. Scrambling out of the chair, she grabbed his arm as he was halfway out the door.
“Fin,” he warned, looking down at her hand pointedly.
She took a step closer and he breathed her in, her scent like jasmine on a hot summer’s day. He was surprised when he looked into her eyes and saw anger burning hotly in their depths.
“Six years, Ryan. Do you know how hurt I was, each day passing by and getting nothing—not even a note or an email? I didn’t just lose you. I lost my brother too. Both of you left me, and I was okay with that. I understood that this was what you needed to do, so I moved on. I built a life that doesn’t include you. That was what I had to do.” She paused and raised a shaky hand to cup his cheek. “I’d have given you my entire heart if you’d only asked, but it’s not yours now. It’s not yours.”
Ryan closed his eyes, agony for losing what was never his rose in his chest until he felt strangled by it. He placed his hand over hers, holding it there until she tugged it away.
“You’re right,” Fin told him. “You should stay on the barracks … but I don’t want you to. Damn you, Ryan,” she whispered fiercely. “I don’t want you to.”
Ryan used his bulk to crowd her against the wall until there was no room for her to move. Leaning one hand against the wall, he grabbed her hip with the other. Her breathing rose rapidly and he leaned in, ducking his head until their mouths hovered a mere breath apart.
“Why can’t I force myself to leave?” He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “I hurt too. For six years I fought every day not to think of you, and I lost, because every day you were all I could see. You were the best thing in my life—so sweet and innocent, and so goddamn tempting.” His hand strayed from her hip and slid down to grip her ass. He swallowed the groan. “I stayed away so you could move on.”
What reviewers are saying about this book:
6 Stars! I just want to shout from the rooftops -- READ THIS BOOK, EVERYONE!!!! Fighting Redemption was everything I could want in a story and more!! It's an unforgettable story about a broken soldier's undying love for a woman who'd always held his heart. I loved every word of this powerful, captivating and emotionally charged book. This is a must-read!! Truly breathtaking! Aestas Book Blog
"5 ++++ Beautiful and Emotional Stars! This was a love story in every sense of the word. It was highly emotive, beautiful, moving, tragic, romantic, passionate, haunting and breathtaking which all makes up to this being one of our favourite reads of 2013." Totally Booked
"Fighting Redemption is heartbreaking, gut punching, inspiring, and beautiful. This is an amazing, poignant journey that I will never forget and goes beyond 5 stars for me and is one of the rare ones that I have to give 6 stars." Reviews by Tammy & Kim
"5 stars - 6 if I could! It's nigh on impossible to put into words how much I loved this book and how much it touched me. Fighting Redemption is unforgettable, powerful, incredibly moving and it will live on my heart for months and years to come." Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
Author Bio:
Kate McCarthy grew up in a small town outside of Port Macquarie, Australia. Raised in a house just a short walk to the beach, Kate enjoyed the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere and friendships that come from being raised in a friendly, small town area.
She now resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she works as an accountant, along with a sideline wedding cake business and her writing.
She is married with two children, has two dogs and house in the suburbs, and a pile of friends and family dotted all over the country that help keep her sane.
When she’s not busy running after naughty kids, filthy dogs, crunching numbers, piping buttercream and writing books, you can find her curled up in bed in the early hours of the morning reading new books and re-reading old favourites. Her favourite books are the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward in which she longs to eventually join the brotherhood and change her name to Phierce Mutha.
Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateMcCarthyAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMacinOz
Website: http://katemccarthy.net/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876994.Kate_McCarthy
6 Stars! I just want to shout from the rooftops -- READ THIS BOOK, EVERYONE!!!! Fighting Redemption was everything I could want in a story and more!! It's an unforgettable story about a broken soldier's undying love for a woman who'd always held his heart. I loved every word of this powerful, captivating and emotionally charged book. This is a must-read!! Truly breathtaking! Aestas Book Blog
"5 ++++ Beautiful and Emotional Stars! This was a love story in every sense of the word. It was highly emotive, beautiful, moving, tragic, romantic, passionate, haunting and breathtaking which all makes up to this being one of our favourite reads of 2013." Totally Booked
"Fighting Redemption is heartbreaking, gut punching, inspiring, and beautiful. This is an amazing, poignant journey that I will never forget and goes beyond 5 stars for me and is one of the rare ones that I have to give 6 stars." Reviews by Tammy & Kim
"5 stars - 6 if I could! It's nigh on impossible to put into words how much I loved this book and how much it touched me. Fighting Redemption is unforgettable, powerful, incredibly moving and it will live on my heart for months and years to come." Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
Author Bio:
Kate McCarthy grew up in a small town outside of Port Macquarie, Australia. Raised in a house just a short walk to the beach, Kate enjoyed the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere and friendships that come from being raised in a friendly, small town area.
She now resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she works as an accountant, along with a sideline wedding cake business and her writing.
She is married with two children, has two dogs and house in the suburbs, and a pile of friends and family dotted all over the country that help keep her sane.
When she’s not busy running after naughty kids, filthy dogs, crunching numbers, piping buttercream and writing books, you can find her curled up in bed in the early hours of the morning reading new books and re-reading old favourites. Her favourite books are the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward in which she longs to eventually join the brotherhood and change her name to Phierce Mutha.
Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateMcCarthyAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMacinOz
Website: http://katemccarthy.net/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876994.Kate_McCarthy
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