Saturday, February 27, 2016

Fighting Redemption

Book Review of Fighting Redemption 



Title: Fighting Redemption

Series: Novel

Author: Kate McCarthy

Date Published:December 2nd 2013

Date Read:    October 07 to 11, 2015

The Blurb:

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.


My Review




      2.5 Just didn't work for me Stars

              
                      *Spoilers below *




I feel like the odd man out here. Like everyone of my Goodreads Friends loved this book. Like they wanted to give it 6 stars out of 5. I wanted to like this book so much. I mean it has some of my favorite things in it. Military men, a baby, love each other their whole life and best friend's sister. I mean it had all the makings for me to think I would love it, but I didn't. I was about 10% into the book when I knew my ass was in trouble, but I held out because I hoped the love would redeem all the other stuff that bugged me. It didn't. This book hit on so many of my pet peeves, cheating, cowardly fear making one of the MC push the other away to an extreme, and long separation of the H&H. Add in all the drama, and angst, and not nearly enough happy moments to balance it out. This book just left me sad, annoyed, and unsatisfied.



Before I start to tell you what all didn't work for me in this book let me just say that even though this book wasn't my jam, I could tell by the writing that the author is extremely talented and that I would try other books by her. That being said here is a list of all the things in this book that left a bitter taste in my mouth and ruined this read for me.

1. Fin loses her virginity to her bf Ian who is not the hero Ryan. It is written in great detail her making love to Ian, not Ryan. And even though they are not together, they both already have feelings for each other. Also it may not have bugged me so much if her being with another man wasn't so detailed. 

2. Ryan leaves for 6 years without saying a word to her. For 6 years no letters, no email, no calls nothing. 

3. I feel so bad for Ian. Fin does him dirty. Fin dates Ian for years, but when he wants to move in together and take the next step because he is madly in love with her she holds him at arms length. Then when Ryan comes home after 6 years of cutting her off, she lets Ryan touch her and kiss her. Yes she does stop before sleeping with him , but if you have a bf and you're kissing someone else and they have their hand on your breast,and ass, and you are kissing them back it's cheating. It felt like she used Ian as a filler, because she couldn't have who she really wanted. 

4. Ryan drove me crazy the way he wanted Fin but would push her away, want her, nope not good enough for her, but I want, can't have her, I can't live without her, I will leave for her own good ......blah blah blah. I felt like the book went in circles. Ryan acting like a coward causes Fin and himself a ton of pain, and made me wanna slam my head into a wall.

5. Ryan doesn't man the fuck up until almost the end of the book and only after he finds out she is pregnant. 

6. The story jumps around a lot. 5 years here, 6 months there, 2 months here, 8 weeks there, on and on. I felt like I was missing big chucks of the story. I can understand jumping forward every once in a while in a story, there are so many in this book it's crazy.


All that being said there was some moments in this book that totally broke my heart and had me emotional, and there was some sweet moments with Fin and Ryan, I loved Jake, and the writing was good. And for those reasons I am giving this book a 2.5 stars. Though I didn't really get into this book I didn't hate it. I just dislike more about it than I liked. I am the minority in my views on this book and almost all my friends loved it so I would tell anyone who wants to read it to go for it. 



2 comments:

  1. It's difficult when all our friends love a book and we just don't. I think I'd be upset with the unnecessary pushing away, too, Jessica. I get that Ryan was in a bad place, but stop playing games, please. If you really don't want her, stay away, don't do the cat and mouse dance.
    I hope your next book was a winner!
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. IKR! Men always say women can't make up their minds. I just wanted to yell at my kindle crap or get off the pot already lol! So lady like I know :)

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