About The Book:
Title: Fighting Redemption
Author: Kate McCarthy
Release Date: December 2
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.
Excerpt
Two weeks later, he packed his belongings and stole his way into Fin’s room. She wasn’t there, so he stretched out on her bed, hands tucked behind his head, eyes trained on the ceiling, and waited.
It was midnight when she came through the door, giggling as she read a message on her phone. Finished, she tossed it on her bedside table and froze when she caught him lying there in the dark.
He heard her breath catch. “Ryan?”
The lamp by her bed switched on, coating the room in a warm, cozy glow. Fin was illuminated, her skin golden in the soft light, her cheeks flushed with happiness.
“What are you …” She trailed off after meeting his eyes. He knew what she saw. He couldn’t hold any of it back—regret, heartache, and loss for something that had never been his.
“You’re leaving,” she choked out.
Ryan couldn’t speak. He watched her stride to the open window, its sheer white curtains billowing. Staring out into the night, she wiped away tears that spilled over and ran down her cheeks.
He blinked, his own eyes burning. “I’m sorry,” he said eventually.
Fin turned and walked across the room. Sinking to the edge of the bed, she stared down at her hands. “When?”
Ryan unlocked his hands from behind his head and reached for her, pulling her down beside him. She stretched out, tucking her head under his chin. Closing his eyes, he breathed her in, allowing his arms to wrap around her. “In the morning.”
Fin’s hand fisted in his shirt as she let out a sob.
“I have to do this,” he whispered hoarsely. He trailed his fingers through her hair and touched his lips to her forehead.
She started to wipe away the tears on her face, and Ryan took hold of her hand, stilling her. “You understand, don’t you, Fin, why I have to do this?”
Ryan needed to know that she understood he wasn’t leaving her, he was leaving his past, and trying to build a new future with the Army.
“I do.” She choked again and buried her face in his neck, sobs breaking free.
“Don’t,” he whispered thickly. “Please don’t cry. You have such a big future ahead of you. You’re going to do big things with your life. Don’t let anyone stop you from being who you need to be, okay?”
Fin nodded into his neck.
Ryan pushed back so he could look her in the eye. He wouldn’t be there to watch over her anymore, so he needed to know she would look out for herself. “Promise me, Fin.”
“I promise.”
Satisfied, he reached out and switched off the lamp. Thrust into sudden darkness, Ryan laced his fingers in hers and held her close. When her tears dried up, she drifted off into a deep slumber. In the early hours of the morning, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, and disentangling himself, he left the room. Having already said his goodbyes to Mike and Julie earlier in the evening, Ryan clicked the door shut softly behind him and left the house, careful not to look back.
That was the last he saw of Finlay Tanner.
Review:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fighting Redemption is one of those reads that literally choke you with so many beautiful and aching emotions you can’t breath for what seems like ages. It touched me so hard, it seemed I won’t be able to think about anything else for a very long time. I really enjoyed reading Kate McCarthy’s book, because it not only took me on a wild ride through life’s obstacles and showed me amazing example of love, but made me feel, think and I just… have no words how to describe a book like this. This novel is nothing like I’ve read before, and for that I’m very grateful. It captivated me quickly with brutal honesty, raw ad gritty storyline and beautiful romance. Step by step, page by page I slowly fell in love with this complex bittersweet story.
Fighting Redemption is Ryan and Finely’s story. Both of them loved each other from the time they were kids. Ryan was best friend of Jake, Finely’s brother. There were reason they buried feelings for each other and went on hurting without the other one close.
When Ryan joins the Army with Jake, Fin’s heart broke. Now, long years later they have the chance to finally find happiness, but there is just so many other obstacles, that maybe the happiness wasn’t written in their stars.
It’s exceptional, gut wrenching novel. McCarthy’s done a great job in creating poignant, unforgettable, beautifully erotic tale of true love, while still fantastically picturing life of a soldier. I was astonished by how tragic and sad some things were. From time to time, my heart started beating faster and whole ‘real life’ got blurry. I was so into Ryan and Finely’s story, I wasn’t even paying attention to what was happening around me. I was hooked and then floored and then a crying mess.
Why four stars then? I don’t like reading stories written in third person point of view. This type of writing usually cheapen the experience for me. You can’t imagine how frustrating for me is loving the book but hating the third person point of view. I feel lost and not able to connect with characters more. It’s like watching TV, while I’m addicted to being one of characters. It’s hard to do so while everything is written this way: ‘she went, she thought’ and so on. So if you prefer third person point of view or it doesn’t irritate you, Fighting Redemption will be phenomenal for you. Overall, Fighting Redemption is engaging, breathtaking story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s Unputdownable, good written novel that every fan of beauty, emotional roller coasters and exceptional tales of love will devour.
About the Author
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.
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