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.
I read the prologue of this book and I was already so upset that I had to peak at the back. I had to know
how it ended. I HATE that I do that shit to myself, but I had to be prepared for any eventuality. I was literally heart-broken within the first five minutes of starting this book.
When Fin, and her brother Jake, move to a new town and a new school the first friend they make is Ryan. When Ryan first sees Finlay trip up the stairs and he helps her up, he knows that she will be important to him for the rest of his life. I just don't think that he knew how much his life would revolve around hers. It definitely pulled on the heart-strings.
"Brothers until the end."Jake took hold, his grip firm, and squeezed Ryan's hand hard enough for a trickly of blood to travel the length of his forearm. "There is no end. Brothers forever."
Ryan's family sucked. There is really no other way to put it. He was lucky to have made such wonderful friends who had unbelievably amazing parents. I loved the entire Tanner family. They were those people who you know, no matter what, will stop and listen before making any rash judgements.
Fin and Ryan, both so freakin' hard-headed!! They were both obviously in love with each other but were too afraid to take that first step. When they finally do it's hot, heartbreaking, so many emotions ran through me. They were just SO much together. It is hard to explain, it is just so intense.
"I love you, Fin. I've always loved you. Right from the moment you walked up those steps at school, you tripped your way right into my heart. I won't ever stop. I'll love you longer than the stars that live in the sky."
When tragedy befalls them Ryan completely avoids everyone that he is able. When he is finally able to face his own guilt over what happened and visit Fin it was incredibly sad and hard. But it eventually began to work out for them, and they are so beautiful together. I loved every second of their relationship, even the rough spots, because that just made it so much more real.
Fighting Redemption is a stand alone, thank God, I do not think that I could have handled not knowing how everything worked out for Ryan and Fin. This book had me in tears, more than once, and left me in tears when I was done. It was a great, emotional read.
"Ask me, Fin, what I see when I look up at all those stars."She met his eyes, shifting closer, her smoot skin brushing against his rough, hardened body. "What do you see?""You," he said simply.Tears filled her eyes."You're all I see. Nothing holds more beauty in my eyes that you do. No one will ever love you the way I do."
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“What are you doing?”
The words came from so close behind her she shrieked and jumped. Her pulse racing, she slammed the oven door shut and spun around to stand in front of it. Ryan was leaning casually against the entrance to the kitchen in his army fatigues, his arms folded and brow arched as he watched her.
“Nothing,” she lied, blinking her eyes wide in an attempt to salvage the surprise.
Fin meant to have all this done before Ryan got home, but she got held up at work. That’s what happens when you tell people you’re leaving work early, she thought crabbily. Suddenly everything becomes urgent.
Ryan looked over her shoulder at the disaster zone, and she shifted a little to the left. Her movement exposed the oven door, and he immediately turned and pointed at it, accusation making his eyes sharp. “You’re baking a cake.”
Fin tilted her head and shrugged. “Well, you know, it’s for Crookshanks.”
Her breath caught when a grin spread slowly across Ryan’s face and lit up his dark eyes. He lifted his chin at her. “Come here.”
Needing no further invitation, Fin launched herself at him. She twined her arms around his neck, and when he picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed him.
His fingers dug into her legs, a deep groan rising from his chest when she stroked her tongue against his. She broke the kiss when she couldn’t breathe. As her head fell back, he licked a pathway down her exposed throat and bit down on the tender skin of her neck where it met her shoulder.
“Oh,” she moaned, rubbing her hips against him.
“God I needed that,” he muttered, his voice muffled as he nibbled and licked his way back up. “Needed you. Been thinking about fucking you all day.”
Ryan’s eyes were heavy-lidded and hot when she looked into them and smiled. “Happy birthday, Ryan.”
“You remembered,” he murmured.
“I’ve never forgotten. I baked a cake for your birthday every year you were gone.”
He rested his forehead against hers and whispered softly, “Baby.”
Fin closed her eyes. “I didn’t know where you were, or what you were doing, but even if you weren’t here, I wanted to make sure you had a cake.”
She opened her eyes, seeing him arch a brow.
“And who got to eat my cake?”
“I did.” She grinned. “And Crookshanks. And if there was any left, I’d take it into work.”
Ryan ran his eyes along the length of the kitchen bench until they fell on the bowl she had tucked in the corner. He strode towards it and sat her down on the bench. Standing between her thighs, he dipped his finger in the thick, cream cheese frosting. A shudder of heat flooded her body as she watched him lick it slowly from his finger.
“Mmm, baby. This is good.”
His hand reached for the bowl again, and she smacked it. “Leave some for the cake.”
Ryan smirked as he scooped up some more. “It’s my cake.”
He smeared the frosting over the swell of her breasts, and she gasped. “What are you doing?”
Leaning down, he began licking it off her skin.
“Oh God,” she breathed, fisting his hair in her hands and shivering at the wet heat of his tongue stroking her skin.
“I’m making up for all those years of missed cake.”
The idea of baking Ryan a cake every day for the rest of her life suddenly held enormous appeal.
He slipped his hands underneath the hem of her pretty pink dress and spreading his fingers wide, ran them up her bare thighs. “You taste so good,” he moaned.
Loud thumping came from the front door and he froze, his muscles tensing as his grip on her tightened. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“Open the door before we bust it down,” Kyle yelled.
Ryan groaned, his head falling onto her shoulder.
“I did.” Fin sighed and he took a step back, letting her slide off the bench. “I’ll get it.”
“Hey,” he said, and she looked up at him. “Thank you. For doing this.”
“I’m just glad you’re here so I can.”
“Me too,” Ryan agreed, his lips curving softly. He wiped at a smear of frosting on her cheek. “I’ll get the door,” he told her and disappeared up the hallway.
FIGHTING REDEMPTION PLAYLIST
Trading Yesterday – For You Only
Buffalo Tales – Crazy Heart
Green Day – 21 Guns
The Fray – Never Say Never
James Arthur – Impossible
Olly Murs – Dear Darlin'
Coldplay – The Scientist
Placebo – Running Up That Hill
Andy Burrows – Hometown
City and Colour – Sleeping Sickness
Thirty Seconds To Mars – This Is War
Sia – I Go To Sleep
Coldplay – Yellow
Coldplay – Fix You
The Fray – Be Still
Damien Rice – 9 Crimes
The Fray – How To Save A Life - New Album Version
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.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/KMacinOz
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876994.Kate_McCarthy
Website - http://katemccarthy.net/
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