Fighting Redemption

Saturday, July 12, 2014

BOOK BLITZ: FIGHTING REDEMPTION BY KATE McCARTHY



Title: Fighting Redemption
 Author: Kate McCarthy
 Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: December 2, 2013


TOP READ FOR 2013 BY 22 BOOK BLOGS

Reviews by Tammy & Kim voted Fighting Redemption
BEST BOOK OF 2013!

Give Me Books voted Fighting Redemption
TOP BOOK OF 2013 and ALL TIME FAVOURITE!


Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews voted Fighting Redemption AND Give Me Strength in their
TOP BOOKS OF 2013!

What REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT
FIGHTING REDEMPTION

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




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.




LINKS TO BUY




 
 
 




 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.”




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

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

BOOK BLITZ: FIGHTING REDEMPTION BY KATE MCCARTHY




Title: Fighting Redemption
 Author: Kate McCarthy
 Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: December 2, 2013


TOP READ FOR 2013 by 22 Book Blogs

✦★☆ Reviews by Tammy & Kim voted Fighting Redemption BEST BOOK OF 2013!☆★✦

✦★☆ Give Me Books voted Fighting Redemption TOP BOOK OF 2013 and ALL TIME FAVOURITE!☆★✦


✦★☆ Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews voted Fighting Redemption AND Give Me Strength in their TOP BOOKS OF 2013!☆★✦



What reviewers are saying about Fighting Redemption

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



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.
















The prologue in this book should be the first clue that this is novel is a departure from the Give Me series. It's so gripping and the undertones of grief ignited a slow burn of worry for Fin and Ryan. The entire time I read, I just KNEW that Courtney would be shedding tears. Am I right, Courtney?

Shit. Yes. I am as predictable as my grandmother taking back every single article of clothing she gets as a gift. Which is no shit every. single. one. So yeah. I cried. I got this heavy feeling from the get go, but I was glad that the beginning was there because it atleast gave me an idea how things might go...but there were some absolutely epic emotional moments to come so it doesn't stop there! But don't be a-feared, I am a little more emotional than most...so if you fit somewhere between me (waterworks) and shel (uh, no waterworks) you'll be fine! 

Let me preface my review by saying that there is no possible way for me to do justice to this novel. Before I began each chapter, I took a deep breath--was I going to smile, be furious, or incredibly distraught?--I never knew which emotion was going to grip me next and I flew through the novel hanging on to the hope that my heart wouldn't be shattered in to a million pieces. So...my part of the review is a bumbling attempt at giving you a taste of what you'll get without spoiling it. 

Haha.That is always hard for me to do, but I think that we can agree that Fighting Redemption is a great military novel that encompasses everything about that particular trope. Kate paints a beautiful picture of their serene life as teens, with the undertones of a childhood stolen...then the hardships of time in the military and the harsh realities of war. Like Shelley, I felt a gamut of emotions as things played out...and timing, the hateful bitch timing is that slapped me silly...killer! They couldn't get on the same page to save their lives! :-/

Ryan, an SAS soldier, is in love with Fin--his best friend's sister. He has been since practically the first day he saw her....granted the emotions he felt for her were more like puppy love at first but boy did those emotions blossom and grow...HUGE. But before he can allow himself to fully feel those, he has some serious demons to work through and those demons refuse to allow him to open up to Fin and let her in..despite his knowledge that she's loved him since she was practically 6. He knows this...she knows he knows this but he refuses, ABSOLUTELY refuses to let her in for fear of hurting her (or maybe fearing the hurt she could potentially cause him). And then one day he breaks and there are some amazingly hot, sexy scenes and some gentle and tender scenes and in the mix of all of this we get more of his story and why he's so reticent to engage in a relationship with her. I wanted to smack him and hug him and then bed him...all at the same time. What's wrong with me??!!

Exactly! Each piece of the puzzle...aka, each step forward and two steps back. Victims of their circumstances...and not wanting to hurt the other one or their friendship...gah. But I didn't feel like there was a cliche word here. Every scene is handled amazingly well, and well...their issues are everyday issues! 

And then there's Fin. Sweet, clumsy, Fin. She's adored Ryan since the day that she met him. She waits and waits and gives him so many opportunities to own her heart...and when he won't, she moves on to Ian. She and Ian have this on again, off again, relationship through high school and after college. Unfortunately for Ian, Ryan will always be her number one. She tries really hard to deny it and she does love Ian but just not the way she loves Ryan. Of course this makes things tense and difficult and when Ryan finally comes home from one of his deployments, it becomes very clear where Fin's heart truly is. But just as Ryan is stubborn, so is she and she makes some decisions that made me want to throttle her..even though I totally understood why she did things, I STILL wanted to scream at her--WHAT?!! NO!! whhhyyyy???!!! Ditto! I don't think I can add anything productively non-redundant to that! Eek! 

Fin's story is so hard. She's the girl always left behind. Jake, her brother, and Ryan go on tour after tour as SAS officers in Afghanistan and she's left to worry and wait for their safe return. Her story struck a chord in me and made me, once again, appreciate not only the work and bravery of the military but of the work and bravery of those they leave behind. Kate did a fantastic job of expressing the grief and heartache that accompany those left behind. She also plunged me right into the intensity of the war in Afghanistan and how it might feel to be the soldier facing the unknown and the strength and skill and bravery it takes to make it through each of those deployments.

Again. Dit-freaking-oh. I one chaptered myself into the wee hours of the night fighting these emotions from this book and in my head. I LOVE THIS BOOK! We talk a lot about...okay..nevermind, I see you down there stealing my thunder. Haha...just kidding, but she does mention below that there is fun in this book too! Jake is fun! Ryan is hot...and steamed up the pages exactly how we like it! 

This story walks us through tragedy and heartache and love and devotion. While it's a more serious work from Kate McCarthy, it's not without its lighthearted moments and her always hilarious quips. Even though there were moments when I had severe trepidation about what the next chapter would bring, I always held out hope for the bright spots I hoped she's provide. I was ever on the edge of my seat to find out how things end...and what the future might hold. Kate: Don't do that to me again! Ok. j/k definitely do that to me again! :P LOVED IT! <3

Another must read from Kate McCarthy! Yes!

Shelley: I give it ALL THE STARS in the UNIVERSE!
Courtney: 5 Stars! <3<3<3<3<3







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.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, December 9, 2013

REVIEW+GIVEAWAY: FIGHTING REDEMPTION BY KATE MCCARTHY


Title: Fighting Redemption
Author: Kate McCarthy
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 2, 2013


Book Summary:
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.


OUR REVIEW:
The prologue in this book should be the first clue that this is novel is a departure from the Give Me series. It's so gripping and the undertones of grief ignited a slow burn of worry for Fin and Ryan. The entire time I read, I just KNEW that Courtney would be shedding tears. Am I right, Courtney?

Shit. Yes. I am as predictable as my grandmother taking back every single article of clothing she gets as a gift. Which is no shit every. single. one. So yeah. I cried. I got this heavy feeling from the get go, but I was glad that the beginning was there because it atleast gave me an idea how things might go...but there were some absolutely epic emotional moments to come so it doesn't stop there! But don't be a-feared, I am a little more emotional than most...so if you fit somewhere between me (waterworks) and shel (uh, no waterworks) you'll be fine! 

Let me preface my review by saying that there is no possible way for me to do justice to this novel. Before I began each chapter, I took a deep breath--was I going to smile, be furious, or incredibly distraught?--I never knew which emotion was going to grip me next and I flew through the novel hanging on to the hope that my heart wouldn't be shattered in to a million pieces. So...my part of the review is a bumbling attempt at giving you a taste of what you'll get without spoiling it. 

Haha.That is always hard for me to do, but I think that we can agree that Fighting Redemption is a great military novel that encompasses everything about that particular trope. Kate paints a beautiful picture of their serene life as teens, with the undertones of a childhood stolen...then the hardships of time in the military and the harsh realities of war. Like Shelley, I felt a gamut of emotions as things played out...and timing, the hateful bitch timing is that slapped me silly...killer! They couldn't get on the same page to save their lives! :-/

Ryan, an SAS soldier, is in love with Fin--his best friend's sister. He has been since practically the first day he saw her....granted the emotions he felt for her were more like puppy love at first but boy did those emotions blossom and grow...HUGE. But before he can allow himself to fully feel those, he has some serious demons to work through and those demons refuse to allow him to open up to Fin and let her in..despite his knowledge that she's loved him since she was practically 6. He knows this...she knows he knows this but he refuses, ABSOLUTELY refuses to let her in for fear of hurting her (or maybe fearing the hurt she could potentially cause him). And then one day he breaks and there are some amazingly hot, sexy scenes and some gentle and tender scenes and in the mix of all of this we get more of his story and why he's so reticent to engage in a relationship with her. I wanted to smack him and hug him and then bed him...all at the same time. What's wrong with me??!!

Exactly! Each piece of the puzzle...aka, each step forward and two steps back. Victims of their circumstances...and not wanting to hurt the other one or their friendship...gah. But I didn't feel like there was a cliche word here. Every scene is handled amazingly well, and well...their issues are everyday issues! 

And then there's Fin. Sweet, clumsy, Fin. She's adored Ryan since the day that she met him. She waits and waits and gives him so many opportunities to own her heart...and when he won't, she moves on to Ian. She and Ian have this on again, off again, relationship through high school and after college. Unfortunately for Ian, Ryan will always be her number one. She tries really hard to deny it and she does love Ian but just not the way she loves Ryan. Of course this makes things tense and difficult and when Ryan finally comes home from one of his deployments, it becomes very clear where Fin's heart truly is. But just as Ryan is stubborn, so is she and she makes some decisions that made me want to throttle her..even though I totally understood why she did things, I STILL wanted to scream at her--WHAT?!! NO!! whhhyyyy???!!! Ditto! I don't think I can add anything productively non-redundant to that! Eek! 

Fin's story is so hard. She's the girl always left behind. Jake, her brother, and Ryan go on tour after tour as SAS officers in Afghanistan and she's left to worry and wait for their safe return. Her story struck a chord in me and made me, once again, appreciate not only the work and bravery of the military but of the work and bravery of those they leave behind. Kate did a fantastic job of expressing the grief and heartache that accompany those left behind. She also plunged me right into the intensity of the war in Afghanistan and how it might feel to be the soldier facing the unknown and the strength and skill and bravery it takes to make it through each of those deployments.

Again. Dit-freaking-oh. I one chaptered myself into the wee hours of the night fighting these emotions from this book and in my head. I LOVE THIS BOOK! We talk a lot about...okay..nevermind, I see you down there stealing my thunder. Haha...just kidding, but she does mention below that there is fun in this book too! Jake is fun! Ryan is hot...and steamed up the pages exactly how we like it! 

This story walks us through tragedy and heartache and love and devotion. While it's a more serious work from Kate McCarthy, it's not without its lighthearted moments and her always hilarious quips. Even though there were moments when I had severe trepidation about what the next chapter would bring, I always held out hope for the bright spots I hoped she's provide. I was ever on the edge of my seat to find out how things end...and what the future might hold. Kate: Don't do that to me again! Ok. j/k definitely do that to me again! :P LOVED IT! <3

Another must read from Kate McCarthy! Yes!

Shelley: I give it ALL THE STARS in the UNIVERSE!
Courtney: 5 Stars! <3<3<3<3<3


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 Media Links:
Purchase Fighting Redemption:



Giveaway Prizes:
Signed Copies + Ryan's dog tags (pic attached below), ebooks, gift cards


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, December 2, 2013

RELEASE DAY + GIVEAWAY: FIGHTING REDEMPTION BY KATE MCCARTHY


Title: Fighting Redemption
Author: Kate McCarthy
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 2, 2013


Book Summary:
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.


Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/19cyvW4
B&N (still a pre-order): http://bit.ly/1anoIMv
Kobo - nothing yet.

An 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.






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 Media Links:

Giveaway Prizes:
Signed Copies + Ryan's dog tags (pic attached below), ebooks, gift cards



a Rafflecopter giveaway
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