Book Title: Fighting Back (Mercy Angels #2)
Author: Kirsty Dallas
Charlie Cole was floating through life on a wisp of uninspired air. Nothing could compare to the excitement and fulfillment that one night with Rebecca Donovan had brought him. A misunderstanding and stubborn stand-off saw that one night of heaven remain just that, one night.
Little did Rebecca and Charlie know that from the depths of fear, with their lives thrown into turmoil, a fierce love would be born.
Saving Ella - Guest Review
Ella Munroe has not had an easy life. She lost her father when she was thirteen and she had a terrible excuse for a mother that could have cared less about what happened to her. After just six months, her mother was remarried to Marcus Fairmont, a wealthy powerful man who basically spoils her mother with money and material possessions. With her mother being otherwise occupied with her new social status and wealth, Ella is left unprotected and suffers verbal, mental and physical abuse at the hands of the monster her mother married.
Right before her eighteenth birthday, Marcus makes a violent attempt to rape Ella and she runs. She runs as fast and as far as she can. All she can hear in her head as she flees is his promise that he will find her one day and finish what he started. His oath is the fuel that keeps Ella constantly running from place to place in order to stay a jump ahead of him.
As Ella finds herself fresh off the bus in a small town called Claymont, a snow storm hits. With nowhere to go, Ella finds herself encountering Jax Carter, a huge, handsome blonde man who offers her refuge at a women’s shelter run by his mother. Her fear of Marcus has caused Ella to trust no one and keep herself closed off from people. Yet, there is something about the people that run the center and some of the ladies seeking refuge there that cause Ella to slowly lower her defenses. Jax, more than anyone else, seems to have the ability to make Ella feel safe and comfortable enough to open up about her past.
Here in Claymont, Ella begins to believe in a future where she might actually begin to lay down roots and make a life for herself. She gets a job in a flower shop and expands her circle of support by making friends along the way. Jax has slowly wheedled his way into her heart, and before she realizes it, Ella finds that she has fallen for the big handsome man. Ella prays that Marcus has given up on looking for her; after all it has been several years since she ran.
After doing some investigating of his own, Jax discovers that Marcus has never given up his search for Ella and is in fact still looking for her. Can Ella’s newfound circle of friends and the man she loves protect her from Marcus when he comes calling or will she run again?
Saving Ella by Kirsty Dallas started off at a steady pace allowing us to grow along with Ella as she makes her journey from an abusive home life to the town of Claymont where she is actually able to visualize a future for herself. As the story develops, the plot picks up speed until we are taken on a suspenseful roller coaster ride leading to the climax. The development of the story is handled so well by Ms. Dallas that the reader can’t help but walk away with a feeling of extreme satisfaction after the last page is read. I couldn’t help feeling a little hung over when I finished the book because I was not yet ready to leave the bubble that I was existing in with Ella, Jax and the rest of their friends.
The two central characters, Ella and Jax, have such a solid chemistry with each other that at times can be tender and caring and then later on hot and sexy. Not only did Ms. Dallas hit gold with Ella and Jax, but also with her ensemble of supporting characters. The meshing of all of their personalities made the book very enjoyable and it was entertaining when humor was infused into the story as well. I am very glad that certain characters will be getting their own stories going forward.
I gave Saving Ella by Kirsty Dallas a rating of five stars simply because I really enjoyed this book. It possessed all of the elements needed to keep the reader entertained. There were healthy doses of seriousness, passion, suspense and humor at every turn. What more could a reader ask for? It is the first book in the new series, Mercy’s Angels, and if this book is any indication of how the rest of the series is going to be, we are really in for an exciting ride.
Fighting Back - Guest Review
Rebecca Donovan loved her life in Claymont. She had Bouquets, her thriving flower shop business. She was surrounded by a circle of friends that loved her and supported her, and she also unknowingly had the love of a good man, Charlie Cole. Everything in her world was perfect until one night an intruder stole into her home and shattered life as she had known it.
Luckily, the intruder was scared away before any real physical damage could be done to Rebecca. Nonetheless, the damage that he did inflict went way deeper than anyone could initially see unless you were one of her closest friends. Once vibrant, direct and happy-go-lucky, Rebecca is now more subdued and a shell of a shell of her former self. She barely eats, is withdrawn and has even changed the way she dresses so that no unwanted attention comes her way. She hates how she has changed, but it can’t be helped. The intruder is still out there and his parting promise of seeing her again soon and finishing what he started still resounds in her mind.
On top of her personal issues, she is now worried about the sister that walked away from her and the town almost ten years ago. Her communication with her is almost non-existent, and then one day shortly after her home invasion, she thinks she sees her sister in town. Why now and with two big goons shoving her into a chauffeured car.
Her friends, Ella and Jax, as well as Charlie Cole, do everything in their power to help Rebecca through this rough time and she is grateful to them all for it, but she is terrified to resume her life in her home and at work. Rebecca knows she can’t continue on like this forever and at some point has to face her demons, but she just can’t bring herself to do it now with that monster still out there.
Charlie Cole has had deep feelings for Rebecca for a long time. They had one date over a year ago which resulted in mind-blowing sex, but fizzled after a miscommunication the next day derailed things for them. Sure he has dated plenty of women since that one fateful date with Rebecca, but the women are all meaningless to him. The one he has longed for has been out of his reach until now. He is beyond infuriated when he learns that Rebecca has been attacked and makes it his personal mission to insure her safety going forward. In order to be able to do that, he is going to have to prove to Rebecca that he cares deeply for her and that she can trust him. Charlie knows that he faces a monumental feat because of the walls Rebecca has constructed around her heart, but deep down, he knows that she is more than worth it. He vows that he will protect her from her attacker or give his life trying.
Fighting Back by Kirsty Dallas is the second book in the Mercy’s Angels series. The central players in Ms. Dallas’ quaint, fictional town of Claymont are back, but the focus has shifted. In this book we are given a better introduction to Ella Munroe’s friend and boss, Rebecca Donovan, as well as Jax Carter’s best friend, Charlie Cole. If you weren’t completely in love with this wonderful group of characters in the first book, Saving Ella, you will be after reading Fighting Back.
The central theme is very similar to that in the first book, Saving Ella, because the story revolves around a female heroine that is a victim of violence or abuse, be it physical, verbal or psychological. Rebecca Donovan has suffered a very harrowing experience of almost being raped during a home invasion and it has left an indelible mark on her spirit. Nonetheless, as with her best friend Ella, she is a fighter and ultimately chooses to go out swinging if she has to. I like to equate the struggle of Rebecca as well as Ella to a phoenix rising out of the ashes. They are beaten down and seemingly broken, but then rise up stronger than before. I liked everything about Rebecca and loved going on the journey with her to fight her way back to living and reclaiming her life. Ms. Dallas’ spotless execution of this theme is what earned Fighting Back a five-star rating from me.
Charlie Cole, is the perfect hero to Rebecca’s heroine. He initially comes across as a charming, playboy, commitment phobe, but as the story progresses, he becomes that white knight that Rebecca so desperately needs in order to regain what she has lost. What I liked most about Charlie was how he stepped up after her attack and didn’t miss an opportunity to let Rebecca know how he felt about her. He made the most of every opportunity to express his feelings for her in different ways with the goal of breaking down her defenses and getting her to see that he was sincere in his actions and words. He also had a healthy streak of alpha male that came across very sexy as well. Ms. Dallas definitely did a great job in creating a couple that was well-suited for each other.
I love the fact that there are so many emotions at play in this book, and by the time you are done, you have run the gamut of them. It’s a rollercoaster feeling the reader experiences because of this array of emotions, be it happiness, humor, fear, suspense, anger or love. This book has something for all readers of romance, and I for one, can hardly wait for the third book in the Mercy’s Angels series expected in early 2014. If you have not read Kirsty Dallas’ Mercy’s Angels series yet, namely Saving Ella and Fighting Back, I can’t recommend them enough. They are excellent books and have definitely earned places of distinction on bookshelf.
-Reviews by Cathy T.
5 Hearts
I hope you all love reading my novels as much as I love writing them.
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