Review: Thoughtful, Charming, and Intense
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 11, 2013
I recently read Linda Kage's novel, Price of a Kiss, and immediately decided "I need more from this author."  She has a writing style that is hard for me to pin down. It's definitely charming, very clean and concise, but it also has a bit of a light-hearted feel, even when the subject is not.Fighting Fate poses a serious premise: What if the monster you think you know is just a regular man? What if your pain is his guilt? What if the truth isn't black and white? What if you fall in love with your brother's killer?  This isn't the first story of it's kind - not by a long shot - but this is always an interesting premise. I was curious to see if Kage could give a realistic-feeling story that didn't just brush over the logistics and emotions of developing feelings for the man who ended a loved one's life, but really dug deep. I believe she did..Fighting Fate was a sweet, sad, funny, heart-breaking, and ultimately up-lifting story. Very bittersweet. I loved that Kage took the time to let us know the characters, letting the reader settle into the story. As the story moves along, the characters experience a great deal of growth. Paige begins the story angry and broken, and as she gets to know Logan, realizing the truth of her brother's death wasn't so clean cut, she learns the power of forgiveness. Logan begins the story completely defeated. He lost everything in one moment. As he becomes to know Paige, he also learns the power of forgiveness, but also redemption.Fighting Fate was another really good, thoughtful and charming book from Linda Kage. I look forward to reading many more of her works in the future.Favorite Quotes:Helpless anger stole over him. She was going to ruin his life. Before he could even brace himself for the fallout, she'd crush everything he'd worked three years to build. And here she was, acting scared of him.He wanted to grab her and shake her, make her look at the man behind the murderer, and force her to forgive him, tell him it was okay, that she knew he hadn't meant to kill her brother.  ~5%"When I look at you, I should feel nothing but guilt and remorse. I should close down and burrow into that wretched place inside myself. But I can't. I just...I feel so alive. You've made me smile and laugh and...and want.  ~65%