**Blog Tour** Absolution ~ Amanda Dick ~ Donna's Review ~

 

Title: Absolution Author: Amanda Dick Book Tour: March 30- April 3 Hosted by: SBB Promotions

Jack McKenna is a man with two very distinct pasts.

One ended with a car accident involving his girlfriend, Ally, and a split-second decision with horrific consequences. Desperate to escape the guilt, he carved out a new life for himself. Four years spent hiding in the shadows, punishing himself for not having the courage to go back to her. Then, out of the blue, a phone call forces him to face up to everything and everyone he left behind.

Ally Connor’s life was split in two - before the car accident that shattered her spine, and after Jack’s sudden disappearance. Abandoning her when she needed him most, she fought hard to make it back from the brink. The face she shows to the world is strong and courageous, but behind the mask, the pain is burrowing deeper.

But fate had more in store for these two broken souls than either could have imagined. A funeral, a homecoming and a journey of self-discovery that would change both their lives - if they let it.

Suddenly, the secrets they want to hide from each other are the very secrets that could make them whole again.

    

Four years ago Jack, Ally, and Callum were in a car wreck. While the two guys weren't seriously injured, Ally's back was broken. Unable to deal with the guilt, Jack left town and cut off contact with everyone but his dad. He never stopped loving Ally.

Callum has stayed by Ally's side these past 4 years and helped her through every aspect of getting her life back in order. He wants to throttle Jack for running away. Callum believes Ally would have had a much easier time adjusting if Jack had been there to help her.

Ally believes if she could walk again Jack would come home. Even though she is irate that he left her, she has never stopped loving him.

Now, Jack is back home under difficult circumstances. He desperately wants Ally and Callum to understand how sorry he is for both the accident and leaving. He doesn't want forgiveness because he doesn't feel he deserves it. Nobody blames him for the accident except himself.

As Jack, Ally, and Callum work through their demons, they begin to slowly rebuild their relationships. They are all different people from what they were before the accident, so this is no easy task. Can love conquer all?

I enjoyed Absolution. It deals with deep, dark emotions but never becomes depressing. The story gave the characters time to deal with all their demons-- including setbacks. There are no quick, easy answers to make everything right-- which is very realistic. I enjoyed the dynamics of the relationships between Jack, Ally, and Callum. They were complicated and multilayered. It was easy to empathize with all the characters. They were flawed and very human. I liked the fact that modifications to Ally's home were mentioned because, again, it was real.

I had a few problems with the story. There was enough angst and drama in the story without adding the villains to the mix. Maggie and Jane are mentioned throughout the book but all they amount to are names. Nothing about them is really explained.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes angsty books with a good multilayered plot. It is definitely worth reading.

4 Stars

 

Amanda Dick is a night-owl, coffee addict, movie buff and music lover. She loves to do DIY (if it's not bolted down, she'll probably paint it, re-cover it or otherwise decorate it) and has tried almost every craft known to man/womankind. She has two sewing machines and an over-locker she can't remember how to thread. She crochets (but can't follow a pattern), knits (badly) and refrains from both as a public service.

She believes in love at first sight, in women's intuition and in following your heart. She is rather partial to dark chocolate and believes in the power of a good vanilla latte.

What lights her fire is writing stories about real people in trying situations. Her passion is finding characters who are forced to test their boundaries. She is insanely curious about how we, as human beings, react when pushed to the edge. Most of all, she enjoys writing about human behaviour - love, loss, joy, grief, friendship and the complexity of relationships in general.

After living in Scotland for five years, she has now settled back home in New Zealand, where she lives with her husband and two children.