The Edge of Redemption by Kristin Turnage is now available! If you know me, you know that I have been eagerly anticipating this book. The moment I read The Edge of Happiness, I was hooked on these characters, the setting, and I was needing to know their stories. Ryan and Cassie may have started my love affair with this series, while Joss and Mac continued it. Now it's Jace and AJ's turn, and I am so excited. But also a tad bit nervous because Kristin Turnage has said it's an emotional ride. This Jessie Spano (Saved by the Bell) gif perfectly describes me in this moment.
Before I say anything, else, let me just start with YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! If you are someone who likes characters who have been through hell, and are still fighting to get out, then run and grab this book now. PLEASE!
Oh and also, if you are an emotional reader, have the tissues close by. This book will hit you in the feels, and the tears will fall. Especially as Jace shares about Bailey. Oh and as AJ shares about her sister. It's just a lot. It's fabulous, and totally worth it though.
Now if you've read The Edge of Happiness or The Edge of Serenity, then you've gotten glimpses into Jace's life. You've seen him battling his demons, but we didn't know what those demons were. We saw the drinking. We saw the drugs. We saw this man struggling to keep his head above water. In The Edge of Redemption we find it all out. Every last bit of it. My heart shattered as I read everything that Jace had been through, and the guilt that he has been carrying around.
Then there is the storyline with AJ and Beatrice (aka Belle). Dang if that didn't hit me hard. My heart broke for AJ, don't get me wrong on that. Her grief was palpable. But Belle? Witnessing that little girl work through her grief, and trying to wrap her head around how her life just changed, was heartbreaking. My mom heart struggled through reading her scenes.The tears came hard and fast. There were definitely moments of ugly crying happening.
Speaking of AJ, she seems like a very loving person. Not only is she uprooting her life to come take care of her niece, she's also returning to the town that she swore to never return to. Her time in Oaks was not good. It was full of heartache, stress, and trauma. So I don't blame her one bit for not wanting to return. Yet here she is trying to bring some stability to her niece's life. AJ is also a very talented artist. She finds out a happy moment for a person, recreates that through a drawing, and then folds it up for them to look at later. She's giving a piece of herself to each person she creates art for.
The very first interaction between Jace and AJ had me smiling. Then when they ran into each other at the grief counseling session, that was so dang good. Add in the banter that slowly started happening, and I could not get enough. Every interaction that these two had, I was unable to look away from. I had to witness it all. I had to witness them falling. I had to witness the moment of conflict. Then there was the resolution, and my heart was so happy. And that retreat they had to go on? Oh so good. SO DANG GOOD! That entire scene was just spectacular. I loved it.
My heart soared with how quickly (and easily) Belle was accepted into the group. Those adults gathered around her, and just poured love into her. Whether it was through their time, their words, or just a friendly face, they cemented themselves into her life. They gave her a new family. The scene at church had the tears flowing. If you know about church, then you know how emotionally intense those scenes can be.
As of right now, this book has the potential to be my favorite for February. The paperback will be ordered as soon as it is available on Amazon, and it will join my copies of the first two books. I cannot wait to see who the next book will be about. My gut tells me it's going to be Hunter.
If you are a fan of new adult, small town romances, that are filled with emotion, then please go grab this series! The Edge of Happiness was my favorite book of 2021, and The Edge of Serenity was one of my monthly favorites. So you can clearly see that this series is one of my favorites.
Have your tissues handy. You'll need them.
Have your tissues handy. You'll need them.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on The Edge of Redemption. I hope you'll read Jace and AJ's story.
Laura
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| Cover Design: Sarah Kil Creative Studios |
Jace Walker is a master illusionist, but he can’t keep up the act anymore. His family and friends thought he was happy and healthy and at peace with his past. But that was a lie. Every single moment from that awful day has been a lie. Just one big exhausting routine that he can’t stop. Always having to pretend to deal with the pain of his life lost.
All he wanted to do was feel her again, and the pills always helped. That is until they didn’t. Being forced to open up about his feelings is now his life. His newest distraction is this stranger in town with pink hair and an attitude problem who’s tormenting his mind while slowly bringing him back to life.
One look at AJ, and you’d think she has everything together, but things aren’t always as they appear. After leaving home at 18 to forge her own path, she’s pulled back to her old life by the death of her sister and brother-in-law, now being the only next of kin for her 7-year-old orphaned niece.
With her heart still aching to be free, she now fights the courts for custody of her niece, desperately trying to go back to the life she had. The only problem with her plan is the attractive asshole in the grief support group that she hates with every fiber of her being but who also feels like home.
To an onlooker, these two Grumpy Gus’s are the definition of toxic, but as fate would have it, they’re partnered together to complete their healing journeys.
With darkness around every corner, will the stars align on their road to redemption?
Content warning: The book contains sensitive subject matter related to the loss of a loved one and suicide.
All he wanted to do was feel her again, and the pills always helped. That is until they didn’t. Being forced to open up about his feelings is now his life. His newest distraction is this stranger in town with pink hair and an attitude problem who’s tormenting his mind while slowly bringing him back to life.
One look at AJ, and you’d think she has everything together, but things aren’t always as they appear. After leaving home at 18 to forge her own path, she’s pulled back to her old life by the death of her sister and brother-in-law, now being the only next of kin for her 7-year-old orphaned niece.
With her heart still aching to be free, she now fights the courts for custody of her niece, desperately trying to go back to the life she had. The only problem with her plan is the attractive asshole in the grief support group that she hates with every fiber of her being but who also feels like home.
To an onlooker, these two Grumpy Gus’s are the definition of toxic, but as fate would have it, they’re partnered together to complete their healing journeys.
With darkness around every corner, will the stars align on their road to redemption?
Content warning: The book contains sensitive subject matter related to the loss of a loved one and suicide.
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Ryan & Cassie
Mac & Joss
Meet Kristin Turnage
Kristin Turnage is an indie author that lives close to the beach in Florida with her husband, two daughters, and two cats. She has been writing for eight years and has been chasing her dream of becoming a published author for a long time. The Edge of Happiness from The Edge Series is her first published work and has turned her dream into a reality. She is excited that you are all taking this journey alongside of her.
Connect with Kristin
Thank you to Kristin Turnage, and Grey's Promotions, for providing me with an advanced review copy of The Edge of Redemption.
