Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
4.5 stars for Fighting for You by Monica Murphy. This is book five in The Callahans series. When I first started this book, I did not know what to expect. This is pregnancy second chance romance. Joselyn is 17 and she is pregnant with now ex-boyfriend Diego’s baby. So, I am going to start by saying I loved how Monic didn’t make them seem older than they are. She gave them the drama that would happen with teenagers. They had all the ups and downs. The high school rumor mill is a big problem in this story. I feel bad for both Jos and Diego. Diego has had a rough life, and everyone thinks he is a jerk and a cheater. Jos is pregnant, not sure what her future holds, and doesn’t trust Diego anymore. This book is all about people growing up, changing, and becoming better. This book had me shedding tears. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
Under the skin. Into the heart. Diego and Jocelyn pack a ton of heartache. Murphy squeezes every emotion out a reader's heart. Fighting for You is a romance as overpowering as it is broken. A love story interrupted in need of a second chance. From young love to adult heartbreak, Murphy leaves an indelible mark with her brand of souls stirring romance.
I enjoyed seeing Diego and Jocelyn's story. I had my reservations going into this based on what I knew from the previous books. I was glad that Jocelyn stood up for herself and chose her baby first rather than fall into Diego's toxic life. Diego had a lot of growing up to do and I think he did right by choosing himself over his family. That is the hardest decision sometimes. I think that the nice thing about this book is that I got to see some of the other characters and their interactions with both Diego and Jocelyn. I think what I loved the most was the community of friends that Jocelyn and Diego have.
I appreciated that there was this tentativeness between the two of them as they worked to mend their relationship. I did not like that Cami was a part of the problem between them. I understood why it took so long to reconcile but even Cami's "exit" was weak at best. I wish that there had been more clarification on that even if Cami just went out to cause havoc at her college. She clearly was trying to get Diego for herself and then moves onto Wyatt?
I appreciated that there was this tentativeness between the two of them as they worked to mend their relationship. I did not like that Cami was a part of the problem between them. I understood why it took so long to reconcile but even Cami's "exit" was weak at best. I wish that there had been more clarification on that even if Cami just went out to cause havoc at her college. She clearly was trying to get Diego for herself and then moves onto Wyatt?
medium-paced
Before starting this book, I followed the author’s recommendation and re-read Falling For You, Jake Callahan’s story. Diego is presented in this book, and we met a surly, angry young man. He’s in love with Joselyn but they are having problems, fighting frequently, and he’s circling around Cami Lockhart, who is a slutty, bitchy girl who craves attention from all the males around. It all ends in disaster and now in this book we get a close look at what really happens with Diego. It was a great idea to get a refresher on Diego and Joselyn before starting this book!
Previously, you get the impression that Diego is an irredeemable a-hole, but in this book we’re introduced to his older brother Mateo and we learn that he’s evil and has been abusing Diego for years. Since they were little boys, Diego had to emulate Mateo’s behavior or else. That included bullying their cousin Marty, who is gay. Underneath all that attitude, Diego has a good heart, but his upbringing and his home situation don’t help his situation. What he’s living through has turned him into a frustrated, angry, victimized young man, and that’s translated into his surly attitude, his extreme neediness with Joselyn, his sudden enmity with Jake.
Joselyn loves Diego but she’s dealing with her present situation. Pregnant at seventeen, she needs her parent’s support to continue with her goals. Her parents don’t want Diego around, she feels overwhelmed by Diego’s attitude, and she feels betrayed by what she presumes was his cheating on her with Cami. There’s the rumor mill, Cami’s frequent harassing, and her pregnancy hormones. She needs space, she doesn’t trust Diego, so she blocks him from her life.
What I loved about this book is that the author took it in a different direction from what I expected. Instead of the pregnancy bringing Diego and Joselyn together and they could grow together as a couple, Joselyn didn’t want anything to do with Diego, so they spend most of the pregnancy apart. I loved seeing how Diego deals with his issues, growing up and manning up. Tony is a big help in helping Diego face and overcome his issues.
The whole story has a lot of participation from all the characters around Joselyn and Diego. All their friends and their family have a part, either giving support, promoting their separation, helping them move on. Cami adds a lot of aggravation and Mateo is a lurking menace. I felt a lot of suspense coming from him, because he felt like he truly hates and wants to harm Diego. I loved seeing Drew and Fable Callahan, Ava and Eli, Jake and Hannah, Tony and Caleb in the book. There’s also Diego’s mom, who is a nag, his cousin Marty, his aunt Lisa. I loved that there’s a whole gamut of characters and each is important to the plot. I truly enjoyed reading this book and loved that it was different from what I expected and the author made me love this young and troubled man, who was truly a victim of his circumstances. Joselyn was great all the time, she knew what she wanted, she respected her heart and her goals, and she was very mature. I felt for her and all the pressures she had, and I think she was a warrior, a very impressive young woman.
It was so emotional, so YA, so angsty, and so hopeful and chronicled the growing up of Diego in such a positive way. I loved every word and loved how Monica Murphy structured this fantastic story!
Previously, you get the impression that Diego is an irredeemable a-hole, but in this book we’re introduced to his older brother Mateo and we learn that he’s evil and has been abusing Diego for years. Since they were little boys, Diego had to emulate Mateo’s behavior or else. That included bullying their cousin Marty, who is gay. Underneath all that attitude, Diego has a good heart, but his upbringing and his home situation don’t help his situation. What he’s living through has turned him into a frustrated, angry, victimized young man, and that’s translated into his surly attitude, his extreme neediness with Joselyn, his sudden enmity with Jake.
Joselyn loves Diego but she’s dealing with her present situation. Pregnant at seventeen, she needs her parent’s support to continue with her goals. Her parents don’t want Diego around, she feels overwhelmed by Diego’s attitude, and she feels betrayed by what she presumes was his cheating on her with Cami. There’s the rumor mill, Cami’s frequent harassing, and her pregnancy hormones. She needs space, she doesn’t trust Diego, so she blocks him from her life.
What I loved about this book is that the author took it in a different direction from what I expected. Instead of the pregnancy bringing Diego and Joselyn together and they could grow together as a couple, Joselyn didn’t want anything to do with Diego, so they spend most of the pregnancy apart. I loved seeing how Diego deals with his issues, growing up and manning up. Tony is a big help in helping Diego face and overcome his issues.
The whole story has a lot of participation from all the characters around Joselyn and Diego. All their friends and their family have a part, either giving support, promoting their separation, helping them move on. Cami adds a lot of aggravation and Mateo is a lurking menace. I felt a lot of suspense coming from him, because he felt like he truly hates and wants to harm Diego. I loved seeing Drew and Fable Callahan, Ava and Eli, Jake and Hannah, Tony and Caleb in the book. There’s also Diego’s mom, who is a nag, his cousin Marty, his aunt Lisa. I loved that there’s a whole gamut of characters and each is important to the plot. I truly enjoyed reading this book and loved that it was different from what I expected and the author made me love this young and troubled man, who was truly a victim of his circumstances. Joselyn was great all the time, she knew what she wanted, she respected her heart and her goals, and she was very mature. I felt for her and all the pressures she had, and I think she was a warrior, a very impressive young woman.
It was so emotional, so YA, so angsty, and so hopeful and chronicled the growing up of Diego in such a positive way. I loved every word and loved how Monica Murphy structured this fantastic story!
Diego & Jocelyn had a rocky relationship after an oops happened. He had issues at home while she had loving parents. He was being very immature about things that it drew them apart. They gave each other space as much as it hurt Diego because he still loved Jocelyn. Jocelyn still loved him too but she had responsibilities and priorities that didn’t include dealing with Diego. She proved how strong and responsible she was. Diego also did a 360 and got his act together all thanks to one of his buddies. He changed for the better. After seeing Diego in other books and reading his story about the depth of his family issues you understand his behavior now. In the previous books you thought he was just a d*** but he had a lot going on that will make you feel sorry for him. The way these two hot back together was very beautiful. It was slow and nothing was rushed. Jocelyn was very good for Diego.
Diego the redeemer! I think Monica did a wonderful job writing about a high school love story with a teen pregnancy. Fighting For You showed exactly that. Diego fighting for his life and his love for Jos and his baby! Monica did a wonderful job portraying young teenage love struggling to navigate life and having to grow up to become teenage parents. Both characters showed growth and maturity, I definitely enjoyed this story.
I am just jumping right into this review by saying this book is completely addicting. I was captivated from the first page and did not put down this book until I finished reading. It was emotional and beautiful and held me to the page. The author dealt well with some tough issues and I found myself drawn in and lost in these character's journey. I can't wait for more from this series and from this author.