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ghostlyreader's review
3.0
Most people won't agree with me but I honestly wasn't a big fan. I was hooked when I read the prologue but after the first couple of chapters, I kind of lost interest and I never really got it back. It was just lacking for me which is unfortunate because this was my first book by Karina.
freadomlibrary's review
3.0
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from a giveaway on the author’s Instagram in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I always find it really hard to describe the plots of contemporary books but I’m giving it a go! This book is a story about growth. It’s intense and powerful. It’s about romance yes but also about a lot of different things. It’s about honestly, guilt, confidence, trust and forgiveness. It also deals with PTSD and its affects on different people and it was really well done.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
It took me awhile to get into the writing style, but I’m not really sure why still. It just didn’t feel emotional enough for me maybe. It was simple and a bit dry at times, but it had powerful moments. The descriptions and the details were amazing and it really made me fall in love with the setting of the story. But while there was angst and the PTSD aspect was well done, I still felt like there wasn’t enough distinction between the main character’s voices.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I liked the characters in this book but I didn’t fall in love with them. Jessica is a great main character. She’s been through something really traumatic, we even get to see it through her eyes, and she’s vulnerable and she puts a lot of pressure on herself. However, she’s determined to move on and to feel better even through the bouts of self pity and weakness. She’s doing everything in her power to keep going and push on but sometimes it seemed like she was trying too hard, even if I enjoyed her spirit. Keir on the other hand was really sweet and adorable. But he also frustrated me to the ends of the earth! He’s consumed by guilt and haunted by his past. He’s a huge freaking liar and he’s really insecure and it was so annoying. The conflict of the story surrounded his attitude and his actions and it’s something that could’ve been taken care of super easily and painlessly (in general) but then there would be no book right? I was really disappointed with how little development the side characters had. They only seem to appear when the main characters needed some sense knocked into them and it’s a real shame because they all had the potential to be great and interesting. I really wanted to get to know Jessica’s sister a lot more but she didn’t really have a lot of page time. And the other McGregor’s showed up as well and even though this book is supposed to be a standalone, their names and their relation to Keir weren’t really explained well which left me confused.
Emotionally
The plot is simple. We follow Jessica, two months after being caught up and hurt in a terrorist attack as she tried to find and accept her new normal. She meets Keir who’s the only person who doesn’t treat her like the poster girl for survival and things take off from there. The plot of this story is pretty nonexistent, mostly because this is a romance and that’s the basis of this story. It was cute to read and slow building and I enjoyed it in general. The conflict on the other hand was really easy to spot, with a predictable climax and too quick of a resolve. It developed in a way where I knew how things were going to go and yet it took a long time for it to really blow up, almost at 80% of the novel which then led to it being resolved way too quickly. Time passes of course but the way it’s written makes it seem like it doesn’t so overall it just felt too easy after it had been built up for so long. My favorite part of this story is the way PTSD is portrayed. Sometimes books exaggerate the symptoms or aren’t taken seriously enough but not in this book. In this book, it’s taken seriously and it shows different examples of how it can manifest in different people. There are a few different characters who have PTSD in this book for various different reasons and the best part is that’s it’s therapy positive. I loved that it didn’t shy away from showing the symptoms and how tough it is to deal with and process. I really loved that.
Jessica was nice. I liked her determination and her self-awareness. She didn’t take her PTSD or her injuries lying down. Instead she made steps to get and feel better as soon as she could. However, she had a tendency to give herself pity parties which considering the circumstances are totally realistic and definitely shouldn’t have had to be stilted every time they happened. It’s absolutely okay to be really freaking pissed with a crazy soldier shots your leg apart. And it’s totally okay to feel sorry for yourself sometimes. I kind of wished I felt more for her or felt more from her but I think that was in part because of the writing style which didn’t really portray emotions in this book too strongly. Keir is frustrating as hell, sweet as chocolate and super understanding. And yet he was a big liar the entire time! It was super painful to know that he could just easily tell the truth and the whole conflict of the book could be moot. It was really predictable the way things played out but I have to say that I was really charmed by his personality and the way he worked to get Jessica back into his life.
Overall, this book was good. The plot was predictable considering the kind of conflict and that it revolved around the romance but it’s enjoyable. The main characters were interesting and complex and I loved how PTSD was portrayed and handled in each of the personal cases. I wish the side characters would’ve had more time to shine and more development. However, I am going to read the rest of the books in the (sort of) McGregors companion series.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from a giveaway on the author’s Instagram in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I always find it really hard to describe the plots of contemporary books but I’m giving it a go! This book is a story about growth. It’s intense and powerful. It’s about romance yes but also about a lot of different things. It’s about honestly, guilt, confidence, trust and forgiveness. It also deals with PTSD and its affects on different people and it was really well done.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
It took me awhile to get into the writing style, but I’m not really sure why still. It just didn’t feel emotional enough for me maybe. It was simple and a bit dry at times, but it had powerful moments. The descriptions and the details were amazing and it really made me fall in love with the setting of the story. But while there was angst and the PTSD aspect was well done, I still felt like there wasn’t enough distinction between the main character’s voices.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I liked the characters in this book but I didn’t fall in love with them. Jessica is a great main character. She’s been through something really traumatic, we even get to see it through her eyes, and she’s vulnerable and she puts a lot of pressure on herself. However, she’s determined to move on and to feel better even through the bouts of self pity and weakness. She’s doing everything in her power to keep going and push on but sometimes it seemed like she was trying too hard, even if I enjoyed her spirit. Keir on the other hand was really sweet and adorable. But he also frustrated me to the ends of the earth! He’s consumed by guilt and haunted by his past. He’s a huge freaking liar and he’s really insecure and it was so annoying. The conflict of the story surrounded his attitude and his actions and it’s something that could’ve been taken care of super easily and painlessly (in general) but then there would be no book right? I was really disappointed with how little development the side characters had. They only seem to appear when the main characters needed some sense knocked into them and it’s a real shame because they all had the potential to be great and interesting. I really wanted to get to know Jessica’s sister a lot more but she didn’t really have a lot of page time. And the other McGregor’s showed up as well and even though this book is supposed to be a standalone, their names and their relation to Keir weren’t really explained well which left me confused.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I didn’t know what to expect from this book when I started reading since I’d never read anything by this author before but I was pleasantly surprised.The plot is simple. We follow Jessica, two months after being caught up and hurt in a terrorist attack as she tried to find and accept her new normal. She meets Keir who’s the only person who doesn’t treat her like the poster girl for survival and things take off from there. The plot of this story is pretty nonexistent, mostly because this is a romance and that’s the basis of this story. It was cute to read and slow building and I enjoyed it in general. The conflict on the other hand was really easy to spot, with a predictable climax and too quick of a resolve. It developed in a way where I knew how things were going to go and yet it took a long time for it to really blow up, almost at 80% of the novel which then led to it being resolved way too quickly. Time passes of course but the way it’s written makes it seem like it doesn’t so overall it just felt too easy after it had been built up for so long. My favorite part of this story is the way PTSD is portrayed. Sometimes books exaggerate the symptoms or aren’t taken seriously enough but not in this book. In this book, it’s taken seriously and it shows different examples of how it can manifest in different people. There are a few different characters who have PTSD in this book for various different reasons and the best part is that’s it’s therapy positive. I loved that it didn’t shy away from showing the symptoms and how tough it is to deal with and process. I really loved that.
Jessica was nice. I liked her determination and her self-awareness. She didn’t take her PTSD or her injuries lying down. Instead she made steps to get and feel better as soon as she could. However, she had a tendency to give herself pity parties which considering the circumstances are totally realistic and definitely shouldn’t have had to be stilted every time they happened. It’s absolutely okay to be really freaking pissed with a crazy soldier shots your leg apart. And it’s totally okay to feel sorry for yourself sometimes. I kind of wished I felt more for her or felt more from her but I think that was in part because of the writing style which didn’t really portray emotions in this book too strongly. Keir is frustrating as hell, sweet as chocolate and super understanding. And yet he was a big liar the entire time! It was super painful to know that he could just easily tell the truth and the whole conflict of the book could be moot. It was really predictable the way things played out but I have to say that I was really charmed by his personality and the way he worked to get Jessica back into his life.
Overall, this book was good. The plot was predictable considering the kind of conflict and that it revolved around the romance but it’s enjoyable. The main characters were interesting and complex and I loved how PTSD was portrayed and handled in each of the personal cases. I wish the side characters would’ve had more time to shine and more development. However, I am going to read the rest of the books in the (sort of) McGregors companion series.
elisabeth_julia's review
5.0
Here comes another favourite romance novel written by Karina Halle. The Debt focusses on Keir who is my favourite MacGregor in the series. Once again Halle proves that she can write nuanced characters and make her reader’s hearts bleed for them.
Jessica and Keir are two broken people who meet at a pub in Edinburgh. They are – of course – immediately attracted to each other, fall in love and go on a road trip together in the Scottish highlands. If only there wasn’t a big bad guilty secret between them.
I loved the Scottish setting, I loved Keir and I loved all the drama and heart ache. This one was the perfect romance novel for me!
Jessica and Keir are two broken people who meet at a pub in Edinburgh. They are – of course – immediately attracted to each other, fall in love and go on a road trip together in the Scottish highlands. If only there wasn’t a big bad guilty secret between them.
I loved the Scottish setting, I loved Keir and I loved all the drama and heart ache. This one was the perfect romance novel for me!
readfrenzy's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Go ahead and call me a skeptic. I read [b:The Pact|23844390|The Pact|Karina Halle|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1418886372s/23844390.jpg|43454866] and [b:The Offer|25479422|The Offer|Karina Halle|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1430914492s/25479422.jpg|45251354], and I confess I’m in the minority of people who didn’t care for either. I’d all but given up on the McGregor series. In fact, I was thisclose to not reading The Debt, but some friends encouraged me by saying the series keeps getting better and better. I decided to take a chance on this book—fully prepared for disappointment mind you—and it really paid off.
You can tell Karina Halle put a great deal of thought and time into developing two amazingly sympathetic characters. When Jessica and Keir meet, it’s surprising how very similar they are. Both are with dealing PTSD—albeit in different ways. Jessica was a victim of a terrorist attack, leaving her physically impaired, so her scars are more visible. However, Keir’s wounds are no less real. In addition, the choices they made in the past have resulted in emotional devastation in the present. You wind up with two shattered individuals who are drowning in pain, guilt, and many secrets, but they just may be able to help heal each other’s brokenness.
The Debt is emotional and heartwarming. With fully developed characters and superb plotting, it’s just an overall enjoyable read. For all you fans of the previous McGregor books, I have no doubt that you’ll love The Debt. To those who may have been disappointed before, I say give this book a shot. You just might be pleasantly surprised.
Recommended for fans of:
Survivors
Second chances
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
Go ahead and call me a skeptic. I read [b:The Pact|23844390|The Pact|Karina Halle|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1418886372s/23844390.jpg|43454866] and [b:The Offer|25479422|The Offer|Karina Halle|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1430914492s/25479422.jpg|45251354], and I confess I’m in the minority of people who didn’t care for either. I’d all but given up on the McGregor series. In fact, I was thisclose to not reading The Debt, but some friends encouraged me by saying the series keeps getting better and better. I decided to take a chance on this book—fully prepared for disappointment mind you—and it really paid off.
You can tell Karina Halle put a great deal of thought and time into developing two amazingly sympathetic characters. When Jessica and Keir meet, it’s surprising how very similar they are. Both are with dealing PTSD—albeit in different ways. Jessica was a victim of a terrorist attack, leaving her physically impaired, so her scars are more visible. However, Keir’s wounds are no less real. In addition, the choices they made in the past have resulted in emotional devastation in the present. You wind up with two shattered individuals who are drowning in pain, guilt, and many secrets, but they just may be able to help heal each other’s brokenness.
“I love every broken part of you and how well it fits with every broken part of me.”I appreciated each character’s growth and the steady progression of their love affair. Jessica is a fighter who’s not prone to self-pity. Keir is a strong and compassionate man, and he has some of the smoothest, swoon worthy lines.
“Damsel in distress? Maybe that’s what you fear you are, but I’m telling you it’s not. I’m not attracted to weak girls with tepid hearts and sheltered minds. I want the woman who will wow me, knock me off my feet, make me come after her over and over again just for another second of her time.”Still, I felt frustrated with Keir sometimes, and I wondered how Jessica could pour out her heart to someone who was obviously keeping his own secrets close to the vest. If he’s holding back major parts of himself, how could she fully know and trust him?
“The past is just a place of reference. Nothing more, nothing less. The real question is, what are you going to do going forward.”Yes, he encouraged her, supported her, and loved her, but his unwillingness to take his own advice made him a hypocrite. The thing is Jessica is an entirely different person than I, dealing with a tragedy I can’t begin to understand. Of course she would handle situations differently than I would.
The Debt is emotional and heartwarming. With fully developed characters and superb plotting, it’s just an overall enjoyable read. For all you fans of the previous McGregor books, I have no doubt that you’ll love The Debt. To those who may have been disappointed before, I say give this book a shot. You just might be pleasantly surprised.
Recommended for fans of:
Survivors
Second chances
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
laughlinesandliterature's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know how Karina Halle does it. I simply don't. She churns out amazing book after amazing book, and The Debt is no exception. I loved Jessica and Keir, their story is so heartbreaking from both perspectives. These two are just tragic victims of the same accident, although they are coming from different sides. Reading about the two of them be able to interact with each other, and start to feel something for each other is incredibly heartwarming. These two people are some of the most closed off people I've ever read about, and being able to visualize their closely guarded hearts open was incredibly touching. But there was also heartbreak, and the worst part is I understood both sides. It was a rock and a hard place scenario. It was beautiful and tragic all that same time. Still I have to give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The .5 star dock doesn't have anything to do with the book itself, just that I've read what a Karina Halle 5 star book reads like, and there is something just a little bit missing in this one. Still check out the author because you can't get much better.
__livesbtweenpgs__'s review against another edition
5.0
Give me all the McGregors!
I mean....I seen McGregor and I had to read this IMMEDIATELY! I was not disappointed. I know exactly what it feels like, what they both go through.
Hit hard and deep in the feels but I wouldn't change it. I only want more!
I mean....I seen McGregor and I had to read this IMMEDIATELY! I was not disappointed. I know exactly what it feels like, what they both go through.
Hit hard and deep in the feels but I wouldn't change it. I only want more!
georgilvsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I’m glad I finally I got around to this book as I loved this series! A great contemporary read!
jdmoates23's review against another edition
5.0
Unlike any other book
I loved this book. It was so different and so raw. So many emotions! Karina never disappoints! Must read this!
I loved this book. It was so different and so raw. So many emotions! Karina never disappoints! Must read this!
hijinx_abound's review against another edition
4.0
Karina knows how to write an heartbreaking romance the right way. None of her couples have an easy time but man the books are really good. I loved Jess and Kier. Broken and running from pasts they can’t out run. The way their stories intersected was not something I’d read before and there were several times where I held my breath waiting for the implosion. I love this series and can’t wait to read more by this author.