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A review by caseroo7
The Redemption of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
4.0
The Redemption of Callie & Kayden is the second book in the Coincidence Series by Jessica Sorensen. It picks up right after the first book, and should only be read if you have already read the first one. After having read several of Jessica Sorensen's books, I have become a huge fan of hers. I really love how complex her characters are. She always manages to write about interesting characters who are a bit damaged and need to overcome something. Callie and Kayden immediately became two of my favorites after I first read about them. I loved both of them and was invested in their story from the start. I liked this book and I am glad that we got more of them, but I didn't think that this book was as good as the first.
Kayden is in a dark place after the events of the last book. He is left broken and feeling worse about himself and his relationship with Callie. He does his best to push her away because he believes that she deserves better. His family continues to make his life horrible, and on top of that he is also facing charges after beating up Caleb. Callie's parents don't know what all happened with Kayden or why he beat up Caleb, but they are determined to convince her to stay away from him. Callie however is determined to be there for Kayden and convince him that they belong together regardless of what her parents or he thinks. As Callie and Kayden start to face their past and recover, they begin to see that the future won't always be easy and that they are stronger together. But what will happen when everything from their pasts is revealed and the truth is found out? Can Callie and Kayden continue to help each other heal while also moving forward with their relationship?
I still really like both Callie and Kayden. They are definitely characters that draw you in and make you fall in love with them. I think part of what draws me to them is that they are so real and vulnerable. They aren't perfect and yet their flaws are what make them exactly who they are. This book was less about their romance and relationship and more about their growth and healing. I felt like because of that, this book wasn't as enjoyable as the last book even though I still liked this one. Even though we do get some great moments with Callie and Kayden, this book really centered on them dealing with their pasts and the fallout that comes with the truth being revealed. I was looking for a bit more of their relationship and the connection that they were forging rather than just their individual growth. I felt like we started to get more of that after about the halfway point. It would have been nice to get a bit more of them together rather than to have to deal with Kayden pushing Callie away for so long.
The other thing that really sort of hurt how I viewed this book was the ending. It was extremely abrupt and left me feeling as though I was unsatisfied. I know that there are more books coming in this series, but it was left pretty unresolved and that bothered me. I think if there would have been a real cliffhanger, it almost would have been better. I am the first to admit that I hate a cliffhanger, but at least with that you know there is more to come and that everything will be resolved. I was left feeling as though there was something that I was missing. It just stopped, and I felt like maybe I had missed something. I really hope that we get more resolution to Callie and Kayden's story in the future. I think that they characters deserve to have their happy ending and I would love to see where they end up. Besides those criticisms though, I really felt like this was a good read. It was a great addition to the series, and I can't wait to get to know Luke better. I have liked him from the start, and I am really interested to see where his story is headed. Seth was one of the things that I really liked about this book. I absolutely love his and Callie's relationship. He is such a great friend to her and his support is something that we all hope to find in a friend. Overall, this book is definitely worth checking out if you have read the first book. Even though I thought the first book was better, this one definitely has me interested in continuing with the series and seeing where Jessica Sorensen takes these characters.
**ARC Provided by NetGalley**
Kayden is in a dark place after the events of the last book. He is left broken and feeling worse about himself and his relationship with Callie. He does his best to push her away because he believes that she deserves better. His family continues to make his life horrible, and on top of that he is also facing charges after beating up Caleb. Callie's parents don't know what all happened with Kayden or why he beat up Caleb, but they are determined to convince her to stay away from him. Callie however is determined to be there for Kayden and convince him that they belong together regardless of what her parents or he thinks. As Callie and Kayden start to face their past and recover, they begin to see that the future won't always be easy and that they are stronger together. But what will happen when everything from their pasts is revealed and the truth is found out? Can Callie and Kayden continue to help each other heal while also moving forward with their relationship?
I still really like both Callie and Kayden. They are definitely characters that draw you in and make you fall in love with them. I think part of what draws me to them is that they are so real and vulnerable. They aren't perfect and yet their flaws are what make them exactly who they are. This book was less about their romance and relationship and more about their growth and healing. I felt like because of that, this book wasn't as enjoyable as the last book even though I still liked this one. Even though we do get some great moments with Callie and Kayden, this book really centered on them dealing with their pasts and the fallout that comes with the truth being revealed. I was looking for a bit more of their relationship and the connection that they were forging rather than just their individual growth. I felt like we started to get more of that after about the halfway point. It would have been nice to get a bit more of them together rather than to have to deal with Kayden pushing Callie away for so long.
The other thing that really sort of hurt how I viewed this book was the ending. It was extremely abrupt and left me feeling as though I was unsatisfied. I know that there are more books coming in this series, but it was left pretty unresolved and that bothered me. I think if there would have been a real cliffhanger, it almost would have been better. I am the first to admit that I hate a cliffhanger, but at least with that you know there is more to come and that everything will be resolved. I was left feeling as though there was something that I was missing. It just stopped, and I felt like maybe I had missed something. I really hope that we get more resolution to Callie and Kayden's story in the future. I think that they characters deserve to have their happy ending and I would love to see where they end up. Besides those criticisms though, I really felt like this was a good read. It was a great addition to the series, and I can't wait to get to know Luke better. I have liked him from the start, and I am really interested to see where his story is headed. Seth was one of the things that I really liked about this book. I absolutely love his and Callie's relationship. He is such a great friend to her and his support is something that we all hope to find in a friend. Overall, this book is definitely worth checking out if you have read the first book. Even though I thought the first book was better, this one definitely has me interested in continuing with the series and seeing where Jessica Sorensen takes these characters.
**ARC Provided by NetGalley**