Review: Absolution by Amanda Dick

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.  


4  Solid Stars!

Review by Allison East 

Second chance romances are one of my favorite types of books to read. I just hate to love them though, because usually someone has to get hurt first, but then they find their way back to one another.

Jack McKenna had a great life, a great girlfriend and a wonderful best friend. Then they got into a car accident, shattering his girlfriend's spine, and messing with his head. Blaming himself for everything, he just disappeared and left his life behind.  For four years, he's been repeatedly punishing himself for the mistake he made. He now spends his time in the ring, fighting the pain away. Only it doesn't help. 

Poor Ally, not only is she trying to start over after the accident, but boyfriend is gone. She has to learn how to cope with being in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. If he would have just stuck around, she would have told him, she didn't blame him for anything- that she loved him and they would get through it! But he didn't, and they are both far apart.

Jack has to return home after a tragedy, and then he is surely going to have to face his demons and see the one person he left behind. I understood where he was coming from, feeling guilty about what happened, feeling guilty for staying away. And I felt so bad for Ally, feeling lost and abandoned, but she honestly had this strength to fight! They had a lot to work through, and I feel like that part was really well written, and it was totally believable. 

This is written as a third person narrative. It was interesting to get some insight into both Ally and Jack's thoughts and minds and how each of them healed differently from the situation that happened, seeing as both were affected, but in different ways. 

I do love that even though this book could have been filled with so much drama and angst, it was kept to a minimum. And that to me, kept it very real to life. Because while certain situations lead to drama, it doesn't always have to go that route. The author seemed to know that, and wrote this story in a realistic manner. 

This story was a slow build, and totally emotional, and I really appreciated that aspect. I really liked the characters and the plot line, and given the opportunity, she is an author I would definitely read again. 


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