The Fight for Us by Elizabeth FinnMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Finn’s and THE FIGHT FOR US is just another reason to love her!!
Isaiah and Joss do not meet under the best circumstances. They meet in the principal’s office of their teenage daughters’ high school to discuss the bullying that Natalie, Isaiah’s daughter, has had to endure from Joss’ daughter, Harper. Joss is convinced this could not really be happening because her daughter is not a bully; which only further enrages Isaiah, who moved his daughter to this small island town to escape the horrors of their past. These two parents instantly despise each other, but there’s a fine line between love and hate. The passion between them is undeniable and when they must deal with the demons from their past in order to be together, they must also decide how hard they will fight for each other.
When I first read the blurb for THE FIGHT FOR US, I was convinced that Isaiah was going to be the one with all the baggage. He is definitely damaged, but nothing can compare to the disaster that is the divorce between Joss and her ex-husband, Todd. There are bad divorces and then there’s the relationship between Joss and Todd. He is a NIGHTMARE!! In true Elizabeth Finn fashion, I was left reeling from the revelations and events that take place in this truly gut-wrenching tale of two single parents doing absolutely everything they can to take care of their kids, while realizing their personal lives need some attention for life to be worth living.
Joss has an uncontrollable urge to say whatever pops into her head and it is very entertaining. She usually regrets these outbursts, but they are completely endearing and sometimes comical; especially when you realize her daughter has picked up this trait. This is the first romance novel I’ve read where the leads have teenage kids. Obviously, I need to branch out because this added a unique element to the storyline that I really enjoyed. The teenage girls have plenty of issues themselves and it added to the complexity of the storyline.
The truth about Joss and her ex-husband was really hard to digest (I’m not giving anything away!) and Isaiah had his own problems to worry about. There couldn’t have been two more damaged people to get together.
“I’m not strong enough for you. It takes everything I have to be strong enough for Nat, and most of the time, I don’t think that I am.” He looked at the floor for a moment, swallowing over a lump, and then looked back at her again. “I just don’t have it in me anymore. I’m sorry.”It really doesn’t seem like they can make it. But then again, when they’re together it doesn’t seem like they could be any more perfect for each other.
“Do you really think we can’t get this right?” He placed his hands on top of hers, pinning them to the ledge, and he leaned down to her, letting his cheek touch and taunt her own. He was nuzzling against her ear with his lips - not touching her any more than the lightest caress against her skin. It was tormenting.
“I thought we’d both decided that. You just don’t have it in you, remember?” Her voice trailed off as his lips brushed her skin again.
His response was a warm humming sound that vibrated against her skin. “It feels that was sometimes, but other times…” He hummed again as goose bumps sprang up on her neck. “...well, other times I see you, and I’m suddenly calm and my world feels exceptionally and perfectly simple. I regret that conversation. Half of what I said didn’t even make sense to me. Or, at least I can’t seem to put anything into words correctly.”
There couldn’t be a more perfect title for the story than, THE FIGHT FOR US. It describes exactly what Joss and Isaiah go through for each other. This is a beautifully painful love story that had me hooked from the prologue. Fans of Elizabeth Finn will understand the level of complexity in her stories and if you’ve never read one of her novels, THE FIGHT FOR US is a good place to start.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews by Tickled Pink for Book Ink
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