Kate McCarthy

FIGHTING ABSOLUTION by KATE McCARTHY

September 11, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Fighting Absolution by Kate McCarthy

Release Date: September 10, 2019

Fighting Absolution, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by USA Today Bestselling author Kate McCarthy.

At fifteen, Jamie Murphy finds herself broken and alone, convinced she doesn’t need anyone.

Until she does.

Bear is the boy behind the fence, the one who was there for her when no one else was.

Until he’s not.

Left with nothing, Jamie joins the army hoping it will give her purpose. The last thing she expects is the best friend from her past to reappear in the dusty plains of a war-torn country. No longer the boy she once knew, Bear is now a man: big, bearded, and SAS—one of the army’s elite.

Soon Jamie finds herself not only fighting against her enemies, but her feelings for a man who left her once before. Can she risk losing him all over again?

Fighting Absolution is a friends to lovers romance and features characters from Fighting Redemption, but is written as a standalone.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YkqAtT

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/FightingAbsolution

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2NZNUco

My Review:

“I wish I met you under different circumstances. And that I could be your first kiss. Maybe one day I’ll regret that I wasn’t. In fact, I’m pretty sure I already do.”

What an emotional and sexy story! Kate McCarthy writes amazing military romance. Her earlier book ‘Fighting Redemption’ is one of my favorites so I was anxiously awaiting the release of her latest book. This story combines a coming-of-age story with an emotional romance for a beautifully written story.

Jamie Murphy is growing up in the foster care system after losing her father in a horrific accident that left her both physically and emotionally scarred. She is lonely, withdrawn and shy. All of that changes one day, when she meets a new friend across the fence. They don’t know anything about each other but her new friend, who she calls “Bear”, gives her confidence and someone to confide in.

Bear disappears suddenly and Jamie learns he has enlisted in the Army. She did not get a chance to say goodbye in person, and is heartbroken at his departure. Jamie also eventually enlists in the military and leaves for Afghanistan. She has always had a fighting spirit, instilled in her by her beloved father. Heartbreak and the horrors of war follow. But Jamie has never forgotten her beloved Bear.

“I gave you two years, Bear. That’s more than enough time. Now it’s time to join the world again, just like you told me.”

I loved Jamie’s fighting spirit and her beautiful and caring soul. The relationships in this book are all carefully crafted and not rushed. All of the characters are well-developed and of course, the plot was completely creative and surprising. An Epilogue can make or break a book for me, and this one was perfection! Overall, another lovely and emotional romance with very memorable characters. from Kate McCarthy.

“Home is wherever you are.”

Excerpt:

After an early night, I wake in the morning with my body sagging into the ground. “What the hell?”

I roll and flail, my air mattress squeaking like a little bitch.

Bear laughs and I turn. He’s watching me, thoroughly amused. “I’m not here for your entertainment,” I hiss, my back aching from an uncomfortable sleep.

“Someone needs her coffee.”

“Did you poke a hole in my mattress?”

“No, but there’s something poking a hole in my—”

“For the love of god!” I rise up, the knife from beneath my pillow in hand. “I’m gonna stab yours just for that.”

“No!” He laughs, half-rising from his own bed, warding me off with his massive paws. “That damn thing is probably why you woke up on the ground.”

I lunge across the tent, my knife jabbing straight into his inflatable mattress. It tears a long, deep gash in the corner. Air hisses out in a wheezy rush. “What in the actual fuck?” he shouts, falling back with a stunned laugh. “You’re such a bitch!”

The knife drops from my hand, and I double over, gasping with laughter while the airbed deflates around him, sinking him slowly to the ground.

“Now neither of us have a bed!”

“Oh well.” I tuck my knife away. “We can start on those bottles of red tonight until we can’t feel a damn thing, and then it won’t matter.”

I unzip the tent and step out, my jaw cracking from a yawn that stretches my face. “Bring me coffee!” he orders from inside the tent.

I turn my head, sneaking a glance his way. He’s standing over his duffel bag, clad in nothing but a tight pair of bright blue cotton boxer-briefs. It’s almost a physical punch. I linger a moment before I look away, back to the ocean, trying to dispel the image, but my mind won’t let it go. The wide, muscled shoulders, his tattooed arms, the thick washboard abs, his body scarred from combat and a lifetime of hard and heavy training.

I shiver with a sense of longing and have to remind myself that it’s just Bear as I start on the coffee. The same Bear who laughed his ass off when I tripped on the edge of the jetty in Broome and fell in the water. The one who snores like a freight train after one too many beers. The one slowly turning into a mountain man because he hasn’t shaved since we left. The very same Bear who tips his head back each night in his camp chair and makes me scratch his head with my nails while he sits there and whimpers like a little girl.

About Kate:

Kate is the USA Today Bestselling Author of The End Game and Goodreads Nominee for Best Contemporary Romance Fighting Redemption, and the Give Me series.

When she’s not plotting or writing, she works as a financial officer.

Kate has two mini me’s (both bookworms to her delight), three Dachshunds named Petie, Maximus and Thor, and a fish named Cash (who unfortunately suffers resting bitch face). She lives in Brisbane, Australia and decided to miraculously stop ageing at 30.

Connect with Kate:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateMcCarthyAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMacinOz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkatemccarthy/

Website: https://katemccarthy.net/

Release Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: THE END GAME by KATE McCARTHY

September 8, 2015

Title: The End Game

Author: Kate McCarthy

Release Date: September 8, 2015

Blurb

“Professional athletes are
pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys
and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively
represents their community.”

The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone
fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that
better than I do. What started out as a promising career in college football,
spiraled into scandal and shame.

But being a hero is easier said then done.
Especially when there are those who expected to see the great Brody Madden
fail. I craved nothing except being the best—willing to do anything to prove
them wrong. But I went too far, and I tried too hard, and it broke me.

“At the time of going to print,
Jordan Elliott was unavailable for comment.”

I met Brody Madden in my senior year of college. An
Australian native on an international scholarship, I was the female soccer
sensation with stars in her eyes and no room for a hotshot wide receiver with a
chip on his shoulder.

But a heart bursting with ambition and a driving
fire to succeed isn’t made of stone. I became his strength, his obsession, and
the greatest love of his life. Only I wasn’t there when he needed me most.

This is a story about love and a game that takes
everything. Where the path to glory is paved with sacrifice. Where pressure
makes you, or breaks you, and triumph is born in the ashes of failure. Where
two people’s end game will change everything.

ADD TO GOODREADS

READ THE PROLOGUE NOW

Purchase Links

99c

AMAZON US / UK / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS
SMASHWORDS

Excerpt

Shutting the door, I walk up the slight incline behind Brody. He sits down at the top of the crest and pats the grassy spot beside him.

“You didn’t mention this part when you explained our date.”

“I can’t give away all my secrets now, can I?”

The grass is a thick blanket on the ground and when I stretch out flat, the rich, earthy scent of soil sweeps over me. My eyes lift to the sky and that’s when I get it. It’s perfectly clear and millions of stars are scattered diamonds twinkling above us—bright and magical.

“Besides,” Brody adds as he lies down beside me and sweeps out his arm, encompassing all of it. “How do you explain that?”

He’s right. You can’t. “It’s beautiful.”

“Is this what the stars are like for you back home?”

“No. Back home it’s different.”

“Different how?”

Homesickness swamps me. As beautiful as Texas is, it’s not Australia. Somehow the stars are always brighter where you belong. “Because there’s no place like home.”

“You’re wrong.”

I turn my head and stare at Brody. He’s not looking at me. His head is tilted toward the sky, eyes riveted on the beauty above him. My gaze follows the line of his profile. From the curl of his hair to the perfect line of his nose, down to the mouth I want kissing me right this very instant.

“Home’s not a place where you live. It’s a feeling.” His hand nudges my own. An invitation. I twine my fingers with his and he squeezes them lightly. “Whether it’s where you are, like the football field, or who you’re with.” Brody turns his head, looking at me when he says that. It’s comforting because it unites us somehow, like it’s slowly becoming us against the world. “You can be anywhere, Jordan. Home will follow you if you follow your heart.”

My breath hitches from the beautiful simplicity of his words. Before I can talk myself out of it, I roll over and straddle him. My knees hug his hips, and he stares up at me from my seated position. My pulse pounds a heavy beat in the silence. Thump, thump, thump. It’s so loud in my ears I’m sure he can hear it.

“Show me,” I breathe. A gleam lights his dark eyes, and he sucks his lower lip inside his mouth. He knows what I’m asking, but I spell it out anyway. “Show me one of those wicked things.”

In a move that steals the air from my lungs, he takes both my hands and pulls me down against the broad width of his chest. I’m rolled over and underneath him before I can blink. The squirm in my hips is instinctive, the ache between my thighs relentless.

“Careful what you ask for,” Brody says roughly, every exquisite inch of his body pressing down on mine.

“Why?”

His lips curve. “Because when I give it to you, it won’t be enough.”

My fingers trail down the side of his face, grazing the firm jaw, cupping his cheek in my palm. Foreboding swamps me. I’m falling hard into uncharted territory, and all I see is a broken mess at the end. How is this going to end well for either of us?

“You’re an arrogant man, Brody Madden,” I whisper.

He brings his face to mine, so close I see the brilliant gold in his eyes, like flecks of light in the dark. “And you, Jordan Elliott, will be the woman who brings me to my knees,” he whispers against my lips.

“Show me,” I beg on a shaky breath.

Brody’s lashes lower and he presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. I tilt my chin upwards, inviting more. Rather than take my lips like I ache for him to do, he shifts sideways and begins nipping at my jaw. His breath is a rasp when he reaches my earlobe, taking it between his teeth. A sharp pinch from his bite forces a whimper from my throat.

“More?” he asks, drawing back to look at me.

“Is that even a real question?”

Brody chuckles as I slide my hand up and around his nape, dragging his mouth down to mine. He groans and kisses me gently, once, and then twice.

“Brody,” I whisper, and he kisses me again, forcing my mouth open hard like he can’t hold himself in check anymore. My hair is loose and he fists chunks of it in both hands while his tongue rubs against mine, hot and aggressive. It’s almost too much, and when I jerk away I’m left gasping.

Brody doesn’t pause. He ducks his head to my neck, his tongue tasting its way down. He finds my pulse point and sucks. It’s fierce and my back arches involuntarily. His mouth shifts further down, moving on before he leaves a mark.

Sitting up, he takes the neckline of my dress in both hands. Five dainty buttons hold it together. A single wrench will rip the flimsy fabric in two. He pauses and looks at me, inhaling raggedly. “Jordan … I don’t want to ruin it.”

My brow furrows. I glance to the hands poised on my dress. They’re tense, veins straining under his skin. My head is lost in a fog when my gaze returns to his face. “Ruin my dress?”

Brody groans, a deep sound of regret and frustration. “Us.”

“You don’t want to ruin us?”

He draws his hands away from the neckline of my dress. “No.”

“How would you do that?”

“I don’t know. I just get this feeling I’m going to.” He shifts away, moving off me and rolling to his back. I turn my head. Brody’s gaze is back on the stars. I watch his throat work as he swallows, the pulse in his neck pounding visibly. “All I’ve ever wanted is to be the best. Whatever it takes. I’ll do anything. That’s how I’ll ruin us, Jordan. How can something so sweet survive a sentiment so dark?”

I roll to my side, holding my head in my hand. Cupping his face with the other, I nudge gently until he’s looking at me. “I won’t let you.”

Brody’s voice is urgent, his eyes fierce. “Promise me.”

I can’t shake the apprehension. It’s set in my bones and when I speak it feels like a lie. “I promise.”

Author Bio

Kate McCarthy is an Australian, living in the pretty sunshine state of
Queensland with her two kids and two dogs, Rufus and Pete.

She
loves to bake sweet stuff and eat it too. With an exciting degree in business,
she works as an accountant by day, and an author by night. In between family
life, she is most often found in bed reading, or at the beach, still reading.

Author Links

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
WEBSITE
GOODREADS

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pre-Order Blitz + Excerpt: THE END GAME by KATE McCARTHY

August 28, 2015

Title: The End Game

Author: Kate McCarthy

Release Date: September 8, 2015

Blurb

“At the time of going to print,
Jordan Elliott was unavailable for comment.”

ADD TO GOODREADS

READ THE PROLOGUE NOW

Pre-order Links

99c

AMAZON US / UK / AU
SMASHWORDS

Author Bio

Kate McCarthy is an Australian, living in the pretty sunshine state of
Queensland with her two kids and two dogs, Rufus and Pete.

Author Links

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
WEBSITE
GOODREADS

Review & Giveaway: Give Me Grace (Give Me #3) by Kate McCarthy

July 18, 2014

Title: Give Me Grace
Series: Give Me #3
Author: Kate McCarthy

Release Date: July 10, 2014

SYNOPSIS

Casey Daniels has a past forged in Hell. Despite the friends,
the endless supply of women, and the muscle car he spent years restoring, it
still eats away at him.

Grace Paterson is in Sydney as a temporary bassist for Jamieson,
the band Casey handles security for. She’s also infuriating, off-limits, and
completely irresistible.

A deal is struck, and despite their intense and powerful
connection, both think it will be easy to walk away. But life can be more
ruthless than either of them ever imagined. Not only does Grace have a secret
she’s desperate to keep, Casey has questions from his past that he’s willing to
do anything to get answers for.

It’s not until someone wants one of them dead that Casey
realises his love for Grace is the one thing he could never walk away from.

In a story of revenge, betrayal, secrets, and love, Casey will need to
reconcile his past with his present, before the future he never knew he wanted
is snatched away.

ADD TO GOODREADS

ELLEN’S REVIEW

Wow! I love this series but this is my favorite book. I absolutely love Casey! Although this is part of the Give Me Series, it can be read as a standalone. However, Kate McCarthy is such a talented writer that you should really read these books in order to really enjoy them and the characters.

Casey and Grace took me on a roller-coaster from the very beginning. He is hired to provide security for her when she returns home to play in her brother’s band. She is a model and is tall, “slim” and gorgeous. The two of them have instant fireworks and I loved their back-and-forther banter! The story is filled with lots of emotion and lots of action and is a wild ride from beginning to end.

Casey is sexy, totally overprotective, stubborn and hiding a deep-rooted sadness. As usual, Kate McCarthy has written THE most amazing sex scenes and very deeply-felt characters. Give Me Grace has it all! And now I can’t wait for Mac’s story! I hope we don’t have to wait long! Favorite quote (of many!):

“You’re fast becoming my world, Grace, and that world is a place I never want to leave.”

(ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review)

LINKS TO BUY

Amazon US
Amazon UK

ALSO AVAILABLE

#1 Give Me Love

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

#2 Give Me Strength

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

EXCERPT

I slipped out the front door, letting it softly click shut behind me. Casey was sitting in his car, staring straight ahead as I walked down the drive. Opening the car door, I slid inside and shut it. He didn’t acknowledge my presence, or even look at me at all. He simply shifted gears, and with a quick glance in his rearview mirror, pulled out onto the road.

I clicked my seat belt into place. “Casey?”

With a hard swallow, he shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road as we drove. Despite his controlled composure, his face was pale and tension surrounded him like an aura.

“Casey, you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry.” Our eyes met for a brief moment, the connection intense. Raw pain flickered in his eyes before it was quickly banked. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”

His palm slid over my bare thigh, riding upwards as he continued to drive. The touch sent arousal spiking through me, but not enough to override the concern.

“Where are we going?”

He shook his head as if he had no clue. After a moment, he replied, “I want to drive, but I don’t want to be alone. I want to be with you.”

My eyes fixed on his profile as he drove. The knuckles of his right hand were white on the steering wheel and his jaw tight. Something wasn’t right. In fact, something was very wrong. I slid my hand over his, my pulse racing when he flipped his palm over and grabbed hold.

“Casey?”

He glanced over at me.

“I want to be with you too.”

His answer was a squeeze of my hand before letting go.

We sat in silence as he drove. I stared at the dashboard, having no idea what to do or say or how to fix what was wrong.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Sure.” A smile came to his lips. It was forced because it never reached his eyes. “Just a bad day at work, you know?”

“No, I don’t know. Maybe you should tell me.”

The roads were eerily quiet when he pulled to a stop at a red light. “I don’t want to talk right now.” His hand fell on my thigh again, the calloused palm scraping my skin as it slipped upwards. Reaching between my thighs, he dragged my panties to the side and slipped his fingers inside, gently massaging my clit and dragging a moan from my throat. He leaned over, putting his mouth on my ear, his breathing coming harder and heavier.

“I want to fuck you, Grace. Not just tonight, but every night,” he professed, his fingers working me expertly. The red light turned green, but with no cars around, Casey ignored it. “Hard enough for it to hurt, so that when you leave, me fucking you is the only thing you can think about.”

I closed my eyes, my head falling back against the headrest. I wanted him to fuck me that hard. I wanted to feel him inside me even when he wasn’t there, but not like this. Not when he was using sex to mask a hurt so painful and deep I could feel the ache of it surrounding me until I felt suffocated.

“No,” I gasped.

He froze at the single word, his hand stilling instantly.

“There’s something wrong, Casey. I can feel it.”

His hand slipped out of my panties and I mourned the loss. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he snapped.

Tension bled into the car as he put it in gear and accelerated swiftly. My eyes burned. When we were good, it was wild and intense and consuming, but we always spiralled into such a hot mess. I wasn’t sure if Casey and I would ever find a happy medium.

Drawing a deep breath, I forced calm. “Maybe you should take me home.”

“No.”

My brows flew up. “No?”

“No.” He shook his head, his tone cold and harsh. “This was your deal, and now you want to turn it into some kind of relationship? That’s not what this is. This is about you and me and sex. So maybe you should spread your legs so we can both get what we want.”

AUTHOR BIO

Kate
McCarthy grew up in a small town outside of Port Macquarie, Australia. Raised
in a house just a short walk to the beach, Kate enjoyed the peaceful, relaxed
atmosphere and friendships that come from being raised in a friendly, small
town area.

She now
resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she
works as an accountant, along with a sideline wedding cake business and her
writing.

She is
married with two children, has two dogs and house in the suburbs, and a pile of
friends and family dotted all over the country that help keep her sane.

When she’s
not busy running after naughty kids, filthy dogs, crunching numbers, piping
buttercream and writing books, you can find her curled up in bed in the early
hours of the morning reading new books and re-reading old favourites. Her
favourite books are the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward in which
she longs to eventually join the brotherhood and change her name to Phierce
Mutha.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

BLOG

GOODREADS

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: Give Me Grace
Series: Give Me #3
Author: Kate McCarthy

Release Date: July 10, 2014

~~~

Cover Design: Okay Creations

Photograph: Scott Hoover
Photography

Cover
Model: Colby Lefebvre

SYNOPSIS

Casey Daniels has a past forged in Hell. Despite the friends,
the endless supply of women, and the muscle car he spent years restoring, it
still eats away at him.

Grace Paterson is in Sydney as a temporary bassist for Jamieson,
the band Casey handles security for. She’s also infuriating, off-limits, and
completely irresistible.

It’s not until someone wants one of them dead that Casey
realises his love for Grace is the one thing he could never walk away from.

In a story of revenge, betrayal, secrets, and love, Casey will need to
reconcile his past with his present, before the future he never knew he wanted
is snatched away.

ADD TO GOODREADS

AVAILABLE NOW

#1 Give Me Love

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

#2 Give Me Strength

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

EXCERPT

Cooper topped my wine glass again without
missing a beat.

I glanced sideways. “Are you trying to get
me drunk?”

He leaned in, whispering, “Yes. Is it
working? You seem a bit edgy.”

That was because my body was craving sex.
Lots of it. With Casey. A quick glance across the table found him watching our
exchange intently.

Between the revolving front door of the
duplex and his roommate, finding privacy was going to be more complex than long
division. He would either have to climb a ladder to my window or sex was going
to happen in the back of his car, and because he was yet to mention anything
about the damaged backseat, that option was off the table. The man was either
biding his time or he hadn’t seen it yet. Considering I was still alive, I was
voting for the latter, but it was only a matter of time.

Focusing on my plate, I picked up a piece
of chicken and peeled the skin away. “Can you pass me a napkin?” I asked Mac on
my left and licked my finger.

My phone vibrated in the pocket of my
dress as she handed it over. Pulling it out, I saw a text message from Casey. I
glanced at him across the table but he appeared in deep conversation with
Travis. Swiping a finger across the splintered screen, I read the message.

Do
that again.

Do what
again? Lick my finger? I put my phone down, and after a quick glance around the
table, I slid my finger in my mouth, sucking gently before dragging it slowly
from between my lips. Finished with the slightly erotic display, I glanced over
at Casey. His eyes were locked on my mouth, dark with hunger. Wincing slightly,
he reached down and with a quick, casual movement, adjusted himself in his
pants.

I quickly tapped out a return message.

Do
that again.

He did.

After reading my reply, he actually
reached down, cupped the bulge in his pants and squeezed. My entire body
clenched at the sight, forcing a light sweat to break out across my brow. I
reached for the wine Cooper poured, feeling the urge to rub the ice-cold glass
soothingly across my forehead.

After downing another half glass, I set it
down and caught Casey intent on his phone, his fingers tapping away.

This was sexting? How did people survive
it?

Mac was talking to me when my phone
eventually alerted the incoming message. After taking a bite of chicken, I
picked it up and promptly began choking.

If
my cock looks half as good as your finger did the way it slid in and out of
your mouth, then I want in.

Mac pounded me on the back with surprising
force while I choked and wheezed. Jesus.
The message basically said blow me now,
yet he’d managed to word in such a way that I was ready to get on my knees
right then and there. The man could charm the panties off a nun. I put my phone
down to grab at the napkin Cooper waved in my face. Casey sat across from the
table laughing at me while I dabbed at my watery eyes.

I narrowed my gaze on him with deliberate
intent before I tapped out another message.

You
said you were good with your tongue, Casey. Prove it.

Travis was talking to him when he opened
the message. I watched his eyes flare wide before he typed out a quick reply
and pocketed his phone.

Upstairs.
You’ve got five minutes.

I should’ve known better than to issue a
challenge to Casey of all people. He was the type of man you saw running
towards danger while everyone else was running in the opposite direction.

I utilised a good three
minutes eating another piece of chicken, finishing off my wine and getting
caught in conversation with Cooper. I spent another minute wondering what the
hell I’d gotten myself into. In the last minute left, I excused myself from the
table and stood on unsteady legs. I glanced behind me as I walked inside. Casey
was laughing at some comment Travis made that I didn’t quite catch. His eyes
met mine for a split second as he said something in reply, and they were on
fire. That was all it took to know I’d never wanted anything more in my life
than I wanted him right now.

AUTHOR BIO

She now
resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she
works as an accountant, along with a sideline wedding cake business and her
writing.

She is
married with two children, has two dogs and house in the suburbs, and a pile of
friends and family dotted all over the country that help keep her sane.

AUTHOR LINKS