Spotlight Review – Against All Odds by Angie McKeon

Synopsis

Our lives shattered… Our hearts broken… Our souls torn to pieces…

He was my world, my whole life. My reason for breathing. I had a perfect marriage, a baby on the way, and I felt fulfilled—almost invincible.

Until the day life hit, leaving me broken, vulnerable, and alone.

She was my life. My ray of hope on the cloudiest day. With her, I thought I had the ultimate safety. A love that would never hurt or betray me. I gave her my heart, my body, and my soul.

Until she broke me, destroying every dream and illusion I had about life, love, and marriage.

In our grief, we made a mistake. A mistake I’m not sure we can come back from.

*A Contemporary Adult Romance novel*

My Review

Against All Odds is the debut novel by Angie McKeon.  Let me begin by telling you this….go grab a tissue, no scratch that – a whole box of tissues before you read this book!  The tears started flowing in the prologue…yup, that early on so be prepared!  When I talked to Jen about the book this was her response

“I was gutted. heart shattered. ripped out. stomped on.  I couldn’t function… sat staring at my kindle, didn’t want to move.  I screamed, I sobbed, I hyperventilated. I called for reinforcements. My emotions were in turmoil. I neglected my family, my household chores… dinner? Takeout!!”

I couldn’t have put it better myself!  Angie McKeon has told us a story about young love, family, the tragedy that tears them apart, and the mistakes they make trying to get back to each other.

I’ll start with Kylie (the first half of the book is all in her POV).  As a mother I felt her pain, I wanted to reach into my Kindle and hug her!  She tries to move on with her life and pick up the pieces but she just can’t move past this and it’s killing her.

“Self loathing is a bad ass motherfucker, and right now, she’s kicking my ass.”

She loves her husband Cooper, we can clearly see that.  You can make judgements based on her behavior (using sex as a solution to her troubles) but you could tell that she wanted things to work out and go back to normal, well most of the time she did (she was a little back and forth depending on the situation).  Kylie still has he doubts that things can ever work again.

“I see two people who can’t live without each other but don’t know how to live with one another.”

Kylie confides in her “best friend” Grayson, who also happens to be Cooper’s best friend.  Grayson is the epitome of hotness….smooth talker, friendly, half sleeve tattoos (I’m a sucker for tats!) and he is ALWAYS there for her.  Yes he may have ulterior motives but good lord was he hot.

She wants to fight for Cooper, however time and time again I felt like she was having her heart broken over and over.  Sadly she begins to think about what they have become….

“We’ve become toxic and deadly to each other.”

As the first half of the book comes to an end we get to finally hear from Cooper.  I was totally 100% team Kylie right up until her POV ended…I had been placing all the blame on Cooper until now.  I can honestly say that I switched teams completely once I started to hear from him.  I still liked Kylie of course, I still had sympathy for her but….well you’ll see when you get there!

“I look at her and try to see the girl I married.  The one I wanted nothing but the best for.  The one I loved with all my heart.”

“She’s always been one of those girls who has this aura, this vivacious energy that draws you in and doesn’t spit you back out.”

I love how he thinks about Kylie.  He really made me change my mind about him.  He speaks with such love and once you really get to know what’s going on in his you will understand him so much more.  Cooper finally gets his head out of his ass in this part.

“I don’t think we’ve ever let each other go, but I’m ready to find you, find us if you’ll give me a chance.”

We see repeatedly just how much these two mean to each other.  Their love is evident in what they say.

“You’re addictive, Kylie.  I love the way you smell, the way you feel, the look in your eyes when you stare at me.  I love making love to you.  I love it all and I want it again and again and again.  I can’t keep my hands off you.  I’m sorry for being an asshole.  I’m sorry for hurting you.”

“I love you.  I’m addicted to you.  Sometimes that love borders on toxic.  I require you like blood, like air.  It’s not normal, and it hasn’t been since the moment you hit me with those emerald eyes that have infiltrated every part of my body.”

But is their addiction going to be strong enough to overcome the toxicity that has come to define their relationship?  As much as I loved this story I had a tough time with the second half of the book.  I felt like I saw a Cooper that I wanted to see all along….where was he when Kylie really needed him!?  Is this new Cooper going to be enough to get her back or is he fighting a losing battle?

My lips are sealed!  I really hope you will take this ride of ups and downs, loops and twists and have your heart ripped out along with me….and I say that will complete sincerity!  Really….this is a book that will make you feel so many different emotions you don’t want to miss it.

About the Author

A multi-tasker from birth—and now proudly able to add ‘writer’ to my resume—I’m a mother, wife and blogger. I love to read, write and drink copious amounts of iced coffee.

All three aforementioned addictions are detrimental to my sanity.

I have a voracious appetite for dark, painful and twisted reads. I’m enamored with the concept of love and heart break. I believe life is a journey, a tale in its own for each of us. The road to happiness is sometimes paved with stones from hell, or glitters of satisfaction graced from the heavens above.

In my upcoming debut novel, ‘Against All Odds,’ I strive to make you feel. I believe any emotion—whether painful or happy—is good. To me, the key to living is to go through life feeling its ups and downs. Love is dark and it can be painful but, at the end of the day, it can save the most lost of souls and the most broken of hearts.

Connect with Angie McKeon

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