Reviewed by Angie on
Even though I didn't get off to the best start with this series, the cliffhanger ending of the first book did have me curious about The Redemption of Callie and Kayden. Unfortunately, I think I could have done without it. I feel like their story could have been finished in a single book, especially since both of them are so repetitive. A lot could have been cut out and then combined. Everything felt so dragged out and unnecessary. I appreciate that the author went deep into both Callie and Kayden's issues, but she also added in way too much filler to stretch it into two books. This book deals a lot more with both of them finally coming to terms with what has happened to them, letting go, and moving on with their lives as individuals and as a couple. I did feel a bit more of an emotional connection to this one, but there was still more that I didn't like than of what I did.
The Redemption of Callie and Kayden picks up with Kayden in the hospital, not being allowed any visitors as he's deemed unstable and a danger to himself. His self-mutilation really comes to light in this sequel, but I'm a little upset that we didn't more of him healing from this. We only get him snapping rubberbands, but nothing else. The focus is really on his father's abuse and how it's affecting how he forms relationships, particularly romantic ones where emotions run high. Kayden spends a lot of the book self-loathing and saying that Callie deserves better and that she should stay away from him for her own good, and yet he makes out with her EVERY chance he gets. He also pulls the "let's just be friends" card constantly, meanwhile having lots of sex with her. His back and forth was very annoying.
In addition to Kayden's flip-flopping, the story became very repetitive since several scenes are told twice. Once from Callie's POV, then again from Kayden's. They're not verbatim, but they're essentially the same, and it threw me off every single time a scene was repeated. I ended up skimming the beginning of chapters to avoid the unwanted deja vu. I love multiple POVs, but I hate it when authors feel the need to repeat the ending scene of one character at the beginning of the next character's. It doesn't add anything other than extra words and frustration.
I'm not sure why the author felt the need to split Callie and Kayden's story into two books. Too much of The Redemption of Callie and Kayden felt like filler material. The repetitiveness of the first book returns and multiplies in this one, so I ended up skimming a lot. I thought I would like this one more since Callie had already made progress, so I wouldn't be annoyed with her sections like I was in The Coincidence, and I was partially right. Now Kayden was the problem, since he couldn't make up his mind about anything. I'm quite disappointed, since I've loved the other books I read by this author. I'll definitely still read her books, since I know she can write a great story. Callie and Kayden's relationship just didn't connect with me, but I'm hopeful about Luke and Violet.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 25 August, 2013: Finished reading
- 25 August, 2013: Reviewed