bookwormbetty's review against another edition
5.0
OMG...so good. If you love angst, like I do, you will want to read this. These two are like water and oil, they don't mix. They are young babies, and are having a baby. As the mother of a teenage mom, I can tell you I felt this book. This book is so raw in its angst of what it is like to go through that. It's heart wrenching.
The characters are very well developed and the plot line is too. The world is a messy place and they learn that young. I think all the young mothers in the world would like this book. The development of the characters as the book goes on is key. There is so much going on in both their lives, and that they fought for each other, and continued on and on, through all the hard times was amazing. This story is told is dual pov, and I couldn't put it down.
The characters are very well developed and the plot line is too. The world is a messy place and they learn that young. I think all the young mothers in the world would like this book. The development of the characters as the book goes on is key. There is so much going on in both their lives, and that they fought for each other, and continued on and on, through all the hard times was amazing. This story is told is dual pov, and I couldn't put it down.
kfriend's review against another edition
4.0
I just love Monica Murphy’s young love/new adult stories- stories that make me feel all nostalgic for the epic, angsty, hyperbolic first love. How everything felt bigger, more dramatic, and new and exciting when I was a teen. While her characters might have extraordinary lives, I love the ways MM captures the normal teenage experience- the universality of growing up and maturing, while experiencing romance for the first time.
Fighting For You is the story of Diego and Jocelyn- two characters we’ve seen go through as secondary fixtures in the past two books, and a couple whose story has been heartbreaking- a man who cheated with the enemy, and his jilted girlfriend left pregnant. Monica had a seemingly impossible task with this story. Not only does Diego’s book fall on the heels of the books about arguably her most adored couple of all time, but she’s also telling the story of a character that we’ve grown to dislike….perhaps even hate. A character who has been the villain in other characters’ love stories. A character I wasn’t sure I could like, let alone forgive. But Monica is pretty successful at flipping my opinion about Diego- as surprised as I was.
What I always find so captivating about MM’s steamy new adult/mature YA is that she lets her characters be TEENs. They act like teenagers, they react like teenagers- they are selfish and emotional, vulnerable and insecure, they dramatize first love and they also make emotionally immature mistakes as the result of it. This is not the story of teens acting like full formed adults...this are teens experiencing complex emotions that they aren’t quite sure how to handle. And this story takes it to the next level- because these are two teens now trying to figure out how to repair a broken relationship AND figuring out an adult responsibility that even the most seasoned adults struggle to master- co-parenting.
Monica does find some ways to justify Diego’s behavior...and to be honest, his motives frustrated me. But again, Monica is letting him be a TEEN. His choices are immature, irrational, but that's part of his growing. MM also doesn’t change the core of him- though she brings it nuance- he’s still quick to anger, selfish at times, and a bit jaded. But we come to understand why, and even if I still struggle to accept his past actions, MM gives his character room to breathe and grow, and she also lets him MATURE. Of all the characters in this series, he grows to the most. Diego becomes a father long before he becomes a man, but learn to be a man he does. And, in the end, I found him changed enough to feel he was more worthy of the forgiveness that Jocelyn so frequently tries to give him...until she’s hurt too much.
Jocelyn was different from the other heroines in this series- she has a gravitas that the others don’t have, because her life is changing in very adult ways. Pregnant as a teen- her dreams are dashed, a loss cofounded by the heartbreak she routinely experiences as Diego’s hands. Again, like Diego, Monica lets her be a teen- she’s lost, stressed, and emotional. She’s desperate to make meaning of her messed up situation- to understand what happened with Diego, and so she too makes emotional and immature decisions. Decisions that aren’t always in her best interest...until she finds out how to stand on her own. She has to grow and mature herself, find control of her choices.
Ultimately, Monica finds a way to take a love story that was heartbreaking and toxic, and she gives new life through the complexities of these characters. I found myself charmed by the evolution of these two as they learned to stop grow apart and how to intentionally grow together- and though the path to their happy ending is hard and painful in places, their journey turns out indeed to be one worth fighting for. Such a sweet and angsty story!
Fighting For You is the story of Diego and Jocelyn- two characters we’ve seen go through as secondary fixtures in the past two books, and a couple whose story has been heartbreaking- a man who cheated with the enemy, and his jilted girlfriend left pregnant. Monica had a seemingly impossible task with this story. Not only does Diego’s book fall on the heels of the books about arguably her most adored couple of all time, but she’s also telling the story of a character that we’ve grown to dislike….perhaps even hate. A character who has been the villain in other characters’ love stories. A character I wasn’t sure I could like, let alone forgive. But Monica is pretty successful at flipping my opinion about Diego- as surprised as I was.
What I always find so captivating about MM’s steamy new adult/mature YA is that she lets her characters be TEENs. They act like teenagers, they react like teenagers- they are selfish and emotional, vulnerable and insecure, they dramatize first love and they also make emotionally immature mistakes as the result of it. This is not the story of teens acting like full formed adults...this are teens experiencing complex emotions that they aren’t quite sure how to handle. And this story takes it to the next level- because these are two teens now trying to figure out how to repair a broken relationship AND figuring out an adult responsibility that even the most seasoned adults struggle to master- co-parenting.
Monica does find some ways to justify Diego’s behavior...and to be honest, his motives frustrated me. But again, Monica is letting him be a TEEN. His choices are immature, irrational, but that's part of his growing. MM also doesn’t change the core of him- though she brings it nuance- he’s still quick to anger, selfish at times, and a bit jaded. But we come to understand why, and even if I still struggle to accept his past actions, MM gives his character room to breathe and grow, and she also lets him MATURE. Of all the characters in this series, he grows to the most. Diego becomes a father long before he becomes a man, but learn to be a man he does. And, in the end, I found him changed enough to feel he was more worthy of the forgiveness that Jocelyn so frequently tries to give him...until she’s hurt too much.
Jocelyn was different from the other heroines in this series- she has a gravitas that the others don’t have, because her life is changing in very adult ways. Pregnant as a teen- her dreams are dashed, a loss cofounded by the heartbreak she routinely experiences as Diego’s hands. Again, like Diego, Monica lets her be a teen- she’s lost, stressed, and emotional. She’s desperate to make meaning of her messed up situation- to understand what happened with Diego, and so she too makes emotional and immature decisions. Decisions that aren’t always in her best interest...until she finds out how to stand on her own. She has to grow and mature herself, find control of her choices.
Ultimately, Monica finds a way to take a love story that was heartbreaking and toxic, and she gives new life through the complexities of these characters. I found myself charmed by the evolution of these two as they learned to stop grow apart and how to intentionally grow together- and though the path to their happy ending is hard and painful in places, their journey turns out indeed to be one worth fighting for. Such a sweet and angsty story!
purpleyangel's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
feliciasreview's review against another edition
5.0
Wow I had a hard time putting this book down. Jocelyn’s and Diego’s relationship was not easy. They way this two have to over come their trails to raise their baby together. I love these two they show fighting for what you want.
lamarsalamah's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
elegantfantasy_blogs's review against another edition
4.0
"What if everything they said about you was a lie?"
From this line itself, (when the teaser dropped) I knew Diego would be a really different character than what he was portrayed to be in the last books. I really loved the realistic portrayal of teenagers in this book. They didn't suddenly act like some really old mature characters just because they were about to face teen pregnancy. Their reactions were completely irrational and unpredictable just as teens these days do.
Diego was not perfect but he was trying really hard to be the responsible parent that his child deserved. Admittedly, Diego didn't have an easy childhood unlike Jocelyn. I loved his efforts to be responsible and prove himself to be a good man and a responsible father to his child.
Jocelyn was a great girl. She acted on impulse without knowing the whole truth, but anyone her age would have reacted the same way when she constantly heard people talking about her boyfriend cheating on her. She was headstrong, fierce and knew exactly what she wanted from life. I liked how she thought so much about not only herself and her baby but also cared about Diego.
The book was realistic and that made it much more enjoyable for me. I'm also excited about Tony's book, "The Freshman", it's little snippet has caught my attention and I'm waiting for that! Overall, meeting all the main characters from the previous books (the Callahans) was a cherry on the top. I liked the book and I would definitely recommend reading this.
From this line itself, (when the teaser dropped) I knew Diego would be a really different character than what he was portrayed to be in the last books. I really loved the realistic portrayal of teenagers in this book. They didn't suddenly act like some really old mature characters just because they were about to face teen pregnancy. Their reactions were completely irrational and unpredictable just as teens these days do.
Diego was not perfect but he was trying really hard to be the responsible parent that his child deserved. Admittedly, Diego didn't have an easy childhood unlike Jocelyn. I loved his efforts to be responsible and prove himself to be a good man and a responsible father to his child.
Jocelyn was a great girl. She acted on impulse without knowing the whole truth, but anyone her age would have reacted the same way when she constantly heard people talking about her boyfriend cheating on her. She was headstrong, fierce and knew exactly what she wanted from life. I liked how she thought so much about not only herself and her baby but also cared about Diego.
The book was realistic and that made it much more enjoyable for me. I'm also excited about Tony's book, "The Freshman", it's little snippet has caught my attention and I'm waiting for that! Overall, meeting all the main characters from the previous books (the Callahans) was a cherry on the top. I liked the book and I would definitely recommend reading this.
catxbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was definitely my favorite!! I wanted to read Diego and Jocelyn’s story since they hinted all the problems happening to them and it was really good. In the previous books Diego was awful sometimes and I really wanted to see his redemption especially with Jocelyn.
I loved Jocelyn, she was really quiet and a good girl and I hated how her relationship with Diego was falling apart thanks to all the rumors and Diego’s bad attitude. She deserved happiness and despite all, she was an amazing mother and having her daughter was a good thing at the end.
I loved Diego too, he had a rough time at his house and his brother was a bully so he always had problems with him and his mother. He just needed a stable home and people supporting him to become a better person and I’m glad he did. He became and excellent father and seeing him with Gigi was really sweet.
I got hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down but it was nice reading their journey and how they got their HEA with their baby.
ARC kindly provided by author, in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Jocelyn, she was really quiet and a good girl and I hated how her relationship with Diego was falling apart thanks to all the rumors and Diego’s bad attitude. She deserved happiness and despite all, she was an amazing mother and having her daughter was a good thing at the end.
I loved Diego too, he had a rough time at his house and his brother was a bully so he always had problems with him and his mother. He just needed a stable home and people supporting him to become a better person and I’m glad he did. He became and excellent father and seeing him with Gigi was really sweet.
I got hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down but it was nice reading their journey and how they got their HEA with their baby.
ARC kindly provided by author, in exchange for an honest review.
books_and_chatt's review against another edition
5.0
Diego was a bad guy.... but Was He?!
He did some horrible things. I think we all wanted to punch him!! His story is more than what it seems. I wasn’t sure if I could fall for Diego but Monica absolutely made it happen!! My heart hurt for him an Jocelyn both.
This story is definitely an emotional one! Teenage pregnancy is never a fairy tale. It’s sacrifice, heartache and growth and that’s exactly what we get in this story.
Seeing the growth of both Jocelyn and Diego is definitely the heart of this story. The drama, the fights, and the chemistry just make it that much more! This story was beautiful I love when family comes through!
I absolutely love the group of friends in this series! I enjoy seeing them in every book. I love everything they’ve overcome. How they all have formed friendships even if the beginning was a rocky one. I am definitely going to be sad when this series comes to an end.
Absolutely Recommend this Series!
- received an arc for an honest review
He did some horrible things. I think we all wanted to punch him!! His story is more than what it seems. I wasn’t sure if I could fall for Diego but Monica absolutely made it happen!! My heart hurt for him an Jocelyn both.
This story is definitely an emotional one! Teenage pregnancy is never a fairy tale. It’s sacrifice, heartache and growth and that’s exactly what we get in this story.
Seeing the growth of both Jocelyn and Diego is definitely the heart of this story. The drama, the fights, and the chemistry just make it that much more! This story was beautiful I love when family comes through!
I absolutely love the group of friends in this series! I enjoy seeing them in every book. I love everything they’ve overcome. How they all have formed friendships even if the beginning was a rocky one. I am definitely going to be sad when this series comes to an end.
Absolutely Recommend this Series!
- received an arc for an honest review
book_ofroses's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Valentine PR for providing me with an ARC for an non spoiler review. This was my first book by Monica and it won’t be my last - I definitely will be continuing this series (including reading the previous books before this one) as I really enjoyed all of the characters and her writing.
This story followed teen mum, Jocelyn, and her bully ex-boyfriend, Diego. This story really focused more on personal growth, learning from your mistakes and realising how your actions effect other people. And I really applause the author for how she wrote about that.
After back and forth through their high school time, Jocelyn and Diego find themselves in a situation they never thought would be reality. With senior graduation not far away, and a baby due around the same time, do they choose to face the future together at the same college - or realise they’re relationship is toxic and spend some time apart?
Diego had a look at the bully in the mirror, and realised he didn’t want to be the person staring back at him. And Jocelyn realised she could be a strong independent woman needed to be a mum.
Overall, 4 Stars.
This story followed teen mum, Jocelyn, and her bully ex-boyfriend, Diego. This story really focused more on personal growth, learning from your mistakes and realising how your actions effect other people. And I really applause the author for how she wrote about that.
After back and forth through their high school time, Jocelyn and Diego find themselves in a situation they never thought would be reality. With senior graduation not far away, and a baby due around the same time, do they choose to face the future together at the same college - or realise they’re relationship is toxic and spend some time apart?
Diego had a look at the bully in the mirror, and realised he didn’t want to be the person staring back at him. And Jocelyn realised she could be a strong independent woman needed to be a mum.
Overall, 4 Stars.
babblingchatterreads's review against another edition
4.0
We were given a special gift in The Callahans Series with Diego Garcia and Jocelyn Douglas story. Thank you Author Monica Murphy for giving their story justice.
We have seen glimpses of these two over the series and cannot help but wonder and want more. This read takes you on a journey when unexpected actions comes into play. The tough decisions and challenges of the situation along with a broken relationships due to rumors and such constantly affecting the mind and heart. The consequences that will forever change the course of their life plans. There were even times of anxiety not because of another life but how it affects their family.
This is a road of having to grow up sooner than expected and what it entails. It will make you think and wonder if more is possible with this life changing surprise. Transformation from both sides is necessary and will either make them or break them. Get ready for your feelings to be tested.
We have seen glimpses of these two over the series and cannot help but wonder and want more. This read takes you on a journey when unexpected actions comes into play. The tough decisions and challenges of the situation along with a broken relationships due to rumors and such constantly affecting the mind and heart. The consequences that will forever change the course of their life plans. There were even times of anxiety not because of another life but how it affects their family.
This is a road of having to grow up sooner than expected and what it entails. It will make you think and wonder if more is possible with this life changing surprise. Transformation from both sides is necessary and will either make them or break them. Get ready for your feelings to be tested.