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Redemption
Justin Cameron has some explaining to do.
The summer and the Gnome Lake protests in Port Russell are over, but Song Liu and Justin Cameron are still dealing with the fallout. Song is struggling with her guilt over her best friend Courtney’s accident, trying to scrape together the money to stay in Port Russell. Justin is alone and faces criminal charges for his role in manipulating the protests.
After returning to Port Russell, Justin asks Song to pose as his girlfriend to boost his image and convince the court he’s innocent. Facing the prospect of a cold winter in her van, she reluctantly agrees.
As their relationship grows, Song inspires Justin. For the first time in his life, he feels like he can become a better man. Then Justin’s father returns and bullies him back into the con they ran over the summer, putting his relationship with Song in jeopardy.
Will Justin choose love and redemption in Port Russell or duty to his father?
The summer and the Gnome Lake protests in Port Russell are over, but Song Liu and Justin Cameron are still dealing with the fallout. Song is struggling with her guilt over her best friend Courtney’s accident, trying to scrape together the money to stay in Port Russell. Justin is alone and faces criminal charges for his role in manipulating the protests.
After returning to Port Russell, Justin asks Song to pose as his girlfriend to boost his image and convince the court he’s innocent. Facing the prospect of a cold winter in her van, she reluctantly agrees.
As their relationship grows, Song inspires Justin. For the first time in his life, he feels like he can become a better man. Then Justin’s father returns and bullies him back into the con they ran over the summer, putting his relationship with Song in jeopardy.
Will Justin choose love and redemption in Port Russell or duty to his father?
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2023
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 8, 2024
“Here’s to us, filling in each other’s blanks.”
3.75 ⭐
Another very sweet romance in the Port Russell Romance series, these books are interconnected standalones which is a very popular format these days and I really love how it works for these books. Redemption is a story about second chances, fake dating and escaping narcissists to live your life on your own terms. Justin has always fallen in line with what his father orders of him, hoping that working with him will help him reach his goal of being a millionaire before 30, but when the shit hits the fan after the events in the first book, Resistance, he needs to reconsider his life plan because it may just include some jail time. Song is trying to move on from her days as a reckless protestor in the wake of her best friend's accident and her ugly split from Justin after his part was revealed in the protest disaster - that is until he comes back into town with a proposition that could just solve all of her problems. We follow them both on their paths to redemption and love.
Once again, I absolutely love the Pacific North West vibes, the Old Growth cedars, the perpetual humidity and mist, and the small town community feel. Port Russell really seems like my dream town. I really love the focus in this series to honour the indigenous people of the area and to protect the land from corporations who want to develop sacred areas for capitalist gains. It was interesting following Justin's character development in this book since the first one, he was the bad guy for most of the previous story so it was nice to see his side and realise that he was never really the bad guy, he'd just made a whole lot of bad decisions. It broke my heart to watch him struggle with still wanting to please his father and be the dutiful son, but also his want to break free from his cruelty and fraudulent practises and be a better person, to reconnect with his family and hometown. I also loved watching Song realise that she had a tendency to go no contact and run away when people were upset with her and see her learn to face people and find out the truth before jumping to conclusions.
I think this book missed a little but of the passion that I got from Resistance. Song was such a vibrant, fiery side character in the previous book and I didn't really feel that coming through as much in this story, it felt more like things happened around her instead of her going out of her way to fight for the things she wanted. There were a few loose end storylines through this book that I feel didn't get resolved as well as I wished they were, I think there could've been a lot more emotion and tension added to this story if the confrontations between Song and Auntie Min, and Justin and his father and the trial had actually played out rather than happening off page. It felt like important things would happen in the story but we would only hear about them as references. It made it hard for me to fully connect with the characters and when there were falling outs and make ups it just didn't pull at my heart like I hoped it would.
But overall, this was an adorable story, well written and the perfect palate cleanser for anyone who loves closed door, slice of life contemporary romances. Again, Keay Francis has managed to weave strong life messages in with a beautiful setting with a background of important social issues and strong relationships between people who love and support each other no matter their slightly shady backgrounds or trouble with the law. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily - thank you to BookSirens for giving me this opportunity.
3.75 ⭐
Another very sweet romance in the Port Russell Romance series, these books are interconnected standalones which is a very popular format these days and I really love how it works for these books. Redemption is a story about second chances, fake dating and escaping narcissists to live your life on your own terms. Justin has always fallen in line with what his father orders of him, hoping that working with him will help him reach his goal of being a millionaire before 30, but when the shit hits the fan after the events in the first book, Resistance, he needs to reconsider his life plan because it may just include some jail time. Song is trying to move on from her days as a reckless protestor in the wake of her best friend's accident and her ugly split from Justin after his part was revealed in the protest disaster - that is until he comes back into town with a proposition that could just solve all of her problems. We follow them both on their paths to redemption and love.
Once again, I absolutely love the Pacific North West vibes, the Old Growth cedars, the perpetual humidity and mist, and the small town community feel. Port Russell really seems like my dream town. I really love the focus in this series to honour the indigenous people of the area and to protect the land from corporations who want to develop sacred areas for capitalist gains. It was interesting following Justin's character development in this book since the first one, he was the bad guy for most of the previous story so it was nice to see his side and realise that he was never really the bad guy, he'd just made a whole lot of bad decisions. It broke my heart to watch him struggle with still wanting to please his father and be the dutiful son, but also his want to break free from his cruelty and fraudulent practises and be a better person, to reconnect with his family and hometown. I also loved watching Song realise that she had a tendency to go no contact and run away when people were upset with her and see her learn to face people and find out the truth before jumping to conclusions.
I think this book missed a little but of the passion that I got from Resistance. Song was such a vibrant, fiery side character in the previous book and I didn't really feel that coming through as much in this story, it felt more like things happened around her instead of her going out of her way to fight for the things she wanted. There were a few loose end storylines through this book that I feel didn't get resolved as well as I wished they were, I think there could've been a lot more emotion and tension added to this story if the confrontations between Song and Auntie Min, and Justin and his father and the trial had actually played out rather than happening off page. It felt like important things would happen in the story but we would only hear about them as references. It made it hard for me to fully connect with the characters and when there were falling outs and make ups it just didn't pull at my heart like I hoped it would.
But overall, this was an adorable story, well written and the perfect palate cleanser for anyone who loves closed door, slice of life contemporary romances. Again, Keay Francis has managed to weave strong life messages in with a beautiful setting with a background of important social issues and strong relationships between people who love and support each other no matter their slightly shady backgrounds or trouble with the law. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily - thank you to BookSirens for giving me this opportunity.
September 5, 2023
I couldn’t put this story down…even when I wanted to talk some sense into Justin. Justin and Song had a previous relationship that wasn’t clearly defined. It happened while they were both involved in different sides of environmental protests. After things went south, Justin ghosted Song, and was facing major legal troubles after his manipulative father left him to take the fall. Song was trying to rebuild her life, but Justin’s reappearance made it clear that they both had a lot of unresolved feelings. The story is really interesting with many layers. Family trauma, emotional abuse, narcissism, environmental activism, Indigenous peoples, service to community, forgiveness, second chances, finding home, community, and sense of self. So many layers. Both main characters were seeking redemption, although Justin’s redemption arc was more significant and seriously complicated by his entanglement with his nasty father. The second chance love story between Justin and Song was wonderful. It was also great to see the progression of Courtney and Josh’s relationship. The setting was also perfect. This is the second book in the series and there is a lot of carryover in characters, setting, and circumstances, so I would suggest reading the series in order. However, the background is explained very well so you can read this book as a standalone if you really wish. This is a fade to black story with strong innuendo and periodic strong harsh language throughout.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 22, 2024
This is the second book of the series. I read and enjoyed the first one and was excited to read this and was not disappointed. It is a sweet second chance romance with a fake dating trope, which is one of my favorite tropes. Justin and Song were introduced in Book 1. You don't necessarily have to have read the first book before reading this as the series consists of interconnected standalones, but I do think you will enjoy this a bit more if you start with the first book. As there is quite a bit of carryover from the first book, I think it would be beneficial to read the first book before picking this one up. Justin has always followed his father's direction, not questioning it in hopes of reaching his goal of becoming a millionaire by the age of 30. But when things go south after the events of the first book, Justin realizes he may be facing some jail time. Song is trying to rebuild her life after her split with Justin but then he comes back to town with an offer that could help solve all her problems. This story follows the two as they journey on their path to redemption and find a second chance at love along the way.
I found this to be cute story with characters that were realistic and relatable. The story was well-written and kept my interest from start to finish. A cute small-town romance that was a delight to read!
I received a complimentary copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.
I found this to be cute story with characters that were realistic and relatable. The story was well-written and kept my interest from start to finish. A cute small-town romance that was a delight to read!
I received a complimentary copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.
August 24, 2023
To start off, the reason I was interested in reading this book is because of the cover. It’s cute and gives the perfect small-town romance vibes. I loved how the female lead is Chinese and comes from a diverse background and how the story speaks to Oriental family values and bonds. This is a small town, second chance, interracial, fake dating romance which is cute with an ending that is dreamy. I did dislike the male lead though and wish that he could have taken control of his life sooner and that the female lead had a stronger personality. She comes off as naïve and weak sometimes. I also think the story was a bit slow and could have been reduced in length to make it more exciting. The sudden shift from Justin calling his father and then the next chapter moving on was a bit confusing. A bit more incidents between explaining what’s happening could have helped the flow of the story better. I did enjoy this read though. It’s a cute small-town romance to enjoy. Thank you for the advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 29, 2023
Justin and Dissidence had a hot summer fling until it all went up in flames when Dissidence found out Justin was lying to her. As part of the Old Growth Guardians, Dissidence was there to protect the trees and little did she know that Justin was the driving force behind bulldozing them down.
Summer is over and Song (back to her actual name trying to cut ties as Dissidence) decided to stay at Port Russell and be an on call teacher and work at the Café. It's not great, but it's money and while she's struggling, she's a hard worker. Things seem best until Justin walks in the Café one night. He's back in town to bolster his reputation before everything with his dad goes down from the summer. Song and Justin can't stay away from each other but it's only going to be on paper only so they're entering this with their eyes open. What could go wrong?
I very much enjoyed this book. I loved Song's sassiness and seeing how good of a guy Justin actually was. It was great following them from book one. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my review.
Summer is over and Song (back to her actual name trying to cut ties as Dissidence) decided to stay at Port Russell and be an on call teacher and work at the Café. It's not great, but it's money and while she's struggling, she's a hard worker. Things seem best until Justin walks in the Café one night. He's back in town to bolster his reputation before everything with his dad goes down from the summer. Song and Justin can't stay away from each other but it's only going to be on paper only so they're entering this with their eyes open. What could go wrong?
I very much enjoyed this book. I loved Song's sassiness and seeing how good of a guy Justin actually was. It was great following them from book one. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my review.
September 13, 2023
Redemption, book two of the Port Russell Romance series has lived up to its title!
Spinning off the debut novel Resistance, you find yourself in the lives of Song and Justin, two people for varying reasons (and motives)are looking to redeem themselves to each other and the community of Port Russell.
Redemption is set in a fictitious small community on Vancouver Island. Keay Francis’ ability to share detail makes you feel like you can picture yourself sitting at Mrs. Armstrong’s kitchen sharing tea and cinnamon buns with the characters.
As you turn the pages of the novel, the author captures the humanness of the characters in such a way that you can’t help but root for them one moment, and give up on them the next.
An enjoyable, fun read!
Spinning off the debut novel Resistance, you find yourself in the lives of Song and Justin, two people for varying reasons (and motives)are looking to redeem themselves to each other and the community of Port Russell.
Redemption is set in a fictitious small community on Vancouver Island. Keay Francis’ ability to share detail makes you feel like you can picture yourself sitting at Mrs. Armstrong’s kitchen sharing tea and cinnamon buns with the characters.
As you turn the pages of the novel, the author captures the humanness of the characters in such a way that you can’t help but root for them one moment, and give up on them the next.
An enjoyable, fun read!
August 1, 2023
Redemption by Keay Francis is a good, and enjoyable small town fake relationship forced proximity second chance romance read. The story has a great entertaining story line. The characters are great, engaging, and they have great chemistry. This story is a very entertaining second chance romance read with a happily ever after ending. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 16, 2023
I was excited to read this story after reading Resistance and learning more about Justin and Song.
Both characters definitely got redemption in this book and I enjoyed their love story as well S the sideplots. How they went from lovers to a fake relationship to lovers was executed seamlessly and I appriciated the insight into Justin's as well as Song's lives
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Both characters definitely got redemption in this book and I enjoyed their love story as well S the sideplots. How they went from lovers to a fake relationship to lovers was executed seamlessly and I appriciated the insight into Justin's as well as Song's lives
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 18, 2024
Author Keay Francis really knows how to stack the stakes! This sequel to Resistance brings two secondary characters to the forefront, as they explore their complicated relationship. Undeniable attraction and their desire to be together is thwarted by hurt, past betrayal, and ongoing third-party threats. This book touches on the very real issue of narcisstic abuse, and kept me pulling for the characters all the way through. Another highly enjoyable read from Keay Francis.
October 28, 2024
In “Redemption,” Francis deepens our connection to Port Russell, diving into themes of forgiveness and personal growth. This book beautifully builds on the foundations laid in the first book, adding new layers to returning characters and keeping the romance engaging. It’s perfect for readers who love small-town romance with a touch of emotional depth!
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I received a Booksirens' copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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I received a Booksirens' copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 1, 2023
4.5 stars and rounding up. After reading Resistance, I didn’t think it would be possible to redeem Justin Cameron. Song was too good for him and he deserved to be alone.
I was wrong.
The author took this character and made him likeable and human. As his father’s victim, he became someone we felt for. I cheered for him to break free and win back Song’s love.
I was wrong.
The author took this character and made him likeable and human. As his father’s victim, he became someone we felt for. I cheered for him to break free and win back Song’s love.
October 5, 2023
This book was so great! Kept me wondering how things would turn out. I really have a love/hate connection with Justin, and really feel like I know all the characters thanks to the author's amazing character development.
August 21, 2023
good read and really enjoyed this one as well. I will read more and can't wait for more. Lets get more Port Russell series.
January 1, 2026
Even better than the first. Loved the BC references and life in a small town.
May 13, 2024
4.5 stars
As the second book in this series, I had a little to go on. I knew the basics of the characters from book 1 (Resistance) and knew I was going to love the FMC. MMC, I wasn't quite sure on, he made an impression on me in the first.
The characters were well written, we were able to love Song even more than we tried to love her in book 1 (as Dissidence). We were even introduced even more into the Merrick family, and of course Song's and the Cameron families. Community is so important and I really enjoyed how Port Russell is portrayed in this series.
I am excited for the next book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As the second book in this series, I had a little to go on. I knew the basics of the characters from book 1 (Resistance) and knew I was going to love the FMC. MMC, I wasn't quite sure on, he made an impression on me in the first.
The characters were well written, we were able to love Song even more than we tried to love her in book 1 (as Dissidence). We were even introduced even more into the Merrick family, and of course Song's and the Cameron families. Community is so important and I really enjoyed how Port Russell is portrayed in this series.
I am excited for the next book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews