**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**

Fighting to be Free is the first book in the Fighting to Be Free series by wattpad author sensation Kirsty Moseley. Fighting to be Free got over 6 million reads on Wattpad, so I just had to read it for myself. I mean, that is a lot of reads! I really enjoyed Fighting to Be Free. I am not totally sure if I will be continuing the series, but I did enjoy the story, and I am curious to see what is going to happen next. The book leaves off at kind of the step before a potentially pivotal part in Jamie and Ellie's story. I would classify Fighting to be Free as dark contemporary romance. It is certainly new adult in content, but the characters are still young adult age. Both of the main characters start out as 17, so it is a cross over novel, but if you are basing on content, it is in the new adult category for sure.

Fighting to be Free is told in dual narrative between Jamie, who has just gotten out of Juvie (a four year sentence!) and Ellie, who has just gotten out of her high school relationship. That right there should go to show you how different these two characters are. They have lived very lives. I admired the heck out of Jamie. I am not saying that I agree with all of his choices, but I do recognize that he was forced into a lot of the situations, and I really admired him trying to better himself and get himself out of that life. Fighting to Be Free feels very realistic. I could see everything in this book happening in real life (sadly) and I think it would make a kick ass movie.

Even though I loved Jamie and Ellie together, and I really did love them, I was a little surprised at the quickness of their connection. I would never have done what Ellie did on the first time meeting Jamie. It all seemed pretty crazy and stupid for a 17 year old girl by herself to act that way. But either way, once we get past the initial meeting, the book sweeps you up completely in their story. Fighting to Be Free is pretty far from my normal read. It has a darker and grittier feel, but I will tell you one thing- Kirsty Moseley knows how to tell a story. I felt for Jamie and Ellie. I can see how this story is such a big hit with so many people.

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Bottom line: If you like dark contemporaries, Fighting to Be Free is a book that should be on your TBR. You will love it. If you are like me, and only read the occasional gritty story, still check this one out. You will be rooting for Jamie. The ending 20% of the story killed me. I was kind of bummed with the way things turned out, but at the same time, I kind of loved the risks that Kirsty Moseley took with the plot. She didn't go the expected route at all. Jamie and Ellie's story continues in book 2, Worth Fighting For so there is a big of a cliff hanger (though not in the typical sense) at the end of Fighting to be Free. Overall, this was a good read for me.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs