Review: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Nowhere But Here

Author: Katie McGarry

Series: Thunder Road

Pages: 496

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release date: 26 May 2015

Amazon

Synopsis (Goodreads)

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. 

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. 

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I am a huge Katie McGarry supporter and have loved everything I have read by her to date but I’m not a big fan of reading about bikie clubs/gangs so I wasn’t sure how I would like this one. Nowhere But Here is the first book in her new series, Thunder Road.

Our MC is seventeen year-old Emily who lives in Florida with her mother and adoptive father Jeff; she is content with her life just as it is  - a good student, no plans to move away from home and a yearly visit from her biological father Eli and her life is good but it is turned more or less upside down when she finds out her biological grandmother, Eli’s mother has died and she needs to return to Kentucky to attend the funeral. Emily was a sassy character, she has fears and doubts but she came across as strong and resilient; she’d make a great best friend.

When she arrives in Kentucky, things aren’t as expected; her life is shrouded in secrecy, she has no idea if what she has been bought up to believe is true and no one seems to be forthright with providing answers, it was frustrating trying to work out what was going on and what had happened in the past for Emily’s mum to never want to return and for her father to be so keen to play a role in her life considering he had forfeited all rights when he signed adoption papers.

Ordered to protect Emily whilst she is in Kentucky due to a possible threat against her with a rival bikie club is Oz, who is from a family devoted to the Reign of Terror bike group – his sole purpose is to become an official member and will do anything to achieve his goal. I really liked Oz, he was protective, smexy and intelligent; I liked the way he handled situations, I loved his dedication.

I enjoyed the strong sense of family and friendship in this book, reading about the club wasn’t what I had expected; you could see how much research the author had put into it and I found myself enjoying the hierarchy and how things worked. I wasn’t always in agreeance with how certain situations were handled but it was believable to the story. The secondary characters were each wonderful and I was intrigued by a few who I hope will get their own books.

You can’t fault Katie McGarry’s writing, I was hooked from the very first page; her characters are true to life and the storyline is engaging and keeps you entertained and flipping the pages. Nowhere But Here is a great start to the Thunder Road series.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review Nowhere But Here.

About the author: 

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Review: Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4) by Katie McGarry

Take Me On 

Author: Katie McGarry 
Series: Pushing the Limits 
Pages: 464 
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia 
Amazon 
Release date: 27th May 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads) Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means. Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help. West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future. Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Take Me On by Katie McGarry is the third book in the Pushing the Limits series and is West Young and Haley story.

We first met West in book 3, Crash into You; he is Rachel’s older brother and to be honest he didn’t leave a good impression on me so I was curious to see how he would redeem himself and I was pleased with the outcome and how it all played out. West was a cocky character with attitude who acted before he thought which caused quite a few problems, he was riddled with guilt and full of pent up anger, I felt sorry for him; especially with his family life and his strained relationship with his father.

West has been suspended numerous times for fighting but his latest suspension & his insolence has left him starting at a new public school and kicked out of home, when an incident leaves him running in to Haley and a few thugs he ends up beaten & caught up in a feud between Haley’s family and her ex-boyfriend and scheduled to a cage fight.

Haley is a former fighting champion but she has sworn off fighting and fighters after a tragic incident, I loved that she was the kick-butt fighter character in this book and could make the boys squirm with her skills. Haley was the most wonderful character, she was a sweetheart with the kindest heart - how she got caught up with a guy like her ex was beyond me but I liked her determination, watching her slow return to her grandfather’s gym and her college hopes was enjoyable.

With Haley preparing West for his big fight it bought them closer together but a lot of their interactions were more to do with his training. The romance was slow to build, Haley was quite hesitant about dating a fighter which was understandable but West wormed his way into her heart; I would have loved a few more smexy, sweet moments but I appreciated what we got and thankfully there were only a few bits of drama and no drawn out angst.

The secondary characters were all amazing, I adore Abby! Her story when it comes is going to be wonderful, Jax and Kaden were both appealing and Haley’s uncle was unbelievable and deserved a few smacks upside the head, he was horrible!

Katie McGarry’s writing is effortless and held my attention from the very first page with the fabulous characters and engaging storyline. Katie certainly knew her fighting and training details which made the little tidbits all that more interesting.

What I liked:

• The small appearances from Isaiah and Rachel, my heart broke for Rachel but it was nice to see Isaiah so devoted to her.
• The way Haley’s family situation was dealt with, the author didn’t sugar-coat their situation or the dad’s condition; it was all dealt with realistically.
• A girl kick-ass fighter!
• The characters growth throughout the story.

What I didn’t like:

• The change in the chapters and the narrators wasn’t crisp and I had to work out who was who, I received an ARC so I’m not 100% sure if the chapters would be distinctly marked but I found the flow difficult to grasp.
• Some parts felt choppy and I would have to re-read portions to get it to make sense; there is one stand-out scene in particular where I am still clueless what the fussing and fighting was all about.
• A few secrets took a little too long to be revealed and when they were they were slightly brushed over ie. West’s family. 

Overall, a fast-paced, romantic, emotionally intense read that kept me captivated and wanting more. Katie McGarry is a fabulous writer who continually creates characters that are true to life and stories that touch your heart and make you crave for more.

Thank you kindly to Harlequin Teen Australia for the opportunity to read and review Take Me On.

 

About the author,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

What are your thoughts on the different book covers for 

Take Me On?

   

ARC Review: Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You

Author: Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing the Limits

Pages: 464

Genre: New Adult

Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia

Australian Release date: 1^st December 2013

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Review: 4 ½  out of 5 stars

I have adored Isaiah since he first graced the pages in Pushing the Limits so I was more than excited when I received a copy for review from Harlequin Teen Australia.

Seventeen year-old Isaiah Walker has had a tough childhood, living in the foster system since the age of six when his mother was sent to jail, he has always had to fend for and look out for himself which has hardened him as a person. He has dreams of working with cars and wants something for himself but never sees himself as worthy; he looks badass with his tattoos and piercings but has a heart of gold and protects those closest to him.

Isaiah is such a complex, intriguing, smexy character; my heart ached for him in Dare You To and his past has always made me curious to learn more about him, he cares deeply for those in his inner circle and I was glad we get to read alternate chapters from his POV to see his thoughts, reactions and why he is the way he is.

Our heroine is naïve, innocent car loving Rachel Young who tries to live up to her families harsh expectations; when Rachel gets herself into a bit of trouble by getting involved in drag racing it is Isaiah who becomes her saviour. I liked Rachel from the onset, she wasn’t weak as it was presumed by those around her but resilient and determined, I really felt for what she was going through with her family and could relate to her fears and the hopes she personally had for herself, living in her deceased sisters shadows has caused her a lot of pain so I could sympathise with her predicament.

This couple were chalk and cheese and couldn’t be more different but they complimented each other well with their mutual love of cars and the way they looked out for one another. Their relationship wasn’t without drama and misunderstandings but they worked well together. I have always from book one wanted to see a Beth/Isaiah hook-up but after reading this book there is no way I could now see them together. My only minor gripe is it would have been nice to see a few more smexy moments, what we get is sweet and written well but I wanted more {greedy much – but it is Isaiah here ; ) }.

I adored the secondary characters; despite Rachel’s brothers driving me bonkers so many times I appreciated the way they looked out for her even if it was at times for their own personal gain, Ethan has me intrigued and I can’t wait to learn more about West in the next installment. I absolutely loved Abby! I adored her friendship with both Isaiah and Rachel and I’m so eager to learn more about her. Eric I didn’t feel was worthy of the fear he placed in everyone and it was nice to see Echo and Noah play a role and also a few appearances from Beth.

You can’t fault Katie McGarry’s effortless, engaging writing which captured my attention and held it from the very first page with the amazing characters and gripping storyline. Katie certainly knew her cars and details of drag racing which made the little tidbits all that more exciting.

Overall, a fast-paced, romantic, emotionally intense read that kept me riveted and wanting more. Katie McGarry is a fabulous writer who continually creates characters who are true to life and stories that touch your heart and make you yearn for more.

I’m definitely eager to read West’s story in Take You On which has an anticipated May 2014 release date.

Thank-you kindly to Harlequin Teen Australia for the opportunity to read and review Crash Into You.

About the author: KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

ARC Review: Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

Dare You To 

Author: Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing the Limits
Pages: 479

Genre: New Adult

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Amazon pre-order: Dare You To

Release Date: 7^th June 2013

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all..

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

We first meet bad mouthed, troubled Seventeen year-old Beth Risk in Pushing the Limits and I thought Dare You To would actually be Beth and best friend Isaiah’s story but we see her paired with Baseball jock, Ryan Stone.

At the beginning of the story we see Beth take the blame for something she didn’t do and has been placed in the custody of her rich uncle Scott who she hasn’t seen in quite a long while; their relationship is tense but he is just what she needs and he is determined to set her on the straight and narrow, starting off by attending school and setting strict rules.

Beth drove me bonkers! I don’t think I have come across a more stubborn, defiant and inflexible character in a while; it took me a long while to take to her feisty approach, in saying this, the life she has had to live and her upbringing and past has played a big role in her attitude and her self-doubt but I wish she could have budged just that little bit and respected those she was closest to and herself a lot more than what she did.

Ryan Stone doesn’t believe in losing and after he loses a dare from his friends to get Beth’s phone number he is determined to pursue her in his quest to win, you could see from the onset the little game he played with his friends wouldn’t go down well but he didn’t take into account the attraction he would feel towards her. I really liked Ryan as a character, he was protective and supportive and the perfect person to go up against head-strong Beth.

This couple couldn’t have been more different, but they both knew pain – for varying reasons and seeing them work up a trust and understanding was really sweet! Ryan helped Beth to heal, she was broken and he needed a bit of support himself. Despite not being Beth’s biggest fan, I did enjoy the interactions and the smexy chemistry between this unlikely duo.

I really liked the secondary characters, in particular Lace, I enjoyed watching her friendship with Beth grow. My heart broke for Isaiah and I really enjoyed the progression of the relationship Beth came to have with her Uncle Scott – it was also nice to catch up with Echo and Noah again.

A small gripe I had was the way the situation with Ryan's brother was handled, it was a let-down and overplayed - his parents were unbelievable in their thinking and in this day and age it actually made me cringe.

I enjoyed Dare You To but I didn’t love it as much as Pushing the Limits, maybe it was because of my feelings towards the infuriating main character who I didn’t have a connection with although I did sympathise with her but other than this I enjoyed this story. 

Overall, Katie McGarry’s writing is engaging; Despite my issues it's a great addition to the Pushing the Limits series - it had a lot of drama, pain and emotion that kept me entertained, I am definitely eager to read more books by this author.

About the author: KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Books in Order:

Pushing the Limits

Crossing the Line

Dare You To

Crash into You

   

Interview: Katie McGarry, author of Pushing the Limits

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is one of my most favorite reads so far this year, actually probably one of the best Young Adult Contemporaries ever! So to be able to interview Katie, care of the wonderful Jess at Morey Media is an absolute honor.

Author: Katie McGarry

Pages: 384

Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: 31^st July 2012

Source: Morey Media

Review: Pushing the Limits

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Synopsis: "I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Welcome to Obsession with Books Katie, I have recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Pushing the Limits, are you able to tell us a little about your book and yourself?

Yay! I’m so excited to hear you enjoyed PTL! I’m a stay-at-home mom, a reality TV freak, and a University of Kentucky basketball fan. I’m also a sucker for an amazing love story.

Pushing the Limits tells the story of two high school seniors, Echo and Noah. Echo has no memory of the night that transformed her from popular girl to loner freak with scars on her arms, and she desperately craves answers. Noah is a foster kid who is fighting to reunite his family. Since they see the same court ordered therapist, the lives of the “good” girl and the “bad” boy collide. The two work together towards their goals, but neither foresaw the shattering consequences of learning the truth regarding their families or of falling in love.

When and why did you begin writing?

Writing is something I have always enjoyed. I had several teachers in high school who encouraged me to write, but I honestly didn’t begin to write until a couple of years ago. A story idea nagged at me so after my kiddos went to bed at night, I began to write.

Where did the inspiration for your book Pushing the Limits come from?

I was actually writing another book when I stumbled across the voice of Echo. When my character broke out into “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood” then later wished she would spontaneously combust, I knew I had found someone new…someone whose wit made me laugh, but whose hurt made me ache.

I write love stories so I free wrote for awhile in order to find the perfect guy for Echo—that one person who could help her with her pain. This person was Noah.

  

Pushing the Limits is an emotional story, were there any particular challenges when it came to writing your main characters Noah and Echo or particular scenes?

There’s a scene towards the end of the book where Echo and Noah are confronting each other after a whirlwind of awful events. There are so many emotions happening simultaneously between these two characters and it was difficult to wrap fear and frustration and love and hope all into one little scene.

Pushing the Limits is told from both Noah and Echo’s POV’s, was it hard to switch between the two?

Honestly, as a writer, it was refreshing. Echo and Noah were intense characters to write for different reasons. Shifting between their POV’s gave me a chance to rest in between chapters.

What is your ideal day as an author?

My ideal day would be to get as many words down on the page as I can. I’m a stay at home mom of three extremely active kiddos so my writing time becomes very limited very quickly.

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers? Any quirks, habits, routines etc.

I run almost every day and love almost every type of music that is out there: from rap, to country, to heavy metal, to gospel. Most people would be shocked to hear that I don’t like candy. Don’t worry though, I do love chocolate.

Are you able to describe what your writing process is like?

I’m a mix between a plotter and a pantser. I usually free write the first couple of chapters in order to find out who my characters are and then I’ll stop and plot. Once I know the direction of my story, I’ll start writing again, but typically my characters love to tear up my plot, dance all over it, and head in a whole other direction.

Are there any books or authors that have most influenced you?

I absolutely love The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. It was the very first book I ever stayed up all night to read. I connected completely with her characters and how they looked upon their friends as their family.

If Pushing the Limits were to be made into a movie, who would you chose to play the roles of your main characters?

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been able to pick anyone to play Echo or Noah, but it is so much fun to see who my readers think should play them.

What is up next for you?

I’m currently working on revisions for DARE YOU TO, a companion novel to Pushing the Limits. DARE YOU TO follows the story of Beth, a secondary character from Pushing the Limits.

Quick Questions:

Fave band / television series / movie? Jason Aldean/Big Brother/Casablanca

Coffee or tea? Neither

E-reader or hardcopy? Hardcopy

Cats or Dogs? Cats

Ideal travel destination? Any place with a beach!

Thank-you so much Katie for taking time to talk to us today!

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