Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

LONG WAY HOME - Tour banner    

The highly anticipated third book in Katie McGarry’s Thunder Road Series is being released on January 31st! LONG WAY HOME is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance being published by Harlequin Teen! Pre-order your copy of the next book in this emotionally charged series, and don’t miss Violet and Chevy’s story! Check out all of the stops on this awesome tour and be sure to pre-order your copy for the amazing bonus scenes!

    LongWayHome-cover
LONG WAY HOME Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.
 
It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.
But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.
Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

LONG WAY HOME Pre-Order Links:

Amazon | Kobo | BAM | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | IndieBound

   
"An intoxicating and unforgettable story that kept me glued to the page."
—Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author, on Walk the Edge
 

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

 
Excerpt:
 
CHEVY
                “Chevy,” Cyrus calls near the entrance, “We need to talk.”
                Damned knot in the tug-of-war-rope and I’m starting to feel frayed. Mom doesn’t blink as she waits for me to say something. To tell Cyrus he can wait. To tell her what she wants to hear. But as much as I love her, I’m also drawn to the club. She’s right, I do want both.
                “I’ll be back to pick you up later,” I say.
                Mom throws the towel she had expertly throttled into the sink behind her, walks to the other side of the bar and the strobe light casts a red haze around her. If I didn’t know her better, I’d buy the flirty smile and the way she giggles in happiness as she leans on the bar to take a drink order. But that’s not her real smile and that’s not her real laugh. It’s part of her job, part of her act, because that’s what working her requires—performing.
                With a kick to a barstool, I head for the exit. Cyrus walks out into the night and I follow. Once outside, Cyrus turns to me and his warm breath creates a cloud in the cool night. “We’ve had some trouble tonight with the Riot.”
                The Riot would be a motorcycle club north of us in Louisville. They’re pissed at the Terror for myriad reasons, the main one being we’re a legit club and they deal in illegal. They’re also angry at one of our main members, Eli. They feel he stole their daughter and granddaughter from them. Eli didn’t steal a thing. Can’t call someone’s free will in walking away from crazy a crime.
                Life sucks for the Riot and I’m fine with that. “Everything okay?”
                “Yeah. Everyone’s safe, but we’ve had word that they’ve ridden past the boundary lines we set with them a few months back. It’s all rumor and no one on our side has confirmed it. Could be someone’s overactive imagination, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re off the road.”
                I’m under eighteen, still a kid to him. Cyrus used to act this way with my two best friends, Oz and Razor, but both are eighteen and full members of the club now. The babysitting twists my gut, but then again, I’m not ready for the decision eighteen will bring. “How about Violet?”
                “I’m on my way now to look for her. She’s also not answering her cell.”
                Yeah. A lot of that going around. “If she took Stone to the game, she would have headed straight home. I’ll check on her on my way to Mom’s if you want.”
                This gives me the excuse I need to see Violet. Because I won’t be able to sleep without knowing she’s okay. So I can thank her for what she did for me with the note. To gauge whether or not Violet is waving the white flag.
                Cyrus lays a hand on my shoulder. “I’d appreciate that. I need to head back to the clubhouse to take care of some business. I’m serious about what I said though. Me and a lot of guys would love to hear about the game.”
                I know they would and I’d enjoy being with them, but Mom’s already sore that I walked out on her to talk to Cyrus. “I’m beat. After I check on Violet, I’m crashing.”
                Cyrus gives me a fast pat and a hug. We both mount our bikes and start our engines with a growl. My grandfather takes the lead and I follow him as long as I can before taking the path that leads away from him and toward where Violet lives.
 
    long-way-home-_-chapter-reveal-teaser-1  
 
Review:
 
I absolutely love the Thunder Road series by Katie McGarry. I have been hoping for Chevy and Violet's story ever since I first met them in Nowhere But Here. The two have so much history together and even through their anger and frustration, we could see that deeper feelings lingered there. I was so excited to jump in to their story and I loved seeing the two work to figure out how to overcome all that history and fear. There is a lot of fear surrounding Violet and I loved that Chevy was such a rock for her. Both are incredibly pragmatic when it comes to their relationship and the way it was handled just worked so well. I really liked how much of the book was spent of them being together and not fighting like in previous books. The two come together and are each other's support after a pretty traumatic events occurs and revelations are thrown at them from every angle. Everything they thought they knew about their families, the Terror, and themselves will be questioned in this book, so it was a breath of fresh air to see them tackle it together.
 
Overall, I could not be more pleased with how their story concluded—it was such a fitting end for them and this was one of those books I instantly wanted to reread after it was over.
 

Don’t Miss the First Two Titles in the Thunder Road Series! Grab your copies today!

NOWHERE BUT HERE

WALK THE EDGE

     

long-way-home-preorder-deal-graphic

Pre-order LONG WAY HOME by Katie McGarry, and fill out THIS FORM, to receive three previously unreleased bonus scenes featuring important “firsts” in the lives of your favorite characters from the world of Katie McGarry! Complete the form to register your pre-order at https://wyng.com/campaign/820152. Offer Ends 1/31/17 at 11:59pm EST.

     
Katie McGarry’s LONG WAY HOME – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
January 23rd
Aaly and The Books – Review & Excerpt
Angel Reads – Review
Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt
Feed Your Fiction Addiction – Review & Excerpt
Girl Plus Books – Review & Excerpt
Letter Shelves Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt
January 24th
Book Boyfriend Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Ficwishes – Review
Lovin' Los Libros – Review
Zach's YA Reviews – Review & Excerpt
January 25th
Always YA at Heart – Review & Excerpt
Bridget's Book Bungalow – Review & Excerpt
Mythical Books – Excerpt
Swoony Boys Podcast – Review & Excerpt
January 26th
A Bookish Escape – Review & Excerpt
Book Sojourner – Review & Excerpt
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Dark Faerie Tales – Review & Excerpt
January 27th
Bookshelf Adventures – Review & Excerpt
Little Read Riding Hood – Review & Excerpt
Nerdy Soul – Review & Excerpt
Random Book Muses – Review & Excerpt
Writing My Own Fairy Tale – Review & Excerpt
January 28th
Zili in the Sky – Review & Excerpt
Greyland Reviews – Excerpt
Chasing Faerytales – Review
January 29th
Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt
BookWorm221 – Review & Excerpt
Confessions of 2 Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
Milky Way of Books – Review & Excerpt
January 30th
Margie's Must Reads – Review & Excerpt
Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt
Readers Live A Thousand Lives – Review & Excerpt
So Bookalicious – Review & Excerpt
January 31st
Desert Divas Book Addiction – Review & Excerpt
Little Bookworm Reviews – Review & Excerpt
With Love for Books – Review & Excerpt
The Cover Contessa – Review & Excerpt
February 1st
A Leisure Moment – Review
Book Bite Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Never Judge a Book by its Cover – Review & Excerpt
Pages to Explore – Excerpt
Red Hot + Blue Reads – review & Excerpt
Stuck In Books – Review & Excerpt
February 2nd
Actin' Up with Books – Review & Excerpt
Contagious Reads – Review & Excerpt
Go Read A Book – Review
The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt
February 3rd
A Gingerly Review – Review & Excerpt
Bookish Hollow – Review & Excerpt
G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt
Lovely Reads Publishing – Review & Excerpt
Vera is Reading – Excerpt
I Heart YA Books – Review & Excerpt
   
LONG WAY HOME - teaser 3 Fotolia update
   
 
 
Katie McGarry - author pic    Katie McGarry Bio: 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, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, NOWHERE BUT HERE and WALK THE EDGE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.  

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

  inkslinger-pr-blogger-banner
Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2)
   by: Katie McGarry

Publication Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Purchased
Page Count: 384 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

 
 
Having really enjoyed Nowhere But Here, I was really excited to get my hands on Razor's book. I got even more excited after hearing Katie McGarry talk about how she wrote this book for her daughter because of a social media incident that happened when she was younger. Breanna is definitely a character that I think a lot of girls will be able to connect to, as who doesn't want to fit in high school? No one wants to be teased or ridiculed and with social media being the way it is, it's so easy to ruin reputations and twist innocent things to look bad.
 
My heart ached for Breanna. She is such a sweetheart and I hated how she was brushed aside by her family. She is shy and super smart, but what she wants most of all is to be noticed. She has gone for so long feeling ignored by her own family and sliding under the radar at school. However, making waves isn't her thing and while she wants change, she doesn't want it in a drastic manner. Being around Razor will definitely make waves and give her attention, but it's the negative kind, as everyone thinks they know all about the Reign of Terror MC. However, Razor ends up being the one person who truly sees Breanna for who she is and he accepts all of her. That boy made me swoon like crazy and I love how he and Breanna end up being just what the other needs.
 
Razor is a good guy, but he has been having some issues with the club and his father lately. He may be patched in, but the club doesn't trust him and he doesn't trust the club, which is a huge problem. The club is a family. They are a brotherhood and would sacrifice their life for another. The tension between Razor and the club is high due to a mystery Razor can't let go of. He enlists Breanna's help in deciphering a code he found that will lead to answers and in turn he offers her his protection.
 
I absolutely could not stand Breanna's family. I understand that they have a lot of kids but she was never made a priority and that wasn't fair. She tried talking to her mom about what was happening with Kyle blackmailing her and her mom pushed her aside to deal with her older sister's drama. The whole situation just rubbed me the wrong way and I don't really feel it was resolved in the end. Her parents went from one extreme to the other and it bothered me that they only saw what they wanted instead of what their daughter was trying to tell them. Razor's relationship with his father is strained as well, but mostly because Razor feels his father is betraying his mother's memory. I don't agree with the way Razor's dad handled everything, but that doesn't change the fact that he is human and makes mistakes. These two just needed to open the lines of communication instead of letting it fester and turn into a blowout.
 
It was nice to see Emily and Oz again, as well as Chevy and Violet. I am super excited for Violet's book, even though I know it's going to kill my heart. This girl has been through hell and back and I love how strong she is. However, she's not without her breaking point and we saw a glimpse of that here. I am really looking forward to seeing how McGarry handles her story. Overall, I am totally invested in this series and the MC and can't wait for more!
 
Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)
    by: Katie McGarry

Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC received via Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 496 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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.

 
 

I was so very excited to find out about this book by Katie McGarry. Not only is she a favorite contemporary author of mine, but I absolutely love her characters, their stories, and the relationships she develops between them. When I saw she was writing about a motorcycle club, I have to admit I was REALLY excited. My Dad is a Harley rider, so I love going out on the bike with him and seeing the unspoken camaraderie between bikers. I've only read one other book about what it means to be in a motorcycle club, so I was curious to see how McGarry would handle it.

I thought she did a great job overall. There was some confusion at the end about some of the politics and dynamics between the rival clubs, and I remember discussing with a few close bloggers friends (Who I buddy read this with!) so that we could try and get our heads wrapped around as to how everything transpired. This was a minor issue in comparison to the novel as a whole. I really enjoyed this one so much. Even though it's a longer book, I didn't feel that length at all. I was wrapped up in Emily and Oz's stories, their romance, and the amazing family dynamic McGarry has created.

I adored Emily and Oz's relationship. Oz is less than thrilled about Emily being around. He sees her as an outsider and does not want her to ruin his family. (Everyone in the club is really close to one another and Emily's grandparents had taken care of Oz for a bit while he was younger.) He's incredibly loyal and protective and those were two things he was to a fault. Even though he didn't particularly care for Emily, he still took care of her out of obligation. Then, it became out of want and necessity. I love seeing that change between them. These two had so much chemistry and while I was a little disappointed she didn't take them to the next level, I definitely liked that Oz was so patient with her. I was a little worried, given his reputation, but he was pretty dedicated to her, even when he was saying he wanted to get her off his mind.

I also enjoyed the suspense in this book. There are a lot of family secrets about Emily's mom, dad, the motorcycle club that I was dying to find out... and we don't until almost the very end. I have to admit I was a bit brokenhearted about a few of the secondary storylines because they were so bittersweet and I wanted them to end in a different way. Alas, it was not meant to be.

I am really looking forward to reading more books in this series. Oz's friends, Razor and Chevy, will be interesting to read about for sure. Especially Chevy as we get hit in the face with quite a bit of drama between him and Violet, who used to be super tight with the boys as well.

Seeing Emily transform from a sheltered girl to one who has her eyes firmly open was one of my favorite aspects of this book. She realizes she has a family in Eli, Olivia, Cyrus, and the others and it really warmed my heart to see just how much this family took care of one another. It was nice to see such a unified family for once, instead of the broken ones we are used to seeing in Young Adult.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I am definitely excited for more because I just had such a deep love for these characters!

West Side Story meets Sons of Anarchy?? Yes, please!

Katie McGarry's newest novel, NOWHERE BUT HERE, has a cover and we are thrilled to get to help reveal it to you today. The first novel in her upcoming The Thunder Road Series, NOWHERE BUT HERE is a young adult contemporary romance that will keep you turning the pages long into the night. We have no doubt that when you get done, you're going to wish you were on a motorcycle and had your own cut of leather across your back! Follow along today as pieces of the cover are revealed, and then stop by the HarlequinTeen Page to see the full cover at 7pm EST! And that's not all, of course! We have a few Behind-The-Scenes pictures from the photo shoot itself for you to enjoy as well! Check out the Behind-The-Scenes pictures and then scroll down for our puzzle piece!

Nowhere But Here BTS
 
Nowhere But Here BTS
 
Nowhere But Here BTS

Nowhere But Here BTS

Nowhere But Here BTS


And here's the fourth piece to the cover for you!

R2_2pmEST  

Don't miss all of the puzzle piece reveals throughout the day!

 
11am EST
12pm EST
1pm EST
2pm EST
3pm EST
4pm EST
5pm EST
6pm EST
7pm EST
 
 
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.

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

 

Preorder NOWHERE BUT HERE

 

Amazon ** Kobo ** BAM ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound

 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA 
 
 
 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, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

 

 

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Tumbler ** Instagram

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

Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 544 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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.

 
 
Hoo boy. When I first heard West was getting his own book, I was super psyched. I do love a good redemption story, and West was definitely NOT my favorite person in Crash into You. I was curious to see more of him and just what was going on in his head. There is so much more to West than I ever realized and my heart completely broke for him. Not only does West have a hell of a story to tell, but Haley does as well. Both of these characters have to deal with things that no teen should ever have to, but the reality of it is: it happens on a daily basis and I am amazed at the sheer strength both of these characters possess in this story.
 
Pacing: When I first saw this book was 500 something pages, I was floored. Yeah, it's Katie McGarry. I should know better by now. I devoured this baby in ONE day. So, needless to say, I felt the pacing went really well. I liked the development of West and Haley's relationship and it was fun to watch the two fall for one another and realize how much they needed one another to get through some really hard moments.
 
Storyline: We met West in Katie's previous novel, Crash into You. In this novel, he feels an immense amount of guilt over what happened to his sister Rachel and finds he can't quite make himself go and visit her. This causes an even bigger rift between him and his parents (his dad especially) and causes some serious problems in the already fragile Young household. After getting expelled from his current private school, West finds himself at the same public school as the girl he helped and got into a scuffle for previously. West Young is a complication Haley does NOT need right now. She is already having to deal with some serious issues at home, as well as keeping her brother and cousin out of her ex-boyfriend's line of sight. Haley has sacrificed so much in her life to protect the ones she loves and I really admire her for that. She shoulders so much of her burden herself, however, when there are so many people that are willing to help ease the load. She is afraid of what would happen if she does, which is why falling for West is a very bad idea.... I feel like there's so much more to say, but I will keep it brief and just tell you that McGarry does a great job of tackling hard issues and creating two very strong, independent people that do what they feel they can to persevere and work to create a better life for themselves.
 
Characters: I really loved both West and Haley. They are great protagonists and I love that we got to read the story from both their perspectives. McGarry always does such an amazing job at characterization. I love that we can see character growth and development throughout the novel, as it really helps solidify that connection that I crave to have with my characters.
 
My heart was so broken for Haley. She is a product of unfortunate circumstances and now lives in a less than stellar living situation. Her family is currently living with her uncle's family and it is not ideal at all. She must abide curfew or she will find herself stuck out on the streets at night and left to fend for herself. On top of that, her father is at such a low point in his life, that he does not feel he can fight back for his children, for fear of getting kicked out. Haley is forced to play by the rules, even when the rules are seriously unfair. Having ended things with her ex-boyfriend, Haley is also feeling the aftermath of that relationship. If only it could be an amicable parting of ways. Haley has been forced to make sacrifices in order to protect the people she loves and that comes at a great cost. One of those costs is her kickboxing. Having once been held in high esteem at her grandfather's gym, she has lost that due to some things that have happened in the past, and Haley finds she cannot go back, even knowing she would eventually be accepted again. I love her protective nature, but at the same time, I wanted to beg her to ask for help and not carry the weight of everything all by herself.
 
West comes in and throws Haley's life into chaos. She sees him as another person she has to protect and she begs him to leave her alone. However, West isn't so easily swayed. He knows there is much more going on with Haley than he knows, but one thing is for sure: he's not letting her face it alone. This is what redeemed West for me. He fights for Haley. He defends her when NO ONE else will and it really shows you the type of guy he truly is. Sure, he comes from money, wears designer clothes, and has never had to want for once in his life, but sometimes perfection is merely a façade. West has a lot more problems than you would guess and the choices he makes will really make you appreciate him and forgive him for trying to do the right thing with his family, even if handled in the wrong manner.
 
West and Haley's relationship is developed just right and I like that Katie didn't rush it. Trust is such an important thing for these two, so naturally it doesn't come easily. It comes through their actions and the lengths they would go to ensure the others' safety. But holy chemistry! West and Haley have it in spades and I do oh so love that McGarry isn't afraid to hold back!
 
I love that Abby also makes several appearances in this book. She is still such a mystery, but I love her quirky, helpful nature.
 
Final Thoughts: I am just so in love with this series. Katie always manages to evoke such strong emotions and each characters' journey is one that is both beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time. I love how she isn't afraid to tackle the more sensitive topics and really make you stop and think at just what these teens must face and deal with on an everyday basis.
 
 
 
Welcome to my stop on the Crash into You blog tour hosted by YABound Book Tours!
Today I am excited to share my review and a giveaway with you all!
To see the full tour schedule click HERE.
 

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

Publication Date: Nov. 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC and physical ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 474 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository | Audible
My Rating: 5/5 stars


From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

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.

 
My Review:
 
Everyone who has read Crash into You has stated that Isaiah is their favorite McGarry boy. Sure, I was so excited when I found out he was getting his own story, because that boy needed a HEA like a desert needed rain! Out of all the McGarry boys Ryan has been my favorite. It's safe to say that he and Isaiah are now tied for first place. I didn't expect to love him as much as I did, but my goodness. Very few books make me tear up and cry and this one SO did. I did not see that final twist coming and oh my heart STILL hurts!
 
Katie is one of my favorite contemporary authors. I love how real her characters are. They are far from perfect and they have their share of problems that they must deal with and overcome. Some of her characters are really hard-edged and not easy to love. However, most of her characters have experienced hardships that they should never have had to endure. They have been forced to grow up at an early age and they were not blessed with lives of comfort and stability.
 
Isaiah is one prime example of this. He has been in the foster care system since he was young and he had to learn early on that it was dog eat dog world. Showing weakness was NOT an option and he learned that he had to toughen up so that others would not be able to crush him. My heart just ached for Isaiah. The only girl he ever loved, his best friend, never felt the same way about him and now the only person he has to depend on is his other best friend, Noah. However, Noah has his own life- he is attending college and he is in a committed relationship with his girlfriend Echo. Isaiah always seems to be the one left out and the one who gets left behind. Meeting Rachel completely changes everything for him. She has such an innocence and a purity about her. She believes in people and sees the beauty and good in them. She looks at Isaiah and doesn't see what others do- the tatted up, pierced guy who could take you out with his pinkie. She sees through his tough exterior and sees the vulnerable boy underneath who has a gentle, loving soul. A boy who protects his own and would rather put himself in the crossfire than have someone else hurt. Isaiah sees Rachel for who SHE is. She respects that and admires him for that so much. I felt bad for him when he would say that he wasn't good enough for her or that a girl like her could never really want a future with someone like him. Isaiah constantly sells himself short, and that is why Rachel is such a positive force in his life. She believes in him and believes in a future with him.
 
"I can't give you the world, Rachel, but I'll give you all I got."
 
I really liked Rachel. My heart ached for her too. Rachel has lived in her elder sister's shadow for years. After having lost her older sister to cancer, Rachel's family has never been the same. Having 4 brothers (one being her twin), Rachel was born and seen by her mother as her sister's replacement. Everyone wants her mother to be happy, but they don't realize the toll her happiness takes on Rachel. Rachel has always strived to appease her family and be the daughter her mother once lost. However, in doing so, Rachel is compromising her own self and well-being. I, for the most part, liked Rachel's brothers even though they were way too overprotective of her. I understand that they all crave their mother's happiness, but at what cost? While their intentions were good, they didn't realize just how detrimental their actions and words could be to Rachel. I have a big problem with Rachel's parents. I have issues with her Dad for one specific incident, which of course, I won't spoil, but I also take issue with her mother for hurting her and not seeing her daughter for who she really was. Rachel loves cars. She's not into the girly stuff like shopping, etc. Give her a Mustang over Prada any day! Rachel also has self-doubt, just like Isaiah does. She doesn't understand how he could feel the way he does about her. She puts on a façade for so many, but what she neglects to remember is that she doesn't do that with Isaiah. With him, she finds peace and comfort. She doesn't have to try and be someone she's not. He loves that she's so into cars and he finds that incredibly sexy about her.
 
We met a lot of new characters in this story. Ethan, is Rachel's twin and has been her best friend forever. It's funny how they invoke twin amnesty whenever the other needs covering. However, Rachel finds herself drifting apart from her twin because she hasn't been completely honest with him and that separation really hurts her. West is another of Rachel's brothers, but is only a year older than her. West is rough around the edges also. He finds his release in fighting and while he did something that really pissed me off, I was able to forgive him and I am really excited for his story next. I am very eager to meet the girl that will tame his temper! Abby is another favorite. She has known Isaiah since they were little and have always had a friendship. Abby is definitely a quirky character, but the relationship she forms with Rachel was really special. Neither had ever really had a girlfriend before, and they just kind of took to one another. Rachel never batted an eye when it came out what Abby did, and that was huge for their friendship. Abby has not lived an easy life either and factors out of her control are the driving force behind what she does and it's really heartbreaking. Finally, we get to see more of Logan, Ryan (Beth's Ryan)'s best friend.  It was unexpected that he and Isaiah would form a friendship considering that fact, but they did.  Yes, folks- we do get a tiny bit of Beth and Ryan in this story! I liked Logan though.
 
Beth is the only girl Isaiah ever loved (or thought he loved). Her not reciprocating his feelings really shattered Isaiah and then having her leave to fall for someone else really took a toll on him emotionally. Tension is very high between these two, but I feel they were able to work out their kinks a bit in this story. Poor Rachel. She encountered Beth a few times and I hated that she felt like she couldn't compare to her. Beth has always had a tough exterior, like Isaiah, but on the inside Beth withdraws and runs away from her problems, rather than facing them head-on. Rachel comments that she could never be strong or fierce like Beth, but that's where she's wrong. Rachel is strong in her own right and that quiet strength is what made me really like her.
 
Overall, Katie has written another emotional, but fulfilling story about two people who come from very different backgrounds, but are united by their love for cars and later, each other. This story was a tearjerker for me- when Isaiah and Rachel were hurting, I found myself sharing their agony and pain. When they were happy and filled with joy, my heart was too. When you have such an attachment to a books' characters like that- you know the author has really succeeded in bringing their characters to life and McGarry does it for me. Every. Single. Time.
 
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.
Website  Goodreads  Twitter  Facebook
Giveaway:
  
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Other Books in the Pushing the Limits Series:

 
                                                                                       Goodreads                           Goodreads                         Goodreads

Search This Blog
Powered by Blogger.