BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Walk The Edge (Thunder Road #2)

I am so in love with Katie McGarry's Thunder Road series. Both Nowhere But Here and now WALK THE EDGE have gripped me like a book hasn't done in such a long time. Read on for my review, and then enter to win one of three finished copies (US Only) in the Walk The Edge blog tour, organized by Irish Banana Tours!

Walk The Edge (Thunder Road #2), by Katie McGarry
Publish Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) 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.

After finishing Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1), I thought no one could top it. As it turns out, Katie herself did. She welcomes us back to Thunder Road and the Reign of Terror MC in Walk The Edge, a story that I found so compelling, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. 

Razor was very much on the periphery in Nowhere But Here. It's his nature - he's quiet and broody and chooses to observe rather than engage with those around him. Despite his membership in the Reign of Terror, he still relies on himself more than anyone else. 

Maybe that's one of the reasons why he related to Breanna so well. She's exactly the same - child number 5 of 9, she's the one most often overlooked. At school, she just tries to keep her head down and not stand out, despite her unique ability to solve riddles and codes. Although both she and Razor are constantly surrounded by people, they are still very much on islands by themselves.

Everyone says the same thing: Breanna's smart, she's quiet. On the inside, I'm not at all quiet. Most of the time, I'm screaming.

Both Breanna and Razor caused my heart to break time and time again. For Breanna, I felt so angry on her behalf. Her family treated her terribly. They either took advantage of her, or ignored her, or flat out verbally and emotionally abused her on purpose. I could feel her clawing need to escape the suffocating confines of her life. It's no wonder that, after getting over her initial trepidation toward Razor and the Terrors, that she would find a strange sense of belonging in their version of "family." Interesting that the non-blood ties in the club are stronger than the blood ties Breanna shares with her entire family. 

For Razor's part, he pulled on my heartstrings as he tried desperately to understand the circumstances surrounding his mother's death and the role, if any, that the Terror - and his father specifically - played in it. Although I fell in love with the club in book 1, I was pretty furious with them in Walk The Edge. Couldn't they understand that there are some things that are even bigger than the club? Like, and 18-year-old boy's need for closure in regards to his mother's death? The fact that they refused him answers infuriated both him and me. 

Razor's and Breanna's relationship looks wrong on paper, but when you dig deeper, you see that these two are exactly what the other needed. Razor gave Breanna his attention, his loyalty and his protection. She gave him the benefit of the doubt and help when no one else would. They worked so well together - both on the puzzle surrounding Razor's mom's death and on the mystery of who was blackmailing Breanna with compromising pictures that could be posted to a Facebook-like site. Their love was so incredibly sweet and heartfelt - it was my favorite part of the book.

"And you're the person this entire town has trashed, a person belonging to the group I've been raised to believe is evil, and you're the only person who is able to make me feel as if every part of me is beautiful."

I open my mouth, hoping that doing so will force the right words. That I can explain how being near her makes everything that's impossible about me seem possible.

We saw a lot more of Chevy and Violet in Walk The Edge, so I'm presuming their story will take place in book 3. I can't imagine liking the third book in this series more than this one. Of course, I've heard that before, and you know what happened here. 

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.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

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RESPECT THE RULES. RESPECT THE CLUB. - Rule #2

Katie McGarry kicked off her new Thunder Road series last week, and the first book in it, NOWHERE BUT HERE, is nothing short of incredible. I'm so excited to take part in a special tour, where a few bloggers and Katie McGarry herself teach you how to Respect the Rules. Respect the Club. Today, I bring you Rule #2: Treat the Cut with Respect.

Rule #2: Treat the Cut with Respect

I SWING OFF MY BIKE, SHOVE MY KEYS INTO MY pocket and head over to the only guy I’d be willing to call a best friend other than Chevy. The ultra-white three-piece Reign of Terror patch on Razor’s cut is what makes him stick out among everyone else. The darker and dirtier the patch, the more honor there is. It means years of wear and tear within the club. Razor patched in a few weeks ago. ~ Oz’s Point of View from NOWHERE BUT HERE

One of the first rules I learned when I researched motorcycle clubs is that the cut—the black vest with patches sewn on it that only a club member can wear— is to be treated with respect. The cut and patches can also be known as a club’s “colors”. This cut is not only a sign of which motorcycle club they belong to and what chapter they call home, but it is also a source of pride. 

The motorcycle club I hung out with would not touch each other’s patches when hugging. They’d hug high as a sign of respect. I heard stories of how, if a rival club wanted to disrespect another club, they would steal the cut of that club and hang it in their clubhouse.

The cut is a source of pride and a badge of honor.

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1), by Katie McGarry
Publish Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
My 5 STAR Review

(From Goodreads) 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.

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, 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.

Giveaway

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Tour Stops

June 1-Vilma’s Book Blog
June 2-Krista's Dust Jacket
June 3-Reading Teen
June 4-A Bookish Escape
June 5-Stuck in Books
June 6-Kimberlyfaye Reads
June 7-Nose Stuck in a Book
June 8-TSK TSK What to Read
June 9-Always YA at Heart
June 10-True Story Book Blog

 

RELEASE WEEK REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)

Katie McGarry has made magic once again with Nowhere But Here. I can't wait for you all to read this book. It may be the best one I've read so far in 2015. Read on for my review and an excerpt. And a giveaway!

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1), by Katie McGarry
Publish Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: ARC, obtained from the publisher
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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.

Oh my gosh. This BOOK. I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean, I love the MC books to bits and pieces. But.. this is a YA MC book. I know - right? Seems... weird. So, I admit, I approached my read with a small measure of trepidation. The best thing it had going for it was that it was by Katie McGarry. I've never read anything by her that I didn't like. 

Reading Nowhere But Here reminded me of when I read Pushing the Limits. The characters and the setting were different, but the feelings it invoked were familiar. Katie McGarry has this incredible way of telling a story. She sets up the superficial details early on and slowly - so, so slowly - injects more and more information as the whole picture comes into focus. Meanwhile, this thread of love and sacrifice add color and depth. 

Emily knows one version of her life story - the version she was told by her mother and step-father. She has a biological father who didn't want her, but who still shows up every year to see her. And, now she is being forced to spend a few weeks with him and his family, including family friend Oz, a boy her age who doesn't seem to like her very much. Emily is scared and confused by these people who are so unlike those she's used to. And, she is most scared by the fact that, as time moves on, she feels more alive and in touch with herself in this strange place than she ever has anywhere else.

Emily was amazing. She was sheltered her entire life by her mother for reasons she doesn't understand and doesn't know enough to ever question. Events in her life have caused her to be scared of different things - the dark, woods, dead things - it caused her to live her life with extreme caution. So, when she is thrust into this life of scary-looking men, strange traditions, and loud motorcycles, you would think she would shrink away and hide. But, amazingly, this is when Emily finally comes out of her shell. She learns that there are things to be afraid of. People to be afraid of. And the members of the Reign of Terror are not those people. When Emily is forced to immerse herself in this place and in these peoples' lives, it forces her to see all the wonderful things about them that she would've overlooked.

For Oz's part, the transformation happens in reverse. He's been so focused on becoming a part of the Terrors that he has blocked out all other interests and possible goals for his life. He has a singular direction, and everything else is just a distraction. Emily comes along, and at first, he hates her because she shuns his club, his family and his choices. But, when Oz is assigned to be her babysitter and is forced to spend a lot of time with her, he begins to see that not everything is as black and white as he thought it was. He is allowed to do other things. And he is forced to see that Emily's motivations for doing what she does are born not out of hate, but rather ignorance. And that, he decides, is something he can work with. 

I loved Oz in protective mode. At first, it was all forced, but later it was all completely voluntary. It was then that we got to see what he was really made of, and it turns out, Oz is made of some really awesome stuff. The levels he would go to, and the things he decides he's willing to sacrifice, for her make him absolutely one of the most dreamy book boys ever. 

The big secrets surrounding why Emily and her mother left the Terrors and why Emily is in so much danger now that she's back are very slowly revealed. Emily's grandmother Olivia had a lot to do with the gradual reveal of those secrets. I had this sense throughout the book that the secrets were huge, and yet, I was kept deliciously in the dark about them for nearly the entire time. I loved that I was surprised when the full picture was brought into focus. It was everything I wanted and needed. 

Nowhere But Here has its share of heartbreak. I shed a few tears over the course of the book. I also laughed a lot. Emily is pretty good with the snark, as is her grandmother. And the romance - good golly. Oz and Emily have some wicked awesome chemistry. They were perfect together. Katie McGarry did a great job painting all the side characters with very bold strokes. It has already made me fully anticipate upcoming books in this series. And, knowing that I'll likely catch up with Oz and Emily is icing on the cake. 

If you choose to read only one YA book this year, it should be this one. 

From Emily's Point of View. Set up: Emily is riding a motorcycle for the very first time and she's riding it with Oz.

THE MOTORCYCLE ACCELERATES AND THE FEW inches I had established between me and Oz: gone. My body slides forward, colliding into his, and we click together like two puzzle pieces. Heat rushes up my neck and onto my cheeks. My thighs are too close to his, too tight against his body and this is way more intimate than I have been before with a guy.

Even when the two of us kissed.

Oz veers left, away from Olivia’s, away from the main road, and the entire motorcycle pitches to the side. My heart thun­ders and my fingers clutch not only at Oz’s belt loop, but at the material of his jeans, and his hips.

Oz glances at me over his shoulder as the bike straightens out. “Lean with it, Emily.”

Right. Lean with Oz and the bike. Got it. The narrow road curves ahead and this time when Oz and the bike tilt, I move along with it. Oz releases one of the amazingly high handlebars and massages my knee before returning his hand to the grip. Whether in reassurance or to affirm I mastered the curve I don’t know, but either way, I sit higher.

The wind whips through my hair and onto my face and I shut my eyes for a brief second and pretend that I’m flying. There’s something energizing, something hypnotic, something inside me that begs to burst out of a cage in search of freedom.

The motorcycle kicks forward and our speed increases. Beams of sunlight filter through the towering trees and green foliage blurs together as we fly over the road. From head to toe, my body vibrates with the loud growling of the power­ful machine.

My knee still tingles from where Oz laid his fingers on me and I’ve never been more aware of my hands in my life. I should let go of Oz’s body, but I can’t. Belt loops weren’t enough and my fingers have somehow edged up and onto his sides. Oz is solid. Yes, definitely solid. Every inch of him that I touch is tight muscle.

Oz is a year older than me, but somehow he seems older, wiser and hotter than any other guy I’ve known. Just the way he rides his bike creates this overabundance of confidence.

Warm sensations I’ve never experienced before blossom through me. We enter another curve and I lean with him. I like how in sync I’ve become with Oz and the motorcycle. Like we’ve merged into one.

The purr of the engine deepens and Oz eases the bike to a stop. His feet hit the ground and he turns the machine off. It’s as if all sound in the world ceased, or maybe I’ve gone deaf because there’s no way anything can be this still or silent.

The wind picks up and the silence is frightened away with the roar of the trees bending. Both Oz and I shift with the flow of air and Oz doesn’t move the bike until the breeze gentles.

Oz kicks down the stand and the bike tilts, but not too much. He sets a hand over the fingers that I laced together across his stomach. Oh, hell, I’m plastic wrapped to him. I drop my head onto his shoulder and it places me closer, and closer is not what I need.

I go to unglue myself, but Oz squeezes my fingers, send­ing a jolt of electricity up my arms. “You okay?”

I have to clear my throat to speak and that just sucks. “Yes.”Oz slides his fingers against mine and a fluttering occurs in my stomach. It’s a light fluttering. Ticklish even, and my survival instincts scream at me to get off this motorcycle.

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.

Links:Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Tumblr ** Instagram

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ROAD TRIP BLOG TOUR: Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5)

Now, I know that, if you've read PUSHING THE LIMITS and BREAKING THE RULES, you've wanted to hit the road with Echo and Noah. Who wouldn't, right? Well, you're in luck! Join me and a few other fabulous bloggers on a special road trip with Echo and Noah tour, organized by Inkslinger PR! Read on for information about Breaking the Rules, and a very special guest post from Katie McGarry about today's location. To make this tour even better, you can enter a giveaway exclusive to my blog to win a signed copy of Pushing the Limits (US/Canada)!

Today's Location: 

Vail, CO

Guest Post by Katie McGarry:
Nestled at the bottom of a mountain, Vail is possibly the most beautiful town I’ve ever visited. The cobblestone streets with tidy buildings transport me into a cute little Swiss mountain village. Each store I pass screams expensive and boasts if you break it, you buy it. Well, the ice cream shop doesn’t boast that, but it would be cool if it did.

I love Colorado. Absolutely love. My love affair with the state started eight years ago when I visited Vail, CO for a week. Even though I’m a writer, I’m not sure that I can describe the majestic beauty and peace found within this mountainous area.

It is because I love this place so much that I decided to have most of BREAKING THE RULES take place in Vail. Echo and Noah’s souls are so full of chaos and I wanted this place to help them find peace.

About the Book

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5), by Katie McGarry
Published December 8, 2014
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * iBooks

(From Goodreads) A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

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, 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.

Tour Schedule

December 15-Vilma’s Book Blog

December 16-True Story Book Blog

December 17-KimberlyFaye Reads

December 18-Krista’s Dust Jacket

December 19-Nose Stuck in a Book

December 20-TSK TSK What to Read

December 21-K-Books

December 22-A Bookish Escape

December 23-Stuck in Books

December 24-Jenuine Cupcakes

Giveaway

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RELEASE DAY EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5)

I didn't realize how much I've missed Echo and Noah until I knew there was going to be more. And now, the day is finally here! Join me and Inkslinger PR in celebrating the release today of Katie McGarry's BREAKING THE RULES.

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5), by Katie McGarry
Published December 8, 2014
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * iBooks

(From Goodreads) A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

And, don't forget to read the first books in the Pushing the Limits series...

Pushing the Limits * Crossing the Line * Dare You To * Crash Into You * Take Me On 

Excerpt

Noah
     “Did you fall into some paint, Echo?” Isaiah asks, changing the subject.
     Echo’s shoulder slumps as she pivots toward the mirror. She groans as she touches her cheek and forehead that are more red and pink than skin. “Dang it. Why am I such a mess?”
     “I think it’s sexy as hell,” I say.
     “I think I’m going to barf,” Beth mocks my tone.
     Death radiates from the look I send her way. Enough that it should melt her. “Ever sleep in a tent, Beth?”
     Beth focuses on the screen while raising her middle finger in my direction.
     “Screw it.” Echo turns away from the mirror. “I need a shower.”
     I smile, Echo blushes, then I laugh. Damn me for inviting Isaiah and Beth to share our room.
     “Anyhow.” An excited glint strikes Echo’s eyes. “Are you ready? I hope you like it. It’s sort of…for you. But it’s not done, okay? I mean, something like this would actually take a while to perfect, so I guess I’m saying—”
     “Echo.”
     “Yeah?”
     “It’s all good.”
     “Okay.” Her fingers drum nervously over the top of the canvas before she repeats, “Okay.”
     “I’m assuming that’s not the constellation Aires?”
     “No. I’ll have to start on that tomorrow.” With a deep inhale, Echo pulls out a chair from the table and rests the painting on the arms and leans it against the back so it will stay upright.
     Air rushes out of my body, and I sink onto our bed. It’s the same damned shock as when she drew my parents this past spring. There’s awe and joy and this ache that hits deep in my gut. I bend forward and rest my joint hands on my knees and stare at the sight in front of me.
     Fuck me, my eyes burn. I shut them, attempting to get my shit together. It’s a painting. Only a painting. I reopen them, and it’s the same disorientation as a right hook to the head. It’s more than a painting, and that’s the reason my throat swells.
     Last night meant as much to me as it did to her and she painted it, capturing it in a way unique to Echo. She’s right, it’s not done. It’s a skeleton compared to her other work, but I see enough to know what she desires, what she plans to design. Up close all those colors would look like chaos, but when viewed as a whole it creates this beautiful picture. In the end, that’s the best way to describe me and Echo, our relationship. Our love.
     The bed dips as Echo eases onto it, settles behind me and props her chin on my shoulder. Her signature scent that reminds me of walking into a bakery becomes an invisible blanket surrounding me. “What do you think?”
     “It’s us,” I whisper, and knots form in my stomach. Echo always finds a way to blow my mind. She tenses behind me and I continue, “It’s where we spent last night.”
     “It is.” Echo relaxes, and her fingers curl around my biceps. “Do you like it?”
     Struggling for composure, I place my hand over hers and pause. “It’s…”
     I’m not Echo. I don’t have words for what happens inside me. If I did, I’d fail at describing this. I shift to rest my forehead against hers. “I don’t deserve you.”
     “That’s my statement,” she says so only I can hear. “I wish we were alone again.”
     I press my lips to hers, slide my hand through her hair and watch as the curls bounce back into place. “Me, too.”

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, 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.

Learn more about Katie --> Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Giveaway

Enter to win a complete signed set of the Pushing the Limits series by Katie McGarry (US/Canada only)!

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REVIEW: Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3)

Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3), by Katie McGarry
To Be Published November 26, 2013
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Format: e-galley, obtained from NetGalley
Genre:  Young Adult/Mature YA Contemporary Romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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.

Best Katie McGarry Book YET. I am so unbelievably in love with Isaiah, I can't even tell you. And Rachel was so awesome... I know I'm gushing and fangirling, and I almost never do that, but this book seriously deserves it. Between the romance, the friendships, and all the hot cars and car talk, there was so much to love here.

Isaiah, still stinging from the rejection of the one girl he allowed himself to love, is in a pickle. He needs money to make his rent, so, he decides to race in an illegal street race. He did not plan to race against a timid, but beautiful girl who very obviously doesn't belong there. A near miss with the cops, and an unexpected fallout from the raided race, forges a friendship between Isaiah and Rachel, which then becomes something much more than friendship. Now, circumstances beyond their control will force both of them to confront the people who have been ruling their lives in order for them to even have a chance at being together. 

My heart broke for Isaiah in Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2). He's such a good guy. He has an incredible sense of loyalty and dedication to his friends. He's been dealt a crap hand in life, and yet, he ducks his head and keeps going, trying to make himself better. I get why Beth rejected him. But, gosh - I just really wanted something to go right for this guy for a change. His homelife sucks, the girl he loves rejected him and he's constantly having to prove to people that the tats and piercings do not mean that he's a thug. In Crash Into You, my heart was STILL breaking for Isaiah. Then, in walks Rachel.

In the span of one week, I've done the two things the system taught me never to do: felt too much and dreamed of a different life. Wandering thoughts and feelings lead to an impending wreck. 

Rachel appears to have everything. Except, she's not living the life she wants. Rachel is the replacement part to her family. The family's eldest daughter died when she was a teen, and her mother had Rachel to fill the void. Except Rachel is not her sister. She loves cars and speed and hates shopping and mani pedis. She has severe panic attacks when she's stressed out or made the center of attention. This poor girl is a ghost in her own life.

But, holy crap on a cracker - when Isaiah and Rachel get together, it was like a thing of beauty. They were exactly what each other needed. Rachel needed someone who understood her love of cars and accepted that about her. She needed someone to protect her and help her feel safe. And she needed someone to help her stand up for herself and bring that inner fierceness out. Isaiah needed someone to shelter him from all the storms that buffered him every day. He needed someone to see through his rough exterior to the good man underneath it. He needed someone to believe in him and to love him unconditionally. Isaiah and Rachel needed each other.

Katie - mad props to you. There were so many awesome boys in this one book, it was easy to go a little cross-eyed from all the man candy. There was, of course, Isaiah. Noah and Ryan from books one and two are also very much present. Then, there's Logan, Ryan's BFF; Zach, a boy Isaiah knows from school; and Rachel's FOUR hot brothers - Gavin, Jake, West and Ethan. (Take Me On, the fourth book in the series, will focus on West, the token man-whore of the group) I hope Katie has many more books planned for this series, because I need to know more about all of them.

There are other girls present too, of course. There's definitely some time spent with Echo, who seemed to be going through her own troubles. There's also Beth who spends the book trying to smooth things over with Isaiah. And we are introduced to Abby, Isaiah's other female friend who gets tight very quickly with Rachel. What an odd couple those two made. I absolutely loved it.

The romance between Isaiah and Rachel was so painfully sweet. This is NOT a new adult book. There are no super sexy scenes between these two. The sexy times between them are fueled more by emotions than by hormones. Which almost makes it better. The words these two had for each other made me melt.

I can't give you the world, Rachel. But, I'll give you all I got. 

So, I guess the only question left at this point is, what are you doing still reading this when you should be out there pre-ordering Crash Into You? Go! Shoo! Do it now, because seriously, you need to read this book.

NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2), by Katie McGarry
To Be Published May 28, 2013
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Format: e-galley - provided by NetGalley
Genre:  New Adult Contemporary Romance
To Buy:  Amazon  * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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...

The New Adult genre follows a pretty prescribed formula. Sometimes that formula is a comfort to me. I’ll read a few YA or adult or urban fantasy books, and a lot of times they stress me out for one reason or another (The angst! The love triangles! The cliffhangers!). So, I fill the space between them with a few good NA books and their neat formulas, which almost always include:

• A “bad boy” – a lot of times tatted, pierced, womanizing and from the wrong side of the tracks
• A good girl with a tragic past – virginal, but damaged
• A predictable story arc – they meet, they hate each other, they like each other, they REALLY like each other, they’re happy, they break up, they get back together, the end

One of my absolute favorite parts of Dare You To is that it messed with the formula a little bit. Not so much that it couldn’t be recognized for what it was, but enough that I sat there and went, “Whoa. That’s different!”

See, in Dare You To, the “bad boy” is actually a “bad GIRL.” Beth is tatted, pierced, and definitely from the wrong side of the tracks. Her mom is a complete mess. Her dad is nonexistent. She is sent to live with her uncle after getting arrested, and she is really not happy about it.

The good, virginal, damaged girl is actually a guy. Ryan is the star of the school’s baseball team. His parents are pillars of the community. He has dated the popular mean girl. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Ryan is living the charmed life. But, his family life is completely dysfunctional and his world feels like it’s falling down around him.

Can I tell you how much I loved this role reversal? For once, the inexperienced, sweet one is the guy. How crazy is that? I love how Katie McGarry shaped and formed these characters. Beth was introduced in Pushing the Limits, but we didn’t see too much of her. I love how rough and mean she was. It was totally believable. And I also loved that she didn’t change on a dime as soon as she met a hot guy. She actually never really “changed.” Just adapted.

And Ryan was sweet and patient, but didn’t stand for all of Beth’s crap – and she gave him a lot of crap. His relationship with his brother was the best. It was nice watching that unfurl.

For those that are wondering – yes. We see Noah and Echo. Briefly. This isn’t their story, but they are part of Beth’s life, so they show up, but remain on the periphery. There’s a lot of Isaac in Dare You to, though, as he comes to grips with the fact that Beth doesn’t love him the same way he loves her.

Dare You To was a great book that served as a change to the usual NA books I read. For that, I say, “Bravo” to Katie McGarry for creating such a good bad girl.

REVIEW: Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1), by Katie McGarry
Published July 31, 2012
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Format:  Kindle e-book - own
Genre:  New Adult Contemporary Romance

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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.

Talk about an emotional roller coaster. Whoo-doggie. 

I had such a hard time reading this book at times. Oh - it was good. Really good. But, you know, funny thing about trying to read through tears - it doesn't work so well. LOL.

What Echo went through is so sad. What I love the most about this book is that Katie McGarry had me discover what happened to her just a little bit at a time. We learned along with Echo. And, that little bit at a time was so enticing. I think Pushing the Limits would've been a great book anyway, but the mystery just made it oh so much better.

Noah's situation is equally as tragic - perhaps even moreso because unlike with Echo, you knew about all the awful things that had happened to him, and you could see the best solution staring him in the face, and he was completely blind to it. It was frustration to the enth degree. 

Does it amaze and impress anyone else that there are some people out there that can elicit such strong responses from people with mere words on paper? I wish I had that ability. It's amazing how the characters and their stories have come to life. I love my paranormal books - weres and vamps and witches are my bread and butter. But, these contemporary romances are so real, and usually so tragic. It's a different experience entirely when I read them.

This was a really fantastic book. I love books that suck you in and make you care about the characters. Pushing the Limits was one of those books. McGarry was masterful at building suspense and creating emotion. The world was well constructed and the supporting characters well developed. So much so that the next book in the series, Dare You To, follows Noah's friend Beth. I can't wait to see what McGarry makes me feel next.