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.

REVIEW: Keep You From Harm (Remedy #1)

Keep You From Harm (Remedy #1), by Debra DoxerPublished September 25, 2013
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-copy, provided by the author and AToMR Tours in exchange for an honest review
Genre:  mature YA/new adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Secrets…

They weigh you down. I’ve kept a secret all my life. It’s my mother’s secret, too. I inherited it from her along with a unique ability that only we possess. She’s gone now, another victim of addiction. If her death isn’t enough to bring me to my knees, her betrayal flays me to the bone. Because the secret my mother and I have been keeping is just one of many she’d kept. She never told me I have an older brother. And now he’s here, eager to be my guardian.

There is no one else. So I move across the country to live with this stranger, my brother. But experience has taught me that most situations are temporary and forming attachments only leads to hurt in the end. That’s why I’m determined to keep to myself in this new place, struggling to seem aloof while I’m quietly breaking apart.

Then I meet Lucas…

His magnetism is hard to resist, and most girls at school aren’t resisting. I don’t fall so easily though, especially not for guys who use their good looks as a weapon. From the start, our interactions are tense and volatile. I know it’s because I’m denying the unwelcome desire that grips me when he’s near. I think he feels it, too. He looks at me with an intensity that threatens to unhinge my resolve. Soon he’s trying to break through the walls that past hurts have built.

But I’m not what I appear to be, and it wouldn’t be fair to get involved with him. At least that’s what I tell myself. Until a terrible act of violence reveals that Lucas has a secret, too. It’s a secret that links us together and ties us to an evil history I could never have imagined.

Before I talk about the book, can I just talk about the cover? It's so eerie and freaky and kinda beautiful. I freaking love it. 

Keep You From Harm was unexpected in many ways. I honestly didn't realize ahead of time that there was a paranormal aspect to it. I love that that took me by surprise. I also didn't realize how much I was getting all in one package. It's like a a three-fer. It's a little contemporary romance, a little paranormal and a little crime/mystery. What a fun combination. 

Raielle is sent to live with the brother she never knew she had after her mother is murdered. Not used to having anything - love, food, companionship - it's a bit of a tough transition. Luckily, she is able to make a few friends, which help. And then there's Lucas - the hottest guy in school who runs very hot and cold when they're together. To complicate matters, Raielle has a unique ability to heal injuries of all types. It's both a blessing and a curse, as she's about to find out. 

Raielle and Lucas are pretty awesome characters. Raielle doesn't trust easily, with good reason. It makes it all that more challenging for Lucas to get close to her. She is strong and resilient, and that shows through in the decisions she makes. With her healing ability, she gives of herself without thought or consequence, but if an injury is going to eventually take a life, she has to walk away. 

I really loved Lucas. He's a guy who tries to do the right thing. He's got it bad at home, which colors his views of others. Many in the town are suspicious, and even fearful, of him. And, yet, he keeps his head down, gets good grades and plays on the local baseball team. Lucas is determined and really brave. 

You put these two together, and they have some pretty amazing qualities between them. But, a relationship between them isn't easy. There's so much push and pull. Stop and start. And stop. And start. Lucas would react a certain way, and Raielle would shut him down because she didn't like his reaction and was afraid to unguard her heart. Raielle would do something, and Lucas would misinterpret it and push her away. It was a vicious and frustrating circle. The lack of communication between these two was staggering for awhile. But, once they got it together, the romance was so sweet. 

I really loved the paranormal aspect. Raielle's healing abilities were pretty cool. I like that there were limits placed on her and what she could do. Power without consequence is always so annoying. The mystery woven into the story was a good addition too. We're trying to find out who killed Raielle's mother and what that has to do with the bigger picture. The culprit wasn't too surprising, but the motives were. 

There were times in the middle where the story seemed to stall just a little. I got a little tired of all the back and forth between Raielle and Lucas. But, the beginning started off with a bang and the ending was super exciting. Keep You From Harm was a fantastic paranormal with a sweet romance and a dose of freak out.Give it a try.