{Review} Nowhere but Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 4th, 2015
Finished Date: May 7th, 2015

Publishers: Mire Ink 
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 496
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

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.

The Review: I adore McGarry’s Pushing the Limits series, so when I heard about her writing a new series I was excited and, to hear it was a YA romance around a motorbike club? Oh yeah, I was definitely signed up for that! But and it pains me to say this but for me it didn’t quite hit the spot for me.

Emily is content with her life. She has good friends, goes to a good school and her mother and stepfather love her more than anything. The only thing Emily has trouble with is her biological father’s yearly visits and not being able to connect with him because he chose his motorcycle club – Reign of Terror, over being with her and her mother and in all honestly, her step-father offers her everything she needs as a father figure. She when Emily finds out that he Grandmother has died, the last thing Emily wants to do is go visit the family she doesn’t know. But that’s where she finds herself only a few days later and once she arrives, she discovers that not everything is as it seems but people are hiding secrets – secrets that involve her and now her once happy life in is danger.

Oz has grown up knowing one thing – he will have a future in the Reign of Terror club. But when Emily arrives Oz is given his first assignment and unfortunately messes it up. Now he must do anything to get back into the good books with the club, even if that means babysitting Emily. But Oz isn’t prepared for the attraction he feels towards her, especially when everyone is hell bent on them being together. Can they overcome the obstacles that are trying to force them apart? 

There’s no denying that McGarry is a fantastic writer. She has a keen eye for detail and can write smouldering romance and hit all the right spots in a YA novel and I still believe she has that even though I had problems with Nowhere but Here. The issue for me was the characters. In all honesty I just found Emily such a hard character to like. From the start she’s very stuck up, unapproachable, overacts at the littlest thing and she’s just generally a hard character to love. I understand that she has a hard time trying to know her biological father and how difficult that could be for a teenager but, Emily brings a lot of it on herself. She listens to her everything her mother says – which half the time is lies – instead of trying to see how she feels about her father and make up her own mind. It’s not until Emily has to stay with her extended family and Oz that she slowly starts to change, but she still wasn’t great. I didn’t really understand the whole insta-connection with Oz. The first time she sees him she automatically hates him but within minutes, she feels a connection to him that isn’t explained. The same goes for Oz though. He constantly tells Emily she needs to leave, get out their lives because it causes too much stress for Emily's grandmother whom Oz is very close with. But within minutes, Oz is swooning over Emily, wanting to protect her. I didn't get it. Both characters were just very naive and I wasn't invested in their relationship as I would have liked to be. 

There are a few sweet moments in the story and enough danger to keep you turning the pages, but with it's slow pacing and the book being far longer than it really needed to be, it's one that I found I had push myself through rather than enjoying it to it's full potential. 

2.5 flowers! 

Thank you to Mira Ink for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5) by Katie McGarry

Posted by Donna
Release Date: January 1st, 2015
Finished Date: December 30th, 2014

Publishers: Mira Ink
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 464

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

“I wish life could be like this forever,” I say.

“We’d be okay then.

We’d forever be okay.”

For Echo Emerson, a road trip with her boyfriend is the perfect way to spend the last summer between school and college. It’s a chance forget all the things that make her so different at home. But most of all, it means almost three months alone with gorgeous Noah Hutchins, the only boy who’s never judged her.

Echo and Noah share everything.

But as their pasts come crashing back into their lives, its harder to hide that they come from two very different worlds. And as the summer fades, Echo faces her toughest decision – struggle to face the future together or let her first love go…

The Review: DNF at page 101.

Pushing the Limits was an instant favourite of mine back in 2012 and since then I’ve been eagerly waiting for more titles from Katie McGarry because I’ve loved everything she’s produced, until now. 

Breaking the Rules is if I’m honest is hard to read, it’s the reason I’ve not finished the rest of book. I knew going into the story that not everything was going to be easy for the characters but, I almost feel like they’re in a worse place now then where they were in Pushing the Limits and it’s pretty much bursting my imaginative bubble of these characters living their lives happily together. 

As the story is told from alternative points of view, we see Echo and Noah battle with insecurities, pain, issues and honestly, it’s painful to read. One minute they’re basking in their happiness with each other, but the next, their issues bring them down and they’re arguing and second guessing everything. These aren’t the two characters that I came to love from the first book. They feel like different characters. Yes, they’ve grown but has anything really changed other than being together? No. I just don’t feel like this book was needed – not a full length novel anyway. I feel like drama has been created just for this book where it isn’t needed. Echo started to grate on my nerves and I found her a lot more dramatic than before where I’m rolling my eyes at her. And it makes me sad that I feel this way but reading it isn’t enjoyable. I don’t want these characters so sad. I want them happy and I want to remember these characters for how they were in Pushing the Limits, not Breaking the Rules.

I applauded Katie McGarry for writing a sequel for these characters and getting out more of their story because I’m guessing it doesn’t come easy when you have two very complex characters dealing with real life issues, but for me, I’d have had rather their story finished at the end of Pushing the Limits, where I can continue to imagine the characters living in a bubble of pure happiness and not having any drama to deal with. 

Thank you to Mira Ink for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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

Posted by Donna
Release Date: May 27th, 2014

Finished Date: May 11th, 2014
Publishers: Harlequinn Teen
Genre: Mature YA, Contemporary, Romance 

Source: For Review
Format: eARC
Pages: 544

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

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.

The Review: I always look forward to a new Katie McGarry book because you are always guaranteed an addictive read, with fantastic characters and trouble which is not too far away, and Take Me On definitely lived up to what I was expecting because Katie McGarry doesn't know how to disappoint her readers! 

This time around we see Haley, a champion kickboxer, who once had it all but now she doesn't have much, not since her father lost his job and her and her family are forced to live with her Uncle who has very strict house rules. Living under his roof isn't easy, and it's even worse with her pysho ex-boyfriend hanging out. It's not until she meets West that she starts questioning what she wants in life. But West is hiding secrets of his own - ones he can't stop feeling guilty about but in Haley he finds someone he wants to be around, so he does his best to find a way - even if they're only faking being boyfriend and girlfriend. Soon they discover that they enjoy faking it, more than they thought, but can two people who have trouble in their lives, come together and make something beautiful?

I can't tell you how much I adore Katie's work and with each book she produces, she seems to get better and better. Even though her stories do have a slight trend - troubled teens finding love, no matter what, I still completely enjoy it and find I can't put the book down until it's finished. What I love is how Katie does try to mix it up a bit, she doesn't always stick to same story but adds something that as a reader, we may not be interested in, like boxing or drag racing. This time, it's boxing and I completely loved it. So it's simple, Katie could write anything and I think I'd love it - she's just that type of author that has an addictive quality to her work.

With Take Me On featuring West - Rachel's brother - (Rachel's from Dare You To) I was wondering how she could make West's story different from Rachel's. It's clear the West family have their own issues, but I didn't know if their issues could warrant another story, but it did. The West family are messed up and I felt as though West got it bad during his story. But then of course, we have Haley's issues too and it's was just as rough for her - if not worse. She's dealing with a lot and it's only when she's with West does she feel like she can start moving on. I've gotta say, it's a lot for teens to be dealing with at that age and at times it's quite simply heart-breaking. I found both stories intense and sad, I loved West and Haley together. They we're super cute and pretty deep. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow in something honest and beautiful and I  could easily have kept on reading once I'd finished.

I'm honestly hoping and praying that Katie doesn't stop here, I still want more in her Pushing the Limits series and I'd really love for Lilah and Logan to get their own stories - especially Lilah, seriously that's going to be one hell of a story. But I still think there are many other characters - like Jax could get their own stories too. I guess time will tell but yeah, I want more!

Overall, it's simply impossible to rate a book by Katie bad, it's just not possible. I love her work and I highly recommend you read some if you haven't.

A Review for Crash into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  November 26th, 2013
Finished Date: October 16th, 2013

Publishers: Harlequin Teen 
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Source: For Review

Format: eARC
Pages: 489

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

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.

The Review: "You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I'm awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won't erase that I'm terrified by how much I like you."

Crash into You was an awesome, awesome story and Isaiah and Rachel didn't disappoint! Isaiah has always been an interesting character for me but, and it wasn't until Dare You To that I really started to want to know WHO Isaiah really was ...and I definitely found out who he was in this. 

Isaiah is another local bad boy, rough around the edges and has a terrible background - but at heart, he's big softy. The foster care system hasn't done him any favours and because of how he was bought up,  Isaiah tries to keep his distance from people. However, there are a few that have managed to break down his walls and into his heart - Noah, Echo, Abby and lastly Beth. We all know how cut up Isaiah was losing Beth to Ryan and unfortunately, he isn't over her still. It's not until Rachel races her way into his life that he suddenly starts rethinking how he feels, but can Isaiah protect Rachel from his world?  

How Katie McGarry wrote this story was fantastic! Speed racing is not something I'm completely familiar with (unless you count the Fast and Furious movies, lol) so it was quiet refreshing to read something new like this. The danger that comes was frightening and unpredictable, the new added characters - Abby and Logan were a great addition. Can I just say, I so want more from Abby - Abby getting together with Ethan - Rachel's twin brother. And Logan, I love how he's character was woven into Isaiah's. but most importantly, I loved the relationship between Rachel and Isaiah. 

I LOVE ISAIAH! I have to admit, I had my doubts about his story because I really didn't want him hung up on Beth all the way through, however that's really not the case. We do see him struggle slightly, but Rachel literally takes all the hurt away. I was immediately hooked by their story and I didn't want to put it down for one second. The tension between these two was sizzling hot, the vulnerability between them was at times, very heart-breaking, Isaiah has been brought up thinking no-one cares for him and that he's worthless, Rachel has been brought knowing she's a replacement and was only born to make her mother happy and take the place of her dead sister. Even though they come from two different sides of town - the rich and poor - they have a lot of things in common, but it's mainly their love for cars that makes them spark, and of course the attraction to one another. Together they were truly beautiful, they became stronger together and decided to face things together, rather than run away - they really brought out the best in each other. 

In all, Katie McGarry is a phenomenal writer! There are not many authors that continually receive 5 stars reviews from me, but Katie McGarry does. Crash into You is the third book by Katie that I’ve read and her writing is just as strong as it was when she was publishing her debut novel, Pushing the Limits. She’s definitely fast becoming a favourite of mine, and I can not wait to see what she has in store for us with Take Me On. 

A Review for Dare You To (Pushing The Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

Posted by Jess
Release Date: May 21st, 2013

Finished Date: January 13th, 2013

Publishers: Harlequinn Teen
Source: For Review 

Format: Kindle

Pages: 304
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

"I dare you..." 

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

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

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

The Review: "My fingers lightly trace her arm and I swear she presses closer to me. I'd love to kiss her right now. Not the type of kiss that makes her body come alive. The type of kiss that shows her how much I care - the type that involves my soul." - Ryan

I thought Pushing The Limits was awesome. Dare You To was even better. Katie McGarry totally pulled it out of the big fat book bag once again with Beths story.

Katie McGarry has a a good way of sucking you into her stories, that when you start, you just simply cannot stop. This was no different. We're thrown drastically into Beths world and it's just a total rollercoaster of emotions. 

All of Katie McGarry's characters manage to have so much depth to them, so many internal demons, that you simply wish you could comfort them. So many different real issues are concentrated in this book that it's handled wonderfully. 

I liked Beth, I did, it's just in parts I honestly found her completely frustrating with some of the decisions she made regarding her dead beat of a mother. She just had this whole plan worked out and it's a stupid plan and you get extremely frustrated with her and the way she sometimes treats Ryan when he's trying to help her out. But I guess that's what makes this story good, you get so caught up and invested that every moment, every scene becomes an obstacle to conquer. Ryan is the good boy, I liked Ryan a lot. He knew what he wanted, what he was capable of and when it came to his feelings for Beth, he wasn't going to stop until she was his. He's a great hero for our Beth, he helps her grow and become who she's meant to be, help her create a new life for herself and that's the greatest part of the story that I overly enjoyed. I love how Beth just developed over the course of the pages. I felt for Isaiah a lot through this. He loves Beth more than anything, and to be let down like that isn't nice, I'm so glad he gets his own book, I can't wait for Crash Into You.

Dare You To, wasn't as dramatic as Pushing The Limits, but it's a great story, a force to be reckoned with. 

Overall Dare You To was a thrilling read full of love, betrayal, sexual tension and real issues, set to leave you wanting more each chapter. So if you haven't picked up any of the books in this series, then you really really should. I can assure you you won't regret it a single bit.

One more thing-Can I just give a mention to this AMAZING cover. It's probably one of the greatest book covers ever, and those cover models are perfect for Beth and Ryan. I'd like to know who the Ryan model is...because he's really really yummy! That is all.

Thank you to Harlequinn & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

A Review for Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

Posted by Donna
Release Date: May 21st, 2013

Finished Date: January 9th, 2013

Publishers: Harlequinn Teen
Source: For Review 

Format: Kindle

Pages: 304
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

"I dare you..." 

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

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

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

The Review: Katie McGarry has done it again and created another heart-breaking and emotional story and turned it into something beautiful and truly unforgettable. This time around we see Beth - a misunderstood girl that always tried her best to protect her low life mother, one who always puts Beth last in her life. When Beth takes the blame for a stunt her mother pulls, she's arrested and is rescued by her Uncle, who she hasn't seen for years. Taking her away from everyone she loves and enrolling her in a new school, Beth's Uncle becomes the strict parent she's always needed in her life but he also provides her with the family love she's been missing out on too. It's here she meets good boy Ryan - one whose addicted to dares and Beth just became his latest dare. But will Beth pull the wool over his eyes and beat him at his own game? And can she really re-start her life over - one where she leaves everyone she loves behind or will she die trying to protect her mother?

I haven't had this feeling for ages, you know the one, where you feel compelled to stay up late into the night to finish a book and when you do finish, you can't form a coherent sentence. Well that's how I felt with Dare You To. I so needed a book like this to enter my life right now. I've read a few great books lately but nothing that has completely blown me away and left me wanting more but Dare You To provided me just that, and it proves why I love about reading so much. 

Beth was a favourite of mine from Pushing the Limits, she comes across as bad girl who will happily says what she thinks, whenever she likes. She's honest, protective and feisty and even though she comes across as the bad girl, she's really a girl who puts on a front. She feels like she has no other choice. Now Ryan, he's the opposite to Beth. I'm not sure what I was really expecting from his character - a jock who was mean to people but boy, was he surprising. He was sweet, caring and not the typical jock I was expecting. I ended up really falling him as a character. I also loved Ryan's friends - again they were characters that surprised me because they were so nice. And of course, I can't forget Noah, Echo and Isaiah. Isaiah literally - my heart broke for him. His relationship with Beth is one based on friendship and I know a lot of people were thinking WHAT, when they found out Dare You To was Beth and Ryan's story but I'm kind of glad now, because we get his story in Crash Into You. I'm guessing it's due for release in 2014 - maybe? But hey, I can not wait!

All in all, Katie McGarry's Dare You To oozes with sexual tension, swoon worthy quotes and a love story that leaves a mark on your heart. It's a story about loss, love, sacrifice, betrayal and hope and it's one that will stay with me for a very long time. I highly suggest you pick up some of Katie's work if you haven't before. 

Thank you to Harlequinn & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

UK Blog Tour for Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry ; Review & Character Interview with Echo

Posted by Jess

Release Date: August 3rd, 2012

Finished Date: March 31st, 2012

Publishers: Mira Ink

Source: ARC, For Review

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 392
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

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


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


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

The Review: "Luke used to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls." -Echo


What an absolutely amazing book. I remember when both Donna and I received this from Mira Ink at their blogger party, we were so excited to read it. This book didn't disappoint one single bit. It was phenomenal, I honestly couldn't put it down I read it in one day and it was completely fantastic.
.
The story was very well done, the writing was brilliant and it just got better with each chapter. Both Noah and Echo are broken shells of their former selves and it was them coming together and learning from each other that they formed a bond where they were no longer alone, no longer outsiders because they had each other. They're relationship grew and grew, first from resent to friendship and then to a love that blossomed.  With the narratives switching between Echo and Noah you really got a sense of their feelings about themselves, about each other, about their struggles and their obstacles then eventually their growing feelings toward each other.
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Our secondary characters I loved. They all played a big part in the Echo and Noah story. Isaiah and Beth were just constant rocks to Noah and really helped him  through his struggles with his younger brothers and his feelings towards Echo that eventually showed on the outside. Lila was there for Echo, doing exactly the same thing. I love it when two broken characters still manage to make it through their days because they have a strong support system from friends. 
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The characters were developed and well written. The story was consistent and had you reeling from the end of ever chapter, I was just completely blown away. Katie McGarry has done a completely brilliant job and writing what will be timeless classic and what I believe will shape more authors wanting to write similar stories and turn those into classics of the 21st Century.
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Pushing the Limits became one of my top reads of 2012, it's just so incredibly powerful and brilliantly written that it will be left with you for days to come. I plan on reading this again very soon and buying the book so that I have the beautiful cover. 
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If you haven't already picked this book up then you really really should, you won't regret it. Trust me.

Character Interview with Echo:

1) Hi Echo. What an emotional journey you've gone through. How are you feeling now?  

Fantastic and no that’s not just my external answer. I really am doing great. I’m still in therapy and there are a lot of things I have to work out, but at least I feel like I’m moving forward now instead of backwards.

2) Your relationship with your father was a rocky one, has it improved much now? 

We have our good days….and our bad days. Overall, we do a much better job talking to each other, but there are days that we both slide back into our old roles. Mrs. Collins says it’s normal. I mean, we spent eighteen years treating each other like this. We aren’t going to change everything in a day.

What’s amazing is that he sometimes comes to therapy with me. That means a lot to me. It means he wants to try to work on things.

3) How is your relationship with Noah? 

Terrific! We travelled together for a month after graduation and we saw snow capped mountains!  By the way, Noah has a thing with ledges. It totally freaks me out and he knows it. He can walk right up to the edge of mountain and look straight down. No fear at all. It made the blood drain from my face every time he did it.

Noah is the one thing in my life now that is easy. He makes me laugh and his kisses still make my toes curl. Sometimes he can just look at me and I get all flustered. When he puts his arms around me, I feel safe and like I’ve found home.

4) Can you tell us how you felt the first time you kissed him? 

Oh my God, I was a panicked mess. When he took me to the fountain and I saw the look in his eyes when I saw his parent’s names, I knew what a huge moment it was. I knew we were going to kiss and all I could think was, I’m going to kiss Noah Hutchins.

Noah Hutchins.

And when we did, all the panic slipped away. The cold disappeared and all there was in the world was me and Noah. His warm hands on me. My fingers touching him. And then our lips met. For the first time in years I felt alive and loved.

5) What you are both doing now? Are you at college? 

We’re both going to the University of Louisville. I live in the dorms. Noah lives in a small apartment with Isaiah. He still works at the Malt and Burger. I’m focused on my painting and I’m able to sell a few pieces at times. Noah and I see each other as much as we possibly can.

6) If you could go back and change one moment in your life, what would it be and why?

It’s not one moment, but a span of moments. I’d spend more time with Aires. Hug him tighter. Laugh harder. Listen intently to his every word. I miss my brother.

A Review for Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry + Author Interview + Giveaway (US/CAN only)

Posted by Donna

Expected Release Date: July 31st, 2012

Finished Date: March 23rd, 2012

Publishers: Mira Ink / Harlquin Teen

Source: ARC For Review

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 392
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo / B&N / Indie Bound 

SO WRONG FOR EACH OTHER...AND YET SO RIGHT.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

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The Review: This was another book I had NEVER heard of until I went to a bloggers party hosted by Mira Ink way back in March. The lovely Mira had given me a goody bag and guess what was included, YES, Pushing the Limits and I literally started it within a few days and devoured it within less than 24 hours - yes it is that good! 
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Echo Emerson's life has changed since she was hanging around with the popular crowd only a few months ago. After an event that changed her life and left her with permanent scars to her arms, she's now known as a freak and everyone wants to know what happened. Echo has a hard time opening up to people and even going to therapy doesn't help that much. That is until Noah Hutchins enters her life. Noah is known as the bad guy at school and Echo will do anything to keep away from him, but for some reason she finds he's the only person that can really understand her. As they embark on a friendship, both Echo and Noah are fast to fight their attraction for one another but sparks soon fly. 
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Katie McGarry has created a phenomenal debut novel with Pushing the Limits and I loved every single minute of it. It’s full of raw emotions and heart-breaking scenes – ones that are full of angst and sadness, but beneath all that there’s hope. Hope that two troubled characters can come together against all the odds that their lives throw at them. Their complete opposites but find trust in each another enough to open up and even though their relationship isn’t perfect, it’s still beautiful and very solid. 
I adored Echo, even with all her problems she was still a fantastic character. She struggles to go through day to day life because she’s so intent on trying to find out what happened to her, even though deep down, she’s not sure she wants to know. And then there’s Noah, who has just as many problems but he really see’s Echo for whom she is, and even though they push each other away a number of times, something draws them back to together. I loved them together. I loved their scenes. I loved their chemistry. I loved everything about them. With the story being told from both Echo and Noah’s point of view – which I love, I had time to get to know each of them, so by the end of the book, I was an emotional wreck because their journey isn’t easy but it was a very, very enjoyable as a reader. And quotes like this....easy convinced me to love this story;
'A shy smile tugged at her lips and at my heart. F*** me and the rest of the world, I was in love.' - Noah
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Pushing the Limits is one of them books that you could read all day long and wish it never had to end. It has a little bit of everything for every reader, and if you love a story that’s heart-wrenching, real and beautifully written, then I urge you to read Pushing the Limits – because you won’t be disappointed! 

Q&A With Katie McGarry

Q: What was your inspiration for writing Pushing the Limits?
A: I had two main inspirations: One, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write a story in which my characters felt strong enough to leave their pasts behind and create new futures for themselves. The first scene I ever saw in my mind was Echo and Noah leaving town after graduation. Two, I wanted to write two characters who were facing over- whelming issues and who, through battling these issues, found hope at the end of their journey.

Q: How did you come up with Echo’s name?
A: Echo went through several name changes as I wrote the manuscript. For a while, she had a very normal name, but it always felt off. It wasn’t until I looked at Echo from her mother’s point of view that I found her name. Echo’s mother loved Greek mythology so it made perfect sense that she would name her children after the myths. I read several Greek myths and the moment I found Echo’s, I fell in love. Echo, to me, was the girl who lost her voice. Thankfully, she finds it by the end.

Q: Which character is the most “like” you?
A: All of them. I gave each character a piece of me (though some have larger slices of me than others). Overall, I’d say I’m a strange combination of Echo, Lila and Beth. Echo has my need to please, Lila has my unfailing loyalty to my friends and Beth encompasses my insecurities.

Q: Did you experience friendships with Grace types when you were in high school?
A: Yes. And the more people have read this story, the more this question comes up. Grace has struck a stronger nerve in people than I ever would have imagined. It seems most of us have unfortunately experienced a relationship where a person wants to “like” you and wants “be your friend,” but only if it serves their needs. In case anyone is wondering, that isn’t friendship.

Q: Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
A: Yes. The relationship between Noah, Isaiah and Beth. Beyond my parents and sister, my nearest family members were over fourteen hours away. My friends became my family. The people I grew up with were more than people I watched movies with or talked to occasionally on the phone. These were people with whom I shared life’s most devastating moments, but also my hardest laughs. These were people who I would have willingly died for and I know they would have done the same for me. They shared my triumphs with smiles on their faces and congratulatory hugs. They held me when I cried and offered to beat up whoever hurt my feelings. These were also the same people who were more than happy to get in my face if they thought I was making a wrong decision.

Q: Did anything that happens to Echo happen to you?
A: Sort of. I was bitten by a dog when I was in second grade and repressed the memory. It felt very strange to have no memory of an incident that other people knew about. It was even strang- er to have injuries and not have an inkling where they came from. In college, I finally remembered the incident when a dog lunged at me. I relived the horrible event and sort of “woke up” a few minutes later to find myself surrounded by people I loved. Even though I “remember” the incident, I still don’t remember the whole thing. I only see still frames in my mind and there is no blood in any of the memories.

Author 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, 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.

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