Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry

Echo and Noah. Noah and Echo. 

Finally I got my chubby little hands on this beautiful book. 

And I was warned before hand that I would shed some tears, but little did I know they'd be big fat ones.

“She looked hurt. Hurt means she cares. It’s indifference that should scare you. The same look foster parents give you when you come and go.”

In 'Pushing the Limits' we met the broken Noah and Echo. We watched as they fell in love with one another, we saw them face their problems and find a way to still trust eachother, to smile and laugh again. To finally find someone who understood just wanting to 'fit in.'

But in Breaking the Rules we see the truth behind that pain, that it never just ends because they fell in love with one another. Life isn't like the fairytales and McGarry truly gets that message across with her mesmerising writing and magnificent story-telling skills. 

She tackles some major issues in this book from learning to stand on your own two feet in the real world while also facing your problems head on. 

Noah must figure out some truths about his need to be accepted, while Echo must learn to make her own decisions. 

“Sometimes we don’t choose the memories, but they choose us.”

Now I need to have a little rant about how annoyed I was at both Echo and Noah for basically half of this book. 

I found Echo became a little selfish and there was a few times she became embarrassed over Noah.. yet Noah has never been embarrassed over her. I almost felt like I needed to climb into those pages and have a little talk with Echo. Explain what was so clearly right in front of her. 

Noah doubted again and again Echo's love for him, her want to be with him and how proud she was in him. He truly believed one day she'd wake up and realise what a 'low-life' he was. This made me angry and upset, how could Noah ever think this? (Like come on he's drool-worthy!)

I nod, telling her I get it."I fucked up."

"You did." Beth won't look at me."I'll take care of her."

We get quite a few wonderful scenes with Isaiah and Beth! 

Oh Katie, how I hate to say it but I still remember why I shipped them so hard, why it hurt when Beth fell in love with Ryan and left him behind, why it still hurts that they were never meant to be together.. But I must remind myself; destructive love is worse than no love.. right?!

This book gets 5 stars out of 5. Katie McGarry didn't fail to draw me in. She let us in on the harsh realities that is life and she made me cry. Every good book makes me cry, makes my heart break then glues it all together for a special closing. 

So Thank-you Katie, Thank-you for telling Noah and Echo's story. It needed to be told. 

GO GRAB A COPY OF THIS BOOK AND READ UNTIL THE SUN COMES UP!

“The worst type of letting go isn't the kicking or the screaming, because at least then there's enough emotion left to fight.No,the worst type is the silent acceptance.The quietness of the release.That's when the person realizes they no longer give a damn.”

Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry!

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5)

by Katie McGarry

Release Date: 12/08/14

Harlequin Teen

Our beautiful, favourite couple are back! Yes I said it! Okay you all definitely (and if not, you've been living under a rock) have heard about Echo and Noah's second book. Yes second! A book about them, yes about them. And I am here to gift you with an excerpt, and just some details about how you can buy this beautiful book when it comes out on the 8th of December. 

Maybe we should start with the simple things; Like the Summary; 

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.

Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order Links for Breaking the Rules: 

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks│Google Play│The Book Depository

Goodreads links for the series: 

Pushing the Limits│Dare You To│Crash Into You│Take Me On

Here praying it's not against the rules.. so hey I'm going to give you two excerpts.. one from Noah's P.O.V and the other from Echo's. 

From Noah’s Point of View 

“Me and you,” I whisper, hoping my words will sink into her subconscious, beyond where she overthinks. “It’s how it’s supposed to be.”
Echo’s hand glides over mine, and she links our fingers together. “You like disturbing my sleep, don’t you?”
I kiss her shoulder, permitting my lips to linger on her soft skin. Guess I did wake her. “Just keeping things straight between us.”
“In my sleep?” Damn, I love that groggy voice.
“You argue less that way.”

From Echo’s Point of View

It’s like watching a horror film in slow motion. She tucks her hair behind her ears, gives Noah a hesitant smile and speaks. The girl is pretty—very pretty. I run my hand over the scars on my left arm. Sometimes I don’t understand why Noah’s with me. Especially when I’m so…
Noah answers the girl then motions at me with his chin. Both girls turn, and their faces fall. Noah waves. I wave back. Butterflies tumble in my stomach when he flashes his wicked grin.

Do you all want to just fangirl over those excerpts, and how much we need the book! I am dying! I have to wait another month, most likely till Christmas even! Oh man though it will be worth it to read another book about Echo and Noah's journey! Bring it on (:

 

And this is the amazing woman who writes these spectacular books! 

About the Author

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

 Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

“I can’t give you the world, Rachel, but I’ll give you all I got.”

This is the third installment in the absolutely outstanding Pushing the Limits Series. Katie McGarry has not disappointed with Crash Into You.

This story follows Isaiah Walker, Noah Hutchins best friend from Pushing the Limits. This book delves deeper into Isaiah's life and his fight for survival in a dangerous world. He lives for speed and cars and he survives by never giving anyone the chance to get close to him, never showing weakness. Enter Rachel Young. Beautiful, smart, shy, naive and has a certain obsession with cars. When they meet sparks fly and so begins a hard journey where it's not just their hearts that are on the line but their lives as well.

This book is told from both Isaiah and Rachel's point of view similar to the rest of Katie's books. It completely captivated me from the beginning to end. I have loved Isaiah since the start but this book just sealed the deal! It was fast-paced but was written in a way that wasn't rushed. It still gave you a great story line, the characters still developed and the twists and turns leave your mind reeling.

“Fuck me. God does exist and he sent an angel in a white Mustang to prove it.”

Isaiah and Rachel both love cars. They understand them. They're passionate about them. This passion ultimately starts their story. For Isaiah cars are his calling. They are his ticket to making a life for himself once he ages out of the foster care system. For Rachel cars are an escape. An escape from the shadow of her dead sister. An escape from the pressure of being the perfect daughter and sister. She understands cars more then she understands people. 

Katie's writing has captivated me once again. If I was allowed I would have devoured this book in one sitting but you know school and all! The way she portrayed her characters, how she described the scenes. It was a perfect blend. People might say that it was too fast-paced but it's a book centered around cars and speed. If a book ever needed to be fast-paced it would be this one! 

“I love you, Rachel. So this will work. No matter what or who stands in our way.” 

Rachel and Isaiah. Isaiah and Rachel. I loved them together! They just fit. Of course they were different but none of that mattered to them once they got past the bumps in the road that all couples go through! And some of them were really big. But you're just going to have to read it to find out!

This book really deserves the five stars that its getting. I found it so hard to fault so I just decided not to. If you haven't read this series yet go start now! You won't be disappointed! And don't forget to look out for Katie McGarry's next book Take Me On that's out soon.

Goodread's link

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare you to, the second book in the outstandingly beautiful 'Pushing the Limits' series written by the very talented author Katie McGarry 

"It's our rain Beth." 

Katie's stories never fail to surprise me, her writing is beyond perfection. She could write a book about an odd sock that she found in the wash and I would probably be in tears by the end.

The first chapter of Dare you to is in Ryan's point of view, the main male character of this book. Who would of thought you'd find the love of your life in Taco Bell approaching her because of a stupid dare? 

Ryan is a sweet, kind, drool worthy jock. He eats, drinks and breathes baseball. He has never known anything else, but writing is slowly becoming part of his life and one girl is about to show him that there is much more than one path to choose in life. 

“Baseball isn't just a game. It's the smell of popcorn drifting in the air, the sight of bugs buzzing near the stadium lights,the roughness of the dirt beneath your cleats. It's the anticipation building in your chest as the anthem plays, the adrenaline rush when your bat cracks against the ball, and the surge of blood when the umpire shouts strike after you pitch. It's a team full of guys backing your every move, a bleacher full of people cheering you on. It's...life”

I fell in love with the Beth the moment we met in 'Pushing the Limits.' Her attitude was what really caught my eye. She had a nature of judging others before she had even gotten to know them because she expected others to judge right back. In some ways she reminded me of myself and I liked that. 

Beth's bad-ass attitude really shines through at the start of this book. She makes me angry, happy, sad etc. I was mad at her for a long time for the way she led Isaiah on but I learnt to live with it by the end of this book. Beth deserved more than anyone to be happy, she had had such a hard life. She just never thought herself worthy enough to find happiness and so pushed all good things in life away. Until one boy came along and showed her just how special she really was! 

“I take comfort in the stone inside of me. If I don't feel, I don't hurt.”

Ryan and Beth both overcome so much in this book. From Beth learning that she can't always be there for her mother right through to Ryan learning that his brother never did anything wrong by being gay. 

At the start of this book I was a hundred percent sure McGarry had made a mistake not letting Isaiah and Beth be together. My heart was completely shattered and I wasn't sure if I could love any other boy being with Beth but Ryan completely changed my mind. He brought out the other side of Beth, the side that she never showed anyone. He loved her and because of that she slowly started letting her walls down. I fell head over heels for Ryan and understood by the end why Isaiah and Beth couldn't be together. 

“The way he stares at me - it’s as if he doesn’t even see the outside anymore. His eyes pierce me as if he can see my soul and the thought terrifies me.” 

Many times throughout this book I found the tears streaming down my cheeks. From the intense scenes right through to the romantic scenes. We all have that series we like to tell everyone about and this is that series for me. It is much more than just addictive. This book is an emotional rollercoaster and it enchants you from page 1 all the way through to the very last page. 

It gets 5 out of 5 stars for it's beautiful story, breath-taking writing and perfect characters! 

Goodread's link

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

“The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see--the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that survived. For people like me and Echo, our souls contained more scar tissue than life.”

'Pushing the Limits' is the first book in Katie McGarry's  Young Adult 'Pushing the Limits Series'. The book follows the story of Echo Emerson and Noah Hutchins. Two High School seniors who have dealt with more than their fair share of issues. The story is narrated by both Echo and Noah, in alternating first person every few chapters.

I read this book a while ago and it has stayed in my head since. So when I got the opportunity to write reviews for books this book was on the top of my list!

For both Echo and Noah their lives could have been described as content up until a point where both of them were shattered. Noah lost his parents and was put into foster care with his younger brothers. Echo lost her brother in Afghanistan and something happened to her that she doesn't remember but it had something to do with her unstable mother and the scars will be forever a reminder.

While Noah resorted to drugs and alcohol to cope Echo became closed off and shy. They may seem different but both of them are lost and looking for way to pick up the broken pieces of their lives. But that's kind of hard when you're labeled destructive and unstable, and all aspects of your life being controlled by your father and his pregnant girlfriend.

Noah and Echo first meet outside of the school counselor's office where they both attend sessions. Here starts the roller coaster that will push Noah and Echo to their limits.(see what I did there?!)

Both characters stole a piece of my heart. Echo feared so much because of that night even though she can't remember it but she still finds it in herself to help Noah. And then we have Noah, oh Noah, if I had a guy like you lets just say my life would be complete! Underneath that bad boy persona is a guy that is loving, caring and protective.

“Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good.”

Katie's writing is beautiful. It was simple but conveyed the emotions of the characters so well that you felt what the characters felt. Sometimes I found myself wishing that I could just give all of them a hug! It is really hard for authors to accomplish this but Katie did it with ease. The character development in the book was another high point it wasn't too fast or too slow. You could see how the characters began to evolve, transition and overcome.

I can really not fault this book. I think it would just be a waste of time trying to. Katie gives us an insight into how unfair life can be, the bad side to foster care and how surrounding yourself with the right people can help heal the broken pieces of ones heart and soul.

This is a book that stays with you long after you read it and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone!

This book deserves the five stars that it is getting. It was an amazing, heart breaking and emotional read.    

Goodread's link