Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

WELCOME ALL to Katie McGarry's new book series, and one hell of a series it is going to be. 

Let me introduce you to the two main characters of this book: Oz and Emily. 

They both come from completely different worlds. Their definitions of 'normal' are polar opposites. And they're both as loveable as each other. 

Oz has been a prospect of the 'Reign of Terror,' a motorcycling boy-club ever since the day he was born. He hasn't had it easy but has always loved the community he was brought into. A world completely different than the one Emily understands, the one me and you understand. It is a world that to some seems dangerous and terrifying.. but to the members it's a club about family and loyalty. A place that loves their members no matter what and stands by each other to the end. 

Emily was raised in a world full of secrets, but she did not know this until the day an email arrived from her biological father, Eli telling her that her biological Grandmother had passed away.. this one act was to change her entire life and throw her into the beautiful and chaotic world of the 'Reign of Terror.' What she learns along her journey of finding freedom is what will change her whole lifestyle and also helps not only the reader to see the world we are all sharing in a different perspective, but also Emily to understand the world she could have easily grown up in. 

“This is your family … If you learn to love us then you will forever have our love in return.”

One of my favourite secondary characters in this book is Olivia, her sense of not-giving-a-shit, is the most refreshing thing to grace my world of reads in quite a long time and the life lessons Emily is to learn from her are not just ones of extraordinary fiction, they're ones that we can all learn from. 

Emily and Oz's relationship was fun to watch grow throughout the book. Their attitude at the beginning made me laugh out loud and Oz's words of complete honesty made me cry multiple times throughout this book, but I did not expect anything less from this magnificent author who uses words to tell show us all a different side of this beautifully messed up world. 

“Like you know anything about living. You never take a risk!”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“But not fully engaged. When the hell are you going to step outside of yourself and experience what’s going on around you? You have a huge family I would kill to be blood-related to and you can’t appreciate it to save your life!” 

Believe it or not this innocent looking book made me cry for the first nine chapters, non-stop and the only explanation I can seem to come up with.... it was Katie McGarry's way of putting words together and making me feel all the emotions both Oz and Emily (the main characters) were feeling underneath the surface. 

Fans of Simone Elkeles' books: Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction & Chain Reaction.. will most definitely enjoy reading this masterpiece of words and even if you're not a fan of those books, I'm sure you'll fall head over heels for this mesmerizing series. 

This book is a million percent a 5 star read and I sure as hell will be getting all my friends (& maybe family) to read it.. because damn if they don't they're missing out on something straight out of the Heavens.

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles. 

Derek Fitzpatrick. Tall, dark and handsome. 

Ashtyn Park. Smallish, blonde and cute. 

Except she plays American football and well he doesn't have one single goal in his life. 

“I never believed in love at first sight, until I met Derek. It's all-consuming and delicious and wonderful and exciting. At the same time, it makes me nervous and self-conscious and emotional. Love exists. I know it does, because I'm madly, deeply, hopelessly in love.”

Everyone Ashtyn has ever loved has left. Her mother, her sister and even though her father never left he might aswell with the way he acts around her. She's a broken girl with a passion and love for American football. Against all odds she plays on her school team and is respected by all. 

Derek has just been suspended from boarding school after playing a rather brilliantly epic prank. With his father being in the navy (or whatever you call underwater soldier dudes). He has to move in with his step-mom and her little boy. They decide it's time to move home to a place they know or at least she knows. With that Derek has to leave aswell. 

“Because I'm tryin' to push you away when all I want to do is hold you. I know you say you don't want a hero, but damn I'd like to be that guy who'll save you from spiders and whatever and whoever else hurts you.”

The journey they both go on in this book is one that is very beautiful. They learn about themselves by learning about each other. They face their ups and downs but some how manage to get through them all. 

This book was your typical romance with it's twist. But I was in love with it. 

The book gets 3 out of 5 stars from me. It loses two because the writing wasn't perfect and the story although engrossing was one I don't find myself wanting to rant about how much you need to pick it up. 

“This attitude means you haven't met a girl worthy of your attention. You'll want to get caught if the right girl comes along.” 

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Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

We've all somewhere down the line heard of 'Perfect Chemistry' by Simone Elkeles but I bet a lot of you haven't heard of 'Rules of Attraction,' at least you who don't have goodreads or what not. I must admit when I first read Perfect Chemistry, I myself wasn't involved in the book world as much as I am today and it took me a few months before I heard there was more books in this series.

We all love the bad boy meets good girl, fall in love, can't be together dilemma. It's in us to love that typical story-line but the way Simone Elkeles does it, is downright beautiful. 

Last night as I lay in my dark room I decided I needed a complete and utter typical romance book and that is exactly what I found. 

“I'm in deep shit Alex, 'cause I think I'd like nothin' better than to wake up with her every mornin'.”

Oh how we love you Carlos, brother of the beautiful Alex Fuentos. Carlos has been sent over from Mexico where himself, his mother and his baby brother Luis moved over two years ago when Alex got shot trying to escape the Latino Blood gang. He has started a new school and is crashing on a blow up bed on Alex's dorm floor. He wants nothing more than to find some hot chicas and get high but it's all so much more complicated than that for the drool-worthy Carlos. 

Kiera, a shy girl that has a secret talent for fixing cars. Alex has been helping her out on her vintage car, getting her parts for cheap so she can fix it up. He asks Kiera to show Carlos around the school and she kindly says she will. She doesn't expect what she gets though, he's rude, self-absorbed and out-right mean to her at the beginning but by the end he's sad she won't be showing him to his classes day after day. Kiera and her family end up being there for Carlos when things start to get messy in his life and soon stuff happens that neither of them thought ever would. 

“Fifty percent of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class - Hope your surgery went well!”

Now before I talk about how much I need a relationship like the one Kiera and Carlos found in eachother I just have to bring up Tuck. Tuck, Tuck, Tuck Oh that boy made me laugh out loud a few times in this book. His cheeky ways of speaking to Carlos and his straight out words made me smile. He wasn't afraid of Carlos not like some would be and he also wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind. The friendship he and Kiera had was one anybody in their right mind would love to have. In some ways for me Tuck made the book, because he gave it that humour and honesty in which it needed. 

I loved Carlos and Kiera together. Their scenes always made me so jealous, god if only us girls could find a boy like that in real life wouldn't we all be over the moon? The way Carlos could never stop thinking about her made me love him more and how Kiera got nervous around him yet could give him cheek right back that just made their relationship for me. 

This book gets 4 out of 5 stars. It's get four for everything I loved about it Carlos, Kiera, Tuck, the humour, the friendship, the spanish, the love, the family unit everything that was beautiful and drew you in. It loses a star I think for the writing at times wasn't up to scratch. I'm a fussy girl when it comes to writing but this book should be read by all those girls/boys who just love a good romance! 

“There's a point when you have to stop fightin' the whole world.”

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Take Me On by Katie McGarry

The fourth installment to the Pushing the Limits series that literally just keeps getting better and better. 

"We were nothing more than actions to reactions - helpless against our own fate."

This is West and Hayley's story. West is Rachel's, from Crash Into you, older brother and Hayley is the girl that's about to teach him how to fight with his head not just his heart.

In the words of Katie McGarry West is a hot-mess and I totally love it. He has been giving everything growing up except the one thing he needed most, belonging. Hayley at the start of this book is hard to understand, you know in the past she would of said exactly what was on her mind but everything has changed since the night she was she broke.

“I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you and I don't know how to make you feel better. I'm in love with you and I shouldn't be. I'm in love with you and once you figure out who I am, you're not going to love me. I'm in love with you and I seem to fuck up the ones who love me back.”

Katie tackles many serious dilemmas in the world at the moment in this book and she really gets across the emotions in which West and Hayley experience.

West goes from having it all to living in his car, which is still better than some but it is what it is. He's homeless and he must learn to survive without having everything handed to him on a plate. I've never seen a character grow up so much in just one book. He changed from a boy to man and it was one of the best things that could of ever happened to him. 

As for Hayley she learns the true meaning to the saying 'a problem shared, is a problem halved.' The girl has so much weight on her shoulders and all she does is keep putting more and more on top of them. She used to fight, she used to love to fight. It was what could take her away from everything, but Hayley lost that the day she stopped fighting the demons inside and let them take over. So much changes for Hayley, she comes back to reality and it's one of the sweetest moments when you realize she's about to start fighting for herself again and not just the people she cares about. 

Somewhere along the line West and Hayley stopped fighting for what they wanted, what mattered. They lost there way and with each others help they will set each other back on the right path. 

West will prove to Hayley she is worth fighting for, and Hayley will prove to West he isn't just some failure. 

“You say you don’t know who you are,” adds Rachel. “But the question should be—who do you want to be?”

There is always a heart shattering moment in Katie's stories and even though all I ever want to do is keep reading I always have to stop and tell myself, "This will work out, it has too." That moment in this book was when West's father presented him with the chance to give Hayley a future except West would have to do what he wasn't sure he could. That scene broke my heart into a million pieces and god I realized that I never truly knew how much I hated the Young's parents in Crash Into you but I surely learnt how much in Take Me on. 

But while hating on two family members I fell in love with two others, Hayley's brother Kaden and cousin Jax and god if I don't get a book about either of them I may have to come to your house Katie and force you to write me one. I think someone has stolen my heart, just like Isaiah did all those books ago and that award goes to Jax. 

Even though West stood up for Hayley from the very beginning, I love that Kaden and Jax always fought for her. Yes they made mistakes, they let her evil uncle call her all sorts, they let him look down on her and treat her like shit but they did that for the right reasons. They love Hayley and Hayley loves them much more than they'll ever know, she loves them so much she gave up them up - just so they'd never have to get hurt. 

Abby had a massive role in Take Me On and I swear Katie I need that girls story. She's broken, she's a liar but all for the right reasons and she's everything I look for in a character. She deserves her own book, a book about her. Her story, her world, her mistakes, her life. She is so much more than just the drug dealer, she's a girl that just needs to be loved and a way out of the world she has made for herself. 

“I love her, West. She loves me. When you feel like that about someone, you find ways to make it work.”

Katie always seems to get my heart racing and the adrenaline pumping, by her story-lines. When Hayley was sparring with Kayden for the first time in months and West was watching I literally could feel the fear she felt running through my veins. I could feel how West wanted nothing more than to step in and protect her but I also knew deep down she needed to do this and somewhere, somehow he understood that. 

This book gets 5 out of 5 stars from me without fail. As usual I cannot fault Katie's writing or storytelling. I loved West and Hayley from beginning to end and god I would recommend this book, this series, this writer to anyone! I'd recommend you all go check out this addictive series. 

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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.

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Tempting the Bodyguard Cover Reveal!

TEMPTING THE BODYGUARD will be releasing on May 12, 2014.

So happy to be part of this cover reveal! Here it is.

TEMPTING THE BODYGUARD OFFICIAL BLURB:

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

He can protect her from everyone except himself.

Alana Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.

Chandler Gamble has one rule: don't protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he's caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand, Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she's at his complete mercy. 

She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Where You Can Find Jennifer:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Website: http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

Entangled website author page: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/j-lynn/

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Don’t look back. You won’t like what you find.”

This is the long awaited new novel by the amazing author Jennifer L Armentrout. Don't Look Back is thrilling, exciting and will keep you guessing till the end. Jennifer has created a story that once you start reading you don't want to stop. 

The story is told by Samantha Franco. A seventeen year old girl who has been missing for four days along with her best friend Cassie. Samantha now suffers from dissociative amnesia. Meaning she has no memory of anything prior to being found stumbling along a road bloodied, battered and bruised.

But being brought back home isn't all its cracked up to be. Samantha feels lost as she tries to piece together the memories of her old life so she can help find Cassie. But her old life isn't anything to be happy about and Sam finds out just how ugly and fake it really was. She was awful to everyone around her even to the people that genuinely cared about her. 

Enter Carson Ortiz. Her brother Scott's best friend and someone who has also had to deal with former Sam's mean streak. Now this boy was amazing. He still helps Sam even though he has every right to hate her. He was strong, capable and loyal. You can't help falling for him! So drool worthy!

Given a second chance at life. A second chance to right her wrongs. Sam becomes determined to find out what really happened the night she disappeared. I found it heart wrenching to read as Sam becomes more confused, frustrated and scared. She quickly learns how easy it is to be manipulated when you have no recollection of anything. She can't decipher if something is real, a memory or just a dream and this leads to a load of other problems. But Sam is in danger even if she doesn't realize it. 

The question of 'who done it' stays in the back of your mind throughout. When you settle on one person Jennifer throws something at you and your back to the drawing board. But I just figured it out before everything went to hell! 

I  loved this novel. The characters were really well developed even the ones that I just wanted to slap. They served their purpose and added to the story in the right way. This is also a very well written book. It was told in such a way that you had to feel sorry for Sam. Having your memories taken is not something that everyone can relate to but Jennifer's writing gives us an insight into what it would actually feel like. 

Some aspects of the story are a bit cliche. For example Sam's 'friends' are the  bitchy mean girls that you hear about in schools but it didn't really bother me that much. If anything it just serves as a reminder of how mean people can actually be to each other.

This is another amazing read by Jennifer L Armentrout. It was fast-paced with constant twists and turns and just un-put-downable. I would recommend this to all Jennifer Armentrout fans and to anyone who likes suspense, thrill and a good bit of romance!

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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.    

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