Review: Take Me On

Take Me On
Katie McGarry
Young Adult/Contemporary
Pushing the Limits/Book 4
Harlequin Teen/May 27, 2014

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.

Take Me On another winner from Ms. McGarry.  This young adult series continues to impress.  The characters and their situations truly feel genuine.  Yes, even a female kickboxer.  Certainly not unheard of and in McGarry's hands, real.

Teenagers lives are rarely as simple as they might appear from the outside looking in.  Such is the case for Haley and West.  They both have their share of burdens to carry.  For Haley, it's the knowledge she is walking a thin line between keeping her family safe instead of following her dream.  Her family's situation is precarious with her father out of a job and the family dependent on Haley's uncle's kindness of which there is little.  The way each member of Haley's family is portrayed was important in showing how Haley has  to the point where she is.   It's West who helps give Haley the courage to fight back at the injustices she has suffered.

West is a rich kid on the wrong side of town when he finds himself in the middle of a fight.  He's outnumbered and out skilled but West doesn't know how to give up.  West is easy to like.  He has this way about him,  He's the guy we all remember from high school who could bug the crap out of us and still make us laugh.  West home life may look ideal, but there is so much more going on under the surface.  McGarry shows us how teens from well off families who seem to have it all, can, in reality, have very little of what is important.

The chemistry between Haley and West is well done in that it shows the nuances of teen romances.  How they can develop in spite of the obstacles thrown in their way.  The setting also played a big role in their romance. West learns how working hard for something makes it much more important when you achieve your goal.  For Haley, she learns who she can count on, not only herself but friends and family.  This is such an important message for young adults to hear.  Many may feel they are alone in dealing with their problems and reaching out, sharing some of their burden is not an option.  Kids shouldn't have to shoulder adult burdens and they shouldn't feel like they have to do it alone.

If you haven't read the first three books in the series, I would highly recommend you do.  (The novellas are good read too!) They are not essential to appreciating or understanding Take Me On, but they are well written and not to be missed.

Rating: A

Pushing the Limits ~

Pushing the Limits
Crossing the Line (novella)
Breaking the Rules (novella)
Dare You To
Crash into You
Take Me On

ARC Review: Crash Into You

Crash Into You
Katie McGarry
Contemporary Young Adult
Pushing the Limits/3
Harlequin Teen/November 26, 2013

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.

What an emotional, wild ride Crash Into You proved to be!  It flew by at breakneck speed and I found myself trying to slow down towards the end because I didn't want it to be over.

Rachel Young may seem like perfection in a pretty dress but she is flawed, just like any other teen, trying to find her way and the direction she wants her life to take.  She has some serious obstacles to overcome, mainly her parents and their strict expectations for her.  When she meets Isaiah, Rachel is looking for an outlet for her rebellion in the form of street racing. She gets more than she bargained for and lucky for her, Isaiah is there to help her out.  It was so emotional, seeing Rachel attempt to live up to the unrealistic expectations her parents had placed on her.  She tries so hard to overcome her fears that I couldn't help but be angry at her parents for not seeing how much pressure and stress they put on her.  McGarry did well in bringing such strong emotions out in the the characters and this reader.

Isaiah Walker knows everyone thinks Rachel is out of his league.  She is not someone he would hang out with or date but he still has this overwhelming need to hang out with her and wants to date her.  I loved how Isaiah takes a huge leap of faith with his feeling for Rachel.  He could be setting himself up for a world of hurt but he takes that chance.  Isaiah is a hero you wish the best of everything for.  He has been through so much and still has a way to go but he doesn't give up.  The mom side of me wanted to give him a home where he would be wanted and loved.  The teenage girl in me would have taken Isaiah as a boyfriend in a heartbeat! He definitely left an impact on me.

The character development is well done not only for the main characters but with the secondary set.  Also, the pacing matched between the suspense, developing romance and the conflicts at home Rachel and Isaiah are dealing with.  The suspense and dangerous situations Rachel and Isaiah find themselves in are made believable because McGarry takes the time to create the framework of the situations.  I loved how nothing is glossed over - neither the brighter moments nor the darker hours. Within those tense situations are reminders that Rachel and Isaiah are teenagers who are facing circumstances not every teen must face.

Even if you don't usually read Young Adult, I encourage you to give Ms. McGarry's Pushing the Limits series a try.  It's more than Young Adult, it is exceptional story telling.

Rating: A

Pushing the Limits Series ~

Pushing the Limits
Crossing the Line (novella)
Dare You To
Crash Into You
Take Me On (May 20, 2014)

Review: Dare You To

Dare You To
Katie McGarry
Contemporary Young Adult
Pushing the Limits/2
Harlequin Teen/May 28, 2013

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"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....

After reading and loving Pushing the Limits, I was looking forward to the next in Ms. McGarry's emotionally charged Young Adult series.  While Dare You To didn't have as strong of an impact that Pushing the Limits had, it is still a worthwhile addition to the series.

It all started with a dare.  And while some things that start with a dare don't always end well, for Ryan and Beth, the dare was only the beginning of what would prove to be a very exciting, emotional roller coaster ride.

Beth Risk had to grow up too young and too fast.  In her relationship with her mother, Beth is the parental figure while her mother is irresponsible and immature.  Beth continues to keep her mother out of trouble but this places Beth in right trouble's path.  I couldn't help but feel sorry for Beth. Her attitude could use some adjusting but she uses her rebellious teen attitude as a shield to protect her from the world of disappointment she has experienced.

Ryan Stone is the all American teenager.  Good grades, lots of friends, baseball star - yes, he has it all.  But he wants something more, something different.  He is intelligent but hides it behind his jock persona.  Ryan is mature, willing to see beyond Beth's bad girl image to the real girl behind the attitude.  I liked how the conflict between Ryan's dreams and his father's dreams for him are shown and resolved.

For Beth and Ryan, the chance meeting that turns to friendship then romance, acts as a catalyst for major changes in each others' lives.  They are both able to see the potential in one another and provide encouragement towards reaching for something they each thought was unattainable.

Rating: B+

Pushing the Limits Series ~

Pushing the Limits
Crossing the Line (novella)
Dare You To
Crash Into You
Take Me On (May 20, 2014)

ARC Review: Pushing the Limits

Pushing the Limits
Katie McGarry
Young Adult Contemporary
Harlequin Teen/July 31, 2012

"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.

This one surprised me.  In a good way.  I had read a couple of positive comments about the book and I did like the premise.  Plus, there doesn't seem to be as much Contemporary Young Adult as there is the more popular Fantasy Young Adult.  So I started Pushing the Limits and teared up by the end of the second chapter.  In a good way.   

The second chapter would not be the last time this story brought tears to my eyes.  It is, obviously, a very emotional read at times.  Both Echo and Noah have been through their own private hells and are still there trying to make their way out.  They've each gone through horrible loss and McGarry doesn't hold back when it comes to pulling out the emotions from these characters.  Not surprisingly, both Echo and Noah have their share of attitude, especially when it comes to adults.  As we all tended to be as teens, we think we know better than adults and adults have no idea what we're going through.  Echo and Noah are lucky when one adult, the school counselor, comes into their lives and refuses to leave.  Mrs. Collins was a wonderful character that didn't fall into that complacent spot so many adults in young adult novels do.

Echo's life is so far from perfect but it could be a lot worse without her friend Lila, who has stuck by her.  The way Echo and Lila interact and how their friendship plays out in the story shows very well the impact of  having someone stand by you when you are at your lowest. I'm glad McGarry gave plenty page time to show the depth of their friendship.  

Noah, whoa, my heart was breaking for him.  His life went from a happy, stable family to a foster home where he basically takes care of himself.   He needs more than what he is getting but his time in the foster care system has taught him not to trust adults.   Noah's life has made a complete 180°and we see how conflicted he is from who he was before and who he is trying to be now.  This is a kid who feels like he lost everything and is desperately trying to get some of that back.  McGarry created Noah in an image of a bad-boy persona but was still able to make him not only believable but get the reader to sympathize with him.   

Echo and Noah together rub either other the wrong way from the beginning.  They don't think they have anything in common and want nothing to do with each other.  But remember I mentioned Mrs. Collins, the school counselor?  She is smart and thinks Echo and Noah can help each other.  So they're put together for tutoring sessions.  As time passes, Noah and Echo each see beyond each others' outer-self to what is really going on inside.  I loved how they really began listening to each other and letting go of their preconceptions, allowing them to trust again. 

Pushing the Limits deals with a number of dark topics which the author handles well, delving into the subject matter with clarity and compassion.  Ms. McGarry is a welcome addition to my "must read" authors list. 

Rating:  A

Pushing the Limits
Dare You To (2013)