Showing posts with label Katie McGarry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Katie McGarry. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 March 2016

Contemporary Romance Recommendations for Newbies


The Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Gone with the Words and Love at First Page. As part of the challenge they are setting a different topic every month that participants can choose to join in with which I think is a brilliant idea so you can expect a post like this to appear at random most months throughout the year.

I know I'm a bit late posting this but it's a great topic so I still wanted to take part! Hopefully I'll get the March topic up in the correct month LOL.

The February Prompt is:
Contemporary Romance Recommendations for Newbies
(Links below will take you to my reviews)

I decided to spilt my recommendations into 3 categories, YA, NA and Adult so that hopefully there is something here for everyone. I've chosen 5 of my favourite authors for each category, more often than not I'm recommending a whole series so there are a lot more than 15 books for you to choose from!

My Young Adult Contemporary Romance Recommendations:

  1. Simone Elkeles - Perfect Chemistry Trilogy
  2. Cat Clark - A Kiss in the Dark
  3. Katie McGarry - Pushing the Limits series
  4. Morgan Matson - Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
  5. Sarah Dessen - Saint Anything
My New Adult Contemporary Romance Recommendations:

  1. Nalini Singh - Rock Kiss series
  2. Cecy Robson - Shattered Past & O'Brien Family series
  3. Mila Grey - Come Back to Me series
  4. Colleen Hoover - ANYTHING she writes!
  5. Cora Carmack - Losing It
My Adult Contemporary Romance Recommendations: 
So what do you think of my choices? Do any of these make your list? Are there any books I've not mentioned that you think are must reads?

Friday, 2 January 2015

Review: Breaking the Rules - Katie McGarry

For Echo Emmerson, a road trip with her boyfriend is the perfect way to spend the last summer between school and college. It's a chance to 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, it's 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 . . .

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

Visit Katie McGarry's website for more information

Review:
I have to admit I was a little nervous when I picked up Breaking the Rules, I absolutely loved both Echo and Noah in Pushing the Limits and I was worried about seeing them go through even more trouble and heartbreak after they were supposed to have got their happy ending. However, if you consider everything that they've both been through and the effect that has had on them it wasn't surprising that their happily ever after wouldn't come quite so easily and I was quite glad that Katie McGarry was brave enough to revisit their story and make them work at it.

Both Echo and Noah have been left damaged by the events in their pasts, they have trust issues, they're insecure and they constantly worry about being abandoned. They've both lost people they loved and they've also been let down by people who should have been there for them so it isn't surprising that they live in fear of it happening again. They are madly in love with each other but that doesn't mean that their issues have gone away and now more than ever they need support and help to come to terms with their problems and find new coping mechanisms. They have to learn to trust in each other and to put their fears to one side so they can enjoy the moment rather than constantly worrying about what might happen in the future. The couple have spent the summer travelling and enjoying just being together but the closer they get to returning home the more their old lives start to weigh on them bringing things to the front of their minds again.

I'm not going to lie, Breaking the Rules was a painful read at times, it was hard to see Echo and Noah's relationship start to fall apart, especially after I'd rooted for them so hard throughout the first book. However, it was also incredibly satisfying to see them start to deal with their issues and learn how to communicate better. Echo is finally able to confront her mother and start getting her relationship with her father and step-mother back on track and we see Noah find out more about his mother's family and the relatives he never even knew existed. They both make difficult discoveries but they come through their experiences stronger than ever and I completely believe that their relationship will survive any further challenges that life can throw at them. I loved revisiting them and it reminded me how much I loved Isaiah so I really do need to get around to reading his book soon! I love Katie McGarry's writing, her stories are full of intense emotions and lots of drama and I always find myself devouring them.

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Saturday, 6 July 2013

Review: Crossing the Lines - Katie McGarry

Lila McCormick first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters-or that she'd fall for the boy she's only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he's never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila's forgiveness-and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves.

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

Visit Katie McGarry's website for more information

Review:
I loved Pushing the Limits when I read it last year so when I heard that Katie McGarry had written a novella about Echo's friend Lila I couldn't wait to get hold of a copy. Then I found out it was going to be available as a free ebook which just made my day - I love it when authors give their fans little extra glimpses into the lives of their characters or let side characters have a chance to shine in their own stories. I have to admit it's been a while since I read Pushing the Limits so I couldn't remember a great deal about Lila, just that she was the only friend who stuck by Echo through thick and thin, so I was interested to learn more about her and hopeful that we might get a glimpse into how things are going for Echo and Noah. Although the previous couple get a brief mention the stars of Crossing the Line are definitely Lila and Lincoln, they turned out to be a great couple and my only complaint is that I wanted more of their story. I would love it if the author would revisit them both in the future but considering this was a free read and only contains about 60 pages I think she did a great job of getting me to care about their relationship.

I'll admit that when Lila was first introduced she came across as a little too wimpy for my taste, she is staying in her house alone for the first time while her family are on holiday and she is terrified by every little noise she hears. I felt that the way she was so nervous made her seem younger than she was but to be fair if I think back to myself at a similar age I was probably just as nervous the first time I stayed in the house on my own and I didn't have someone playing tricks on me at the time. What I did really like about her was the way she found her confidence again by the end of the story, with Lincoln's help she discovered her backbone and I had to respect her for that. Lincoln has made some mistakes and has hurt Lila by lying to her but he regrets his actions and is determined to do something to make things right between them. He is a great guy but with everything he has going on at home right now it is no wonder he struggled to cope with the pressure and I'm not at all surprised that something had to give. He has a plan to fix things though and with a lot of hard work I'm sure he can pull it off.

I loved the fact that these two started as pen pals and became such good friends even though they hadn't seen each other for over 2 years. I think there is something special and so much more personal about a hand written letter over text and email so I really loved that aspect of the story. The POV alternates between chapters and each one begins with a snippet of one of the letters they have sent to each other. That allows the reader to get a sense of the history between them and to see how well they know each other. They have a strong connection and are able to tell each other things that they can't share with anyone else and as they have become close they have started to develop feelings for each other. Now that they are finally face to face again they are both wary of taking the next step but know if they don't at least try they will always regret it.

Crossing the Lines is a sweet story and I thought Lila and Lincoln were a really well matched couple. They bring out the best in each other and they have great chemistry even though they are taking things slowly. I would love to revisit this couple in the future to see if Lincoln managed to fix his mistake and find out how Lila is getting on in Florida. Fans of Pushing the Limits are sure to enjoy Crossing the Lines and it's just made me even more eager to read Dare You To.

Source: I downloaded this from Amazon as a free Kindle ebook.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Monday, 13 August 2012

Blog Tour: Pushing The Limits - Katie McGarry

I absolutely loved Katie McGarry's debut novel Pushing the Limits so I was thrilled to take part in the blog tour to celebrate it's UK release. If you haven't already read it then I'd highly recommend you get hold of a copy soon, the romance between Echo and Noah is delightful and will definitely appeal to fans of Simone Elkele's Perfect Chemistry series. You can read my review of Pushing the Limits here or read about the book and watch the trailer below:

They say be a good girl, get good grades, be popular.

They know nothing about me.

I can't remember the night that changed my life. The night I went from the top of the pyramid to loner freak. And my family are determined to keep it that way.

They said therapy was supposed to help.

They didn't expect Noah.

Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned me about. But the only one who'll listen. The only one who'll help me find the truth.

I know every kiss, every promise, every touch is forbidden.

But what if finding your destiny means breaking all the rules?

A brave and powerful novel about loss, change and growing up, but most of all love.

Visit Katie McGarry's website for more information



I'm thrilled to welcome Katie McGarry to the blog today to talk about the music that inspired Pushing the Limits. Please make sure you give her a warm welcome!

********************

Music & A Pushing the Limits playlist

Are there any songs that influenced you when writing the book? If were to put together a soundtrack for Pushing the Limits what would you include?

Katie - “Push” by Matchbox Twenty helped influence the book. Echo and Noah never push each other physically, but they are always pushing the other in the area of trust. As in, you can trust me, but can I trust you?

I did put together a playlist for Pushing the Limits and the entire playlist can be viewed on my website: www.katielmcgarry.com. A couple of the songs on the list are “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, “Hey Soul Sister” by Train, “Down” by Jay Sean, and “Paint” by Roxette.

After reading a draft of Pushing the Limits, my sister-in-law, Angela, was inspired to write “Can You.” This song is from Echo’s point of view and it is absolutely gorgeous. You can check out a sample of the song on my website.

Are there songs that you associate with any particular scenes?

Katie - “Undone (The sweater song)” by Weezer—This song inspired the moment between Noah and Echo at the party.

“Crash Into Me” by The Dave Matthews Band—I listened to this song whenever I needed to write a kiss between Echo and Noah.

“Free” by Zac Brown Band—This song represents everything I wanted Echo and Noah to have gained by the end of the story. If you’re curious as to what happened between them the summer after the story ends, just listen to this song.

********************

Thanks so much for stopping by Katie - Pushing the Limits is one of my favourite books of 2012 so far and I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on the sequel Dare You To!

What do you think of Katie's song choices? If you've already read the book are there any other songs that it made you think of while you were reading?

Don't forget to check out the other stops on the blog tour, you can find the details on the banner below:


Saturday, 4 August 2012

Review: Pushing the Limits - Katie McGarry

They say be a good girl, get good grades, be popular.

They know nothing about me.

I can't remember the night that changed my life. The night I went from the top of the pyramid to loner freak. And my family are determined to keep it that way.

They said therapy was supposed to help.

They didn't expect Noah.

Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned me about. But the only one who'll listen. The only one who'll help me find the truth.

I know every kiss, every promise, every touch is forbidden.

But what if finding your destiny means breaking all the rules?

A brave and powerful novel about loss, change and growing up, but most of all love.

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

Visit Katie McGarry's website for more information

Review:
I don't read a lot of YA contemporary romance but I am a massive fan of Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry series and so many of my friends recommended Pushing the Limits that I just had to give it a try. I'm so glad I did because it is without a doubt one of my favourite YA reads of the year so far. This is an impressive debut and one that has earned Katie McGarry a place on my auto-buy list of authors - I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel Dare You To when it is released next year.

The story is told from both Echo and Noah's points of view in alternating chapters which is a style that doesn't always work well but was extremely well written in this case. Both characters have distinctive voices so I was never left trying to figure out who the latest narrator was and I really enjoyed getting to know them both so well. Echo was always one of the popular crowd until an incident that left her hospitalised and meant she was off school for a month. Since she returned she has been like a different person, much quieter she is now someone who now keeps herself to herself and does everything she can to avoid attention. She doesn't remember the events of that terrible night but has been left with horrific scarring and now suffers from daily nightmares. Echo has become the source of much gossip and speculation amongst the other students and life couldn't be more different to what it used to be.

Forced into attending sessions with the new school counsellor the last thing Echo wants to do is talk but she is desperate to unlock the memories of the night her life was changed forever and nobody else seems willing to help her. It is through these sessions that she starts to get to know the school bad boy Noah. They have never really spoken in the past but now they both have a common goal and agree to work together to achieve it. As they get to know each other the attraction between them deepens and what starts as a tentative friendship soon becomes much more. But can they both deal with their very different issues in order to build some kind of future together?

It was so easy to relate to both Echo and Noah, they are both facing very different but equally heartbreaking problems. Echo suffered at the hands of someone close to her and her father and step-mother haven't been there to offer the support that she has needed. Noah on the other hand is in foster care after losing both of his parents in a tragic accident and he desperately wants to be reunited with his brothers. My heart went out to both of them and Noah's story in particular really effected me - I actually cried at one point reading about what had happened to him and I was so proud of him for the decisions he makes in the end.

Pushing the Limits is a beautiful coming of age story, it deals with so many different issues faced by teens today but at heart it's focus is the love story. The chemistry between Noah and Echo was fabulous and it was so easy to route for them as a couple. This book really is a must read for any YA contemporary romance fan - if you loved Perfect Chemistry then you'll enjoy this book just as much. I can't wait to read Beth's story in Dare You To and am looking forward to following Katie McGarry's writing career.

Source: Initially received from publisher via NetGalley but I also received a print copy from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

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