Dare You To Paperback – 2013

I am sorely tempted to leave you all with this very important statement as my review: I absolutely LOVE Ryan Stone and call dibs on him as a book boyfriend. But that wouldn’t be fair now, would it? I would miss my chance to tell you guys why I loved him, and Beth, and Dare You To.After liking Pushing the Limits a lot last year, I was equal parts excited and nervous about McGarry’s follow-up. Fortunately, her writing captured me from the very first page, and I devoured Dare You To like it was water and I was dying of thirst in the desert. McGarry has a skill for writing contemporary novels that feature strong romances, all while thoroughly exploring the complex issues her characters are dealing with. With her second novel, she’s certainly won me over and earned a spot on my auto-buy contemporary YA authors list.The characters in Dare You To made this book a compelling read. McGarry uses her skills to create characters that are complex and real. They might be nothing like me, and I might never have had their experiences, but thanks to the writing, I felt an instant connection with Beth and Ryan. She wrote them with incredibly strong personalities, tailoring their individual stories to fit them perfectly. But she also wrote them in such a way that when they came together, it would make perfect sense on all counts.Beth Risk has interested me since we first met her in Pushing the Limits, even though she’s only a minor character. I was really excited when I found out that this book was going to be her story, and I personally think it’s a good one! The primary thing we learn about Beth is the difficulty of her home life, mostly because of her mother. It broke my heart repeatedly to see how much responsibility Beth carried on her shoulders, and I felt as conflicted as Beth about what ought to be done. When she’s given the opportunity for a fresh start, she was naturally wary. But gradually, she reveals a vulnerability and innocence that tugged at my heartstrings.Ryan Stone, however, was a delightful surprise! I loved him! I wasn’t sure what I could expect of him, particularly since he’s basically described as the golden boy. Yes, he was one of the popular kids, a jock aiming for a place on a professional baseball team. But McGarry turns that image on its head when she reveals his surprising vulnerability, and his talent and desire to write. Ryan’s struggle revolves around his family, and the conflicts that they are trying to pretend don’t exist, which I could relate to on one level. All these things, good and bad, and what he’s like when he starts falling for Beth really won me over, and had me falling for him too.I enjoyed each of their stories as individuals, as it was interesting to witness them deal with their own demons. But the romance Beth and Ryan share in Dare You To is compelling in a way I didn’t expect. I fell in love with their love story, even though it’s peppered with moments that could come off as cliché and cheesy. Their feelings for each other just felt so right, and I was definitely rooting for them to find a way to be together.McGarry deftly weaves all three stories – Beth’s, Ryan’s and their story together – into this novel in a masterful way. I never felt like there was too much focus on one story; each one was covered equally and in a way that I wouldn’t lose track of what was happening. The writing was really good, and the pages of this novel flew by quickly in my eagerness to see how it would wrap up.Dare You To is a strong sophomore novel, with two characters that completely won me over and a romance that made me swoon. I am certainly sold on Katie McGarry’s ability to create characters I can fall in love with, and her way of writing them into stories that are addictive, swoony and downright good. I totally dare you to (yup, I had to do it!) take the time to read this novel - it’ll be worth it.

My full-on glom of this YA series continues. This third installment focuses on Isaiah, who is about to age out of the foster care system. (Readers of prior books in the series will know Isaiah as the best friend of book one's hero, Noah, and the boy who was in unrequited love with book two's heroine, Beth.) Needing to come up with rent money, Isaiah enters his Mustang in an illegal street race, where he meets Rachel. Rachel is the precious daughter of one of Louisville's most privileged families, but when she can sneak out from under the parents' and brothers' overprotective thumbs, she likes to race. She winds up at the street race more or less by accident, because Plot.When things at the race go sideways, Rachel and Isaiah end up indebted to a scary crime boss who will hurt/rape/kill them if they don't pay him back. (Also because Plot.) This makes them unlikely allies, who eventually become unlikely lovers. (Well, unlikely heavy petters, anyway -- this is YA.)I was fond enough of Isaiah from the previous books to be excited to read his story, and mostly this didn't disappoint, though this whole series is a little angsty for my tastes. (Again, it is YA.) I thought Rachel's backstory was interesting and well done. (There are only so many ways you can make a "poor little rich girl" a sympathetic figure, and McGarry did well in taking an unexpected route.)I really disliked the ending, which was abrupt and rather of the deus ex machina variety, but otherwise this book was fun. On to the next!

Rachel Young is privileged and well loved by her family, but there is an emptiness as well. Rachel has secrets and one is racing her car around with a need for speed. She happens about a street race and Isaiah Walker is the complete opposite of Rachel and for some reason he tries to warn her to stay away. It doesn't take long before Rachel and Isaiah are falling for one another but one moment can change everything, will they be able to survive when it does?Fascinating story, I was a surprised by this one. I liked both characters but Isaiah was intriguing. I found the dynamic between the characters and how the story unfolded spot on. I will go back to read the rest of the series, had characters I want to learn more about. If your looking for a book that is different, pick this one up.

Crash into You gave me those same wonderful feelings that I had when I read Pushing the Limits and Breaking the Rules. I have always had a soft spot for Isaiah, especially considering how much he supported Noah and Echo, so I was excited to finally sit down and start his story. It didn’t take long for him to steal my heart. His pain over his mother abandoning him and his anger over his fallout with Beth were both palpable. Isaiah was definitely rough and tough, but he also had a good heart. I loved his brotherly relationship with Noah and the way he cared about Echo. What I appreciated the most about Isaiah was his loyalty. When someone is important to him, he will do anything for that person. His tenderness and protectiveness of Rachel were so endearing. I wanted nothing more than to see him find someone who would never leave him.Rachel was the complete opposite of Isaiah, except for her passion for cars. Her family situation made me sad and angry. She kept many secrets, and I had a difficulty understanding how her parents could be so oblivious to her pain. Her entire family saw her as weak, but Isaiah saw the real Rachel: strong and determined. The pair had the perfect combination of sweetness yet undeniable chemistry. Even though their home lives were dramatically different, they unfortunately had much in common in terms of suffering and feeling alone. In addition to the great romance that developed between Isaiah and Rachel, this story had elements of danger and suspense that definitely heightened my reading experience. I love the emotional journeys that Katie McGarry always take me on, and I am looking forward to reading West’s book next.