{ARC Review} Take Me On by Katie McGarry
Labels:
4 Stars,
ARC,
Book Review,
Contemporary Romance,
Katie McGarry,
Young Adult
·
Series: Pushing The Limits #4
Author: Katie McGarry
Published: 27th May 2014
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC provided by author for fair & honest review
Rating: 4.5/5
BLURB:
Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.
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.
An Honest & Emotionally Intense Story Of Family & Love
REVIEW:
The story:
Despite still being so young, Haley has already been through so much. Her father lost his job and their family home, and her relationship with her ex boyfriend ended badly, causing a rift between her and her brother & cousin (Kayden & Jax). She feels so lost, like she doesn't truly have a home anymore. She tries to protect her family and keep everything from falling apart, which is stretching her to her limits. She has nobody to turn to for support, which broke my heart.
West comes from a wealthy family and has a privileged upbringing, but that hasn't prevented him from heartache. Feeling guilty about his sister Rachel's car accident, he lashes out at the people around him, in particular his father. After being kicked out of home and living in his car he starts to realise that his home, never really felt like home in the first place. Especially after meeting Haley. Trying to protect Hayley, West arranges a fight, and Haley takes on the responsibility of training him to be ready. Soon West is not only fighting in the ring, but fighting for the affections of Haley. The question, is she ready to trust another fighter with her heart?
The characters:
After reading Crash Into You I wasn't a huge fan of West. In particular his attitude and the way he treated his sister Rachel. So it was interesting to see a new side of West. As harsh as it may sounds I think West needed to experience life on the streets. It seemed to give him better perspective on his life, and was a turning point in is character growth. I respected him so much more.
Hayley was an interesting character. She's tough and a fighter, but she was also walks around with the weight on the world on her shoulders. She's so busy taking on the responsibility of protecting her family, she never takes a second for herself. You can see her grow throughout the story, and it was beautiful to see the person she became.
We also get to see a lot more of Abby, who I love and simply can't wait to read her story. She such an intriguing character; she's a tough drug dealer who can show great kindness when she wants to, in her own special way.
The romance:
Haley has been burnt badly in the past, and she's adamant that she will never trust another fighter with her heart. But West is different. West works so hard to gain Haley's trust and show her that he will do anything to protect her. Their relationship was so fragile, with Haley very reluctant to open up completely, but they have great chemistry and share some really beautiful moments together
The writing:
I simply adore Katie's books. She evokes so many different emotions throughout her stories. By the end of this book I felt emotionally drained - in the best possible way of course! What Katie does best is show you what the characters are feeling, instead of just telling you, which makes it impossible not to feel the emotions along with the characters themselves.
FINAL WORD:
Another fabulous edition to the Pushing The Limits series. Take Me On is an honest and emotionally intense story of family, love and learning to trust again.
CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium-strong / discussions of sex, heavy kissing and sexual scenes
Violence: mild-medium / several fight scenes
Language: medium-strong / several f words
Drugs & alcohol: mild-medium / parental figure with alcohol issues
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Great review. I just picked this one up today. Looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn @ Marilyn's Mystery Blog
I love this series so much! Hopefully you love TMO as much as I did :)
DeleteI'm really glad you liked it! Lovely review. :D I can't hold back my excitement! I can just see it staring back at me from my shelves. >< I want to read but like, review books!
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