Share the Love for Katie McGarry

Myself and Shaytastic Books are showing Katie McGarry some love as we anticipate the release of her new novel, Crash Into You. 

The How

I first came across Katie McGarry when I was working with my friend Shay at our bookstore. She mentioned to me how amazing Pushing the Limits was and her rundown of the story intrigued me and so I filed it in my mind as a "to-read". Weeks went by and I forgot about this book, huge mistake on my part. By yet another suggestion by Shay, I joined NetGalley in the months after this and as I was requesting ARCs of future books, I was notified that I was pre-approved for the novel, Dare You To (see review here). I began reading this and instantly fell in love. Naturally, I immediately told Shay of this great new book she had to read and she simply shook her head and exclaimed "No! You have to read Pushing the Limits first!!" So I put down Dare You To, not for long though, mind you, as I flew through Pushing the Limits only to pick up Dare You To a day later. 

The Why

Pushing the Limits surprised me by its incredible depth of emotion, as it is much more real and serious than any other teen novel I have read. I usually turn to Adult Fiction for books with feelings and depth, so it was nice to find that in a teen novel where I could have the emotion as well as the quickness of a teen read and the romance. Katie's writing allows you to connect with the characters in such an unbelievable way, you can't let go. And through these characters, she shows us that love and happiness can be found in any situation, no matter the pain present or the obstacles. 

Dare You To was so incredibly amazing, I don't know how to describe it. It is by far, one of my favourite teen novels and even further than that, one of my favourite novels in general. I loved Pushing the Limits, but Dare You To far surpassed it. I enjoyed Beth's character in Pushing the Limits but coming to understand her life story and her outlook on life made me love her. She is so strong and independent, and despite her situation, she is fiery and full of spunk. Her character learns to let people in, which isn't always easy, but a reminder that  you can't live life alone. Ryan doesn't have it easy either but with Beth, they both learn from each other to accept things and to accept people and just live their own lives. This book is a great teen read, fulfilling expectations in romance and plot but also a deep work with great messages. 

The When

Crash Into You is due to be released November 26 of this year and I cannot wait! 

I loved Isaiah in Dare You To. He is incredibly loyal and such a great friend to Beth, it is so heart warming and moving. After some heartache, I am genuinely looking forward to Isaiah finding someone. But above all, I am incredibly anxious to learn Isaiah's story: what happened in his childhood? what is he holding back? what is he hiding? And come on, who doesn't love fast cars?!

There is 6 months before this book hits shelves...plenty of time to read Pushing the Limits and Dare You To...multiple times, aha! What are you waiting for? 

Katie is an incredible author who manages to convey great stories with strong emotions. She is a wizard with words. She has never disappointed me, and I know Crash Into You will be just as amazing, if not more so, than her previous novels. Check her out, everyone. You won't regret it.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins Review

I love a great paranormal book and that's exactly what this book is. I couldn't put it down! It has the complete package for a book it's type: great writing,  an interesting paranormal world, captivating plot, well developed and loveable characters and an attractive guy to swoon over...

The world this story takes place in is a great new take on the angels/demons and Nephilim idea. The Nephilim are sons and daughters of demons which are the Dukes of deadly sins, for example, adultery and lust. In addition to this, the relationships between the characters are powerful and enticing.

The main characters, Anna and Kaiden, compliment each other perfectly. Their constant banter and exchanges are amusing and the tension between them is captivating.

Kaiden is delicious, a british bad boy who is musically talented.  He's incredibly sure of himself and has a very cold exterior but deep down, he buries his emotions. He's a complete smart ass and very entertaining. And most definitely swoon worthy!

Anna's relationships with her friends, adopted mother and her father are also captivating and lend themselves to every human emotion. She deals with issues with her friends, has such a strong connection with her mother that is heart warming and she is eager to know her father, a new figure in her life. What I love about the many relationships in the book is that it makes the feelings and connections so realistic.

This book is a great read. It is entertaining from start to finish. Definitely worth a read for anyone who is a fan of teen, action and romance.

The Collector by Victoria Scott Review

               He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

This book was very different from what I expected it to be but it was pleasantly surprising and refreshing. 

My favourite part of this book was Dante. He is such a smart ass and so over confident, it was amusing! He goes through such a dramatic change throughout the story, it's uplifting and moving. He started off as such a jerk but the good girl, Charlie, saw the good in him and with her influence, he became the guy that Charlie needed in her life. As the story progressed, Dante's past is revealed more and more, only making me love him more. 

I enjoyed Charlie's character too. She is so sweet and innocent, and it could be said she is shallow as the changes she undergoes in the book are physical to make herself more "socially desirable", however; I saw her as the great influence on Dante and the catalyst of his changes. 

Not only did this book keep me captivated throughout, it had such a surprising ending! I loved it! This is truly a great, albeit different, read with a great story and I'm incredibly excited for Scott's sequel, "The Liberator" to be released in August this year (where I am anyways). Definitely give this a try! 

Dare You To by Katie McGarry Review

Received ARC from NetGalley. 

This book was incredible. I thought Katie's previous novel, Pushing the Limits, was good but Dare You To is on a whole other level. 

I loved the characters. I couldn't help but connect with them and feel everything they were feeling. They were developed beautifully. I loved Beth the most. She is so damaged and hurt and comes off to the world as angry and stubborn but she is also so amazingly herself. She follows her heart in everything she does, which is why she does what she does for her mother. She has had a rough go at it, and has very people in her life whom she loves and is loved by to turn to. Because of this, she is so against letting Ryan into her life. 

Ryan is the opposite to Beth. His life is far from perfect, but rather than be angry at the world, he puts on this perfect facade, as he was always taught to do by the masters of it all, his parents. But when Beth comes along, she helps him to grow and understand what his path in life is meant to be and that it is his path to pave. Ryan also helps Beth to work through her issues and deal. Together, they are a great pair. They come to understand each other and help each other. 

The minor characters, although not in the spotlight, are developed to an extent that is unusual of secondary characters, but greatly appreciated and needed. They complement Beth and Ryan and help to show who they really are. 

I loved every page of this book and I stayed up to ungodly hours reading it. Through every page, there is some new part of Beth that is revealed and I cannot imagine the pain she has had in her life and at such a young age. Her story and the changes she undergoes in this book captivated me and I couldn't put it down! It's a great book. It contains a great story of two people finding themselves (wow, that sounds cheesy, but seriously, it's amazing) in a world that is real, where everyone has their issues and problems but still manage to be happy and deal. 

Definitely one of my favourite books and I cannot wait for Isaiah's story, it looks to be amazing!