Crash Into You by Katie McGarry- Review and Giveaway

Synopsis:

The girl with straight A’s, 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.

REVIEW:

I absolutely loved this book, it’s a story of love, friendship, complicated families and a little need for speed.

McGarry does a brilliant job of combining very different worlds and characters into one adrenaline driven story, you won’t be able to put down.

When I first met Isaiah there were only tattoos,  piercings  and an overall badass demeanor to him that seemed to deter everyone away, including me. Needless to say I was very wrong. Turns out, that is exactly the way he wants it. Given the fact that he is a foster kid and the system hasn’t been kind, his reserved behavior  is understandable. He has built up all kinds of walls to keep people away but  beneath that hard exterior there is a heart of gold willing to risk life itself for those he loves.

“My image has kept me alive, and I play the part to perfection: badass, loyal, ready for a fight.”

OK, I have to say that even though I was completely in love with Noah halfway through Pushing the Limits, Isaiah had my heart at “Angel” in Crash into you.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this boy. He is amazing, thoughtful, loving, caring and a perfect gentleman. He is the living proof that appearances aren’t everything.

“The tattoos won’t wash off. The earrings will never change. I am who I am and nothing more. I’m loyal to a chosen few, I always keep my word and I’ll protect you with my life.”

He is driven by the need to protect those he loves against all adversity- his friends, his love and the possibility of a better future.

Rachel is the opposite of Isaiah, she comes from a large, privileged, family with luxuries and comfort, and has lived a very sheltered life. However, Rachel is not the snooty rich girl we would expect her to be. Her family is broken and her entire life is centered around the idea of being Colleen’s replacement-her older sister who died from cancer before Rachel was even born- in order to make her mother happy.  She works hard to hide her true nature from her family,  her love of cars, her  fear of public speaking and the panic attacks that make her severely sick.

Rachel is an interesting heroine. Her home life is horrible, she feels like a poor replacement of her sister and everyone around her sees her as the weak link, the girl that gets sick and needs to be protected. Her overprotective brothers are excessively annoying at times to the point of wanting to jump inside the pages and making them feel Rachel’s pain, but it’s a love/hate kind of relationship. They are still lovable characters, especially her twin, Ethan and lets not forget the “bad boy” West. Overall I admired her resilience and willingness to put her family’s happiness ahead of herself regardless of the physical and emotional pain it caused her.

Although Isaiah and Rachel live in very different worlds they have  one thing in common, their love for cars and speed. Its their escape from a world that doesn’t understand them and has no place for them.

Their worlds come crashing into each other in an illegal drag race gone wrong , they find themselves in a  precarious  situation in which they are pinned against the clock and relying on each other to find a way out.

With alternating POVs, Isaiah and Rachel’s stories are well developed, they are a contradiction that gravitates towards each other, finding the understanding and love they so desperately need in one another.  Isaiah is a gentleman from the beginning and treats Rachel with the utmost respect, still managing to remain alluring and mysterious. He sees in her a pure soul, someone unlike anyone he has ever met, kind, innocent and willing to accept him exactly for who he is.

“I can’t give you the world, Rachel, but I’ll give you all I got.”  

Rachel feels different with Isaiah, he likes the real her, not the perfect daughter she pretends to be for the sake of her family. Her connection to him makes her feel strong and confident to be the person she really is inside.

“I don’t want to be without you. I like who I am with you, and I don’t want to go back to who I was before.”

Rachel and Isaiah are attracted to each other right away but it isn’t an insta love kind of story. They do share a  strong chemistry which only builds and builds as they get to know each other and spend time together. I loved how they learn to trust and encourage one another to fight for what they believed in.

“You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I’m awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won’t erase that I’m terrified by how much I like you.”

This book was a little different from its predecessors, there is still that McGarry signature when it comes to battling your inner demons. Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and McGarry does a brilliant job of showing that. But there is also a substantial sense of danger and urgency to the story that keeps you glued to the pages. The love for cars was a nice touch, it’s not overwhelming but it definitely keeps you interested. Katie’s writing is flawless , she really knows how to paint the picture with amazing detail and unforgettable characters.

You’ll be happy to know that old familiar characters (Noah, Echo, Beth) make appearances. I loved the connection they all shared and what they bring to this story proves how amazing and strong friendships can be, and that sometimes your true friends can be your real family. New character’s also come into play, one of my favorites being Abby. Her character unexpectedly cemented herself into my heart, then again I shouldn’t be surprised, there is something almost magical about the way McGarry makes you fall in love with seemingly unappealing characters.

Crash Into You, has become my favorite book in this series. Katie Mcgarry does it again, the third installment in the Pushing the Limits series its a delightful addition that adds a real sense of danger and urgency, keeping the readers biting their nails and occasionally even jumping on the couch. (That might have just been me, but I doubt it).

The twists and turns of this story will leave you with your jaw hitting your lap by the time you reach that “oh yeah that did happen” conclusion.

McGarry, you opened the door for me into this wonderful genre and you remain ahead of the competition by miles, I can’t wait to read more in the next installment.

On a personal note.

I like to give a special thanks to Katie for showing how serious panic attacks can be, that’s not an illness that’s typically discussed or taken very serious,  so given that  I’m an introverted person afraid of public speaking myself, I felt Rachel’s pain hit very close to home. She is a strong, admirable heroine.

-Maybelis L.

To Purchase Crash Into You, Follow the links below:

To learn more about Katie McGarry and this lovely series, visit her page:

http://www.katielmcgarry.com/

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a set of the Pushing the Limits series. The  winner will be chosen Saturday March 1st

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