[Review + Giveaway] Only A Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

[Cover Reveal] Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

If you're following me either on my blog or on twitter, you know how big a fan I am of Katie McGarry. I adored her Pushing the Limits series, and her Thunder Road series is one of my favorite series EVER. I also loved Say You'll Remember Me. Basically, what Katie writes, I love, so when I was offered the chance to reveal the cover of Katie's newest book, how can I not?

And guys. YOU GUYS. Look at how gorgeous this cover is!!! I squealed so loud when I received the email with the cover - I cannot get enough of it! And like all of Katie's other books, I'm sure Only a Breath Apart will feature realistically portrayed teens and an engrossing plot. Why is January 2019 so far away... I already know for sure that this book will be one of my favorites of 2019!

  
   Title: Only a Breath Apart

   Author: Katie McGarry

   Publisher: Tor Teen
   Release Date: January 22, 2019

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Jesse dreams of working the land that’s been in his family forever. But he’s cursed to lose everything he loves most.

Scarlett is desperate to escape her “charmed” life. But leaving a small town is easier said than done.

Despite their history of heartbreak, when Jesse sees a way they can work together to each get what they want, Scarlett can’t say no. Each midnight meeting between Jesse and Scarlett will push them to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other.

Would you dare to defy destiny? Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people's opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love” (Wendy Higgins), ONLY A BREATH APART is a young adult contemporary novel from critically acclaimed Katie McGarry.

“Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful” (Tammara Webber), ONLY A BREATH APART will be available on all retailers on January 22, 2019!  

“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.”

―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

So, what do you think of the cover? Do you love it as much as I do? And what do you think of the synopsis? Doesn't it sound amazing? Let me know what you think!

[Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway] Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

 
Title: Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2)
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Source: eARC for review
Release Date: March 29, 2016

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Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here

Wow. Wow wow wow. First thought after finishing Walk the Edge? I've forgotten just how good of a writer Katie McGarry is. Second thought? Nowhere but Here is a strong book and a great beginning of a series (and if you know me there's a good chance that I have raved about it to you), but Walk the Edge blows it completely out of the water. Yes, folks - it's THAT good. I myself was shocked at how quickly this book drew me in - it was such a quick read for me (mainly because I couldn't make myself stop no matter what), and I was able to finish it in one sitting. The words flowed, and it was so easy to lose myself in Breanna and Razor's story. Third thought? Heck, what did I expect? This IS Katie McGarry - author of Pushing the Limits - after all!

To sum it all up? This is a book that you need.

While reading Nowhere but Here, I always thought that we would get Chevy's story next, so color me surprised when I saw a sneak peek at Razor's story instead. Why is this, you may ask? Well, if you read Nowhere but Here, you would know that Razor has always been painted as young man who is very much troubled, and even a little bit unhinged. This was a character who has already experienced so much in life despite his young age, and he didn't seem like the heroes we always see in YA. I honestly didn't think that we would get the chance to explore his character; I thought McGarry would be content for him to remain in the background - an integral but small part of the series - but damn, I couldn't be more wrong. McGarry challenged herself and her writing in telling us a story about such a damaged character who is fifty shades of imperfect and who is beyond flawed... and kicked ass in doing so.

One of McGarry's strong suits has always been her unflinching portrayal of all sorts of filial relationships, and we get those in droves in Walk the Edge. Breanna, our female MC, is the middle child in a large family, and she has never felt at home with her parents and siblings. Her eldest sister treats her with thinly-veiled contempt, and she doesn't exactly have close relationships with the rest of her siblings either. Her parents already feel stretched thin with all that they have to do, and they're not exactly able to provide the emotional support that Breanna badly needs. It was difficult to read about Breanna's situation - you can't help but have a lump in you throat when you see how callously her siblings treat her, and how her parents seem to take her for granted. She can't count on their help and support, and all these was just so heartbreaking to read. What's even more sad about it all is that you know that Breanna's suggestion is not unique - this is a situation that a lot of people find or have found themselves in.

Meanwhile, our male MC, Razor, doesn't have the easiest of relationships with his father either. His mother passed away a few years ago, and the talk of the town is that she chose to take her own life because of how miserable she was. Razor's father seemingly starts a new relationship, and Razor doesn't stomach this is so easily either. Add in the fact that new evidence has recently come to light that Razor's mother may have been murdered by the rival motorcycle club, and shit basically hits the fan. Razor feels like his father is not honest enough with him, and as a result, their relationship suffers under the strain of the secrets of the past. Reading through Razor and his father's interactions was heartwrenching, to say the least. Here you have Razor who just wants his father to talk to him, and he can't even have that. McGarry did an amazing job in exploring the nooks and crannies of Breanna and Razor's relationships with their families, proving time and time again what a multi-faceted author she is.

I also loved how McGarry took her time in building and developing the romance between Breanna and Razor - before anything else, they are friends, and they don't lose that throughout the course of the book. When Breanna becomes the victim of blackmail and cyberbullying, it's Razor she leans on, and it's Razor she asks for help. Razor stands by Breanna when she most needs it, and he exerts his utmost effort in helping her. While yes, the attraction was there during their first meeting, the fact that everything came after was thoroughly explored and not rushed made you root for Breanna and Razor - at the end of the day you just want them to be happy! They sooo deserve to be happy!

All in all, I can't say it enough - I am blown away at how McGarry has outdone herself. I didn't think it would be possible for a book to even equal Pushing the Limits in my heart (I love Noah and Echo oh so much), but Walk the Edge has done just that. Not only has McGarry created two characters that will have captured your heart from the get go, she also tackled the concept of cyberbullying astoundingly and respectfully. I honestly can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Rating: 5 Stars

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Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.  Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

THOUGHTS:  

Pushing the Limits introduces us to Noah and Echo - two people as different as night and day, but two people currently going through some of life's toughest challenges. Echo has repressed the memory of a horrifying incident with her mother which left her with horribly scarred arms; meanwhile, Noah, while still grieving the death of his parents two years ago, is under the care of a foster care system that has forced him apart from his younger brothers. Similarly, however, they have no adults in their lives to lean on to - Echo's father is too busy with his new wife; Noah's foster parents don't really pay attention to him. All this changes, however, when both start undergoing counseling under Mrs. Collins, who tasks Echo to tutor Noah. Moreover, amidst all the confusion and chaos both are experiencing, Noah and Echo find reasons to lean on each other and to begin a relationship, while slowly attempting to right their lives.

While Noah and Echo's budding relationship was certainly a highlight, what I liked most about this book was how Noah and Echo were portrayed so realistically. When I say that they're relatable, I'm not lying, nor am I exaggerating. Like Echo, we've all felt what it was like to be shunned by the people who should have cared for us the most one time or another. Like Noah, we've all felt victimized and personally screwed by a system that was supposed to help us to begin with. Like Echo, we've all felt the heaviness of public scrutiny with regards to how we look and our reputations. Maybe, like Noah, there are also those who've succumbed to vices just to deal with the mess that their lives have become. Like Noah and Echo, we've all been let down by adults, and we've all decided at one point or another to stop trusting them. Maybe, like Noah and Echo, there are also those who have found an adult like Mrs. Collins who truly cares and is truly interested in helping. And maybe, like Noah and Echo, there are those who found that one person who shares their pain amidst all the chaos in their lives.

To say that Pushing the Limits is one of the best books I've read this year is a gross understatement - it's one of the best books I've ever read in my life. It's one of those books that will continue to haunt your mind and tug at your heartstrings well after reading it; it's one of those books wherein you feel that you've come such a long way with its characters after a mere four hundred pages or so. Each page grips you emotionally; each of Noah and Echo's internal struggles make your entire being ache with empathy; and the tears shed by both characters break your heart, simply put. Pushing the Limits is a heartwarming story filled with realistic experiences that will blow your mind - three days after reading the book, I still can't stop thinking about it no matter what I do.

Pushing the Limits is engrossing, entertaining, and utterly heartbreaking. It's one of those books that will stay with you forever. Oh, and nope, I'm still not exaggerating.

Rating: 5 Stars

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley providing me an advanced e-copy of this book!