Dare You To - Katie McGarry

Katie McGarry was a surprise author for me when I read her first book Pushing The Limits (review) last year. I thought it would be full to the brim on eye rolling moments at the cheesiness and corniness of the narrative. I was completely wrong. It was an immersing read that had both that lovely bit of romance I love to read about as a guilty pleasure but not too much that I wanted to throw the book across the room.
This is the second book in this 'series'. Reading this doesn't particularly ruin anything for readers who haven't read Pushing The Limits - just gives a bit of context for the characters of Echo and Noah in this book.

Synopsis: Beth has had a tough life but if anyone knew the truth about her family, her mother would surely go to prison so she protects her no matter what. Until the day her uncle - thinking he's saving her - swoops Beth away from her hometown to live in a place to different from what she is used to and with an aunt who hates her. No-one understands her except one person.
Ryan is the perfect teenager. A baseball player, he has hopes of being the next big thing in the sporting world as well as being clever and popular. In what begins as a dare becomes something else completely between Beth and Ryan despite their different personalities and backgrounds.

Review: I started this book thinking that I wouldn't be a huge fan by the time I finished. It just seemed like it would confirm what I was predicting in Pushing the Limits in the cheesiness of the romance and the obvious 'bad girl-good guy' relationship between Ryan and Beth. I could almost see how this was going to end.

However, I was completely wrong. So there is still some elements of cheesiness when it comes to the romance and at times particularly in the middle, the cynical side of me wanted to throw up but it was far better than I think I, the cover and the reviews I had read made it out to be.
There is a certain depth behind Katie McGarry's writing that makes this not ALL about the love story at the heart. And books that do that make me want to give the authors a hug.
Beth and Ryan are very different people when we meet them at the beginning of the book and I could completely and utterly not see them together. Beth has had a difficult upbringing with no father around and a selfish, carefree mother who has basically left Beth to grow up alone. So when she goes to live with her uncle, a man who left her alone with her complicated family to pursue his own dreams, things aren't going to go well. It was interesting to see her relationship develop under the guidance of her uncle and aunt who are so far removed from her.
Ryan also doesn't have the perfect life however it may seem on the surface with a father who is all about appearances - the reason behind his brother deserting them when he announced he was gay. Again, it was good to see this issue throughout the book and put a more human side to Ryan in showing the imperfections of his character.

Beth and Ryan are such likable characters and I found myself really rooting for both of them, particularly Ryan. Beth is quite a hard character to understand compared to Ryan yet the way McGarry portrays them is very realistic. They have their moments - Ryan can be a bit of an arrogant jerk at times and Beth can be such a meanie too - but McGarry shows that isn't ALL they are. Like I read in one review, she shows now to trust the stereotypes through Ryan and Beth.

I thought Pushing the Limits was pretty good but this just proves that McGarry is not a one hit wonder so to speak. This second brilliant book by her shows she is the queen of character development. She's made a romance that once again ticks all the boxes. This is the perfect book to keep you up until 3am or to read on a windy and rainy Sunday afternoon or on a long journey. Whether you liked or disliked Pushing the Limits or even haven't read that book, I'm sure this book will be enjoyable.

I give it a 4 out of 5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

Author's Website: http://www.katielmcgarry.com/
Pages: 456
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Challenges: None

Related Reviews: 
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Pushing the Limits - Katie McGarry

I requested this book on Netgalley, not really intending to read it any time soon. It sounded interesting but I wasn't hooked - I wanted to read the books I am hooked on first.
So, why did I read this book sooner?
The reviews. The magnitude of them that every blogger has posted, sharing their mostly positive reviews. I was simply intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. I entered now expecting much and came out pleasantly surprised.

Synopsis: Something happens a few years ago that changed Echo's live forever. She turned from one of the most popular girls in school with an equally popular jock boyfriend to the 'freak' with scars on her arms? Has she been self-harming, what's wrong with her? But Echo doesn't know as she can't remember the whole truth of that night, the night where she lost her mother and gained these scars. She just wants normal now.
Noah's attitude precedes him, being known for one-night-stands, drinking and drugs, when he enters Echo's life, they should completely opposite. However, both are surprisingly understanding to one another and soon a friendship forms. But with all their issues, can it go further?

Review: I have something to admit. On starting this book, I totally thought this was a Fifty Shades of Grey for teenagers. I know, I know, first impressions, don't judge a book by its cover and all that. But I was totally expecting attraction, a false relationship and some sex (for the record, there is none). Why? Pushing the Limits. The title merely. A 'bad' boy and a good girl. Secrets and their lives being not that fantastic. I was thinking an updated Forever by Judy Blume (from what I can remember of that book *shudders*).
But I was pleasantly surprised. This is not a book filled with a false and forced feeling relationship. Yes, there is sexual attraction but what teenager HASN'T experienced that by the age of 18?!
This was a nice little book to sit down either in the sun on the beach or on a rainy afternoon and just read. It is a pretty intense read so I think if you get into it, it would be hard to stop reading.

Ah, Noah. Just Noah. I found I felt more for him throughout than Echo, not entirely sure why. I think it's because although he has this bad boy attitude on the surface, as we look deeper into his personality he's actually a total softy. It's touching to see how much he cares for both Echo and his brothers and how much he would just go with what Echo wanted. FINALLY there is evidence that not all teenage boys are sex-crazy!
I also liked Echo for the fact she felt very realistic to me, even though her past seemed a little 'out there' to me at times. She was also a completely different type of protagonist and I liked that element of her. The other characters were completely different to one another, which is refreshing to see, and added some laughter and entertainment to a story which I like may have been TOO intense otherwise. My only problem with the minor characters was that they seemed way too cliche for me. This was a book about breaking barriers socially (like the popular girl and the bad stoner boy for instance...) but the other characters could have easily been put into categories. Which kind of defeats the object, if you think about it. Anyway, favourites combos come with Beth/Noah/Isaish and Lila/Echo. Lila, you are my best friend now.

I liked the writing the most I think. Okay, so the writing is hardly Jane Austen or Charles Dickens but I still liked it! McGarry shows their emotions easily without being too dramatic. I also liked the fact that not everything was revealed at the beginning, and for Echo's story, you find out what happened with her and Noah. It made it more interesting to read I think and made me form a judgement before finding out how messed up both their lives are. My only concern really was some of the events seemed too far-fetched or melodramatic for me, but this didn't affect my reading.

Despite my expectations being a little judgemental from the title, I did enjoy this novel and was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't say it's the best book I've read, but it's a pretty damn good shot at a great contemporary from Katie McGarry. I had few problems with this book and loved the characters she presented, especially Noah. Although when he calls Echo 'baby' on some occasions, I sounded so creepy. Like 'Ah, get away from me you creep', creepy. Meh, just me? Okay then...

I give this a 4 out of 5

Thank you to the publisher for letting me view the e-galley via Netgalley

Author's Website: http://www.katielmcgarry.com/
Pages: 384
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Challenges: None

DARED TO YOU is coming out in 2013, centred around Beth from PUSHING THE LIMITS