Book Review: Pusing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle Edition, 397 pages, Paperback, 416 pages
Published: August 1st 2012 (first published July 31st 2012)
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Buy It: Amazon

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

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.

Me before reading the book: Ah great another opposites-attract-book. But I'll read it because I'm curious. And it's on my 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, so you know... one thing crossed off the list at least.

Me after reading the book: WHY DO ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END!!!

I didn't expect to like Pushing the Limits this much believe me. I think I've read one too many opposites-attract-books that I have been desensitized and have gotten really picky. But this... this masterpiece. Ahh crap. I can't even begin to explain how or why I fell in love with it.

What made it easier for me to get into to the story was how beautiful the pacing was. Every chapter's told alternately in Echo's or Noah's POV. Katie McGarry did a wonderful job at introducing the characters piece by piece and molding them gradually. You learn more about them every chapter and you fall in love with them each time. I think this is one of the most well-written books in terms of character and story building. Nothing was rushed, not even Echo and Noah's relationship. After reading a lot of insta love novels lately, this was very refreshing. Yes, the initial attraction was definitely there but it's not like Noah jumped at the opportunity right away. He waited, and pulled Echo in little by little (I'm totally making this sound creepy but I swear it's not). Echo and Noah's chemistry was undeniable and I loved reading every moment they spent together.

There were a lot of sad, heartbreaking moments in the story but it's nothing that could lessen your enjoyment.  Everything was in place. It's like Katie McGarry knew where to place the drama and where to place the swoon-worthy moments. What made the difference, I think, was that the drama didn't really involve Echo and Noah's relationship so it didn't feel like a whirlwind. Often times, what makes me feel exhausted after reading a love story is the amount of drama that took place just to get the leads together. But in Pushing the Limits, Echo and Noah had their separate problematic lives to deal with and the only way they could cope was to find strength in each other. You'll be so fixated on Echo and Noah that you won't even notice all the drama surrounding them. Everything about their relationship was simply breathtaking! *happy sigh*

If you're looking for a book with great leads and a great love story, then this is definitely for you. You must read this! (!!!) :-)

P.S. I suddenly find guys with tattoos attractive now. Oh Noah. Yet another book boyfriend.

MY FAVORITE LINES

(It's been a while since I last did this. I loved the book so much that I just have to keep obsessing about it by including the lines that I liked)

1. Touching Echo felt like home.

2. I realized I missed loving someone in return.

3. She'd gone back to her life and, in theory, I'd gone back to mine. Problem? I didn't like mine, not without her.

4. Sometimes you can't help who you fall for.

5. "Tell me you chose me, Echo." She licked her lips. Those green eyes smoldered, calling me to her. "I chose you."

6. "So what does this mean for us?" I lowered my forehead to hers. "It means you're mine."

7. It had been so long since I'd let myself fall for anybody.

8. Fuck me and the rest of the world, I was in love.

9. I love you enough to never make you choose.

10. Because growing up means tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn't necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good.

My Rating:

(Refer to rating system)

Having a what-a-spaz-moment

The companion book, Dare You To, is available on NetGalley (thank you!) and will be available to everyone on May 28th 2013. Read the blurb HERE.

About the author

Katie McGarry

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter