Friday, April 3, 2015

Book #Review: Take Me On (Pushing The Limits 4) by .@KatieMcGarry

Book Title: Take Me On ( Pushing The Limits 4)
Author: Katie McGarry |WebsiteTwitterFacebook|
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Genre: Young Adult/New Adult
Series/Standalone: Series Book 4
Format: ebook, Hardcover, paperback
Cost: $17.99 Hd
Pages: 455
How I got it: Purchased on Amazon
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: May 27th 2014
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Synopsis:
Bonus novella included: Crossing the Line. Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means. Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help. West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future. Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.
***********SPOILERS AHEAD for Crash Into You, which takes place right before this book.******

I have bit of beef with the cover, I like it, however I feel like Haley should be wearing the boxing gloves or some tape something to indicate that she's a fighter as well. Other than that I absolutely love this story.  It's the story of Rachel's brother and I love it especially because we got to see Rachel's other side and see Isaiah as well. OMG I loved this story. It's important to note that Rachel & Isaiah's story and  West & Haley's take place at the same time, just after Rachel's accident but before the end of the book, instead of like the others where each story happening after the other.

Once again it's told in alternating viewpoint which totally enriches the story.  We meet Haley who is a former martial arts fighter and she's on the run from some really bad kids because they know she won't fight back. I totally fell in love with Haley who was struggling to keep her head above water after her life went downhill because her parents lives were shattered by job loss and depression.  I totally felt for her and her need to try to hide how bad it had gotten, her need to protect her family and her desperate attempt to just survive in a world gone mad.  At first I was a bit annoyed with Haley even though we were only a few pages in,but as the story progressed and we got more from her I totally understood why and who she was.   I was also hella annoyed with West because look here bro, you not going be talking about my baby Isaiah like that, you and I will fight & you ain't going to win this one I promise you that.

Then we meet West, he's the bad boy in his school who has been fighting to keep his family together despite the failure of the people who should be adults in his life.  He goes through a massive change once his sister has her accident and he's desperate to make it up to her since he blames himself for her being there in the first place.  West really believes that his sister's problems started with Isaiah and was completely unaware of all that went down to lead her to meeting Isaiah.  As the story progresses what he thought he knew and the truth come out.  In the meantime, West and Haley come together because they need each other, she is like him and he's newly introduced to her world and the two of them stand together because they desperately need someone.

I loved Haley's family and the other characters we were introduced to and I can't wait until we get Abby's story because I just know it has to be interesting.  We got to see so much more of Isaiah and quite a bit of Rachel as well. We got the parents a bit more fleshed out and we got to learn some deep secrets.  This story was so emotive and I found myself finding time and reasons to get back to it.  It was way bigger than the other books in the series and I felt it was a better story for it, Katie wouldn't have been able to give us such a complex story if it didn't have the time to unfold.  I loved reading the different ways in which they came together and how they each healed the other.

I really enjoyed seeing the counselor again because really she's one of the best adults in the books.  She's a really good counselor because she helps them all even when it's no longer her problem. Unlike a few of the adults in this book she's a positive influence and a good listener.  As for the other 'parents'  Rachel's & West's dad is a serious piece of work; his misconceptions and a**hole tendencies almost killed his daughter and yet he acts as if it's everyone else's fault.  He stalled out her car after not getting her the one she really wanted because he didn't respect her as a human being and almost killed them because he couldn't accept that she knew more about cars and even understood cars better than him. When he went in on West?? Yeah I snapped back at the book like he was really in the room with me, like no sir ain't nobody else to blame here but you. Then the uncle?? Yeah there aren't any words, I almost freaked out until she addressed my fear, because listen here...girl I almost cried.

As I said they each grow and change as the story progresses each coming to their own moment of crisis and facing it with a bit more courage than before because they grown with each other.  West really grew because at the start of the story he blamed Isaiah for Rachel being in the accident, mostly because he simply judged Isaiah for being different and from being from the other side of town instead of how he was with Rachel and how much she loved him.

It's sad to think of kids having to survive their parents instead of thriving under their tutelage but so many kids do have to survive them and I love this series for highlighting the different struggles.  Now if only other authors would realize just like you write these complex and wholly flawed HUMAN beings you can write characters of color just the same. 0_o noshade
 ★★★★☆
I love this addition to the series and truly can't wait for the next, I hope her cousin and brothers get their own stories as well.
Happy Reading


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