A Coming of Age YA Romance (Pushing the Limits) - Take Me On

I love, love, love Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits series. TAKE ME ON was no exception. I loved reading about West and Haley. As always, McGarry's characterization skills are amazing, as are her abilities to create compelling relationships. And I'm not just talking about the romances, which are always packed with chemistry. Complex friendships and family dynamics are always a sure find and part of what pulls me so deeply into her books that I don't want to climb back out again.

Is it weird that I put off reading it for a whole month? I knew it was going to be all kinds of awesome. I knew the book would suck me in from the first word and I wouldn't stop for anything. Not chocolate. Not potty breaks. (It's okay. I read fast. And then I emerge from the book, blinking at the reality suddenly rushing in where, for the past few hours, only the book existed.) There's always a danger that a book won't meet such high expectations, but McGarry never fails to deliver. So I had to wait until I had some time to myself. My family whines when I snarl and kick at being interrupted. And, yeah, maybe I know by now I need to brace myself for the coming melodrama, but that's why I love it... so much. I wouldn't change a thing.

Katie McGarry knows how to create memorable characters with complex backgrounds. I'm a huge fan. This book introduced Haley as West' s love interest and I thought that would throw me off -- I saw Abby as his partner. Not so and Ms. McGarry makes you a believer.

The mixed martial arts storyline was intense and not my cup of tea. What I did appreciate was the dedication and heart required to win, or lose, in and out of the ring. The tyrannical uncle was unnerving, Haley's dad was a zombie, Matt and Conner were bullies in denial of larger issues. This was all chaotic.

I enjoyed this installation in a terrific series. Cannot wait for Abby's story.

I really enjoyed this book. This is a beautiful love story between people from two different worlds but still have their own set of problems.

Haley is a former female champion kickboxer whose world was turned upside down when her dad lost his job. Her family lost their home and were forced to move in with her mean and nasty uncle. In an effort to make curfew so she's not turned out into the street, she races home with her father's medication and meets West when he nearly runs into her with his car. She was running from some druggy kids she knew who wanted her dad's pills. Much to her dismay, West gets himself involved in her fight and goes after the kids running after her. After West is kicked out of his own home by his father, he and Haley form a bond and grow closer . He tries to protect her and ends up in a heated argument with her ex and while pretending to be her boyfriend inadvertently gets himself involved in a future cage fight. While Hayley trains West, they fall deeply in love but West's father and his family secret could tear them apart forever.

Review originally posted at: http://talkingbookworm.com/2014/09/19/book-review-take-me-on-by-katie-mcgarry/

Review:

Wes. That adorable boy. He infuriated me a lot, but I forgive him for it. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t so fond of him in Crash Into You because of what he did then, but now after knowing his background story I can at least understand. I don’t know what exactly Katie McGarry does, but she makes me fall in love with every single one of her male protagonists. Seriously. It’s like magic or something.

I really liked Haley. I don’t think Wes could have found a better match. I loved that she was independent and kicked butt all on her own. I love it when we have female protagonists that can take care of themselves. I think what I loved the most about Haley was that she was willing to leave Wes behind to do what she had to do. Often we see a ton of female protagonists leave it all for the guy and honestly, I don’t think that’s good. A relationship is made of two people, not one if you know what I mean. Both people compromise, not just the girl. Okay, let me get off my soapbox.

I’ve been writing this review for almost 3 months now so I’ve forgotten a lot of what happened, but what has stayed with me was the development of Wes’ character. I can’t believe how much he changed from the richie rich guy in CIY to this new Wes at the end of TMO. (and one of the reasons why it has taken me almost 3 months to write this review was because I could not put into words how awesome this book was and honestly I still can’t, but dear gosh it was about darn time I did)

If you haven’t read Take Me On or any of the books in the Pushing The Limits companion series I suggest you do. It’s by far one of my favorites and you are seriously missing out.

Rating: 5/5

I love Katie McGarry! I will read anything she writes because she never lets me down as a reader! She never shies away from the real problems of the "adult" world and how they affect teens in sometimes devastating ways. This latest book is no exception.
West, Rachel's brother from Crash Into You, gets his own story. West's background of family privilege does little to make him feel loved and wanted as the baby conceived to try to save his older sister's life. His constant fighting and rule-breaking make him trouble in so many ways.
But nothing prepares him for Haley and the troubles she faces. Haley's father lost his job and then the family lost their home, eventually ending up with an uncle who has rules that can never be broken if they want to continue to have some place to live. Haley, a former national title holder in kickboxing, no longer fights, no longer trains at her grandfather's gym, and no longer wants anything to do with fighters like her ex-boyfriend Matt.
West and Haley collide in a moment of desperation for them both. West's need to save someone, the way he couldn't save Rachel or any of his siblings, forces Haley to confront her issues with fighters, as she must help West train. What neither expected was the depth of their feelings or the impact of all the secrets of the people around them.
I really like Haley. She gets a raw deal on more than one front and has to figure out who she is, even without the fighting that once gave her an identity. She is tough yet tender.
West broke my heart in a way that only Noah had been able to do until now. He is so much more than just a spoiled rich boy with a bad attitude, although he realizes pretty quickly just how much he has taken for granted.
I can't wait to see where Ms. McGarry takes us next!

The story of West and Hailey was really good. West was always the guy with the temper and a player, who always wanted to go party. But with Rachel in the hospital he feels a weight that it's all his fault. Because he didn't protect his sister. But this story pushes him to control his temper and fight for the girl he loves.

Hailey is a fighter, and through a series of events is fighting for her family, and not for herself. When life throws West in her path the two find that they either fight for each other or tap out.

Katie McGarry's newest novel in her Pushing the Limits series is another hit. Take Me One is the story of Haley and West. Haley is an MMA fighter. One of the best in the nation, in fact, who gave up fighting after she broke up with her ex-boyfriend, Matt. No one seems to be able to get through to her to help her heal or to figure out what exactly happened between them that made her stop fighting.

Then she meets West, the richest boy in town but also the only one who sees her for who she really is and doesn't turn away. But they both have secrets and even as Haley agrees to train West to fight, she refuses to date another fighter which leaves West out in the cold. Or can he win her heart?

Really love this series though I think, so far, the first two books were the best, Pushing the Limits and Dare You To. I did like West, introduced in Crash Into You, and Haley is a good character as well. I think the major flaw here was there was too much going on. While I'm sure the intention was to demonstrate the flawed families as a commonality, it was a lot to take in, especially on Haley's side. Seems like West gets more of a resolution than Haley does but again, there was a lot to deal with. Big plus is we get to see more of Abby and I think we're all clamoring for her story. I liked Jax, Haley's cousin and could see a potential story there as well.

This was pretty good! It was pretty cliche, but so was Pushing the Limits and Dare you To. I didn't read Crash Into You, which probably would've helped me understand a few things a bit more clearly, but I don't think it's necessary if you haven't either. Again, it was a bit repetitive of the other books, but I still liked it and still felt emotional during it. The characters are very flawed and have rough backgrounds, which I always like in realistic fiction since I hate reading about perfect people with perfect lives. I recommend it to those who feel the same as me!

Take me On is written with the same drama, excitement, and emotional pull as Katie McGarry's first three books in the series. Although McGarry has written at length in this world of teen angst and young love, this story of a mismatched couple -- poor girl Haley and rich boy West -- is full of fresh and clever dialogue. Twists and turns that never fail to surprise keep the pages turning, and the unique perspectives of interesting characters never allow the reader to become indifferent to the plot.

Ever since Katie McGarry sprang onto the YA romance scene a couple of years ago, she's been my go-to author for YA romance. And this latest installment definitely didn't disappoint. We met West in the previous book and, to be honest, I didn't really like him (he was a bit of an arse) or the way he treated his sister. However, my feelings changed when I got to know him better and see what drove him. A great love story with just the right amount of angst and drama!

Her stories have so much emotion and depth to them. She makes the characters come to life where you adore and love some and hate others. Don't like all the swearing but really appreciate not having to read about lust and sex constantly. Nice to read a story that is actually a story full of heart and real life experiences that don't always have easy answers or happy ever afters for some characters. Really, really like this author!

I love the Pushing the Limits series. It has just the right amount of grit and angst. Each story has a Cinderella feel without being overly obvious and redundant. West is so sweet that he makes me want to find a guy just like him and Haley is so strong and loyal I truly admire her. I just hope this isn't the last book in this remarkable series.

This was a good read. Love the fighting books. Wish there was a tad bit more of it though. I am still waiting for a book on Abby. She is an awesome character! She makes some appearances in this book.