Author : Katie McGarry
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : November 26th 2013
Published by : Harlequin Teen
Pages : 474
Source : Bought
From Goodreads :
From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane
The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.
Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.
But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.
Review
So after her brilliant take on Pushing the Limit and Dare You To, here comes the contemporary queen (Or for me, at least) Katie McGarry with her another wowza. I mean, it's freaking Isaiah, people. ISAIAH. Do you need another reason to be super excited and jumping up and down over this book? Well, cars. Cars + hot guys never go wrong, by the way.
"It’s what I do. Each tattoo represents the only happy memories I've had. And you, Rachel, you’re the happiest."
—Isaiah
The pacing of this book, I think, is very similar to the first two book. It's still detailed and not too rushed and managed to fleshed out the story well, but I also think this book shows a lot of improvement with something always happening in every scene. The stake is simple and real and deadly too, making us readers feel really easy to connect with it throughout the whole book.
One thing I also notice (And damn love) was that Rachel's and Isaiah's narration were very different yet really reflected what they are. Rachel's are those kind of naive rich girl (Not in that I-know-nothing-and-I'm-freaking-adorable kind of naive) with that cute way of thinking while Isaiah just cursed everything all the way 'round, and I love that it just felt so authentic.
Both of their character were also very strong with a very decent back story that I just can't help but to agree with whatever they do because I could see their reasoning behind it, even if they do something wrong.
I could also—particularly—feel the way Rachel feel about her family, why her Mom made gajillion of kids just because she wants another daughter, how she felt like a replacement, or the act-like-he-know-it-all-and-you're-just-nothing crappy older brothers. It were all very easy to relate to.
And their romance. Can I just flail and not write anything about this? Cause it's just sooo beautiful I can't help but going ooh and aah every time they're together. Isaiah is like so swoon worthy and they're just perfect for each other. AND THE CHEMISTRY. AND THE FEELS.
The other side characters, such as Noah and Beth—while they were great in the previous book—also somehow become a lil bit of a jerk here (Although it's only in the beginning and they all like, kind of reconciled in the end. But, still).
And then there's also this gigantic 'Why' that haunted me, though. This story revolves around the debt Rachel and Isaiah owes to this so-called gangster, and that they'll have their whole life threatened if they don't pay.
But honestly? I remember it being mentioned somewhere, and she's like freaking rich, so why can't she just sell her diamond earring, said she lost it, and be done with it already? Yeah I know it's not a noble thing to do, but I'll bet that most people would do this instead of what Rachel does. The problem just feels being made complicated unnecessarily.
And then, after making the uncomplicated probs complicated, Katie McGarry then proceed to make the complicated one damn simple. Like those one defining race that had Isaiah and Rachel's life on it.
It was resolved in what pages, your guess? Two paragraphs and one sentence. Horray.
The ending though, was not all fluffy and happily ever after, and they still had the after effect of it, not coming out unscathed at all, and that just add the right amount of realness to it.
Overall, if you're already an avid fans of Katie McGarry's work or if you want to give it a try on a contemporary genre, this book is totally a must read with its distinctive narration, well-developed characters, and an always moving story with a swoony romance that will keep you entertained. Haven't read this series yet? Like, go grab it now.
Cheers, x
NK
