Crash into You

Pushing the Limits #3

by Katie McGarry

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight A's and the perfect life—that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy family…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 after the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

The last thing Isaiah needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks. But when their shared love of street racing puts their lives in jeopardy, Isaiah and Rachel will have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, High School, Realistic Fiction

474 pages, Hardcover

First published November 26, 2013

About the author

KATIE MCGARRY is an award winning and critically acclaimed novelist of the Witches of the Island series (A Wicked and Beautiful Garden), the Pushing the Limits, Thunder Road, and Only a Breath Apart series and the standalone novel, Say You’ll Remember Me. Katie is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is currently living out her own love story with her husband, three children, her affectionate dog, Rachel, and her very needy cats.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!



I have been waiting and waiting for Isaiah’s story. I wanted more when I met him in Pushing the Limits, and after reading Dare You To, I just knew he needed his own book and hea.

Isaiah hasn’t had an easy life. Living in foster homes, the only family he truly has is his best friend Noah, and Noah’s girl Echo. He had Beth, but now that she’s moved on, it’s pretty much just Noah and Isaiah. Isaiah may look like a bad ass, but looks can be deceiving. He’s actually a really great guy with a heart of gold. He has his tattoos and piercings, he loves to work on cars, he’s loyal to a fault and he’s smart, sweet, and kind.



Rachel Young is from a totally different world than Isaiah. She lives at home with both of her parents and her 4 brothers. Yes, 4 brothers. She is the baby of the family, the ‘replacement’ daughter. Rachel feels like she can’t be herself at home. She has to hide who she is and what she loves for her mothers sake. But what about Rachel? The constant lies, public speaking and deception cause her to have panic attacks. It’s not normal, not healthy, but Rachel deals. She doesn’t want to disappoint anyone. The only time she feels free, feels like herself, is when she’s on the road- just her and her car.



Isaiah and Rachel meet at a race. Neither one should be there, and things go bad. They get out together. Both help each other out and develop a sort of friendship. Theres a moment between them, a spark. But with the race going bad and Rachel getting some of the blame, Isaiah feels its best to stay away for a while. He’s only doing it to protect her. When things come to light, Isaiah and Rachel are in it together. He owes her and he’s going to help. Rachel is hesitant about Isaiah. She really cared for him and he just never called, so she doesn’t know how to act around her. Isaiah has other plans...

“You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I’m awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won’t erase that I’m terrified by how much I like you.”

Sure enough, the more time these two spend together, the more they start to fall for one another. There are SO MANY obstacles in their way. Dealing with the racing troubles, issues with her brothers and family problems, worrying how her parents would react to Isaiah. It’s a lot for one couple to deal with. But it doesn’t stop them from falling for each other.

“One day I’ll get a tattoo for you... I will. It’s what I do. Each tattoo represents the only happy memories I’ve had. And you, Rachel, you’re the happiest.”

“Maybe this is what happens when you fall in love. On the outside a lighter is nothing amazing, but it holds all the ingredients that can create something wonderful. With a few pushes in the right direction, you can inspire something so brilliant that it pushes back the darkness.”

These two just get each other. No matter how different they are, they are perfect for one another. With all the obstacles against them, will their love be able to conquer all?



This is one of my all time favorite YA series. They all have the sweetest romances, some broken characters, obstacles, drama, friendship, love... they are just fantastic. I’ve really developed some strong feelings for these fictional characters! A really beautiful story. I didn’t love it quite as much as Pushing the Limits, but I did like it better than Beth’s book. Regardless, they have all been 5 star reads for me! I’m pretty sure Isaiah is my most favorite character from the series, period. I can’t wait for the fourth book to come out, it’s going to be about Rachel’s brother, West. If you’ve met West, you’ve just gotta love him!

“You don’t kiss boys. Boys shouldn’t be anywhere near you. Guys only want one thing, Rach, and it ain’t conversation. I should know.”

If you’re looking for a great YA series- pick this one up!

[Devyani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not much of a gif user, But...



IT'S ISAIAH'S BOOK!!!!!!



And after that sneak peak in Dare You To....



GO AHEAD. HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT. (Now, I wonder what the cover would look like.)

Edit 9.6.12

OH MY LORD. There is a cover and a blurb!



I'm not too sure about the cover though. I'm not saying that it's bad but it isn't particularly..I don't know..eye grabbing, like it was for me with Dare You To. But WHO THE FUCK CARES? It's what's inside that matters.

Until then..

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I’m awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won’t erase that I’m terrified by how much I like you.”

This book is absolutely amazing. I have no words to describe what I'm feeling right now. To be honest, I had my doubts about this book. Isaiah wasn't my favorite character, and I've heard mixed reviews. But Crash Into You is everything I wanted and more.

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isaiah has been a favorite character of mine since book 1. He's got a badass look but the kindest heart and most gentle soul. Crash Into You, written in his POV, made me adore him even more. We get to see what's going on in that hard-to-crack head of his. Having had a difficult childhood in the foster care system, he's developed a rough edge, but to give a big eff you to stereotypes he's positively one of the most generous and loyal person I know (yes I have met him in real life - be jealous! >.<). He doesn't always get the best hands to play with, though, which makes it all the more harder to watch - the more he tries to stay out of trouble, the more it seems to find him. In turn, you get this urgent need to know how everything turns out Right. This. Minute! This book will see a lot of 3AMs! It also brings to light the heartbreaking, but real issue of kids aging out of the foster care system. This is something teenagers face at an age where they have yet to figure themselves out, let alone the harsh world they suddenly find themselves in - most times alone.

Standing by Isaiah is the delicate, but radiant car obsessed Rachel. Rachel is a private school, straight-A, good girl type, at least until she decides to drag race herself into trouble. Her innocent nature could have easily been overwhelmingly annoying, but instead she gives the book so much heart and perfectly balances out Isaiah's tough shell. She does come with her own secrets, which she hides from not only Isaiah but her whole family. While it's undoubtedly a sad situation she was born into, I appreciated the lack of an extreme worst-case-scenario that seems oh-so-popular in contemporary fiction - particularly in New Adult. Overall I found Rachel likeable in an effortless sort of way, plus she comes with a handful of brothers to add to an already fantastic cast.

As usual, from protagonists to the smallest of roles, every single character is molded with a personality and life of their own. I especially loved Rachel's brothers who are all distinctly quirky and older brother like. Though what stood out to me was how bigger of a role the characters from the previous books had in this one compared to its predecessor. We get longer and more significant glimpses at Noah and Echo, both being fairly important in this story, actually. Beth also makes a few appearances that leads to some developments on that front as well. On the subject of Beth, I'm happy that she and Isaiah didn't end up together. It seemed like the obvious choice from book 1, but after reading Beth's and Isaiah's individual stories it's clear that a romantic relationship between these two would have been a disaster. They need someone to balance their bold personalities out; they would have likely crashed and burned.

In contrast, the romance between Isaiah and Rachel is full of sparks and raging chemistry. Not having been a fan of the hot and cold nature of Ryan and Beth's relationship, it was with relief that I found this one drama free in comparison. Don't get me wrong, they do have their share of bumps in the road, and although some of it could have been avoided had they communicated better, it was much easier to emotionally immerse myself in this relationship.

One thing about Eric, the "villain" of this story, is that I didn't completely feel the fear that he was rubbing off on everybody. Sure he has "friends with bats" but this is a 19year old kid that people treat like a mob boss! This was obviously not even enough to steer my rating, but I wouldn't have minded more show of the power he wields.

After all is said and done, what may be the best part of the book is finding out it's not over!


--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei) · Rating 2 out of 5]

EDIT: Apparently West's story is next. After reading about his god-awfulness in this book, not sure if I'm interested in the next one.

2 stars. I know, I'm such a party pooper :/

WARNING: Review/rant full of F-bombs coming from a crazy lady

Let me clarify a couple of things I don’t like to read about:

1. YA – I’ve been through high school, why read about it again?

2. Virginal, really innocent heroines – they tend to whine a lot

3. Unnecessary angst – I need blood pressure pills for this

And guess what? This book had ALL three of the above, and then some. Still, I read it anyway because this is Katie McGarry we’re talking about folks. I made an exception for Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, which I both loved, and I was so looking forward to Isaiah’s book. Too bad. Looks like it’s another case of “it’s not you, it’s ME.”



The beginning started out strong. I loved the alternate POVs between Isaiah and Rachel; it really helped me get a full grasp of their family dynamic and issues they both struggled with. Up until around 40% of the book, everything was going great. This is what I mean:

Good writing style? HECK YEAH! One of the reasons why I read Ms. McGarry’s books! So attention-grabbing and intense at the same time!

Good character interaction? Yes. Very humorous and sweet at the same time.

Then I come across three of the biggest issues I have with this book.

Part 1: YA

Not criticizing the genre, per say, just the characters since they definitely fall under YA. Why do I not like reading YA? The characters are immature, act like they’re 5, make irrational decisions, and create unnecessary drama. On top of which they are incredibly ignorant! My main beef here is with the heroine Rachel (I’ll get to that dollface in the next section) but I also had problems with her selfish, egoistical brothers.

“Because we’re selfish assholes who wanted Mom for a few seconds. She was always so obsessed with you and your attacks that we got nothing. When you claimed to be better, she was still up your butt, but at least we got something.” - Rachel’s twin brother’s response to why he outed her secrets.

And when Rachel replies, this is what the asshole says:

“I know. And to be honest, that’s why West [another brother] and I pity you instead of hate you.”

^^I know I took it out of context, but when you read this conversation in the place it’s put in the book, I don’t see how ANYONE can’t get angry. What kind of effed up, dysfunctional family is this?! It’s either pity or hate huh? =_=

Oh wait. There’s more!

Oh this one just about blew the cap to my atomic bomb self!!!!!

Rachel had to save that $5,000 for her and Isaiah to get out of Eric’s debt and when she goes to get most of that from her room GUESS FUCKING WHAT. Her motherfucking hellish brothers stole the money from her. Their reason? Made me EVEN more furious with another brother (she’s got four of those). This is the one time where I approved of Rachel’s hysterical fits, and you know what her brother’s response is?

“A little overdramatic, don’t you think Rach? I mean, who else is going to take your money? We said we’d pay you back, and we will.” <--- the money’s been gone for MONTHS by the way and without it Isaiah and Rachel’s lives are doomed. This was THEIR hard-earned money.

And West keeps replying: “We said we’d pay you back. Chill the fuck out.”

Well fuck YOU West. Fuck Gavin. Fuck Ethan for being a wimp and not doing anything about it. Fuck Rachel for stashing it into a place where it’s easily targeted. Fuck this entire messed up, therapy-cannot-save-you family.



^^ I needed to get that off my shoulder. If these were real people, there would’ve been four boys without balls today.



Part 2: V is for Virgin, too innocent and whiny and insecure heroines

Like a wise GR friend said, when we read as much books as we do, it’s hard to not modify our tastes as we go along. That is exactly what happened to me. My tastes have evolved so far from liking the virginal, innocent, angel-like girl that Rachel made me sick. Understandably, she has panic attacks that heavily affect her health, rendering her weak (despite her claims that she isn’t). But really now, is she that sheltered from the world? Maybe it’s the cynical me again, but I don’t believe it for a second that she’s so naive and gullible she can’t tell the difference between safety and danger.

“Do you know what some of the gangs in town do for initiation?”

“What?”

“They have to rape someone.”

“What does that have to do with Eric? With me?”

DOLLFACE. Just a paragraph ago she said how dangerous it was to be in this part of town and she knows how dangerous Eric is so why the fuck can she not figure out that Isaiah was referring to HER!!!!!!! My frustration with ignorant, oblivious, pea-brained heroines knows no bounds.

Oh wait! There’s more!

You know, another thing I don’t like reading about in books is a lack of communication between characters, especially when this gap caused a shitload of drama for the last 25% of the book (get to that point in the next section). Beth makes several appearances in this book, and Isaiah is still uncomfortable and brokenhearted over her. Rachel sees Beth and thinks “oh, she’s soooo gorgeous with her spiky attitude and punk style, she and Isaiah go perfectly together.” Then what? Yup you guessed it! JEALOUSY. Jealousy is great and all, but the jealousy I despise? It’s the kind where you take just one fucking glance at someone and immediately judge them to be who you think they are. Beth never had a change to explain anything to Rachel, because Rachel ran her fucking ass away!!! And even when Isaiah landed himself in the hospital after his car got totaled, Rachel lets her jealousy (which was unwarranted since Beth's with Ryan) get the best of her when she visits him and LEAVES. I am so, so sick of this cliché: girl gets jealous, runs away, boy worries, boy runs after girl, boy explains, boy and girl make up.

And I won’t even go through how many times she throws whiny hissy fits with Isaiah. If you really want to know, PM me and I’ll start typing out paragraphs.

Part 3: Unnecessary angst

I’ve learned something completely new when I read this. There’s normally just emotional angst from characters but let me proudly introduce you to a new category of angst: CAR ANGST. Yup. You read that right. Car angst.

I’m not a vehicle person so all that talk about different car engines, types, and blah I kinda skimmed over, but every time she says “don’t touch my car, I’m the only one to drive it” and when both murmur to their little cars like mommies to babies, I just rolled my eyes big time. Plus some issues they had to leap over dealt with cars, which I could REALLY care less about.

Now for the grand finale aka the last 25% of the book. *massages forehead*

Not even going to sugarcoat, the last 25% of this book was a LOAD OF CRAP.

First she wins the race to pay off Eric, and she wins in ONE page. It’s odd to see the other races in so much detail, and this one crucial race, she’s nervous in one paragraph and in the next, she wins it. Like, what happened to the middle?? And talk about cliché to win at the very last moment. Before this, Isaiah lands in the hospital and I could understand that. But Rachel too?!?!?! Like what the ever living fuck was Ms. McGarry thinking? It’s not enough that one character lands in the hospital because of a crash, you just gotta let the two of them taste what white walls feels like? And you had to take away her legs too =_=



^^ You know why I had such a problem with that part? Mainly because, IMO, it was added in only to get Rachel’s stubborn ass parents to like Isaiah. If it weren’t for said event where Isaiah saves Rachel from the car wreck (what a coincidence….NOT.) her parents would never have warmed up to him, never would have approved of him, and no HEA for Rachel and Isaiah.

Seriously, not one, but TWO car accidents for BOTH MCs??? Believable? I think not.

Wow, what a long ass review-rant. I did like certain parts of the book, particularly the scenes where Noah, Echo, and Ryan showed up. Mrs. Collins (Echo’s shrink) is fantastic! Other than that, yeah, the story just self-bombed.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Please note that all quotes are from an advanced copy and may be subject to change in the final edition.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 BEAUTIFUL STARS


Such a beautiful story!!I want more of Isaiah!!!One book isn't enough!!
I love Noah but after this book I can say that Isaiah is my big crash :)))))


This is Isaiah's story!And we get to see deeper into who Isaiah is!How he became a foster child and why he lets so few people into his life...It is heartbreaking...

The storry begins with Isaiah who meets Rachel at an illegal race, randomly and a sweet romance starts between them...
Watching them meet and bond over cars and their illegal racing trouble was so much fun!

Rachel is so innocent and Isaïah is such a good guy.They find themselves in a huge situation and they race against the time to fix everything so it doesn't cost them their lives at the end...But with bad luck,foolish brothers and bad guys the things become complicated...

Rachel suffers from severe panic attacks..She lives in a house with four overprotective brothers who also expect her to be the one who will make their mother be happy again after a big tragedy ..She tries to be a perfect daughter...She sacrifices everything to make her family happy...



Isaiah is broken..He bounces from foster home to home his entire life. Everyone he loved leaves him. He doesn’t want to have feelings for Rachel..He knows those type of feelings make you vulnerable and others are able to use that to their advantage..


What I love more about Isaiah is that he appears to be a tough guy,but in this book we can see that he also is sensitive and has such a good heart.
With Rachel he slowly shows himself to her and reveals things about his past that no one else know...

"One day I'll get a tattoo for you."..
"I will."
"It's what I do.Each tattoo represents the only happy memories I've had.And you, Rachel, you're the happiest."

"I love you Rachel.So this will work.No matter what or who stands in our way."




I enjoy this book!! The romance is so sweet!!Katie manage as always to create a fantastic set of characters that will draw you in and hold you there until the end!If you are a fan of YA romance books with suspense,action,and intense this is what you need!!I highly recommend it!!

ARC provided by edelweiss for an honest review

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

  "I can't give you the world, Rachel, 
but i will give you all i got."

Note: Crash into You is the 3rd novel in the Pushing the Limits series, and can be read as a stand alone. It's a YA Romace.



It features a tatooed, pierced and dangerous 17 year old boy called Isaiah (a protagonist who's name i can't even pronounce, much less spell. Awesome.).
Trapped in foster care Isaiah finally got his own place with his best friend, Noah (-Pushing the Limits) only to discover the struggles in supporting themselves whilst still in school. His passion are cars, and the only thing he knows he's good at - and that can make him some much needed money to keep a roof over his and his friend's head - is car racing, preferably the illegal kind.

  "Fuck me. God does exist and he send 
me an angel in a white Mustang to prove it."

What he isn't expecting, is to see a rich girl who is just as passionate about cars as he is. A girl of his dreams. But the last thing he needs on his plate is getting tangled up with a girl, one who makes him want to rat out all the secrets and truths he keeps hidden.



Rachel is the girl with straigh A's and good manners. The girl who makes everyone in her family proud. The girl who hates to disappoint.
The girl who hides her true self behind a shell of a perfect being. But like Isaiah, she has secrets.
One of them? The love for adrenaline and racing cars.
When she meets Isaiah their shared love of speed puts their lives in jeopardy. Now they have six weeks to come with a way out - and to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

  “You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can 
try to treat me as a friend, 
but none of that will erase the fact that 
I think about kissing you every second 
I’m awake and dream at night of my hand 
son your body. And it sure as hell won’t 
erase that I’m terrified by how much I 
like you.” 

This was pretty much how i looked throughout the book...



Crash Into You was one of the cutest and heart-warming books i have read. I was melting inside every time Isaiah said something beautiful to Rachel The scene when he rubbed her temples and held her when she had a massive headache? I knew i was a goner.
The relationship between them was realistic and they both had issues i think a lot of teenagers have to deal with, or go through, in real life. So i was pleased the author took that path.

Rachel; is an independent teenage girl who wants to be the real her and stop having to be what other people want her to be. She wants others to accept her. When i read about her family i felt like punching each one of them in the faces and shoving them off a cliff. For her not to loose her wits and try to stay strong really earned my respect. But at time i was begging Rachel, and didn't understand why the girl didn't speak her mind more, and just do this...



Isaiah; is the boy who had his heart torn out a million times, and learned from a very young age that hope and caring gets you disappointed and hurt. Moving to one bad foster care, to an ever worse one, he doesn't count on anyone except himself. There are very few people who he considers friends...one of them is Beth, the girl who broke his heart.
I LOVED Isaiah. I thought he was a very awesome, strong and thoughtful protagonist. At times i thought he was a little bit of an asshole, especially towards his mother, but i understood his reasoning.



THE WRITING STYLE of this book is absolutely outstanding. Katie McGarry is one of those very few authors who can make you easily visualize things, and feel emotions. Her writing is simple yet really effective for the reader and the story. As a result, i could get into the book with ease and it kept me turning the pages.



The reason for my 4 stars is the ending. I feel like it was all over the place. I couldn't catch up to what was happening and it was confusing. Why this author has a thing with ending her books in near-death accidents and destroying one of the character's lives in the process, i will never know. I really do not know what was the point of that and it was stupid. Can't i have a one normal happy ending?

Moreover, the books are quickly loosing originality, and i feel like at time it's the same thing, with the same flaws that stop me from giving the books 5 stars and perhaps even putting them on my 'favorites' shelf.



Can we just pause here for a second and look at the UK paperback cover, which looks like this....





The cover is the worst cover i have ever seen in the book world of shitty covers. It's so obvious it's photo-shopped and they have done such a poor job of it i can promise you kids at the age of 12 could have achieved a better design. Every time i look at it on my shelf i feel like throwing it into the fire. Just one look...



Overall , Crash Into You was an amazing YA Romance that i really enjoyed. Great characters, and we meet many new ones. I'll be waiting until the 4th book comes out called Take Me On - West's and Hayley's story (Rachel's older brother).
Would i recommend it? Hell yes.
Would i re-read it? Maybe some bits. ;)

Sincerely - The Critic.

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I smell something fishy...no wait, that's just her oceanic scent.

If I'd read Crash Into You first in the series, I probably would have considered it the best of all 3 books so far. Isaiah is the hero I'm most drawn to, and the drag racing plot device has a certain throwback appeal.

Unfortunately, when you get to book 3 of a series and find yourself getting frustrated over the same things which frustrated you in the first couple of books, it's hard to overlook that.

Frankly, I was bored when I wasn't frustrated. I'm over the poor-bad-boy-meets-uppity-and-or-inexperienced-rich-girl angle. Rachel's issues had me doing a "who the hell cares" reaction. I could honestly give a shit about her panic attacks and how she couldn't take care of herself. And she was the youngest sibling of several older, hot brothers who were very overprotective? This fantasy of being the helpless female who everyone wants to protect is also old beyond belief.

Let's talk about Rachel, the girl who chose to be who everyone else wanted her to be in order not to further hurt her damaged loved ones. I say : she reaps what she sows. If you aren't going to tell the truth to people out of fear, then you can deal with the fallout and expect me not to care.

Maybe he already knows I'm weak.

Unrelated side note : who notes about themselves that they "lazily glanced" at someone from under their eyelashes? Isn't that something you'd notice another person doing, not yourself?

Let's talk about Isaiah, the bad boy who would slip into thoughts and language which seemed to contradict his rebellious image.

Examples :

She has skin so soft that I worry about damaging her with a gentle touch.

The sound of her voice creates a contact high.

I've seen roses the color of her lips.

Let's also talk about things that I don't like.

Eyes softening to liquid silver makes me feel like I'm witnessing a bad channeling of Jennifer Armentrout. NON PARANORMAL people don't have liquid silver eyes. What was wrong with the normal gray Isaiah had before?

The continuation of scent cataloging rolls on - in a painfully embarrassing way.

I suck in a breath through my mouth to avoid her scent and step back.

The scent of the ocean enters my nose and my jeans tighten.

The demonization of weed smoking continues. Seriously. Can someone please have a chat with this author and tell her that this isn't abnormal behavior only limited to kids in trouble? How do you write books about kids coming from a sketchy upbringing and not know that a decent portion of the teenage population partakes, even the "good" kids? It's not all that different from social drinking anymore.

We're three books in and the repetitiveness has me unsure whether I'll continue with the series. West is up next with his book and he already strikes me as the stereotypical bad boy character. I don't know if I want to go there or not.

This book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.

[Syndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

Long time ago, I picked up Pushing the Limit from Miss McGarry. And i remember I liked Pushing the Limit much better than Crash into You. I had a high hope for Isaah's stort. After all he has all of that promised to be tortured soul.

Good news is the writing of Miss McGarry is still good. It pushed and build the tension. What really broke my heart is Rachel and her family. All of them are privillage characters. But all of them are selfish and dense. Rachel is weak, childish, immature, selfish and dense heroine. So dense and spoil that I feel sorry for Isaah.

Isaah deserves his equal in heroine. Not someone like Rachel. Their insta lust/ attraction is also not convincing. I feel Isaah only like Rachel just because of her look.

Overall, I am very very disappointed. Moving on...

2 stars

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, boy! I know I'm not the only girl who's been pining after Isaiah since Pushing the Limits first came out. And then after his role in Beth's story and his extremely evident devotion to her...I could feel the collective hearts breaking for him, mine included. I was SO looking forward to him getting his happy times. And I'm more than happy with his outcome in Crash Into You. I did have some small issues, but the story itself was gripping and gritty, intense and passionate while retaining an innocence without preachiness that this author is so good at.

MY SYNOPSIS:
Isaiah, the forgotten kid with loyalty more un-bendable than steel. He has very few friends in life; actually, just one since Beth left. Noah and he are still living together, barely scraping enough money together to pay for rent, often not scraping enough money together for other necessities. But Isaiah is still in high school, attempting to get a job at a fairly prestigious auto mechanic shop after graduation while Noah takes college courses, trying to give his brothers and Echo a better life.

Isaiah meets Rachel at the most unlikely place to find a rich good girl: the back streets street racing circuit. Some bad people are involved with this gig, and the moment Isaiah sees Rachel there, he knows she's too innocent to race with the big boys. Being who he is, Isaiah saves the day...and the girl...but now both he and Rachel are stuck in a tough spot. Rachel, because she has some truly bad street thugs after her, and Isaiah because he feels like he owes Rachel his help.

In order to get these guys off Rachel's back, they have to work closely together for quite some time, and the attraction between the proverbial bad boy and poor little rich girl comes into play. The Isaiah that he shows the world isn't easy to hide when in close proximity for a long time, and even Rachel's secrets start to come out fairly quickly. But how in the world can they both overcome not only their current circumstances but their social statuses as well? And all the while, Isaiah's missing parent tries to come back into his life via his social worker...after more than a decade of being gone.

MY THOUGHTS:
My Isaiah and Rachel:



I heart Isaiah, so flippin' much! He is my favorite hero of this series so far. He's a bad boy with a heart of gold, and it just doesn't get much more sexy or romantic than that. Not to mention that Rachel doesn't want to change him...no, what she really wants is just to be a part of his life. They both love cars and speed, and despite their differences, they both really, really like whatever is happening between them.

Just like McGarry's other two books in this series, I was completely invested in all of the goings on in this book. Rachel's family unit frustrated me to no end, and the way that Rachel was a virtual doormat when it came to them was a big source of frustration for me. I'm wondering how McGarry will make me fall in love with the next up hero, who is Rachel's older brother. Not one single person in her family endeared themselves to me. The way they in turns coddled her, protected her to the point of smothering, and held this immovable authority over this young woman was bordering on crazy. And she continued to let them...up until the end, I never felt vindication or closure there, so this is the point that keeps the fifth star away for me.

I will add in some quotes after publication, because this is one uber quotable book! Isaiah goes on my favorite heroes shelf...he is so selfless and stoic and brave, not to mention how steadfast a friend he is. I wish there were a real life Isaiah...he would be mine!

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen via Net Galley

[Shambhawi P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is going to be a really short review - especially given the fact that how long I took to actually get on with writing it after reading the book itself.

I've still not completely made up my mind yet.

The source of my confusion? It's simple:

I loved Isaiah. He was undoubtedly the best hero in the Pushing the Limits series so far. Sweet, strong and damaged - all at the same time. I loved him.

I hated Rachel. She was undoubtedly the worst heroine in the Pushing the limits series so far. Shallow, stupid and dependent - all at the same time. I hated her.

And the plot was fine. Nothing new, nothing exceptional. It was intriguing while reading but nothing really memorable afterwards. Except for Isaiah. Nothing too squeal-worthy or hate-worthy. Except maybe the insta-ish love for the latter point.

But Isaiah was amazing enough for me to forgive all the other shortcomings this book may have. I never claimed to be anything other than a hormonal teenage girl.

The short side of 3.5 Stars, I think. Not bad, but not so good. Redeemable only because of the insanely hot hero. Just look at that guy on the cover!!


_______________________________________________

PRE-READ REVIEW:
YES! YES! YES!!!

I KNEWWWWW HE WOULD GET A BOOK!

LEMME BE DONE WITH BETH'S STORY FIRST. THEN MS. MCGARRY WE WILL NEED TO HAVE A TALK ABOUT THE PUB DATE OF THE BOOKS. YES, WE WILL.

FOR NOW THOUGH,



Update #1 16/01/13

dudjgkglglhlglhkgiffkfkflgk

I am a sucker for self-control!! Just read the first two chapters and I'm like all dvlvhfjdjxjxjzx

I think I already Love Rachel!!

And hate the fact that I have to WAIT to get more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update #2 19/01/13

God didn't send this angel to save me. He sent her as a sacrifice...

Reread the first two chapters for the millionth time because I have, like, zero self control... Isaiah....

NEEDWANTNEEDNEEDWANTNEEDWANTWANTNEEDNEEDNEEDWANTNEEDNEEDWANTNEEDWANTWANTNEEDNEEDNEEDWANTNEEDNEEDWANTNEEDWANTWANTNEEDNEEDNEEDWANTNEEDNEEDWANTNEEDWANTWANTNEEDNEED

T_T

[✝✝ Ⓓaisy ❣ ✝✝ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ISAIAH



This story is about finding and falling in love. Our hero, bad boy Isaiah who is broken his heart after Beth.
"... inked seventeen-year-old with a shaved head with earrings



He is still nursing his heart and stays aways from complication until Rachel.
"Kiss me... If you kiss me we'll blend in"



Rachel runs into Isaiah on one of her adventure nights.............What kind of adventure is this prissy girl into? With her elder brothers protecting her around, you wouldn't believe what this girl likes.



I didn't like Beth much for Book 1, hence her entrance in this book only annoyed me further! Bummer!

So, sit back and enjoy Isaiah!!!! <3



**ARC provided by publisher**

[Aestas Book Blog]

OMG IT'S ISAIAH'S BOOK!!!! SQUEEEEEE!!



Release date: Nov 26, 2013.

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.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd seen some really high praise for these books, so I jumped at the chance to read McGarry's newest book in the Pushing the Limits series. And I liked it, but it didn't blow me out of the water.
I'm thinking that either these particular characters just weren't my cuppa, or maybe I need to take a break from the angsty stuff.
I should also note that I'm a bit sick of the Good girl/Bad boy thing at the moment.



So Rachel has a weird life. Sure, her family has money, but they're beyond strange. ALL of them.
Let's start with her oddly overprotective brothers, ok? I've never seen a group (I believe there's 4 of them) of older brothers act like they have nothing better to do than escort their little sister around so that no guy ever speaks to her.
A lot of brothers tend to get pissed when guys mess with their sisters. Especially if the guy in question is a douchebag. That's normal. What's not normal is screaming death threats at every male that attempts to talk to her. You would think at least one of them would be on her side, right? But, no.
Protectively eyeballing her date...SANE.
Acting like a psycho over a conversation between her an a random dude at a wedding...INSANE.
Yeah. So I had a problem buying into the over-the-top dynamics with her brothers.
Then there's her parents. Years ago they lost their oldest daughter to Leukemia. Very tragic, no? Yes, yes it is.



But.
In an effort to make the mother happy again, they kept having children until Rachel was born, so that the mom would have a replacement daughter.
Wha...?
Unfortunately, kids aren't replaceable, so Rachael lives in the shadow of her perfect older sister.
Worse, she's expected to speak at charity functions on her dead sister's behalf. Or she was until she started having panic attacks when she was younger. The panic attacks took the form of severe vomiting, and eventually she was hospitalized because she was throwing up blood.



Skip to present day, and Rachel is supposedly over her fear of public speaking and panic attacks. Of course, she's not. She's only pretending to feel better about it so that everyone will stop treating her like she's breakable.
And now Dad wants her to start speaking at her mother's fundraising events again...so that mommy won't be sad.
Again, I felt the parents were overblown caricatures of people, and not realistic enough for me to sympathize with or even hate.
To keep Rachel from seeming like she was made out of some boring jello mold, we find out that she loves cars. Reallyreallyreally loves cars.



And that's how she meets Isaiah...who also reallyreallyreally loves cars.
He protects her when she wanders out of her element and into an illegal street race. Naturally, there's an evil guy who run the race. This same evil guy blames Rachel for selling them out to the cops/stealing his money. And also (naturally), they have to find a way to pay him back...or else!
That whole plotline felt like something out of a 50's movie, and I kept expecting them to break out into some sort of a dance-off to settle the score. Or some such nonsense.
As the fear for their lives increased, the obvious answer just sat there staring them in the face.
Call the cops (who are actively looking for a reason to arrest the guy) and report him for threatening to kill you!
But wait. They can't do that. Rachel doesn't want her parents to find out she was involved in illegal street race!
Well. That's an awesome reason to get killed by a scummy wannabe mobster. Sorry I questioned your logic, Einstein.

Ok. Sorry, I'm making it sound like this book is total crap, but in reality it's not. I didn't have a hard time getting through the story, and there are tons of absolutely glowing reviews out there for this one. New Adult is a genre that thrives on drama and angst, so I'm not going to fault an author for giving readers exactly what they came to the party looking for. So.
My personal opinion is that this one was overly...everything. But even I know that my opinion doesn't count for much. It will probably be a great read to someone who isn't burned out on virgin heroines and damaged heroes.



I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Racing Stars

RACHEL


ISAIAH


I just love the way Kate McGarry tells a story! I enjoyed Rachel and Isaiah’s story and I’m not even into cars like the two main characters are. This author could write about anything and tie it into a love story and I’m onboard.

”She’s pretty.”

“There’s more to Rachel than that.”

This story is about two broken teens who find everything in one another. All of our favorite characters from the past two books play a role in helping Isaiah and Rachel get out of some serious trouble.

”I scare the hell out of most people, but you will never have anything to fear from me. Choose. Love me or don’t. But tell me now.”

”You’re the first person to ever see me.”

PS. Abby was a FANTASTIC new character who needs a book ASAP!!!

”I like bunnies. She likes bunnies. We totally clicked.”

True sign of a good read… I could have read on and on about these two and I still wanted more!



Series to date:


Books to come:

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 5 out of 5]

For once again, this was a beautiful,well-written and a totally captivating story.....

But i have to admit that in the most part of it, i was soooooo..... angry!!!!

And in the end, it left me heartbroken and really, really sad!!!

Why the things have to reach at this point???? Why, God damn it!!!!

I knew that this story had the power to break my heart in small pieces...

And the funny thing was that all the sadness came not from Isaiah who was the broken one, but from Rachel who was the rich, normal kid.... Hahahaha.... How untrue that statement!!!!

Oh, my dear Lord!!!! I'm really trying but i can't overcome that ending!!! I just can't....

How unfair that fate!!! I'm boiling inside.....
You haven't understand anything, right???? Let me explain you some things...

Isaiah was known from the previous books... He was the guy with the tatoos and the earings whom everyone with just one look at him thought the worst about this person....
He was a foster kind, a damaged kid who they thought that he was stealing, lying, doing drugs... But they were all wrong!!!!
Isaiah was kind and calm and steady and he was having a really big heart, especially for whoever he loved....
His heart was crushed because of Beth's denial, but he was trying hard to get over it!!!.... He and Noah are shared an apartment, but they need money if they want to remain there or else Isaiah have to return in his foster family!!!! And that fact forced him to cross paths with Rachel....

Rachel was the good girl.... She was trying so hard to be the perfect daughter and the perfect sister... You see, her family was strucked by a tragedy before even she was born, but that fact guided all her life...
She is sensitive and everyone around her think that she is weak since the panic attacks... But the last two years she is forcing herself to hide the truth from her family and she is trying to be the girl that her parents want... But with what cost????? Her only fun is when she sneak out from the house and drive her car....

A difficult evening, two preppy assholes, an illegal street race, a dangerous man, a police chasing, some help to each other and an awful depth bound Isaiah and Rachel forever... Their love got through many waves and from one look to them, everybody could claim that they were like the day and the night.
But first of all, they were bound from a common great love of them...

They were both love insanely cars... Especially fast cars....

"Jesus, it’s like I’ve met my twin. One glance at her slim figure and I erase that thought. I wouldn’t be attracted to someone I was related to."

But the most wonderfull thing was that they could see each other souls....
Isaiah loved Rachel because he could see the real herself and he was a steady rock that she could count on him... And Rachel saw Isaiah beyond the tatoo... She saw his kindness... after all, he took in his shoulders a depth that wasn't his...
The bond between the two of them was so strong...

Now, about my anger issues.... I'm still angry with her family...

I didn't like the fact that they never saw beyond what they wanted to see... They didn't see Rachel's struggle and every single one of them forced her to do things that was killing her... And all of that, because they want to be calm and their life as easy as possible... I hated that more than everything else... I wanted to break something for feeling better....

I wanted to shake them up... to force them to see the truth that was in front of their eyes...
And at the end, when they found out about Isaiah, her father's action was... unbearable and the results was unforgetable....

Oh, God!!! I'm still very mad.... and that's why i'm thinking so much to read immediately the next book, because it's about one of her brothers and i want to see if the things went better about Rachel and Isaiah....

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I’m awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won’t erase that I’m terrified by how much I like you.”
————————————-
3.5/5 stars

Rachel Young is supposed to have the perfect life. She has nothing to worry about. Her family is wealthy, she has 4 older brothers who protect her. She has a great car that she considers her baby and she… also has a dead sister who her parents won’t stop comparing her to and expect her to become like. And panic attacks that turn her life impossible when she’s in public and has made her struggle to make new friends or talk in front of crowds, and regardless of this, she’s always trying to make everyone proud and happy.

And then we have Isaiah, also known as one of “the bad boys”, the type of guy you see in the streets and will immediately assume the worst and will make you hand him your bag with a singular glance. And yet… he has a soft spot. He’s willing to protect the people he loves, and is very caring.

What do they have in common? The yearn to be loved and show who they truly are. To fully express themselves. Oh, and they also loveee cars and are now in huge trouble since now they have a $5000 debt and have to pay it back to a drag race leader or they will face horrible consequences. Rachel can’t ask her parents for money, and Isaiah doesn’t have that amount of money. With the help of their friends and of course, of each other, they’ll have to figure out how to get the money before they run out of time…
—————————
Okay, I’m super glad I actually enjoyed this one better than the previous book. It was actually interesting and this time, I actually did not see all of these things coming at all.

Moving on, the plot was decently paced. It went by fast enough and I’m super glad the female main character wasn’t a nuthead and assumed things or just locked herself out regardless of the mental issues she struggled with, unlike Beth- but it was quite investing enough, mainly cause I just wanted to know how the hell these 2 were going to collect this huge amount of cash. However, even if it was nice, I think the ending was waaaay too rushed, everything just… fixed itself way too fast and then this random thing happens when you least expect it and not a single chapter goes by and everything’s alright again. These time loops were crazy.

I, finally, enjoyed the romantic relationship. Not as much as the one from the first book, but way better than the second one. Nothing extremely corny, much more development with each character, which I really thank the author because I really wanted to get to know Isaiah. The characters recognize each other’s flaws and are still willing to be there and support each other, and also assume responsibility for what they each have said and done, honesty is rarely seen on romantic books… miscommunication is the worst thing ever.

As for the content of the plot itself, I’d say it was decently good. Small warning, there’s a LOT of car related stuff, I didn’t get like half of it. But the story revolving around Isaiah’s family issues (FINALLY I GET TO KNOW THE GUY), Rachel’s panic attacks and overthinking (which made me relate to her so badly, god is it hard not to stress or worry over the smallest situations), and how all characters from past books come together and get to interact with each other is just *chef’s kiss*.

The main conflict of the plot was, well… paying a debt. Which was very interesting ngl, because gosh were the threats quite horrendous… more to Rachel than to Isaiah, I’d say. Not super memorable but it still kept me focused and somehow invested.

As for the characters, I really enjoyed Rachel’s character, maybe because once again, she was super relatable. She stood right for what she thought and what she wanted to do and made sure she was heard. She didn’t hesitate of telling what truly came to her mind regardless if she was anxious while doing so and she was always willing to give every person a chance. She’s such a nice character and Isaiah isn’t far from being great as well. He’s what you expect, a tough guy and stuff but at the same time he has a soft spot for literally anything and anyone. He won’t admit it but he’s just.. very caring. And they formed a wonderful couple. So yes, I enjoyed their relationship. Nothing too corny but nothing too meh either, so it was really nice.

Side characters were great. We got to know Logan quite a bit better and we got to know a new character by the name of Abby, who hopefully shows up later in the books once again, since she seems to have a great story to tell. And there were some other antagonists as well, which were good too, they added enough to the plot.

Once again, it isn’t really necessary to read the rest of the books. But yes, I’d recommend this if you’re looking for some tough guy going a little more soft type of boy and anxious yet caring and cool girl type of love story.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I’ve been a huge fan of Katie McGarry since Pushing the Limits and then Dare to Me so I’ve been anxiously awaiting Isaiah’s story. While Crash Into You wasn’t my favorite of the three it was still a compelling read.

When we last left Isaiah he was angry and hurt by Beth. They had been best friends but with Isaiah always hoping for more. Unfortunately, Beth didn’t feel the same. Because he doesn’t want to stay with Beth’s aunt and uncle anymore, Isaiah is now on his own renting a crappy apartment with Noah, but barely getting by. Trying to stay afloat he gets embroiled in a street race gone wrong and this is where he meets Rachel and is completely knocked over:

God does exist and he sent an angel in a white Mustang to prove it.

Rachel comes from privilege and wealth and from all outside appearances she leads a perfect life. But if you look closer, she’s quite a mess. She was conceived basically as a replacement for a sister who died of cancer, so she lives in her shadow. Trying to live up to expectations and fill the hole left in her family, there’s no room for the real Rachel, and she suffers panic attacks from all the pressure. Real Rachel loves cars, working on them and driving them fast. This is how she meets Isaiah.

Isaiah and Rachel’s lives become intertwined and even though they come from very different social circles, there’s an immediate attraction. Because Rachel has led such a sheltered life she’s socially awkward and very different from any girl Isaiah has met. He finds her innocence and honesty refreshing. There are no games when it comes to Rachel. Isaiah is used to everyone having an ulterior motive or only looking out for themselves with the exception of Noah and Echo, so the fact that Rachel worries and cares what happens to him touches him deeply. The fact that Isaiah sees Rachel how she really is and likes it fills her with joy. In his eyes she’s strong, capable and far from the weakling her family considers her to be. There shared passion for cars just seals the deal for these two and it’s not long before they’ve fallen head over heels.

“You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I'm awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won’t erase that I’m terrified by how much I like you."

With danger, expectations, and self-doubt, Isaiah and Rachel’s relationship is not smooth sailing. However, Ms. McGarry has a talent for writing swoony scenes that make your heart race, and she manages to gift us with these juicy moments often, in between all the drama.

Like I said in the outset Crash Into Me wasn’t my favorite of the three and I think it’s partially because so much is going on not any one thing is dealt with in depth. There was the drama of Isaiah’s mother coming back into his life, Isaiah trying to make it on his own, and then we have Rachel with her family troubles and resulting panic attacks. On top of all that Rachel and Isaiah have a street racing thug after them for money. Add in their romance, and I just think there were too many issues to do any one of them justice, even with the near 500 page count.

I’m still a huge fan of Katie McGarry. I don’t expect an author to write a 5 star story for me every time, and even with my issues was a very addictive read. I’m still anxious to read anything she writes, and I can’t wait for West’s story next!

A copy was provided by Harlequin Teen through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This review and more can be found at The Readers Den.

[emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

i barely remember this book. i think i blocked it out? i believe i found it cheesy and overwrought and bonkers emotional and just Too Much. so much drama. unlikable characters.

from a time in which i had just discovered contemporaries and would pick up any book categorized in that genre.

what a loser i was. not anymore, obviously.

anyway.

bye.

(this is part of a project i am doing in which i write mini-reviews for books i read a long time ago.)

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but I have a few problems with it.

This is a young-adult book, yet, I struggled a lot trying to remember the ages of the characters, I kept aging them in my mind. I had no problems with Rachel, she is a teenager and a pushover through and through, but the rest…not so much. Isaiah seems older than he is supposed to be, and the people around him do too. Like Eric for example, seriously, a 19 year old that controls the street racing bets… I don't know, I had problems believing it, so in my mind most of the characters were older.

Then, for me the story was unbalanced. On one side, we have a street topic like car racing, bets, rapes, beatings, drugs, etc. These kinds of things seem more mature in general, not that suited or relatable to teenagers, yet Rachel confronts this fine, ok, no problem, it seems to me that she should have struggled at least a little bit with it. But then, on the other hand, we have an age appropriate topic like sex is for a 17 year old, and this however, is conducted more as if Rachel was a 15 year old. It was way too light, more so in comparison with the hardness of the other aspects of the story. The contrast between the two sides made the book lack credibility for me.

Also, it would have been nice to see Rachel confront her family about Isaiah and try to fight for him and make them see reason. Instead, in the end happened what happened (I'm not going to say), and that conflict was avoided. I don't think that is how it would happen in most instances of real life so it was a bit disappointing to see the “easy” exit that the writer took to avoid all that.

Generally speaking, all and all, it was a nice story.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel is labeled as "odd and strange" by her peers. She's quiet and typically a loner. It also doesn't help that she's not your girlie-girl, she'd rather dive under the hood of a car and change the oil instead of shopping at the mall like a "normal" teenage girl. Then she meets bad boy Isaiah who brings out the best in her. When they both end up in trouble with a criminal on the streets, they have to work together and end up teaching each other that love is the most powerful force that drives them.

Told in alternate point of views from both Rachel and Isaiah, we get to see how strongly vivid and different their personalities and livelihood really is. It's the cliche rich girl meets bad boy story, but it has a lot of heart and emotion. Though the way they fall in love so quickly, I don't really dismiss it because at that age it can happen. I didn't even think it was super cheesy because the two characters thought out the best in one another and that's what real love does. I wasn't a big fan of the overly dramatic torture that both characters went through..it was almost like they weren't ever going to get their happy ending and you know they needed it desperately. I love how there was a big part of the dysfunctional family dynamics at play. No one is perfect, no one is exempt to circumstance and it's fairly evident Katie McGarry was showing this. I also loved how her brothers are like overprotective bears. They really just love her and want to shield her from pain. Not to mention that they're all pretty swoon-worthy themselves LOL

Overall, if you're looking for a contemporary, emotional, sizzling, dramatic YA read, pick one of McGarry's books. You'll gobble them up like candy!


RATING 4/5

QUOTES

“God does exist and he sent angel in a white Mustang to prove it.” (38)

“Why on earth would a guy like him want to be anywhere near a girl like me?” (59)

“I like how Isaiah looks at me as if I'm the only girl in the world. Or like an antelope he's going to pounce on.” (88)

“What people project to the world never shows what's lurking on the inside.” (125)

“Worrying is all I'm good at.” (193)

“You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I'm awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won't erase that I'm terrified by how much I like you.” (223)

“I feel like a mouse with you. The one that's already been caught by the cat.” (236)

“My entire life is one thick rope full of knots and links where people have twisted me inside and out.” (284)

“I don't know what love is or how it should feel, but I know that when I'm with you I like who I am, and that's never happened to me before.” (285)

“Life isn't made-for-television movies or books with happy-ever-afters. Sometimes the choices we're presented with are bad or worse.” (309)

“I'm blessed. I have so much more than others, and on the outside my family is absolutely perfect.” (343)

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t expect to like this but come to think of it, I was the same with the first two books. (Lol!). I must give Ms. Katie Mc Garry the credit she deserves for convincing me to like “gritty, cheesy, sexy romance novels” which what Crash Into You exactly is.

For some reason, I find this an even lighter read than the first two books probably because of Rachel’s perspective which is innocent, playful, witty and daring all at the same time. I didn’t like Isaiah’s character in Dare You To but now that I’ve learned about his background, I have come to appreciate where he is coming from. I like his dedication and passion especially once he has chosen to fall in love.

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well then, methinks I’m batshit crazy because I just never learn.

Even though I’m fully aware that she has many, many fans, Katie McGarry’s books never quite worked for me. I often found her approach to certain subjects too shallow, her characters just a tiny bit plastic and her writing awfully clichéd. They are, for me, the type of books I can finish in one sitting, and then promptly forget they exist.

The same stands true for Crash Into You, albeit somewhat amplified. Despite my lukewarm feelings towards the previous two books, I found myself looking forward to Isaiah’s story. Of all McGarry’s characters, he’s the one I felt had the most potential. But instead of building upon the promising foundations, McGarry turned him into one of those bad-on-the-outside-decent-on-the-inside archetypal romance heroes, thus effectively ruining his character and the overall story for me. Where was the expected depth? Mommy issues and a few false rumors do not a hero make.

Back when Isaiah thought himself in love with Beth, I wholeheartedly agreed that they weren’t right for each other. Two severely damaged individuals would always drag each other down, no matter their intentions. But who he got instead wasn’t much better for him, and she was a disappointment for me as a reader as well. I was promised a street racer, and instead I got a skittish, never-been-kissed girl with no backbone and more issues than I could count. So even though Isaiah ended up being as stereotypical as they come, the real letdown was Rachel.

With her personality and her will practically smothered by her family, Rachel grew up into a weak, strange girl prone to panic attacks. Her small rebellion, the street race where she met Isaiah, was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, not a common occurrence like the book description led me to believe. There were so many times I wanted to shake some sense into Rachel, make her stand up to her family instead of cowering and throwing up until her throat was raw and bleeding. Their relationship was at times exaggerated to the point of being ridiculous, which is exactly what McGarry usually does and why her books rarely work for me.

As always, secondary characters were far more interesting, probably because they haven’t been turned into clichés just yet. Abby has a great story to tell, McGarry has hinted at a horrible past that I would normally be excited to explore. My problem is that I don’t trust this author to do it properly, without turning Abby into a textbook teen martyr, a troubled girl only waiting for the right boy to solve all her problems. The next book isn’t Abby’s, however, that dubious honor belongs to Rachel’s brother West.

I’ve decided to part ways with McGarry so many times, only to pick up the newest title as soon as it becomes available. This time, I know better than to make such statements. I don’t feel particularly drawn to West’s story, but once it comes out… who knows?

[Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from Ja čitam, a ti?
Tanja: I have no idea where to start this one, girl. I mean we have been waiting for Isaiah's story for so long. Boy, finally.

Glass: I've been waiting for Isaiah's story... forever. My heart broke for that sweet, tattooed bad boy in the first book, Pushing the Limits.

Tanja: Yes, also I'm so happy that we finally see him more than just a tattooed bad boy. He is so more than that. Remember when in Dare You To, Beth broke his heart? I cried so much for him and here I continued to do so. Basically my heart ached for him throughout all three books. Even though deep down you know he'll find his safe heaven, Katie throw some unexpected twists here. But let's introduce Rachel first. What do you think girl? I always wanted to have a huge family and few older brothers, but now I'm not so sure.

Glass: Me too, but I think it was more that we were delusional that they would be our big, strong protectors and we'd be little princesses. Well, we know better now. To be completely honest with you, I wasn't the biggest fan of Rachel when I first started reading Crash into You - she looked too dramatic for me and not very convincing with whole fragile good girl/cars lover image. I'm still not one hundred percent sold on that idea, but I got to understand her. But, speaking about Beth, I kind of hated her in this book...

Tanja: I wasn't convinced at the start either. But yeah I could understand her, that's for sure. We all want to make our parents happy, I guess. Ah, yes! I wanted to slap her when she started acting like nothing happened. What do you say about Abby, Isaiah's friend? I really liked her and I'd love to see her book too.

Glass: Oh, she is my favorite female character in this book - you know how much I love kick-ass girls. I really hope that Katie McGarry will give us her story too, but I think hers would be the darkest book in the series so far. It looks like she had tough life and that she was forced to do a lot of things she didn't want to.
But let me tell you - Crash into You has the best first kiss scene ever!

Tanja: Oh, hell yes!! It was the hottest and the most innocent first kiss in the world of YA first kisses I've read so far. Even I got goosebumps. I don't think that any kiss after that one was so strong and emotional. But then again we're used to Katie writing emotional and powerful scenes. Did you have any troubles with this book. I've got a few. First one is Rachel's parents. I wanted to slap them both. (and I do respect older people)

Glass: Me too. At first I was most annoyed with her mother, but later her father. Even older brothers had few not very likable moments. My biggest problem with this book is the fact that it reminded me too much of Perfect Chemistry series and lot less of previous books Katie McGarry's novels. All that street/ghetto background of the story wasn't quite believable - it felt little bit "fake". It's not that I didn't loved this book, I just had impression as if I was reading modern fairy tale about princess and stable boy.

Tanja: True that. I loved every emotional aspect of this story but like you said, setting was sometimes off. That's basically the main reason why for me, this book is the weakest in this series. It's still a five star read but Dare You To was more coherent to me. So West's story is next. What are your expectations?

Glass: Honestly, not much. I'm not completely sure how long this series will be interesting to the readers. She already gave us stories of three central characters - everything else is just playing on safe card. I think it is time for her to write something completely different, don't you think? But Tanja, we will read sequel! No matter everything I said. Got it?

Tanja: I totally agree, Somehow I think Katie should move on and give us something new (but after we get Abby's story). You're the boss, girl. Till then we're gonna reread that first kiss scene. *wink*

***Copy of this book provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

[Jess-i-ca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

I absolutely love this series! This was a great addition to it as well. I am married to a car guy so I could relate to many of the car things in this book. I will say I wish Isaiah could so the car work around my house b/c my husband's car is currently in 50 million pieces in our garage since he's taking his sweet time doing stuff to it.



Ok on to the actual book....Rachel is trying to be a perfect replacement daughter/sister for Colleen who died from Leukemia before she was born.



She has panic attacks



and hates speaking in public and also has some puking and crying problems.....(she only got on my nerves a little bit)



but she loves her car and loves to drive



so she decides what better way to be bad than to street race! And that's where she meets Isaiah.



Sparks fly and they fall for each other



and because of the car race they both wind up in a predicament.



but they are teenagers so that's not going to happen....So they work on getting themselves out of the predicament but of course things happen to prevent this from happening. SIDENOTE: If I was Rachel I would have bitch slapped my brothers



Her family finds out about Isaiah and she is banned from seeing him.



Anyways we work our way towards the end of the book to get our HEA and all is right in the world again.

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte care se cere citita! Urmăriri , amenințari, curse de mașini....
Recenzia mea o puteți citi aici :
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[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Pushing the Limits completely rocked my world last year, I promised myself that I would read everything that Katie McGarry publishes, and three books later, I’m not regretting my decision one little bit. Crash Into You finally brings the story of Isaiah – the tattooed, pierced, car-obsessed bad boy that I fell for when I first met him as Noah’s best friend in PTL.

At 17 years old he is a true victim of ‘the system’, he has been moved from foster home to foster home since he was 6 years old, feeling completely unwanted and unloved, and has developed a tough persona to help him survive. After being left broken hearted by the girl he thought he loved, Isaiah is one angry boy, but on the inside, he considers himself broken. But OMG, you’ve gotta love him! Despite his badass exterior, he has a massive heart, is determined to make a good life for himself, and is unwaveringly loyal to those he considers his family.

“Noah and I — we’re brothers despite not sharing blood, and Echo became my sister the day she put a smile on his face. They’re my family and I’m going to fight to keep what’s mine.”

But to have the life he wants, he needs money, and the only way to get it is to do what he does best – race cars. A bit of a legend on the street racing scene, he is all geared up to race one night when ridiculously naïve and innocent Rachel rocks up looking for a race of her own.

Also 17 years old, Rachel leads a very sheltered life. She is rich and privileged, but has a severely effed up family life that has left her shy and frightened with significant anxiety issues. She lives her life to please others, but secretly cars are her passion, and she craves the excitement of racing in order to have something for herself. When she gets in way over her head, good guy Isaiah comes to her rescue, and the two of them find themselves in a situation where their very lives are in danger and they have to work together in order to save themselves.

What follows is a beautifully unfolding love story of two teenagers from completely different backgrounds who are fighting not only to be together, but also to live their lives on their own terms.

Oh Isaiah! How I love you! Instantly drawn to Rachel, he is beautifully protective of her, and incredibly respectful, recognizing that she is not from his world. She’s adorably innocent - good, pure, and trusting, and everything that Isaiah has never had, or thinks that he deserves.

“I’m still not good enough for a girl like her, but she’s back in my life and she needs someone to protect her. I’ll fill the role and absorb as much of her light as I can before she leaves me behind in the darkness.”

I have found that when you have a romantic storyline where one person doesn’t feel worthy of the other, it’s a very fine line between heartache and absolute irritation, but Katie McGarry does it brilliantly. Isaiah’s battle to recover from his heartbreak, realize and accept his feelings for Rachel and then find the strength and the confidence to act on them is absolutely beautiful. He is understandably wary, but isn’t afraid to let his feelings be known, and the way he opens up to Rachel and gives her his heart is absolutely beautiful.

“I don’t want to be without you. I like who I am with you, and I don’t want to go back to who I was before.”
“I love you, Rachel. So this will work. No matter what or who stands in our way.”

“I can’t give you the world, Rachel, but I’ll give you all I got.”

Rachel is an interesting heroine. Her home life is awful, and she has all sorts of issues stemming from that. But she finds that she is different around Isaiah, feeling a connection with him that puts her at ease and gives her the confidence to be the kind of person she’s always wanted to be, and I loved seeing her come out of her shell.

“This isn’t me. None of it. I’m not the girl who hangs in a bar. I’m not the girl who is comfortable talking to guys. And I’m sure not the girl who leans over the table to be close to anyone.
Yet I’m doing all those things and I’m loving every freaking second.”

She does have major confidence issues, and that leads to a few moments of regression that made me want to smack her, but I love that once they start to open up to each other, Isaiah is the kind of guy who is going to let her be stupid, and he manages to set her straight.

And while the overprotectiveness of her four older brothers is stifling (including the hero of the next book in the series, West – another bad boy), it’s clear that they love and care for her deeply, and I really liked her moments with them.

“You don’t kiss boys,” says West. “Boys shouldn’t be anywhere near you. Guys only want one thing, Rach, and it ain’t conversation. I should know.” He waves off the subject in frustration, then shakes his head as he speaks again. “Why are we even talking about this? You aren’t seeing anyone.”
“Ah, hell,” mumbles Jack. “We’re having the sex talk with my baby sister.”
“Is she dating?” Gavin demands of West and Ethan. “She can’t be dating. Now we have to beat the snot out of some horny teenager. You should have told me this was going on.”
“Make them stop,” I whisper to Ethan. Along with the dread of speeches and vomiting, I’m also dying of embarrassment.
“She’s not dating!” West shudders as if spiders cover him. “That’s just sick, Rach. Don’t talk like that. Ever. Again.”

With chapters in alternating POVs, Isaiah and Rachel’s individual stories are really well developed and a little bit heartbreaking. I loved the inclusion of Noah, Echo, Beth, Logan, and even Mrs Collins in the story, and new character Abby is definitely one I hope we’ll see again.

But as usual it’s all about the romance, and this is absolutely gorgeous. Rachel is new to boys, and so she just blindly throws herself out there, which is really refreshing. And Isaiah is so incredibly sweet with her - the little grins whenever he sees her, the linking of their fingers, the sweet way he brushes his fingers over her cheeks and steamy kisses in the backseat of the car. It’s a YA swoon-fest, and I absolutely loved it!

With all of this intertwined with the complex world of street racing, there’s a lot going on. And although I did find this book really long and a little bit slow going at times, there were definitely a few surprises in there and the overall story is a really beautiful one – and I loved getting to see Isaiah finally get his HEA.

“The way she curls in my arms makes me feel like I’m the hero. I like being her hero. I like the way her eyes shine at me, the way her body melts when I touch her, her soft lips on mine. I love her warmth and every curve.
I love her.”

Oh swoon!

Loved it – 4 stars.

[Kassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I please give this book more than 5 stars?!

This is an absolutely take-your-breath-away, tears-streaming-down-your-face, AMAZING read!

I love Isaiah and Rachel so much it's insane. I was captivated by their love and how it made them stronger and overcame all of the struggles in their lives. I completely believed that as long as they had each other, everything would work out. This book got super intense and serious and I just felt so pulled in to the story and couldn't help but keep turning the pages. This is the kind of book that you read and all of a sudden you realize you've read 100 pages and didn't even know it. There is never a slow point!
I feel like their love is real and they are real. I don't want this story to be over!!!
I love the whole car and racing elements, it made it super unique and interesting. Rachel is a very relatable character and I felt like I could relate to her on some levels, and I'm sure many other people can too. I love how Isaiah has a hard exterior, but in reality he has just had a hard life, and wants to be loved. I want to just give him a hug! Both of these characters had to learn what loving someone means, and how to let yourself be loved. Their journey is a beautiful one.
That ending almost killed me though, but I love how it turned out and it just made the story so real. It truly shows the depth of Rachel and Isaiah's love and how pure it is.

Wonderful contemporary read!!

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

Another great addition to the series. I fell in love with Isaiah in the previous books so I was anxious for his story.

Crash Into You is Isaiah and Rachel's story. Rachel comes from a wealthy family, goes to a private school and drives a fancy car. She's



And well Isaiah is NOT.

“I can’t give you the world, Rachel, but I’ll give you all I got.”

But underneath all of that shiny is a broken girl. A girl meant to replace her sister that died of cancer. A girl who suffers from panic attacks. A girl protected abused by her brothers. A girl who wants her family to see the real her. The girl that likes to drive fast and work on cars.

Isaiah sees that girl. Rachel and Isaiah meet under unfortunate circumstances.



Rachel ends up at an illegal drag-race and indebted to Eric. Now Isaiah and Rachel have to come up with $5,000. Isaiah wants to keep things honest. He's trying to make something of himself so he and Rachel legally drag-race to earn the money.

In the process, Rachel and Isaiah fall in love.

“I don’t want to be without you. I like who I am with you, and I don’t want to go back to who I was before.”
“I love you, Rachel. So this will work. No matter what or who stands in our way.”

Rachel and Isaiah come from different worlds. The odds are already stacked against them. Rachel has 4 brothers who are protective to the point of being abusive to Rachel. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to



them in the balls. Damn. And when they stole the money and ratted Rachel out.



I was LIVID!

Now the only way to save themselves from Eric is for Rachel to race. Isaiah wants to protect Rachel. But Rachel is tired of always being protected by her brothers and parents. What happens when Rachel crosses the line? Does she win?

I have to say I was REALLY surprised by the turn of events. I flew through the last half of the book. The last 15% was a real



I really enjoyed this one. My only complaints are the same ones I have with every book in the series....where in the hell was the epilogue?? These books seem to overlap in time and as the series progresses we get to see past characters but I love a good epilogue.

The books in the series are also really long, but honestly this one never dragged and I was never bored.

YA is NOT my genre of choice but I make definite exceptions for Katie McGarry and Colleen Hoover. This series is extremely well written and seems to just keep getting better and better.

And as much as I didn't care for West in this book, I am looking forward to seeing him hopefully redeem himself in the next book.

[Angigames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voglio ringraziare di tutto cuore Katie McGarry, perché svolge il suo lavoro sempre con la massima competenza e professionalità e, soprattutto, è ambasciatrice dello YA/NA puro, quello che amo di più, quello di cui voglio leggere sempre, senza fermarmi mai.
Isaiah è da sempre uno dei miei personaggi preferiti di questa serie, perciò immaginate il mio stato d’animo all’inizio della lettura. Si, avevo paura che la McGarry mi deludesse in qualche modo, e si, non appena voltata l’ultima pagina mi sono vergognata come un cane, per aver anche solo formulato tale ipotesi!
Isaiah, bad boy tatuato e ragazzaccio per definizione, nasconde invece un cuore grande e un grande dolore personale che si trascina da anni. La solitudine, la vita di strada, il passaggio da una famiglia all’altra gli hanno insegnato a non credere più a nulla, ad abbandonare ogni possibile speranza, anche la più piccola. Col cuore ancora spezzato a causa del gatto selvatico-Beth, Isaiah verrà travolto dall’innocenza della piccola Rachel come una palla da demolizione.
Innocenza. E già qui mi si sono drizzati i peli sul collo, perché ammettiamolo, di innocente la maggior parte delle protagoniste YA/NA non ha proprio nulla, solo il faccino all’apparenza pulito. La McGarry mi ha rinsegnato il significato di innocenza in un modo speciale. Non c’è malizia in Rechel, ne esperienza, per lei è tutto nuovo e si comporta proprio come una si potrebbe aspettare da una 17enne sola e con svariati problemi.
La cosa che adoro di più della McGarry è la sua splendida capacità di creare storie con personaggi dotati di un vissuto complesso, profondo, anche pesante, ma determinati a cambiare, a riscattarsi da quel sistema che li ha abbandonati. L’autrice mostra, con una perfetta realtà di fondo, come in tutte le famiglie ci sia qualche scheletro nell’armadio, come il pregiudizio, la maggior parte delle volte, si prende gioco di ognuno di noi e non ci permette di vedere veramente chi si ha di fronte.
Intenso e a tratti poetico, semplice e sempre delicato, questo libro, pagina dopo pagina, ci insegna veramente a confrontarci con nuove realtà, fa riscoprire la bellezza del primo vero amore e dona gioia speranza e tanto batticuore.
Bellissimo!