Crash Into You

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*4.5 Star rating

"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."

I've been trying to write this review for going on a week now, but I'm still having a bit of trouble forming my thoughts into actual, coherent words and sentences. To tell you the truth, I think I'm still kind of shell-shocked. I've always known that Isaiah was my favorite secondary character, but he's never really been built upon like he was in this one. He never really had a chance to shine... but in this one, my God he shines.

My first impression of Isaiah was what stayed with me. I loved the fact that he had tattoos, and that they really show more meant something to him. I loved that he stood out & stood up for what he believed in. To tell you the truth, I'm pretty much in love with him. Give me a bad boy who has tattoos and earrings... I'm pretty much always gonna love them. What made Isaiah really stand out, though, was that he was a bad guy. He's had a rough time at it, that's for sure, but he still wants to do what's right.

And for him, he thought that was staying away from Rachel; and not "tainting" her with his bad-boyness. She's a good girl, he says. And yeah, she is. I really liked Rachel. She was so innocent and weirdly shy, but the entire dynamic that Isaiah and Rachel had going on between them was magic. Plus, she gets cars. *applause* I'm so proud to find another (although decidedly fictional) girl who likes cars! I'm personally a little bit obsessed with them, so it's always nice to "meet" someone else who is. Also, this quote from her kind of couldn't be truer for me.

"I get cars. I like the feel of them. The sound of them."

The character development for both Isaiah & Rachel was phenomenal. I felt like they really got to know each other before they jumped into a relationship, and that kind of made the book for me. They were so cute & sweet together, as well as being incredibly intense and crazy together. A weird combination, but I think it was the best ever.

I enjoyed the cameo appearances of Beth & Noah, but I kind of felt like [since the story was all about Isaiah] they kind of skipped out for most of it. Also, Noah can be a bit of a jerk. *threatens Noah for being mean to Isaiah* Their familiarity was great, though. I guess that's what gives him a licence to be a jerk. ;) On that note, though, I also enjoyed the introduction of a new secondary character, Abby. She played a very important part. :P

Last but not least, I really enjoyed the drama in this one. The races were a wonderful touch, and the added bits with Eric were pretty much amazing. I loved the action & the suspense. I also loved the possibility of future books that comes from the end of this one - so many characters that need love!

All in all, Crash Into You was amazing. Dare You to may have let me down a little, but this one redeemed the whole series in my eyes. Definitely a keeper. show less

NOTE: I received the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my goodness! Katie McGarry is one of my favorite YA contemporary authors, and no wonder! All her books so far have left me drained of emotions, or overflowing with them, or simply stunned beyond belief. It's rare to stumble upon such incredible stories - well told, well written, with amazing realistic characters - and I'm glad I was given the chance to review them. The tough romance gives me a high I don't find every day. The background stories make everything more realistic, and the secondary characters compliment the action to perfection.

All that said, I want to gush out my feelings. Starting with Pushing the Limits, I've fallen in love with every single show more character pair that Katie introduced. I was amazed at how those imperfect characters were matched to fit each other perfectly. How their stories entwined their lives in the most suitable way. I'm sure Echo wouldn't have survived the madness in her life had not Noah given her a reason to. Nor would have Beth given her trust over to Ryan if he hadn't shown her his love.

But I was a little unsure of Isaiah. I truly wondered how this tattooed bad boy would ever find someone to trust him enough. To love him enough. To give him everything. To push him to do better without changing him. Because Isaiah was only tough on the outside, and was mush on the inside. He suffered a lot when Beth turned him down and I didn't want to see him suffer because of someone else again.

At first I was suspicious of Rachel. I didn't know her, had never met her. But it was soon that I realized she was a toughie too. Just the right kind of girl for a boy like Isaiah. She talked cars as much as he did, and he was pleasantly surprised. I knew from the beginning that something was wrong with her, but I didn't exactly know what. I knew nothing was perfect in her life. Everyone wanted something from her, giving nothing back. I knew everybody expected her to be someone else, who she clearly wasn't. Rachel was selfless, caring and loving but it took too much from her. And being the toughie she was, she didn't share her weaknesses with anyone.

The ending almost broke my heart, I was crushed and tearful. I won't say more, but you must know that this is an emotional roller coaster that you would want to experience. show less

Wow. Hot, emotional and powerful. That is my immediate reaction to Crash Into You.
Of course we know of Isaiah, but we really get to know him and what makes him tick in this book. He is more layered and deep than I suspected. We go into his world of cars, debt, streetracing and the impossible of falling in love as well as him facing some other unexpected characters.
We also get to meet Rachel, who is a perfect blend of fragile and strong. She has to put on a face to keep her mom and family happy as well as harboring a huge secret. Well, several, actually, Isaiah being one, and something to do with her health being another. She finds a place and meets a few people where she can actually be herself, not the Rachel that she has pretended show more to be for the world. So it is hard for me when she has to go back under the veil of secrecy when she is at home. But her relationship with her brothers is layered, and I know there is love there, but also it has a lot of protectiveness, a dash of selfishness because they just want her to put on the face to make their mom happy. And the twin connection with her and Ethan was neat to have, although I do think that there could have been more there. Watching Rachel grow, learn to stand up for herself and actually explore her passions was a great journey to watch as her character learned and blossomed under the love and support of Isaiah.
But could secrets and one guy that seems bent on their failure ruin it all? Well, we find out in this one, and as you know, Katie McGarry doesn't make it easy on them. They see their share of problems, obstacles and even danger that threatens to tear them apart and test their young love.
I loved the scenes where they were falling for each other. They were intense and they have a chemistry that left me with a shiver and a smile.
As far as side characters, we get to see Noah, Echo, Beth and Ryan but it is from a new vantage point. We really get to see the hurt that Isaiah feels from Beth, and I kept hoping they could patch it up and just be friends because of all their past, they should have each other's backs and glad to see the other happy. We also get to know Logan better, and I am hoping that one day he might get his own story. We know that Rachel's brother West is next, but the person whose book I REALLY want to see and will beg for is the side character of Abby. She is so tough and I want to know what has led her to the choices she is making. I know that I already love her because of how she befriends Rachel, but I want more from her.
I liked where it ended their story, with that promise of hope and expectations yet to meet, but with the main plots of this story wrapped up.

Bottom Line: Intense look at a character I already loved and more that worked their way into my heart. show less

Crash Into You was the last book I read in 2013. I am SO glad this was my last book of the year! Crash Into You was THE BEST contemporary romance I read in 2013.

When Isaiah meets Rachel, all he sees is an attractive, rich, good girl. Nothing he could ever deserve. What he doesn’t know is that Rachel is flawed. Rachel is nothing like what she seems, but thankfully she knows how to hide it. When a drag race goes wrong, Isaiah and Rachel must rely on each other to be safe, but when relying on each other uncovers a strong attraction towards each other, how much are they willing to risk for their own safety?

When I first went into this book, I initially thought Katie McGarry couldn’t possibly write a better story than Pushing the Limits. show more I had liked Dare You To, but hadn’t loved it like I loved Pushing the Limits. So my expectations weren’t that high. But, oh boy. Crash Into You totally reminded me of why I fell in love with this series in the first place! It was so perfect!

Rachel and Isaiah definitely top my list of best couples of 2013. The way they both connected with each other, the way they could rely on each other, how they could see each other perfectly, it made you really believe in their love.

I think Isaiah was the character that most intrigued me in the Pushing the Limits books. I’ve got to say that Isaiah is my favorite book boyfriend in this series. He’s tough and scary on the outside, but you can really see that he’s not really like that. He knows what he has to do to be respected, so he sticks true to that. Isaiah’s issues were so serious! I could actually feel myself as burdened and overwhelmed as he was. I could feel his vulnerability as raw as if it were my own. Isaiah’s character was definitely done perfectly. When he actually opened up and let us know how he truly felt… Jesus. I wanted to hug him forever. It should be wrong to fall so in love with a fictional character, but alas, I never learn.

Rachel was such a different story. On the outside her life looks so perfect. Perfect family, perfect life. But that’s not the case. She has 4 older brothers who are way too overprotective, a mom and dad that can’t seem to accept her for who she really is, and she’s hiding a secret. Rachel’s family dynamic was so oppressing! Again, I felt like I could totally be in her shoes. Her problem felt so real to me, not totally overdramatic, very easily relatable.

The way the romance in this book progressed was so cute! I couldn’t help but grin and fangirl every time something happened between them. It was difficult to ignore how perfect they were for each other.

I also loved the Drag Racing element! I didn’t think it would be too present in the story, but it turns that it was the most important element! I didn’t understand most of it because I suck at anything car-related, but it was definitely interesting!

I could keep gushing about this book because I loved it so much, but I’ll just end my review with this: a wonderful romance that definitely tops all the previous Pushing the Limits books. A romance that you don’t want to miss. show less

I maybe should have waited a while and not written this review right away, because the emotions floating around in my head right now are really overwhelming. But, I had to get it out, so that I could read some more.

I never felt more invested in a set of characters in a series than I have in these novels. The author writes in a way that makes you feel like these people are your best friends, and everything that happens to them affects you, permeates your whole life. The sequences of events are so beautifully tragic.

In this one, we meet Rachel, who finally breaks Beth's hold on Isaiah's heart and frees him to feel things he never thought he would be able to feel. The hardened bad boy thug really does have a heart of gold, if only he can show more let himself realize that.

I feel like I have been run through the ringer, so to speak and my emotions are worn and raw. I loved every minute of every page I read, and yet I feel like I have been beaten, battered and broken. At this point, I am a junkie addicted to these characters and I cannot wait to read more. I am excited to begin reading Take Me On, and then even more excited to hear that there is another book about Noah and Echo coming in the not too distant future!

I was delighted to see some of the other characters from earlier books and even more excited to meet so many new friends. I cannot wait for the next installment. show less

I maybe should have waited a while and not written this review right away, because the emotions floating around in my head right now are really overwhelming. But, I had to get it out, so that I could read some more.

I never felt more invested in a set of characters in a series than I have in these novels. The author writes in a way that makes you feel like these people are your best friends, and everything that happens to them affects you, permeates your whole life. The sequences of events are so beautifully tragic.

In this one, we meet Rachel, who finally breaks Beth's hold on Isaiah's heart and frees him to feel things he never thought he would be able to feel. The hardened bad boy thug really does have a heart of gold, if only he can show more let himself realize that.

I feel like I have been run through the ringer, so to speak and my emotions are worn and raw. I loved every minute of every page I read, and yet I feel like I have been beaten, battered and broken. At this point, I am a junkie addicted to these characters and I cannot wait to read more. I am excited to begin reading Take Me On, and then even more excited to hear that there is another book about Noah and Echo coming in the not too distant future!

I was delighted to see some of the other characters from earlier books and even more excited to meet so many new friends. I cannot wait for the next installment. show less

I loved, loved, loved Crash into You! As soon as I started reading I was hooked. I found myself wanting to spend the whole day reading, and I jumped at every chance to sneak off, ignore my responsibilities, and immerse myself into Isaiah’s and Rachel’s story.

For those who have read the first in the series, Pushing the Limits, you may have been rooting for Beth and Isaiah to get together. Well, it was never meant to be as *spoilers for those new to the series* Beth found her own dream guy in Dare You To. So, Beth and Isaiah shippers, will you be happy with this new girl Isaiah has found? I think you will!

The characters are always superb in McGarry’s novels. Rachel Young was an awesome main character, although her family had a lot show more of problems. The older sister died and Rachel constantly feels pressurized to be exactly like her to please the mom. Rachel’s panic attacks doesn’t help anything either. Speaking of Rachel’s family, I suggest you pay close attention to the brothers, especially West! Not only is he a fun and full of attitude, West also has a whole book about him coming out in 2014!

The romance is amazing. I loved the connection between Isaiah and Rachel even more than Noah and Echo! When you see the conversations the two have, you can tell they were meant for each other! Even though both characters lead completely different lives, they have this love for cars that initially drew them into one another, and then you see how they have a lot of fun together just hanging out.

For anyone interested in car racing, this might be a pretty good book for you. I must confess I never had much interest (at all) in car racing. And, while I still have zero interest, McGarry made the scenes fun to read and carefully researched. Also, there is a lot of suspense over Rachel and Isaiah getting Eric, king of the streets, his money after one race turns into a disaster. The book revolves around this plot, and I really loved it; the plot kept me on my toes. We also get a good look at Abby, who is Rachel’s self-appointed BFF. Let me just say, you will enjoy every scene she is in!

Overall, this book was such fun! Crash Into You is my favorite McGarry book to date... and I really loved Pushing the Limits, so that’s saying something!

4.5/5 Stars

*I received a copy of this book from HarlequinTEEN in exchange for an honest review* show less