Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry
Series: Thunder Road #1
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
Source: Publisher [Netgalley]

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Katie McGarry is one of my all time favourite authors. Her 'Pushing the Limits' series is one of my favourites, so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I jumped at the chance to read it early.

Nowhere But Here follows seventeen year old Emily who has the perfect life. Parents that love her, great friends and everything is just perfect. She's curious about her biological father who's in a motorcycle gang, but she doesn't see him often. Until her attendance at a funeral leads to her spending the summer with family she never knew she had. Emily soon discovers that her family are hiding something from her and she turns to Oz - the gorgeous, soon to be member of the Reign of Terror - to help her discover the truth.

The main thing I loved about Nowhere But Here was the family aspect. To begin with, Emily is reluctant to get to know this side of her family and refuses to even speak to them. But I loved getting to see her gradually come out of her shell and grow close to her family - especially her Grandmother. It was lovely to see.

Emily is definitely a tough main character. She's feisty and determined which makes her amazing and she doesn't take shit from anyone. I loved her.

Oz is sexy and mysterious. He clearly knows about Emily's past, but he refuses to tell her out of respect for her father. He's a decent and lovely guy who really helps Emily.

I adored the romance between Emily and Oz. Oz was the only person Emily felt comfortable around and a strong bond formed between them. Oz helped bring Emily out of her shell and it was very clear they both had feelings for each other which Emily's (biological) father wasn't going to be too happy about.

I loved the portrayal of motorcycle gangs in Nowhere But Here. Generally when you think about them, you think about a group of outlaws riding motorbikes going around stealing and shooting people. But that's not Reign of Terror. They're a legit club that earns money the legal way. They offer protection to people bringing in expensive and extremely sought after products to ensure they aren't stolen. McGarry definitely did her research well!

The twist at the end of Nowhere But Here was EXTREMELY unexpected. I honestly may have gasped when I read it because it was such a shock, but it added so much to the story and I understood why Emily's past was such a secret.

Overall, Nowhere But Here was a fantastic beginning to McGarry's new series. I can't wait to read Walk the Edge to find out more about Razor! Definitely recommend!

Showcase Sunday #100

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea. This meme allows book bloggers to show off the books they collected over the last week!

Hello everyone! This week has been a pretty great week for me. Back in March, I took a blogging breaking because I was stressing about finding a new job due to the lack of hours I was getting at the library. 3 months later, and I finally have a new job! I applied for a Modern Apprenticeship at Thomas Cook back in April and I had an interview on Wednesday. The apprenticeship basically consisted of working for 2 years and also studying to get a travel qualification before getting a full time job, and I was happy to do that. But, they phoned me back yesterday and said that I'd scored extremely highly during both of the interviews (telephone and face to face) that they wanted to offer me a full time position straight away, which I accepted! I'm super excited because this is my first full time job and I'll actually have a steady wage! And I can start planning to move out and planning my wedding!

Anyways, since I got a new job I decided to treat myself to some new books which led to me spending about £35 in Watersones and £6 in WHSmith. Oops. I also bought a couple of kindle books; got a couple of books from Netgalley; a book from Edelweiss and a book for review from an author.

Bought

• physical

The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher

How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle & Sarah Mlynowski

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

• kindle

Fear No Evil by Debbie Johnson

Moonlight on Nightingale Way (On Dublin Street #6) by Samantha Young

Netgalley

Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott

Thanks to Pan Macmillan!

Edelweiss

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens

Thanks to Harper Teen!

Review

Pippa's Cornish Dream by Debbie Johnson

The lovely Debbie contacted me during the week about reviewing her newest book, and since I enjoyed Cold Feet at Christmas, I decided 'Why not?' since Pippa also sounds hilarious! Thank you Debbie!

What books did you get this week?

All That Glitters by Holly Smale

All That Glitters by Holly Smale
Series: Geek Girl #4
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: February 26th 2015
Source: Publisher [Netgalley]

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”

The fourth book in the award-winning GEEK GIRL series.

Harriet Manners has high hopes for the new school year: she’s a Sixth Former now, and things are going to be different. But with Nat busy falling in love at college and Toby preoccupied with a Top Secret project, Harriet soon discovers that’s not necessarily a good thing…

Harriet Manners is back in another hilarious installment in the Geek Girl series!

Harriet is going into Sixth Form and everything is going to be different this year because her best friend Nat is starting college and her stalker Toby has found something else to occupy his time, so Harriet is basically on her own. 

I was slightly heartbroken beginning All That Glitters because of everything that had happened with Nick and Harriet in the previous book, but I was clinging onto hope for dear life throughout the whole book. But the main thing I completely adored about this book was getting to see Harriet develop as a character. As she was on her own, Harriet became a very strong main character. She's grown into her geeky self and she's proud of it, but I just loved how amazing she was in All That Glitters. She really started to come out of her shell and even ventured into making some new friends.

There was a slight bit of romance in this one with the introduction of a new love interest - Jasper. Jasper is intriguing and I honestly had no idea how to take him to begin with. He's snarky and brings Harriet back down to Earth - which is good. I did really like Jasper, but I think Lion Boy will always have my heart.

All That Glitters is by far my favourite book of the series (so far)! It was hilarious and I loved getting to see Harriet develop on her own. It was a brilliant follow up and I can't wait for the next book!

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Series: Summer #1
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date: September 10th 2010
Source: Audible

Belly was ecstatic when Conrad, the son of her mom's best friend and the boy she'd loved for years, finally kissed her. But when Conrad's mom dies, he withdraws from everyone and eventually disappears completely. Not sure where to start looking, Belly and Conrad's brother Jeremiah figure Conrad's college is a good place to start—but they soon learn he's actually at the family beach house.

When Belly and Jeremiah find Conrad, they realize he wasn't running away—he'd come to keep the house from being sold. Belly's romantic feelings for Conrad begin to resurface even as she's growing closer to Jeremiah, and as emotions run high, it's unclear if things will ever go back to normal—especially when a real estate agent shows up.

It's Not Summer Without You is the follow up to The Summer I Turned Pretty. The Fisher's boys mother has died and Conrad withdraws from everything. Jeremiah phones Belly to tell her Conrad has disappeared and asks if she'll help find him. So Belly and Jeremiah head off to Conrad's college but soon realise that Conrad has headed to the summer house. Conrad ran away to the summer house to try to prevent his father from selling it. It was the one place his mother loved and Conrad can't bear to part with it. He tries to protect Jeremiah from finding out.

Belly is still pretty immature, but I really like her. She's just a normal teenager with normal teenage worries. Belly has been in love with Conrad for as long as she can remember, but Conrad broke her heart and Belly is determined to get over him. I wasn't a huge fan of her attitude towards her mother. Her mother is grieving too and sometimes Belly came across extremely spoiled.

Jeremiah is the light-hearted Fisher brother. He's always laughing and joking, and always has a smile on his face. Jeremiah is extremely sweet and I loved getting a few chapters from his POV in this one.

Conrad is complicated. He keeps his feelings bottled up and doesn't really talk about them much. He's always looking out for Jeremiah even if it seems like he isn't.

It's Not Summer Without You revolves around the three of them trying to find a way to prevent the summer house from being sold; trying to get Conrad back to college and Belly trying to get over Conrad. 

It was a fantastic follow up to The Summer I Turned Pretty and I'm loving listening to this series on audio. Jessica Almasy is a fantastic narrator and she definitely hooks me into the story. I'm moving straight onto We'll Always Have Summer because I'm intrigued by the sneak peek into Belly's adult life that was at the end of It's Not Summer Without You, and I'm dying to know which Fisher boy she ends up with.

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

The Cage by Megan Shepherd
Series: The Cage #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
Source: Publisher [Edelweiss]

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

As soon as I heard the synopsis for The Cage I was instantly intrigued. Teenagers that have been taken from Earth and put into some kind of Alien zoo where they're being monitored? Yes, please!

The Cage started off pretty good. It follows Cora and four other teenagers (Nok, Lucky, Leon and Rolf) who wake up in an extremely strange place with different kinds of environments like deserts, jungles, tundra, etc. They have to work together to complete the challenges in each environment to earn tokens, but that's got it's own problems. When Cassian - their alien caretakers - appears, Cora starts to develop feelings for him that cause even more problems for her.

The plot wasn't great. I was intrigued to begin with because the premise was interesting and I really wanted to know why the five of them had been taken, but it started to get boring. The plot became extremely predictable and it became so easy to see what the next twist was going to be. But, that being said, The Cage did have some pretty good twist that I didn't expect. And the rules that the teenagers had to live by caused a few arguments and fights. I can't remember them exactly, but they were basically: 1. Solve the puzzles in the different environments 2. Stay healthy and lastly, 3. Reproduce. Obviously the reproduction rule caused the most problems because I think (if I remember correctly) they only had 21 days to do it.

I also wasn't a major fan of any of the characters. Cora was determined to find a way out of the prison and get back to Earth, but honestly, she didn't really do much other than air her thoughts for most of the book. She was kind of a boring main character. Lucky was obsessed with Cora because he was involved in something in her past and he's trying to find a way to tell her and make up for it. Leon is the macho man of the group and he lives up to that. He flies of the handle very easily and ends up spending his time alone. Rolf and Nox were both really forgettable. I don't remember much about them at all.

The romance that developed between Cora and Cassian was... weird. Extremely weird. It was basically a case of Stockholm Syndrome. His species had kidnapped her and she fell in love with one of them. I just didn't get it. It never felt like there was actually anything between them. I wasn't a fan. 

The ending did provide a good twist however that has definitely left me intrigued about how the next book is going to go.

Overall, The Cage was an entertaining read but the plot was predictable and I didn't find any of the characters likeable. The twists kept me interested and I may pick up the next book.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Series: A Darker Shade of Magic #1
Publisher: Titan Books
Publication Date: February 27th 2015
Source: Bought

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.

An epic fantasy involving multiple London's, captivating characters and dangerous magic that kept me reading into the early hours of the morning. The story and the world were both enchanting and I couldn't wait to find out more about the characters and each of the different version of London.

Kell is a mysterious character. I was unsure of what to think of him to begin with. Kell is a Traveler which means he can travel through special doors to different Londons. He keeps trinkets from other London's - which is against the law - but he can't help himself. He's an intriguing and powerful character. Rhy is the spoiled Prince of Red London and Kell's adoptive brother. Rhy tries to get Kell to indulge his wants, but Kell doesn't give into him. Holland is very mysterious, dark and powerful. He could also be extremely creepy and scary. But everything Holland does is against his will. He's been bound and he must serve his masters. Lila is impulsive and reckless She doesn't think about anything before she acts which gets her into a bit of bother. She wants something more from life and she's determined to get it.

Magic took over Black London like a plague so all of the other worlds sealed their walls to prevent the plague from spreading and destroying everything. All trinkets found from Black London were destroyed - or so they thought. Red London is the powerful London where blood runs through the city in the form of a river. Grey London is basically normal. All magic has disappeared. In White London, magic is scarce, so people are always fighting over the little power that remains. Black London has been destroyed as far as anyone knows. No one has returned since they sealed their worlds.

Kell and Holland are Antari and are the only people that can travel between worlds. They travel to bring messages from the rulers of each world, but they aren't supposed to bring anything back with them. Kell can't help himself and he has become a trader and a collector. A woman asks him to bring a message to her only living relative in Grey London, but Kell soon finds out he's been tricked and he's in possession of a stone from Black London with immense power. Kell knows he needs to get rid of it, but he's robbed by a young girl while he's weak. He tracks her down and that's how Lila and Kell meet properly. After an encounter with Holland where he tortured Lila and tried to hurt Kell for the stone, Kell and Lila team up to travel to Black London to get rid of it.

I got completely drawn in by the world Schwab created in A Darker Shade of Magic. I wanted to know more about each of the Londons - especially Black London - and more about the mysterious, intriguing characters. 

A Darker Shade of Magic was a fantastic beginning to what is probably going to be an amazing series, and after the ending, I'm definitely intrigued to see where A Gathering of Shadows is going to pick up. The synopsis for the next book is making me desperate to have it in my hands.

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Series: Legend #2
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: January 29th 2013
Source: Bought

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.  

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

Prodigy picks up right after Legend. June and Day have escaped to Las Vegas and trying to find the Patriots to get them to help them. Day is injured, and just as they're about to give up, Kaede finds them and brings them to The Patriots. The Elector Primo has died and his son, Anden, takes his place. The Patriots make a deal with Day and June, they'll help them get Day's brother if they help assassinate the new Elector Primo.

Razor isn't what he seems and June has her suspicions about him. June also isn't entirely sure that Anden is like his father and she believes that he genuinely wants to change everything. After spending time with Anden, she realises that she can't go through with the assassination because she believes in Anden.

June is a very strong character and she sticks to her guns. She's got great instincts and knows when something isn't right.

Day is determined to get his brother back that he's willing to do anything, even becoming the poster boy for The Patriots and committing murder (which he's supposedly against).

The romance in this one wasn't as bad as it was in Legend. June and Day had been through so much, but I still wasn't entirely feeling it. And then there was Tess. URGH TESS. Enough already! She's super jealous of June because she's in love with Day and she wants him for herself. It also becomes apparent that Anden has feelings for June which leaves June very confused.

June botches the assassination attempt and her and Day escape to the Colonies where they find out that there's a hell of a lot more going on than they both realised. We find out a bit more about the Colonies and it turns out that they're not as perfect as Day's always imagined. June finally realises why she had a bad feeling about Razor and his assassination plan and she's determined to do whatever she can to stop him and save Anden.

The action in Prodigy was pretty good and I found myself flying through the book because I just couldn't stop reading. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen.

Prodigy was a fantastic follow up to Legend and I'm going to be moving straight onto Champion because I can't wait to see how this series ends.