Katie McGarry

The sheltered daughter of a motorcycle club leader falls unexpectedly in love with a blue-eyed youth who aspires to join the club by protecting her from vindictive rivals. Simultaneous eBook.

Nowhere But Here

The long awaited all new series from the #1 bestselling author of Pushing the Limits Emily likes her life the way it is... Doting parents, great friends, good school... But she's curious about her biological father - the one who chose life on the road over being a parent. When a reluctant visit to him turns into an extended summer, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, the dangerous boy who can help her understand her family's deepest secrets. When Emily's father asks Oz to keep her safe, Oz knows it's his chance to prove himself. What he doesn't count on is Emily turning his world upside down. And Oz is everything Emily isn't supposed to want... but sometimes the road you fear is the one that leads you home.Praise for Katie McGarry 'The love story of the year' - Teen Now on Pushing the Limits 'A real page-turner' - Mizz on Pushing the Limits 'A romance with a difference' -- Bliss on Pushing the Limits.

Sven Test

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights ReviewsThis was my first read of the year and it was a huge success!! I loved it! I have to admit that I wasn't planning on ever reading this book because the whole concept of the motorcycle business and the forbidden love portrayed in the blurb plus the length of the book put me off completely. I haven't ever read a book by this author so I didn't think I was missing out. Why did no one tell me I was beyond wrong?! I was hooked from the beginning and in no time I had reached 34%, then 76%. It blew me away.

I didn't really had expectations for this story but I did expected lots of violence since the description kind of makes it sound that way, at least to me. It was so much more than that. The motorcycle club, Reign of Terror, was more of a family than anything. Their integration in the story, blood-related and not, was such an important thing that added so much more. I loved all of the characters. Olivia, who's Emily's grandmother was the best. She was amazing, everyone respected her and she was such a strong woman that in my eyes, she was bad ass. In a way, she kept the club grounded. My emotions were going on a roller coaster ride since at times I would be smiling and having fun and then all of a sudden BAM, I would be a mess.

The club is a brotherhood, a family. It means belonging to something bigger than yourself.

Emily and Oz's relationship was rocky at the beginning due to trust issues coming from Emily's part, which is understandable since her mom led her to believe something her whole life and she's now starting to see it was all a lie. Still, she refuses to believe her mom would lie to her so she keeps her distance from the club, especially Oz and her father. But once she started to let her guard down, their romance was fun and cute and beautiful and I was so rooting for them!!

I will her to look away, but she doesn’t and I’m secretly proud the girl won’t back down. I hate this connection. I crave this connection. She’s continually messing with my head.

Another character I loved was Emily's father, Eli. You could really see he was trying to prove to his daughter he hadn't abandoned her, that all the decisions he made were for her safety. I'm glad Emily got to see that as the story progressed and ultimately see her relationship with her father grow.

The ending surprised me. I was shocked by the plot twist I did not see coming and then something happened that had me on the verge of tears and I couldn't deal with life!

Love the other people in your lives as if this was your last day because you never know if it is.

Overall, this book was brilliant, emotional and fun. As I had mentioned above, I hadn't picked this book up because it is super long! I was very intimated by it but I flew through this book. In a blink of an eye, I was already halfway through and deeply enjoying it! It was the perfect read to kick off 2016!

There are places I want to take her. A million ways I long to worship her body, but we have time and Emily is a forever type of girl.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews

Lila Harrison

Ella Zegarra

4.6

Reseña Completa: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

La publicidad del libro dice que Nowhere But Here es la unión entre Sons of Anarchy y West Side Story. Lástima que no vi ni la serie ni la película. Pero sé quién es Charlie Hunnam y este gatito ha visto cuanto gif set o vídeos interesantes de Hunnam en la serie. ¿Emocionada por la historia a pesar de no haber visto ninguno de los shows? Obvio que sí, Katie McGarry sabe entretener muy bien.

Al principio pensé que la historia entre Oz y Emily se desarrollaría de manera diferente, esperaba un libro típico (chico-malo, chica-buena, drama, amor, final) pero hay algo en la forma en que Katie trata sus historias que me hacen sentir que estoy leyendo algo completamente nuevo y no debo dejar de leer. Y es que McGarry tiene un gran cuidado en los personajes secundarios, no son solo ruido de fondo hechos para que nuestros protagonistas consigan el amor y uno como lector tenga un par de horas de lectura simple.

Y a veces tener personajes secundarios encantadores tiene su lado positivo porque esperas que le den su libro. Pero también puede tener un lado malo, como cuando te encariñas con ellos por lo perfectos de sus defectos y luego llegas a enterarte que tienen más drama en sus vidas que los protagonistas mismos.

Y, también, no creo haber sido capaz de leer un libro sobre los padres de Emily. ¿Has leído algún libro de Madeline Sheehan? Quizá no tan dramático y oscuro como sus libros pero sin duda el pasado de estos señores es algo en lo que no quiero pensar. ¿Por qué? Porque, cuando lees un libro con romance, y llega el final feliz, cierras el libro y vives con la certeza que ellos son felices para siempre. En la vida real no pasa eso, no hay un fin y corrida de créditos. Exactamente eso hace Katie McGarry en sus libros ¡hace que te des cuenta de la realidad! ¡Y la realidad no es bonita!

MI ÚNICO PROBLEMA

¿viste que le puse 4 de 5 estrellas? Mi problema es uno que no puedo decir porque es un mega spoiler :D El horror, la verdad. Voy a tratar de explicarlo lo menos spoileador posible, si lees el libro, quizá me entiendas.

Mi único problema es una combinación entre la falta de comunicación que vemos en Romeo y Julieta más una especie de doble moral. Ya te confundí, ya lo sé. Lo que pasa es que lo que se aplica para algunos de los personajes de Nowhere But Here, ese especie de duda/redención, ni siquiera se piensa para otros de los personajes, los cuáles en mi opinión como sí la merecían. Todo eso hizo un poco gracioso lo que nos llevó al final, fue tan shakesperiano (si existe la palabra y se me deja usarla a pesar de no tener autoridad para hacerlo).

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Becky

I wasn't sure if I should give this book a 5 star rating but then I think how much I enjoyed reading it and how addictive the story i was and i know why I did.

ashley hopkins

IN A NUTSHELL
I was a bit weary of picking up Nowhere but Here because of the motorcycle gang aspect, but it's Katie McGarry and if there's one thing I know it's that her books always take me on an emotional ride no matter what the subject. I shouldn't have doubted that I would love this one just as much as her Pushing the Limit series. This is supposedly a new adult/ya book which I can see. Most of the characters are a bit older, and some of the themes are a bit more, but there's nothing raunchy about it. The motorcycle gang club was one part I actually enjoyed learning about.

SETTING
The story mainly took place in a small town called Snowflake, a town that most everyone wanted out of, and few stayed. The town is known for being home to a Motorcycle Group called The Reign of Terror, and as the people of the town would have you believe they are big, bad, and scary. Little towns can be very judgmental if they don't understand something, and the people of Snowflake don't understand the Reign of Terror. This is why TRoT keep mostly to themselves. We spend about 95% of the time in this bubble that they have created: The cabin, the clubhouse, trailer of Oz's, but in this time we learn that they are family...blood or not they stick up for each other.

CHARACTERS
You've heard the term info dump well I'm going to say we had a slight character dump. Sometimes to many characters is a bad thing, but I enjoyed getting to know all the characters in Nowhere but here. I think it took me a bit before I warmed up to any of them because they seemed to hold back so much, but once they warmed up and opened up to each other that's when I fell in love. The story is so much more than these macho guys in a biker club.

We meet Oz who at the beginning is not yet patched into the club and who becomes the official babysitter of Eli's daughter which could really ruin his plans to become part of the group. I loved getting to know OZ on the outside he has this shell, but inside he is gooey. His love for his "family" is strong, and we find this out when things start to happen at the end. I really didn't feel much for him at the beginning of the book because I spoiled myself to Razor (I read his story first) I eventually grew to love him though. I think he's the bad-ass biker of the younger adults.
Emily is the long lost (okay well she's not really lost) daughter of the groups main guy. When her mom thinks that the grandmother that Emily never knew passed she decides they'll go to the funeral and when they arrive in Snowflake they find that not everything is as it seems. Emily is torn between learning who her dad and these people he calls family are, and hurting her dad and moms feeling I think. She ends up spending a few weeks with them, and in the process develops feelings for a certain bad ass biker dude. -coughs- OZ -coughs I had fun watching Emily go from this shy girl who didn't know her real dad or his family to this girl who's brave enough to follow clue from an old woman and ends up in a bad predicament. 



END
The semi-ending had a plot twist that maybe some people will figure out, but I for one didn't. I think it definitely adds to the drama of the book.
Happy endings always (most always) make the book that much better, and I will say that even though this happy ending may not look it I believe it is.
If you get a chance read Walk the Edge which is the 2nd book in the series. It's Razor story and I guarantee you'll love it more than this one. 
QUOTES
Here's the condensed version--cap it before you tap it. (page 42)

Our fears are what stifle us and we're only scared of what we don't understand. (page 168)

I want you to discover your biological family, but I'm your dad and you're my little girl. Always. (page 169)

I may not understand a lot about all of this craziness, but I understand that Olivia loves you like you're related to her. Like she never had a choice in loving you, but my dad did. He could have taken one look at me and decided he wanted nothing to do with a woman who had a child. He had a choice and there isn't a day I don't think God that he chose not only mom, but me. (page 261)

Can't or won't? That is a fucked-up question because it means the same thing. No, it doesn't. One means you can help but you're refusing to. The other means you would love to help, but you don't have the ability to. (page 275)

Do you remember how I said I didn't know if I liked you?
Yeah? I glance down because shyness overwhelms me. I like you.
Hey Emily. I force my gaze to his and when I do, he performs another heart stopping brush of his fingers across my leg and the world fades away except for the two of us. I like you, too. ((page 295)

Oz kisses the top of my head. Go to sleep. I'll stay up and chase your monsters away. (page 360)

What do you say, Emily? Will you come back to Snowflake this fall and jump with me into some leaves? (page 384)

Technically, by blood, I'm more gangster than you. The utter tease in her voice causes me to sweep an arm around her and roll her onto the blanket.(page 478)

What you've experienced is love. I know love when I see it. It's how I look at Cyrus. It's how Eli looks at Emily and Meg. It's what you to share whenever you look at each other. (page 481)

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible 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 into 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.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

laura

I really enjoyed this book and loved the character of O.z. It took me a long time to grow to understand Emily character and that is why it was harder for em to get through this book. I really grew to like Emily. This book was the first in a new series by this author and it was a good read. It dealt with topics like cancer and complex family relationships and what makes a family. Great read!

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads.


I'm terrible at deciding which books on my (massive) TBR pile need the most love. I also tend to fail at picking up books from my TBR when I have so many early review copies to choose from. I've taken steps towards changing that this year and I've been really happy to discover some real gems. Earlier this month, I asked for my readers to pick my TBR book for June from a list of three. Even though I wanted to read Nowhere But Here, it probably wasn't my first choice from the list, if I'm being honest. I am glad, however, I put it up to a vote. I ended up really enjoying this book. 

I look at the hardcover version of this book and get a little twitchy because of the size of it. (I mean, nearly 500 pages, y'all.) It's been a long time since I read a book this long. That was one of the biggest reasons I'd not picked this one off my shelf sooner. I'm not a slow reader by any stretch of the imagination, but I still find myself intimidated by books this long. The other thing that kept me from jumping into this book sooner was the motorcycle club thing. Now, I'm used to Kristen Ashley's *very adult* MC romance. It was tough for me to imagine how in the world a YA book could possibly work. I'm happy to say I was just flat out dead wrong about that. It worked... really well. 

This book did start out a little slow for me. I'm not gonna lie about that. But it wasn't a bad thing. I never felt like giving up on the book, even though it did take me an entire week to read. (But that wasn't all the fault of the book. It was a crazy week.) I loved reading along as Emily learning about this whole new part of her background. It was easy to put myself in her shoes and experience everything right along with her. How do you handle finding out a major part of your life has been a lie? Do you open yourself up to these new people who have entered your life? Do you hide your head and try to keep things the way they always were? Do you seek answers? I don't envy Emily for having to make those choices, but I was pretty happy overall with how she handled everything. 

Oz was just wonderful. If it didn't feel a little creepy calling a kid his age a "book boyfriend" I would say he's a new one of mine. He was dealing with his own issues in this book and the very last thing he wanted – at first anyhow – was to be responsible for the "princess" Emily in any way. He was waiting to get patched into Reign of Terror, something he'd wanted his whole life. He was planning his future with the club and in general and Emily was probably the one thing that could get in the way. 

I loved how Emily and Oz's relationship progressed. From disdain to understanding to friendship to love, we witnessed it all. It happened naturally and it felt real. This wasn't instalove or anything close. Because of Oz's charge to watch over her, they learned about each other and feelings changed. I loved that it wasn't rushed. They played off each other so well. Their feelings for each other were obvious and they were definitely responsible in some way for the other's growth during this book. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, however, but I'm not going to get into all that. Some things are better left experienced for yourself.

There was a lot going on in this book, but it flowed together really well. Emily's journey of self-discovery meshed well with Oz's. Emily was learning about herself and her family at the same time. She was letting knew people into her world and realizing she was part of a bigger community that was unlike any she ever knew before. Then of course, you had all the situations dealing directly with the MC. I knew the members of Reign of Terror were keeping secrets and, despite trying to figure out what was going on for myself, I didn't get it until it basically slapped me in the face. I like being surprised. It doesn't happen all that often. 

I really enjoyed Nowhere But Here. There was an interesting cast of characters introduced and I'm excited to see more from them as I continue on with the series. This book was the total package. I got sweet romance and age group appropriate relations, a hint of action and suspense and more than a few feels. I couldn't ask for more!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

FAVORITE QUOTES

  "There's more to life than our home and Florida. More to life than me, your mom and the friends you've made there. The world is a huge place. How will you know where you fit in unless you explore beyond your comfort zone?"

"I like how you challenge me. I like how I can never figure out what you're going to do or say. I like how we've thrown weird shit in your direction and you take it like a pro."

Love the other people in your lives as if this was your last day because you never know if it is.

The long awaited all new series from the #1 bestselling author of Pushing the Limits Emily likes her life the way it is...

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, Book 1)

Celia Adams

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Every Katie McGarry book is amazing, and yeah, the plot lines occasionally feel a bit recycled, but this latest release is awesome. A classic good girl/ bad boy tale in the world of bikers and gangs, with some parental and personal drama on the side. McGarry never fails to develop interesting and unique characters for each story, whose tales pull you in as a reader and keep you invested in their personal happy. I'm rather bummed I'll have to wait for the sequel, but the world of Thunder Road is proving itself to be worth waiting for.

Nikki Fowler 

Definitely worth the read. I'm currently too tired atm to fully process that ending. sorry

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Talk about a book hangover. DAMMMMMMM! I’ve got it BAD!

I’ve loved Katie McGarry’s writing since the first book I read. The Pushing the Limits Series is one of my favorites. I’ve read them all, except for Take Me On, (which I have patiently waiting on my Kindle) and every single one of them has impressed me. This is an author that can have you smiling one minute, then BAM! tears galore the next. It’s always an intense experience when reading one of her books. I’m beyond excited about this new series of hers. And to be honest, I didn’t realize Nowhere But Here was going to be a series. I thought it was a standalone, and I was a little worried about that since I often find myself falling for her characters and wanting more. So when I saw this was a series and that the next book, Walk the Edge was going to be about Razor, let’s just say I was EXTREMELY happy. :)

Time for a little honesty. With this book nearing 500 pages I thought for sure I would end up putting it down halfway through. (For those of you who don’t already know, I’m not very good with long books. Once we hit the 350 page mark I usually lose interest.) The fact that I stuck with this and never once thought about the length means something. It was THAT good.

“I will her to look away, but she doesn’t and I’m secretly proud the girl won’t back down. I hate this connection. I crave this connection. She’s continually messing with my head.”

The relationship between Emily and Oz was torturous. They fought it as much as they could. For many reasons, they shouldn’t be together. The most important of those reasons would be their families. Their relationship could ruin Oz’s chance of becoming part of the club, which was his only dream in life. It was his entire future. And all of a sudden these feelings for Emily were interfering with it. I simply adored their friendship, and I loved the sexual tension between the two. As with all of Katie McGarry’s couples, it’s nearly impossible not to route for them. Entire different people, yet so good together.

“This is your family … If you learn to love us then you will forever have our love in return.”

I loved the emphasis on family in this book. From Emily’s parents (mother, adoptive father and biological father) down to Oz, his family, and the club, which was a family in and of itself, these characters had such a strong protectiveness for each other, especially when it came to one of them being in any type of danger. Olivia, who had raised Oz as a child, was one of my very favorite characters. So strong-headed, even despite her struggles. Such a powerful person to have as a part of their lives.

I also have to acknowledge the amount of knowledge Katie McGarry has of the motorcycle club lifestyle. I did see at the end of the book there was a note from the author that said how she spent a lot of time with a club to learn the ins and outs, and it really shows. Though I wasn’t directly involved with a motorcycle club, I was around one quite a bit a few years back, and I have to say her depiction was extremely accurate. Yes, every club is different… but the research and effort she put into getting her facts straight for this story are extremely apparent and should be commended.

This is one of my very favorite books so far of 2015, and that’s saying a lot because I’ve had great luck so far this year with fantastic books. (I’m not shy about giving 5 stars when a book really floors me… and this book deserves the ENTIRE 5 stars, plus a little extra. <3) It's a book I will continue to recommend to anyone who will listen to me. As with all of Katie's books that I've read so far, Nowhere But Here will keep your attention, have you routing for the characters, and will shock you with its fair share of smiles, gasps, and even tears. This is a book you don’t want to miss!

(Thanks to Harlequin TEEN for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Claudia 

Mini review 🌷
•
Nowhere but Here by Katie McGarry
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
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This was such a fun quick read...I read it within 2 days. Fun and flirty with plenty of family drama and young love 💔 
•
Love a good motorcycle club romance.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

I absolutely LOVE Katie McGarry and her Pushing the Limits series – she writes YA contemporary romance like no other (plus, her bad boys are oh so wonderful), so of course I had to get my hands on Nowhere But Here, the first book in her new series! And can I just tell you how much I squealed when I heard the new series would be about MCs!? I’m a big fan of MCs and I was definitely looking forward to Katie McGarry’s take on them. While I may not have loved Nowhere But Here as much as her Pushing the Limits series, it’s definitely an absorbing, fast-paced, intriguing read. It’s darker and edgier than her previous books, which I liked. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to, but I was hooked onto the storyline.

Emily is a seventeen-year-old girl who likes her life as it is – simple and uncomplicated. She lives a good life with her mom and adopted father, but an email from her biological father turns her world upside down. She now has to confront her biological father’s motorcycle club and discover the secrets of her parents’ past, which may not be true to what she was told.

The club is a brotherhood, a family. It means belonging to something bigger than yourself.

Eli, Emily’s father, is one of the leaders of the Reign of Terror MC. Emily has always had a negative view of the Reign of Terror based on what her mother’s told her, but while spending time with the MC, she discovers that it’s not as thug-like and dangerous as she thought. At its heart, the Reign of Terror is a family, and Oz, one of the MC’s prospects, goes a long way in teaching her that. However, even though the club isn’t doing anything bad or illegal, other MCs do, and the Reign of Terror will do whatever it takes to protect their own, which includes Emily.

Oz is tasked by Eli to protect Emily, and they have less-than-stellar first impressions of one another. They don’t think highly of each other, but circumstances bring them together and they slowly chip away at each other’s defenses and get to know one another better. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t connect with either Oz or Emily – I liked them well enough, but I didn’t grow to love their characters. That being said, I really enjoyed the way their romance developed. It’s the slow and steady kind of love, and I liked that it grew genuinely.

“I like how you smile and how you laugh. I like how you love and defend your family and I like how you’re trying to love mine. I fucking love how you trust. But mostly, Emily, I like how I feel when I’m around you.”

I could tell how much effort and thought Katie McGarry put in writing this novel. It’s fast-paced, and yet there are so many intricate parts to the plot that it could have been confusing at times, but impressively wasn’t. My favorite part of the book was Emily and Oz’s character development and how they were able to open their hearts and minds to each other. And I really enjoyed how much the Reign of Terror grew to care for Emily and vice versa.

Who knew that I could fall in love with so many people in such a short period of time?

Nowhere But Here is a promising start to the Thunder Road series. It’s told in both Emily and Oz’s POVs, and I liked getting to know them and their story. I didn’t quite love it as much I wanted to, but that certainly doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoyed it – it was still an addicting read that had me finishing in one sitting. I’m very much looking forward to the next book, Razor’s story!

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/104vqsL
Amazon Hardcover: http://amzn.to/1uBJWoc

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