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Book Review: “Nowhere But Here” by Katie McGarry




*I received this book from Harlequin Teen for a fair and unbiased review!*

Title: Nowhere But Here

Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary Romance
Published: May 26th 2015 by Harlequin Teen


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 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 and will always be one of my favourite authors of all time. No matter what genre, characters or plot, something between her writing and my brain just click. So when I heard about a new series called Thunder Road and the first novel being Nowhere But Here, I was already anticipating finding the next best thing on my shelf.

Emily, our main character, loves her life. Her perfectly normal life. She has friends and family who love her—well, except her biological father who chose the life of being a member of Reign of Terror, the motorcycle club—and it hasn’t phased her since. That’s until she witnesses the club for herself and the danger that their world is consumed with, and her life gets changed forever. Even though she’s conflicted about meeting relatives she hasn’t before, when she meets a mysterious boy who’s sworn to protect her, suddenly her priorities are differed. 
Oz wants to be a member of Reign of Terror for more than one reason. They’re a close knit group, like a family. He knows they’re the good guys in a town full of not-so-good ones. So when he gets a chance to prove to Emily’s biological father that he can protect her from a rival club, he jumps at it. But what he didn’t expect was to fall head over heels for the protected girl. 
With a fast-paced, explosive and engrossing plot, I was sucked in from the start. Katie wrote an epic whirlwind romance with passionate and lively characters that are standing up there with the likes of Echo and Noah. I loved getting into this new world of exciting themes that will cascade into the next novel (that I CAN’T wait to read!).
Overall, Nowhere But Here is a novel you can’t miss. If you’re a fan of Katie McGarry, or you haven’t read anything from her yet—this is going to be your next favourite YA book. 5 Stars completely through and through. Katie never fails to write another book that I don’t fall in love with.

YA Readers and extended to NA readers, alike.

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.
Have you read Nowhere But Here?

What are your thoughts?

Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs 


happy reading!

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Book Review: “Always Emily” by Michaela MacColl

Title: Always Emily

Author: Michaela MacColl
Genre: Young Adult – Historical Fiction / Mystery
Release Date: April 8th, 2014
Published by: Chronicle Books


I received this from Chronicle in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. 


Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. 
This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. 
First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.
Historical fiction, particularly YA is fairly new to me. I’m usually a Contemporary girl, or steadfast Paranormal fan, but recently the historical elements have been weaving themselves into my reading habits. I’m sure almost everyone has heard of the Brontë sisters in one way or another and even though this is the first time I was actually learning more about them, I was excited to get some classic fiction into my library. 

Charlotte and Emily couldn’t be more different, and that is definitely clear from the start. But one thing that is undeniably clear is how they became so known for their name and place in history.
A true romantic and hard-working girl, Charlotte is always thinking straight and toward her planned future. She follows the traditions and rules and aside from her love of writing, romance plays a huge part in her story, but the thing she wants the most was for Emily to feel at home at the Academy as she does. But Emily is different, she craves a wild adventure, seeks freedom and doesn’t want to be tied down to anyone or thing. She had a wandering mind and spirit that couldn’t be contained in any space or time. It’s no surprise she loved writing like her sister, but that was probably their only similarity personality or hobby wise. 
Charlotte wants Emily to be more observant and conventional to the times, but Emily wasn’t one to follow the rules. I could definitely see why the sisters are loved and how inspiring the scenes in their hometown conjured up their love for writing, especially on the moors that inspired some of their works.
Mysteries always hook my attention and Always Emily lived up to my love of them. I found myself turning page after page as the anticipation grew with the telling of the story. Adventure-seeking Emily and traditional-bound Charlotte are spun into the secrets and enigma, building to a novel that any Brontë fan will adore as they work together to piece the pieces of a mystery together. This was my first time reading about anything Brontë, and I’m definitely going to do more research and reading into the sisters that made a massive name in Literature and our novel-loving hearts. 



The climax of any mystery is always my favourite part. When all the details come together to have made the story possible just gives me that book-buzz.



Brontë fans of course, and Historical Fiction lovers will eat this up. And not to sound cover-obsessed, but it is gorgeous! By far one of the most beautiful I’ve read.


Have you read Always Emily?

What did you think? 

Tell me in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!

happy reading!
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