Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits

Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Source: Received from publisher at ALA MW 2014
Rating: 5 Stars
Add to Goodreads
Buy the Book

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

So wrong for each other …and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

My Review:

What is wrong with me? Why do I wait so long to read these books that all of you lovely people swear by? I am an idiot. Katie McGarry is a boss. She is amazing and after reading this book, is now officially an auto-buy author.

I LOVED this book. From page one, Katie McGarry managed to somehow make me fall in love with each and every one of these characters. They weren’t just characters to me. They were people that leapt off the pages of this book and into my heart. They were so real to me. Mad skills.

Echo can’t remember the night that left her with scars on her arms. She gets a new therapist, Mrs. Collins, to try and help her work through her emotional trauma. Enter Noah freaking Hutchins, a foster kid who has issues of his own and is also working with Mrs. Collins. The two get thrown together via tutoring and even though they are from completely different social circles at school, they find that they can’t stay away from each other.

I’m going to start with Echo. Echo Emerson is so beautifully and perfectly flawed. She has obviously been through a lot, so to a certain extent you can understand her losing it a little. But she also has faults of her own. I loved watching Echo come to the realization that she could be wrong about stuff too. I loved watching her work through her issues. Her relationship with both her mom and her dad just broke my heart. I was so happy that she worked so hard to repair one of those relationships.

And now we can talk about Noah freaking Hutchins. Oh. My. God. *drools* He’s officially in my top 5 book boyfriends. I can’t explain to you guys the level of love I have for this guy. He tries to act all tough and badass, but the truth is, he’s a total softie. Especially when it comes to those adorable brothers of his. Noah lost his parents in a fire and his brothers are in a separate foster home than him. Due to certain events, he only gets limited time with them and always under supervision. The love that Noah had for his brothers is what really melted my heart. I cried at several points in this book just because of this relationship and the tough choices that Noah had to make regarding them. He was such a good brother.

The swoon and the heat. I was fanning myself several times reading this book. Katie McGarry knows how to bring the heat and the steam. Oh and I literally squealed out loud during that first kiss moment. This relationship was so well developed. It progressed slowly, yet still fast. I know, that doesn’t make any sense. It just felt like such a realistic high school relationship. But not in that lame way. God, I’m not making any sense. It was just perfect okay?

And just a quick special mention of Mrs. Collins. This lady is so awesome. You can tell from the start that she really truly cares about her patients. Mrs. Collins pushes both Noah and Echo, making them work to reach their goals. I loved that they could both count on her for anything. She was amazing.

If you’re an idiot like me and still haven’t read this book, drop everything and get reading. I promise that you will a). not regret it and b). kick yourself for not reading it sooner. I mean, you have to meet Noah freaking Hutchins!! This guy is HOT. But the story is just so good. One full of character and relationship development. I can’t wait to read the companion novels!  

Have you guys read this yet? Of course you have. I was the last person on the face of the Earth to read it. Let's swoon over Noah Hutchins together!!