Take Me On (Pushing The Limits: Book Four)
Written by Katie McGarry
Published June 1st 2014
464 Pages
Thank you to Harlequin Australia
Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.
West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her, fighting for her, is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.
Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.
Haley has never been more down for the count than she is now. Her family is homeless after her father having lost his job, and after living in shelters, she finds herself under her Uncle's rule. She carries the weight of her family on her shoulders, juggling school, a part time job and running errands for her mother, something her broken father can no longer do. But Haley once had an existence outside of what her life has been reduced to, simply surviving. Training at her Grandfather's gym and competing at a national level had always given Haley a sense of confidence and control, until former boyfriend Matt took that choice from her. She hasn't returned to training, despite the pressure from her her brother and cousin, Kaden and Jax.
West has been expelled from school for fighting, yet again. Each day he struggles to battle his own demons, blaming himself for what happened to his sister Rachel as she lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. His mother waits by her bedside and his father is always too busy for his family, leaving West lonelier than he's ever been. He may want for nothing, that's what being a Young is all about, the richest family in the area. But when a frightened girl runs out in front of his car that night, his life will never be the same again.
It isn't long before West finds himself living out of his car, after a disagreement with his father, and attempts to continue his education at the public high school, which Rachel attends. He sees her constantly looking over her shoulder, and comes to the defense of the girl who makes him want to become a better person.In a show of temper and heroics, West has agreed to fight in a mixed martial arts caged match, again none other than her former boyfriend, who is aggressive and knows how to fight. It's time Haley got back in the ring, and trains West to not only fight for his pride, but to survive.
She said she's never fall for another fighter, but can West win her over?
I've always been a fan of Katie McGarry and her Pushing The Limits series, and Take Me on is no different. I really enjoy that she can take similar characters throughout the series, throw them into a new scenario, but you're guaranteed it'll result in an ending to warm your heart. They're dependable, and that's now what I expect from Katie McGarry's releases. West was a character I hadn't expected to be given his own story, and I really hadn't expected to like West, considering in Crash Into You his involvement in Rachel's accident may have been indirect, but his actions contributed to he hospital bed she now lies in. But West surprised me, I may not have fallen in love with his character, but with Haley's help, he does redeem himself.
She said she's never fall for another fighter, but can West win her over?
My Thoughts
I've always been a fan of Katie McGarry and her Pushing The Limits series, and Take Me on is no different. I really enjoy that she can take similar characters throughout the series, throw them into a new scenario, but you're guaranteed it'll result in an ending to warm your heart. They're dependable, and that's now what I expect from Katie McGarry's releases. West was a character I hadn't expected to be given his own story, and I really hadn't expected to like West, considering in Crash Into You his involvement in Rachel's accident may have been indirect, but his actions contributed to he hospital bed she now lies in. But West surprised me, I may not have fallen in love with his character, but with Haley's help, he does redeem himself.
The star of the book is Haley. I felt an incredible amount of sympathy towards her and what her family endures each day. But she's still a teen, and the responsibility and expectations her entire family places upon her is not only unfair, but incredibly sad. Her Uncle's offer of a roof over their heads comes with conditions, not only were the family forced to give him their car, but he expects everyone to be home by curfew, which changes nightly. He's verbally abusive, and yet no one in Haley's family will protect her, or face being on the streets again. But she never complains, she carries on with her head down and trudges through life the best she can.
I loved seeing the reappearance of Abby, and I'm calling for that girl to have her story told as well. She reminds me of a quirky John Green character, that sells drugs. Of course most reader won't condole what Abby does to make ends meet, but the girl has a story to tell that might just be the most intense yet. There were a few twists to the Take Me On storyline that surprised me, which gave West a personality boost.I also enjoyed how the storyline was also an indirect continuation of the previous book, which allows readers to also follow Rachel's story of her accident and survival.
Overall, it's another Katie McGarry winner, if you enjoyed her previous books, you'll love this one.
Overall, it's another Katie McGarry winner, if you enjoyed her previous books, you'll love this one.
Ommmgggg! I REALLY WANT TO READ THIS! When I first heard about it, I was planning to stop everything and read it as soon as it came out. But sadly, I still haven't gotten around to it. I really can't wait to meet Haley and West! Awesome review Kelly! :D
ReplyDeleteIf you loved the previous books in the series, you'll really enjoy this one too. It was very Karate Kid meets Rocky, but I really enjoyed it. I'm campaigning for Abby to get her own book, she needs her story told. Can't wait to see what you think of it.
DeleteI love Katie McGarry and can't wait to read this one, although I still have to read Crash Into You! Hopefully I can read both of them soon. Great review, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYESYESYES! ABBY NEEDS HER OWN STORY! I like how you mentioned Katie McGarry can take similar characters, give them their own background story and we still love them! Usually I don't like authors who only write the same types of characters, but Katie manages to do it perfectly! I'm so glad you loved this Kelly! Let's hope Abby will get her story next :)
ReplyDelete*lands perfectly* I'll take a chance and read this one, too. I stopped at book 2 because Beth's story was MEH. But hopefully, I get to enjoy the other ones. Katie McGarry does know how to warm a heart! *jets off*
ReplyDeleteHmmm I'm still unconvinced about Katie McGarry's stories, all her characters sound virtually the same and they are really gritty and not the sort of people I would ship I guess. Glad you enjoyed it though!
ReplyDeleteYES! I'm not keen on the first two books in the series, but Crash Into You and Take Me On have definitely stolen my heart.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, I was totally confused with West's character. I couldn't pull away from the bad boy brother in Rachel's perspective. Like, I can swoon over Isaiah, but I just can't over West because I still see him in a brotherly way... ;S Awkward.
So I agree, Haley was the star and I loved reading about her!
I'm hoping for either Abby or Kaden for the next book. Abby is so interesting and mysterious, so I'd love to learn more about her. While Kaden is mister quiet and currently uninteresting, so I think something that would shed some light on him would be great!