Review: Take Me On (Pushing The Limits #4) by Katie McGarry

Title: Take Me On (Pushing The Limits #4)

Author: Katie McGarry
Published: 24 June 2014 by HarlequinTEEN Australia
Source: HarlequinTEEN Australia via Netgalley
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:

Yet another read-in-a-sitting book from Katie McGarry. I flew through this book, gobbling up the story and the characters easily. Yet again Katie has given us real characters and a gritty real life story line, all the while linking it back to characters we have both met before and grown to love.

West is the brother of Rachel, whom we met in Crash into You. At the beginning of Take me On, West is just as arrogant as we remember him in Crash Into you but also plagued by guilt over Rachel's accident and just as affected by his family dynamics as Rachel had been. Haley's world has been crushed, her family have been made homeless and are living with a tyrant of an uncle and she is estranged emotionally from her family and the sport that she loves through trying to protect them.

What I love about Ms McGarry's characters, is that they are all very real and face very real problems. There is always an authentic feel to the characters which draws you in and makes you care what happens to them and want the best for them. These characters are no different. From the beginning I loved the chemistry between West and Haley. Right from the beginning it was there, and it only grew as they got to know each other better. I also loved the way both West and Haley developed throughout the story with Haley learning its not always selfish to do what is right for oneself and for West, discovering the who he actually was and the man he wanted to become.

The story itself is incredibly tight and keeps you in it from beginning to end. The authentic feel I mentioned before, also applies to the story in that it flows from beginning to end delivering and ending that's both different and satisfying.

We also got to revisit a few characters from earlier books, and see some more of their stories which lent itself to the main story without over shadowing it. There was a perfect balance of new and old to make this book attractive more so as part of the series but also as a stand alone.

I am so glad that Ms McGarry is continuing this series, in this world   I don't normally read a lot of contemporary YA, but this is a series i will come back to, over and over again.  I thoroughly recommend this book and this series.

I give this novel 4 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

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.