Review: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Nowhere But Here

Author: Katie McGarry

Series: Thunder Road

Pages: 496

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release date: 26 May 2015

Amazon

Synopsis (Goodreads)

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.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I am a huge Katie McGarry supporter and have loved everything I have read by her to date but I’m not a big fan of reading about bikie clubs/gangs so I wasn’t sure how I would like this one. Nowhere But Here is the first book in her new series, Thunder Road.

Our MC is seventeen year-old Emily who lives in Florida with her mother and adoptive father Jeff; she is content with her life just as it is  - a good student, no plans to move away from home and a yearly visit from her biological father Eli and her life is good but it is turned more or less upside down when she finds out her biological grandmother, Eli’s mother has died and she needs to return to Kentucky to attend the funeral. Emily was a sassy character, she has fears and doubts but she came across as strong and resilient; she’d make a great best friend.

When she arrives in Kentucky, things aren’t as expected; her life is shrouded in secrecy, she has no idea if what she has been bought up to believe is true and no one seems to be forthright with providing answers, it was frustrating trying to work out what was going on and what had happened in the past for Emily’s mum to never want to return and for her father to be so keen to play a role in her life considering he had forfeited all rights when he signed adoption papers.

Ordered to protect Emily whilst she is in Kentucky due to a possible threat against her with a rival bikie club is Oz, who is from a family devoted to the Reign of Terror bike group – his sole purpose is to become an official member and will do anything to achieve his goal. I really liked Oz, he was protective, smexy and intelligent; I liked the way he handled situations, I loved his dedication.

I enjoyed the strong sense of family and friendship in this book, reading about the club wasn’t what I had expected; you could see how much research the author had put into it and I found myself enjoying the hierarchy and how things worked. I wasn’t always in agreeance with how certain situations were handled but it was believable to the story. The secondary characters were each wonderful and I was intrigued by a few who I hope will get their own books.

You can’t fault Katie McGarry’s writing, I was hooked from the very first page; her characters are true to life and the storyline is engaging and keeps you entertained and flipping the pages. Nowhere But Here is a great start to the Thunder Road series.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review Nowhere But Here.

About the author: 

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.