Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

Top 10 Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish, but is currently hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors.

Interestingly enough, there are no 100% auto-buy authors for me. I have authors that I've read all of their published books and would certainly check out anything else they publish in the future. But I have certain topics that are just off limits. So *shrugs* this is as close as I get to an auto-buy list. I've done this topic in the past and it was interesting to go back and see which authors have fallen off my top ten list and which have remained. Here's my list from 2015 and 2013.

1. Colleen Hoover - So I've been a CoHort from way back when. Slammed was my first read by her when it was available on NetGalley. I've loved all of her books and have read each and every one of them.
2. Kasie West - I've read all of her published books. And since her content has always been clean I can pretty much guarantee that unless my reading tastes drastically change I'll always count Kasie West as an auto-buy author.
3. Mary E Pearson - I still have Mary E Pearson's earliest releases to read, but since the Remnant Chronicles I at least want to check out everything else she decides to do.
4. Sarah J Maas - Confession: I don't actually own any of her books although I've read all but Kingdom of Ash (cutting my eyes at you Holly). I've just borrowed them all from Holly. But all of her books are good enough to own, and certainly good enough to make this list. I can see where she might one day venture into territory that I'm not up for, but I'll always look into her books.
5. Amy Harmon - There are quite a few that Amy Harmon has written that I still haven't read, but all of the ones by her that I have read have been really good. I'm skeptical of What the Wind Knows because it is about time travel, and I don't usually enjoy that subject.
6. Katie McGarry - I've read all of Katie McGarry's books and haven't found one that I didn't like. Will definitely continue to check her books out in the future.
7. KA Tucker - Another author that I've read all of her releases. Wait no. I take that back. She has some very early releases that I haven't read even though I own the first one. I need to get around to that one soon.
8. Robin LaFevers - I always hesitate to add authors to lists like this when I've only read a few of their books or only one series because a different series could be vastly different. But I think I can trust her writing to be good.
9. Kristi Ann Hunter - Christian Historical Fiction - You can't go wrong. Well...maybe you could, but Kristi Ann Hunter has never led me astray. Probably an actual auto-buy author for me.
10. Jenn Bennett - Ok so Jenn Bennett is a tricky one. I've loved everything I've read from her, and I certainly want to read more of her books. However, I do know that she can trickle into subject matter that I'm not a fan of, and one of her books hasn't gotten the best reviews. So...we'll see.

Which authors are on your auto-buy List? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Only a Breath Apart

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Only a Breath Apart

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: January 22nd 2019 by Tor Teen

368 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people's opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?

Jesse Jameson is in line to inherit the land that's been in his family for generations--there's just one catch: to prove his maturity, he has to win the approval of his former best friend, Scarlett Copeland, and her father. But when Jesse finds out that Scarlett's father is abusing her, he must decide what truly matters most: his family's land or helping the girl he's fallen in love with.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Say You'll Remember Me - Review

Say You'll Remember Me

By: Katie McGarry

Publication: January 30th 2018 by Harlequin Teen

400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library (Birthday present from Husband)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

First thing I need to address is that I'm not sure how the title fits for this one. If I'm missing something obvious, someone please let me know.

Say You'll Remember Me had a lot going on. Hendrix was convincted and went to jail for a crime he didn't commit. This begs the question "who did." Ellison's dad is the governor who created the program that helped Hendrix turn his life around. Ellison and Hendrix are both pawns...players on the board to serve a purpose yet have very little power. They're both on the campaign trail as shiny objects to be looked at as long as they play their role as written. Hendrix doesn't mind his role because he feels indebted to the governor. But Ellison... Her role includes being changed into someone else. She feels like she needs to change in order to earn her parents' approval, and she just never quite measures up to who they want her to be.

I find that I usually connect to the male lead pretty easily and this wasn't any different for me with Say You'll Remember Me. We learn quickly that Hendrix didn't commit the crime he went to juvie for so I immediately respected yet felt sympathy for him. Both of his parents are MIA--his mom a drug addict and his dad in a band off in the world making music. One thing Hendrix fears...becoming his dad. And that was the exact path he was headed down before the Second Chance program pointed him in a different direction. He's scared to trust his own judgment.

Unlike the leading males, sometimes I find myself struggling with the female lead. I didn't really feel this way about Ellison. She was easy to like even when I wanted her to stand up for herself a bit more. As a once teenage, I cheered Ellison in her rebelliousness to remain herself. I don't mean characteristics she might need to work on like a quick temper or a smart mouth, but things like her hair and eye color. I felt hurt for her that her parents wanted to change her so dramatically to appeal to the public just to support the campaign. I did really like how Elle handled herself in several situations. She didn't seem to have a retaliatory attitude which I appreciated.

From a plot standpoint I did hope that Ellison's faith in her father's character would be worthy. The public's role in this story was realistic and sad. I was torn on reading them because the portrayal was correct, but I get so annoyed with it in real life that seeing it in fiction wasn't much fun. Events ended up getting a bit dramatic there towards the end even if not unpredictable. I didn't foresee every detail, but I wasn't surprised by any of the "twists" exactly either.

I liked the side characters: Axel, Marcus, Holliday, and others. Their backstories and motivations all felt realistic and I was connected to each on an emotional level.

Favorite quotes:

-How can I forgive someone who won't admit guilt? How can I forgive when I don't know who to forgive?

-Find something graceful.

-"Sometimes there isn't a best choice. Sometimes we're given two bad choices."

-"I'm sorry." "It's not your fault." "No, but someone should be sorry."

-"Have you not figured it out? This country doesn't want heroes. Not when it so thoroughly enjoys kicking a villain."

Say You'll Remember Me was consistent with what I've come to expect from Katie McGarry. Characters I can easily root for and connect to on an emotional level, a story that does have some drama to it, and everything wrapped up in the end. Plus a love story that always gives me the warm and fuzzies. Say You'll Remember Me gets 4 Stars. Have you read Say You'll Remember Me? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Say You'll Remember Me

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Say You'll Remember Me

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: January 30th 2018 by Harlequin Teen

400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

I mean, it's Katie McGarry...what else is there to know? What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Long Way Home - Review

Long Way Home (Thunder Road, # 3)

By: Katie McGarry

Published: January 31st 2017 by Harlequin Teen

448 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

I read the first chapter of Long Way Home at the end of my copy of Walk the Edge. Obviously, Chevy and Violet have been secondary characters in the prior two books in this series, and their backstory has been set up all throughout the series. And then the publisher released a sampler (the first 60ish pages) on NetGalley. I didn't realize that it was a sampler until I downloaded it to my kindle. It was such a disappointment that it wasn't the full book, but since that 60ish pages ended at such a crucial part I decided to go ahead and preorder my copy. And I'm glad that I did. Katie McGarry is one of those authors that I can count on to be really consistent with her writing and characters.

I wasn't sure I was going to love Chevy and Violet. More Violet really. She was really angry with the club, with Chevy, in general after her father died. And she was kind of mean to Chevy when it was obvious that he only cared about her. Plus Violet's angry with the club for not treating her like one of the guys at times. I mean it's not like she wants to join the club, but she does want to be clued in to whatever information may pertain to her. And while I can respect that, I just got sick of her whining about not being treated how she wanted to be treated because she was a girl. If you've read the prior two books, you know that even Oz and Razor weren't getting all the answers they wanted and they were both guys. So I could understand Violet's point of view while also being a little annoyed with her issues at the same time.

Chevy was easy to like. He wants nothing more than to love Violet, but he knows how she feels about the club. Yet they are his family. I mean beyond friends that feel like family. They actually are his blood family. Yet even his mom isn't excited about him joining the MC. Chevy is being pulled in all different directions in this book, and I appreciated all that he was up against. I especially love the tie in with Isaiah from Katie's Pushing the Limits series. I want more more more information about this.

Katie McGarry does a good job or making the reader question the motives and intentions of the club with each book. You'd think that having been through two prior books where we find out that the Terror has nothing but good intentions for the characters they consider family that the MC would be beyond questioning, but with each book there's plenty to create doubt.

I also get so attached to Katie's side characters. Pigpen and Addison are both ones that I want more from. I hope she explores both of their stories in the future.

Favorite quotes:

-"I've got you, Violet. I swear to God I've got you."

-"The words out of your mouth aren't the only things she hears."

-"I'm secure in who I am and other people's definitions don't define me."

I do have to say that even though I enjoyed Long Way Home and read it quickly, this is not my favorite of Katie McGarry's books or even my favorite of the series. I want more of the side characters, and that's one of the best signs that I look for in a good series. Even without this being my favorite Katie McGarry book, Long Way Home gets 4 Stars. Have you read Long Way Home? What did you think? Let me know!

Top Ten Books/Authors I've Read in 24 Hours

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books/Authors I've Read in 24 Hours excluding novellas.

1. Colleen Hoover - November 9, Confess, Ugly Love, Slammed, & Point of Retreat
2. Jennifer Anne Davis - The Key & Red
3. Amy Harmon - Making Faces, The Law of Moses, & The Bird and the Sword
4. Kasie West - On the Fence & The Fill-In Boyfriend
5. Katie McGarry - Pushing the Limits, Dare You To, Take Me On, Walk the Edge
6. Unraveling You/Raveling You by Jessica Sorensen
7. To All the Boys I've Loved Before/PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han
8. Faking Normal by Courtney C Stevens
9. Easy by Tammara Webber
10. Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

Which books/authors have you read in one sitting? Let me know!

Cover Reveal/Waiting on Long Road Home

Being released on January 31^st, 2017, the highly anticipated third book in Katie McGarry's Thunder Road Series has a cover that we can't wait to share with you! LONG WAY HOME is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance being published by Harlequin Teen! Pre-order your copy of the next book in this emotionally charged series, and don't miss Violet and Chevy's story!

Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

"An intoxicating and unforgettable story that kept me glued to the page."

—Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author, on Walk the Edge

 

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

 

LONG WAY HOME Pre-Order Links:

Amazon | Kobo | BAM | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | IndieBound

   

And Don’t Miss the First Two Titles in the Thunder Road Series!

NOWHERE BUT HERE

WALK THE EDGE

 

Katie McGarry Bio:

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, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.      

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

   

Walk the Edge - Review

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: March 29th 2016 by Harlequin TEEN

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

After reading Nowhere But Here, I was so excited to read Razor's story. I mean the quiet, brooding guys are always so much fun to delve into. That being said, I wasn't let down at all.

Razor is all about the Reign of Terror MC. He's just about as die hard as they come. However, when someone offers him potential proof that the club has been keeping some secrets from him he begins to wonder whether they deserve his loyalty or not. Razor has always been a little bit of a loose cannon so this knowledge can really cause some waves with him and the club.

Breanna is the middle child out of nine. She's used to being ignored, looked over, and not fitting in. She doesn't fit into the older group of her siblings, and she doesn't fit into the younger group either. Her mind works in a unique way that causes her to keep quiet in school so as to not draw attention and ridicule.

When Breanna's family forgets to pick her up from a school event one day, Razor steps in to see if she needs any help. The two begin a friendship. Only a compromising picture that looks like more than it is causes them to depend on each other and their relationship begins to get deeper.

Katie McGarry has several storylines and pieces all coming to play here. It's almost impossible to figure everything out, but there were a few things that were obvious or easily guessed. I did love how Katie McGarry touches on some topics like social media, online bullying, blackmail, and various other topics in a way that displays their dangers without really feeling like she was preaching a message against these things.

One of my favorite aspects of Walk the Edge was when Razor and Breanna have a fight. Everything is going well and good and then all of a sudden wham! They're fighting about things that I don't think they're really even angry about. It felt so real to me. I've so had these moments in my own life.

Favorite quotes:

-Everyone thinks they know me, but no one sees me.

-I find it challenging to follow as much as I find it challenging to lead.

-"I can't continue to kill myself in order to save you."

-I never knew that being fearless could be so terrifying.

Walk the Edge was really enjoyable for me. I blew through it. I connected to both Razor and Breanna and easily rooted for their relationship. I was intrigued by Breanna's mind, and I loved Razor's journey. Even though there were a few aspects that were really similar to Nowhere But Here, Walk the Edge gets 4 Stars. Have you read Walk the Edge? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Walk the Edge

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: March 30th 2016 by Harlequin TEEN

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Razor knows his family is haunted by secrets of the past…

High school senior Thomas "Razor" Turner knows his family has a dark history as part of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, especially when it comes to the secrecy surrounding his mother’s death.

When Razor starts to dig deeper into his mum's case he turns to the unlikeliest source for help: classmate Breanna Miller, the shy, smart girl he's never looked twice at. But the more time they spend together, the more they realise they actually have in common, and how attracted to each other they really are.

When secrets from the past are revealed can their newfound feelings survive?

I love Katie McGarry, and Razor intrigued me from book 1, Nowhere But Here, so I'm excited to get my hands on this one! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!