Nowhere But Here by Katie L. McGarry

This is actually me fangirling over my book!

First of all, let me just say that Katie McGarry is one of the sweetest ladies that I have ever met. I got to see her at YALLfest at a panel with Kamie Garcia (Author of "Beautiful Creatures"), Kiera Cass (My bestfriend screamed at her to get her to sign our books and take pictures with us...) Nicola Yoon (Author of "Everything, Everything"), and a few other authors. Then at Christmas time she did a giveaway and I ended up winning the giveaway and got two signed books! (I basically ran through my house screaming about how excited I was at 1a.m.)"Nowhere But Here" was one of them and I thought I would share just how amazing her books are with the rest of the world because I love them so much!

Title: Nowhere But Here
Author: Katie L. McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin 
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Romance
Summary: 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. (Summary from  http://www.katielmcgarry.com/page/Nowhere-But-Here.aspx ) 


Review: I will tell you a little secret. At first with this book, I was a bit skeptical. As a child, I hadn't had a very good experience with motorcycles and it just was quite a sensitive topic for me. After seeing Katie at YALLfest, my friend (not the one that yelled at Kiera) bought this book and I borrowed her copy. Obviously, the cover was a huge turn off for me. I mean, it had a motorcycle on it. But I was determined to face my little fear, which as fate would have it, is one of the themes in this book. 

Speaking of themes, I love that this story isn't simply  about a girl and a guy. There is a biker gang and the book also touches on the topic of cancer. This also hit home with me, because my mom had cancer and I know how hard that can be on a family and what it can do to your emotions. Emily, the main character, is headstrong,  stubborn and very reluctant to be a part of this new world she is being introduced to. She also has a past of her own which has scared her for life leaving her to face her inlaid fears, as mentioned above! I've said before that I like the cliche YA novels that have become the norm for our generation, and I do. This book, however, had me in tears, wanting to tear the pages out and sing all within one chapter. It was refreshing to have a book that didn't have a static plot with one girl, one guy and a happy ending. Although :SPOILER ALERT: this book has all three, it also had other elements which is why I love this and other works by Katie McGarry!