Dare You To by Katie McGarry Series: Pushing the Limits #2
Published by Harlequin on May 1st 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Love & Romance, Social Issues, General
Pages: 384
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"I dare you…"
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs—until the day her uncle swoops in, and Beth finds herself starting over at a school where no one understands her. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does.
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock—with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image is risking everything for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all….
I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive when I started Dare You To. Beth was definitely a prickly character in Pushing the Limits and I wasn’t sure how I’d take to her in this one. I was wrong! In classic Katie McGarry fashion, she writes fantastic characters and stories and relationships that pull you in and doesn’t let you go!
In Dare You To, Beth Risk is forced to go live with her uncle after an unfortunate incident after which she’s forced to choose to protect her mom or herself. She chooses to protect her mom because that’s what she’s done her entire life — she takes care of her, drags her back home after she passes out at the bar and tries her hardest to shield her from her mom’s piece-of-crap, abusive boyfriend. Heavy burdens for a 17 year girl. It really made my heart ache.
So she ends up in another town, in a new school and she struggles like a fish out of water. Who knew that the one person to make her feel wanted would be the one person that seems like her complete opposite — perfect, put together, all star baseball player Ryan Stone. You know, I don’t even like baseball but I would watch Ryan Stone pitch ANY day.
I really liked how Dare You To showed that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t take care of people that don’t want to be taken care of. Sometimes, you have to let people go in order to be able to live yourself. You have to be able to recognize that you can’t always save people all by yourself. Beth has spent so much time protecting her mom, covering for her from the law, that she doesn’t see in the long run that it can be damaging. She loves her and just wants to take care of her… Beth’s tale is one of knowing when to stop running and when to start living and trust. Ryan’s is one of self discovery and finding himself apart from what his parents want of him. His life may be perfection to the outside observer but it is quite the opposite. Having no one to tell, he takes to writing. I loved how Ryan was three dimensional — not just a jock but also smart and an amazing writer to boot.
Beth and Ryan’s love story is beautiful. I love how Katie’s writing just sucks you in. I was so invested in these characters and their lives, I just wanted them to be able to figure it out and start to heal!
The swoon factor… Ryan Stone is hot. And, yes, Katie can sure write those kisses! So, ever since forever, I have been obsessed with rain kisses. Pouring rain, soaked to the skin, type kisses.
Well, Katie wrote one of the best kisses of all time. It is going up there on my list of favorite kisses ever! And it really was one of my favorite scenes in the book. Three words: bottle of rain. My heart kind of melted and yours will too!
Katie McGarry has a way of writing that makes each of her characters so real and I feel like I know them and I care about them! She brings such life and emotion to their stories. I absolutely adore her writing, you must read this. I dare you to! =)
Oh, that damn rain! I swear, I still look back at that scene and swoon. Easily one of my favorite scenes of all time! Ryan!!! Great review Wendy! Love the sauce packet, lol.
I agree that all of Katie’s characters are brilliantly developed into real people and it’s part pf why I love her books. This one however I got a bit irritated with. Not because it had flaws in characterization but because I got annoyed with Beth’s personality and the hot/cold of the romance. But I still LOVED Crash Into You and the first one so it was just Beth and me who don’t really mesh well I guess 🙂 I ‘m glad you loved it! They definitely do have a lot of chemistry!!
Dreamy sigh…rain kisses…aw! So cute, my heart melted into one big puddle. I love Ryan and Beth and together they were sizzling hot.
Awesome Review Girl! Oh, I loved this one so much too. Katie amazes me at how she can take a side character that I have no connection too and then make me love them when they get their own story. I have never been a big Beth fan but I really did like her in this book.
SWOOOOOON! I love that freaking Notebook scene! Rain kisses are amazing! And Ryan and Beth? WHEW! Those two are SO hot together! Ryan is my favorite McGarry boy right now. Katie has such an amazing way of drawing you in with her writing. I will read anything that woman writes!!! Great review girl!
Cute review Wendy! :D<3
Oh yes, that kiss scene. The cover of Dare You To alone makes me fangirl all over the place. When I bought Dare You To at B&N, the cashiers there were like OH A X-RATED BOOK! I was so embarrassed.
And I ended my review with I dare you to read this book too! Great minds think alike huh? ;D
Rain kisses are a favorite of mine too. I don’t know, it seems like you would get cold and wet, but they always sound so lovely in books.