Review: Dare You To

Dare You To (Pushing The Limits #2)
by Katie McGarry
Publication date: May 28th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"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 forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. 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 neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Synopsis from Goodreads

I really enjoyed this! And not because of the plot. Don't get me wrong, the plot's good. But it is the characters that make this book for me. Katie McGarry creates the most incredible characters, who are 100% real in my mind. I love that no matter how perfect someone may seem, or how broken, you can't possibly know everything about them. Lucky for us, McGarry takes us deep into the minds of Beth and Ryan.

You may remember Beth from Pushing The Limits. Angry, rude, drug user? I'll admit that she wasn't my favourite character in the book, but once I had a private view of her thoughts, I learned to love her. She isn't just violent. She's also loyal to a fault. And for as many trust issues that she has, she also wants to trust. Ryan is somehow able to see past her rough exterior. He is also fiercely loyal to his family and friends, and is honorable towards women. His only fault is his inability to turn down a dare. I love the juxtaposition of their family lives, and how they approach their life decisions based on what they've learned from their parents.

I only wish that the story was just a few pages shorter. It began to drag a little about two thirds of the way through. The ending was not as explosive as I was hoping. It was a little predictable, but surprisingly, not a letdown. I would have been disappointed if it had ended any other way.

Yes, I am abundantly depressed that Beth didn't end up with Isaiah. But, in the end, maybe they wouldn't have been good for each other. I am so glad to know that Isaiah will earn his happily ever after next.

A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.