Title: Nowhere But Here
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Marguerite Galvin, Sean Pratt
Running Time: 11 hours, 46 minutes, 18 seconds
Source: OverDrive/Public Library
Goodreads Summary: 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.
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
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.
My Thoughts: Wow! My first Katie McGarry book and I loved it! Good lord! I'm not usually a contemporary audiobook kinda gal, but this book has me scrambling to grab the next one! There are so many things I loved about this book, I don't even know where to start.
The first book in the Thunder Road series, Nowhere But Here tells the story of Emily, who goes to stay with her estranged biker father, and Oz, the complicated biker boy she becomes entangled with.
I'll admit it: I began the story disliking Emily. She seemed a little too straight-laced and innocent. But the beautiful thing about Nowhere But Here is the incredible character development and as Emily grew, she grew on me. Oz I loved from the start. How could you not love the tough, yet big hearted biker boy? We don't see too much of the side characters, but I saw enough to have me interested, especially in Violet and Chevy (I think [I hope] they're getting their own book). Olivia had to be my favorite side character, though, with her tough love!
The romance was just so...*swoons*! It was a slow burn, building up through the novel. Though it's clear that Oz and Emily have an intense physical attraction from the start, McGarry doesn't push it. Instead, she opts to slowly work up their emotional connection as the story moves froward. What results is an intense, yet not at all angsty, slow burn of a romance.
I found the style of the book interesting. McGarry mixes "fluff," emotional depth, ad the gritty world of bikers together to create a contemporary with bite. I've never really seen anything like it.
As for the audiobook format, I enjoyed it. It wasn't anything special, but it was good. There are two narrators to match the dual perspective--Marguerite Galvin for Emily's chapters and Sean Pratt for Oz's. I thought Pratt in particular did a good job of capturing Oz's voice and personality. He used a gruff, slightly Southern voice and I think it matched Oz's personality well. Galvin did a great job of using different voices to distinguish between different characters and I really liked that. I would definitely recommend the audiobook version!
All in all, I adored Nowhere But Here and I can't wait to get my hands on Walk The Edge (which is Razor's story)! 10 out of 10, would recommend!
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