Review: Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Take Me On
(Pushing the Limits #4)
by Katie McGarry
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Publication Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 544
ISBN: 9780373211180
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

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Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for. (Goodreads)

I was super excited to hear that Take Me On was going to be the fourth book in the ‘Pushing the Limits’ series.  I’ve loved Katie McGarry’s writing style every since I first started the series, and I absolutely could not wait to read West and Haley’s story. Now that I’ve finished the book, I can honestly say that if you’ve enjoyed the series so far, you’re definitely going to love this wonderful addition!

Haley is a titled champion kickboxer who vowed to never step in the ring again after a tragic night that changed her world forever. But when the guy she saves late one cold night accepts a fight in her honor, she once again finds herself back in the ring. Training West shouldn’t be too hard, he’s got raw talent and he knows how to use it, but he’s definitely not someone that Haley wants to get involved with. When a bond starts to form between the two, Haley and West must overcome their fears and family issues, and discover that love is a risk worth taking.

Haley is a really awesome character. Life has not been very kind to her and her family, but they struggle through and make the best of what they have to deal with. She’s definitely not shrinking violet, but is instead a trained fighter, who can even take down an experience fighter when she has to. But some things in the past have changed her, and she has had a hard time overcoming the fears that haunt her.  Even so, she’s still a strong character that loves her family and will do whatever she has to do to keep them together. I love her determination and strength; it was really admirable considering all that she has gone through.

When we first met West in Crash Into You, I honestly didn’t think much of him. As I read Take Me On and get to know him better and the reasons why he did some of the things that he did in the past, things start making more sense regarding him. I love his stubbornness and his protectiveness over Haley. I love that while he was considered a ‘playboy’, he was completely faithful to her. I always love that in a bad boy. These two characters are so well written and so complex, you can’t help but to love them.

The book is told through both West and Haley’s point of view. I really love books that are written this way, as we get to climb inside both characters heads and see exactly what’s going on with them and how they feel. West and Haley were made for each other. Both were stubborn and determined. They made such a great pair.

I fully expected to take my time and read this book slowly to savor each little bit of the story, and at 544 pages, I totally could have dragged it out to be a long and enjoyable read. But once I started reading the story, I absolutely couldn’t stop. I read the bulk of the book in just a day’s time. I can’t help it, I was totally hooked! The storyline for the book was really touching. The struggles that both characters had to face made them such stronger people, and I really felt bad for both of their situations. But they are fighters, both in the physical and emotional sense, and I think that together they could overcome just about anything.

I also want to mention that I love that in McGarry always includes includes some characters from her previous books. In this book we get to see Rachel, Isaiah and, of course, Abbey, who I absolutely love and who I hope gets her own story in the future. It’s great to see these characters that I love once again. Isaiah is one of my most favorite bad boys ever. I would read just about anything with him in it. *wink*

Overall; If you haven’t read this series before, I definitely recommend that you do so. Take Me On is an excellent addition to the Pushing the Limit’s series. I can’t wait to see if there are more stories in this series in the future. I am totally hoping that there will be!






Pushing the Limits   |   Dare You To   |   Crash Into You



Crossing the Line   |   Red at Night