ARC Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To 
by Katie McGarry
Released Date: Expected publication: May 28th 2013 by Harlequin Teen
Series: Pushing the Limits #2
Pages: 462
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

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...

(Summary taken from Goodreads)

My Review:


"I told you I loved you in this rain and when you doubt my words, I want you to look at this bottle."- Ryan. 

There is only one word to describe this book and that is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

I absolutely loved this book! In my opinion, this book was better than the first one (Pushing the Limits). At the beginning when I first found out that this book was going to be about Beth, I was a bit skeptical about it. I didn't really liked Beth in the first book, so I didn't know what to think of her in this book. But after reading it, I was not disappointed at all, it really became one of my favorite books.

Beth's strong character in the book brings her trouble when she decides to take the blame for her mom and gets arrested. She feels that she owns her mom, and it is because of that feeling that she is unable to move on. 
Beth is very complex character and I enjoyed reading about her and her life. McGarry does a very good job describing Beth's story and how she evolves throughout the book. I liked how there was humor in the story, it definitely made the whole book interesting to read. 

On the other hand, Ryan came in just at the right time. He immediately changed my perspective on Beth because he was the one that saw her for who she was and he brought out a completely different side of her (the good side). As a baseball player, Ryan is known as a jock in the school, and also seen as the best player around town. But underneath his famous looks and skills, lies a sweet guy with lots of talent for writing. It is because of his dad that he is unable to really do what he wants to do with his life. His story makes him and Beth compatible as they both learn to overcome their family issues as well as their own. 

What begins with a dare, becomes the best dare that Ryan has every made because he got a chance to really see his true abilities and find true love. Apart from the emotional roller coaster, Ryan and Beth's story is realistic and I'm glad everything worked out at the end. 

Overall, this story was FANTASTIC!, from the first chapter to the very end, the author does a very good job connecting everything together, while making it look realistic. The cover fits the story very well (which I loved!). I liked how the story was set up, seeing both Beth's and Ryan's P.O.V, I was able to understand their thoughts and story better. I would most definitely recommend everything one read this book and Pushing the Limits, you will not be disappointed. 

My Ratings:

Book Trailer:

**Check out my review on the first book Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.