ARC Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You
Author: Katie McGarry
Publication: Harlequin Teen (November 26, 2013)

Description: From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane 

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life—that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers…and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker—a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks—no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other. 

My Thoughts: Katie McGarry has a knack for writing emotionally intense stories about characters who are achingly real. 

Rachel Young is the perfect daughter. She has made herself be that because her mother is emotionally fragile and still hasn't gotten over the death of Rachel's sister which happened before Rachel was born. Rachel has always known that she was the replacement daughter. She has tried to be the girly girl her sister was and her mother wants but that isn't the real her. The real her loves cars and engines and speed and suffers from crippling anxiety attacks.

Isaiah Walker is from the other side of town. He has been in the foster system since he was six and his mother was sent to prison for armed robbery. He has learned to be tough and learned to protect his heart. His family consists of a couple of the other foster kids he was raised with. He is a gifted mechanic.

One would think that the two would never meet because their worlds are so different. But a chance encounter at a secret street race pushed them together. They both run afoul of the local criminal type who runs the races. The need to come up with $5000 to get him off their backs. 

Coming up with the money while facing their various family problems and while falling in love isn't easy. There are the usual misunderstandings between Rachel and Isaiah as their different needs come into conflict. She has the need to be strong and stand up for herself; he has the need to protect her from all harm as he wished someone would have protected him. 

The story was emotionally intense and very compelling. I recommend it highly. 

Favorite Quote:

"What would you do if I kissed you?"

My mouth falls open, and only when it starts to get dry, do I close it. What would I do if he kissed me? Go into shock? Have multiple seizures? Jump up and down? I take in a shaky breath. Isaiah calls me brave so I rush out the words. "Kiss you back?"

I got this eARC from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.