496 pages
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:
Goodreads Summary: 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 Review
I'm going to start off my review with the two main characters' opening lines.
Emily
"Top three awful moments of my life: Meeting my biological father at ten. Breaking my arm in three spots at nine. Falling into a hole and being trapped there overnight with a dead body at eight."
Oz
"It's three in the morning and Mom and I continue to wait."
My First Thought: Is this going to be my kind of book? A few pages later... Why, I guess it is! *smiles wide*
This seemed like a longer romance novel to me since it hit close to 500 pages, but I liked these characters enough that I didn't mind one bit and am thankful for its length. I am so glad I decided to finally take a chance on reading one of Katie McGarry's novels. I don't read a lot of young adult romance, but I am trying to be more open minded about what I read so I gave it a shot.
If I am going to read a romance novel, I prefer one with dual POVs from both the male and female (or male and male or female and female) love interests. I don't know if this will make sense to you, but the dual POVs seem to make me less aggravated with a character with a budding romance when I can get inside both peoples' heads.
In Nowhere But Here we get to witness Emily try to figure out who her biological father is, and if she can find a way to let him into her life. All the while we also get to see Oz deal with trying to conquer his dream of becoming an official member of the Reign of Terror. Their issues are different and the same. Figuring out where and how you belong as a teenager is always difficult. As for these two as a couple, they are super cute and have some steamy moments. Honestly, I didn't find them annoying at all, which is a big accomplishment for a young adult romance. Usually the "will they won't they" or "we fight because we don't communicate thing" drives me insane, but there really wasn't a lot of that here.
The Bottom Line: I am sure fans of Katie McGarry will love this novel. As for everyone else, next time you are in a romance type mood I suggest you pick up Nowhere But Here.
