Review: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Page Count: 496
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

I wasn't completely sold on the idea of a series that featured a motorcycle club before reading Nowhere But Here. After reading it I realized I'm really not fond of the motorcycle club culture, everything it represents, and the way they treat women. That sort of lifestyle isn't for me, but I didn't let that lessen my enjoyment of the book.

As for Emily and Oz, I'll be honest and say that I can't claim to have enjoyed either character. I didn't dislike them, so there's that, but I also didn't find anything about either one that really stood out and made me really love them. But that's okay and it doesn't bother me too much. I enjoyed the story enough that I didn't worry about the main characters being neutral for me. I think it goes to show just how great of a writer Katie is that I didn't care for the characters, but I was still interested in their story.

I actually liked Emily and Oz as a couple, and for the most part I enjoyed their relationship. They came from totally different backgrounds, but it seemed that they understood each other. They had a few really nice moments, and I loved some of their banter.

A few more of my thoughts on Nowhere But Here:

- Stories told in dual POV are more interesting to me
- I liked that Emily wasn't passive and I enjoyed her gumption
- Oz had a soft side and I enjoyed his protectiveness and his ability/capacity to love
- There was not enough of Oz on his motorcycle
- I realized Eli is more age appropriate for me than Oz.....

I think I liked Nowhere But Here mostly because Katie wrote it. When I first started reading I was almost bored for a while, but I kept going because I was curious about the big secret everyone was hiding from Emily. It took a really long time to get to the big reveal, and I almost wanted to give up reading. In the end I'm glad I finished the book because the story was very different, and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars