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Nowhere But Here
(Thunder Road #1)
by
An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.
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 R ...more
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 R ...more
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Hardcover, 496 pages
Published
May 26th 2015
by Harlequin Teen
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Start your review of Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, #1)

Oh god. Why is it so difficult to find a sexy summer romance that isn't annoying or laden with cliched characters?
I didn't finish Nowhere But Here - and feel free to judge me for writing a little review anyway - but I just couldn't make it through all the constant irritations.
The female MC (Emily) is a bland "good girl" from the right side of town and she comes into Oz's "bad boy" life and turns his head away from the slutty, trashy girls he's used to sleeping with and forgetting about. Because ...more
I didn't finish Nowhere But Here - and feel free to judge me for writing a little review anyway - but I just couldn't make it through all the constant irritations.
The female MC (Emily) is a bland "good girl" from the right side of town and she comes into Oz's "bad boy" life and turns his head away from the slutty, trashy girls he's used to sleeping with and forgetting about. Because ...more

Re/read Still enjoyed it!

Old Review
I thought this was a wonderful book.
Emily is caught up in having to go spend some time with her biological father Eli, who is in a motorcycle gang. She thinks her father abandoned her and her mother when she was little but that is not the case. I was very surprised when I found out the truth of what happened!
Oz is a boy around her age and they fall in love over time as he is forced to watch over her because of some issues with a rival gang.
This story is abo ...more

Old Review
I thought this was a wonderful book.
Emily is caught up in having to go spend some time with her biological father Eli, who is in a motorcycle gang. She thinks her father abandoned her and her mother when she was little but that is not the case. I was very surprised when I found out the truth of what happened!
Oz is a boy around her age and they fall in love over time as he is forced to watch over her because of some issues with a rival gang.
This story is abo ...more

4~4.5 Stars
”You’re smart. You know the truth. You haven’t been looking for someone to prove it. You’ve been searching to disprove it.”
[image error]
This is a very pricey book and I’m on the fence as to whether friends will find the story “worth” the price however for me it definitely was. This story leads into some great new characters in an exciting new series centering around get this… a legit motorcycle club!!
This story brought a lot of mystery as our heroine, Emily is asked to attend he ...more
”You’re smart. You know the truth. You haven’t been looking for someone to prove it. You’ve been searching to disprove it.”
[image error]
This is a very pricey book and I’m on the fence as to whether friends will find the story “worth” the price however for me it definitely was. This story leads into some great new characters in an exciting new series centering around get this… a legit motorcycle club!!
This story brought a lot of mystery as our heroine, Emily is asked to attend he ...more

This book is damn stupid. I've been picking it up and throwing it down and finally even the boy child said to give it up. DONE
...more

“Isn't it always the things that you can't see that hurt you?”
It took me two weeks to finish this book. It was a struggle. This book offered a lot of potentials but unfortunately it lacked on so many levels.
The plot was too weak and the pacing was too slow. I had very high expectations for this book because I enjoyed Pushing the Limits a lot that I was really certain I will enjoy this, too.
Nowhere But Here begins when Emily went to Snowflake and discovered that there are secrets that were ...more
It took me two weeks to finish this book. It was a struggle. This book offered a lot of potentials but unfortunately it lacked on so many levels.
The plot was too weak and the pacing was too slow. I had very high expectations for this book because I enjoyed Pushing the Limits a lot that I was really certain I will enjoy this, too.
Nowhere But Here begins when Emily went to Snowflake and discovered that there are secrets that were ...more

4.25

Nowhere But Here is the first book in a new contemporary young adult series from Katie McGarry. I really enjoyed this first installment, that focuses on the bonds of family, secrets and finding the truth. While Oz and Emily didn't really wow me, and their romance felt more like a side story, I adored the secondary characters. Olivia and Eli were excellent, they truly made the story for me. I would love to see Katie write Eli's story, and try something a little more adult.
“I learned a lo ...more

This was my first Katie McGarry book I've read. Prior to meeting her at BEA, I remember reading the description to this book and knew I had to eventually get it. It's about motorcycle clubs and immediately my mind went to a YA Sons of Anarchy and I was so there. After finishing this book, I am not disappointed.
Because it dealt with heavier themes that most YA contemporary romances, I felt like it was high/ya low/na when it came to how this was written, the themes, the characters. Another thing ...more
Because it dealt with heavier themes that most YA contemporary romances, I felt like it was high/ya low/na when it came to how this was written, the themes, the characters. Another thing ...more

Jan 30, 2015
Sarah Elizabeth
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
romance,
netgalley-edelweiss,
as,
read-2015,
read-with-abbie,
r2r-complete,
contemporary,
young-adult,
death,
multiple-pov
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Harlequin (UK) Limited and NetGalley.)
“Why are you giving up?” I beg. “You swore to me you’d never give up.”

This was a YA contemporary romance about a girl with ties to a motorcycle gang.
Emily was quite a naïve girl in my opinion, I felt like she should have been a little more receptive to what was going on around her, and to have maybe thought a little more. It was like she didn’t compute things sh ...more
“Why are you giving up?” I beg. “You swore to me you’d never give up.”

This was a YA contemporary romance about a girl with ties to a motorcycle gang.
Emily was quite a naïve girl in my opinion, I felt like she should have been a little more receptive to what was going on around her, and to have maybe thought a little more. It was like she didn’t compute things sh ...more

I'll write my thoughts later when I stop sobbing.
(And yes, I was right. Isaiah's dad, James, IS in fact a part of this story. Well not really a part of it since he is dead, but he is mentioned a few times)
Okay, so overall I liked this enough to give it five stars, but I didn't love it as much as the PTL series (specifically Crash Into You).
With that said, I'd like to add that this was quite different from Katie's other books (
Crash Into You
).
As always, there's the dual point of view, the swe ...more
(And yes, I was right. Isaiah's dad, James, IS in fact a part of this story. Well not really a part of it since he is dead, but he is mentioned a few times)
Okay, so overall I liked this enough to give it five stars, but I didn't love it as much as the PTL series (specifically Crash Into You).
With that said, I'd like to add that this was quite different from Katie's other books (
As always, there's the dual point of view, the swe ...more

I found this to be a solid 4 star read for me. My love for motorcycle romance started years ago after watching the tv show - SOA (which really isn't a romance tv series). I was drawn to the gritty world of bikers. So, when I discovered there were books that were about motorcycle clubs and they had romance in them, I knew I found a genre I'd be reading a lot of.
Emily is a 17 years old who has spent her life in the dark about her mother and biological father's past. She's met her father a few ti ...more
Emily is a 17 years old who has spent her life in the dark about her mother and biological father's past. She's met her father a few ti ...more

Old school Katie McGarry, where did you go??
I usually love Katie McGarry. Her Pushing the Limits series was like popcorn for my angsty, YA-loving self. It was pure misunderstood teenagers living hard lives and battling their demons. This book felt like one giant tantrum.
I didn't like the MC, Emily, at all. She came across as spoiled, whiny, and judgmental, and I hated how she was all "purer-than-pure." She was pretty unlikeable for me. I also didn't really like Oz, who seemed like a caricature ...more
I usually love Katie McGarry. Her Pushing the Limits series was like popcorn for my angsty, YA-loving self. It was pure misunderstood teenagers living hard lives and battling their demons. This book felt like one giant tantrum.
I didn't like the MC, Emily, at all. She came across as spoiled, whiny, and judgmental, and I hated how she was all "purer-than-pure." She was pretty unlikeable for me. I also didn't really like Oz, who seemed like a caricature ...more

Aug 10, 2013
Angela
marked it as to-read
VERY excited for this new series!

3 stars
This is a book that started out strong but then fizzled out a bit. Overall I still really enjoyed it, but it needed to be a lot shorter and there was some last minute drama thrown in at the end that I didn't enjoy. What I mean is the pacing was all off, very slow and then super fast!
I did love the writing and the characters and I want to read the other books in the series. This just isn't McGarry's strongest work.
Remember, as per Goodreads rating 3 stars means I liked it! So that's how ...more
This is a book that started out strong but then fizzled out a bit. Overall I still really enjoyed it, but it needed to be a lot shorter and there was some last minute drama thrown in at the end that I didn't enjoy. What I mean is the pacing was all off, very slow and then super fast!
I did love the writing and the characters and I want to read the other books in the series. This just isn't McGarry's strongest work.
Remember, as per Goodreads rating 3 stars means I liked it! So that's how ...more

5 stars - I love this book!
I’m a massive fan of Katie McGarry. She writes wonderful YA romantic drama, and when I heard that she was starting a new series featuring the younger generation of a motorcycle club, I knew I had to read it.
I went into it feeling nervous, because Pushing the Limits is one of my all-time favourite reads, and I didn’t want to unfairly compare this book to my obsession with Noah and Echo, but Katie has given us something original, exciting and completely engaging. The st ...more
I’m a massive fan of Katie McGarry. She writes wonderful YA romantic drama, and when I heard that she was starting a new series featuring the younger generation of a motorcycle club, I knew I had to read it.
I went into it feeling nervous, because Pushing the Limits is one of my all-time favourite reads, and I didn’t want to unfairly compare this book to my obsession with Noah and Echo, but Katie has given us something original, exciting and completely engaging. The st ...more

"West Side Story meets Sons of Anarchy"
This

meets this?

OH MY-



No...

I NEED THIS NOW!
NOW LIKE NOWNOWNOWNOW
I NEED A DATE
I NEED A COVERRRRR! ...more
This

meets this?

OH MY-




No...

I NEED THIS NOW!
NOW LIKE NOWNOWNOWNOW
I NEED A DATE
I NEED A COVERRRRR! ...more

4.5 Stars
I really loved Oz he is eighteen years old trying to prove himself in the eyes of his family to become the next prospect in the MC club. However his loyalty is put on the test when he is forced to babysit Emily, the daughter of one of the MC members.
Emily is seventeen years old, living in Florida she grew up with no worries or care in the world. She was an only child and she kinda got on my nerves at the beginning haha but I slowly warned up to her.
This story was different and refresh ...more
I really loved Oz he is eighteen years old trying to prove himself in the eyes of his family to become the next prospect in the MC club. However his loyalty is put on the test when he is forced to babysit Emily, the daughter of one of the MC members.
Emily is seventeen years old, living in Florida she grew up with no worries or care in the world. She was an only child and she kinda got on my nerves at the beginning haha but I slowly warned up to her.
This story was different and refresh ...more

I found these characters very difficult to relate to and they were very frustrating to read about. I'm not sure if I'll be continuing this series even though I love Katie McGarry.
...more

2.5 stars
It is now abundantly clear that McGarry and I will never find common ground. I’ve read several of her books by now, and while I tried very hard not to nitpick, I inevitably struggled to finish them. It needs to be said that I went into this book with the best of intentions. I was hoping that a new series would mean a clean slate, a new opportunity and a chance to build a very different opinion. Alas, it was not meant to be.
I have to say that I fully understand the appeal of Katie McGarr ...more
It is now abundantly clear that McGarry and I will never find common ground. I’ve read several of her books by now, and while I tried very hard not to nitpick, I inevitably struggled to finish them. It needs to be said that I went into this book with the best of intentions. I was hoping that a new series would mean a clean slate, a new opportunity and a chance to build a very different opinion. Alas, it was not meant to be.
I have to say that I fully understand the appeal of Katie McGarr ...more

THIS BOOK TORE ME UP. I laughed, I cried and so many things in between. I wasn't sure how I would feel about a new series by Katie, since I really love her Pushing the Limits series but I am happy to say I loved it. ALL THE FEELS. I fell in love with these characters, each and every one. I felt like I was a part of the family and I was deeply invested in their fates.
Katie is a FANTASTIC contemporary author. This book borders the line between the line of YA and NA, which I think was refreshing an ...more
Katie is a FANTASTIC contemporary author. This book borders the line between the line of YA and NA, which I think was refreshing an ...more

This is the start of something great for Katie McGarry! If you are looking for a really good young adult read then this should be an automatic one click!
Set in a small town run by a tight MC forged in brothethood, she delivers a journey of self discovery and first love for two young people that will steal your heart!
Emily is a 17 year old "all American girl" living her life happily until news from a town that claimed her mother's past changes her entire existence. Life in Snowflake is nothing c ...more
Set in a small town run by a tight MC forged in brothethood, she delivers a journey of self discovery and first love for two young people that will steal your heart!
Emily is a 17 year old "all American girl" living her life happily until news from a town that claimed her mother's past changes her entire existence. Life in Snowflake is nothing c ...more

Sizzling, sexy, suspenseful and unputdownable. A gripping story about finding freedom, forgiveness and love.
I get it now. I get why there’s just something both intangibly and clearly special about Katie McGarry and her writing. Her stories. Her style. It’s stripped and gritty in a way that’s relatable… heck, that’s even so when she’s talking about motorcycle clubs and all kinds of things I’ve no experience in. But her voice is real and gripping and honest in a way that kept me flipping the pages ...more
I get it now. I get why there’s just something both intangibly and clearly special about Katie McGarry and her writing. Her stories. Her style. It’s stripped and gritty in a way that’s relatable… heck, that’s even so when she’s talking about motorcycle clubs and all kinds of things I’ve no experience in. But her voice is real and gripping and honest in a way that kept me flipping the pages ...more

I’ve really enjoyed Katie McGarry’s writing in the past, and the prospect of reading a young adult romance set within a Motorcycle Club had me really excited. While I did enjoy parts of Nowhere But Here there were a few complaints that kept it from being a knockout read for me.
Emily’s plans for the summer change when a member of her biological father, Eli’s, family gets sick. Eli is part of a Motorcycle Club, Reign of Terror, a legit club who obey the law of the land, but that doesn’t mean thei ...more
Emily’s plans for the summer change when a member of her biological father, Eli’s, family gets sick. Eli is part of a Motorcycle Club, Reign of Terror, a legit club who obey the law of the land, but that doesn’t mean thei ...more

I have had this book on my shelves for sooooo long but had never gotten around to actually reading it. I absolutely adore Katie's YA contemporaries, but for some reason I just never picked this one up. When I drew this title from my TBR Jar for May, I could not have been more excited. I read it and ended up loving this book even more than I thought i would!
Emily has a pretty good life with a great mom and stepdad who are always there for her. At 17, she's used to only seeing her birth dad once ...more
Emily has a pretty good life with a great mom and stepdad who are always there for her. At 17, she's used to only seeing her birth dad once ...more

Holy smokes! Katie McGarry has done it again. McGarry just blew me away with her new series, a mature young adult/new adult, Thunder Road. I didn't think McGarry could outdo her Pushing the Limits series but boy, oh boy, she has done it with Nowhere But Here. Emily and Oz grabbed my heartstrings and all I could do was hold on and enjoy the wild, sexy, and deeply touching ride with these two broken, stubborn and totally hot for each other teenagers and the Reign of Terror motorcycle club.
Nowhere ...more
Nowhere ...more

Oct 18, 2017
Jessica
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
teen-novels,
romance
I really liked this book. I’ve been wanting to read more MC books and this was just what I needed. I find MC’s to be so fascinating. I loved learning about their world and how they operate.
Eli reminded me so much of FP Jones from Riverdale. Both are biker dudes who will stop at nothing to protect their kids.
I liked the romance even though it was a bit cliche.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books and finding more out about the other characters.
Eli reminded me so much of FP Jones from Riverdale. Both are biker dudes who will stop at nothing to protect their kids.
I liked the romance even though it was a bit cliche.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books and finding more out about the other characters.

Talk about a book hangover. DAMMMMMMM! I’ve got it BAD!
I’ve loved Katie McGarry’s writing since the first book I read. The Pushing the Limits Series is one of my favorites. I’ve read them all, except for Take Me On, (which I have patiently waiting on my Kindle) and every single one of them has impressed me. This is an author that can have you smiling one minute, then BAM! tears galore the next. It’s always an intense experience when reading one of her books. I’m beyond excited about this new ser ...more
I’ve loved Katie McGarry’s writing since the first book I read. The Pushing the Limits Series is one of my favorites. I’ve read them all, except for Take Me On, (which I have patiently waiting on my Kindle) and every single one of them has impressed me. This is an author that can have you smiling one minute, then BAM! tears galore the next. It’s always an intense experience when reading one of her books. I’m beyond excited about this new ser ...more

It’s what people do. Judge before they bother getting to know someone. Judge before they understand what the club’s about.
Seventeen year old Emily has had a simple, safe life so far. With doting parents, a good school and social life, and safe plans for her future, Emily doesn’t want to change a single thing. Although she is curious about her biological father, she’s made a point of never asking her mother about him. After all, he chose a motorcycle club over being a parent; what’s t ...more

Also reviewed on Sophie Reads YA
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is no way impacted in my view.
Nowhere But Here is my first Katie McGarry book, but I can definitely say it won't be my last.
In this book we meet 17 year old Emily, who is visiting her biological father's family for the first time ever. All her life she thought her father never wanted her, that her whole paternal family didn't want her, and she is now faced with the knowledge that there's a wh ...more
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is no way impacted in my view.
Nowhere But Here is my first Katie McGarry book, but I can definitely say it won't be my last.
In this book we meet 17 year old Emily, who is visiting her biological father's family for the first time ever. All her life she thought her father never wanted her, that her whole paternal family didn't want her, and she is now faced with the knowledge that there's a wh ...more

"Focus on where you want to go not on what you fear. "
----Anthony Robbins
Katie McGarry, an American author, pens her new novel, Nowhere But Here which is the first book in the Thunder Road series. This book traces the journey of two teenagers trying to find the gravity and meaning of their lives, thereupon falling in love and realizing the difficulties attached with this sweet feeling, well, you can clearly say, this a book about teens and their road to self discovery.
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year- ...more
----Anthony Robbins
Katie McGarry, an American author, pens her new novel, Nowhere But Here which is the first book in the Thunder Road series. This book traces the journey of two teenagers trying to find the gravity and meaning of their lives, thereupon falling in love and realizing the difficulties attached with this sweet feeling, well, you can clearly say, this a book about teens and their road to self discovery.
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year- ...more

Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
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Nowhere But Here is the first book that I have read from Katie McGarry and I have to say that I am quite impressed with this book. Ms. McGarry took her readers like myself on an emotional, heartfelt, touching journey of a young girl rediscovering the truths about her family especially in regards to her biological father's side and the secrets her parents kept. Though this book started off a bit slow for me in the beginning ...more
[image error]
Nowhere But Here is the first book that I have read from Katie McGarry and I have to say that I am quite impressed with this book. Ms. McGarry took her readers like myself on an emotional, heartfelt, touching journey of a young girl rediscovering the truths about her family especially in regards to her biological father's side and the secrets her parents kept. Though this book started off a bit slow for me in the beginning ...more
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Addicted to YA: Nowhere but Here | 5 | 108 | Nov 16, 2020 09:18AM | |
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Contemporary romance, girl's mom dies, goes to live with father who runs a motorcycle gang. [s] | 10 | 45 | Dec 05, 2018 08:38AM | |
What did you think of this book? | 14 | 58 | May 25, 2018 10:50AM | |
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KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebo ...more
Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebo ...more
Other books in the series
Thunder Road
(3 books)
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“You’re beautiful,” I say, and the honesty of my words stings. “You’re beautiful inside and out. I like how you challenge me. I like how I can never figure out what you’re going to do or say. I like how we’ve thrown weird shit in your direction and you take it like a pro.”
I cup her face with one hand and caress her soft skin. “I like how you smile and how you laugh. I like how you love and defend your family and I like how you’re trying to love mine. I love how you trust. But mostly, Emily, I like how I feel when I’m around you.”
Shit. My heart bursts as the words tumble out. “I’m falling for you.”
—
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I cup her face with one hand and caress her soft skin. “I like how you smile and how you laugh. I like how you love and defend your family and I like how you’re trying to love mine. I love how you trust. But mostly, Emily, I like how I feel when I’m around you.”
Shit. My heart bursts as the words tumble out. “I’m falling for you.”
“This is your family … If you learn to love us then you will forever have our love in return.”
—
39 likes
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