Long Way Home by Katie McGarry Series: Thunder Road #3
Also in this series: Nowhere but Here
Published by Harlequin Teen on January 31st 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 448
Source: NetGalley, Blog Tour
My content rating: YA (Characters have sex, but it's not shown)
My rating:
Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.
It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.
But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.
Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.
I’m telling you right now, Katie McGarry’s writing is downright addictive. This third book in the Thunder Road Series had me completely captivated from start to finish and there was no way I could put it down. Seriously, this is the type of book that gives my blog its name because I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the story and completely ignoring all those real world things that were calling for my attention. They just had to wait.
What Fed My Addiction:
- Violet and Chevy. It helped a lot that I was invested in the romance between Violet and Chevy from page one—they were featured heavily enough in the first two books in the series that I was already rooting for them before I even picked up the book. And I wasn’t let down. The strong bond between these two characters is palpable, and their love and desire for each other is incredibly intense. Of course, this only makes it that much more painful for them (and for the reader) when they face the possibility of truly irreconcilable differences. I wasn’t sure how Violet and Chevy would get past some of the issues in this book, even knowing how much they loved each other.
- It’s all a matter of perspective. The first two books in the series focused a lot on how people misjudged members of the Terror and misunderstood them. But this book feels a little bit different. Violet’s perspective is more critical of the club and the way that they view the women around them. It’s interesting because her dad raised her to be a lot like him, but within the club there isn’t a lot of room for a girl to show independence and demand respect. She has high expectations about the way she should be treated because of her dad, but she often feels overlooked by the very people who helped raise her to be independent and feisty. I love that Violet never backs down from her desire to be given the respect she deserves, but she also learns that she doesn’t need to completely separate herself from the people who love her in order to get it. And Violet eventually learns that it’s okay to rely on family sometimes, but the men in the Terror learn a thing or two about mutual respect from Violet as well.
- Chevy’s decisions. Poor Chevy was stuck between a rock and a hard place through much of this book—he so wanted to make everyone happy, and it was impossible. I felt for him, and I honestly wasn’t sure what Chevy would choose in the end.
- Page-turning action. This book starts out with a bang and never really lets up. The stakes are incredibly high!
- Major revelation. Something is revealed toward the end of the book that took me completely by surprise and I LOVED it! (I’m so glad I didn’t read anything on Goodreads before I read the book because, for some reason, lots of people spoiled this revelation and I MUCH preferred to be surprised.)
What Left Me Hungry for More:
- Maybe a bit melodramatic at times? I mean, I don’t know, maybe this series is a bit of a guilty pleasure and it can definitely be over the top, but considering how completely sucked in I was, I don’t see how I can take away any stars for that. I wasn’t reading this one for its deep philosophical views on life (though, to be fair, the book did make me think about gender roles and loyalty).
If you’re a McGarry fan, you won’t be disappointed with this installment. With heart-stopping action, swoony romance and complicated characters, this book lived up to every one of my expectations. I give it 5/5 stars!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Inkslinger Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
VIOLET
“You can do this.” I take Brandon’s hand in mine and give a reassuring squeeze. “I know you can.”
Brandon swallows hard, but nods. A combination of nervous energy and pride rushes through my veins as he grasps my hand in return and fists the cash in his other hand. He’s going to face his fears. The lift of my lips is genuine now. My brother believes in himself, and I believe in him and maybe we’re both going to be okay.
Right as Brandon takes a courageous step forward, two black leather vests slip in front of us and staring back at me is a half skull with fire blazing out of its eye sockets.
The world surrounding me turns red, and my blood begins to boil. “There’s a line and you just cut.”
Eli, one of my father’s once best friends, glances over his shoulder and winks at us as he pulls out his wallet. Like always, he has dark hair cut close to his head, plugs in his ears and a huge grin like we should be glad to see him. “I got you covered.”
Fabulous. Here comes the Reign of Terror Motorcycle Club riding in on their black Harleys determined to save the day of people who really need to learn how to save themselves.
“No really, we got this,” I insist.
I try to muscle my way past to pay, but Eli’s right hand man, Pigpen, plants himself in front of me like the towering sack of testosterone and annoyance that he is. Then he’s on the move and I somehow find myself away from the ticket booth.
“Surprised to see you here, Violet.” Pigpen is in his late twenties and thinks he’s all handsome with his blond hair and big muscles. Because he was a Navy SEAL or Army Ranger or something outrageous like that, he also thinks he’s awesome, but he doesn’t impress me. “Surprised you’re here, but happy to see you. You haven’t been at a game all year.”
“I’ve been busy,” I say.
“Is that what you call avoiding anyone from the Terror? Busy?”
“Works for me.”
“Hi, Pigpen!” Brandon is lit up like a firefly who was convinced the rest of his species was extinct. Eli, of course, enjoying the role of savior, has his arm around Brandon’s shoulder as they join us.
“Hey, Stone.” Pigpen calls my brother by the stupid nickname the club created for him. “How’s it going?”
“Good. They bought our tickets, Vi!”
“Yep, they sure did, because little ol’ me couldn’t’ handle the big ol’ ticket booth on my own.” Heavy on the sarcasm and then a hard glare at Eli. “Brandon was going to buy his own ticket.”
Eli rolls his neck like he’s the one who owns the right to be annoyed. “Most people say thank you.”
“You’re missing the point.”
Eli pats my brother’s back. “Why don’t you head in with Pigpen? I’d like to catch up with Violet.”
Brandon bounces like a damn puppy dog given a treat and then rushes off into the stadium, leaving me with Thing Two. And to think my brother called me Vi. The little traitor.
“Pigpen,” I call out. “Don’t leave him.”
I forced my brother to tattle today and while the football game will make him smile, I’m also taking a calculated risk that the people he told on won’t be here. If they are here, I’m betting they won’t mess with Brandon as long as I’m around.
“You worry too much,” Pigpen answers without glancing back.
When it comes to my brother, they don’t worry enough about the right problems.
Eli watches as Brandon and Pigpen go into the stadium. Instead of taking a left for the bleachers, they go right for the concession stand, and I’m contemplating how to stab Pigpen in the jugular. Concession food brings my brother into a near state of euphoria, and because of the crappy day my brother and I had, I wanted to be the one that made him happy with a hot dog, nachos and a slushy.
Motorcycle men around the world, as far as I’m concerned, can just plain suck it.
About the Author:
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, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, NOWHERE BUT HERE, and WALK THE EDGE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.
Katie McGarry’s LONG WAY HOME – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
January 23rd
Aaly and The Books – Review & Excerpt
Angel Reads – Review
Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt
Feed Your Fiction Addiction – Review & Excerpt
Girl Plus Books – Review & Excerpt
Letter Shelves Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt
January 24th
Book Boyfriend Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Ficwishes – Review
Lovin’ Los Libros – Review
MrsLeif’s Two Fangs About It Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Nose Stuck in a Book – Excerpt
Whatever You Can Still Betray – Excerpt
Zach’s YA Reviews – Review & Excerpt
January 25th
Always YA at Heart – Review & Excerpt
Bridget’s Book Bungalow – Review & Excerpt
Friends Till The End Book Blog – Excerpt
Mythical Books – Excerpt
Resch Reads and Reviews – Review
Swoony Boys Podcast – Review & Excerpt
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book Boyfriends – Review & Excerpt
January 26th
A Bookish Escape – Review & Excerpt
Book Sojourner – Review & Excerpt
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Dark Faerie Tales – Review & Excerpt
Guilty Indulgence Book Club – Review
SnoopyDoo’s Book Reviews – Excerpt
January 27th
Bookshelf Adventures – Review & Excerpt
Little Read Riding Hood – Review & Excerpt
Nerdy Soul – Review & Excerpt
Random Book Muses – Review & Excerpt
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium – Excerpt
Writing My Own Fairy Tale – Review & Excerpt
January 28th
Abibliophobia Anonymous Book Reviews – Excerpt
Zili in the Sky – Review & Excerpt
Greyland Reviews – Excerpt
Chasing Faerytales – Review
Brittany’s Book Blog – Excerpt
Dog-Eared Daydreams – Review
Movies, Shows, & Books – Excerpt
January 29th
Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt
BookWorm221 – Review & Excerpt
Confessions of 2 Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
It’s All About the Romance – Excerpt
Milky Way of Books – Review & Excerpt
Waiting For Wentworth – Excerpt
January 30th
Collector of book boyfriends – Review
Latte Nights Reviews – Review
Margie’s Must Reads – Review & Excerpt
Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt
Readers Live A Thousand Lives – Review & Excerpt
So Bookalicious – Review & Excerpt
January 31st
A crazy vermonters book reviews – Review
Desert Divas Book Addiction – Review & Excerpt
Little Bookworm Reviews – Review & Excerpt
What Is That Book About – Excerpt
With Love for Books – Review & Excerpt
The Cover Contessa – Review & Excerpt
February 1st
A Leisure Moment – Review
Book Bite Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Never Judge a Book by its Cover – Review & Excerpt
Pages to Explore – Excerpt
Red Hot + Blue Reads – review & Excerpt
Stuck In Books – Review & Excerpt
February 2nd
Actin’ Up with Books – Review & Excerpt
2 girls who love books – Excerpt
Books, Coffee & Passion – Excerpt
Contagious Reads – Review & Excerpt
Go Read A Book – Review
The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt
The Heart of a Book Blogger – Review
February 3rd
A Gingerly Review – Review & Excerpt
Bookish Hollow – Review & Excerpt
G & T’s Indie Café – Excerpt
Lovely Reads Publishing – Review & Excerpt
Mary Had a Little Book Blog – Excerpt
Vera is Reading – Excerpt
I Heart YA Books – Review & Excerpt
Don’t Miss the First Two Titles in the Thunder Road Series! Grab your copies today!
NOWHERE BUT HERE
WALK THE EDGE
Pre-order LONG WAY HOME by Katie McGarry, and fill out THIS FORM, to receive three previously unreleased bonus scenes featuring important “firsts” in the lives of your favorite characters from the world of Katie McGarry! Complete the form to register your pre-order at https://wyng.com/campaign/820152. Offer Ends 1/31/17 at 11:59pm EST.
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18 responses to “Long Way Home by Katie McGarry – 5 Star Review, Excerpt & Giveaway”
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Thank you so much! ~Jessica, InkSlinger PR
Thanks for the chance to review this one. I’m obviously a fan! 🙂
I am so excited for this book and I love that we were already treated to glimpses of the dynamic between Violet and Chevy, it already has me invested in this story. I’ve found the motorcycle crew angle to be very fascinating and while this book has helped me look away from the stereotypes that come with these communities, their attitude towards the way they view women is still something I’m trying to understand so I’m excited to get that inside look from a woman that’s been raised within this community. There’s something about this series that’s so addictive that I can forgive all the melodrama haha.
That’s exactly how I felt about the motorcycle club—the books helped me understand their perspective a bit more, but I still didn’t agree with a lot of their attitudes and behaviors. So I really found Violet’s POV to be fascinating!
Thanks for sharing the excerpt, and your review!
Glad you liked it!
I hear nothing but good things about this author, and you would think that would compel me to actually pick one of her books up. Not just yet but I will for sure. This sounds like a great read. Thanks for this review!
There are plenty of authors like that for me. SO many good books to read, so it’s impossible to read them all!
Oh. My. Gosh! This sounds amazing! I really need to discover her books! And I agree, sometimes books are melodramatic but that helps add to their addiction, depending upon the events. Fabulous review, Nicole!
Yeah, some books are melodramatic and amazing and some are melodramatic and frustrating. McGarry’s books definitely fall into that first camp for me.
I need to read the Thunder Road books. I haven’t read them yet and your review was so glowing. I’ve loved all the other books I’ve read from Katie!
Oh, you definitely need to pick up this series if you’re a fan of her writing. These won’t let you down!
Great review, Nicole! One of the things that really pulled at my heart with this one was the position Chevy was in – and Violet to an extent. Being forced to choose sides, to question your loyalties. I also loved the representation of family – in all its different forms. The surprise appearance of two characters from the Pushing the Limits series had me so excited and I was amazed at how connections were made and things were tying together. I’m sad to see these series end because I could truly keep reading about these people for a long time. I’d love to see Addison get a story (once that got her out of her home!), and Pigpen, and more of Eli. Instead I’ll just wait and see what Katie does next. 🙂
I was thinking that maybe she’ll write a story about Addison. I’d love to read that. And I totally agree with you about Chevy—he was being torn in so many different directions and my heart broke for him.
This entire series so far as been a bit melodramatic, but I love that about it. It’s like no other YA series I can think of right now and I love that. Each new book that comes out has me buying it because I need my biker club fix. It sounds like Mcgarry once more delivers a fabulously addictive read and I almost forgot that it was being released so thanks for reminding me with this review!
I’m glad I could give you a reminder because you need this book in your life!
Great review! I love Katie McGarry’s books and I want to read this one so bad! 🙂
You definitely need to pick it up!