Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Published by Harlequin Teen on November 26th, 2013
Pages: 474
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.
We are huge Katie McGarry fangirls here at Swoony Boys Podcast. So when Kismet Tours offered us the chance to be part of the Crash Into You tour we were beyond excited! What made it even better was the fact that we were given the opportunity to do a character interview with Isaiah.
There are no words for this boy, you guys. Seriously. Many of you know that in our group of book friends we have a spreadsheet which houses which book boys belong to who. We are each allowed two exclusive boys, meaning we don’t have to share them with anyone. Meg was so into Isaiah at the end of Crash Into You that he took over one of her spots on the spreadsheet. That’s right, swooners. He’s taken.
We are beyond grateful to Isaiah (and Katie McGarry) for dropping by so that you can get to know him better! Make sure you come back closer to publication date to see our full review. Until then, let’s chat…
***INTERVIEW***
My advice is to find a goal and to keep going for it. I love cars and have always known that I wanted to work on them. I set my sights on my certification and a job working on the fastest cars on the planet. It’s not always easy to keep going forward, but it’s better than the alternative of giving up.
It’s up to Rachel if she wants a tattoo. She loves mine, but I’m not sure she’s the type to mark her body that way. I plan on getting a single flame for Rachel. It’s a symbol that means a lot to both of us. If she ever got one, I bet that would be it.
First off, Rachel’s gorgeous. All that long blond hair and those big blue eyes. Plus she has a smile that owns me. But what really drew me to her was how brave she was that first night we met at the street race and how she risked everything to save me. I don’t come across people like that often. Rachel is one of a kind.
One of my best memories was first meeting him. He came into my foster parents’ house with a duffle bag of his stuff. Shirley and Dale told him he could have the bedroom upstairs. After laying down the rules of the house, they ditched us for the trailer down at the lake, leaving me and Noah alone in the kitchen.
Noah leaned back against the kitchen table and sized me up, which was fine, because I was searching for his physical weaknesses as well.
“Where do you sleep?” Noah asked.
“Basement,” I said. “Just like you. Shirley’s niece, Beth, gets the bedroom.”
Noah nodded like he got it even though no one had mentioned Beth’s comings and goings. “What’s it like here?”
“They fight, but they don’t throw punches.”
He nodded again and surveyed the kitchen. “Want to play some ball?”
I shrugged my shoulders as a yeah and the two of us have been tight since. I liked that he came in understanding the score and he didn’t try to change the rhythm. But that’s Noah for you. The guy can assess a situation and people better than anyone I know.
It takes a lot for me to trust someone. I’ve been burned too many times by too many people. A lot of people think that they keep their word, but they don’t. They wholeheartedly mean what they say as they are saying it, but when things get tough, when staying true to their word means a little pain for them or a road that’s not easy, they bail.
In order for me to trust someone, they have to mean what they say and then follow it up with action. Once that bond is created, there’s nothing I won’t do for them—nothing.
***The Swoony 5***
(These are the five questions we ask all our swoony boys!)
Boxers.
Rachel says I’m a good kisser, does that count?
Best kiss I’ve had is with Rachel—without a doubt. Rachel can be timid and shy, but when she goes for something, she puts her whole heart into it. I’ve never met anyone like her.
Each time I think of touching her smooth skin and how her fingernails tickle the back of my neck whenever she wraps her arms around me, I about lose my mind. Kissing Rachel is like nothing I’ve experienced before.
Oddly enough, I’m more of a poetry guy. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost— that’s my favorite.
I brought Rachel breakfast on our first “official” date. I met her before her school day began and brought a sack full of food from Noah’s work. She had a bagel with cream cheese and I had a breakfast sandwich with a ton of meat. I bet she’s make something like that.
The best part was the kissing. I’m not as concerned with her bringing me food as I am about the kissing.
I don’t understand what makes girls crazy about a guy, but Rachel says she likes my tattoos and earrings. Owning a Mustang doesn’t hurt.
***About Katie McGarry***
Katie 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 the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel.
Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. The most memorable moments for Katie are when she speaks to groups of teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach. Katie would love to hear from her readers.
***GIVEAWAY***
Be sure to check out the other stops on the Tour:
- November 5 – Fiktshun
- November 7 – Swoony Boys Podcast
- November 12 – Bewitched Bookworms
- November 13 – Harlequin Blog
- November 14 – Xpresso Reads
- November 19 – Supernatural Snark
- November 21 – Paper Riot
Thank you so much for hosting the blog tour. I just loved being in Isaiah’s mind again!
Katie, Thank YOU so much for being in Isaiah’s mind for the interview! We had such a good time! <3
Loved this interview with Isaiah!! My favorite answer was definitely his memory of Noah!! I just love those boys so much!! If I could ask him anything…. I’d probably bust something major in my car and then ask him if he could come over and fix it. 😉 I absolutely love Katie McGarry. Her books never disappointment– her characters have an insane amount of depth and I can’t get enough of them! As for Isaiah— “muscular like a jaguar”…. does anything more need to be said?? hahaha
Great interview! I loved reading how the boys met and can’t wait to see what the meaning behind the single flame is.
I am absolutely in love with the cover. The tire track tattoo on his arm is such an amazing detail. I am hoping it matches up with the book!
I can not wait to read about Isaiah! I just know he will win my heart over!
I love the quotes and the interview! Can’t wait to read it!
LOVE Isaiah’s little scene with Noah!! They’re such awesome friends, and I’m sure Noah will be happy to see Isaiah in love with an awesome girl:)
Katie McGarry is one of the best contemporary authors 🙂
Thank you:)
I loved this interview!!! I cannot wait to read this book
I love her books because not only does she write amazing love stories but also about how teenagers solve their.problems. I cant wait to read isaia’s story!
I loved the interview. Can’t wait to read the book!
Oh how I loved Ryan Stone, you’re telling me I’ll love Isaiah more? Can’t wait to read it then.
Awesome interview and giveaway!! Isaiah is totally a boy to swoon over. <3
looks and sounds fantastsic! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks so much for the interview!!! I just finished reading this book myself and loved it!! Isaiah is my favorite swoony boy so far. I enjoyed the others, but they don’t hold a candle to Isaiah!
Thanks for the Interview! I just love Isaiah, he’s possibly my favorite character in the series.
Can’t wait to read this book!
Fun interview answers
I’ve only read Dare You To and I loved that there were two broken characters who healed one another.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the interview and this series. I love how Katie McGarry makes you realize that appearance isn’t everything and that people around you at school might be into trouble that you don’t even realize.
Excellent interview!! I absolutely love this series. SO MUCH!!! So eager for the next installment 🙂
Katie’s books are seriously amazing. Her characters are so well developed (I have a soft spot for Noah) and the romance is sizzling. She is an amazing writer and I absolutely cannot wait for Crash Into You. Thanks for the giveaway!
I LOVE THIS SERIES SO SO MUCH. I CAN’T WAIT TO READ ABOUT ISAIAH. <3
HOW does Katie McGarry always manage to write such ridiculously swoony guys?! Of course I love his kiss answer 🙂
Haha! Boxers or briefs! I’ll have to look at some older interviews to see what other swoony boys have said! 😉
Hahaha! There are some great answers to this question.
I have not had the chance to read this book, but I would love too. I have heard so many great things about these books. So I cant wait till I get a chance to read them, and see what this Isaiah character is all about.
Oh I love to read about Isaiah <– totally swoon worthy right there. I've noticed about him back in Pushing the Limit. So glad that there's a book about him =)
And about the interview, it made me laugh. Really funny =D
Thanks for the giveaway.
Sigh, there isn’t anything that Katie McGarry writes that I don’t love. And I love this interview. Wonderful! xxxxxxx
I love Katie’s books! One of the few contemporaries I read.
I love Katie’s books!!!! I want to win this book so bad!!!
Katie’s books are just so straight forward with today young adult’s issues. She addresses them and gives them possible solutions.
I only just started Pushing The Limits and I already love Noah!! I can’t wait to continue the series!!
The release date is coming soon! Aaah! I can’t wait. Must have it soon.
Oh. My. Goodness. Isaiah is beyond swoon worthy – though all of Katie’s characters have been. He sounds perfectly perfect! I definitely cannot wait until I get to read his story with Rachel – I felt so bad for him at the end of Dare You To. I mean, I get it, but still. I just knew he was crushed.
Swoon. Loved the interview. Love Isaiah. Can’t wait to read his story.