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Pushing the Limits #3.5
Red at Night
In Red at Night, Stella and Jonah are total opposites. She's the girl with purple hair from the wrong part of town. He's a high school senior who hangs with the cool crowd. Until a car accident leaves him haunted by guilt, and Jonah starts spending time at Stella's favorite refuge…the local cemetery.
Stella knows she should keep her distance—after all, she spent her girlhood being bullied by Jonah's friends. Once he's sorted out his tangled emotions, Jonah won't have time for her anymore. Too bad she's already fallen for him….
Stella knows she should keep her distance—after all, she spent her girlhood being bullied by Jonah's friends. Once he's sorted out his tangled emotions, Jonah won't have time for her anymore. Too bad she's already fallen for him….
84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
171 people are currently reading
5931 people want to read
About the author
Katie McGarry
30 books12.8k followersKATIE MCGARRY is an award winning and critically acclaimed novelist of the Witches of the Island series (A Wicked and Beautiful Garden), the Pushing the Limits, Thunder Road, and Only a Breath Apart series and the standalone novel, Say You’ll Remember Me. Katie is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is currently living out her own love story with her husband, three children, her affectionate dog, Rachel, and her very needy cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 574 reviews
April 2, 2014
So, I love this author's Pushing the Limits series...
Stella is a quirky girl with violet hair who has had a rough upbringing and has to make some big decisions about her future.
Jonah has been changed by a tragic experience over the summer and finds happiness hanging out with Stella in the cemetery where they meet.
Stella has suffered her whole academic career being bullied by a creep who happens to be Jonah’s best friend.
Sadly, Jonah would laugh along with Cooper.
Will Jonah step away from his bully of a best friend and make his own path?
Will Stella go to college?
Will these two be more than friends?
Call me creepy, but I liked the cemetery scenes the best. The story had a strong start, a luke warm middle, and a bland ending.
"I know who I want to be and I want you by my side as I become that person."
It's a free read so try it out, you may enjoy it more than I did!
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Harlequin...
Stella is a quirky girl with violet hair who has had a rough upbringing and has to make some big decisions about her future.
Jonah has been changed by a tragic experience over the summer and finds happiness hanging out with Stella in the cemetery where they meet.
Stella has suffered her whole academic career being bullied by a creep who happens to be Jonah’s best friend.
Sadly, Jonah would laugh along with Cooper.
Will Jonah step away from his bully of a best friend and make his own path?
Will Stella go to college?
Will these two be more than friends?
Call me creepy, but I liked the cemetery scenes the best. The story had a strong start, a luke warm middle, and a bland ending.
"I know who I want to be and I want you by my side as I become that person."
It's a free read so try it out, you may enjoy it more than I did!
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Harlequin...
April 10, 2014
2 Mourning Stars.
Okay, so Stella has a bad “family” life and spends her day in the graveyard because is the only constant thing in her life.
Jonah went to a tragic experience and now also spends his days in the graveyard mourning someone he didn’t even knew and trying to find out what to do with his life.
So, they go to the same high-school and Jonah is one of the cool boys that everyone loves. His best-friend spend all their lives making fun of Stella and yet Jonah didn’t recognized her. (We all know how violet hair is hard to notice!!).
But when they start spending their days together in the cemetery, everything between them starts to change.
Well, this was kind of ridiculous. First it was a little hard do believe he didn’t recognize her. After that it was a little jackass of him not to interfere when his friend was pretty mean to her. He would just apologize. Guess no one told him that excuses should be avoided.
And then, then it was all just “meh”. Hard to believe and yet, completely predicable.
Most of the time I was thinking something like this:
But even with the poor storyline, the writing style was amazing and it was extremely well written.
And, oh well, it was a freebie.
Okay, so Stella has a bad “family” life and spends her day in the graveyard because is the only constant thing in her life.
Jonah went to a tragic experience and now also spends his days in the graveyard mourning someone he didn’t even knew and trying to find out what to do with his life.
So, they go to the same high-school and Jonah is one of the cool boys that everyone loves. His best-friend spend all their lives making fun of Stella and yet Jonah didn’t recognized her. (We all know how violet hair is hard to notice!!).
But when they start spending their days together in the cemetery, everything between them starts to change.
Well, this was kind of ridiculous. First it was a little hard do believe he didn’t recognize her. After that it was a little jackass of him not to interfere when his friend was pretty mean to her. He would just apologize. Guess no one told him that excuses should be avoided.
And then, then it was all just “meh”. Hard to believe and yet, completely predicable.
Most of the time I was thinking something like this:
But even with the poor storyline, the writing style was amazing and it was extremely well written.
And, oh well, it was a freebie.
December 7, 2014
I finished the book the day I got my hands on it. Sure, it was short, but that's not the only reason I finished it so quickly.
This book was marvellous. Like this gif
Katie McGarry is quickly making my elite I-love-everything-this-author-writes list [no it's not a list on Goodreads, it exists only in my heart but that's the only place that really matters.
The characters managed to go through an actual change in this book. Of course, I wanted to kick Jonah's butt in the beginning -- WHO WOULDN'T? But slowly you could see him actually learning and progressing and growing as a person, so he eventually got on my good side.
Stella was just a kick-ass hero, she took everything that came at her and handled it and did it while being funny and witty and a good person, her I liked right from the very beginning.
OH! You know who really pissed me off? Joss. I liked her well enough and she had her reasons for being who she was... but... BUT when she was telling Stella how she shouldn't believe in anything and how she should settle and so on, ugh! I wanted to strangle her -- no lie! Who is she to tell someone what they should do with their life?!
But what I liked most about this book? Even though it was a great read, my favourite part of this book was *drum roll please*
The reason why it was written.
You can find some of my favourite quotes here ExLibris Lit
This book was marvellous. Like this gif
Katie McGarry is quickly making my elite I-love-everything-this-author-writes list [no it's not a list on Goodreads, it exists only in my heart but that's the only place that really matters.
The characters managed to go through an actual change in this book. Of course, I wanted to kick Jonah's butt in the beginning -- WHO WOULDN'T? But slowly you could see him actually learning and progressing and growing as a person, so he eventually got on my good side.
Stella was just a kick-ass hero, she took everything that came at her and handled it and did it while being funny and witty and a good person, her I liked right from the very beginning.
OH! You know who really pissed me off? Joss. I liked her well enough and she had her reasons for being who she was... but... BUT when she was telling Stella how she shouldn't believe in anything and how she should settle and so on, ugh! I wanted to strangle her -- no lie! Who is she to tell someone what they should do with their life?!
But what I liked most about this book? Even though it was a great read, my favourite part of this book was *drum roll please*
The reason why it was written.
You can find some of my favourite quotes here ExLibris Lit
July 2, 2014
This is the part where you all glare at this review through your screens because this is the first work I've completely read by Katie McGarry. (I'm going to get an umbrella in case you guys want to virtually throw tomatoes at my face.)
Okay, so, this is probably one of those books where your perspective and interpretation of the book will greatly affect whether you’ll like it or not. Sadly, I’ve interpreted things in a bad way.
Anyway, I thought Red at Night is one of those books where a lesson or two can be learned and realized. The sad thing is, I was basically half-asleep while reading and just wanted to shove forks up the characters' throats for almost the entire book.
"Don't you dare ever hope for more. There's no such thing as living happily ever after or pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. The world is how it is and there always has to be bottom-feeders."
This book put so much negativity and hopeless thoughts inside my brain. All Stella could think about was what a shitty life she had/has. Come on, girl. Everyone has problems, but we also look at the bright side of things, right? I found it really difficult to connect with her because of the bad vibes that just seemed to radiate off her. Also, I thought her character was really weak and she just basically gave up on everything so quickly. Maybe some of you could say Stella's this way because she's a realistic character... I would disagree. There is such a thing as TOO MUCH negativity.
Ah, and I hated how disrespectful she was to the people who were trying to help her. Look at this:
"Know what, if it'll keep you off my back, you do what you need to do and I'll do what I need to do. Until then, stay away from me."
This just makes me really sad. But yes, I know a lot of teens are disrespectful to their elders. This scene really threw me off guard, though.
Jonah was an odd character. I couldn't really understand his intentions or his thoughts all that well. He was a "complex" character whose thoughts and emotions were seriously jumbled up and all over the place. I don't think any of Jonah's actions or words are ever justified. You can't expect me to be okay with this!
So, this book taught me a new formula: 1 toxic/negative girl + 1 confusing guy = a whole lot of angst and a generic love story. Everything about the book just seemed bland. We've seen it all before. Also, nothing/no one's ever given a proper backstory. I understand that this is just a novella with 80-something pages, but I want to know WHY things and people are the way they are.
The writing style was just okay. I didn't get a lot of substance out of it (okay, let's say ZERO feels), but I guess I can see why Katie has a lot of fans. Oh, and I really appreciate how Katie inserts some realistic little life tidbits every now and then (like having that ONE teacher who gives a test on the first day), where I just scream, "I know! That happens to me, too."
I still do want to try out Katie's other works, since I believe that this may be her weakest considering she crammed an entire story into 80+ pages only. Her full-length works are bound to be better, right?
---
Basically:
You're a fan of Katie McGarry? Read this one. Not a fan or haven't read from her? Definitely don't start with this one. Try out something else by the author. That's definitely what I should've done. Now I have a slightly bad impression of the author. Damn my poor judgement of picking what books to read first!
July 28, 2020
this was so sweet!
September 3, 2016
2 - Meh - Stars!
You know how you read something and then you think what was the point in that....That's how I felt when I finished this book. It was short so I knew beforehand it couldn't go into too much detail but still. I hate to give it a bad rating since it was a freebie but I saw too many things that aggravated me.
Stella is a gray eyed loner girl with violet hair who comes from a hard life.
Jonah is one of the "cool" kids and has recently experienced a tragedy that he can't seem to get over.
Stella goes to the cemetery often and sees Jonah there. Jonah at first doesn't recognize her even though they go to school together (I would think purple hair would stand out plus his friend made fun of her but whatevs)
Jonah enjoys spending time at the cemetery with Stella but he still allows his friend Cooper to make fun of her. In fact all her life pretty much Cooper has made fun of her and Jonah stood back saying nothing and even laughed at the jokes he made.
He starts hanging out with her more which only causes Cooper to be a bigger ass. He of course doesn't take up for her until after she reacts. He then apologizes
But Stella doesn't think she fits in Jonah's world. She is worried about getting a job and not planning to go to college. She wants Jonah to move on.
But Jonah has a new outlook on life, he wants to do better and he wants Stella with him every step of the way.
Anyways, I didn't thought it was lacking and I feel the ending was incomplete.
If you want a list of my reasons for not liking please see SPOILER below :)
You know how you read something and then you think what was the point in that....That's how I felt when I finished this book. It was short so I knew beforehand it couldn't go into too much detail but still. I hate to give it a bad rating since it was a freebie but I saw too many things that aggravated me.
Stella is a gray eyed loner girl with violet hair who comes from a hard life.
Jonah is one of the "cool" kids and has recently experienced a tragedy that he can't seem to get over.
Stella goes to the cemetery often and sees Jonah there. Jonah at first doesn't recognize her even though they go to school together (I would think purple hair would stand out plus his friend made fun of her but whatevs)
Jonah enjoys spending time at the cemetery with Stella but he still allows his friend Cooper to make fun of her. In fact all her life pretty much Cooper has made fun of her and Jonah stood back saying nothing and even laughed at the jokes he made.
He starts hanging out with her more which only causes Cooper to be a bigger ass. He of course doesn't take up for her until after she reacts. He then apologizes
But Stella doesn't think she fits in Jonah's world. She is worried about getting a job and not planning to go to college. She wants Jonah to move on.
But Jonah has a new outlook on life, he wants to do better and he wants Stella with him every step of the way.
"Thank you Jonah. For showing me that people can change. Even if its one out of a million."
Anyways, I didn't thought it was lacking and I feel the ending was incomplete.
If you want a list of my reasons for not liking please see SPOILER below :)
September 22, 2024
3 stars
”Her lips flatten into a thin line. “Once we do this, there’s no going back. It’ll end what we have now. By the end of today, you could be running back to Cooper and begging his forgiveness.”
Going back, it’s what I craved for those first few times I visited James Cohen’s grave. But in meeting Stella, I found a way forward. I don’t want what’s between us to end, and the one thing I’m learning is that there’s no going back. “Or I could choose you. Bring it, Stella. Give me your worst.”
This novella was pretty cute. It was a quick read that kept me interested enough to read it in one sitting for my reading goal.
Stella was alright. She really was that quirky I’m-not-like-the-other-girls girl, but honestly not to much that it became annoying. She was bland at times, but alright. Jonah is fricken adorable. I rlly liked his character, even if a bit flat sometimes. I just wish the author didn’t always make him describe Stella as something akin to “she was slight with soft, feminine curves.” (stella is just SO petite, guys)
Anyway, rlly cute and would recommend. Good book to fulfill any reading goal.
”Her lips flatten into a thin line. “Once we do this, there’s no going back. It’ll end what we have now. By the end of today, you could be running back to Cooper and begging his forgiveness.”
Going back, it’s what I craved for those first few times I visited James Cohen’s grave. But in meeting Stella, I found a way forward. I don’t want what’s between us to end, and the one thing I’m learning is that there’s no going back. “Or I could choose you. Bring it, Stella. Give me your worst.”
This novella was pretty cute. It was a quick read that kept me interested enough to read it in one sitting for my reading goal.
Stella was alright. She really was that quirky I’m-not-like-the-other-girls girl, but honestly not to much that it became annoying. She was bland at times, but alright. Jonah is fricken adorable. I rlly liked his character, even if a bit flat sometimes. I just wish the author didn’t always make him describe Stella as something akin to “she was slight with soft, feminine curves.” (stella is just SO petite, guys)
Anyway, rlly cute and would recommend. Good book to fulfill any reading goal.
June 18, 2015
“Do you think people can change?” I ask Rick.
“Yes,” he answers plainly. “There are those who can.”
That grabs my attention. “So you believe it’s possible?”
“Miss Stella .” He gives me his teacher-to -pupil stare. “It boils down to choice.”
Ok fine yeah whatever. BUT at least make me experience the change damn it! Show me instead of telling.
UGH.
I am really waffled between 2 and 3 stars *sigh* I think it's a 2.5 stars. I just cant bring myself to bump it up.
Overall; a cute and light slice of life story. The characters werent overly dramatic and were definitely age appropriate but at the same time they lacked... they lacked something. They werent compelling enough.
I recommend reading this book if you are a fan of Katie McGarry. If you are not this book probably will end up being a bit 'MEH' for you since McGarry is a very VERY formulaic writer. Bıt nevertheless, her fans, including me, eat up her stories cause even thought her books aren't unique at all, she develops her characters really well. They are always so interesting and lovable. However, in this book I dont think Katie had enough time to develop both of the characters. At least realistically.
The number of cliches and bullhits:
-MC has gray eyes.
Why I am not even shocked?
WARNING: MINI GRAY EYES RANT AHEAD:
WHERE ARE ALL THESE GRAY EYED PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE? SERIOUSLY? WHERE?!! FOR ONCE I WANT CHARACTERS TO HAVE BROWN EYES! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH BROWN EYES? I AM SUPER PISSED.
OK. Rant over. You guys are safe. I think.
-Insta love & connection
-Moves way too fast
-Stella is clearly STILL bothered with Jonah letting his friends make fun of her and never saying anything to stop them, yet decides to forgive him suddenly cause you know people can change and it doesnt matter how low they treated you in the past, right?
-Lots and lots of pointless scenes and characters. There were way too many unnecessary things incorporated into the story.
-The reason why Jonah feels guilty. WHAT THE ACTUAL FRAK?!
-Why the frak the stuff about Stella's father and his ex girlfriend was there if there wouldnt be any conclusion about that side story at all?
-Everything is predictable. EVERYTHING.
-The book just ends there? The ending is way too OPEN?
Hey, at least it was free. Or was it? I think. Hmm cant remember. This book was that forgettable, guys!! But Iam sure about one thing; this book was inspired by real-life heroine who created an awesome charity called the Goodie Two Shoes Foundation. Now, that's cool stuff. Why the hell wasnt the book about that?
Want to read
January 17, 2014
And it's freeeeee!
But who knows when it won't be, so preorder it already! You can buy Red at Night on Amazon.
November 18, 2014
A novella, and a short one, at that. Which is a real shame as I get the feeling this could have been more. Strangely, I actually accept the course of their relationship. Sort of, anyway. That's not the problem. The problem is that McGarry takes a lot of shortcuts to get this story complete in so short a space. This is most notable in the stereotypes of all the characters, and particularly the main two. Stella is the street girl done wrong. Jonah the rich boy questioning his privilege. Cooper is the bad guy who persists with being a jerk. And I kept waiting for Karl Marx to drop in for a small class war tutorial just to make sure we got the point.
So yeah, not stellar. Not horrible which makes me wonder if McGarry could have done better with more space... A little nuance would have gone a long way.
So yeah, not stellar. Not horrible which makes me wonder if McGarry could have done better with more space... A little nuance would have gone a long way.
July 2, 2015
I love everything Katie McGarry writes, and this was no exception. Stella broke my heart. What a strong girl to stand alone and remain so determined to get ahead. Jonah represented so many young people who just don't understand - mostly because parents aren't explaining to them. He had to learn some truths the hard way, but he handled it well. Even while not understanding, he was kind and caring, especially to his goofy sister.
I'd say this is a short, excellent, feel good, learning something, romantic story with a great message!
Recommend it to everyone!
I'd say this is a short, excellent, feel good, learning something, romantic story with a great message!
Recommend it to everyone!
April 2, 2014
It amazes me how much Katie McGarry can make me feel in just as little as 87 pages, which usually is where the story really begins for me.
I downloaded this book few hours ago, and I just had to read it today. It's emotional, but sweet short story with some valuable lessons along the way, which ultimately include forgiveness, redemption and some great life changes.
♥♥♥♥♥
“Do you think people can change?” I ask Rick.
“Yes,” he answers plainly. “There are those who can.”
That grabs my attention. “So you believe it’s possible?”
“Miss Stella .” He gives me his teacher-to -pupil stare. “It boils down to choice.”
♥♥♥♥♥
Stella is a girl who grow up in trailer parks and Jonah is a rich guy who hangs out with the popular kids, they met each other in cemetery. Do I need to say more???
♥♥♥♥♥
Stella & Jonah
Amazon freebie 4/1/2014
I downloaded this book few hours ago, and I just had to read it today. It's emotional, but sweet short story with some valuable lessons along the way, which ultimately include forgiveness, redemption and some great life changes.
♥♥♥♥♥
“Do you think people can change?” I ask Rick.
“Yes,” he answers plainly. “There are those who can.”
That grabs my attention. “So you believe it’s possible?”
“Miss Stella .” He gives me his teacher-to -pupil stare. “It boils down to choice.”
♥♥♥♥♥
Stella is a girl who grow up in trailer parks and Jonah is a rich guy who hangs out with the popular kids, they met each other in cemetery. Do I need to say more???
♥♥♥♥♥
Stella & Jonah
Amazon freebie 4/1/2014
April 27, 2014
Currently, this novella is available for FREE!
Rating 4.6
I love the cover for this novella. The title for the novella is very fitting to the story. There is symbolism and reference to the color red throughout the novella. Overall it was another great story by Katie McGarry. It takes place in the Pushing the Limits universe but the characters are new. Mrs. Collins is in the story!
Stella's situation was heartbreaking. Stella is very sweet. Jonah could be frustrating at times because he used to just sit back and let his friend make fun of Stella. Bystanders are just as guilty. Jonah did become a better person and it took one traumatic event and a girl in a cemetery to help elicit that change. Jonah went through some life altering event and everyone one wants Jonah to go back to his old self. He went through a traumatic experience and he is not just going to be all better over night. Jonah realizes as the story progresses that he did not fully like the old "Jonah". In fact, he was ashamed of some of the things did and did and did not do.
I wish that there would have been a epilogue or just a little bit more out of the ending. I wanted to know what Jonah's parents would think of Stella. Would they accept their relationship or be opposed to it? Did his sister continue to see Cooper or did she finally head her brother's advice because I was worried that situation would turn into another Beth/Luke. I wanted to know if Stella continued to live with Joss because that was an unsafe living condition. Those were some lingering questions that I still had at the end.
There is a preview of West's story at the end and it is a really interesting preview that has me really curious about where West is at in Take Me on and where he is headed. I think some of West's story takes place before the end of Crash into You (Crash into You has a time jump at the end).
*More detailed review to come
TEASER 3: Jonah and Stella's first Kiss
This is from Jonah's point of view:
My hand eases from her hip to her face, my thumb brushing against her cheek. Stella leans into me—all soft curves, all feminine, a heat that sparks and smolders at the same time. Her head tilts up as I lower mine and I know the moment our lips touch, any hope I had of returning to my old life will no longer exist.
TEASER 2:
Red at Night will be released on April 1, 2014 and it is currently for FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Harlequin's website.
This preview is from Stella's point of view:
I expect Jonah to release my hand when we get to the office, but instead he joins me. The secretary’s eyes flicker between us, and Jonah says, “I need a few minutes alone before class.”
“Okay,” she answers. “Your parents told us what happened. Why don’t you go into the sick room and lie down. I know Mrs. Collins would be willing to talk with you if you wanted.”
He says nothing to her, but he squeezes my hand. Knowing that this will probably be the last time I’ll be so close to him, I squeeze back. Instead of the smile I was hoping to see in return, Jonah lets go of my fingers and cups my face with both hands.
The heat from his skin radiates into mine and I swear his warmth rushes into my bloodstream. My heart stops as he angles my head to look at him. His thumbs sweep over my cheeks and the air around us crackles.
Crap, I just got dizzy.
“Are you Miss Vaughn?” says a female voice behind me.
Jonah lowers his hands and I slam my fingers onto the counter so that I don’t drop to the floor. Um, am I? “Yes.” That sounded correct.
TEASER 1:
“My grandma used to pick dandelions and rub them under my chin and if my skin turned yellow it meant I was nice.” On the other side of the cemetery, an industrial mower springs to life and happily hums. I pick the largest dandelion of the bunch and hold it out to him. “Come here.”
“Why?”
I shrug. “Because if you don’t you’re going to go home and be ticked because you should have.”
It’s a clear day. Bright blue sky with an occasional fluffy cloud. He takes a particular interest in one that resembles a duck. Obviously he’s going to need more coaxing. “We’re surrounded by a couple hundred dead people. Think there’s someone here who left regret-free? Take a risk and come here. Or are you scared the dandelion will tell on you?”
“Tell what?” He angles himself in my direction now, and I like what I see of his sweet build. He readjusts his baseball cap to expose freshly cut light brown hair, and there’s a sharp ache in my chest when I meet his blue eyes.
I know him. Rather, I know his friends…But his eyes possess the same sadness as old man Rick’s and I have a choice: I can be like this kid and his friends or I can be better…I can be more. That decision is often why I’m here, and if Lydia’s taught me anything it’s that life can be short.
Inhaling deeply, I twirl the flower in my hand, knowing tomorrow I’ll regret this. “Come here and find out.”
This is a short story from Katie McGarry that comes out on April 1st. Currently you can preorder the story for free on Amazon. Red At Night does take place in The Pushing the Limits universe but the main characters are ones that have not been introduced in any of the other books. Katie mentioned that there will be a familiar face in the book so I guess it will be Mrs. Collins :). It takes place at Isaiah's school so I'd love it if he popped up in the book as well. I cover is really lovely. I like how her purple hair on the cover.
Here is what Katie said about the novella:
Red at Night does take place in the Pushing the Limits universe and you'll see a familiar face. Stella and Jonah's story is very special to me and I wrote it to highlight Harlequin's More than Words program.
Here is the exciting news: Red at Night is available on April 1, 2014 as an e-book only and, right now, it is FREE! ~ Katie McGarry
Here is the link to preorder it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Harlequin...
Rating 4.6
I love the cover for this novella. The title for the novella is very fitting to the story. There is symbolism and reference to the color red throughout the novella. Overall it was another great story by Katie McGarry. It takes place in the Pushing the Limits universe but the characters are new. Mrs. Collins is in the story!
Stella's situation was heartbreaking. Stella is very sweet. Jonah could be frustrating at times because he used to just sit back and let his friend make fun of Stella. Bystanders are just as guilty. Jonah did become a better person and it took one traumatic event and a girl in a cemetery to help elicit that change. Jonah went through some life altering event and everyone one wants Jonah to go back to his old self. He went through a traumatic experience and he is not just going to be all better over night. Jonah realizes as the story progresses that he did not fully like the old "Jonah". In fact, he was ashamed of some of the things did and did and did not do.
I wish that there would have been a epilogue or just a little bit more out of the ending. I wanted to know what Jonah's parents would think of Stella. Would they accept their relationship or be opposed to it? Did his sister continue to see Cooper or did she finally head her brother's advice because I was worried that situation would turn into another Beth/Luke. I wanted to know if Stella continued to live with Joss because that was an unsafe living condition. Those were some lingering questions that I still had at the end.
There is a preview of West's story at the end and it is a really interesting preview that has me really curious about where West is at in Take Me on and where he is headed. I think some of West's story takes place before the end of Crash into You (Crash into You has a time jump at the end).
*More detailed review to come
TEASER 3: Jonah and Stella's first Kiss
This is from Jonah's point of view:
My hand eases from her hip to her face, my thumb brushing against her cheek. Stella leans into me—all soft curves, all feminine, a heat that sparks and smolders at the same time. Her head tilts up as I lower mine and I know the moment our lips touch, any hope I had of returning to my old life will no longer exist.
TEASER 2:
Red at Night will be released on April 1, 2014 and it is currently for FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Harlequin's website.
This preview is from Stella's point of view:
I expect Jonah to release my hand when we get to the office, but instead he joins me. The secretary’s eyes flicker between us, and Jonah says, “I need a few minutes alone before class.”
“Okay,” she answers. “Your parents told us what happened. Why don’t you go into the sick room and lie down. I know Mrs. Collins would be willing to talk with you if you wanted.”
He says nothing to her, but he squeezes my hand. Knowing that this will probably be the last time I’ll be so close to him, I squeeze back. Instead of the smile I was hoping to see in return, Jonah lets go of my fingers and cups my face with both hands.
The heat from his skin radiates into mine and I swear his warmth rushes into my bloodstream. My heart stops as he angles my head to look at him. His thumbs sweep over my cheeks and the air around us crackles.
Crap, I just got dizzy.
“Are you Miss Vaughn?” says a female voice behind me.
Jonah lowers his hands and I slam my fingers onto the counter so that I don’t drop to the floor. Um, am I? “Yes.” That sounded correct.
TEASER 1:
“My grandma used to pick dandelions and rub them under my chin and if my skin turned yellow it meant I was nice.” On the other side of the cemetery, an industrial mower springs to life and happily hums. I pick the largest dandelion of the bunch and hold it out to him. “Come here.”
“Why?”
I shrug. “Because if you don’t you’re going to go home and be ticked because you should have.”
It’s a clear day. Bright blue sky with an occasional fluffy cloud. He takes a particular interest in one that resembles a duck. Obviously he’s going to need more coaxing. “We’re surrounded by a couple hundred dead people. Think there’s someone here who left regret-free? Take a risk and come here. Or are you scared the dandelion will tell on you?”
“Tell what?” He angles himself in my direction now, and I like what I see of his sweet build. He readjusts his baseball cap to expose freshly cut light brown hair, and there’s a sharp ache in my chest when I meet his blue eyes.
I know him. Rather, I know his friends…But his eyes possess the same sadness as old man Rick’s and I have a choice: I can be like this kid and his friends or I can be better…I can be more. That decision is often why I’m here, and if Lydia’s taught me anything it’s that life can be short.
Inhaling deeply, I twirl the flower in my hand, knowing tomorrow I’ll regret this. “Come here and find out.”
This is a short story from Katie McGarry that comes out on April 1st. Currently you can preorder the story for free on Amazon. Red At Night does take place in The Pushing the Limits universe but the main characters are ones that have not been introduced in any of the other books. Katie mentioned that there will be a familiar face in the book so I guess it will be Mrs. Collins :). It takes place at Isaiah's school so I'd love it if he popped up in the book as well. I cover is really lovely. I like how her purple hair on the cover.
Here is what Katie said about the novella:
Red at Night does take place in the Pushing the Limits universe and you'll see a familiar face. Stella and Jonah's story is very special to me and I wrote it to highlight Harlequin's More than Words program.
Here is the exciting news: Red at Night is available on April 1, 2014 as an e-book only and, right now, it is FREE! ~ Katie McGarry
Here is the link to preorder it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Harlequin...
April 2, 2014
If you've never read anything by Katie McGarry - this is certainly the book to start with. It's short but captivating, moving and well just the best cute and fluffy fix EVER!
Obviously I love McGarry's writing style and Red at Night did not disappoint at all. In fact it just proven and reestablished everything I love about McGarry's prose.
The story line is essentially rich hot dude falling for the outcast poor gal- kind of a Cinderella story. BUT the realistic version. So well done that even a jaded heart like mine was jumping with joy at the a little dramatic happy moment!
The character building is superb. Slowly we get to know the two MCs their situations and we see them change and embrace the change and their future. It's seriously shockingly well done, not even taking the length of this into consideration.
My biggest complaint? I wish this would have been longer! I wanted more of Josh more or Stella.. I wanna know where their journey takes them- but then again isn't that exactly how novellas are supposed to be? Giving you a quick fix and a lot to think on? Yep, so after many many disappointing novellas finally an author who nailed it! See another reason why you need to read it.
Oh do you need another one? It's for FREE on amazon
An absolute must read for lovers of the genre!
So, what you waiting for? go and read it!
I will try and not sulk to much for having to wait until May 27 for my next McGarry fix (Take Me On), after all I got my awesome freebee fix and there is a sneak peek at the end as well. BUT can I just say - and I will only do so once, I promise- I can't wait for West's novel!
Ok, I am done. you do read. I'll sulk somewhere and stalk Netgalley (a girl can hope after all!)
Obviously I love McGarry's writing style and Red at Night did not disappoint at all. In fact it just proven and reestablished everything I love about McGarry's prose.
The story line is essentially rich hot dude falling for the outcast poor gal- kind of a Cinderella story. BUT the realistic version. So well done that even a jaded heart like mine was jumping with joy at the a little dramatic happy moment!
The character building is superb. Slowly we get to know the two MCs their situations and we see them change and embrace the change and their future. It's seriously shockingly well done, not even taking the length of this into consideration.
My biggest complaint? I wish this would have been longer! I wanted more of Josh more or Stella.. I wanna know where their journey takes them- but then again isn't that exactly how novellas are supposed to be? Giving you a quick fix and a lot to think on? Yep, so after many many disappointing novellas finally an author who nailed it! See another reason why you need to read it.
Oh do you need another one? It's for FREE on amazon
An absolute must read for lovers of the genre!
So, what you waiting for? go and read it!
I will try and not sulk to much for having to wait until May 27 for my next McGarry fix (Take Me On), after all I got my awesome freebee fix and there is a sneak peek at the end as well. BUT can I just say - and I will only do so once, I promise- I can't wait for West's novel!
Ok, I am done. you do read. I'll sulk somewhere and stalk Netgalley (a girl can hope after all!)
May 11, 2014
"Thank you Jonah. For showing me that people can change. Even if its one out of a million."
Here is the thing, even if I think a story is somewhat predictable, if it's beautifully written and captivating, there is a point that I don't even notice anymore. And I was quite surprise to enjoy and get so emotional over this little story, that made me wish it was longer.
We got a girl and a boy, one doesn't fit in school, was constantly mocked and bullied and the other, even if it was the quiet type, quite the popular.
And they meet in one unconventional place, a cemetery,where they can talk and somewhat gives them peace. And now is time to let each other really enter, and change the course of their lives.
So even if it's a short story, is quite a lovely and emotional one. I loved it.
October 20, 2016
*Short review for a short book*
OK, first, how/why does she have purple hair?! Is it natural or does she dye it? If she dyes it, she needs to stop as that is a waste of money, and according to her, she has none. That bothered me more than anything.
I get that novellas are little side stories, but sheesh, you still need to wrap it up and not have pointless things in it. Why have a party, why have her talk about red skies, why included the reporter, why?! I do not get it.
Then we go from hating each other to having sex, 1 to cliche real quick.
OK, first, how/why does she have purple hair?! Is it natural or does she dye it? If she dyes it, she needs to stop as that is a waste of money, and according to her, she has none. That bothered me more than anything.
I get that novellas are little side stories, but sheesh, you still need to wrap it up and not have pointless things in it. Why have a party, why have her talk about red skies, why included the reporter, why?! I do not get it.
Then we go from hating each other to having sex, 1 to cliche real quick.
February 8, 2017
Red at Night is a novella that follows Stella and Jonah. Stella is a loner who hangs out at the cemetery while Jonah was part of the popular crowd until an accident leads him to meet Stella at the cemetery. They start to hand out and even though they're different and Stella has spent her life being mocked by Jonah's best friend, she can't help but like him.
And that's the summary of a novel that accidentally got turned into a novella by cutting out all the character building moments, emotional moments and moments that explain and resolve things.
You see, novella's aren't easy, especially for authors who only write full-length novels. To write a good novella, you must have a story that you know you can properly execute in less than 40,000 words and then actually do it. And introducing characters, letting them get to know each other and develop feeling naturally, introducing a conflict, and resolving the story properly... it takes a lot of effort to fit that in a novella. And Katie McGarry, unfortunately, couldn't do it.
The author wanted to have two protagonists, a jackass best friend, a sister, a guardian, a counselor, parents and other friends. I'm sorry, but that's too many characters and not enough time.
The characters were either generic or undeveloped because there wasn't enough time, the plot was weak because there wasn't enough time for a strong one, the relationship was more about physical attraction and instant connections because an emotion one would need more time, the conflict was very rushed because... well, you get the point.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that most of the problems in this novella could have been solved had the author chosen a simpler plot or just written a novel. Because what we got didn't always make sense.
And then there were the pointless things...
There was no need to add Jonah's sister into the mix, Stella's dad didn't need to be there, the house party was a waste and so was the reporter and I still don't get the purple hair. If all this had been removed, maybe we would've had a better romance, better characters and a better reason as to why Jonah felt guilty and why Stella hangs out with dead people.
The writing was okay and I can see what message the author was trying to convey. She wanted to address how you shouldn't just turn a blind eye when someone does something wrong; that you should speak up. But the thing that Jonah didn't "speak up" against was name-calling. It's hard to take that seriously.
I mean, there was a guy in my class in fifth standard who made up a rhyme to make fun of my name. And do you know what my reaction was? An eye-roll. Similarly, if someone asked me if I got my clothes from Goodwill, I would say something like, 'No, your mother lent them to me'. I would not cry about it.
Overall, everything about this novella was about keeping things short and uncomplicated which made it lack authenticity and emotion. I will check out other books by this author but I recommend skipping this one.
August 4, 2014
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
Katie McGarry is someone whose books are on my auto-buy list. In times when contemporary is not really my think there are always her stories that make me love the genre all over again. Her stories awake all those feelings in me and this one is not an exception.
I always say that writing a short-story is much harder in my opinion. Simply you have less space to express everything and still you must put all you need in it. Red at Night is a story that has all that. It's emotional and beautifully written. You can feel for Stella and cheer for her and at the same time Jonah is someone who will find his way to your heart. You'll be happy to let him, though.
Something really special to me was that despite the fact that this story was rather short still it wasn't insta-love one. I was really pleased to see that and it made me like the story even more. Also in this short story you get to see not only a love story but a story about tough growing up and fighting when you are still too young for that.
All in all, this story was short and sweet. Something you'll enjoy reading this summer. Especially when you find it free on Amazon.
Katie McGarry is someone whose books are on my auto-buy list. In times when contemporary is not really my think there are always her stories that make me love the genre all over again. Her stories awake all those feelings in me and this one is not an exception.
I always say that writing a short-story is much harder in my opinion. Simply you have less space to express everything and still you must put all you need in it. Red at Night is a story that has all that. It's emotional and beautifully written. You can feel for Stella and cheer for her and at the same time Jonah is someone who will find his way to your heart. You'll be happy to let him, though.
Something really special to me was that despite the fact that this story was rather short still it wasn't insta-love one. I was really pleased to see that and it made me like the story even more. Also in this short story you get to see not only a love story but a story about tough growing up and fighting when you are still too young for that.
All in all, this story was short and sweet. Something you'll enjoy reading this summer. Especially when you find it free on Amazon.
April 14, 2014
Love Katie McGarry! I seriously love her writing and story-telling. While this wasn't my favorite by her, Ret at Night provides a short, yet an emotional, humbling story of changes, second chances and an adorable romance. Based on the rating, I'm sure you'd think I wasn't very happy with this novella, but I was. It's obvious we're not going to get all the slow-burn and things happen quite fast, but in all honesty? It's not insta-love either, rather a friends-to-lovers kind of romance between Jonah and Stella. Both had lots of character growth and while I wouldn't have minded a little bit more family stuff with Stella and to see Jonah stand up to his parents in order for them to lay off already, I still very much enjoyed this cute read. If you're a fan of Katie and this series, this free (!!!) novella is most definitely a must read :)
More of my reviews can be found on my blog.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog.
December 18, 2014
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
After reading and thinking Pushing the Limits was kind of stereotypical in a way, with two damaged characters finding love together, I thought I’d give Red at Night a try on the bus home from work. People really rave about Katie McGarry’s books and I am still discovering why.
Red at Night was written incredibly beautifully, and I was impressed with how Stella and Jonah could meet, develop a friendship and then fall in love in over 82 pages without that feeling of insta love. While things did progress rather quickly due to this being a short novella, Katie McGarry proves that creating a build up to the actual relationship without resorting to insta-love isn’t an impossible task.
I am beginning to think her books aren’t for me though, because yet again two damaged characters have found a kinship in one another and they fall in love. There seems to be a lot of drama and pent up emotions with the characters, due to Jonah witnessing someone die and Stella being bullied by him and his friend. While there’s a certain realism and beauty in the writing, I don’t really like the message behind the relationship. As with Pushing the Limits, I felt like love was promoted over friendship and strength in oneself, and it certainly happens again here as Jonah throws away his friendship with Cooper over Stella. Even though Cooper is portrayed as the rotten Player, you just don’t do that to your friends over someone you just met.
Perhaps it’s realistic though, as humans rely on each other to lift themselves up with their partners and support networks being there for them. I kind of wish this was portrayed through family and friendship as well as love though, especially new relationships. From what I’ve read, these characters tend to be stereotypically on the wrong side of the tracks, and seem to not have anyone else except for each other.
Red at Night is a beautiful novella that I enjoyed in its short length. In just a few pages, Katie McGarry manages to convey a depth of emotion and feeling between two troubled characters who find solace in each other. While I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful writing, the concept of these damaged characters being together above all else wasn’t really my thing. It’s a free novella with a lot of substance though, so I think everyone could pick them up to see if you enjoy Katie McGarry’s stories.
After reading and thinking Pushing the Limits was kind of stereotypical in a way, with two damaged characters finding love together, I thought I’d give Red at Night a try on the bus home from work. People really rave about Katie McGarry’s books and I am still discovering why.
Red at Night was written incredibly beautifully, and I was impressed with how Stella and Jonah could meet, develop a friendship and then fall in love in over 82 pages without that feeling of insta love. While things did progress rather quickly due to this being a short novella, Katie McGarry proves that creating a build up to the actual relationship without resorting to insta-love isn’t an impossible task.
I am beginning to think her books aren’t for me though, because yet again two damaged characters have found a kinship in one another and they fall in love. There seems to be a lot of drama and pent up emotions with the characters, due to Jonah witnessing someone die and Stella being bullied by him and his friend. While there’s a certain realism and beauty in the writing, I don’t really like the message behind the relationship. As with Pushing the Limits, I felt like love was promoted over friendship and strength in oneself, and it certainly happens again here as Jonah throws away his friendship with Cooper over Stella. Even though Cooper is portrayed as the rotten Player, you just don’t do that to your friends over someone you just met.
Perhaps it’s realistic though, as humans rely on each other to lift themselves up with their partners and support networks being there for them. I kind of wish this was portrayed through family and friendship as well as love though, especially new relationships. From what I’ve read, these characters tend to be stereotypically on the wrong side of the tracks, and seem to not have anyone else except for each other.
Red at Night is a beautiful novella that I enjoyed in its short length. In just a few pages, Katie McGarry manages to convey a depth of emotion and feeling between two troubled characters who find solace in each other. While I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful writing, the concept of these damaged characters being together above all else wasn’t really my thing. It’s a free novella with a lot of substance though, so I think everyone could pick them up to see if you enjoy Katie McGarry’s stories.
Want to read
January 30, 2014This author gets me. I will read anything she writes at least once. Keep it coming.
to-read-own-bought
April 1, 2014Guys, this is free right now on Amazon as of 4/1/14. (Not an April Fool's Joke!)
Grab, grab!!!! =P
Grab, grab!!!! =P
May 17, 2014
You can find this with many other on my blog:
http://reading-is-dreaming-with-open-...
In this short story Katie McGarry tells us the story of a boy and a girl who are from different circles but still can’t help themselves falling in love with each other after an unexpected meeting in the cemetery.
First, I’m going to write down all the good things from Red at Night, the best thing was that the plot was about real life issues.
Family, moving on, friends, love, sociality, school, college etc.
Bullying was an important topic of this book. Stella was called trash and many other names since forever. From the outside she seems cold like she couldn’t care less but she’s hurting all over. This was an amazing example of how bullied people can seem indifferent but deep down they feel pain even if we can’t see it. Some of us might have hurt someone in our lives before because we thought they don’t care but no one out there can be completely unemotional. I liked how Jonah saw they even if he never said anything bad about Stella, he sometimes laughed and he never stood up for others either, he stood by Cooper and let him get his way.
Other important part of the book is describing how the social differences influence one's life. Stella was from the wrong side of town while Jonah was one of the richest, when they started to hang out the whole school freaked out because ‘trash girl’ and popular Jonah together was unthinkable.
Jonah had a family who’d pay any college he’d attend to while Stella’s 'stepmom' encouraged her to start working because poor and unlucky people will never succeed no matter what teachers say. It’s sad how a clever girl has little chance of going to college even if she worked hard for everything she had.
I can’t help but start to wonder why McGarry didn’t make a complete novel out of this idea because it could have been much better that way. This novella seems like it’s consists of some experts of the real book.
My first problem was that the characters didn’t get to know each other, in one moment they are kind of strangers and in the other Jonah tells us:
“We’ve been meeting at the cemetery nearly every day for the past month.”
So, I guess we’ll never see how they slowly let each other in… fine but pretty please make up for it with some deep feelings in the next pages.
Were there any deep conversations between Jonah and Stella later? Not so much. I wanted to see why did they let the other change them in the first place. It was a rather amazing plot how both of them changed for the better but nobody would reconsider his life for someone he doesn't know enough.
So many questions were left unanswered. What is Stella’s father like? Will Joss really kick her out some day? What will Jonah’s parents think of Stella? Will she have enough courage to try for college? Will Martha and Cooper hook up? Will Cooper and Jonah be enemies?
Favorite characters: -
Least favorite: Cooper, sometimes Stella
The story idea: 4/5
The realization of the story: 3/5
The characters: 3/5
The cover: 3/5
All in all: 3,25/5
http://reading-is-dreaming-with-open-...
In this short story Katie McGarry tells us the story of a boy and a girl who are from different circles but still can’t help themselves falling in love with each other after an unexpected meeting in the cemetery.
First, I’m going to write down all the good things from Red at Night, the best thing was that the plot was about real life issues.
Family, moving on, friends, love, sociality, school, college etc.
Bullying was an important topic of this book. Stella was called trash and many other names since forever. From the outside she seems cold like she couldn’t care less but she’s hurting all over. This was an amazing example of how bullied people can seem indifferent but deep down they feel pain even if we can’t see it. Some of us might have hurt someone in our lives before because we thought they don’t care but no one out there can be completely unemotional. I liked how Jonah saw they even if he never said anything bad about Stella, he sometimes laughed and he never stood up for others either, he stood by Cooper and let him get his way.
Other important part of the book is describing how the social differences influence one's life. Stella was from the wrong side of town while Jonah was one of the richest, when they started to hang out the whole school freaked out because ‘trash girl’ and popular Jonah together was unthinkable.
Jonah had a family who’d pay any college he’d attend to while Stella’s 'stepmom' encouraged her to start working because poor and unlucky people will never succeed no matter what teachers say. It’s sad how a clever girl has little chance of going to college even if she worked hard for everything she had.
I can’t help but start to wonder why McGarry didn’t make a complete novel out of this idea because it could have been much better that way. This novella seems like it’s consists of some experts of the real book.
My first problem was that the characters didn’t get to know each other, in one moment they are kind of strangers and in the other Jonah tells us:
“We’ve been meeting at the cemetery nearly every day for the past month.”
So, I guess we’ll never see how they slowly let each other in… fine but pretty please make up for it with some deep feelings in the next pages.
Were there any deep conversations between Jonah and Stella later? Not so much. I wanted to see why did they let the other change them in the first place. It was a rather amazing plot how both of them changed for the better but nobody would reconsider his life for someone he doesn't know enough.
So many questions were left unanswered. What is Stella’s father like? Will Joss really kick her out some day? What will Jonah’s parents think of Stella? Will she have enough courage to try for college? Will Martha and Cooper hook up? Will Cooper and Jonah be enemies?
Favorite characters: -
Least favorite: Cooper, sometimes Stella
The story idea: 4/5
The realization of the story: 3/5
The characters: 3/5
The cover: 3/5
All in all: 3,25/5
April 17, 2014
I hated this book. I have made it through almost twenty-five years of living without ever REALLY crying over a book. This book killed that streak. Ugly crying and tissues were involved. But, aside from that, I actually LOVED this book.
Katie McGarry never ceases to amaze me. Her books are always so emotional and heart touching. She really knows how to latch on to her readers emotions and draw them into her stories and Red at Night is no exception.
Although this is a short novella, it reads like an entire book. You learn so much about the two main characters, Stella and Jonah, and I got so connected that once to book ended I found myself scrolling my kindle screen hoping there was more.
Stella is adorable, sweet and damaged. She has been through so much and has never had anyone to fall back on or rely on. I connected with her on an extremely personal level and I wish more characters were like that for me.
Jonah was the jerky high school guy who laughs at other people. Now he is damaged too and it has changed him. But Stella put him over the edge and helped him complete his transformation.
Two damaged people who end up better people because of the bad things that have happened in their lives. This might seem unlikely but trauma is one of those things that really does change people
Joss made me conflicted. She should have wanted more for herself and she shouldn't have pulled Stella down with her. You should never tell a child that they should never want for more.
I really hope to hear more about these two characters. There is still so much left untold about Stella and Jonah. I would to either see another novella or a full blown book about them.
I am currently trying to get my hands on a copy Crash Into You so that I can finally read Dare You To without having to wait for the next book.
Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.
This novella is currently FREE for both Kindle and Nook. Below are the links for both.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-a...
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Harlequin...
Katie McGarry never ceases to amaze me. Her books are always so emotional and heart touching. She really knows how to latch on to her readers emotions and draw them into her stories and Red at Night is no exception.
Although this is a short novella, it reads like an entire book. You learn so much about the two main characters, Stella and Jonah, and I got so connected that once to book ended I found myself scrolling my kindle screen hoping there was more.
Stella is adorable, sweet and damaged. She has been through so much and has never had anyone to fall back on or rely on. I connected with her on an extremely personal level and I wish more characters were like that for me.
Jonah was the jerky high school guy who laughs at other people. Now he is damaged too and it has changed him. But Stella put him over the edge and helped him complete his transformation.
Two damaged people who end up better people because of the bad things that have happened in their lives. This might seem unlikely but trauma is one of those things that really does change people
Joss made me conflicted. She should have wanted more for herself and she shouldn't have pulled Stella down with her. You should never tell a child that they should never want for more.
I really hope to hear more about these two characters. There is still so much left untold about Stella and Jonah. I would to either see another novella or a full blown book about them.
I am currently trying to get my hands on a copy Crash Into You so that I can finally read Dare You To without having to wait for the next book.
Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.
This novella is currently FREE for both Kindle and Nook. Below are the links for both.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-a...
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Harlequin...
April 21, 2014
Red At Night Review on K-Books
"It changed me. You... changed me."
Naturally as soon as I heard about this novella from Katie McGarry I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I have been an enormous fan of Katie McGarry since I got an ARC of her debut novel Pushing the Limits. I fell head over heels in love with the book, and her writing. To date I have read every single thing she has published and each book I devoured in one sitting. I adore her. Red At Night was no different. This short novella set in the same universe as the phenomenal Pushing the Limits series it has everything you have come to expect from a Katie McGarry book.
Stella doesn't know what to do when popular guy Jonah started showing interest in her. Matched in an unlikely friendship sparks start to fly but Stella knows one thing. Love doesn't exist and letting people in only means getting hurt. Can Jonah convince her to give love a chance before she destroys the one true thing in her life?
I loved Red At Night. It's perfect if you're looking for a short one-sit read. Katie once again drags you in with her addictive writing style. I was sucked into the storyline of Stella and Jonah. It didn't take long for me to empathise with Stella. She has had such an awful life so far and all I wanted was for her to have her happy ending. Jonah is super sweet and what I love most about it is that he's not perfect. He makes mistakes and learns from them. That's what I love about Katie McGarry boys. They aren't perfect they prove that they are human.
Red At Night is a must-read for any Katie McGarry fan. It's set in the same world as our favourite series and we even get a glimpse of the awesome Mrs Collins. Red At Night was everything I wanted from a Katie McGarry book and it's just made me more excited for her next novel.
"I know who I want to be and I want you by my side as I become that person."
"It changed me. You... changed me."
Naturally as soon as I heard about this novella from Katie McGarry I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I have been an enormous fan of Katie McGarry since I got an ARC of her debut novel Pushing the Limits. I fell head over heels in love with the book, and her writing. To date I have read every single thing she has published and each book I devoured in one sitting. I adore her. Red At Night was no different. This short novella set in the same universe as the phenomenal Pushing the Limits series it has everything you have come to expect from a Katie McGarry book.
Stella doesn't know what to do when popular guy Jonah started showing interest in her. Matched in an unlikely friendship sparks start to fly but Stella knows one thing. Love doesn't exist and letting people in only means getting hurt. Can Jonah convince her to give love a chance before she destroys the one true thing in her life?
I loved Red At Night. It's perfect if you're looking for a short one-sit read. Katie once again drags you in with her addictive writing style. I was sucked into the storyline of Stella and Jonah. It didn't take long for me to empathise with Stella. She has had such an awful life so far and all I wanted was for her to have her happy ending. Jonah is super sweet and what I love most about it is that he's not perfect. He makes mistakes and learns from them. That's what I love about Katie McGarry boys. They aren't perfect they prove that they are human.
Red At Night is a must-read for any Katie McGarry fan. It's set in the same world as our favourite series and we even get a glimpse of the awesome Mrs Collins. Red At Night was everything I wanted from a Katie McGarry book and it's just made me more excited for her next novel.
"I know who I want to be and I want you by my side as I become that person."
April 9, 2014
In this freebie short story, Katie McGarry injects her sweet, melodic writing with a heady dose of angst. Stella is an outsider who enjoys spending time in cemeteries. As morbid as that sounds, she finds a certain sense of peace she is unable to find anywhere else.
Jonah, a far more popular guy at school, meets Stella at the cemetery and at first it starts off as awkward. Stella comes across as slightly crazy and it definitely intrigued me as a reader. I suddenly wanted to know more about her and why she was acting this way. Joanh’s friends, however, don’t want anything to do with Trash Can girl so Jonah and Stella keep their meetings a secret.
I’ve been a fan of McGarry’s writing ever since Pushing the Limits came out and I strongly believe that McGarry is one of those authors that continually put out good stories. Each of her characters are intriguing, making readers want to understand them and learn what those secrets are.
Jonah feels a sense of helplessness that I don’t think many people could say they’ve experienced before. However, McGarry makes it relatable to readers. Similarly, Stella comes off as a very weird character at first, but as you read you begin to understand her more and learn to love her like Jonah does.
If you’ve been thinking about trying some of Katie McGarry’s writing, I believe that RED AT NIGHT is a great one to start with.
October 11, 2014
Red at Night is another highly enjoyable story by Katie McGarry, with a great message at its core. The Pushing the Limits series has characters that come from all walks of life - whether it's foster kids, a girl from a troubled home, or a guy and girl who seemingly come from the perfect family. In Red at Night, Stella is the kooky girl at school who hangs out at the cemetery because it provides the only constant in her tumultuous life. She's been bounced around a lot, her father flitting in and out of her life, and she doesn't even know who her mother is. She feels trapped in this life, and unworthy of things like college. Jonah, on the other hand, is the popular, golden boy at school who everyone loves, but he's friends with people who have bullied Stella in the past. He has a hard time standing up for those who deserve it most, including Stella. As the two grow closer together, forming a strong friendship and desiring more, they are also able to overcome their fears and inadequacies. I did feel as if Stella was a little too out there in the beginning; I kept wanting to give her the side eye. But overall, Red at Night a sweet love story with a happy ending, and I can never refuse those.
This review can also be found at Love at First Page.
This review can also be found at Love at First Page.
May 4, 2014
83 pages that feel like a full length book.
This is the first time I've read a book by this author and I have to say I was surprised, it's a short, quick read but it has the depth and full bodied characters we associate with a full length book.
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect at first but it soon grew on me I loved Johan and Stella. Stella is the girl that has been dealt a really rotten hand, she's living with her dad's ex-girlfriend who's a stripper, she's dirt poor and bullied at school. Johan is the opposite he comes from a loving family, rich and popular, oh yes and it's his friend that's doing the bullying. These are two people that would never normally spend any real time together but this is not a normal time, certainly not for Johan anyway so they do spend time together and things will never be the same again.
As I've said I really enjoyed this book but, and I know it's free but it would have been nice to have more, how did his family and friends react, what about her dad, what about Joss.
Why 4 stars and not 5, well it had bits I didn't like but difficult to give examples without giving something away, a couple of things really early on, how could he not recognise her when she has purple hair and if she's so poor she's eating out of date food how can she afford the hair dye, minor things I know but they bugged me a bit.
This is the first time I've read a book by this author and I have to say I was surprised, it's a short, quick read but it has the depth and full bodied characters we associate with a full length book.
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect at first but it soon grew on me I loved Johan and Stella. Stella is the girl that has been dealt a really rotten hand, she's living with her dad's ex-girlfriend who's a stripper, she's dirt poor and bullied at school. Johan is the opposite he comes from a loving family, rich and popular, oh yes and it's his friend that's doing the bullying. These are two people that would never normally spend any real time together but this is not a normal time, certainly not for Johan anyway so they do spend time together and things will never be the same again.
As I've said I really enjoyed this book but, and I know it's free but it would have been nice to have more, how did his family and friends react, what about her dad, what about Joss.
Why 4 stars and not 5, well it had bits I didn't like but difficult to give examples without giving something away, a couple of things really early on, how could he not recognise her when she has purple hair and if she's so poor she's eating out of date food how can she afford the hair dye, minor things I know but they bugged me a bit.
February 27, 2015
My Thoughts: I liked this one but I had trouble reading it. It dealt with getting over issues and the characters hung out at the cemetery a lot and talked about death a lot (a touchy subject for me right now).
We are introduced to Stella and Jonah who are complete opposites. Stella is the girl people make fun of. Jonah is popular. Both of them have their secrets and problems in their lives. I instantly got where Stella was coming from on most of what she said and felt. Jonah also had a lot of inner secrets he had to work through.
Both of them together was good. I don’t know if their connection will last but I enjoyed this short novella. It was a very fast read for me.
I’m glad on how things ended up. I’m glad they were both able to connect to each other and help each other work through stuff.
Overall: I liked it. Very quick read so there wasn't a whole lot of depth but there was enough to make it cute and good. Probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating!
Cover: Like it. Its red and romantic!
What I'd Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
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Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
We are introduced to Stella and Jonah who are complete opposites. Stella is the girl people make fun of. Jonah is popular. Both of them have their secrets and problems in their lives. I instantly got where Stella was coming from on most of what she said and felt. Jonah also had a lot of inner secrets he had to work through.
Both of them together was good. I don’t know if their connection will last but I enjoyed this short novella. It was a very fast read for me.
I’m glad on how things ended up. I’m glad they were both able to connect to each other and help each other work through stuff.
Overall: I liked it. Very quick read so there wasn't a whole lot of depth but there was enough to make it cute and good. Probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating!
Cover: Like it. Its red and romantic!
What I'd Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
_____________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
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