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

Narrated by 

Marguerite Gavin & Sean Pratt

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home. 

“There’s a reason why people shouldn’t talk at four in the morning. Exhaustion eliminates the ability to lie. It demolishes the ability to tiptoe around the truth. Emotions are too exposed and real. Heightened to the point of explosion.”

This is a beautiful story about family, and the lengths people will go to in order to keep them safe. Emily is unaware of her mother's past, as well as her own, and soon finds herself needing to uncover the truth no matter the consequences. She not only puts herself at risk, but endangers Oz and the new family she has started to care about.

Katie McGarry has always been able to write compelling stories with amazing characters, and Nowhere but Here was everything I wanted it to be. I fell in love with the people in this book, even though their way of life was unfamiliar to me, and likely not something I will ever experience for myself. It was different, and I'm glad I was able to see the world through that perspective. I love that books allow you to view a part of the world that you might not ever see for yourself.

Lying never works. It doesn't work in life, and it doesn't work in books. Lies create problems and make existing issues worse. If Emily's family had been honest with her from the beginning, there would have been a lot less danger and heartache.

I really enjoyed alternating perspectives between Emily and Oz. They are two completely different people, but they were able to see past their differences and find what really matters.