Rush

by Maya Banks

Published by: Berkley

Heather’s Rating: 

Gabe, Jace, and Ash: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Gabe, it’s making one particular fantasy come true with a woman who was forbidden fruit. Now she’s ripe for the picking…

When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.

Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s fourteen years older? Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.

As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed—and vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.

Book Savvy Babe’s Review:

More and more authors are writing books in the contemporary erotic romance genre that feature wealthy, dominant men, but not all the books are a success.  Maya Banks’ new Rush is definitely a success.  Rush does feature the wealthy, dominant male, but the story is fresh and has qualities that make the book a stand-out, memorable read.  The characters strengths and weaknesses are believable and understandable, the quality of the writing is excellent, and I am eager to read the next books in the series.

Gabe Hamilton is a very successful, very wealthy businessman who has had his eye on his best friend’s sister for years.  Due to a 14 year age difference, Gabe has kept his distance from Mia, but when Mia is all grown up and the opportunity arises, Gabe acts on his feelings.  He draws Mia in, pushing her limits both emotionally and sexually, completely changes her life, all while keeping their relationship hidden from her big brother.  As their relationship progresses, Mia gets under Gabe’s skin more than he thought anyone could.  The threat of discovery and Gabe’s unexpected reactions to Mia threaten to end their relationship for good.

I really enjoyed this story line.  I love that there are three main men to this series.  Rush is Gabe’s story, and future stories will feature Jace and Ash, Gabe’s business partners and best friends.  The three of them each have their own issues, hang ups, kinks, and story.  I am intrigued by each of them.  For the most part, I really liked Gabe.  Gabe is a grown adult, almost 40 years old.  He has life experiences that made him into the person and successful businessman he is.  Despite being a successful adult, he still managed to act like a jerk to Mia several times.  He was so focused on what he did and did not want that Mia wound up being hurt because of it.  I did like how he encouraged Mia to open up and try new things, and the heat between them makes for some very steamy reading.  Gabe encouraged Mia to be more, to work harder, to take better care of herself.  I like Gabe well enough, he does become a better person through the book and because of Mia, but he is not my favorite dominant protagonist ever.

As for Mia, I really like her as a character.  I felt for her when she was pretty much blindsided by Gabe, his expectations and unpredictable actions.  The only thing I did not really like about Mia was that she hardly ever stood up for herself.  She did try to put some of her own rules in place for their relationship, but she let Gabe off the hook, a lot.  Mia felt like a passive character through most of the book, and I would have liked to see her handle Gabe more firmly at times.  When she finally did stand up for herself, I was really proud of her.

The characters are not perfect characters, but I love them for not being perfect.  No person is ever perfect, so I like reading characters who are relatable.  Rush is a very well-written book, the characters very developed, future story lines are put in place.  I love that this Breathless series is not based on one relationship.  Gabe and Mia’s story is told in Rush, and the next books will feature other characters.  Jace and Ash have an interesting dynamic going on between them and I can not wait to see what comes next for them.

Rush is a stand-out book in its genre with a well-written, believable story line, relatable characters, and plenty of heat to keep readers engaged in the story.  I feel like Rush is a cross between the Bared to You or Fifty Shades series and the Wicked Lovers series by Shayla Black.  These books are all in a class of their own, and there is so much promise for the Breathless series.  Readers, if you enjoy contemporary erotic romance, I highly recommend giving Rush a try.

Rush releases February 5, 2013