First off I want to give a huge huge thank you to the amazing people over at Forever Romance and Sullivan & Partners. Ya'll know how to treat us bloggers so well, and I can't thank you enough for all not only sending out review copies of your books, but for all the questions you put up with me asking.
ya'll are serious rock stars :)
And I can't say it enough, thanks for sending me this beauty in particular. I was so excited when I got the email about it, and flew through the book. Even my silly cat Mo couldn't keep her paws off Hayden and Kenzie hehe ;)
Mackenzie Cox has a lot to prove. Daughter of a racing legend, she is eager to show the world that she has inherited her father's talent in the male-dominated sport of professional motorcycle racing. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonized by her rival team's newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Plucked from the world of illegal street racing, Hayden immediately gets under Kenzie's skin. His insinuations that Kenzie is a spoiled princess who was handed her career fuels her desire to win, and much to her surprise, Kenzie soon learns she performs better when she's racing against Hayden.
As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense--and strictly forbidden--attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie always does her best to play by the rules, but when her team slips into a financial crisis, she has no choice but to turn to Hayden for help. The tension simmers during their secret, late-night rendezvous, but Kenzie has too much to lose to give in to her desires. Especially when she begins to doubt that Hayden has completely left his street life behind...
AVAILABLE AUGUST 23, 2016
So let's get this thing started shall we?
I absolutely FLOVED this book!!!
I mean like seriously fell in love with it. I haven't had the opportunity to read any of S.C. Stephens other books yet, but they are on order from Amazon and slowly making they're way to me (Used books from 3rd party vendors take forever sometimes) but I have a feeling when I get around to reading them I'm going to be in a predicament. Because I absolutely loved Hayden Hayes, but everyone has told me that Kellan Kyle from S.C's Thoughtless series is pretty much the ultimate book boyfriend.
But anyways, I guess I'll update you on how my poor heart is doing once I finally crack open Kellan's books haha ;)
But back To Furious Rush...
So obviously this book is about motorcycle racing. Which tosses it into that sports romance genre (Which is one my favorites by the way)
So of course you give me a sports romance with motorcycle racing none the less, and I practically fell in love from page one.
I'm from the south, born and raised in Florida and been living in Georgia for several years now... So any sort of auto type racing is pretty much ingrained in my soul to love. You watch some form of racing every weekend, at least that was how it was growing up. And that only grew when I moved to Georgia a mere messily minutes from Atlanta Motor Speedway. Were talking especially in the summer time, some form of racing every Thursday and Friday. And possibly weekends some weeks. (I recently moved about 45 minutes south of the track now, so I don't deal with the NASCAR traffic and craziness first hand, but it's still fun to go and enjoy the antics as a spectator.
And as much fun as all those car races are I'm pretty sure motorcycle racing is by far the coolest. There is this air of danger involved. The riders go insane speeds with not much for protection except for a helmet and a layer of leather, Plus when those riders make their turns, you're talking like centimeters away from the ground to them where their bikes are leaning so far over.
It's pretty amazing to watch, and was even more exciting to read about.
S.C. Stephens did such a good job at explaining everything, and it made it so easy to visualize it all. I mean we're talking like full HD movie going on in my head. And I love it when authors can create that good of a picture with their details and explanations.
Also I want to take a quick moment to just talk about the tension in this book. I mean we are talking Ghost Pepper hot *fans self
There was just so much build up in this book and I literally got to a point where I didn't care what happened as long as something happened, good or bad.
Like I was ready for Kenzie and Hayden to kiss, or her run him over with her bike, slap, sleep with, SOMETHING!!!
But I think that tension being drawn out as long as it did was actually a good thing. It made it when something finally did happen that much better. I won't give details because I don't want to spoil anything, but I will tell you that I almost had a break down during this one. I had to really fight myself not to start flipping pages to find out what was going to happen. I was DYING waiting. I have tendencies to skim to the end of sentences every now and then, but I had to pretty much physically keep myself from jumping chapter until all that tension was resolved somehow.
But take my impatience as a bad thing. I know some people assume when you get antsy about things like that it means you were bored or just wanted to hurry through. But that isn't the case with this. I wanted the whole story, every little part. But I just wanted to know what was gonna happen between Kenzie and Hayden more. If that makes sense.
Pretty much be ready for a hurricane of OMG's and Please Pleas Please's hehe.
I guess I should get on to the characters now huh?
Let's start with Kenzie.
I want to BE her when I grow up hehe.
She is just one of those characters that you just bond with. (*gasp I know... I actually like a female character. Settle down ya'll. It's been happening a lot more frequently lately haha)
Kenzie is so fierce and so strong though. As one of the only females in motorcycle racers she gets a lot of shade. But the thing I love is that she just let's it kinda roll off. I mean she is under this insane amount of pressure and it keeps her strung pretty tight. But I think that her knowing she has a lot to prove helps some. It keeps her focused and always at the top of her game. And when Hayden worms his way into her life he just makes her that much better.
I don't think I've ever read about a character who grows as much as Kenzie did with the addition of the male protagonist.
She lets Hayden push her to her limits and in turn it helps both of them to be better racers and to build this unexpected and forbidden friendship of sorts.
And it isn't just Kenzie's skills that impressed me. It was her drive. She not only has something to prove, but has a reason for proving it, to help keep her family business alive. I respect characters like her I think. Even though she comes from this big in the industry racing family, she's worked for everything she has. Nothing is just given to her because of her last name. And I think that is such a good trait for fictional character or not to have.
I think another reason I like Kenzie so much, is because she's a character I can relate to.
She has this huge responsibility to her family and risks a lot to try to help them and support them. And especially lately I know that feeling. I've always been one of those people to drop everything to help my family, more lately then before. And I've sacrificed a lot to be there. And done things I'm not necessarily sure was the right thing to do to make sure I could help and be there. And while I know Kenzie isn't real, she gave me something to grab on to. (It's probably weird that I can get comfort from a story like this, but Kenzie just spoke tome and I spent a majority of the book going "I get it girl. I really do")
I'm so happy that S.C. gave us this amazing character. I think ya'll will seriously love her, and spend a majority of the book rooting for her.
So on to Hayden. *Smiles like a total creeper
I LOVED this boy. I told you earlier that I know I'm gonna have a serious complex when I get to reading about Kellan. And that's because Hayden is just so amazing I just cant imagine anyone being better then him.
he is the hotshot, smooth talking, cocky as heck, H.O.T.T racer. And he knows it.
He's like this bod boy that when it really comes down to isn't all that much of a bad boy.Oh he's got the leather jacket, motorcycle, and attitude of one. But he's also this amazingly sweet guy who just wants to help the people he cares about in his life.
I found myself wanting Hayden to have so much more out of life. He was dealt a crap hand when he was younger, and still manages to make the best of things the only way he knows how. Even if that may not be the right thing to do.
He also has this mystery surrounding him. He isn't one of those guys that opens up very easily and as Kenzie starts to unravel him, I found myself falling for this fictional guy more and more.
I also liked the way he pushes Kenzie. he truly wants to help her, and despite all the sketchy happenings around him, I spent a majority of the book wanting to believe that most was just coincidental. (I'll let you decide if it is or not when you read)
Something else about Hayden was just how much you could tell he wanted to be loved and cared for. For someone who didn't have the normal sense of the word family in his life, you could just see this man wanting to care for someone and have them care for him in return.
He comes off as this different girl every night player, but as time goes that may not necessarily be true.
Hayden is so complex and I seriously just adored him.
Plus the chemistry between him and Kenzie was so so hot. The two of them just connect in this amazing way. And because of that you get this awesome romance out of it.
I think some of my favorite Hayden moments were when he was laid absolutely bare to Kenzie and didn't hold anything back.
Those were the moments you see how selfless and kind he is.
And the thing I think I loved most?
It was that he was willing to give up so much. There is this moment near the end of the book that absolutely stunned me and when it happened I almost cried. It was just one of those moments that you go "that's the kinda guy I want. That's the kind of love I want"
It was the moment you really saw the true Hayden. And it was sort of beautiful in a way. I'm not a sappy person most times. Maybe it's all the stuff I've been through lately and my extreme anxiety talking, but this book just gave me so many feels. Especially where Hayden is concerned. But it also left me kinda empty in a way. What Hayden is? That's what I want. And while I know I can't have him (I'm not that crazy ya'll hehe) I want to be able to find someone like him. Someone so completely selfless that they risk everything for me. But also show me so much love and kindness I can't help but feel cherished.
So thank you so much S.C. Stephens for giving me a glimpse at the kinda guy I should deserve, because heaven knows I sure haven't realized it before this (My track record with men is pretty pathetic)
And I know my fictional prince charming on a motorcycle may not find me, but I know I want something as close as I can get. In whatever form he may come in.
I also want to touch real quick on a couple of the other characters. Like Kenzie's dad to start. OHHHHHH this man made me so ragey! Like I seriously wanted to reach into this book and run him over with his own motorcycle. He isn't a bad guy, but some of the things he does to Kenzie made me so mad. (I have daddy issues so let's leave it at that) So seeing him act the way he did and some of the way he treated her had me literally seeing red. God he was infuriating at times.
I also want to mention Miles and Nikki.
I loved them both in this book. Even if Nikki is crazy and Miles spent a majority of the book being a brooding jerk.
they both care about Kenzie so much, and added some comic relief at times.
But what I didn't much appreciate was that they were so eager to throw Kenzie under the bus. Miles more than Nikki. And as friends they should have protected her better. So that kinda made me mad.
But for the most part these two were great characters and I wouldn't even mind seeing maybe a novella or something about them later down the road. Hint Hint S.C. haha ;)
Pretty much to wrap this up, I just need to say that I really did enjoy this book so so much. And that I cannot wait to see what S.C. has coming for us in the next one.
Furious Rush, really is a great fast paced book. That will leave you hanging on every word. It's insanely romantic, and such a fun read.
Plus the racers are just as quick and hot as the story itself ;)
I give FURIOUS RUSH a definite
*****5 STARS*****
