Publication Date: August 23rd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Too fast, too furious-and way too hot to handle . . .
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…
“Race me or chase me, Kenzie.”
I love sports romances, but I don’t typically come across ones about motorcycle racing, so I was super intrigued when I read the blurb for Furious Rush (and saw that gorgeous cover!). S.C. Stephens’ books have been a hit-or-miss for me in the past, but this book was definitely somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed some parts, especially the racing, but some characters annoyed the crap out of me. I did think it was pretty cool that this book felt like Romeo and Juliet but with motorcycle racing (and no deaths). So if you’re looking for an exciting, unique sports romance with a steamy forbidden love, I’d say give this book a try – hopefully some of the things that bugged me won’t bug you too!
Mackenzie Cox is the daughter of a former racing legend, so she’s got big shoes to fill. But more than that, the fate of her father’s motorcycle racing company rests in her hands, because it’s in dire need of some money. If she can win her races, she’ll be able to keep the company afloat. She’s focused and her head is in the game… that is, until Hayden Hayes enters the equation and makes her lose her strict control.
“Racing gives me a high… but you make me feel alive.”
A former illegal street racer, Hayden’s just signed on to race for Kenzie’s opposing team, a team that she’s forbidden to fraternize with. But what happens when Hayden becomes the only one who’s able to push her harder than ever before and make her a better racer? As they secretly meet up on the track, the chemistry between them kicks up – but then feelings get involved, and soon enough, they’re falling head over heels for each other. But what happens when their secret is found out?
I loved the idea of Hayden and Kenzie being on opposing sides, of being ‘enemies’ in motorcycle racing and then falling for one another. Hayden is a huge jerk in the beginning – he’s totally sexist and a horndog – but he grew considerably better as the book went on. I loved that he didn’t even try to fight falling for Kenzie – he wanted to be with her and that was that. I was surprised by how freaking sweet he turned out to be and how devoted he was to Kenzie!
Kenzie, on the other hand, put up one hell of a fight, so much so that it grew tedious at times. But I didn’t hate her, and my main problem with Furious Rush were the secondary characters. Sometimes secondary characters can make or break a novel for me, and the ones in this book very nearly made me want to DNF. Kenzie has the worst friends ever – they make so many idiotic, rash decisions that I wanted to choke them. Her father is even worse, but since he’s supposed to be somewhat of an antagonistic characters, I won’t get too mad about that.
Kenzie and Hayden’s romance and their thrilling races were the highlights of the novel for me. It was almost exhilarating reading about them racing each other, because they give their all for every race. I really enjoyed the way their romance developed but I can’t say I’m excited for their sequel. The ending left me with a bad feeling… but I’m probably going to read the next book just to see how it’ll turn out. I’m really hoping the series only gets better!
Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.
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