Book Review: Rush by Maya Banks

Title: Rush
Series: Breathless, Book 1
Author: Maya Banks
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: library
Published: February 5, 2013 by Berkley

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.

Reviewed By: Laura

Why I Read This Book: While not at all impressed with the popular kinky sex books (yeah, THAT one [and you know the one I mean] stunk!) this one piqued my interest. It had all the right elements in all the right places without going too far into the ludicrous places some of these books tend to go. I wanted something hard, fast, & deeply enticing. Maya Banks delivered!

What I Liked: Naturally, the reason to pick up this kind of book is for the steamy (and occasionally raucous) love scenes. I was surprised to find that I liked the main characters’ interactions just as much outside the bedroom (or living room or office) as in. Mia was confident enough while still maintaining a realistic approach to the evolving situation. And Gabe is the structured, orderly, controlled man I wanted, but with just the right amount of self-deprecation.

What I Didn’t Like: The book overall was quite good. There was one scene I couldn’t get on board with just because it’s really not my cup of tea. Let’s just say there was a coffee table, ropes, & a few people (other than Gabe & Mia) involved. It was a pivotal scene in the book, so it couldn’t be skipped, but I almost felt like it should come with a trigger warning.

Overall Impression: After dealing with my issues with that one scene, I was perfectly able to enjoy the story in its totality. As BDSM has become a popular theme of late, this book stands out from that crowd quite nicely. The sex scenes are phenomenal, well-articulated, &quite accurate from my understanding. Gotta love it when the author gets it right!

Laura’s Rating:

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