Friday, September 6, 2013

BOOK REVIEW - RUSH by JOAN SWAN - PHOENIX RISING # 3 - KENSINGTON - PARANORMAL SUSPENSE


By: Joan Swan
Published By: Kensington Books, Zebra
Released: Available Now
Details: Netgalley Digital Copy, 400 Pages

RATING: 4.5 FAST PACED STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

Jessica Fury, Washington lobbyist, has money, connections, and her own firm. But five years ago she had something better: happiness. Her firefighter husband, Quaid, was handsome, courageous, and crazy about her. Then one day he walked into a chemical inferno—and never walked out. Jessica has been through hell to get back on her feet. And then a rumor surfaces that could bring a miracle or shatter her world – again.

Q has been a prisoner forever. He’s honed his mind and body into weapons. He’s developed abilities no one else understands. But he’s still at the mercy of a cabal of ruthless men, who blank his memory, test him like a lab rat, and tell him lies. Although his past has been erased and his future looks grim, instinct tells him he has a woman to live for. What his mind can’t remember, his body can’t forget…

The heat is on.


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

Hot dang I love reading about Joan’s lads and ladies. They are all such intelligent, strong characters. I am submerged in an exciting, smexi, suspenseful escapism.

Mitch is one of my fave characters because he is a bit of a smart arse, but he is ALWAYS there with his deep, deep connections to help out this group of rock solid, loyal friends who are connected even deeper through a warehouse fire and through relationships.

Rush , really was a rush to read. Q and Jessica are going through some serious emotional fall out from their past and present. I thought Joan really did her homework on how emotionally traumatized a person would be and brought it to the table.

Q has been damaged in more ways than one and he needs to fight through what he has become. What he had no choice in becoming. His rights were taken away from him. He was left a puppet.

What was he going to say? I’m having a panic attack because I’m free and I don’t know how to be free? There are people that exist who love me and I don’t know how to be loved?



“You’re. Mine.” His voice shook and he took a breath. “That may not be right, but it’s how I feel. It just ... is.”


I loved having all the other characters involved in this story line from the series. Sometimes authors can put them more on the back burner as each character gets their own book. This, I really enjoy as they all have special training and are all good at individual special ops or have their own thing to bring to the group. They work well together, they are loyal to each other and they never leave a man behind. They are a team.

Sometimes it may take a few years to realise that there is a man to be rescued.

They are a big family. They stick together to keep everybody safe. The ladies bring as much to the table as the lads.

Alyssa has all these big strong capable men watching their mouths because of her curse jar.

Teague jingled the keys in his palm and crossed to Alyssa. “You’re so lucky I was damn head over heels for you before I met that fucker.”

A grin edged up her mouth. “Teague.”

A heated smile lit Teague’s blue eyes and eased his mouth into a lopsided smile. “I’ll pay up for that curse tonight - personally.”

“T-M-I, Creek,” Mitch muttered.



There is quite a tangled web of deceit among their own home grown people they should be able to trust.

Who really is the enemy?

Corrupt politicians, money and the need for power, can turn one against their own countryman.

This was why Schaeffer had everyone scared shitless of him -- he had a frightening ice-cold streak that gained teeth whenever something he wanted was at risk. And a man like Schaeffer didn’t waste his time with anger unless he had something important to lose.

I like Owen, it will be interesting to see what side of the fence he sits on , in the end.

Joan really thinks about her plot and fleshes out her characters. I really do feel like a part of the story. I know what Keira and Luke are capable of and Teague and Alyssa are a great couple, full of love and family.

Joan, you had me all gah, every time Alyssa stopped and grabbed her stomach. You are making me wait.

The smexi is...well... uber smexi, the emotions are raw and believable, the suspense is thrilling and never a dull moment. 

The lads are sizzling hot!

I hope Kai gets a book, I like him. He takes a lot on his shoulders when it comes to Q and I want this lad to get a chickie babe.

Kai’s laugh bounced off the walls. “You couldn’t even kill a damn spider, dude. You had to get a container, coax it inside”- he accentuated the statements as if each task was a big ordeal - “ then set it free like some freaking pansy. It was goddamned episodic.”

I did laugh at the spider comment as that is what I do. I have a thing about bad karma and I have a chinese take out plastic container I scoop big hairy blagh spiders into that are as big as my hand and take them down the park and release them. It’s not their fault they are big and hairy and the size of my hand. They suffered in the looks department. I can’t end their life because of their looks and their urge to crawl on my face when I am asleep. Gah!!

There is such a strong bond between all the characters. Mitch may get some of the great lines with his personality but that lad has got some deep hurt hidden. Those that often display humor are hiding a past of pain.

Cash is a great character for Q and the bond they share. I loved watching him be there when nobody else could understand the depth of what they had been through, what they had shared. Their moments talking in their cells. Keeping each other sane.

I loved finding some back story out about the warehouse fire that changed this group of fire fighting friends. What brought them to where they are now. 

Buried quite deep in some bad shiz.

The paranormal element is in full swing in this instalment and Joan doesn’t hold back on being tough on her characters.

Discomfort tightened the muscles along Jessica’s shoulders. The flames were eerily familiar. Like the ones that had erupted from those chemicals stored in that warehouse five years before. The fire that had taken Quaid’s life. The fire that had poisoned the entire team and left them all with bizarre paranormal abilities. Chemicals Teague’s research had traced back to the Department of Defense.

Joan keeps me intrigued with Trent. So I have to wait and see what happens there. It's all a bit mysterious. I think I like him.

Another awesome time spent in Joan's world of smexi lads, violence and intrigue. 

I've said it before and I will say it again, this would make quite a brilliant T.V. series.

Hot dang, after reading Mitch's little excerpt at the end of this book, I say, bring it on. Shatter coming December 31st 2014. 

Woot!

RawrrrRRrr!

Michelle

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