Release date: 5/6/2014
Blurb
This new adult, male/male romance will capture the audience who fell in love with Nyrae Dawn's Games Trilogy.
For the love of the game.
Brandon Chase has always defined himself by one thing: football. Tough and athletic, he is a great college player who enjoys the hard hits and the sweaty grind of the gridiron. But when Brandon is injured, only one person can help him get back on track-a forbidden love he's desperately tried to put behind him.
Alec Andrews has never quite forgiven Brandon for walking away when their friendship turned into something more. But he can't deny help to one of his closest friends. As the two spend the long, hot summer working together, their old attraction comes flooding back.
Now as Alec thinks about coming out to his conservative family and Brandon considers revealing he's a gay football player, the two men must be strong to fight for a love that could be the greatest rush of their lives.
Book Babes Talk about Rush
Favorite Quote
- Bella - "Nothing I've ever had feels as right as you."
- Chris - "This is all that matters, okay? Fuck the world. We don't need anyone else. Just this right here. Just us."
- Kara - "That's all I ever had to do, was decide who that was. It's always been my choice."
- Reanell " I wanna be the type of guy he needs. The type, I need to be. The one who stands up for what he believes in and am doesn't hide."
Favorite part of the book
- Bella - I loved it when Brandon's dad encouraged him to fight for Alec and not let anything stand in his way. It was so touching, especially coming from a father to his son, to hear that he genuinely wanted Brandon to be happy, no matter what that meant. Sniff. Sniff.
- Chris - Not to spoil too much, but towards the end, the 'sports interview'. It brought me to tears. So moving and beautiful.
- Kara - The prologue when Alec punched Brandon in the face -it was raw & real.
- Reanell - I loved the scene when Brand calls his dad too. I cried for how much Brand loved Alec and was asking his dad for help.
Favorite sexy scene
- Bella - I loved it when they went to the cabin after Brandon came out to his parents. They played football and tackled each other and got it on outside. It was great that they could be so spontaneous together.
My only complaint is that I would have loved for the sexy scenes to be a bit longer and more...descriptive.
- Chris - After they get back from their 'date' at D&B. The first time they took things to that next level. It was just so honest and sensual.
- Kara - I'm with Bella, LOVED THE CABIN!
- Reanell - My favorite sexy part was the first time Brand put his hands on Alec...literally. OMG that scene was HOT!
Most favorite/least favorite character
- Bella - Most favorite character - I seriously can't pick between Alec & Brandon. I'm so proud of these boys and how they really grew throughout the book. But the supporting characters were great, too: Logan, Charlie, Nate, Mr. & Mrs. Chase. Least favorite character - Alec's dad. I want to drop kick him. Then while he's bent over, give him a foot stomp. Then a knee to the gonads for good measure. Grrrrrrr.
- Chris - This is a hard one.... For a majority of the book, Alec was my favorite character. The more I read, the more I absolutely fell for Brand. I want to call it a tie. They are both too great to pick.
- Kara - I loved the strength of Alec & the courage of Brandon.
- Reanell - favorite character is Alec..he is so lovable! And then Alec's dad for least favorite character. He's an ass!
M/M - hot or not?
- Bella - hot, hot, HOT!!! I really like reading M/M books. What can I say? I really like reading about hot guys. Give me two hot guys ...together...and it turns up the heat even more.
- Chris - Is this a trick question? I say HOT. What is better than one hot guy? TWO hot guys. I am a huge fan of m/m.
- Kara - CRAZY HOT. I like a little more heat than this...but Nyrae Dawn did a perfect job with this topic.
- Reanell - ABSO-fucking-LUTELY! I love a good m/m story. Love doesn't discriminate. ❤️
Reviews
Bella's Review: 5 Stars
I was sooooooo excited to get approved for this arc on Netgalley. They usually deny me for all the good ones, but for whatever reason, I got approved!!! And just in time to cure me from a book hangover I had from my last read.
I met Alec and Brandon in Four Summers. Then she announced this spin off book and I'm so glad she did. Alec and Brandon needed to tell their story.
Rush gives us alternating POV between Alec and Brandon - LOVE THIS STYLE!!!
Nyrae's writing is amazing. She did such a good job capturing the male POV for both of them.
I have a friend who is a lesbian and she struggled so much in finding herself. She tried to fight it, kept making drastic changes in her life - changed her religion, got a bunch of tattoos, moved to the other side of the country, then converted back to her original religion and got all the tattoos removed. She was struggling with her sense of self, just like these boys did. But when she came out, it just made perfect sense and then everything else in her life fell into place.
Alec and Brandon tried to fight it. They tried to be "normal." But what is normal anyways??
"Nothing I've ever had feels as right as you."
They couldn't forget each other and I wanted so much for them to have a HEA.
They faced so many obstacles. Family, friends, football.
This book had my stomach in knots. Talk about ANGST. I laughed. I cried. I lusted - damn the sexy scenes were HOTTTT!! I felt all emotions while reading this book.
I was also happy to see that Charlie and Alec remained friends - love Charlie & Nate!!
Thank you, Nyrae for this emotional, heart wrenching story. I loved every minute of it!!!
Nyrae Dawn is an author I absolutely adore. I love all her stuff. She has such a knack for writing from the male point of view. Last year when I heard she was writing an m/m book I was thrilled. I had high hopes and she didn’t let me down- this book was fantastic.
Rush is the story of two college guys, Brandon and Alec. Brandon and Alec have been friends for years, but they’ve both treaded the line of ‘more’. They care about each other, they’re attracted to each other, they like to kiss each other, but neither one is really ready to admit their feelings to the outside world.
Alec is an only child and has grown up with a prejudice and homophobic father. He doesn’t know what coming out would do to his parents or how they would react. Brandon is a college football player on his way to the NFL. What would the guys in the locker room think if they knew he was gay?
Alec is ready. If Brandon is willing to be with him, out in the open, he’s ready to come out. Brand just can’t. Not now. Maybe not ever.“I want to be strong. Why the fuck can’t I be stronger?”
"Coming out would be like being cut open all the time, everyone seeing what's inside me. It's showing parts of me that people will judge me for and maybe even hate me for."
Brandon and Alec’s friendship is strained, for years they are out of each others life. Alec is
heartbroken, Brand is fighting with himself constantly. But something big brings them back together for the summer. A summer for a second chance?
We’ve talked about everything and nothing too. Nothing big, and everything small but the conversation has hardly stopped the whole time. We’ve always been like that. I wonder if it’s because we keep one of the most important pieces of ourselves quiet from the world, so we can’t help but want to talk about everything when we’re together.
"Nothing I've ever had feels as right as you."
Summer only lasts so long. Will Brandon ever be ready to come out to the world? Will Alec be able to handle being a secret. Just being Brand’s friend to everyone else? It broke my heart that these guys felt they had to hide their love from anyone. People should be free to love anyone they chose. I hate judgmental assholes. Everyone deserves love and happiness, no matter who they find that from.
"Don't we deserve to have what we want like everyone else does?
After everything we've been through, don't we deserve it more?"
Alec and Brand. I loved these boys. Alec stole my heart from the very beginning. It took me a little longer to love Brandon that way, but I did. They were beautiful together. Their relationship was something truly special.
This book made me laugh, made me cry, and touched my heart. The story was captivating, the characters were lovable and I enjoyed every page. Nyrae’s writing was amazing as always. For those of you who have never read M/M, this would be the perfect book to start with. It’s got some steam-,but it’s a little on the light side. It’s more of a love story than anything. Brand and Alec’s journey was beautiful. It’s one you won’t want to miss out on!
*ARC kindly provided by Forever, Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Kara's Review: 5 Stars
I love m/m books! A year ago - I am not sure I could have said that. ...but after reading a few - I am a follower now. The love with two men - well it can be HOT. and Sweet. and Real.
RUSH When Alec punch Brandon in the prologue I was hooked. I knew that this book was going to be the story I needed. Watching Brand and Alec through Ms Dawns eyes - it really put me in a place to feel compassion towards others. Everyone is fighting a battle we don't see...
We've talked about everything and nothing too. Nothing big, and everything small but the conversation has hardly stopped the whole time. We've always been like that. I wonder if it's because we keep one of the most important pieces of ourselves quiet from the world, so we can't help but want to talk about everything when we're together.
It's like there's this war always going on inside me and from day to day I'm not sure which one will win- honesty or fear.
I connected to the characters right away. All of the supporting characters too! I felt invested in the book - I love that feeling! and how can you not love it with words like this:
Loving Alec has helped me decide who I want to be. That's all I ever had to do, was decide who that was. It's always been my choice.
This is a MILD m/m book by the many that are out there. The sex scenes were HOT - but short (too short in my book!). Nyrae Dawn did an awesome job in this story. I really hope her fans and new readers pick this one up! This story deserves to be read.
Thank you to Nyrae for telling it.
*ARC kindly provided by Forever, Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Reanell's 4.5 Star Review
***ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
This was the first book I've read by Nyrae Dawn and it won't be my last! I love M/M romance and this one did not disappoint! The build up of the characters was perfect, I fell a little harder for Alec than I did Brand though, there is just something I really liked about Alec.
Rush is a M/M romance where the two men are in love but haven't come out to many people so they hide their feelings. And we all know what happens when you hide feelings...things usually blow up. And that's exactly what happens to Brand and Alec.
They spend some time apart, but they are never far from each others minds. And then something happens to Brand and out of weakness he calls Alec, and Alec runs to him. And guess what? Brand pushes him away AGAIN! With the help of his brother and his best friend he gets the extra push he needs to go after Alec.
This is where we get the beautiful romance between the 2 men who love each other but are afraid of the fall out of what being gay will do to them. Especially Brand, since he plays football. We get some heart to heart moments that make me fall even harder for Alec for being so strong and going after what he wants. I've never cried while reading a M/M romance but I cried during this one. There is a scene involving Brandon and his father and it broke my heart to see Brandon so heart-broken. That scene was hard to get through because I couldn't stop crying for this man who just wanted to love somebody!
So if you love reading the male/male romance and are looking for a great story this is the book for you!
Oh and one more thing....the first time they get sexual is FUCKING SEXY! Holy smokes my panties melted into a big ole puddle with that scene!
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