On May 12th, Loveswept released Rush by Gina Gordon. Do you have your copy yet? This is a hot, new adult romance that you are going to want to check out. Skeptical? First, check out that cover. Second, I've got an excerpt, a giveaway and my review of the book, so stick around!
For the rest of the stops on the tour, check out Tasty Book Tours.
The Book
In
this edgy, sizzling romance for fans of Monica Murphy and Abbi Glines, a bad
boy shows a straitlaced law student how to slow down and savor the good things.
Everly Parker is about to graduate
from law school, always busy, and can’t stop rushing through life. Her late
grandmother left her a bucket list of meaningful, can’t-miss experiences, but
she hasn’t completed a single one. Then searing-hot Max Levin bursts into her
world. As a casting director for a porn production company, Max is loaded,
cocky, and all wrong for Everly. Still, she’s tempted enough to cross the first
item off her list: Go out with someone you’d never give the time of day.
Rush is available now!
Excerpt
“I’m in the business of
bringing fantasy to life, Ms. Parker.” I was mesmerized by the soft swell of
her breasts that poked above the neckline of her shirt. So subtle and delicate.
“I bet you’ve got a few stored away for a rainy day.”
A sharp snap brought my
attention back to her face. “Don’t you know it’s rude not to look someone in
the face when talking to them?” When I finally brought my eyes up and away from
her breasts, she was glaring at me. Her shoulders had migrated to her ears in
annoyance.
I was usually a lot subtler
when checking out the opposite sex. Not that I had to be. It was my job to
analyze every curve and swell of a woman’s body, but served me right for giving
in to my baser desires. She had totally called me on it.
“Hmm . . . I guess I
don’t.” I stepped forward and walked around her, just as the hard crunching
noise of the coffee grinder went off in the distance.
I liked this girl. She may
be hiding what I was positive was an above-average body behind those frumpy
clothes, but she had gumption. Confidence. Yet not the confidence I was used
to. I made my living working with women who found their sense of self with
their bodies. But not this woman. I had an inkling that her confidence
originated from being first in her class.
Her head swiveled with my
movements and I heard her tiny gasps for breath as I hovered, each time getting
closer. Finally, I leaned in and whispered, “Want to teach me a lesson?” I
grinned then stepped away, but not before I saw the shiver race up her spine.
So you do have an effect on
her.
But when I turned to face
her, she had already forgotten my affect on her body. “Somehow I have the
feeling you’ve already got a long line of scorned women ready to teach you a
lesson in manners.”
I heard Ben chuckle behind
me, then clear his throat.
“TouchĂ©, Ms. Parker.”
“I have studying to do, so
. . .” She lifted her chin, eyes blazing at me. “I’ll leave you to your meeting.”
“It’s too bad.” I squeezed
myself back into the booth and kicked out one leg, resting my arm along the top
of the seat back. “Guess I won’t be getting the lashing I so deserve.”
She laughed me off. Actually
laughed at my words. Not that cute little giggle women usually got when I laid it
on thick, but laughed at me. “Goodbye.” She walked away, but not before
giving me one last look that cut right through me.
I’d been eyed before. By
women and men. Always with a glimmer of seduction or the blatant go-ahead to
bring them to my bedroom. But never like this. Never with such disregard for
everything I was and everything I stood for. This woman didn’t know me. She was
just like the others. Judging a book before she looked between the covers—and
being a student, she should know better.
But I was used to people
belittling my work and my character. I’d dealt with it my whole life. I knew
what it was like to have people call my mother a dirty slut. How it felt to
have my father compared to a pimp. But even after all the teasing and taunting
that only adolescents could hammer at me, never had I ever felt the need to
defend myself so thoroughly.
I returned my attention to
Ben, Jade, and Stella, almost forgetting why I was here.
“Sorry about that,” Jade
said. “Everly can be a bit uptight sometimes. She’s just stressed out with
studying.”
“So, where were we,” Stella
asked, leaning against me. From across the table, Ben stared with a curious,
but shocked face. “I think we were going to give you a little sneak peek of our
skills.” She purred and pawed at me like a cat in heat.
I wasn’t interested in
watching a show. I was . . . confused. Confused at the fact that I was more
interested in the bookworm three tables away than the two beautiful women in
front of me.
Was it because I was taken
aback by her quick wit and innocent smile? Or was it something more? Was it
because she saw right through me? She knew I was Max Levin, the porn guy. But
she . . . didn’t care.
I had walked into this café
with the intent of meeting and signing two escorts to short- term contracts.
Instead, I wanted nothing more than to figure out why that Plain Jane had just
woken up my cock. More importantly, why her indifference toward me actually hit
a nerve. Women usually batted their eyelashes and looked at me with a dreamy
gaze. Not this girl, she wasn’t wooed by my charms or status. And it was
fucking intriguing.
“Would you excuse me a
minute?”
Ben shot me a quizzical
look. “Where are you going?”
“Ladies, would you mind
discussing with Mr. Lockwood your boundaries? The type of scenes you’d be
willing to film.” I stood and pulled out a draft contract from my pocket.
“He’ll also discuss the average payouts.” I looked at him and clapped him on
the shoulder. “Page twelve.”
The bookworm had just
presented me with a challenge.
I wasn’t done with her. Not
by a long shot.
My Review
First, a shout-out to Gina Gordon, the author, who lives in Milton, which is near where I live! Also, Rush is set in Toronto, and while I didn't think the city had a huge impact on the story, it gave me a little thrill every time I read it.
So, this one is intriguing, isn't it? The son of the Canadian porn king and a young woman in law school united together by a bucket list from beyond the grave! Honestly, it could have been any generic wealthy guy, and I would have picked this up, but the *porn* angle really makes things entertaining.
I don't know how accurate Rush's portrayal of the porn industry is, but I hope it's spot on. Because I found it refreshing. The emphasis on pleasure, the self-awareness of the absurdity of some of it, and the various angles when it comes to the money all combined to give me a generally positive impression. I don't doubt that there are some sketchy parts, some exploitative parts, and other generally negative components in pornography and the production thereof. But I hope that Max' company, and the general values it supported have some correlation to reality.
Rush is very hot. As you should expect, the pornography connection means a lot of blunt conversations about sex. Some of them are *hilarious*, some are very sexy, and others are eye-opening. I think the book handles this in the best possible ways.
Everly is pretty awesome. I loved that she was so open-minded. I loved that Max was, from the very beginning of the book, so clearly into her and so clearly invested in doing the best he could for her.
As sexy as this book is, there's also a very emotional romance happening here. There were some moments that made me sigh, some that made me tear up, and others that had me cheering. This is a very well-written book that manages to balance humour, eroticism and emotion in a satisfying way.
Bottom line:
Rush is erotic, emotional, and entertaining. I was hooked from the first chapter, and I will happily return to this book for a re-read in the next few months. So good! Pick it up unless you're completely put off by the pornography angle.
5 stars
For fans of erotica, contemporary romance, new adult
About the Author
When her dream of becoming
a mafia princess didn’t pan out, Gina Gordon went after her second dream:
becoming a writer. And she hasn’t looked back. A self-proclaimed
happily-ever-after junkie and cupcake connoisseur, Gordon loves spinning
contemporary tales of knee-bending first kisses, unconditional love, and
super-hot sex. She lives in Milton, Ontario, with her husband and their lovable
dog.
Right? You'd think that at some point all of these covers featuring half-naked men would get old, but... Kudos to the model and cover artist.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting RUSH! So happy you enjoyed!
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