Summary
Rush – noun: a surging of emotion
My life is falling apart.
Fired from my job.
Blacklisted across NYC.
At odds with my mother.
The only thing good I have to hold on to is the memory of my steamy one-night stand.
Only I had no idea who Eli was…
Or that I’d end up working on his movie set.
The spark between us threatens to reignite every time we’re near each other.
But Eli wants more than just hot sex.
He has a daughter and wants a partner in life.
I’m seeking answers about my past and trying to plan my future.
Commitment is the last thing I want.
Yet, I’m unable to resist his pull and his passion.
His touch eases the turmoil in my life.
His kiss takes me to another place.
And the more time I spend with him and his daughter,
the harder it becomes to break away.
Though when forced to choose between Eli or a chance at a fresh start, I’m not sure I can risk it all for love.
Excerpt
“Well, it’s official.” I stare at the production assistant’s text. “I’m the new foreign language dialect coach for What Tomorrow Brings.”
Never in a million years did I see this coming, especially considering how craptastic my life has been recently. Although it’s hard to get excited about a job I don’t want. I loathe anything to do with celebrities.
My family name brings enough of the spotlight. In New York City, Edwards means old money founded on an industrial dynasty.
“Pru, that’s amazing.” Harley’s happiness for me lessens the lingering sting at the current shambles of my life.
“Is it?” I study my Duomo Days, Isola Nights blue nail polish.
“Come on, don’t be grumpy. This isn’t like you. You’re my ‘make lemonade out of lemons’ girl.”
“This girl’s all out of sugar and tired of sucking lemons.” The shot of tequila, near tasteless, slides smoothly down my throat and warms my insides. “And I’ve got the cankers to show for it.”
I exaggerate a pout, and she scrunches her pert nose, shaking her head.
“Don’t be a brat. Let’s celebrate.” She holds up our empty shot glasses and the bartender nods, acknowledging the request for another round. “When do you start?”
“Two days.”
It’s plenty of time to move out of my former employer’s TriBeCa loft and into my mother’s penthouse at the El Dorado, one of Central Park West’s most iconic pre-war cooperatives.
The place belonged to my grandparents and with their passing, it went to their daughter, Priscilla, with one caveat—it will eventually be mine, either upon my mother’s death or if Mom gives it to me sooner.
Yeah, right.At nearly twenty-six, it’ll be a long wait until it’s mine.
“This could be a new career for you.” My best friend’s enthusiasm leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
The petite bartender approaches, smirking. “These,”—the shots are set down in front of us—“are from the guys at the other end.”
Three suits ogle us from across the crowded pub. It’s happy hour, and while not intentional, we’re showing more skin than most in our summer dresses. This Pearl Street after work drinking hole isn’t our usual hangout, and we’re unicorns among a sea of black, blue, and gray office attire.
The Wall Street bankers raise their glasses, sporting thirsty grins, as an invitation to come over. There’s nothing off-putting nor spectacular about them. Hair trim, clean-shaven, nails better manicured than mine…and their wolfish grins do nothing for me.
Not to be rude, but with no intentions of joining them, we lift our shot glasses in cheers and thanks. I smile, down the liquid in one gulp, and plunk the empty glass onto the bar.
Harley’s blissfully on her way to the altar, and I’m not interested in harmless flirting or a meaningless anything.
Images from a week ago, at another bar—The Salon in Chelsea—explode in my mind like a psychedelic acid flashback. I clench my thighs together, easing the sudden ache gathering between my legs.
My one and only one-night stand.
Serious relationships aren’t my thing. Monogamy and friendship, definitely—but both parties have to agree to fun…not forever.
Mr. Knee Melter was a first for me. A first in more ways than one. He was a complete stranger, and with just a look, something indescribable fired between us. I wanted him to fuck my brains out.
Sure, I’ve had instant attraction before, but nothing like this. Nothing so consuming I threw caution to the wind. I was impulsive.
Before him, attraction was as far as I’d take things with some guy in a club. I mean, a girl’s gotta have standards, and there’s no harm in wild fantasies. But this man…he was different. Everything about him was different.
Without exchanging words, I followed him to the restrooms. No hesitation.
We were finally alone. The sultry heat of his breath on my neck, his overpowering, masculine scent, and his possessive hands.
Review
(audiobook) I’d have liked to be more surprised, as I had guessed every big revelation way before they appeared, but I still enjoyed it.
A single dad looking for a life partner on one hand, and a professional woman afraid of commitment on the other, yet they agree to a casual relationship because they’re attracted to each other–especially after their one night stand. I loved that they gradually made compromises. Eli is offering Pru space when she needs some, while Pru spends time with Eli’s daughter. They somewhat meet in the middle for some time, but of course, it can’t last. They don’t want the same thing. Or so they think.
I felt that, in the end, only Pru changed her view. In fact, this book is Pru’s story. Eli doesn’t have a real epiphany. He’s looking for a serious relationship, he finds out he wants it to be with Pru, he has to convince her that she wants it too. The end. Pru has a long journey to get there. She needs to order her priorities, figure out her relationship with her mother, deal with the absence of a father, and realize that what she fears is actually not that scary.
The fact that Eli is a celebrity isn’t that big of a deal. It’s Eli’s excuse to use a dating app and it explains his dating history, but it doesn’t cause any strain in his relationship with Pru. The celebrity burdens mostly fall on Tristan, Eli’s co-star. Clearly it isn’t at the center of the story.
There are however little bits here and there about women in the workplace and the casual sexism they endure. Between putting the blame on the female while absolving the male for the same mistake, and the way women are talked about compared to their male counterpart, the author definitely has things to say–or write–on the subject.
Though I love both narrators and they did a good job, I actually thought they weren’t good fit for the characters, nor for the overall energy of the story. Their narration was too slow, and sometimes the emotions weren’t there. They surprisingly did well with the side characters, in my opinion.
Quickie
- Series: Trojan #4 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #rockstar romance #celebrity romance #one night stand #workplace romance #single dad
- Triggers: cheating from side character
- Main couple: Prudence Edwards & Eli Lansing
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + Pru warming up to Eli’s daughter
- – though both great, I didn’t think the narrators fit the story
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