Smut Fanatics: Laura’s Review of Furious Rush by S.C. Stephens

Synopsis

The first book in a new series by the #1 bestselling author of the Thoughtless novels...

Mackenzie Cox has a lot to prove. Daughter of a racing legend, she is eager to show the world that she has inherited her father's talent in the male-dominated sport of professional motorcycle racing. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonized by her rival team's newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Plucked from the world of illegal street racing, Hayden immediately gets under Kenzie's skin. His insinuations that Kenzie is a spoiled princess who was handed her career fuels her desire to win, and much to her surprise, Kenzie soon learns she performs better when she's racing against Hayden.

As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense--and strictly forbidden--attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie always does her best to play by the rules, but when her team slips into a financial crisis, she has no choice but to turn to Hayden for help. The tension simmers during their secret, late-night rendezvous, but Kenzie has too much to lose to give in to her desires. Especially when she begins to doubt that Hayden has completely left his street life behind...

What I Love

I’ve always enjoyed S.C. Stephens’ writing style because she knows how to really lay out a solid foundation for a strong plot to build upon and Furious Rush was no different. The story opens with Mackenzie having to rescue her best friend Nikki, there she is introduced to the underworld of illegal street racing and to a mysterious boy she instantly finds attractive. The minute Hayden Hayes is introduced you experience this pull he has. You don’t really know anything about this guy but the fascination is there and instantly draws the reader into the story.

Mackenzie has grown up in the world of road racing, she’s been riding a motorcycle since she was three and the very idea of not having the sport in her life is devastating and that comes across so poignantly throughout the story. The same can be said for Hayden Hayes although he’s lived a different life and the path he’s chosen is a darker one. I loved the instant attraction between Hayden and Nikki and the constant back and forth. It built the sexual tension in such an addictive way that I couldn’t wait for it to explode because I knew it would be totally fabulous, and it was!

The stress that Mackenzie feels every day sat with me from beginning to end, because right away you didn’t want her to fail. Her character was easy to relate to on a lot of levels so when she feels her world crashing down around her, you feel it too and I loved that. Also, I loved how Hayden built her up rather than impeded on her racing and was there to support her not rip her away from the only world she knows and loves.

Not So Much

Like I said before I’m a big fan of S.C. Stephens’ books but one thing that I haven’t liked is the stubbornness of the female characters. They always seem to come off inexperienced when it comes to relationships and are very much stuck in their ways of how they think the world should work. I get that these are the characters that will show the most growth throughout the book but their personalities for me at least, come off frustrating and tedious. The constant back and forth with their morals and their beliefs carries too far into the plot and instead of showing growth it becomes annoying.

Another item that goes in the negative for me was the ending, I felt like there was more story to tell and that this should be a series not just a standalone. At the end, almost after their happily ever after a new element that throws a wrench in their relationship and then the book just ends. It was odd to me because that would’ve been a great lead-in to a new story but there is none. There was some closure but not enough to truly bring this story to an end.

To Sum It All Up!

I loved forbidden romances, especially when it comes to two people who essentially should be against each other not attracted to one another. The chemistry between Hayden and Mackenzie was unmistakable and it was cute to watch them fight it at first.

Hayden was someone I immediately fell for and that just grew as the story went on. Not only is this dude smoking hot, but he’s crazy talented, generous and selfless. He’s amazing from top to bottom and I am totally his number fan. Mackenzie has the weight of the world on her shoulders and it made my heart go out to her. Although her stubbornness was frustrating at times and I felt like it built a wall between me as a reader and truly being behind her one hundred percent.

The writing was right on point, the book immediately dropped you into this world of street racing and you experience how important this all is to Mackenzie. It’s all she’s ever known and she fights so hard for that, even sacrificing her beliefs just to help her friends and family. It was fun watching her finally start to trust Hayden and build a relationship with him, because you knew the minute everything came crashing down Hayden would be the one there for her. The decisions Mackenzie and her father made towards the end were brave and I truly admired that and it made me love this story even more. I do wish there was another book in this series though because I did feel like there was so much more story to tell and I felt like I just didn’t get the closure I needed.

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