Rush by Joan Swan – a Review

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Description:
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



Review:

Rush is the 3^rd book in Joan Swan’s Phoenix Rising series.  I have read every book, and each one was a wonderful read, and yet Swan manages to make the newest one better then the last.  I loved Rush. 

Rush was a roller coaster of a ride from start to finish.  Swan manages to pull all kinds of emotions from us throughout the book.  What I find amazing in this series is that each main couple that are featured in each of the books are totally awesome.  Swan creates such great characters, you find yourself loving them all.  Our heroes in Rush, Jessica and Quaid are no different.  Another thing I absolutely love about this series is that all the main & secondary characters play major parts in the books, as they have become part of our family.  We get to see the entire team throughout in this magnificent adventure, and they are wonderful together.

The story picks up after Blaze, as we meet our heroine Jessica Fury.  We learn early on, that 5 years have passed since the explosion that gave our heroes their unique paranormal powers.  Jessica is now working as a lobbyist in the political field, privately trying to find a way to destroy one of the men behind the government conspiracy that have tried to hurt her friends, including secret experiments being done.  Jessica was married to Quaid before the explosion killed him.  Having lost the love of her life, Jessica succumbed to drugs and encounters with other men to drown in her grief.  She managed to bring herself back, but she still has anxiety attacks. 

The scenes when they go back 5 years showing the love between Quaid and Jessica, and the rest of the members of that firehouse team were awesome, as they were a fun close knit family.  You can feel the love between them. 

Then Teague and Keira come to visit Jessica to explain about Cash (who was rescued in Blaze) and his friend (still captive).  They carefully try to tell a fragile Jessica that they think the man called Q, is in fact Quaid still alive and held captive all these years.   What follows is an exciting action filled adventure with the entire team helping to rescue Q. 

But rescuing Q is only the beginning.  Is he Quiad?  He has no memory of his past, having been tortured, brainwashed & made into a mercenary for the government conspiracy that the team has been fighting from the start.  It is the scenes between Q and Jessica; the love they had for each other before; the memories of the past; the friendships of the entire team; that totally tears you apart emotionally, as Q tries to remember who he is and who he was.  What is real?   This was a heart wrenching, tense, edge of your seat story, and I could not put this book down.

Joan Swan has outdone herself, as I felt each emotional pull; whether it was sadness, laughter, nerve wracking tension, or the heat of their sexual chemistry.  I love all the members of this team, and cannot get enough of them.  Do I love the Phoenix Rising series, you bet I do.  If you have not read Joan Swan or this series, what are you waiting for?  This is an awesome series, with everything, suspense, action, friendships, and very steamy sexual scenes.  I suggest you start with the first book in this series, Fever, as you do not want to miss any of these wonderful characters.

Reading order:
1. Fever
2. Blaze
3. Rush
4. Shatter

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author