ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ RUSH ME BY ALLISON PARR

Title: Rush Me

Author: Allison Parr

Release Date:  April 8, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

When post-grad Rachael Hamilton accidentally gatecrashes a pro-athlete party, she ends up face-to-face with Ryan Carter, the NFL’s most beloved quarterback.

While most girls would be thrilled to meet the attractive young millionaire, Rachael would rather spend time with books than at sporting events, and she has more important things to worry about than romance. Like her parents pressuring her to leave her unpaid publishing internship for law school. Or her brother, who’s obliviously dating Rachael’s high school bully. Or that same high school’s upcoming reunion. 

Still, when Ryan’s rookie teammate attaches himself to Rachael, she ends up co-hosting Friday night dinners for half a dozen football players.

Over pancake brunches, charity galas, and Alexander the Great Rachael realizes all the judgments she’d made about Ryan are wrong. But how can a Midwestern Irish-Catholic jock with commitment problems and an artsy, gun-shy Jewish New Englander ever forge a partnership? Rachael must let down her barriers if she wants real love–even if that opens her up to pain that could send her back into her emotional shell forever.

Book Review 

Rachel Hamilton is a twenty-something year old New Yorker, struggling to find a job in the publishing field. She has always felt like a loner--the quiet one in high school that lost herself in the world of fiction--and had been teased mercilessly by Amanda, her high school nemesis. Who just so happens to be dating her older brother now. 

The book starts out with Rachel working as an intern at Maple and Co., and dreading her high school's five year class reunion. Ya know, the one that Amanda (aka the high school bitch who made Rachel's life a living hell) is organizing. And poor Rach-- she doesn't feel like the success she wants to be. Trust me, after only five years, who the hell does? 

Despite her mother's wish that she would attend Law School, Rachel has gone against the grain, determined to make it on her own doing something that she loves and is passionate about. She is fiercely independent and stubborn as the day is long. 

In Rachel's short life, she has only had two boyfriends--one who broke up with her to become a priest (hello awkward, how are ya?) and another who has an **ahem** open relationship and wants to get busy with her when his girlfriend was out of town (hello asshat). 

Rachel's past has made her cynical, defensive, and helped erect walls around her heart for self preservation. She comes across as snarky and somewhat bitchy. But she is a great character to watch as she meets someone just as snarky as herself. 

Ryan Carter is a very rich playboy and QB for the fictional football team, the NY Leopards. He doesn't have a problem finding available women to do his bidding--in and out of the bedroom. He keeps his heart locked up and has the few long term relationships that last about a month, before he grows bored and dumps them. He's very cynical of a woman's attention and true feelings. They tend to want to date the player and not the man. 

He is about to meet his match...These two cynics come together with a bang. They clash, fight, and bitch at each other. For me, it was highly entertaining to watch them react to one another. 

When Rachel enters the wrong house in search of her roommate, she gets an eyeful -- literally -- when she walks in on Ryan Carter, Mr. Get-In-Or-Get-Out,  receiving **ahem**attention from a lady friend. She has no clue who the gorgeous man is and promptly flees the scene.  She cannot escape the party, as the house is packed full of people, so she runs upstairs to escape and give herself a moment to regroup. 

Mr. Get-In-Or-Get-Out shows up and gives her a hard time. Ryan thinks she is playing coy and hoping to get lucky with a football player. And then escorts her out. 

One of the themes in Rush Me is the problem with assumptions---and we all know the golden rule of assumptions, right? 

There lies the crux of the problems between Rachel and Ryan. Both assume things at the beginning when they first meet and this prevents things from running smoothly.

Rachel sees Ryan as a dumb jock. But she discovers the many faceted layers of this athlete and slowly adjusts her first impression. There is no denying the explosive chemistry between them, but Rachel is determined to keep Ryan at arm's length. But when she starts to spend more time with him, all her defenses goes up in flames. 

Ryan wants Rachel, but he is put off by her bitchiness. Yet her insults do not sway him from avoiding her at all costs. He is intrigued and finds himself seeking her out--even when he doesn't want to be around her. She is definitely NOT the boring, money-seeking, groupies that usually gravitate toward him.  

Can their attraction and budding relationship survive the sometimes volatile emotions these two experience when they get together? 

Rush Me was, for me, almost like an adrenaline ride. It's packed with a high level of emotions and a very bumpy road to a HEA. Fans of angsty New Adult romance will devour it and beg for more.