The Hurricane by R.J. Prescott
Publication date: February 16th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Emily McCarthy is living in fear of a dark and dangerous past. A gifted mathematician, she is little more than a hollow, broken shell, trying desperately to make ends meet long enough to finish her degree.
Through an unlikely friendship with the aging, cantankerous owner of an old boxing gym, Em is thrown into the path of the most dangerous man that she has ever met.
Cormac “the Hurricane” O’Connell is cut, tattooed and dangerous. He is a lethal weapon with no safety and everyone is waiting for the mis-fire. He’s never been knocked out before, but when he meet Em he falls, HARD. Unlike any other girl he’s ever met, she doesn’t want anything from him. Just being around her makes him want to be a better person.
They are polar opposites who were never meant to find each other, but some things are just worth the fight.
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Excerpt:
I studied my surroundings and bit my lip. A drink probably would help me relax a little more so that I wasn’t so uptight and on edge, but the idea of voluntarily conceding control of my senses in a public space made me shudder. It made me more vulnerable than I was usually, and despite the small army of gladiators around me, I couldn’t help but wonder whether they’d notice if I went missing. From a place like this it would only take Frank seconds to snatch me, and nobody would be any the wiser. Most of them clearly looked as though they got an early start at the bar, and given the number of women they were attracting, I would soon be lost in the crowd. I knew I was paranoid, but the foundation of my fear was strong, and I had the scars to prove it. It was scary how O’Connell could read me so well already, enough to sense my insecurity. He hadn’t pressed me about my past, but he knew that something had happened. The fact that he didn’t push the subject made me fall for him a little deeper. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I was pulled into his embrace, my back tight to his chest. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply as he buried his head in the crook of my neck and everything just fell away. The blaringly loud music, the shouts of drunken men vying to be heard over one another, the high pitched giggles of flirtation, the chink of glasses, everything. It all fell away until there was only me and O’Connell. There was the tantalisingly sweet aroma of his aftershave, the warmth of his hands spread across my hips, and the strength of conviction in his voice.
“Don’t panic, sunshine. I’m here with you, and I’m not going anywhere. If I go to the bar or the bathroom, then one of the other guys will be watching, and I promise that they won’t let you out of their sight. You’re mine, and that means you’re un-fucking-touchable, okay, baby?”
I nodded and relaxed against him. I didn’t know how he did it, but inside of O’Connell’s embrace, the rest of the world ceased to exist. None of the bullshit on the outside could touch us. I gave him something to protect, and he gave me something to cherish.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into his ear.
“There’s nothing to feel sorry for, sunshine. It’s going to take time, but eventually you won’t need my touch to know that I’m there. One day, you’ll know that you never need to be afraid again, but right now you’re here, and that’s something.”
He had no idea of the gift that he was giving me. His strength and confidence gave me strength. In simply being here, I was saying “fuck you” to Frank. I just needed O’Connell to remind me that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the will to carry on regardless.
“Thank you,” I whispered to him.
“You’re welcome. Now show me how grateful you are for lending you this rock hard body as your protection for the night.”
Review:
I read The Hurricane in one sitting and was completely surprised by this fantastic debut book!! This story went way beyond my expectations and I absolutely fell in love with Cormac O’Connell. This book is not a standard fighter romance, but instead takes its time developing the characters, their relationships and the secondary characters in this story. I loved it all! And I especially loved the British flavor to this book.
While this book has PLENTY of steam and sexy times, Emily and Cormac’s relationship is not just based on sex – they start off slowly as friends, because she is literally scared of her own shadow and frightened of a relationship with a man. Emily McCarthy is sweet, quite, smart and anti-social. It takes Cormac, to me a gentle giant, to slowly bring her out of her shell:
“Safe is boring.”
Emily is hard-working and paying her own way through University. She doesn’t want to fall for Cormac but he takes things gradually, and vows to protect her no matter what. Eventually she learns to trust him and to let herself actually feel something for another person.
“He was the loud to my quiet, the confidence to my shyness, the rage to my pain. Separately, we were broken and alone. Together, we were blissfully happy and complete and every time that we made love was a celebration.”
There is plenty of tension in this fast-paced story and I adored the secondary characters as well. The Hurricane is a stellar debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from this author!!
(ARC provided in return for an honest review.)
Author Bio:
I was born in Cardiff, South Wales although I left to study law at the University of Bristol, England. Four weeks before graduation I fell in love, and stayed. Ten years later I convinced my crazy, wonderful fire fighter husband to move back to Cardiff with me where we live with our two equally crazy sons. Juggling work, writing and family doesn’t leave a lot of time, but curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate for family movie night is definitely the best part of my week. “The Hurricane” is my debut New Adult Novel.
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Website: http://rjprescott.com/
This looks good, can’t wait to read it.
This book sounds great! Just 1-clicked!
I think I just fell in love, thanks for introducing me to this book.