Review ~ The Aftermath (The Hurricane, #2) by R.J. Prescott

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: December 15th 2015

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Description:
When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. But what happens when you have everything you ever wanted? You fight to keep it.

Cormac “the Hurricane” O’Connell’s star is on the rise. Billed as the most promising young boxer of his generation, his new career is taking him to places he never dreamed. But O’Connell only needs one thing in life: his wife. In her final year of college, Em cannot follow him around the world but together they make it work.

Just when everything they ever wanted is on the horizon, the past resurfaces to haunt them and O’Connell realizes that justice might not be a part of his happy ever after. 

He couldn’t protect Em once before, but in the aftermath of the hurricane, he will make sure that never happens again.

My Opinion

I don't know what to say...

Really, I'm struggling to form sentences here that doesn't detail how hard I'm finding it to write anything.

Earlier this year I stated The Hurricane was one of the best books I've read in 2015. It takes a lot for me to fall in love with fighters because my standard is so high in them. I've read so many, but RJ has worked her way to near the top of my list. I fell in love with Con in The Hurricane almost as much as I love LP Dover's fighters, which are my favourite.

Therefore when I got the chance to read an ARC of The Aftermath I jumped around the room. I wasn't even worried this book wouldn't live up to the first...I knew it would.

Throughout The Aftermath I fell in love with Con all over again as I witnessed his thoughts, emotions, struggles, and love. Although a tough fighter, he's a guy with a soft heart and melts around Em. The love he had for her was believable and it makes you fall for him even more because it's obvious he only has eyes for her. His loyalty and almost worshipping of her is touching.

Moreover, the way Em returns it is great. Whilst you don't hear from Em's POV until the epilogue (wished she'd was in it a little more), I felt her pain and sadness, but also her love of Con. They're a perfect couple and their story continues to interest me.


Overall, a great continuation. I hope RJ plans on writing the other guys' stories, especially Tommy! I'd love to read about them. Both books are near the top of my list of favourite reads of the year. I can't recommend them enough.

5

Review ~ The Hurricane (The Hurricane #1) by R.J. Prescott

ebook received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: July 14th 2015

Publisher: Forever Romance

Description:
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, but 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.

My Opinion

In the world of fictional fighter very few books come close to my favourites by L.P. Dover. When it comes to fighters I have high standards and they're probably the hardest characters to get me to like because of that. However, R. J. Prescott has almost done it. If this book had been MMA rather than boxing, she'd have probably equalled my favourites.

I didn't know what I was getting into with this author. This is the first book I've read by her, but I took a chance on it because she's going to be at a signing I'm attending next year. For that reason when I saw it on NetGalley I couldn't not take a chance on it  and I'm thankful to the publisher for approving me.

I loved this book. I didn't think I'd fall in love with it this much at the start, but as it went on I found myself unable to put it down. The characters were great--not only O'Connell and Emily but the secondary characters too. I thought the bonds created were believable and they felt like a family. I loved how they fought for Em and protected her. For tough fighters they had soft hearts. 

Similarly, the author balanced moments of light and dark brilliantly. On one hand there's all of the crap with Frank, which wasn't always easy to read. However, she then throws in scenes with Con that made me smile. It kept my emotions changing, but also had me growing to love the characters even more. I could sympathise and engage with them all easily.

As well as that the storyline was crafted well. At not one point did it become slow. It held me the entire way through and I didn't want it to end. I also liked how it was British/Irish. It was nice to read a book set in the UK without Americanisms.


Overall one of the best books I've read so far this year. Although it hasn't quite dethroned my favourite series, it's a close second and I would highly recommend it. I can't wait to read the next book!

5