Rush: The Breathless Trilogy, Book 1

As soon as I finished this book I had an overwhelming feeling of anger and disappointment. I felt like I was forced to witness something I didn't want to imagine. So much comparison with the FSoG trilogy and it's nothing like it!!! What was erotic and sexy in FSoG was made dirty and degrading on this story. And I just don't get it because Maya Banks is an amazing writer!!

Very unlikeable characters. Gabe was a selfish jerk. A supreme A-hole and I did not believe his "change" at the very end of the story. Mia is supposed to be an experienced college graduate, a 24 year old rich New Yorker so it's just impossible to believe that she is a spineless girl willing to be used as a cheap sex object. This book felt like cheap smut written for men. It's all about the man's pleasure. And taking his pleasure by humiliating a woman. He would scream and curse at Mia and then use her for his pleasure because he could not "control" himself. And then comes Paris. It actually made me nervous and I had to pause the story and say please let this not be what I think it's going to happen. And then I press play and it was just as bad as I thought. Just disgusting! And to be so easily resolved??

I think that what pissed me off so much was that I was expecting something remotely similar to FSoG. I loved the trilogy and have listened to it several times. I also loved Bared to You and Reflected in you so I enjoy a story with lots of kinky "lovery". But in those stories the men, although damaged, adored their women and it was all about their pleasure and never in a gazillion years would sharing their partner would occur to them. Eww!!!

And after enduring this too crude story the end was beautiful but it didn't explain what would happen with them in terms of the degrading crap Gabe puts Mia through... I'm just mad! If you like sexy stories backed by romance and love you will most definitely NOT like this. Rush is more geared towards men and women looking for audio porn.

Narration: this terrible story is narrated by a terrible narrator. Adam Paul was very monotone, many times read too fast and you get the added bonus of hearing the pages turn. The cheap "love scenes" we're read like an instruction manual. An all around bad experience :(

I enjoyed the story- it was just as hot and smutty as I wanted in a modern romance novel. I just wish I would of listened to the sample before I used my credit on this book. I would of enjoyed it much more had I been able to read it on my kindle vs listening to Adam Paul's performance. I normally enjoy male voices for romance novels but not when the story is written from a woman's point of view.

I would avoid all books performed by Adam Paul in the future. His voice is so monotone that I found my attention wandering. I had to frequently rewind to catch an important part of the story. In a romance novel I want to be wrapped up in the action, not "wait, what's going on? He put what where?" Unfortunately I was tuned out more than I was tuned in.

Story a FSOG knock off, but not near as descriptive. The narrator totally ruined the whole story.

It's all pretty much been said before - but this is the second MB download that has disappointed me.

This one could have been a tender hot love story but instead it seemed to be very degrading to Mia (beautiful but a doormat) who felt the only way to get her longtime childhood crush (on her brother's best friend and now business partner) and all the fantasies that went with him, out of her system was to sell herself to him and so BDSM enthusiast Gabe, who just came across as a rich, domineering and spoilt jerk, gets his evil contract signed. Unfortunately, for him (and us listeners) things eventually take a turn for the worst when he invites associates to share his toy.

To engage in stories you have to sympathise, empathise, understand and like the characters and their lives but this fell on the seedy side until Gabe finally sees the light and the romance kicked off at the end.

Worth a credit? This fell in my $10 rule so I bought it however in July/August I will download book 2 Fever which is Jace's story in the hope the saying 'things can only get better' will apply.

I am unable to rank it due to the narrator; The story had was ok, it could have been very good with a better narrator. I would recommend reading it instead of linstening with this narrator

No the narration ruined the story.

Good start to a new trilogy. I kind of expected more though. I wish the critics would quit saying if you like 'Fifty Shades then you'll love this", because this book just doesn't add up to Fifty Shade similarity to me. Don't get me wrong here. Fifty Shades is awesome and Maya Banks is awesome too, but this book is nothing like Fifty. Sorry! Yes there is a little BDSM but not on the Fifty level, so if you’re hoping for that then this is not the book for you. Go with the Crossfire Series instead, by Sylvia Day.

Ok...jumping off the bandwagon now... Breathless is going to be a great series, about billionaire hotel owners. I can't wait for Jace and Ash story... they got some kink in them, I wonder how are they going to separate the kink..??? It seems to me, that they like a little ménage a tois! Lol... Anyway, this book is about Jace’s sister Mia and his other best friend Gabe. Great love story. I love how Mia is a very strong female lead and not a push over at all, which you don't see very often, in these contemporary romance novels. Maya Banks always write her female leads right though. Great story... Loved it... Not a four or five for me... but decent. Ya know... I actually like Maya's Highlander series better... still waiting on the next Montgomery Book... LOL, who is with me...?

I would wait for the credit; but if you are a big Banks fan, then go ahead and buy, you won't be disappointed.

I was shock to see a male narrator for this series. This was my first time listening to Paul and he did a great job. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to rave about either. Just great ya know. A male narrator is unusual for a Banks book, but so is this series... it was written mostly from the male POV... so, I see why the male narrator was use.

Different narrator, more likable characters, more complete back story.

The main characters are not likable at all. Gabe comes off as a cold hearted, over controlling Dom. I lost respect for Mia that she would enter into a relationship with Gabe because I could not find anything redeeming about him. This is basically a bad knock off of 50 Shades of Grey.

The narrator is awful, his female voices sound mocking, and his delivery is monotone.

NO

I don't think after listening to this book, I will purchase the other 2.

I generally enjoy Maya Banks' work, but this one left me a little cold. I didn't like Gabe very much as a character and, while I thought I'd grow to appreciate him more as the story progressed, I didn't. I didn't mind Adam Paul's narration - he does speak rapidly but to be honest, that was a plus in a book I just wanted to get out of the way.

Yes, I am a fan of her work. However, this story was not at all what I expected.

All of his character voices sounded the same.

The debasement scene in Paris. It was just awful. It was reminiscent of porn. O_o

I thought this book would be similar to FSOG. It was not. The characters were one dimensional and not very likable. The only character I liked a little was Mia and she was just a doormat. I felt like part of the story was unrealistically resolved. After this story, I am not sure if I will listen to the other 2 books in the series.

Yes. This story is intense and yes it does have moments that are quite disturbing but it is revealing.

When Gabe realized the depth of love he actually has for Mia, and Mia's determination to love him through himself.

He did a great job portraying the characters and events.

Anything worth having is worth fighting for.