Review: Push by Claire Wallis

I feel like I am wrapped in a cyclone. Everything is whirling around me, drawing the air out of my lungs and filling me with the best kind of turmoil. Every time his tongue slides against mine, a prickle in my gut tells me how right we are together. How much I need David. How much I need us.

I hope the cyclone never stops.

Emma Searfoss has spent a lifetime trying to escape her abusive stepfather. It's why she moved far away from home. It's why she's kept no ties with her remaining family. And it's why she's got a major rage problem. When her neighbor shows up to fix the kitchen in her new apartment, his enigmatic charm calms the fire in her. David is cool and collected, and he makes Emma feel safe for the first time ever. But David has his own chilling past—his six previous girlfriends have all disappeared without a trace. Emma's walking a dangerous line, but David's pull is intoxicating. And impossible to resist…

This is a new adult romance with mature content for readers 17 and up.

Publication Date: May 1, 2014

Gah! This book! I rarely can’t figure out a rating for a book and Push is one these incidences. The story is very intriguing, but the characters were all so messed up, it made me hard to root for them. I was definitely more into the mystery aspects of the book than the romance.

Emma was such a crazy main character. At first I was glad to read about a female not being a pushover, but she wasn’t tough—she was mentally unstable. She jumps into this consuming relationship with a virtual stranger and seems to accept all of his shadiness just because he’s a good lay and tries to beat every man who is inappropriate to her to a pulp. David seemed great on paper: sexy, thoughtful and protective. But from the summary and flashbacks through the novel, it is obvious he is not all that he seems.

A big portion of the book has to do with Emma’s intense relationship with David. I wasn’t feeling the romance because of the characters, so I actually skimmed a lot of the sex scenes. The sex scenes were well written and super hot, but I just felt icky reading them since I couldn’t cheer for the couple to work out.

The mysteries were what kept me reading. The flashbacks were my favorite parts of the book. The prologue and epilogue were also fantastic! The author is super talented and really knows how to draw readers into the lives of these dark and twisty people. Beware of the HUGE cliffhanger though. However, it will make readers eager to check out the next installment.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!