Book Review – Never Too Far by Abbi Glines

Never Too Far: A Rosemary Beach Novel (The Rosemary Beach Series Book 2)
The 2nd installment in Rush and Blaire’s saga was woooooohoooooo steeeeeamy!!! Whoa. I can’t exactly remember if the first one was like that (I have a feeling it was, but my Rush-crush was my main focus at that time), but at one point in this one? I just…  My eyes bugged out and yep… I started tugging on my cookie monster pajama top (Cookie again? Total fluke that I was wearing him for this one, too. Hehe. Cookie Monster is a whole new trigger for me now ;)). I covertly looked around to make sure no one (aka “husband”) was watching my reaction and mouthed “whoa.” That was HOT.

Now okay, to be fair… perhaps not as intricately detailed as some of our erotica reads, you know.. *waggles eyebrows* but for a NA book? This was one of the hottest. And maybe it was just that my Rush-crush was in full re-activation mode, and he is just so intense that everything remotely steamy was amplified, but yes. You want to crush on a bad-boy and get a good dose of steamy, too? This is it!

Never Too Far was just as dramatically angsty and as much of a guilty pleasure as it’s predecessor. While I loved #1 (Fallen Too Far) more (there was something so sweet about him “cluing” in to her living conditions and protecting her the way he did… his complete turnaround), this one allowed us to indulge in their broken-hearted love affair. Melodramatic, yes… (I think they, no she ’caused themselves most of their own heartache simply by playing her self-preservation games), but good enough for me to have felt and internalized a lot of it. Just like the first one.

Some of the overly-angst/dramatic reads are too much for me that I actually stop feeling it at a certain point. My exasperation gets the best of me. But this one was reigned in just enough for me to continue living it with them. Exasperated? Yes. Did I roll my eyes. Sure!  But did I enjoy it? Absolutely.

Our relationship had been short. Intense and brief. I wondered what it would have felt like to curl up in Rush’s arms anytime I wanted. To know I was safe and that he loved me.

We’d never had that chance.

So what’s it about? (Anyone who hasn’t read this book yet… turn away now!!). If you’re in the mood for angst on a more lighthearted scale, and a fast and furious romance (and all of the drama and steam that comes with that kind of romance), I adamantly recommend these!! I ate ’em up like candy, overdosed on sugar, and despite my sugar-Rush (<—– tee hee!! See what I did there? ;)), I know I’m gonna be craving more soon!

Okay so let’s talk about it:

Blaire and Rush weren’t so … careful in book #1, and I totally saw it coming (and was happy it went there). Why not, right? Do you know how many times I’ve read “uncareful” steamy moments that had no real consequences? This one did. And Rush’s heart was in full-force and so terribly broken once she left.

“What if she comes back? What will you do?” Grant asked me.

What would I do?

I’d beg.

YES!!! And despite her “doing what was best for her” at first, her new situation calls for her return. YAY US!!! And while her insistence that she would not bring Rush into it and handle it on her own made me roll my eyes…

“Were you gonna tell Rush? Or were you really just gonna just run off?”

What would Rush do? His sister hated me. His mother hated me. They hated my mother. And I hated my father. For Rush to be a oart of this baby’s life, he’d have to give them up. I couldn’t ask him to give up his mom and sister. Even if they were evil.

I liked that his constant presence  (and her undeniable love for him) broke through her personal perseverance. Easily I might add, but come on. It’s Rush, after all. Who can resist?

… I felt him move in behind me. He was not making this easy.

Straightening up, I didn’t look back or turn around. He was too close. “What are you doing? I asked quietly. I didn’t want Nan or Grant to hear us.

“I miss you,” was his simple response.

And we live their ups and downs (lots of both) while Rush continues to battle his she-devil of a sister, and battles himself in the process. And just when it seems like they’re finally getting it together, well… you know how these books go ;). It doesn’t help that his loyalties are a mess, and she’s a bit of a martyr. Makes their drama even more drama-ey. But hey, we love this kind of stuff, right? Smaller doses for me, but this series totally fed my need.

My favorite, most heartfelt part? Like his discovery of her peanut butter sandwiches in book #1 (that made me tear up), her doctor’s appointments in this one really did me in. And that one part when he lost his mind and left her there. ACK!!!

3.5 stars to 4 stars for me. I’m leaning on the 4 star ’cause like I said, when I need this “kind” of romantic angst, this one was right up my alley, and my Rush-crush was (is) intense. I will admit that an ending can really make the book, for me (or at least, send me over the 4 star level into *squeeing* mode) but the abrupt ending in this book, left me a bit underwhelmed. Not a cliffhanger, no worries, just a bit…. er… okay? *me trying to pull my Kindle page past the “the end” part… looking for more.*

Thank you to the author for sending this my way! My Rush-crush is still in full force and I’m thrilled that you might be taking us back into their specific lives. YAY US!!

Check out the series reading order (and what’s coming up next in the series!)