Book Review: Push (Push #1) by Claire Wallis

Push
Push #1
By:  Claire Wallis
Published: May 1, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Source:  Publisher
Mature Content
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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.

My Thoughts:

Push was one very twisted, dark, unpredictable, and  crazy psychological thrill ride!  Wow, I have never read a story like this one before.  From the very beginning, I couldn't peel my eyes away from this story.  It is told from Emma's viewpoint, flashing between her past and present, with excerpts told from David's past girlfriends.

Emma had a tough childhood.  When she was young she had a mother and father that loved her, and two sweet older brothers.  However, everything changed when her father died unexpectedly.  Shortly after, her mother married a sadistic and abusive man named Michael.  Emma's mother became a weak, passive, and distant version of herself, her brother's grew in to twisted version's of themselves through Michael's guidance, and Emma rebelled.  As soon as she graduated high school, she moved out of Michael's home.

David is a bit of a mystery at the beginning of the story.  We know that his father was an alcoholic, and he lost his mother at a very young age.  When Emma moves in to a new apartment building, she meets David.  He is a carpenter and is working on fixing her kitchen cabinets.  As David continues to return each day to work on Emma's kitchen, the two of them begin to talk, spend time together, and eventually find themselves in a relationship.

David has a very dark, secret, and sinister past.  As the reader, we get glimpses in to the events from his past.  This story was lightening fast, intense, addictive, and incredibly twisted.  David was a very interesting character, and I liked trying to figure out what made him tick, why he was the way that he was, and if he would continue to fall in to his old patterns.  Little by little, we learn more about David, and get a full picture of who he is. The ending has a major twist, and ended in a dreaded cliffhanger!  I need to know what happens next!  I cannot wait to read the next installment in this series.  For those of you that enjoy thrillers, suspense, criminology, and stories with a dark edge, this is one of the best!

My Rating:

I give, Push, by Claire Wallis, 4.5 Addictive, Intense, Psychologically Twisted, Dark, and Mesmerizing Stars!  There are plenty of plot twists to hold your attention throughout the entire story. Push is not predictable!  It will keep you guessing, biting your nails, and holding your breath, as you wait to see what will happen next.  A word of warning, once you pick this story up, you won't be able to put it down!  If you enjoy a dark romance, with lots of suspense, and psychological thrills, pick this one up!

About Claire Wallis:

Claire Wallis has penned hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles over the last ten years, with science playing the lead role in almost all of them. Though non-fiction writing will forever be her first love, fiction has unexpectedly swooped in, hooked her by the soul, and become her true love. As a result of this coup d’état, Claire’s writing career has made a complete U-turn, and instead of rocks, plants, insects, and microbes, she is now putting human characters in the lead. 

Enamored with the process of creating messy characters filled with imperfections and wicked inclinations, Claire believes that you don’t actually have to like a character to fall in love with them – a good story, after all, is best served with a hearty side of evil (just ask Disney). Claire’s first New Adult novel, Push , is scheduled for release by Harlequin MIRA in 2014. The story speaks to her appreciation of enigmatic male characters, perfectly capable of charming themselves straight into your unwilling heart. She enjoys writing about characters that are, at any given moment, both loathed and loved. You know, the ones that refuse to be forgotten.

 Claire’s previous jobs include working at a limestone quarry, hawking vegetables at a farmer’s market, clerking at the dollar store, and convincing new mothers that they need to renew their subscription to that parenting magazine in order for their child to survive. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly awesome husband and son.

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