Review: Rush by Nyrae Dawn

Brandon Chase has always defined himself by one thing: football. He loves the game, but struggles with his attraction for his best friend Alec Andrews. Alec thinks it'll work out as long as they're together, but Brandon can't choose between their feelings and his fear of losing his spot on the team. Rather than deal with it, he tells Alec goodbye.

A year and a half later, Alec has finally moved on with his life until he finds out Brandon's been hurt. Unable to deny his feelings for Brandon, Alec offers to help him train for his senior year and push for the NFL draft.

But as they spend the summer together, the two can't deny their attraction--the rush they feel when they're together is even stronger now and neither wants to walk away. Can Alec come out to his family, and Brandon come to terms with being a gay football player? Either way, there'll be consequences both have to be ready to face.

Rush is the sweet, sexy, and sometimes heartbreaking story of Brandon and Alec. The two have been on and off since they were teenagers, both wanting to keep their feelings a secret. Brandon refuses to come out because he doesn’t want to lose football, so he leaves Alec for good. Then he gets into an accident and almost dies. Alec comes out to see him, and they pick up where the left off. They agree to be with each other through the summer and then part ways for good, but by then, neither wants to let the other go. Alec is tired of hiding, and Brandon is, too. Now it’s time for them to come out and hope their love is enough.

I really, really enjoyed Rush! Brandon and Alec both felt very real to me, and I was immediately invested in their story. I wasn’t as interested in the football and the training stuff, but I did like reading about Brandon’s struggle on how to be gay and still play college football. He’s very conflicted on the situation, since he does really love Alec, but he feels like he has nothing outside of football. Alec, on the other hand, has been trying to live his life without Brandon, but it’s hard. He also worries about his father who makes no effort to hide his prejudice. Those two have a lot to work through in order to be together and not feel like they’re lying to the world. I also loved that there was no huge fight to tear them apart for no reason. Instead, they face adversity from the outside together and individually depending on the source.

Rush was great. I loved watching Brandon and Alec reunite and fight for their love. I also enjoyed witnessing their growth as they dealt with their personal problems. Brandon had to stop lying to himself and his teammates, as well as capture the future that he wanted, not just the one that was expected of him. Alec had to come out to his parents at the risk of losing them, and standing up for himself when it came to Brandon’s back and forth. Rush was a well-rounded story, and had plenty of sexy times, too!

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