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The Aftermath by R.J. Prescott Series: ,
Published by Grand Central Publishing on December 15th 2015
Pages: 231
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. But what happens when you have everything you ever wanted? You fight to keep it.
Cormac “the Hurricane” O’Connell’s star is on the rise. Billed as the most promising young boxer of his generation, his new career is taking him to places he never dreamed. But O’Connell only needs one thing in life: his wife. In her final year of college, Em cannot follow him around the world but together they make it work.
Just when everything they ever wanted is on the horizon, the past resurfaces to haunt them and O’Connell realizes that justice might not be a part of his happy ever after.
He couldn’t protect Em once before, but in the aftermath of the hurricane, he will make sure that never happens again.
Excerpt:
Review:
Cormac “the Hurricane” O’Connell made plenty of mistakes with his life until he met Em who inspires him to be a better man. Fiercely protective, only three things in life matter to O’Connell: his wife, his family and his boxing career. The Aftermath follows O’Connell as he trains for a career defining fight while supporting his wife during her abusive step father’s trial. With their future on the line in more ways than one, O’Connell struggles with anger management issues and ‘faces the temptation of crossing a line he can never uncross.
Life isn’t about settling for what you have and making the best of it. It’s about getting back up when everyone else around you is counting you out, and fighting for what you want.
The Aftermath is book two of the The Hurricane series featuring a co-dependent, jealous boxer with serious anger management issues. Although flawed, Cormac O’Connell, Con to his friends, is a man struggling to overcome emotional baggage while dealing with issues that would seriously challenge even the most well adapted individual. This is novel is undoubtedly about family and fighting for what you want in life which is a surprisingly uplifting message for a novel that deals with some very dark issues.
It takes a special kind of author to take what are initially two extremely flawed, inexperienced kids and turn them into real people by the end of the novel. Em and O’Connell’s struggle is a rather refreshing entry into the NA romance genre because although the characters are extremely flawed we can see them attempting to make decent decisions. I especially liked the fact that Con’s boxing family was a constant for Em and O’Connell throughout the book and that they even had some interesting side stories woven into the background. Plus, Con’s family actually adds a sense of humour to a novel that deals with seriously dark and adult issues.
The Aftermath can be read as a stand-alone or part of a series, although I feel like the story would have been more profound if I’d read Con and Em’s relationship struggles from the very beginning.
I honestly know absolutely nothing about boxing and I’m generally not interested in sports literature. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found that The Aftermath struck a satisfying balance between both the sports and romance aspects and kept me engaged and curious. Fortunately, this novel incorporates professional athlete with “Regular Joe” just enough to develop a character I can understand.
In short, The Aftermath is a sports romance written for both sports enthusiasts and romance junkies equally without sacrificing some great storytelling. Con and Em are obviously very young, very damaged individuals who find solace in their marriage and strive to make the best decisions for their future which is actually endearing regardless of all their flaws. The emotional upheaval is properly heart wrenching, the romance is sweet and the character development is superb. I definitely recommend reading The Aftermath or the series! Realistic with just enough of the true romance motif to keep a reader captivated – even us non-sports fans.
The Hurricane, Series Book #1
About R.J. Prescott
I was born in Cardiff, South Wales although I left to study law at the University of Bristol, England. Four weeks before graduation I fell in love, and stayed. Ten years later I convinced my crazy, wonderful fire fighter husband to move back to Cardiff with me where we live with our two equally crazy sons.
Juggling work, writing and family doesn’t leave a lot of time, but curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate for family movie night is definitely the best part of my week. “The Hurricane” is my debut USA Today Best Selling New Adult Novel.
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