What do you think?
Rate this book
Librarian note: older cover of B01BM0AHZE.
San Francisco is heating up for Aspen Adams this summer.
With grad school under my belt I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life. San Francisco is a brand new city. I have an amazing apartment, a new job, family, and friends to keep me occupied. Life in the city will be easy.
Keep my head down, don’t break any of the ridiculous rules in my lease agreement, get my best friend through her nasty relationship drama, and stick to my five year plan. I’ve got this. Or at least I would if I could figure out why my heart skips a beat every time I see my hot neighbor.
Handsome, funny, and always around right when I need him, Finnegan McRyan is my own personal knight in shining armor. The tousled hair and sexy glasses don’t hurt his appeal either. Finn acts like the perfect man, but there’s something about him that has me questioning if it’s too good to be true.
Can I count on him when it really matters or is Finn using his good guy image to hide the truth?
San Francisco is heating up for Aspen Adams this summer.
With grad school under my belt I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life. San Francisco is a brand new city. I have an amazing apartment, a new job, family, and friends to keep me occupied. Life in the city will be easy.
Keep my head down, don’t break any of the ridiculous rules in my lease agreement, get my best friend through her nasty relationship drama, and stick to my five year plan. I’ve got this. Or at least I would if I could figure out why my heart skips a beat every time I see my hot neighbor.
Handsome, funny, and always around right when I need him, Finnegan McRyan is my own personal knight in shining armor. The tousled hair and sexy glasses don’t hurt his appeal either. Finn acts like the perfect man, but there’s something about him that has me questioning if it’s too good to be true.
Can I count on him when it really matters or is Finn using his good guy image to hide the truth?
246 pages, ebook
First published March 7, 2016
750 people are currently reading
1204 people want to read
About the author
Megan Matthews
67 books179 followersMegan Matthews loves writing humorous romantic suspense featuring heroes with unbelievable abs, billionaire bosses, and heroines with attitude for days. She lives in Michigan with her techie husband, homeschooled son, their cat, and two guinea pigs.
When she’s not writing, you can find her on Instagram posting about reading, home life, half-dead plants, her ridiculous notebook and fancy pen collections, plus the occasional crochet project.
When she’s not writing, you can find her on Instagram posting about reading, home life, half-dead plants, her ridiculous notebook and fancy pen collections, plus the occasional crochet project.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
February 5, 2019
This story had kind of an odd cadence to it. It's pure wish-fulfillment fantasy (hello, billionaire) so I expect to have to give it some slack. And I did. But some of the relationship beats felt out of place, too. Like a "breakup" before there'd been an acknowledged "thing". Or Aspen thinking Finn's work is play just because his company makes computer games (like seriously, in-her-head thinking this). Or Finn's "friend" Trey putting Aspen through a heavy-handed "test" and thinking that was a valid thing.
But whatever. It's a fantasy I kind of like, so I stuck with it to the end and I don't regret doing so. Nothing holds with any amount of scrutiny and I can't recommend this to anyone else. But it was good enough for a personal three stars, even if a little less than I expected.
A note about Steamy: There are three or so explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. They're not long but they have a crude factor (in both word and thought) that you might want to weigh in if you're sensitive to that kind of thing.
But whatever. It's a fantasy I kind of like, so I stuck with it to the end and I don't regret doing so. Nothing holds with any amount of scrutiny and I can't recommend this to anyone else. But it was good enough for a personal three stars, even if a little less than I expected.
A note about Steamy: There are three or so explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. They're not long but they have a crude factor (in both word and thought) that you might want to weigh in if you're sensitive to that kind of thing.
January 23, 2017
I feel like this book definitely had promise. Aspen recently moved to San Francisco, and meets Finn--a neighbour in her apartment building. They feel a connection immediately, and I thought that they were both cute with each other. Megan Matthews sets up a strong best friend for Aspen, and I really liked meeting her brother. But the promise at the beginning faded pretty quickly. While I generally liked the development of the relationship between Aspen and Finn, I couldn't quite believe her naivety. The fact that she didn't question Finn, and didn't figure out the big "twist" seemed silly since the reader could guess it immediately. I find it hard to like books where the reader knows more than the main character--especially when we gain this knowledge through seeing the world through HER POV. It makes the reader smarter than the main character, and therefore, a bit harder to empathize with when she becomes distraught upon finding out the "truth."
The book definitely has cute moments, and is an easy read--but perhaps has more potential for a good story than the actual book delivers.
The book definitely has cute moments, and is an easy read--but perhaps has more potential for a good story than the actual book delivers.
November 26, 2017
DNF 30%
Good: The male lead, Finn, is a thoughtful funny smart guy. All around well adjusted.
Bad: Aspen, our female lead, comes off as ignorant and at times condescending. Her jokes about his work are not funny.
Finn: It's complicated, but I help create video games for an up-and-coming design company."
"Is that a professional way of saying you play video games for a living?"
... when he explains what he does (again)
"I design and develop the games our company puts out. Either for mobile devices, computers or more recently game consoles. [...] Does it bother you that I work in gaming?"
"It doesn't bother me, Finn. It's clear you love what you do. I think it's cute. You've all found a way to never grow up and get paid for it."
Do people think that film directors watch movies all day for a living? Can we stop with the nerd cliche already? To be fair, Finn calls her on that and says she has horrible stereotypes. But it didn't seem to register because later on, she says (to Finn's driver no less) "I want to see where these boys sit around and play video games all day." *Sigh*
Of course, she will realize slowly that she is mistaken - slowly being the operative word here. It's ok but I won't continue.
Good: The male lead, Finn, is a thoughtful funny smart guy. All around well adjusted.
Bad: Aspen, our female lead, comes off as ignorant and at times condescending. Her jokes about his work are not funny.
Finn: It's complicated, but I help create video games for an up-and-coming design company."
"Is that a professional way of saying you play video games for a living?"
... when he explains what he does (again)
"I design and develop the games our company puts out. Either for mobile devices, computers or more recently game consoles. [...] Does it bother you that I work in gaming?"
"It doesn't bother me, Finn. It's clear you love what you do. I think it's cute. You've all found a way to never grow up and get paid for it."
Do people think that film directors watch movies all day for a living? Can we stop with the nerd cliche already? To be fair, Finn calls her on that and says she has horrible stereotypes. But it didn't seem to register because later on, she says (to Finn's driver no less) "I want to see where these boys sit around and play video games all day." *Sigh*
Of course, she will realize slowly that she is mistaken - slowly being the operative word here. It's ok but I won't continue.
Want to read
October 16, 2017FREE on Amazon today (10/16/2017)!
February 15, 2019
This is the first book I have read from this author and she blew me away. I love a good contemporary romance but this author exceeded all my expectations. This is the first book to The Boys of RDA series and it was the perfect start. I was hooked on this book right from the first chapter. You can’t but to fall in love with these characters. It only took me a few hours to devour this amazing story.
Aspen Adams just finished grad school and now she is ready for her new life. She moves to San Francisco into a very nice apartment her brother’s wife found for her. Aspen has certain rules she can not break or she might be living with her brother. She has a her five year plan in place and she is going to focus on her career. Aspen is sticking to her plan until she meets her hot neighbor Finn. She is instantly attracted to him but she doesn’t understand why. Finn is funny, charming, and hot. All the things she is looking for but it is too good to be true? Will Aspen find what she is looking for in this new city or will she run back home?
I absolutely loved this book. The storyline has is all romance, mystery, and some good drama. You will fall in love with these characters right from the beginning. Aspen is a beautiful woman and knows what she wants. She is focused on her job and she doesn’t want any drama. Finn is very handsome with a good heart. The way he treats Aspen will make your heart melt. These characters have some steamy scenes that will make your temperature rise. This talented author will keep you on your toes until the end. I can’t wait to meet the rest of these men.
Aspen Adams just finished grad school and now she is ready for her new life. She moves to San Francisco into a very nice apartment her brother’s wife found for her. Aspen has certain rules she can not break or she might be living with her brother. She has a her five year plan in place and she is going to focus on her career. Aspen is sticking to her plan until she meets her hot neighbor Finn. She is instantly attracted to him but she doesn’t understand why. Finn is funny, charming, and hot. All the things she is looking for but it is too good to be true? Will Aspen find what she is looking for in this new city or will she run back home?
I absolutely loved this book. The storyline has is all romance, mystery, and some good drama. You will fall in love with these characters right from the beginning. Aspen is a beautiful woman and knows what she wants. She is focused on her job and she doesn’t want any drama. Finn is very handsome with a good heart. The way he treats Aspen will make your heart melt. These characters have some steamy scenes that will make your temperature rise. This talented author will keep you on your toes until the end. I can’t wait to meet the rest of these men.
October 16, 2018
This is the story of Aspen who is new to San Francisco. She is living in a tiny apartment in an expensive building. She has a ridiculous list of rules to follow while living in the building.
Finn is staying in the pent house apartment in the same building as Aspen. They meet when she slips in a puddle and he helps her up. They then see one another every day going forward.
Their relationship is weird af. They have like instalust. Which, okay, that's fine. But like the way these two act it's like they've been seeing each other for years. There really wasn't any growth for their relationship.
I feel like there wasn't really anything to the story line... It was kinda just them doing whatever for 75% of the book. And then 200 pages in, literally on the two hundredth page you find out wtf is going on. By that point it's like, what?!
This was just a meh book... Not continuing with this series...
Finn is staying in the pent house apartment in the same building as Aspen. They meet when she slips in a puddle and he helps her up. They then see one another every day going forward.
Their relationship is weird af. They have like instalust. Which, okay, that's fine. But like the way these two act it's like they've been seeing each other for years. There really wasn't any growth for their relationship.
I feel like there wasn't really anything to the story line... It was kinda just them doing whatever for 75% of the book. And then 200 pages in, literally on the two hundredth page you find out wtf is going on. By that point it's like, what?!
This was just a meh book... Not continuing with this series...
March 6, 2016
www.imasweetandsassybookwhore.com
Rush is the first book in The Gaming series and I must say that I was really hooked into the storyline fairly quickly. I love having a geeky/nerd hero and Finn fits that description perfectly but he is also sexy, smart and works in the gaming industry. Aspen keeps running into Finn, they live in the same building and he helps her out more than once when she gets a little clumsy.
The attraction and chemistry between Aspen and Finn is there from the start. When certain events happen you hate it because you know that these two are meant for one another. Finn has secrets, ones he has for a reason but it’s those secrets that could cause Finn and Aspen’s relationship to be over before it really has a chance to begin.
You can’t help but love Aspen and Finn as well as the other secondary characters. I hope that we will be getting books for them all. Rush was a strong start to a new series, one that I think will only become better with each book and the characters that you can’t help but want to know more of.
Rush is the first book in The Gaming series and I must say that I was really hooked into the storyline fairly quickly. I love having a geeky/nerd hero and Finn fits that description perfectly but he is also sexy, smart and works in the gaming industry. Aspen keeps running into Finn, they live in the same building and he helps her out more than once when she gets a little clumsy.
The attraction and chemistry between Aspen and Finn is there from the start. When certain events happen you hate it because you know that these two are meant for one another. Finn has secrets, ones he has for a reason but it’s those secrets that could cause Finn and Aspen’s relationship to be over before it really has a chance to begin.
You can’t help but love Aspen and Finn as well as the other secondary characters. I hope that we will be getting books for them all. Rush was a strong start to a new series, one that I think will only become better with each book and the characters that you can’t help but want to know more of.
March 7, 2016
Well I want to start off with I loved the names Megan gave her characters Aspen and Finnegan, Finn as he is known to Aspen, they are names I haven't heard before in the book world and I enjoyed using there names in my head while reading. Right so we have met Aspen and Finn and together they heat up the pages with a story that some may find predictable, but I was so engrossed in there lives and the story that I didn't really notice what was really in front.
I could not believe what Finn did at around 30% to say I was surprised and a little miffed, that I wanted to throat punch him, I sat that there and went 'Huh, what did I just read?' It did take me a little bit further in to forgive him, actually I think it took me longer than Aspen to forgive. With that all being said the only thing I craved MORE of was our resident nerd to give us more of his domineering, dirty talk and more sexy times, I would definitely have been down with that.
So in Rush we get a male nerd, love, dirty talk, sexy smexy scenes, low angst and a story that is perfect to read in one sitting. We didn't get a lot of Grant in this book, more of Trey so I am just surmising that the next Game Changer book will be about Trey. Would I recommend to my friends? You bet I would!!!! Reviewed for HeadTripping Books by Carolyn
I could not believe what Finn did at around 30% to say I was surprised and a little miffed, that I wanted to throat punch him, I sat that there and went 'Huh, what did I just read?' It did take me a little bit further in to forgive him, actually I think it took me longer than Aspen to forgive. With that all being said the only thing I craved MORE of was our resident nerd to give us more of his domineering, dirty talk and more sexy times, I would definitely have been down with that.
So in Rush we get a male nerd, love, dirty talk, sexy smexy scenes, low angst and a story that is perfect to read in one sitting. We didn't get a lot of Grant in this book, more of Trey so I am just surmising that the next Game Changer book will be about Trey. Would I recommend to my friends? You bet I would!!!! Reviewed for HeadTripping Books by Carolyn
May 24, 2016
I adored getting to know Aspen and Finn.
Aspen is new to the San Fran area. While walking home she falls, literally, into Finn's arms. Aspen is a strong girl, a little naive at times, but who isn't at the tender age of 23? She finds herself falling more and more for Finn, who from the get go has your heart. he's sweet, a little strange, but he's a gamer. they're all a little strange.
Finn is awesome. he had me chuckling and the author was on point with her humor with him. He's sweet, kind, but you get the feeling that there's more going on behind his horned rimmed glasses. he's hiding something and while his secret isn't big and scary, it does give more insight to the way that Finn acts.
This book shows us just how great communication is. Things get crossed in the wires, and things down spiral from there. The drama picked up towards the end of the book, and we got a good resolution to everything.
This book has an awesome group of secondary characters, that I can't wait to read more from.
Check out this book for a light, fun read, that lets you into the gaming world for a few hours
Aspen is new to the San Fran area. While walking home she falls, literally, into Finn's arms. Aspen is a strong girl, a little naive at times, but who isn't at the tender age of 23? She finds herself falling more and more for Finn, who from the get go has your heart. he's sweet, a little strange, but he's a gamer. they're all a little strange.
Finn is awesome. he had me chuckling and the author was on point with her humor with him. He's sweet, kind, but you get the feeling that there's more going on behind his horned rimmed glasses. he's hiding something and while his secret isn't big and scary, it does give more insight to the way that Finn acts.
This book shows us just how great communication is. Things get crossed in the wires, and things down spiral from there. The drama picked up towards the end of the book, and we got a good resolution to everything.
This book has an awesome group of secondary characters, that I can't wait to read more from.
Check out this book for a light, fun read, that lets you into the gaming world for a few hours
August 14, 2017
This book is sort of a roller coaster... like it starts off strong and then goes flat, then it picks up again, then it goes flat... I'm sort of let down. Lots of overly dramatic and slightly unrealistic dialogue and interactions...
July 6, 2020
Aspen and Finn were simply amazing! I knew they would get along just fine after they met. They were fun and cute. I’m so happy they got the ending they deserved. 💜
August 26, 2025
Imagine constantly negging your new boyfriend that his job isn't real enough because he works in video game development, but your job is . . . entry level marketing for dog food. Ridiculous.
July 1, 2018
3 stars. A pretty good book.
This is one of those books that u don’t necessarily get to know any of the characters. It’s more of a basic quick read with little, stupid conflict that could have easily been avoided. Not much depth .
You get just enough info about everyone and everything to make a quick read.
All the side characters were ok. Again, u don’t get to really know any of them either. Just a little to help cause drama.
I did find myself skimming here and there just to keep the story moving.
Not a bad read. And would recommend, if u need a quick read that allows u to put the book down.
This is one of those books that u don’t necessarily get to know any of the characters. It’s more of a basic quick read with little, stupid conflict that could have easily been avoided. Not much depth .
You get just enough info about everyone and everything to make a quick read.
All the side characters were ok. Again, u don’t get to really know any of them either. Just a little to help cause drama.
I did find myself skimming here and there just to keep the story moving.
Not a bad read. And would recommend, if u need a quick read that allows u to put the book down.
January 11, 2021
A promising book that leaves you wanting more depth. This book is cute and an easy read, but not what I expected.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read
March 13, 2018Typical romance novel with a little smut! I usually don't read this genre, or at least I haven't in years! Quick read, finished it in less than 24 hours!!
April 1, 2021
A bit predictable and the storyline was flimsy at times, but it has promise. An editor/proofreader would do it wonders.
October 2, 2017
I don't know why this book is called Rush because it is the most laid back novel with laid back characters who stock their closet like Steve Jobs and only hurry for Sunday brunch in the park. Everything is savoured and is basically a day by day recollection of Aspen and Finn's relationship.
A super sweet and nerdy romance, I can honestly say that Finn is the perfect boyfriend, despite his often times childish and oblivious nature. If you want a simple, thoughtful, funny guy who is loaded, then Finn is your guy! He knew when to be a nerd and when to be the star in your wet dreams. There was no awkward behavior from this gamer who marveled at gold controllers the way he did tits bouncing in his face. Plus, how many stories have you read about a billionaire gamer who literally wears glasses? Me? ... not so much.
If Finn is my dream guy, then Marissa is my best friend. Honestly, Aspen lucked out in the support system department and she really didn't need the added character of Amanda. Though I do want to find out what happened with Cody but I guess that's for another novel.
Aspen was a great narrator and I loved her inner musings. Something about this cast just felt real. Like you could relate to them all. Even the billionaire.
Despite all this though, there is nothing exciting about this story. It has a good flow but there is no climax or fireworks moment. I am still waiting on that thing to push it over the edge because as is, it's just a novel about a gaming tycoon, his girlfriend and her silly friends. I would have loved to even explore the apartment rules but I believe that has been reserved for Marissa's story.
My reaction to this story could be the fact that I broke my cardinal rule and read way too many reviews before I read the book and as such, I kept waiting for the things highlighted and discussed in said reviews. Needless to say, they weren't as terrible as I was lead to believe but they were all I had to look forward to and it turns out they were the "climax" but not so exciting ones.
What was exciting for me was the emphasis placed on the San Fran - yes I said it - scene. I love to experience new places, real or fake; and she did a very good job of capturing what is or what she believes to be San Francisco. Plus, a change of pace and location from New York or California was nice.
Still, I have to call a spade a spade and this novel was not very exciting or enticing in its delivery. I fell asleep a lot and if not for the character's personality and banter, it could easily have been a DNF. A spark of any kind was needed. It was too safe but I can guarantee that you will definitely catch me reading book 2.
A super sweet and nerdy romance, I can honestly say that Finn is the perfect boyfriend, despite his often times childish and oblivious nature. If you want a simple, thoughtful, funny guy who is loaded, then Finn is your guy! He knew when to be a nerd and when to be the star in your wet dreams. There was no awkward behavior from this gamer who marveled at gold controllers the way he did tits bouncing in his face. Plus, how many stories have you read about a billionaire gamer who literally wears glasses? Me? ... not so much.
If Finn is my dream guy, then Marissa is my best friend. Honestly, Aspen lucked out in the support system department and she really didn't need the added character of Amanda. Though I do want to find out what happened with Cody but I guess that's for another novel.
Aspen was a great narrator and I loved her inner musings. Something about this cast just felt real. Like you could relate to them all. Even the billionaire.
Despite all this though, there is nothing exciting about this story. It has a good flow but there is no climax or fireworks moment. I am still waiting on that thing to push it over the edge because as is, it's just a novel about a gaming tycoon, his girlfriend and her silly friends. I would have loved to even explore the apartment rules but I believe that has been reserved for Marissa's story.
My reaction to this story could be the fact that I broke my cardinal rule and read way too many reviews before I read the book and as such, I kept waiting for the things highlighted and discussed in said reviews. Needless to say, they weren't as terrible as I was lead to believe but they were all I had to look forward to and it turns out they were the "climax" but not so exciting ones.
What was exciting for me was the emphasis placed on the San Fran - yes I said it - scene. I love to experience new places, real or fake; and she did a very good job of capturing what is or what she believes to be San Francisco. Plus, a change of pace and location from New York or California was nice.
Still, I have to call a spade a spade and this novel was not very exciting or enticing in its delivery. I fell asleep a lot and if not for the character's personality and banter, it could easily have been a DNF. A spark of any kind was needed. It was too safe but I can guarantee that you will definitely catch me reading book 2.
October 23, 2016
4 star review
Rush by Megan Matthews is the first book in her Boys of RDA series. This novel follows the live of recent grad school graduate Aspen Adams. Aspen is adjusting to having a brand new start. New city, new apartment, new job. She has a five year plan that will put her on top of the advertising game. With family and friends nearby, life is supposed to be easy.
Enter the handsome and funny Finnegan McRyan, her new neighbor. He always seems to show up right when Aspen needs help. He is a serious gamer, working in software development, and not the kind of guy that Aspen thought she would be with. But the glasses, messy hair, and t-shirts somehow seem just right on him. On the surface, he seems to be the perfect man. But there always seems to be something going on in the background that he is hiding, making him seem too good to be true. When Finn’s secrets are finally revealed, Aspen has to question if she can live with the man that Finn really is.
I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well written and entertaining. I found the dialogue easy to follow and very fast-paced. There were a few sections (cough, ex-girlfriend, cough) that I found a bit predictable, but still did not detract from the fact that this was a good story. I look forward to reading the next novel in this series as I found the background characters (The other “boys”) quite interesting and want to see how their stories will play out as well.
Rush by Megan Matthews is the first book in her Boys of RDA series. This novel follows the live of recent grad school graduate Aspen Adams. Aspen is adjusting to having a brand new start. New city, new apartment, new job. She has a five year plan that will put her on top of the advertising game. With family and friends nearby, life is supposed to be easy.
Enter the handsome and funny Finnegan McRyan, her new neighbor. He always seems to show up right when Aspen needs help. He is a serious gamer, working in software development, and not the kind of guy that Aspen thought she would be with. But the glasses, messy hair, and t-shirts somehow seem just right on him. On the surface, he seems to be the perfect man. But there always seems to be something going on in the background that he is hiding, making him seem too good to be true. When Finn’s secrets are finally revealed, Aspen has to question if she can live with the man that Finn really is.
I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well written and entertaining. I found the dialogue easy to follow and very fast-paced. There were a few sections (cough, ex-girlfriend, cough) that I found a bit predictable, but still did not detract from the fact that this was a good story. I look forward to reading the next novel in this series as I found the background characters (The other “boys”) quite interesting and want to see how their stories will play out as well.
October 22, 2016
This is the first book in the series. Aspen Adams has just moved to San Francisco. Her brother and his wife live there and it's pretty nice to have some family around even if San Francisco is a bit to get used to. She's having a real bad day when she steps off the curb and is falling when Finnegan McRyan swoops in and becomes her knight and shining armor. He is sexy with his lumberjack/nerd look, Green eyes and glasses. It's instant attraction between the two of them. As they spend more and more time together things grow. Finnegan is a part owner in a video game making company. There is some secrets that threaten to tear them apart and you wonder if they will figure out everything. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read for me and I was able to fly through it quickly. I love the author's writing style and how well the characters are developed and the story flows. I never felt at any point the story was slow in my opinion it kept moving along and I was hooked! It was hard to stop reading once I started. I also love the main male character's name Finnegan. It is actually my son's name so I am probably pretty biased but I am ok with it. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the series!
November 25, 2017
This was an excellent book, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an excellent read. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
February 16, 2019
Rush (The Boys of RDA #1) by Megan Matthews was an okay read that was a little bit of a slow burn.
This quirky dream guy fantasy like read has all the things I look for when reading rom-comms. But, I will say that, this book did fall a little short on the flow, pacing and overall excitement.
I loved Finn, he was pure male fan-service. He did have some moments I wasn't fond off, but that just made him all the more real and enjoyable. A billionaire nerd, my dream come true. He really stole the show for me, and was my fav character in the whole book. As for Aspen, for a girl with an MBA, at times I wonder how she got through grad school. And the way she made fun of Finn's job, that didn't sit well with me at all. Shallow thinking and just plain old mean. I also didn't like how she didn't connected the dots about Finn, it was right there, and I caught on in seconds. Just to put this in perspective, it was her narrative that I connected the dots through, as in, through her eyes, her voice. I just feel like Aspen as dumped down, and there was no need for it; I think she was a missed opportunity. The overall story was a little slow for my liking, and there was a lot of lulls between "action". The book wasn't that much of a rush, but I did still very much like the overall concept and plot.
Overall this story had all the makings of a laugh out loud rom-comm, but just missed the mark. I did however enjoyed the overall story, there's some pretty solid moments, and like I said, Finn is an amazing character and I loved reading about him. Aspen's best friend is also a very solid character and really brought out a good side to Aspen that would have been otherwise missed, and actually made me like her.
So though I have mixed feelings about this book, there are some good things going on, and Finn's and Aspen growing relationship was believable and at times fun. So please take my recommendation and my stamp of approval that even though I wasn't fully on board, reading is subjective and you might fall head over heels for this feisty read.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
This quirky dream guy fantasy like read has all the things I look for when reading rom-comms. But, I will say that, this book did fall a little short on the flow, pacing and overall excitement.
I loved Finn, he was pure male fan-service. He did have some moments I wasn't fond off, but that just made him all the more real and enjoyable. A billionaire nerd, my dream come true. He really stole the show for me, and was my fav character in the whole book. As for Aspen, for a girl with an MBA, at times I wonder how she got through grad school. And the way she made fun of Finn's job, that didn't sit well with me at all. Shallow thinking and just plain old mean. I also didn't like how she didn't connected the dots about Finn, it was right there, and I caught on in seconds. Just to put this in perspective, it was her narrative that I connected the dots through, as in, through her eyes, her voice. I just feel like Aspen as dumped down, and there was no need for it; I think she was a missed opportunity. The overall story was a little slow for my liking, and there was a lot of lulls between "action". The book wasn't that much of a rush, but I did still very much like the overall concept and plot.
Overall this story had all the makings of a laugh out loud rom-comm, but just missed the mark. I did however enjoyed the overall story, there's some pretty solid moments, and like I said, Finn is an amazing character and I loved reading about him. Aspen's best friend is also a very solid character and really brought out a good side to Aspen that would have been otherwise missed, and actually made me like her.
So though I have mixed feelings about this book, there are some good things going on, and Finn's and Aspen growing relationship was believable and at times fun. So please take my recommendation and my stamp of approval that even though I wasn't fully on board, reading is subjective and you might fall head over heels for this feisty read.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
August 4, 2022
This is the first book from the newest series of author Megan Matthews called The Boys from RDA, like any new series and book I sometimes think it takes a bit of time to warm up to new characters and plot-lines therefore I try to give it the sense of doubt and try not to give it high expectations. Perhaps the 'hot' male character was not the usual ex military saves the damsel in distress scenario that I have come to find with Megan's previous series but a rather quiet techno whiz with a humongous bank account to lean on. At times I was questioning his social skill set and wondering how I was going to try to connect to his character because honestly at times I think I was ready to walk away from the story. Simply put I found I was not hungrily drawn to wanting to finish it as quickly as possible. I guess I'm not quite into the world of gaming to be really drawn into the plot's scenarios. I found Finn and his friends were a little annoying at times (sorry to say) but I can fully understand the sense of 'cloak and dagger' that surrounded Finn's character and why they acted the way they did towards Aspen. But as I say sometimes I think the start of a new series for authors can be difficult because they tend to revert to winning formulas from previous books and series and therefore the reader can be left expecting the same experience.
There were great moments throughout the book that provided both high and low emotional points to give the plot balance because literally life does not provide a static line of happiness and contentment and I guess it was some of those low points that makes the reader wanting to connect to the lead characters. I am looking forward to see how the next book in the series will proceed though.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There were great moments throughout the book that provided both high and low emotional points to give the plot balance because literally life does not provide a static line of happiness and contentment and I guess it was some of those low points that makes the reader wanting to connect to the lead characters. I am looking forward to see how the next book in the series will proceed though.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 21, 2016
Rush by Megan Matthews, is the first book in The Gaming series and I’m not going to lie, I think I’m a little bit in love with Finn. I mean come on what’s not to like about a sexy nerd who’s sweet, attentive. caring yet also dominating, protective and just the right amount of possessive? Now I’m not really into video games but my fella is and he works for a gaming company, so I totally get the whole who cares if he spends his day playing games thing that Aspen has going on.
This book is a great read and the relationship between Mr McRyan and Ms Adams is so relatable (well until the end, then I was just like dam why can’t my man be like that!). In fact, I adored all the characters in this book bar two, Britany just needs a good ol’ fashioned beat down and Trey needs to sort himself out (although I do think there’s more going on with his character than just what’s portrayed in this book, so I’m kinda looking forward to reading his story).
When Aspen finishes collage and moves to San Francisco, to be closer to her brother Ben, she’s decided to take a year’s sabbatical from all men. She needs to focus on her career. But after a few encounters with the hunk next door, she soon changes her mind. But with a massive revelation and one manipulative ex, doubts start to creep in. Can this work? Can she trust him? Will Britany even get smacked in the face (preferably with a bus!)?
I would highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to read the next in the series. That said there are some sexual scenes so I would have to say this book is not suitable for anyone younger than a young adult.
This book is a great read and the relationship between Mr McRyan and Ms Adams is so relatable (well until the end, then I was just like dam why can’t my man be like that!). In fact, I adored all the characters in this book bar two, Britany just needs a good ol’ fashioned beat down and Trey needs to sort himself out (although I do think there’s more going on with his character than just what’s portrayed in this book, so I’m kinda looking forward to reading his story).
When Aspen finishes collage and moves to San Francisco, to be closer to her brother Ben, she’s decided to take a year’s sabbatical from all men. She needs to focus on her career. But after a few encounters with the hunk next door, she soon changes her mind. But with a massive revelation and one manipulative ex, doubts start to creep in. Can this work? Can she trust him? Will Britany even get smacked in the face (preferably with a bus!)?
I would highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to read the next in the series. That said there are some sexual scenes so I would have to say this book is not suitable for anyone younger than a young adult.
June 12, 2020
**SMALL SPOILERS**
The blurb didn’t really match the story and there was so much drama it became a MAJOR turn off, I almost stopped reading a couple of times there were just too many stupid decisions made. Aspen came off as easy to manipulate and a bit naive (especially considering her background, her brother’s occupation, her friends drama and her schooling), what rational person would go back to a guy who called her a liar and then was all “whoa is me” afterwards. Because one minute she’s all smart and savvy, then next she doing something NO ONE would do. She seemed emotionally and chemically unbalanced not “new girl trying to make her way”.
And then there was Finn… I mean I know there’s gamer guy stereotype but this was just a slight left turn from that trope. But what it basically boils down to is, I’ve read characters (exactly) like him before (billionaire nerds) and they’ve been done a million (billion) times better and with a more than 2-dimensional personality or character arc. He came off as generic and half-baked, like the writer had a concept but didn’t develop him further than the bare bones. Like they gave up halfway and said: “yeah, that’ll do.”
There was just too much assumption made in this book. This was not a healthy relationship, or at least one I could have imagined myself or anyone I know staying in.
Also nothing really comes of the “Rules” thing, you never even really find out what they are or how many there are. And you don’t even find out the story is about a gaming company until your in a bit too.
The blurb didn’t really match the story and there was so much drama it became a MAJOR turn off, I almost stopped reading a couple of times there were just too many stupid decisions made. Aspen came off as easy to manipulate and a bit naive (especially considering her background, her brother’s occupation, her friends drama and her schooling), what rational person would go back to a guy who called her a liar and then was all “whoa is me” afterwards. Because one minute she’s all smart and savvy, then next she doing something NO ONE would do. She seemed emotionally and chemically unbalanced not “new girl trying to make her way”.
And then there was Finn… I mean I know there’s gamer guy stereotype but this was just a slight left turn from that trope. But what it basically boils down to is, I’ve read characters (exactly) like him before (billionaire nerds) and they’ve been done a million (billion) times better and with a more than 2-dimensional personality or character arc. He came off as generic and half-baked, like the writer had a concept but didn’t develop him further than the bare bones. Like they gave up halfway and said: “yeah, that’ll do.”
There was just too much assumption made in this book. This was not a healthy relationship, or at least one I could have imagined myself or anyone I know staying in.
Also nothing really comes of the “Rules” thing, you never even really find out what they are or how many there are. And you don’t even find out the story is about a gaming company until your in a bit too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2016
Rush!
This is the first book of the series. It's about a woman who is trying to get her life started after
finishing college and starting her dream career (kinda). She moved in a small apartment in the
city of San Francisco close to her brother. One day it's raining and Aspen is walking into her
apartment slips and falls. When a guy ask if she was okay. Then he opens his umbrella for her
and she tells him that it is okay because she going in to her apartment and drink her
embarrassment away. Finn tells her they are neighbors. Aspen started talking about renting her
apartment from someone who had a lot of rules. When she asked what floor he don't answer
when he put the code In for her floor she got more embarrassed when she was thought talking
her new landlord because they are the only ones that can get to that floor. Finn tells her that he
is not your landlord that he just staying in the his friends apartment until his is finished. He says
he will not say anything as long as she tells him about some of the crazy rules. The next
morning she finds pink poke a dot umbrella by her door. She walks down to head out for work
and Finn is waiting to give her a ride. Than offers to pick her up if it is raining. Well will this be
the beginning to an amazing love story? Or will they just be friends and it take off in a different
direction? I know that you want to find out so pick up this book and find out!!
This is the first book of the series. It's about a woman who is trying to get her life started after
finishing college and starting her dream career (kinda). She moved in a small apartment in the
city of San Francisco close to her brother. One day it's raining and Aspen is walking into her
apartment slips and falls. When a guy ask if she was okay. Then he opens his umbrella for her
and she tells him that it is okay because she going in to her apartment and drink her
embarrassment away. Finn tells her they are neighbors. Aspen started talking about renting her
apartment from someone who had a lot of rules. When she asked what floor he don't answer
when he put the code In for her floor she got more embarrassed when she was thought talking
her new landlord because they are the only ones that can get to that floor. Finn tells her that he
is not your landlord that he just staying in the his friends apartment until his is finished. He says
he will not say anything as long as she tells him about some of the crazy rules. The next
morning she finds pink poke a dot umbrella by her door. She walks down to head out for work
and Finn is waiting to give her a ride. Than offers to pick her up if it is raining. Well will this be
the beginning to an amazing love story? Or will they just be friends and it take off in a different
direction? I know that you want to find out so pick up this book and find out!!
October 21, 2023
MMC/FMC- Finn and Aspen
POV-1st person (heroine), with Epilogue from Hero’s POV.
Genre - Contemporary Romance
Sub Genre- New Adult Romance
Extras- Link to Bonus Stories
Heat- 🌋🌋 They do the thing and name the parts. No C or P word.
Series? Y
Safety: Y. There’s no cheating, no S. Violence, no sharing, no cliffhanger. There is OW drama. HEA.
Triggers- Language, Explicit Erotic Content, Suggestive Produce.
Tropes- Neighbors to Lovers, I’ve Got a Secret, Orphaned Heroine, Ebil Ex, All The Wine, Protective Older Brother.
What I liked- The characters. I love nerds, so I heart Finn. I liked the strong relationship she had with her girlfriends, even though most of what they talked about was men (Bechdel Test? What Bechdel Test?). It was unexpected and cool that although her job isn’t the one she would have picked, she doesn’t complain about it except in a joking way, and she stays with it because she likes the people. I liked that the main couple spent a lot of time together. They liked or got to like the same things and really grew their relationship. I could see it legit lasting. The San Francisco moments were a nice touch and added interest. And the video game sounds really cool.
What I didn’t like- now I want to go play video games, and that one is fictional.
Verdict- entertaining. I think it’s an auspicious start to a new series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
POV-1st person (heroine), with Epilogue from Hero’s POV.
Genre - Contemporary Romance
Sub Genre- New Adult Romance
Extras- Link to Bonus Stories
Heat- 🌋🌋 They do the thing and name the parts. No C or P word.
Series? Y
Safety: Y. There’s no cheating, no S. Violence, no sharing, no cliffhanger. There is OW drama. HEA.
Triggers- Language, Explicit Erotic Content, Suggestive Produce.
Tropes- Neighbors to Lovers, I’ve Got a Secret, Orphaned Heroine, Ebil Ex, All The Wine, Protective Older Brother.
What I liked- The characters. I love nerds, so I heart Finn. I liked the strong relationship she had with her girlfriends, even though most of what they talked about was men (Bechdel Test? What Bechdel Test?). It was unexpected and cool that although her job isn’t the one she would have picked, she doesn’t complain about it except in a joking way, and she stays with it because she likes the people. I liked that the main couple spent a lot of time together. They liked or got to like the same things and really grew their relationship. I could see it legit lasting. The San Francisco moments were a nice touch and added interest. And the video game sounds really cool.
What I didn’t like- now I want to go play video games, and that one is fictional.
Verdict- entertaining. I think it’s an auspicious start to a new series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 20, 2018
In the beginning, this book held a lot of promise for becoming a great story. It had an awesome male protagonist, Finn, who is anyone's dream guy, a downright perfect gentleman. Then there is the female protagonist, Aspen who is young and seemingly pretty naive. Her best friends are cool. All in all a good set of characters in the story. There is instant attraction between Finn and Aspen. It quickly develops to a stage where they are amazingly comfortable with each other and as a reader your mind would swoon over how sweet their relationship is. But there are occasions when the characters ask themselves whether they are in love. Jeez!. How stupid is that?. If this is not love, then what is??. Then comes that I wondered if I should leave it unfinished. But eventually I did complete it, simply because I almost never leave books as DNF. The latter half doesn't rise up to be the great story it had started out to be. So, this sweet romance gets 3 stars only. Also, I gotta say that the not-so-surprising twist at the end is totally predictable even though Aspen found it shocking!..
October 21, 2016
Rush, The Boys of RDA #1 by Megan Matthews is your typical, girl meets boy, find out they're neighbors and fall in love story. This was an easy read for me. Once I started this book I could not put it down. I give this book a 4 star rating. This is the first book by this author and let me tell you, I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the series!!
Aspen Adams and Finnegan McRyan how could you not love a story just by these character names… they meet by accident one day. When Aspen is caught in the rain while leaving work and falls off of a curb. Finn is there to come to her rescue. She is thankful to him and then is happy to find out that he is her temporary neighbor. Finn is a gamer, nerdy and sexy all rolled into one. Aspen is sweet and sassy. They start spending a lot of time together and that turns into them dating. Finn usually works from home, but when he starts dating Aspen, he begins going back to the office. In doing that, he has “the company car” take and pick her up from work. Things happen, trust is broken, bottom line is…. communication is key to a lasting relationship. Can Finn make it right? Will Aspen forgive him?
Aspen Adams and Finnegan McRyan how could you not love a story just by these character names… they meet by accident one day. When Aspen is caught in the rain while leaving work and falls off of a curb. Finn is there to come to her rescue. She is thankful to him and then is happy to find out that he is her temporary neighbor. Finn is a gamer, nerdy and sexy all rolled into one. Aspen is sweet and sassy. They start spending a lot of time together and that turns into them dating. Finn usually works from home, but when he starts dating Aspen, he begins going back to the office. In doing that, he has “the company car” take and pick her up from work. Things happen, trust is broken, bottom line is…. communication is key to a lasting relationship. Can Finn make it right? Will Aspen forgive him?
January 28, 2019
Rush (The Boys of RDA Book 1) by Megan Matthews is sweet story that is light and fun and easy to read. The characters are well developed and made me laugh and they found a way in to my heart. I like Megan’s writing style which is inviting and interesting and makes it on hard to put the book down. It is a wonderful romance story that you can’t get enough of. I am loving the best friends and can’t wait to read their stories.
Aspen is upright and the next she isn’t, it seems her knight in shining armour has just saved her from a fate worse than death. Could he be the man of her dreams or is she reading too much into it? Will his past ruin what they could have in the future?
Finn saves the day and finds himself captivated by the girl he has just saved. He once thought he knew what love was but now he is not so sure, but will his past raise its ugly head and ruin all he has ever wanted.
This is the first book by this author and I am definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.
Aspen is upright and the next she isn’t, it seems her knight in shining armour has just saved her from a fate worse than death. Could he be the man of her dreams or is she reading too much into it? Will his past ruin what they could have in the future?
Finn saves the day and finds himself captivated by the girl he has just saved. He once thought he knew what love was but now he is not so sure, but will his past raise its ugly head and ruin all he has ever wanted.
This is the first book by this author and I am definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.
February 13, 2019
Rush (The Boys of RDA Book 1) by Megan Matthews
5 Stars
This was my first book by this author and I loved it...Was a fun break from the heavier books I've been reading lately, not that I don't love those as well but this one was a lot of fun..Don't get me wrong there were times I wanted to slap someone or throw my kindle at the wall but in the end I was completely satisfied and can not wait to read more of this series and want to check out whatever else this author has available.
I loved the main characters Aspen and Finn and love their names even, and something I thought made the book that much better was the friendships and family members that were written. This author also took great care in describing locations, something I find sometimes to be too wordy and cause me to skim, but this one had me actually picturing everything in my mind and I truly appreciated that.
I highly recommend reading this story and I'm sure if you do you will be as excited as I am to read more.
Loved it!!!
5 Stars
This was my first book by this author and I loved it...Was a fun break from the heavier books I've been reading lately, not that I don't love those as well but this one was a lot of fun..Don't get me wrong there were times I wanted to slap someone or throw my kindle at the wall but in the end I was completely satisfied and can not wait to read more of this series and want to check out whatever else this author has available.
I loved the main characters Aspen and Finn and love their names even, and something I thought made the book that much better was the friendships and family members that were written. This author also took great care in describing locations, something I find sometimes to be too wordy and cause me to skim, but this one had me actually picturing everything in my mind and I truly appreciated that.
I highly recommend reading this story and I'm sure if you do you will be as excited as I am to read more.
Loved it!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews