To be blind is not miserable; not to be able to bear blindness, that is miserable. –John Milton
Charlotte Conroy, Juilliard-trained violinist, was on the cusp of greatness when tragedy swooped down on dark wings, crushing her hopes and breaking her heart. The music that used to sing in her soul has grown quiet, and she feels on the verge of setting down her violin for good. To pay the bills, … the bills, she accepts a job as a personal assistant to a bitter, angry young man who’s been disabled by a horrific accident…
Noah Lake was an extreme sport athlete, journalist and photographer. He roamed the world in search of his next adrenaline high, until a cliff-dive left him in a coma. He awakes to find his career gone, his dreams shattered to pieces, his world an endless blackness that will never lift.
Charlotte begins to see that beneath Noah’s angry, brittle exterior is a young man in a pain. She is determined to show him that his life isn’t over, that he has so much to live for, never dreaming that she would become the only light in his darkness, or that he would help her find the music in hers.
The life he knew is over. The life she wants is just out of reach.
Together, they must face their fears and rediscover what it means to really live.
RUSH is Book III in the City Lights Series, and each can be read as a standalone.
The City Lights Series:
Love Beyond Words, Book I: San Francisco Julian and Natalie
Unbreakable, Book II: Los Angeles Cory and Alex
RUSH, Book III: New York City Noah and Charlotte
Beside You In the Moonlight, Book IV: Paris (Oct, 2015) Tristan and Janey
more
The story touched me on so many levels!
Extreme sport journalist Noah Lake suffers a horrible injury that leaves him blind. He spends months learning to walk and talk again in the hope that his sight will return, but of course, it does not. This leaves him angry, bitter, and alone in a world he cannot see.
Juilliard graduate Charlotte Conroy is locked in mourning from the sudden death of her brother, the betrayal of her boyfriend, and the loss of her muse. The violin that once brought her such pleasure, is now a reminder of what she has lost.
These two are brought together by circumstance, and soon learn to count on each other for comfort. There are many blocks in the road to their recovery. Noah goes through black moods and suffers debilitating migraines, while Charlotte feels pressured from her well-meaning friends to audition for upcoming musical tours.
This is a story of the power of love and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
I give Rush 5 lovely kisses- An Inspiring Read!
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GAH!!! IF YOU READ ONLY ONE BOOK THIS YEAR, READ RUSH,
BY EMMA SCOTT!!!! 5 BEAUTIFULLY EMOTIONAL & MOVING STARS!
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Out of the depths of devastation, despair and darkness comes the promise of something so wonderful so promising, so powerful that you’re struck with a brightness you never saw coming…… A love like no other……….
WOW, what a story!!!! RUSH BY EMMA Scott is so powerfully emotional, moving and left me speechless. It stuck its claws into me from the beginning and permanently embedded itself into me so deep into my heart that I will bear the scars and emotions that were depicted in this amazing and soul searching story.
The depth of the characters Noah and Charlotte and the story as a whole were so incredibly profound and brilliantly written.
This story was meant to be written. Meant to be shared with everyone. It simply could not have been written any better. The impact of the words written in the pages of this book can’t be completely described in words. It must be read. You need to FEEL it.
From the unbelievably harrowing, chilling and descriptive start to its beautiful, emotionally charged and captivating ending, the author never relented and took me on such an unforgettable journey, it left its mark on me. A mark I proudly carry with me.
If you read only one book this year, read Rush by Emma Scott. This book is definitely a top read for 2019 and is one book I won’t soon forget. One I don’t want to forget. I loved it! 5 Beautifully emotional and moving stars!
I don’t normally like new adult romance. With a few notable exceptions, I feel like I’m too old for the category. There’s too much angst for my liking, and there’s just so many stupid misunderstandings and dumb kids doing dumb things because they can’t seem to get their crap together enough to have a grown-up conversation that I find most new adult romances to be…tedious. I’m also not usually a fan of deep, emotional reads that make me cry. I like nice, easy reading. Rush is a new adult romance, full of angst, that made me cry. AND I FREAKIN’ LOVED EVERY PAGE!!!
Here’s what I loved:
Noah, the hero:
Noah is a grumpy recluse. Y’all know how much I love a grumpy recluse hero. But Noah isn’t your typical grumpy recluse. He was a daredevil reporter who was blinded in a terrible accident, and he’s ANGRY and in pain. I mean, he’s angry at everything and everyone and he lashes out. He lashes out A LOT. You can actually feel his pain and rage as you’re reading. That’s how good the scenes from his point of view are. On some level, he knows he needs to move on with his life, but he’s too angry to let go of the old life. My heart hurt for him. And it’s a rare author who can make a grumpy, jaded old reader like me feel as much as I did while reading scenes from Noah’s perspective.
Charlotte, the heroine:
Charlotte is no stranger to loss, either. She hasn’t been physically wounded like Noah has, but her emotions have taken one hell of a beaten. She’s lost her brother and her boyfriend (he was a twatwaffle anyway, but still…) but even worse, she’s a Juilliard-trained musician who lost her ability to perform when she took those emotional hits. But despite her setbacks, she’s not completely broken. She keeps going and still manages to have compassion for those around her. When she’s hired as Noah’s assistant, it would’ve been super easy for her to quit on him like all his other assistants had. But not Charlotte. She never gives up. She’s kind of a badass in a totally non traditional sense.
Charlotte and Noah together:
I’m not talking about sex when I say that Noah and Charlotte are a perfect fit for one another. (Although their sexual chemistry is combustible and the sex scenes are plenty spicy) Charlotte is like sunshine to Noah’s darkness, and his encouragement/support gives her exactly what she needs to get back onstage and reclaim her music. They balance each other perfectly, and it was beautiful to read about. (She “plays” the dawn for him on her violin so that he can “see” it, y’all. It made me cry! And I’m not a crier, damn it!)
The ex-girlfriend:
Noah’s ex-girlfriend wasn’t a jealous horrible hag who was out to destroy Noah and Charlotte’s happiness. She was actually a nice person who did everything she could to help Noah and Charlotte. It was a REALLY welcome change from what I’m used to reading in new adult romance.
Long-story-short, if you’re looking for a masterfully written, super emotional story about the healing power of love (and yes, I realize that sounds so incredibly corny and I’m a little ashamed to have written it, but it’s totally true) that also has a swoon-worthy book boyfriend and an inspirational heroine, then I suggest you get your 1-clicking fingers ready and read this book immediately. That is all.
And don’t forget to follow the Romance Rehab blog for more rants, raves, and other fun romance-y stuff: http://www.romancerehab.com/
I absolutely loved this book. It was perfect, and beautiful, and heartbreaking. I had read books before were a character was blind but until I read this book, I don’t really think I fully grasped the extent of what that must be like or mean to the person who lost their sight.
It was really well written and I was sucked right in. So thank you, Emma Scott, for a beautiful story.
Charlotte’s life is forever changed by a crushing loss in the opening chapters… as is Noah’s. Charlotte has to find a new job to pay the bills when she returns to New York, and becomes a PA for Noah, who is now blind and suffering from depression and terrible migraines. As someone with intractable migraine, I really loved how accurately this depicted the difficulties of living with chronic pain. I also appreciated the way Noah’s struggles to adapt to a world where he couldn’t see were shown. Charlotte is also suffering, perhaps in a more quiet, private way, and the relationship that slowly grows between these two is beautiful.
No one writes romance quite like Emma Scott; this is a story of loss and acceptance. The emotions you go through to finally accept your new normal. Not all losses are confined to losing a person; some losses relate to personal losses. Never have two characters been drawn together over the mourning of their individual losses than these two. The heartbreak and sadness is woven throughout this book in Emma’s beautiful writing style.
The chemistry between these two characters is evident right from the start. Its very much a slow burn but such a sweet romance when they finally get their act together. Loved the plot and the journey these charterers endured to finally find peace!
Fantastic!
What more can I say? An original and beautifully written, real and inspiring story – deserves more than five stars. Sure, there is a little off-color language but what the heck? How would you feel under the same circumstances? Two marvelous characters each dealing with their own insecurities and reluctance to achieve their fullest potential in life and love. I was actually moved to tears because of how touching their relationship is…sometimes you have to feel your way, slowly, to discover your truth.
This was my first book by Emma Scott and certainly won’t be my last. I’ve had this book in my Kindle for a few years and regret that it took me this long to discover it. This is a problem with high-tech these days – when you buy a physical book, you read it but when you can store a near endless number of books, they get lost. Now, I definitely desire to read more of Emma Scott’s books and recommend that you do as well.
This was my first book by this author and I went blind.
I was prepared for a nice and sweet romance, but not for this heartbreaking struggle of emotions
Charlotte and Noah book is a beautiful and incredible emotional story about life, loss and tragedies, that ruined the
path of life that they were supposed to go.
That destroyed the life they knew and loved and left them alone and without direction.
This book is so endless sad and hopeless that as it starts to change, you get afraid that it’s just an illusion.
Charlotte is so full of heart, that you have not other choice but to love her. She has suffered a loss that left her broken and disoriented, but she is a fighter.
Noah is a broken and tortured soul, that has lost hope for a normal life, together with his eyesight.
Mourning is an incredibly difficult and shattering experience. To grief about someone or something must be learned and this book has described it so beautifully and heartbreakingly well.
It’s definitely a slow burn, but in the happiness and acceptance department.
This book is an amazing message about second chances in life and self-forgiveness.
An amazing story with a beautiful HEA
Rush
City Lights, Book 3 – New York City
By: Emma Scott
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly, Aaron Shedlock
When I saw Aaron Shedlock narrating this book, it was a one click for me. I had never listened to an Emma Scott book, but decided to make it my next listen. And was I prepared? NO! This book blew me away. Scott weaves a beautiful love story between Noah and Charlotte, Noah is an extreme sport journalist and when an accident occurs, his life changes completely. Charlotte, a prodigy violinist loses her love of playing when tragedy strikes her life. These two broken souls are brought together by fate, and we get to take their journey to healing together. I don’t know of another book that has given me so many emotions. I would laugh and feel warm hearted, then frustrated and angry, but when it all comes down to the end, I felt the love and passion that these two have for life and each other. And let’s not forget the secondary characters that are so pivotal, from Lucian to Deacon, we have the ones we love and the ones we love to hate. Scott has outdone herself, and I can’t wait to grab more of her books.
Casting a book like this is so crucial, and the team of Aaron Shedlock and Caitlin Kelly could not have been more perfect. Shedlock captures the essence of Noah, letting us feel his rage and pain. His talent lets us into the head of Noah and with each inflection we feel his emotions. Kelly as Charlotte gives us everything. I love Kelly’s ability to zone in on Charlotte’s feelings and pour them into her voice. From tears to joy, I was taken through it all, and loved every minute.
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RUSH
AN EPIC ROMANCE REVIEWS TOP PICK!
~~ 5 HEART-PUMPING STARS! ~~
“You’re the light in my darkness.”
No words can possibly express my EPIC love for this resplendent novel written by Emma Scott! RUSH, a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece about two lost souls who are brought together by fate, fill one another’s broken places, and bring bright shimmering light into each other’s bleak worlds, was absolutely SPELLBINDING. The heart-wrenching feels were so agonizing at times it felt like a punch to the gut, yet at the same time my soul was lifted to extraordinary heights!
Emma Scott, a relatively new fave author of mine, truly outdid herself with this breathtaking love story that was positively brimming with “endless possibility.” The “pain, hope, fire and love” were just so brilliantly woven throughout and my heart was swelling with raw, guttural emotion from start to finish!!!!! This is the kind of unforgettable and awe-inspiring story that dreams are made of…it borrows down deep and leaves a lasting imprint that can NEVER be erased! The road to HEA was riddled with tumult and seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but gah the selfless, unconditional love and unwavering devotion that Charlotte and Noah exhibited toward other throughout their transcendent journey left me weeping with joy and basking in a giddy state of euphoric of bliss!
I listened to this novel on Audible, and this audio, narrated with sensitivity, passion, tenderness and exquisite grace by Caitlin Kelly and Aaron Shedlock, gave me full body chills, moved me to tears, broke my heart and then miraculously healed it, and truly was a sumptuous symphony that resounded to the deepest recesses of my soul!!! Aaron and Caitlin were the perfect narrators to bring the beloved characters of Charlotte and Noah to life and their stunning, gorgeously nuanced performances were nothing short of EXHILARATING. And while I have long been an admirer of Mr. Shedlock’s incredible work, this is my first listen of Ms. Kelly’s. But now that I have, I am now a total fangirl!
BOTTOM LINE:
RUSH is a top Audio listen of the year for me and I truly cannot recommend it highly enough!
I have no words for what I just read of Charlotte and Noah’s story. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time. There were definitely some dark points within the story however the trust and devotion both Charlotte and Noah had for each other made those dark parts not so dark. I loved their happily ever after!
I just finished this and cried the most beautiful, happy tears. My heart is full of love for Noah and Charlotte and the journey to their HEA.
So beautifully written. This story stole my heart.
Rush is an apt title because that’s exactly what you get in that prologue. And that theme continues throughout – a rush of feelings and emotions. Charlotte Conroy is not in a good place when she meets Noah Lake. Both having had tremendous loses, their anger and sadness are palpable. The slow burn of the relationship and anticipation of what’s to come is intoxicating. Noah’s growth and realizations paired with Charlotte’s steadfast attitude and commitment build each moment. Hope and love are powerful, acceptance is a hard but worthwhile battle. Their story is beautiful.
Where to begin??? Well 1st off! Read anything Emma Scott whenever you get the chance!!!
Noah lost his sight in a accident and Charlotte lost her brother. Both are mourning their losses.
When Fate brought them to each other ….
Without spoiling this Beautifully written story.
Just read it!
P.S. don’t forget to read the Novella when you finish!
Endless Possibility
I wanted to read Rush because I fell in love with Emma Scott’s writing when I read Full Tilt. I haven’t been able to get her words out of my head after I read it and I had to experience her writing again which lead me to Rush.
What can I say? Rush was exquisitely beautiful in its writing and storytelling. I immediately felt a connection to Charlotte and Noah who were both dealing with a loss and grieved in their own way. It was struggle for both of them to accept their losses, to let go and move on but they did by finding each other which was the heart of the story.
The pain they were both dealing with, especially Noah, felt excruciatingly real and believable. I loved how strong and determined Charlotte was in helping Noah. She wasn’t faced by his now scarred appearance. When it came to Noah’s feelings, when it really mattered, he proved how selfless he was. How loyal and deep his love for Charlotte really went.
Their journey towards letting go of the hurt from their loss was also a journey towards friendship and an all consuming love.
I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of Emma Scott and her writing. Yet again she captured and mesmerized me with her words. I knew I was a fan after Full Tilt but reading Rush sealed the deal.
5 BadAssDirtyHope&ForeverStars
OMG I loved this book so much. This is my first Emma Scott book and it gave me all the feels. I loved everything about this book. Everything! I loved the hero Noah. I loved the heroine Charlotte. And I completely loved the plot. This book was so sweet, and super emotional. Noah blew me away. He was blind and bitter about it. He wasn’t living, just existing. He had an amazing life before he had an accident that not only left him blind but it took away his dream job. I could understand Noah’s bitterness. I felt that Emma Scott did an bang up job showing all the things you lose out on being blind. Not just the big things but all the little simple things that you take for granted when you can see. Charlotte was also very relatable. She had been on top of the world. Had a boyfriend she loved, went to Juilliard and was an up and coming violinist that was going to make it big. Then her beloved brother dies, and instead of being there for her when she needed him the most her boyfriend dumps her for another woman. I could see how that pain would tangle up with her love of music. Both Noah and Charlotte were drowning in pain. Both lost what they loved and felt adrift. I loved how Charlotte and Noah slowly came together. How they both slowly opened up, shared their pain, and fell madly in love. I could feel their connection. I could feel how alive Noah felt and how much Noah’s love brought music back to life for Charlotte. I also loved that once they fell in love it didn’t magically fix everything. They still had their demons. Noah more so than Charlotte but they still had to work on their problems. My heart bled for both of them. I felt so bad for Noah especially. I could see how hard it would be to live forever in the dark. To never see the person you loved or your kids. It would be crushing. This book was just so touching. I have to say that It’s one of my favorite books this year. I will be reading many more books by Emma Scott!
This was really beautiful love story. I wasn’t sure about Noah in beginning, he was just so angry and bitter. Charlotte is truly amazing. She helped that man out when everyone pretty much quit him. She saw beyond his lose and prickish ways and they both healed each other. The ending was just so sweet! I’m moving on to the novella!
I really enjoyed this book, it reminded me of Me Before You, with the bitter angry disabled young man, Noah, being cared for by the kind hearted, hopeful, downtrodden young beautiful girl, Charlotte, but this had a more optimistic feel.
Noah has shut out the people from his life before the accident, unwilling to accept his limitations. Charlotte has lost herself to grief and doesn’t know how to find her mojo again. Together they make things better, each finding strength in the other and moving forward at last. They suffer setbacks, and drama, and they set out on separate journeys to discover what they can achieve, before finding their way back together.
A beautifully hopeful, heartfelt 5 star story.
The feels, oh the feels…I absolutely adored this book!
I’m not sure where to begin…
This is such a heartwarming, heartwrenching, emotional, captivating, beautifully written story. As I got towards the end I didn’t want to put it down…I was stuck sitting in traffic and would pull it up on my phone, but then had to put it down because I would get so teary-eyed.
Charlotte and Noah, I love them. I love that things weren’t easy for them, that they both had their struggles, that they slowly worked their way from an uneasy start to a hesitant friendship, to finally a beautiful and hopeful love.
I can’t even tell you how many times my heart was in my throat as I read Noah’s thoughts and what he was going through, but judging from the passages I highlighted it was more than a few times. “I wanted to scream too, but I sometimes worried that if I did, I’d never stop.” Noah is so tortured, he’s alienated everyone, wanting to just wallow in his misery until Charlotte enters his life and slowly shows him that the world is still out there, waiting on him. “You said you were done. But you’re not. It may feel like it, but it’s not true.”
Emma’s writing of these 2 characters consumed me and drew me completely into their world. I so loved watching as Charlotte and Noah evolved and emerged from the heartbreaks they were both going through… “Stage fright sounds like a pretty good word for both of us.”
They both suffered such devastating losses but discovering each other brought them both peace and comfort, at a time when it was desperately needed.
“Whole. You make me feel like I have a shot at something more than this misery.”
I have a feeling that I will be thinking about these 2 and their story for quite awhile. It’s one of those books that surrounds you and holds on, or maybe you’re the one that holds on, not wanting to let go…
“I’ve made peace with my blindness but if I could see just once more-just one thing in this world-it would be you. I would only need a second. One second, and I would hold the image of you in my heart forever.” Oh God, how can you not love him?!?