Earlier this year I read R. J. Prescott's debut, The Hurricane, and I really enjoyed it. So when I was offered the opportunity to review its sequel, The Aftermath, I didn't hesitate. The Hurricane was a finalist for Goodreads Debut of the Year and here is what I thought of its sequel:

Title: The Aftermath (Hurricane #2)

Author: R. J. Prescott

Published: June 2nd 2016 by Piatkus

Amazon | Amazon UK 

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.

Review: The Aftermath is the sequel of The Hurricane, R. J, Prescott's debut, which I read and I enjoyed earlier this year. The story in this second book starts when the first one ended, with Em and O'Connell very much in love but with the shadow of Em's abusive step dad still there. He is behind bars but waiting for trial. I'd say that to read The Aftermath, you need to have read The Hurricane first as otherwise you won't really understand what's going on and who all the characters are. The main difference with the first book though is that this one is told from O'Connell's point of view while the first was told from Em's point of view.

My favourite character from the first book was actually O'Connell, because he was always true to himself and to his words. He was not a big fan of games and you always knew what to expect from him, which was a refreshing change from what NA novels have us used to. Well, in this sequel, O'Connell is in great shape and being in his head is a very interesting exercise. He is no longer that broken kid looking for love but a man with a clear purpose: love and protect his wife and become a professional boxer. And we soon learn that once something's inside his head, he gets it done. The only thing I don't like about him is that he is quite a possessive bastard, as he himself says, but he is such a good guy and respects Em so much that we can even forgive him that. 

I did think that this story dragged a bit more than the first one, which was really fast paced and action packed. This might be because this one focuses more in Frank (Em's stepdad) and his actions, and you are just waiting for his next move during the whole book. But all in all I think the whole plot was handled well and I still enjoyed getting to know O'Connell and his mates better. It looks like some of his mates might get the spotlight in future books and I can't wait to find out more, as I really like R. J. Prescott's fresh and honest style. So if you enjoyed The Hurricane, you can't miss The Aftermath. And if you are looking for a refreshing, hot and sweet NA series, this one is for you! 

Blurb: Emily McCarthy is living in fear of a dark and dangerous past. A gifted mathematician, she is little more than a hollow, broken shell, trying desperately to make ends meet long enough to finish her degree. 

Through an unlikely friendship with the aging, cantankerous owner of an old boxing gym, Em is thrown into the path of the most dangerous man that she has ever met.

Cormac “the Hurricane” O’Connell is cut, tattooed and dangerous. He is a lethal weapon with no safety and everyone is waiting for the mis-fire. He’s never been knocked out before, but when he meet Em he falls, HARD. Unlike any other girl he’s ever met, she doesn’t want anything from him, but just being around her makes him want to be a better person. 

They are polar opposites who were never meant to find each other, but some things are just worth the fight.

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: At first sight you might think that this story is quite unoriginal and predictable: broken fragil girl meets bad boy fighter who changes after falling in love with her. Well, you are wrong then, The Hurricane is so much more! R.J. Prescott handles many difficult and controversial topics in this story and handles them with tact but with honesty. The characters and their story really got to me and I really enjoyed seeing them grow and mature.

The book is told from Emily's point of view. Her life hasn't been easy, she has been severly abused by her step father and has just only gotten away from him. She is trying to rebuild her life and leave her past behind, something extremely difficult as she is sure her step father will find a way to find her again. When she meets Cormac O'connell, she is afraid even of her own shadow.

Cormac instantly recognises the fear in her eyes but he is determined to help her and become her friend, someone she can rely on. What I really liked about Cormac is that he was true to himself. He did what he said and didn't play games. Many NA novels base their plots on the bad guy playing difficult to get or always hiding his true feeling. Cormac O'Connell is the opposite. His feelings were always clear and he was not afraid of showing them. This made for a refreshing change.

So, as you can imagine, Cormac and Emily fell in love pretty quickly. But taking into account both their pasts, this was no surprise and it didn't feel rushed in the story. What I enjoyed about their story was how they complemented each other and made each other better and always tried to work with each other, discussing their options and never lying.

The secondary characters were really interesting too, from Cormac's gym buddies who were like a big family to Em's university friends, they all added to the story and made for a very entertaining read.

The story was never boring, always hot and sweet and very well written. I'm sure I'll be checking R.J. Prescott's future novels. 

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