Name: Is the Rush Series Worth Reading? — Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward | Series Review
Item: Is the Rush Series Worth Reading? — Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward | Series Review
Rating: 4
Author: Plot Twisted

🎧 Reviewed by LD | Series: Rush Series | Steam: 🔥🔥🔥

⚠️ This post touches on both books in the series. If you’re planning to read them unspoiled, bookmark this and come back when you’re done.

The Series at a Glance

The Rush Series is a two-book contemporary romance duet by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. It follows Gia, a broke writer who accidentally insults a bar owner to his face without knowing who he is, and Rush, the bar owner in question, who has one of the messier family situations you’ll encounter in this genre. There is a complicated family backstory, a pregnancy with serious plot implications, a cliffhanger at the end of Book 1 that will make you want to throw something, and an HEA at the end of Book 2.

The tone is fun, the banter is good, and both books land at 🔥🔥🔥 for heat. This is not a light cozy read but it’s not full-on explicit either — there’s actual steam here, just not at the top end of the scale.

Book by Book

Rebel Heir — Book 1 ⭐ 4.2/5

This is the stronger of the two books and honestly a great setup for the series. The meet-cute is chaotic in all the right ways, Rush’s backstory adds real texture to the story, and the tension between him and Gia builds in a way that feels earned. The cliffhanger at the end is brutal and genuinely well done. If you like a slow burn where the characters are actually interesting outside of just their feelings for each other, Book 1 delivers.

Read the Full Review →

Rebel Heart — Book 2 ⭐ 3.8/5

Book 2 picks up directly from that cliffhanger and the fallout is genuinely messy in the best way — except the middle stretch runs a little long. The will-they-won’t-they dynamic that worked so well in Book 1 starts to feel like it’s spinning its wheels partway through Book 2, and there are a couple of decisions made by the characters that had me raising an eyebrow. That said, the ending is satisfying, Rush’s quieter gestures throughout are sweet, and the family drama involving Elliot gives the story something with a bit more weight than just the romance.

Read the Full Review →

So Is It Worth It?

Yes, with the note that you should go in prepared for Book 2 to be a slower ride than Book 1. The first book is genuinely fun, moves well, and ends on a cliffhanger that makes Book 2 feel necessary. Book 2 wraps everything up and gets you the HEA you want — it just takes a little longer to get there than it probably needed to.

Read them back to back if you can. This is not a series where you should pause between books.

Who This Series Is For

If you like: messy family dynamics, a broody boss with a complicated backstory, chaotic first meetings, and a pregnancy storyline that actually drives the plot rather than just being a twist — this series is worth your time. It is a complete story across two books with a full resolution, which I always appreciate.

If you struggle with drawn-out will-they-won’t-they dynamics, Book 2 may test your patience in the middle. Push through it — the ending is good.