It was a very cliche read. It's fast paced and has a couple of sweetheart characters but for the most part they were cookie cutter and it was much of the same.

This book vaguely reminded me of Twilight. Nora is THE girl every man wants. Xavier, wants to do her serious harm...or sleep with her. Henry wants her as his mate. Oliver, always watching over and protecting her. Terrance, insta-protector...you get the point. EVERY man wants Nora. Every man thinks she's "beautiful" from her name and brain to body. UGH.

Now I like a well written reverse harem. I read a LOT of manga and watch a fair bit of anime so this is not a new concept to me by any means, but I can't really get into this one. Nora is what made this world go round. And of course she had to have this AWFUL past that colours everything in the current time frame. Including Henry's protectiveness of her. The sad thing is, I don't feel like there was a lot of character growth throughout the book. They were all kind of stagnate, despite the mental illness, recovery talk. Which was good, but the book could have used...more.

There were several elements I did like, including the awesome trolls, but those things just couldn't make up all that was wrong with this book.

Pros: interesting protagonist with a different sort of power than I have read before. However, this novel reads like a very young, YA novel. This is mostly due to the reactions of the main character and those around her. Now not an inherently bad thing if it was showcased as a YA novel, however the prevalent sexual abuse themes were disturbing to think of being read by young teens. It is pervasive in both the past and present. I think the author needs to skew her style to a more adult version with these thematic elements. SThe dialogue to a more adult level of interaction and using more realistic character development. Right now there is more fantasy, than any sense of believable reality to these interactions. Everyone loves her and her reactions, despite being historically and chronically abused, is mostly to view those around her with a trusting and open manner? There is no sense of darkness or bitterness to this character. Indeed most of the characters are one-dimensional and only really exist to react to her and her apparent danger. The author needs to spend less time on the cool aspect of her powers and more on character development and creating realistic backstories. The sexual abuse feels like it is merely there to serve as strengthening device with no real understanding of the damage it would do to a character's emotional development and viewpoint of the world. It feels like a prop and a poorly used one at that.

ARC/e-book/Fantasy: For me to like a paranormal book means a lot because I have read so many, I see other's ideas in most characters and plots. This book just came out so no spoilers here. I would like to thank NetGalley for a copy in lieu of an honest review.

If you want a summary of the plot, read the one offered on the web. I read it and chose this book because it sounded interesting. The beginning of the book is hard to read as a predator, who is human, preys on our heroine. The beginning hurt my stomach and I wondered if this book was for me and contemplated not finishing it. I put it down for a couple of days and read the majority of the book on what I call "Recovery Monday after Spring Ahead". (My body doesn't adjust well to daylight savings time so I try to take that Monday off every year). I did get hook on the other 80% of the book quickly after Nora dealt with Xander and Henry. They were such jerks.

I liked the paranormal police and they did have some character depth. The gifts Nora has, well I have seen them before. That being said, I did like the way the authors (husband & wife) put them together. I did not know that it was a writing team until after, and I can see it as a plus. The plot is whole and there is an ending. The book was the right length with no unnecessary filler, and hey, there's trolls. Literary ones, not the meanies on the internet. I also like that the vampires only think they're numero uno, when they are down the food chain. That is something that your don't see too much in paranormal literature.

I will have to keep an eye on for the next book as I want to see if I'm right about Nick's species. I think I've guessed it.

What a great book! This book had me from the beginning. Nora is a great character! I enjoyed this book so much I can't wait for the next one. All the character in this book were surprising and unique, I think that made me like this book even more. What a great book! *This book was given to me for free at my request to Netgalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

The book overall was a pleasant read but I found that I did not like the romanticized abuse that the male characters put the heroine through. It was like a complete sausage fest at some points and everyone wanted to pursue her even if she said no.
Henry took Nora hostage and tormented her in every way imaginable and it seems to be “okay” because she was so handsome. Parker does everything in his power to control her and is always scheming. He is like a slithery little snake in the grass that I hope meets a nasty end. Perhaps not as nasty an end as I hope for Henry but yeah… I know that the book is trying to push boundaries and be different but there are just some things that I feel crossed the line.
This series does have some redeeming qualities and I will read the rest when they are published. The characters are not all completely deplorable, and the world building was motivating enough to continue to pique my interest. I liked Nora and want her to succeed. I hope that the rest of the series is more into what she can do and less fighting off the sausage fest. With the history that she has had, Nora deserves so much more than a pitiful heroine living that troupe.
I am really looking forward to more of the Fairytale aspect that is going on within the storyline. I don’t normally like crime type novels that well, but with the added in magical aspects, Don’t Rush Me really is enjoyable if the author can get past the absurd romance aspect.

​It is hard to find a new take on urban fantasy, and very easy to make some cliche story. While Don't Rush Me builds off a lot of familiar elements in urban fantasy, it also brings in its own. For one, the main character is a human. Although, she is not quite human and her unique gifts have her thrown into a middle of a missing persons investigation.

Nora entered foster care when she was seven. Her natural ability to attract males made her a target for sexual abuse. If this is a trigger then I would highly suggest that you stay away from this book. The main character is constantly dealing with the trauma of her past. While it builds up her character I do wish that it was dealt with a bit more tack and less of a plot move.

The book is well written with engaging characters. The plot is not a surprise and is fairly straightforward. There are still questions that are left at the end of the book. I am sure they will be addressed as the series progresses. The story could have been more complex and at times it was completely cheesy. However, I really enjoyed reading the book and plan to continue on in the series. The strength is int he word combinations and character development. Although it would be great to see the writers continue to develop more dynamics.

If you like urban fantasy and are looking for something different that is worth the read then I would recommend that you check out Don't Rush Me.

An exciting urban fantasy about Nora a human who doesn't fit in with humans and avoids the creatures that hide in plain site.but she is drawn into the world of vampires, trolls and mages when danger comes calling. A fun fast read that will leave you wanting more.

This book is very entertaining and fast paced.
The main character Nora Jacob's is one badass psychic.

This book was everything that I want in a book and didn’t even know to ask for. The characters were phenomenal and I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next for this band of paranormal misfits! From start to finish, I couldn’t put this book down, sneaking in some reading sessions even when I had only a few minutes break. If that doesn’t say something about this book, I don’t know what does.

The main character is Nora. She’s been through some seriously dark business in her past which has shaped her into the woman she currently is. Because of her emotional baggage, there really isn’t a big romance element in this book, but the story and characters kept me hooked. To make Nora’s life just a little more complicated, she’s also got a secret paranormal power that lets her pick up on impressions left on objects and thoughts directly from anyone she touches. She’s usually pretty good at hiding and avoiding attention (especially from paranormals), but when her rapist next door neighbor abducts her, she finally takes a risk on the group she is loosely a part of. While the paranormals might have temporarily solved her problem, she quickly realizes her life has gotten tons more complicated now.

From abduction to more abduction to troll rampages to frat boys, Nora’s life is insane but somehow I was eagerly along for the ride. I’m dying to know what flavor of paranormal everyone is, how the “underworld” infrastructure works, what Nora’s past might really be, and how someone so abused can form the most amazing friendships. I loved every second of this book – even the dark ones! If you’re looking for a fabulous book set in a great world with wonderful characters, look no further!

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Ever since I first heard of this book I knew I wanted to read it and was eagerly awaiting the release day. When I saw it pop up on Netgalley I didn't hesitate and hit that request button as fast as possible. I really enjoyed this book. It's a great urban fantasy read and is marketed as having a slow burn reverse harem. I love a good slow burn romance! There is very little romance in this book, but I am curious to see how it will develop.

Don't Rush Me is a well written fast paced book. It follows the story of Nora Jacobs, who always kept her distance from the underworld, but at the start of the book something happened that pulls her right in the middle of a mystery. Underworlders are disappearing and she has to figure out why and where they go. The story kept my attention and I liked learning more about Nora, her friends and the world as I progressed through the book.

I really liked Nora, she is a great main character. She has been through a lot and has some mental scars she is still dealing with. She keeps her distance from people, but actually longs for family. I liked how she was capable and smart and didn't hesitate to ask for help or backup if necessary. I liked that about her. I also liked seeing how she met some great characters and how she interacted with them. I also thought it was realistic she didn't immediately get super close with anyone and even after she made some friends made it clear she was not ready for romance yet. Which totally makes sense after what she has been through. I am looking forward to see her overcome some of the mental scars she has and get closer to some of the people she meets.

This book is filled with great side characters. My favorites were probably the troll Terrance and sorcerer Oliver. I thought it was great to see some less common paranormal species like trolls as well. And I am curious what type of paranormal creature Nick is as we don't discover that in this book yet. Oliver was great too, I liked how he had some struggles as well and how how nice he was to Nora. Nick was a bit of a charmer, but in a way that felt realistic and I liked how he respected Nora's boundaries. Then there is Parker, whom I didn't fully warm up yet, he seemed a bit typical vampire, but I did mostly like him. And I could understand why he acted the way he did and I liked that even after pushing Nora almost into something he backed off when he realized it made her uncomfortable. I liked how the side characters all had their own personality and the book really came alive thanks to them. I also like how they all respect Nora, they don't want her in danger, but also understand there are things she has to do herself as that made the most sense.

There is basically no romance yet in this first book, which makes sense given what happened to Nora and how she's still dealing with that. There is the potential for romance and multiple possible love interests. I am already making guesses who she will end up with and I am eager to see how that progresses in later books. It was great seeing how Nora found some new friends in this book and I liked how she interacted with each of them.

I liked Nora's gift, she can read imprints from objects and read people's thoughts if she touches them. I actually read another book this month about someone who could read imprints and I think it's a fun ability to read about. I liked how Nora's ability came in handy and how we get a feel for her abilities. I do have the feeling there's more we don't know yet and am excited to see where the story goes in the next book. I did feel that her imprint ability could've been developed a bit more. At the start of the book there are lots of mentions of imprints, but as the book goes on there are less mentions of the imprints and only when relevant to the plot. That might be because it wouldn't add to the plot, but I would've liked a line here and there to know where she read imprints to make that aspect come alive a bit more.

There is a big variety of paranormal species that are introduced in this book and I liked how there was enough information to get a bit of a feel for them. But there's also still enough to discover or that could be worked out in future books.

To summarize: This was a great start to a new series and I am excited to see where the series goes next. Nora is a human with special abilities and tries to stay away from the underworld, but in this book she gets pulled right in the middle of that world. Nora was a likeable main character and her actions felt realistic. I liked how she was smart and capable and not afraid to ask for help or backup. And she also was ready to help her new found friends. She has a bit of a sad and harsh backstory and it was great to see her make some great friends in this book. There is a great group of side characters in this book and I liked how each of them has their own personality and it was easy to remember who was who. There is a hint of possible romances, but it doesn't go there yet which makes sense and felt realistic given what Nora has gone through. The world building was done well, we get a feel for the underworld and the different paranormal species. I also liked reading about Nora's gift and am looking forward to learn more about the characters and world in the next book. This was a great start to this series and I hope book 2 will be released soon as I can't wait to spend more time with Nora and her friends.

This is the first in a new series. I have to be honest, I really wasn’t sure I was going to like this book at first. Nora had a very violent past with numerous rapes and sexual assaults, and her first long interaction with a supernatural character (I don’t want to spoil too much) almost made me put the book down. However, I kept reading and I am so glad I did. By about 25% of the way in the book, I didn’t want to put the book down. Well-written characters, great plot, and fun action scenes really made this book a good urban fantasy read. I do want to caution readers who are reading this because the book is going have elements of a reverse harem: there is very little to no romance in this one, which I think adds to the story, making it more believable. I also want to address a point. One might believe that Nora is blaming herself for her past rapes by talking about how people (mostly men) are drawn to her almost to the point of obsession. I didn’t think she was blaming herself; I think this was something she was confused about, trying to set the stage for something big in the reveal of what she is. However, I could be wrong. Be that as it may, I can’t wait to see what is coming next in this world; I just loved it! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Bluefields/Xpresso Book Tours for the e-copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

What a charming book! Can an urban fantasy be charming? This one was.

Interesting concept, with plenty of mystery to explore in future stories. Including a diverse cast of characters who I can't wait to know more about. Decidedly well written and edited.

My only quibble would be on the romance. The potential reverse harem feels more like a family of siblings or good friends. Which is not a problem at all for me, I rather enjoyed it. But if you are looking for something more PNR you might be surprised.

Trigger warnings: multiple descriptions and recountings of sexual assault, plus the equivalent of mental rape.

Also, while I try to be spoiler free as possible, there are certain scenes and characters I need to discuss, so there will be some spoilers in this review.

The blurb warns that this is a “reverse harem” romance, which I took as multiple men falling for one woman, though I’m not sure that’s the correct definition. It’s apparently pretty popular in Japanese anime and manga, but initially the only thing this made me think of was Anita Blake, after that series went off the rails. So, initially, I was very worried about where the book would go, but I was pleasantly surprised. As a warning from a romance reader, there is no HEA or HFN in this book, and the romance content is minimal. This is more of an old-school urban fantasy (it’s even first person POV) with some romance undertones, though I’m guessing the romantic content will increase as the series goes on.

“People leave behind psychic imprints on the things they touch. Thanks to my gift, I’m able to pick up those imprints. The stronger a person’s emotion at the time they touch an object, the longer the imprint stays, and the more vivid the vision I receive.”


Nora is “gifted” with psychometry – by touching things, she can pick up psychic imprints that she experiences as visions. The stronger the emotion the person was feeling at the time, the strong the imprint. She can also hear people’s thoughts through skin to skin contact. Even worse than that, men are attracted to her, sometimes to the point of obsession. After she was placed in the foster care system after the death of her mother, she was frequently abused and molested by the people who were supposed to protect her. Because of her gift, she knows about the existence of the underworld – vampires, trolls, werewolves and other creatures. She’s very much a loner, and the only person she could call a friend is someone online who occasionally answers her questions about the underworld and its inhabitants.

After a skeevy neighbor becomes the newest man obsessed with her, and she realizes that he intends to rape and assault her (on her birthday, no less), she figures the best chance at avoiding that fate is to try to lose him at an underworld club, where all sorts of dangerous creatures hang out and humans aren’t welcome. While that part of her plan works, she doesn’t anticipate catching the eye of someone investigating the disappearances of underworlders, who soon realizes how helpful Nora’s talents could be.

And then things get problematic. There’s a scene near the beginning of the book that is basically mental rape, and I had to put the book down and walk away. I was conflicted, as I can understand why it happened – the underworlders needed to know about Nora’s talents – but I wish it could have been done another way. I also had issues with the underworlder who basically hand delivers Nora to mental-rape guy becoming a romantic interest later. Nora forgives him for it, but some of his later actions are pushy, and not in the good “encouraging the heroine to push her own boundaries” way (he asks for a kiss in return for a favor, and Nora’s attempt to oblige nearly ends in a panic attack). I was very uncomfortable with that scene, as well. Unfortunately, a large part of Nora’s history involves rape and sexual assault, which smacked of “rape as character development” – like it was a shorthand way of developing a certain backstory. And all this trauma has deeply scarred her. She doesn’t like being touched, and not just because she can hear other peoples’ thoughts – she’s convinced she’s incapable of physical romantic feelings.

Despite all that, there’s something comfy about the book, and about Nora. She’s not afraid to stand up for herself or others. There’s a particular scene I’m thinking of where she basically goes toe to toe with a scary underworlder because he calls out one of her friends as a coward, and she rips him a new one. Even though she doesn’t know the missing underworlders from Adam, she wants to help find them, and by the time she’s used her gift to locate clues to help the investigation, she’s emotionally invested in them (and the reader is, too). I liked the world building and most of the side characters, and found the authors’ spin on the same old paranormal creatures interesting.

This does have a bit of a “first book” feel. Nora goes from pretty much nothing to having a roommate who gives her expensive gifts, multiple friends (some who almost certainly going to be romantic interests later), and a place in underworld society. She’s also got a touch of the Anakin-Skywalker-from-Phantom-Menace specialness – aka “But I’m the only human that can do this!” Usually this is a big turn-off for me, but the authors mostly played it off to comedic effect, so while I rolled my eyes at some things, it didn’t stop my enjoyment of the book. I especially liked Nora’s interactions with “her” troll. I’m a sucker for the “found family” trope, and this book really hits all my boxes for it. I found myself more interested in her relationship with Terrance than the other guys, though I did think Oliver was sweet. It’s fun, it’s funny, and it’s a bit silly. I mean, honestly, have I read a paranormal where they infiltrate a sorority party before? No, no, I haven’t, and I had no idea how fun that would be.

Minus the problematic sexual assault focus, this is a delightfully charming romp, and I found myself really caring for some of the characters. I want Nora to “overcome” her trauma and have meaningful relationships. I want her to be happy and safe and able to protect herself. I want her to spend lots of time with her new found family eating cheeseburgers and fries and just hanging out.

“’Thought you said you’d stop being an ass.’
He grins at me. ‘I said I’d try. You’re making it too difficult.’
I roll my eyes again. I feel like he makes me do that a lot. And yet…I kind of like the cheeky bastard.”


I think that excerpt summarizes my feelings for this book. There’s a lot of things in this book that don’t work for me, but there’s also a lot of things that do. Overall, I think it’s a decent first entry in a new series, and I’ll definitely be picking up the next one. While I wish the authors would have toned down the sexual assault themes, I hope the rest of the series will reveal good reasons for why that was necessary.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I received a copy of Don't Rush Me by Jackie May from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book. The following review consists of my opinions and mine alone.
Nora Jacobs is not your ordinary human. She has a certain allure to her that makes her more and more irresistible to men which has given her more than her fair share of troubles and she has a serious case of psychometry, psychic powers centring around her touch. When her spidey sense starts tingling on the bus ride home on her birthday, she assigns it to the sketchy gangbangers at the back of the bus. When she nears her home, it is revealed that the gangsters were not the source of danger she needed to worry about. Her landlord’s sketchy son has decided that her birthday is the perfect day to kidnap her. Nora convinces her captor that she’s all for a good party to celebrate her birthday and asks to go to the exclusive club, Underworld, determined to use her knowledge of the supernatural denizens of the Underworld to save her. After divesting herself of her would-be rapist, Nora exits the club post-haste, surprising her new bouncer friend in her escape. From there, she is captured yet again and taken to a vampire's residence. Her birthday night sparks the entire book's adventures, solving kidnappings, rescuing paranormals in distress, befriending men of different species and remembering things best forgotten.
I kept reading past the Henry debacle because I really wanted to see Nora come into her own and maybe kick Henry's ass later on. I loved Terrance and Oliver and I'd love to hang out with Ren sometime. But the other men are kind of asshats in one way or another. One I wanted to immolate and just be done with, if you read this, you probably know who. This wasn't my first reverse harem book, but this book is really a pretty bad representative of polyamory with half the love interests depicted as some sort of user or abuser or other.
If the plethora of scenes mentioning or describing sexual abuse were to be lessened, I'd thoroughly enjoy this book. I know the scenes build towards Nora's entire character, but it's also very triggering to those of us readers who've experienced such events.
In the end, I did enjoy Don't Rush Me and I was rather disappointed I couldn't immediately read the second book, but I doubt I'll recommend it to friends or readers. I do hope the series grows past this first book's less than stellar beginnings though and I'm still rooting for Nora to win out in the end. All in all, I think I'll give Don't Rush Me 3 stars. I liked it, but there were some things that just kept me from loving it.

Nora, abused in the foster system, lets no one get close to her. To touch her. Human, but not human. Nora has visions from touching objects and persons' skin. An encounter with a creepy neighbor leads her to the magical underworld where her gift can be used to find the missing paranormals. Mystery. Gritty, dark, with paranormal creatures. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

It's one of those book, you can't put down until you are finished. I read it in one sitting. The writing style, the characters, supernaturals, plot twists... I love everything about it. It's the ultimate urban fantasy book. :)

Nora grew up in foster system, suffering form abuse from man, time and time again. She has trouble connecting with people and forming relationships because of it. There something special about Nora, she can read anyone mind, just by touch and get feelings of premonition.

One day, going home form work, she gets that feeling, that something bad will happen. Walking home, she is stopped by her neighbour, who can't take no for an answer. By touching him, she knows what he plans to do to her, so she comes up with a plan.

Since trauma in childhood, she is aware of underworld, that magic and monsters exist. She knows of club, where underworlds creature meet, so she convinces neighbour to go there. She manages to get rid of him, however she catches eye of another dangerous guy.

It goes from bad to worse and she can't catch a break. This is where you can really see her character. Her past experiences have touched her and she is a fighter, Never giving up. She is also very smart and loyal friend. She starts to open up a bit. And I want to know more about her, her powers and the world itself. Can't wait for the next book. :)

DNF at 17 %

Spoilers!

I can’t read a book where the main male character forces himself on a main female character. He mentally raped her, even when she was begging him to stop. Big No.

Fun, fast read. Kept me interested. I did feel like if this person was so attractive and had been fighting off men all her life she might have gotten a little better at defending herself by that point.. like maybe carry some pepper spray? I liked the world-building. I liked the side characters. I just wanted her to be less a victim waiting to happen, and it made the ending kind of frustrating...why didn't she do that all along? Why can she suddenly do that?

I have some really mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand the world was really interesting, the storyline had plenty of action, mystery, and some potential for romance, and I liked the friends and family that was built. But. And for me this was a pretty big stumbling block. The constant references and flashbacks to her repeated rapes and sexual assaults was over the top, and quite frankly, a little bizarre. And the victim blaming of herself! What is that! She says she is too alluring and men just can't help themselves around her, and she wishes she could control it. Excuse me? No, just no. This book almost seemed to have split personalities, because one minute our heroine would be all kicka$$, and the next excusing her rapists. I would really suggest a reedit of this book, because I definitely think it could be really good.