Wow!! Released today, we have the thrill of hosting Tim O’Rourke’s New Adult sci-Fi romance ‘The Mechanic’. Not only were we privileged to read this fantastic story before its release BUT we are also excited to host a 2 x paperback GIVEAWAY. (Please scroll down for the blurb, our review and info on the giveaway, plus links.)
Blurb: The Mechanics were built to help people. They looked and behaved just like humans. But when the Mechanics malfunctioned and started to kill those who had given them life, they were hunted down and destroyed, until only one remained.
When twenty-two-year-old, Hope Last, has a chance encounter with a mysterious man named Aidan Croix, an immediate and intense attraction forms between them.
…
Hope soon fears that Aidan is keeping a terrible secret and begins to suspect that he might not be human after all but the last of the Mechanic’s the world has been hunting for. But Hope knows that it isn’t just her heart but her very life, Aidan holds in his hands.
Review
The Mechanic is a dark, exciting and mysterious sci-fi romance, with plenty of passion and curiosity to keep you tense and guessing until the end! Within the first few chapters alone the reader is introduced to the characters, is aware of the situation with the mechanics and is subjected to an incredible action sequence which does end in upset and controversy for some. As well as working out the stranger in Hope’s life, Aidan, there are also murders to solve and a cop to answer to.
The Mechanic is written from Hope’s point of view. The reader sees everything from Hope’s mind and knows her every thought. This creates a feeling of empathy and understanding for the reader towards her, and as we do not see from the others POV it is very easy to suspect and mistrust the other characters. This is great for the story and allows the reader to keep questioning who The Mechanic could possibly be.
Hope has recently been cheated on by her boyfriend, Jake, and feels so alone. She feels abandoned by her dead mother, and now once more by Jake. Betrayed and let down, Hope is vulnerable and empty until Aidan Croix enters her life. He changes her world.
Aidan has all that a fictional love interest should have with his good looks, infectious smile and sweet mesmerising stares. There is a profound connection between him and Hope that reaches way beyond the physical attraction. There were moments when I was captivated by his character, especially with the physical love scenes, and yet I couldn’t quite bring myself to fall for him completely as I was constantly questioning whether or not he was The Mechanic, a killer, the hunted. I felt like I was Hope’s conscience and yet where Hope allows his presence to fulfil her every moment of loneliness I would be more cautious.
To set the scene of the mood of the story we know that Hope lives in a more run-down apartment in the city, there is plenty of rainfall, and the thunder and lightning create an eeriness, a feeling of danger, tension and yet heightened passion. Yes, there is plenty of passion between these two characters!! Not hearing from Aidan’s point of view makes him more mysterious to the reader. But Hope drowns in him, longs for his touch as soon as he leaves her each morning, longs to be with him for eternity.
As Hope begins to wonder if Aidan is The Mechanic being hunted there is also a part of her that cannot live without him, she cannot be lonely again. She’s been left alone by her mother, her boyfriend, so Aidan is the one thing that she can hold on to. She begins to question if it is possible to fall in love with a machine, and could a machine fall in love too? Even if he is The Mechanic will she be able to give him up? She is torn.
Hope’s conflict doesn’t end there as she hears her friend’s, Ingrid’s, warning in her subconscious about Aidan, making her confused and frustrated. And to add to her confusion there is also the feeling that she knows Aidan from somewhere else, maybe from her past, or maybe he is a friend of a friend. Either way nothing is clear, apart from the sense of love that she feels for him.
As always Tim’s writing is very direct, easy to visualise and a quick read. And yet it packs so much on terms of plot, character and emotion. Even the setting, the 80’s soundtrack and mechanical descriptions, although not too heavy, were so interesting with the cogs, springs, etc and help create a dark and eerie mood which really adds to the story. I absolutely love it!
There were elements that even reminded me of The Terminator (movie) – the notion that a machine can have human flesh, blood, bodily functions as well as possibly developing feelings towards a human. Then there is the storyline that he is the only one left and he is being hunted down. (However, there is no time travel or end of the world scenario in The Mechanic.) I personally thrive on this level of excitement in a book and Tim O’Rourke is a genius when it comes to these fast-paced adventures.
I thought it ended brilliantly with great twists and wraps up with all questions answered. Without spoiling, it was quite surprising and emotional and ends with a slight possibility for a sequel (fingers crossed!!). Throughout the novel there are hints and clues as to what could be, and who The Mechanic is. If Aidan is The Mechanic, then he has possibly murdered and is now being hunted! How can Hope fall for him? Can a virtually human machine have the possibility of developing human feelings and emotions? Hmm, I think you’ll have to have a read to find out!
A copy of The Mechanic was received gratefully in return for an honest and fair review.
GIVEAWAY INFO
To celebrate the release of The Mechanic, A Reader’s Review Blog has been offered to host a paperback giveaway of two copies!!!
For a chance to win one of two paperback copies of The Mechanic all you have to do is add your name in the comments list below (or on our Facebook page) before Thursday 13th August 2014, when the two lucky winners will be randomly selected. Good luck, guys :)
If you simply cannot wait The Mechanic is also available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Reviewed by Caroline Barker
