Jul 29, 2014

Otherwise Alone (Evan Arden Trilogy, #1) by Shay Savage





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Book summary:

Lieutenant Evan Arden sits in a shack in the middle of nowhere, waiting for orders that will send him back home - if he ever gets them. Other than his loyal Great Pyrenees, there's no one around to break up the monotony. The tedium is excruciating, but it is suddenly interrupted when a young woman stumbles up his path.

He has two choices - pick her off from a distance with his trusty sniper-rifle, or dare let her approach his cabin and enter his life.

Why not? It's been ages, and he is otherwise alone...


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My rating: ✮✮✮✮


My review:
 
The first part in the Evan Arden Trilogy is very short, so this will be a really short review. 


The first time I read Otherwise Alone was in January, and I only had this to say:

"I want to read more!

Evan Arden, tell me more."

description

Why I haven't read the sequels yet is a mystery to me, because Otherwise Alone was a great way to start a series that had everything to get me hooked. It had just enough information to make me want to learn more about Evan Arden. His line of work promised a lot of action in the continuation of the story, and the short time with the lost woman Lia did left me wondering what/if anything will happen between them. Also, that short time was full of hotness, so that's another reason to continue reading. Plus, it's written from Evan's POV. I always like finding books written from the hero's perspective, and when that hero is an assassin, you just know you're in for a ride.

I'd say we got a lot from so few pages, and this time I'm going forward and finding out exactly what Evan Arden has to say more.


  
XOXO
 

Jul 24, 2014

ARC REVIEW: Unfiltered & Unlawful (Unfiltered, #1) by Payge Galvin, Ronnie Douglas

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Author's Page:

Genre:
Contemporary Romance/ New Adult

Summary on Goodreads:

After a night-shift shooting of a drug dealer in The Coffee Cave, twelve strangers each walk out with more than $100,000 in dirty money, a pact never to meet again, and the chance to start over…
Until that night, Sasha "Sugar" Kovac spent her days selling coffee to the co-eds at ASU Rio Verde and her nights trying not to run back to her ex… or join the throngs of girls lusting after her friend, Adam.

But why should Sugar give in to the Harley-riding tattoo artist when his longest relationships haven't lasted more than a weekend?

Sugar's life takes a turn for the dangerous when someone comes looking for the people connected to the Cave shooting and the cash they split. To protect herself and those she cares about, Sugar has to get out of town–and fast. When Adam insists on coming with her, Sugar finds herself holed up in a tiny house with a hot man, a stash of cash, and a lot of secrets.

Can Sugar protect both her life and her heart when temptation is so close? Or is the past she's fled going to catch up with her?

"A full-throttle read that's dangerously sexy and exciting. I can't wait to see what happens next!" —Jeaniene Frost, NYT bestselling author of the Night Huntress series

"A fun, rollicking start to an exciting new series concept. . . .And the hero, oh the hero, steals the show here. Adam is hot, hot, hot and readers will want him as badly as Sasha does." —RT Magazine


RATING:


***REVIEW***

Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review

It seems that lately I have no luck with Arcs. This is another one whose blurb suggested that it could be my potential favorite read, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Just like with the arc before- The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros, I think that the authors have potential, the writing style was good, but I just couldn't connect to the story or its characters.

~ The biggest reasons behind my low rating:

1. The Plot

There were just too many loopholes that made me eye-roll. The biggest of them is definitely revolving around that night of murder and the way things developed after that. Seven strangers to react *that way* after everything what happened, especially after we read their backgrounds seemed highly unrealistic, immature and above all profoundly stupid

2. The main female character

Stupidity, naivety, weak & shallow personality...The girl has them all and it was just impossible for me to like her. She is a on-and-off drug addict with shady past and turbulent on-and-off relationship also with a drug-dealer/addict who is trying to get better at the beginning of the book, but keeps on failing. Sorry, but the author didn't give me good enough reason to feel any sympathy towards her.

3. The main male character

"Adam Bradbery was six feet of taut muscle and gorgeous ink.
With his smoothly-shaved head and five o'clock shadow, he was the kind of guy who looked like he'd have nothing but bad habits, but he was actually a bit of a food purist and health fiend."

But what they forgot to mention is that he is a big wuss! I will never understand what could possibly a guy like him see in a girl like her. The girl does everything in her power to make him not like her at least in a romantic way, but no, he keeps on pinning after her no matter what. He seemed more of a girl in their relationship with his behavior than the girl herself. Not to mention that that drug dealer with whom she is having on & off relationship is his very own cousin whom he is supposedly following around and taking care of, because he promised it to his mother.  Oh, phlease...Enough with the soap opera already! 

In my opinion, the authors took a big risk  by writing about this type of shady MCs  and while that wasn't a problem to me in lot of other books, some of which are on my favorite list, it just didn't work for me in this book.

xoxo

Jul 22, 2014

THRIVE (Addicted, #2.5) by Krista & Becca Ritchie




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*SUMMARY*

Two years will change them forever. 

When rumors spread like wildfire—like having three-ways with her boyfriend’s rock climbing brother—Lily Calloway spirals into a dark place. Her bedroom. Loren Hale is more confident and determined to keep their sex life private, even from their friends, and he helps Lily in the only way he knows how. But how much love is too much? 

Their lives are filmed, watched, and criticized. And through it all, Lily and Loren have to face enemies they never thought they’d see, demons they don’t know if they should bury, and setbacks they didn’t think they’d meet. Not this soon. 

And one rumor could be too much for them to handle. It will test their greatest limitations, and if they don’t hold onto each other, someone is going to drown. 

A full-length New Adult Romance that bridges the gap between the second and third books. Thrive must be read before Addicted After All if you have not read the Calloway Sisters spin-off series.

My rating: 

 *My review*

I've just finished THRIVE and I want more! I’m like an addict, craving these characters; I have grown to love this series so much! *happy sigh*

Usually when you’re reading a book, you identify with MCs – here I couldn’t, because I felt like I knew Lily and Lo. All of them, I feel like they’re this cool bunch of people that I know. And that is thanks to awesome characterization skills of Krista & Becca Ritchie

The heart and soul of this series are the characters! Six amazing characters that are so well developed I feel like they’re real people. Seriously, I could now imagine Ryke’s reaction to something Daisy would say, or Connor knowingly smiling while Rose is screaming at him… Ah, good times. Addicted series is full of complex relationships (no love triangles – have no fear), and here we see more layers unveiled and new personal developments. 

I particularly loved Connor/Loren bromance. Then Lily-Lo-Ryke dynamics, they are hilarious, Ryke is hanging out with them, but half the time has no idea what the two of them are talking about and internally he’s thinking: They’re so weird. No actually, Ryke would think – They’re so fucking weird. However, the relationship which stands out the most is the one between brothers – Lo and Ryke. There is so much bad blood there, angst and grudges still held. Lo is strongly against Ryke&Daisy as a couple, but he’s actually projecting his own fears of abandonment onto their relationship. Lo is such a complex character, he hurts people on purpose before they can hurt him, he pushes them to see whether they’ll leave. And he constantly pushes Ryke; it was fascinating to read how their relationship was progressing. That’s yet another reason to love this book(s), it’s not all sweet romance and sexy times, we get a portrayal of sibling love, and ill-feelings as well. 

Addicted series is like your favorite TV show, with all the romances, friendships and family drama. What started like a story about a sex addict and an alcoholic, has grown to be so much more. We have secretive friends-to-lovers (#LiLo), then overly ambitious love/hate duo (#Coballoway), and fearless forbidden love (#Raisy). And I am.. obsessed with them! (Am I becoming like Lily? Ah, I don’t care.) 

I feel like there’s little point in discussing the plot, if you’d read Kiss the Sky and Hothouse Flower, you know all the major events, but still this book is definitely not those books from another POV. No, this is mostly new material, we get to see what Lily & Lo were up to during that time. Every fan of the series will love this book, it was full of funny and heartbreaking moments. Lily & Loren are still on their road to recovery and we’re yet to see their happy ending.
“One day at a time…”

I highly recommend this series, jump on this crazy train and meet your new favorite group of people. If you’re new to the series you should start with Addicted to You , though I admit my favorites are the spin-offs. You can see recommended reading order on authors’ tumblr page.

What else can I say – I laughed, I cried, I loved. This series just warms my heart.


*You can read my interview with the authors here.




Images source: Authors' Pinterest



xoxo,
Beatrix


Jul 21, 2014

Take (Temptation, #2) by Ella Frank

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Author's Page:

Genre:
Contemporary MM Romance/ Erotica

Summary on Goodreads:

TAKE – verb: to reach for and hold in one’s hands or get into one’s possession, power or control. 

Logan Mitchell is a man who’s always been more than happy to take what he wants. It’s a philosophy that’s proven lucrative in both his business and personal life, and never was it more apparent than the night he laid eyes on Tate Morrison. After pulling out all the stops and convincing the sexy bartender to give him a try—he’s hooked. 
Now, Logan finds himself in a predicament that demands more from him than a smart-ass answer and his innate ability to walk away when things get too deep. 
He has a choice to make, and it’ll force him to do something he’s never done before—take a chance.

Tate Morrison knows all about taking a chance. He took the biggest one of his life the night he showed up at Logan’s apartment to explore his unexpected reaction to the man. 
Ever since then, he’s thought about little else.
At first he was convinced his attraction was based solely on his body’s curiosity. But the more time he spends with the silver-tongued lawyer, the more Tate realizes that their physical chemistry is only the beginning. 
He’s starting to catch a glimpse of what life with Logan would be like, and it’s one full of excitement and satisfaction—a far cry from what he had in the past with his soon to be ex-wife.

Each man will face their fears as they begin to understand the true meaning of give and take. Their feelings for one another will be tested, as will their very beliefs. But now that they’ve found love where they least expected it, will they be brave enough to reach out and take it?

RATING:


***REVIEW***

"You make me crazy and furious and out of my mind with need, 
but in the end, you make me so fucking happy.
I can't ever remember feeling this way.
And no one is going to tell me it's wrong.
No one."

To all of you who have been complaining that the 1st book=>Try (Temptation, #1)  was only about sex and no emotions which I don't agree, all I can say is- TAKE THAT! Yes, there was a lot of hot as hell/ R rated sex scenes in this book as well, but above all there was a lot of love & emotional, swoon-worthy moments that made me fall in love with this book and its MCs all over again.

After the way things ended in the 1st book I must admit that I had my doubts about this installment thinking that nothing can top the awesomeness of the 1st book and that I might not even like it that much, but I was so wrong. Logan & Tate (especially Logan) became without a doubt one of my favorite mm couples ever <3! The story picks up right after the ending of the 1st one with Tate & Logan getting to know each other without putting a label on it, but there's no doubt that they are only getting closer and closer and I loved every second of it. 

There's this intense, crazy, passionate, I-can't-get-enough-of you sex, but behind it all are warm, fuzzy, butterfly-inducing feelings and the more they spend time together and open to each other the more intense those feelings are becoming. And then, there is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of letting your barriers down and getting hurt, fear of giving all of you to someone and getting nothing in return, fear of losing everything that matters. I mean, the story made me so happy, emotional and swoon like crazy and I kept hugging my reader like an obsessed mm fangirl that I'm and feeling relived that no one can see me in my state of questionable mental stability, lol. Yup, it was that bad, or actually that good. 

In Try,#1 we have all met Logan as the alpha predator: strong, cocky, possessive, calculating, controlling who always gets what he wants, or better said- whom he wants and then he moves on his next prey without a second thought, but he finally found his match in Tate. He makes him lose all that control which leaves him vulnerable. He makes him feel what  faces him again with one of his biggest fears- to feel and to lose again. And then there's the adorable, brave, equally strong Tate who is all new to this- being in a relationship and with a guy for the first time who managed to turn his world upside down in only two weeks what was the best thing that had happened to him, but at the same time it could cost him the one thing that always had his back- his family.

Is their love strong enough or even worth of the risk both of them are doomed to face in the near future?
Read the book & find out.

And now, a little bit of Logan's dirty, naughty mouth/ awesomeness:

"Yes, that's what I want.
You. 
The dirtier, the fucking better."

"Really? On a plane? But there's no room."
He watched Logan as he turned back to face The Spirit of America.
"It certainly was a tight fit."

"Puppies are cute. Babies are cute..." Logan took his hand off the counter to run his fingers over the top of Tate's thigh and informed him:"I'm not cute."
"Do you usually have this kind of reaction to puppies Tate?"

And these are only the more "appropriate" bits ;). Damn, that guy & his dirty mouth...I love Tate, but if I would have to choose between them it would always be Logan. He is this intense, fierce, arrogant alpha dirty talker that can be hands-full at times, but there's also this soft and endearing side of him that will make you fall for him with every next page. My favorite dirty talker for sure.

The 1st 80 % of the book was pure perfection for me. I was certain that I'll rate it with 5 stars, but then this last 20 %  happened where I felt that some situations kept repeating themselves and my initial excitement kind of weakened. It wasn't exactly a bad thing, it just started to feel that the story was going in circles and I waited for something big to happened, anything, and then it did and unfortunately it was also the last page of the book, but it was a cliffhanger I could live with, just like in the 1st book.

But, either way, this book made me very happy and I have no doubts that it will do the same thing to every Temptation Series fan. I highly recommend it to every mm fan who loved Try, #1 and every mm fan in need of an intense & passionate GFY mm romance with no bigger drama. Book 3, I'm impatiently waiting for you :)...

He slipped his palm into Tate's and moved in closer to whisper,
"In case I get busy in there and don't say it, thank you."
"For?" Tate asked as his eyes softened.
Logan squeezed his fingers, and as they started walking inside,
he answered,"Always being willing to try."



XOXO

Jul 19, 2014

Holding the Cards (Nature of Desire, #1) by Joey W. Hill





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Book summary:

Book 1 in the Nature of Desire series.

Lauren is a successful doctor with a healthy attitude toward sex, unashamed of her proclivities as a sexual dominant. She wants love and a family, but she's beginning to believe there is no Mr. Right willing to stand by her in sickness and health...and be cuffed, stripped, and smacked with a riding crop.

Then her friend Lisette invites her to spend a long weekend on a private island. It turns out Lisette can't come with her, but Lauren opts to go anyway, with no one for company but Joshua, the island caretaker, and his visiting friend, Marcus. Though both men are beautiful, it is Joshua that catches Lauren's attention, and not just because Marcus prefers men.

Something in Josh's stormy eyes calls to her. When Marcus facilitates a game of submission and control between the three of them that will last throughout the weekend, Lauren embraces the opportunity. Josh overwhelms her with his willingness to submit to her body's desires, but her heart wants to get to the secrets behind those eyes. She is going to have to tear down his defenses and make him give her everything. And this is one Mistress who doesn't take no for an answer...

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My rating: ✮✮✮


My review:


A book with Lauren, Josh, and Marcus? There wasn't even the slightest chance I wouldn't like it.

I started this series out of order by reading Rough Canvas (though, to be fair, I did that last year when I read Natural Law). Normally, even when the books are standalones, I read them in order, but I don't regret it here at all. It worked out just fine. Marcus and Thomas were amazing, and the appearance of Lauren and Josh, what little I saw of them, and what was said about their history made me want to read their book right away. Imagine my excitement when I saw their story is book one.

Being already half in love with Lauren and Josh when I started Holding the Cards wasn't the only effect of Rough Canvas. The other one was that I appreciated those details about Marcus and Thomas more, especially that beautiful scene when Marcus collared Thomas the first time. Yes, yes, I still have have a huge crush on that duo, but back to the main lovely couple: Lauren and Josh.

As much as I enjoyed the corporate setting and the businessmen of the Knights of the Board Room series, I think I enjoyed the island and its artist residents even more. It felt more relaxed. It was a place I wouldn't mind living in.

Another difference was the female Dominant. The majority of BDSM books I've read so far had male Doms, so this was a nice change, particularly because I loved Lauren as a Mistress. She was tough, but at the same time so kind and caring. But more than that, I liked her as a person.

Lauren came to the island to battle her own demons, repair the damage her ex left behind on her life, and her being. Finding Josh and Marcus on the island was the best thing that happened to her. To Josh, too, and it did good to Marcus as well.

By now it's as clear as day I have a special fondness for male subs. Josh was a wonderful reminder why that is so. Submissive and an artist?! I never stood a chance. To describe how much I liked his character, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Like Lauren, Josh was also hurt by his ex, even more than Lauren. The demons that haunted him were much harder to defeat, but Lauren was there determined to do it, and so was Marcus.

The whole story took place in only a few days, but I never felt like they were moving too fast, though everything said they were. The credit goes to the author, as always. She makes it all seem right, exactly the way it's supposed to be, with characters that seem so real you can't help but care for them, feel their pain, and root for them to get better. That's how I felt for Lauren and Josh. I wanted so much for Lauren to get her confidence back, and Josh to realize he wasn't a bad man. And, as always, through these characters the author showed the aspects of D/s relationships that I don't find anywhere else, which is another reason I love her work as much as I do.

Returning to this series was indeed a wise decision.


XOXO
 

Jul 15, 2014

THRIVE Blog Tour – Interview with Krista & Becca Ritchie + Giveaway





Title: Thrive 

Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie 

Series: Addicted #2.5

Pub Date: July 18th, 2014

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Amazon: Purchase links not available until July 18th











SUMMARY 

Two years will change them forever. 

When rumors spread like wildfire—like having three-ways with her boyfriend’s rock climbing brother—Lily Calloway spirals into a dark place. Her bedroom. Loren Hale is more confident and determined to keep their sex life private, even from their friends, and he helps Lily in the only way he knows how. But how much love is too much? 

Their lives are filmed, watched, and criticized. And through it all, Lily and Loren have to face enemies they never thought they’d see, demons they don’t know if they should bury, and setbacks they didn’t think they’d meet. Not this soon. 

And one rumor could be too much for them to handle. It will test their greatest limitations, and if they don’t hold onto each other, someone is going to drown. 

A full-length New Adult Romance that bridges the gap between the second and third books. Thrive must be read before Addicted After All if you have not read the Calloway Sisters spin-off

***
One day in March I was sick in bed and deciding what to read next when I stumbled upon Addicted To  You and thought: Hm why not? Thus began my addiction! When I discovered this amazing series my faith in NA genre was restored. I can’t recommend this enough. The story about friendships and family with flawed, real and fun characters – everyone will find something to love. I sure did – hello Connor Cobalt. *wink*

I had some questions for our authors – Krista & Becca and they were very kind to answer them all.

1. How would you introduce your books to someone who hasn’t read them yet?

Krista: I’d probably just throw out our tagline. 9 Books. 6 Friends. 3 Couples. 1 Epic Series. It’s about friendships and family and finding love and yourself amidst outside forces. 

Becca: Or we’d talk about each couple: a sex addict and an alcoholic who are best friends and pretend to be in a relationship to hide their addictions. Also two pretentious, intelligent, overly confident honor students, who have love-hate banter and lofty ambitions. Then lastly an 18-yr-old fearless girl who’s the youngest of her family and a 25-year-old rock climber with hard exterior—it’s crazy, forbidden love that begins when she’s only 15, so yes very forbidden.


2. How long does it take you to write one book? Tell us about your writing process, do you edit for each other?

Krista: One of us is usually writing the first draft while the second person is editing the beginning portions of it, so it’s hard to say how long it takes us to solely just write a book without editing/revising/and polishing numerous times. The whole process takes us between 2-3 months. 

Becca: Yep, 2-3 months. Sometimes 4 months if we’re working on multiple projects at the same time. We both edit for each other because we’ll go in the book and sweep through it a few times. Sometimes it’s all in different pieces between each other before we put it together.


3.   Where do you get your daily inspiration?

Krista: TV is a huge inspiration. I love the way (good) shows are able to develop characters, intertwine multiple storylines while still balancing a central arc. 

Becca: Oh yeah, definitely television and movies. We’ve tried to give each book an arc so it feels like a complete “season” of television with all the conflicts tied up. Our favorite shows are very good at tying up arcs but still progressing relationships and developing them throughout the series.


4.   When you wrote the first book, Addicted To You, did you plan the sequels?

Krista: We had planned Ricochet, Addicted for Now, and Addicted After All. When we first wrote it, we knew it would be a series (most likely a trilogy) but we never saw it diverting into spin-off books until we finished Ricochet (which was also initially supposed to be just a novella). Thrive came about when we decided to write Kiss the Sky and Hothouse Flower. 

Becca: The more people started reading the books, the more we realized that we had the opportunity to expand the series to spin-offs and then Thrive, which weaves together a story through those spin-off books in Lily & Lo’s POVs. We would’ve had to stop the series much earlier if no one read them, and it’s really one of the gifts our readers have given us through this whole process. 


5.   When did you realize that writing is what you want to do?

Krista: I think we’ve wanted to write since we started. Like maybe ten or twelve? The issue was turning our hobby and passion into a career. It took a lot of work to improve our skills in order to get to that point. And we never really believed it would be our job. It was always a dream to us, not a reality. 

Becca: About 10 or 12 sounds right. I finished my first novel at 12. It was nothing good, but I wrote it start to finish. It ended up being about 70,000 words. We’ve loved writing for so long, and in college, we tried so hard to get picked up by an agent, but it was one of those things you dream about. We didn’t know if it would ever come to pass, but we knew we had to at least try. But no matter how hard we worked, it never happened. We were about to move on (we were literally in our last month of college), but then we decided to self-publish instead. And now here we are, six books in, so incredibly grateful. Self-publishing was the best decision we’ve ever made. We did eventually get an agent, and it’s surreal that we spent so many years querying with rejection after rejection and in a moment’s time, without really seeking it out, it happened. 

6.  Is it sometimes difficult to write in pair and have you ever or plan to write separately? Now you both write NA, do you have other genre preferences?

Krista: I absolutely LOVE writing with Becca. I know she can probably write without me. She’s super amazing like that. But I wouldn’t want to ever write without her. I love our writing discussions too much. It makes the process so much easier and fun when someone is equally invested in your work (even when you only have like a skeleton of an idea). We both love YA , so in the future we’d definitely love to write some young adult stories, but right now we’re focusing on NA.

Becca: I wouldn’t want to write without Krista, and don’t let her fool you, she’s just as amazing! She’s so good at humor. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed out loud when I read scenes she worked on. Krista is definitely right that it helps so much when someone is so equally invested in the story as you are. If we were writing separately, our attentions would be split, and I love that we’re both committed to bettering the same books with equal passion. 

7.    What do your friends and family think about the books?

Krista: They’re all incredibly supportive! Most of the women in our family have read the books and they loved them. Having their support has really meant the world to us. 

Becca: Really supportive! I couldn’t ask for a better set of family and friends :) 

8.    How do you feel about your fans?

Krista: We honestly have the best fans ever. I never expected readers to fall in love with our books and characters as much as they did. The best compliment is whenever someone tells us they recommended their book to a friend, family member, etc. It’s incredible. And that support and love for our series drives us to keep writing. Oh, and Becca and I constantly pinch each other, just to make sure we’re not dreaming. 

Becca: I seriously adore every single fan so much. Being able to talk to everyone about our books is the best part of writing. Hands down. The support just means the world to us.

9.    How do you decide what goes into the books, do you sometimes disagree on where do you want the story to go? 

Krista: We disagree all the time! But we’ll talk it out with one another until we land on the best version of the story we can get. Sometimes it means scraping thousands of words, but at the end of the day we both have to be 100% confident that book is the best one it can be. 

Becca: What Krista said. I think it makes for a better book in the end when we disagree. We start talking and it’ll open new ideas and let us get even deeper into the characters’ minds.

10.    Do you have plans to write something other than the ADDICTED series? Any new ideas?

Krista: Yep! We have a standalone nearly done and then our new series called the Like Us series is all plotted. 

Becca: The standalone should come out before the Like Us series, but we’ll see what happens! We’re going to focus on more standalones and then have the Like Us series be our next series after this one. But that may change depending on where a standalone goes, but for now, that’s the plan.

11.     What personal characteristics of yours did you give to your characters. I mean, how much of Becca and Krista do we see in Lily, Rose, etc.?

Krista: Oh! I love this question. For Becca, I think that Lily’s love for comic books is something that matches her own love. And definitely Daisy’s super bubbly personality. Becca is like a huge ball of light that will blind you (especially if she just drank Red Bull). 

Becca: Aw, thanks, and yes, beware of me when I drink Red Bull. The world moves at a much faster pace on caffeine! Krista is laid-back like Daisy (kinda like Poppy too) but she’s sooo smart, so she has a lot of Rose in her. And she doesn’t take crap from guys either, so they have to be a strong mix of confident and intelligent or else they’ll be bulldozed by her wit. 

12.     Connor Cobalt is my favorite character. Rose too. Even if they weren't a couple they'd be my favorites still – individually. Will we see more of their past (flashbacks or something) in the books?


Krista: We’re going to try to fit a flashback of their first date and maybe some other in Fuel the Fire, but we can’t promise anything—because it may be sacrificed to the editing gods in the end. But…We know for sure that if their first date isn’t included in the book, we’ll provide it as bonus material. 

Becca: I ditto what Krista says, and I’ll add that they’ll still be a huge part of Addicted After All, and very likely Long Way Down, even if we’re not in their POVs. 


13.     How do you feel about negative reviews?

Krista: We used to read them a lot when we first published Addicted to You. We saw them as constructive criticism and used them as tools to mold the rest of the series. Now, we don’t read them at all. We’re just so deep into the series that we have everything planned and any criticism is more likely to shake our confidence than improve the story. And I was a YA Book Blogger for two years before we published Addicted to You, so I’ve written my fair share of negative reviews. I definitely understand them, even the snarky ones (which can sometimes be the most amusing). Not everyone will like our books, which is fine with us. 

Becca: I love how Krista phrased that and I concur one-hundred percent. We’re so deep into the series, so most likely someone’s negative response may be about something that’ll develop in the next book or the next one. And a lot of times we can’t really change what they dislike by this time, so it’s better to just steer clear of negative reviews, pat each other on the back and keep going.

14.     Your favorite books and authors? (Any good books you’d like to recommend us?)

Krista: If you like contemporary romance and read YA, you have not lived until you’ve read Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. This book is like finding sunshine in a cupcake. So much love. 

Becca: We have a whole list of YA recs at our old blog. The Sexy Sunday books are ones read by another blogger, not us. The rest are our recs, and we love all of them and would recommend each one. We have them separated into genre. The Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine is so good and the protagonist is 16, set in college (she’s smart and skipped grades) She falls in love with a college guy, who she happens to room with in this house off campus (one of my all-time favorite couples). It’s my favorite vampire series.

15.     Your proudest achievement (in terms of writing)?

Krista: Finishing Kiss the Sky. We honestly didn’t know if that book could even be written. We asked ourselves for weeks if we made a mistake by biting off such a challenge. But when we finished it, it was the best feeling in the world. Thrive was almost just as satisfying too. 

Becca; I agree. Finishing Kiss the Sky and completing Thrive too. So challenging, but we found the best story with Thrive and it’s one we’re so in love with. It’s one of the most euphoric feelings, realizing that this is the right story after sooo much struggle and loving it the most. It brought us to tears with both books.

16.     Your favorite social media site?

Krista: My favorite would be Twitter. It’s a bit harder for me now that we share a Twitter account (even though I love our joint account!). I feel torn between going on my personal account and using our joint one. It can get a little confusing if we’re both having conversations on the KBRitchie. But Twitter has always been my favorite. Pinterest and Tumblr are probably close seconds. 

Becca: I’m the same way. I love Twitter, and I think the joint twitter account was a good idea, but I rarely go on my personal account now. Tumblr would be my second, and then probably Pinterest. I feel like I never do Facebook justice. I’m like a FB newbie all the time, and Krista is FB-phobic. I love chatting to fans on FB though, and it’s probably the most important social media of the bunch. 


17.      I don’t know should I ask this (*wink*), but of all three couples which one is your favorite?

Krista: We went a step further and actually ranked our favorite couples on one of the posts for the Thrive Tour lol! It was definitely hard to choose, but Lily and Lo are my favorite. 

Becca: Ooh, yeah we do answer this during the tour! I’ll be secretive and not say just yet (unless the post has already been posted, then you prob already know my answer) ;)

 ***

AUTHOR BIOS

Krista & Becca Ritchie are identical twins. They write New Adult books that make you cringe, gasp, and go ooh-la-la. (If you do that sort of thing.) They are currently working on the spin-offs and final books in the Addicted series. Connect with them on twitter and their website: kbritchie.com



AUTHOR LINKS



***GIVEAWAY TIME***


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xoxo,
Beatrix

Jul 11, 2014

HOTHOUSE FLOWER (Calloway Sisters #2; Addicted #2.2) by Krista & Becca Ritchie

 




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Connect with the authors:










*Book summary*

Ryke Meadows, meet Daisy Calloway ... she’s all grown up. 

Twenty-five-year-old Ryke Meadows knows he’s hard to love. With a billion-dollar inheritance, a track-star resume, and an alpha-male personality—he redefines the term likable asshole. But he’s not living to make friends. Or enemies. He just wants to free climb three of the toughest mountains in Yosemite without drama or interruption.

And then he receives a distressed call from a girl in Paris—a girl that he has never been allowed to have.

Daisy Calloway is eighteen. Finally. With her newfound independence, she can say goodbye to her overbearing mother and continue her modeling career. Next stop, Paris. Fashion Week begins with a bang, and Daisy uncovers the ugly reality of the industry. She wants to prove to her family that she can live on her own, but when everything spirals out of control, she turns to Ryke to keep her secrets. 

As Daisy struggles to make sense of this new world and her freedom, she pushes the limits and fearlessly rides the edge. Ryke knows there’s deep hurt beneath every impulsive action. He must keep up with Daisy, and if he lets her go, her favorite motto—“live as if you’ll die today”—may just come true.

New Adult Romance: recommended for readers 18+ for mature content

***Authors' Note***

Hothouse Flower is a spin-off of the Addicted series. Kiss the Sky is required before reading, and we strongly recommend reading the Addicted series before this spin-off. 




Addicted Series Recommended Reading Order:

Addicted to You (Addicted #1)
Ricochet (Addicted #1.5) <--- The main characters meet here.
Addicted for Now (Addicted #2)
Kiss the Sky (Spin-Off) (Calloway Sisters #1)
Hothouse Flower (Spin-Off) (Calloway Sisters #2)
Thrive (Addicted #2.5)
Addicted After All (Addicted #3)


My rating:

*My review*

I was waiting for the sun to chase me…


I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I liked this more than Kiss the Sky, which was light and fun, and I mostly loved it because of Rose and Connor, but – what a pleasant surprise this had been.

I must confess – I didn’t really like Daisy and Ryke in the previous books, but here, we get to know them better, see their side. I really liked the development of their relationship, it was something that has been building for 3 years (sexual tension was off the charts), and there is no insta-love here, no love triangles. These books are really something different in the NA genre, finally we get a story without the overbearing alpha males and passive females. Usually those stories are about sex (only), the pair trying to get together and once they do the story ends. But here we see a couple trying to overcome obstacles together, we get a story about family, friendship, loyalty. I can say with certainty I will read anything Ritchie sisters write. 

Then, Lily and Lo – you’re annoying me, I don’t know how and when, but I’ve grown to care more about these secondary characters than the two with whom the story originally began. I do hope the authors will continue to write from the perspectives of all characters, not just Lily and Lo.

Furthermore, another reason why this gets a plus from me – the serious issues tackled in the book. The authors didn’t write this just to write it (as many sequels these days are simply pointless). There is a reason why Daisy’s story is being told right now. She was affected by Lily’s addiction going public and here we see her dealing with the consequences. 

I enjoyed this book very much, and I highly recommend Addicted series. I do believe Ritchie sisters are new promising voices of the New Adult genre. 

To conclude with my two favorite quotes from the book, simply because they’re something I personally believe in.

~You are your own anchor. When you fail, you hurt yourself more than anyone else. Do you want to keep burning or are you going to let yourself rise?  
~Because when you find something you love, you can’t quit. Every failure pushes you harder.

And, while reading this book, I had this song on replay, I think it so perfectly fits the story (the singer even looks like Daisy *grin*): Laurel – Blue Blood


xoxo,

Beatrix

Jul 10, 2014

ARC REVIEW: The Darkest Joy (The Darkest Joy, #1) by Marata Eros

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Author's Page:

Genre:
New Adult/ Contemporary

Summary on Goodreads:

“I don’t want my broken fixed. . . .” 

Six months ago, Brooke Starr was one impeccable piano performance away from Juilliard. Now, she is lonely, devastated, orphaned . . . seeking solace in a place where the sun never sets and trying to make sense of the dark tragedy that clouds her shattered heart. 

There are no coincidences. . . . 

Deep-sea fisherman Chance Taylor can’t imagine what his life would be if he’d never taken that midnight stroll to the pier. Had never seen the intriguing, raven-haired girl swan dive into the Alaskan sea. Had never plunged into the icy waters to rescue her . . . and finally felt her electric charge. 

As their blazing chemistry consumes them, Chance is determined to save Brooke from her demons. But Brooke knows she must find her own footing. She thinks she’s already lost everything—until the terror of her past catches up with her and threatens all that she has left: her life, her love, and the freedom to choose between drowning in grief and finding joy in the darkness.

RATING:


***REVIEW***

~Arc review provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review~

Dear Book,

Sorry, it's not you, it's me...or actually, it is you!
It was love at first sight when I first saw the pretty cover and read the intriguing title, but then, soon enough, with every next page everything fell apart.

"...The darkest joy is better than none at all..."


This is my first book by this author. It is written in dual MCs povs. In my opinion, the author has a decent writing style, poetic and evocative at times which I really liked , so I don't have any complaints about that aspect, but as far as the plot and characters are concerned, plus her weird obsession with fish, at one point, it made me wish I were a dnf reader. The beginning was dark, gripping & heartbreaking. I thought to myself happily: oh, this has potential! The main female character is a piano player what I really liked and could relate to being a former piano player myself for six years in school. Unfortunately, that was all we had in common. The story turned more and more into a sappy & dull romance/ fishing guide with a little mystery what is the main reason for this low rating.


~THE REASONS WHY THIS BOOK TURNED TO BE A...FLOP for me:


1. Lets not talk about fish, fishing, fish gutting, fish cleaning etc. 24/7! -_-'

The setting of the story is in Alaska with the main male character being a fisherman and apparently Alaskan people are crazy about fish and everything  fish related so much that  this book is full of more than long enough descriptions and conversations about fish, fishing, fish gutting, fish cleaning, weird fish phrases etc. In short- it drove me nuts! The only thing I like about fish is, vegan people close your eyes...when they are on the plate or in aquarium and that's it. After this book, I probably won't be eating it at least...for a month, lol.

2. Shallow, dull & frustrating MCs


Both, male and female characters were  one of the most boring, immature characters I read in awhile. The girl was too naive, monotonous and she kept changing her mind like she had multiple personalty disorder. The thing that pissed me off the most is that at the beginning of the story she goes through this horrible trauma and she kept saying how broken she is until one day she just stops and the reason for that is explained in a few sentences, while the story about fish and fishing goes on and on and on...

The guy was cheesy, shallow and a part-time frustrating caveman. He tended to get jealous for no reason and then make a scene and the girl tried to play hard to get and failed miserably and forgave him any drama queen scene he made in a second. My only thought about them was: shut up & grow up!, but the story smiled devilishly at me and said: tough luck!

3. Instant love relationship


Instant love relationship was almost always a flop in my reading history and this time wasn't any different. They saw each other for the first time and that was it. How can you fall in love with someone after just one look is beyond me? It never happened to me or people I know and until it does, it will always be something cliche and fairy-tale alike that'll only made my eyes roll. Everything just felt rushed, I didn't feel any real chemistry/ connection between them and the few sex scenes made me asleep.

3. Let's (not) travel to the boring, exciting Alaska!


I've never been to Alaska, but its description in this book could never make me want to travel there. It's described as a cold and monotonous place with fish and fishing being the main occupation of people living there. 

4. Inconsistent plot

The only thing interesting and exciting about the plot was the beginning and the ending where the most action happened. Anything in-between was monotonous and easily forgettable. The book could have been shorter for a lot of pages spent on introduction on the short-lived life of fish in Alaska in my opinion. I had expected a lot more from the story, but my expectations weren't met.

I don't mean to be a bitchy book-blocker, but this is the way this story made me feel. I can recommend this only to readers who are fans of the reasons above. I'm not and that's why, unfortunately this didn't work out for me, but who knows, it has a pretty good rating on GR and Amazon, so maybe it will for you.

XOXO
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