Ryke Meadows, meet Daisy Calloway... she's all grown up...
YOU GUYS!!! I am so addicted, all over again! Binge read (is that even a thing?!) the entire series again this weekend, because Krista and Becca Ritchie did it again!! I sincerely doubt this amazing duo can do any wrong, to be honest. They’ve rocked my literary world in such a way that no matter how many New Adult books I read from this point forward, they’ll always lack majorly when compared to the Addicted series. Yep, it’s THAT FREAKING GOOD!! In a few words, this book is intense, riveting, fulfilling, exhilarating... fucking A. Good. Freaking. BYE!
These books are so intelligent. So, so intelligent! They make me actually want to think instead of just immersing myself in the book and “zombily” read up on characters. They’re so refreshing, so indescribably good that not reading them is practically a crime against humanity. I swear!! I sincerely wish I could grab some bits and bobs off Rose’s personality, Lily’s personality and Daisy’s personality, mix them up on a huge stirring pot and magically transfer them into my own. They’re so likeable; such a breath of fresh air on the writing scene… just thinking about it makes me want to set myself on fire. No friggin’ joke, LOL But let’s start the review.
"She’s beautiful because she can make the saddest person in the world grin. And she can make the loneliest guy feel something more. She’s youthful and wild. Primal and really fucking innocent. She’s all these things that scream big fucking risk."
Daisy and Ryke’s story began way back in Ricochet, I believe, hence why you should never read Hothouse Flower (or Kiss the Sky, for that matter) as a standalone novel. DON’T. You need to read the series as a whole because I promise you that you’ll feel as if you’re a part of this big old dysfunctional family!! I love every single one of the 6 main characters of the book and I’m equally fascinated by all of them, and while Lily and Lo are still my main couple in the series, I’ve always been super eager to really delve into Daisy and Ryke’s forbidden love story, especially because of all the teasing and built up anticipation. But why is it forbidden, you ask? The age gap, frowned upon especially by Loren. But let's meet the characters.
“Hyperactive, fearless, crazy, and probably the happiest unhappy girl I’ve ever met.”
Now this describes Daisy to a T! So much that I even tweeted the authors this exact quote since it resonated so much with who she is. See what I mean with K&B being such smart writers? I can’t even. Anyway, Daisy is the daredevil of the group. While Rose is uptight and Lily is shy, Daisy is the forever young spirit we read about. She’s literally the most refreshing character out of all of them, with absolutely no inhibitions or shame (on the surface…). She’s the kind of girl that will impulsively throw herself off a cliff and into the ocean. Yep, she’s a badass bitch! Wooo-hoooo!! She’s such an intriguing character and one of the reasons why I was so immensely pumped for Hothouse Flower. Also, can we a take a moment to cry tears of liquid glitter because of Daisy’s answering machine? Because it’s amazeballs!
“Hi, it’s Daisy. Not Duck and not Duke. Definitely not Buchanan. I’m a Calloway. If you haven’t misdialed then leave your name after the beep, and I’ll call you when I return from the moon. Don’t wait around. It may take a while.” BEEP.
Sigh… she’s made of pure win, that girl. BUT! What about Ryke, you ask? Oh, Ryke… *fans self, throws panties out the window* Ryke is, like they say, a jackass. But you know what people also say about jackasses… Sometimes not everything is as it seems. Jackasses can also be the most caring and protecting people simply hiding beneath a layer of hard stone. That’s Ryke, my friends. A total tactless prick at times. He’s such a walking contradiction, because while he’s hard as nails, brooding, a total potty mouth and super rough around the edges like Lo, he’s also the glue that holds the group together. He’s a freaking awesome guy and I love him to death. I’m not too proud to admit I cried right here…
“Ryke…” He [Connor] shakes his head and rubs his lips. He drops his hand. “You ran with her in your arms for over three miles. Your brother’s existence caused your parent’s divorce, and yet, you gave up most of your time and energy to help him through his sobriety. How can you possibly think you’re a pain in their life? What you’ve done for them, it’s nothing short of heroic, and if you can’t see that, then you’re blind, my friend.”
A hot tear rolls down my cheek.
Did you hear that cracking sound? That was my heart breaking!! *sobs* I love you, Ryke!! So… yep, they’re amazing apart, super unique and super interesting, simply a joy to read about. But, you guys… this is no match for when they’re together. The sexual tension! The anticipation! The fun (read: sometimes torturous) initial parts of the book was Daisy teasing Ryke evilly and both of them skating on very thin ice, crossing and uncrossing the line between friendly banter and sexual flirtation… Phew! It was steamy as fudge.
Answer me this, do you believe in soul mates? I truly, madly, deeply do. I believe that our hearts are separated at birth and we spend all our lives waiting to find our other halves (Connor might actually kill me for this super irrational chatter… oh, bite me, Mr. Cobalt!) The Addicted series only solidified my belief in this, to be honest. Lily and Lo aren’t Lily and Lo unless they’re together. Rose and Connor are each other’s match in every single way. And Daisy and Ryke…
“Soft to his hard. Sweet to his rough. Wild to his stone. (…) We chose this because nothing else felt right. Nothing else felt as good. Our greatest happiness has always been with each other.”
HELP!! I’m a disintegrated mess, a liquid puddle of feelings on the floor!! Literally reduced to a pile of mush, y’all. These couples are my favorites, gosh. I live for these 6 beautifully flawed people in a way I can’t even explain. This story lived up to every single one of my expectations and then some. It even created and fulfilled new expectations I didn’t have. It’s so complex, even being about Daisy and Ryke it manages to throw the spotlight into Connor and Rose’s relationship, Lily and Lo’s relationship… it’s every. Single. Thing. And. You’re. An. Epic. Idiot. If. You. Don’t. Buy. These. Books. YESTERDAY!! I’m screaming like a banshee in your ear and I’ll personally haunt your dreams if you don’t read this series. I can be dangerous. Beware!
A blissful moment before something that could be the end. The rush before the fear. He whispers, “I fucking love you.”
I smile, my lips tingling. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“I love you more than chocolate cake.”
Ummm… my dying wishes, you ask? (I know you didn’t ask and I don’t know why you would ask such a thing but roll with it). Firstly, I wanna have a relationship like Lily and Lo, because…
“The minute she sees him, her whole body lifts, and my brother—he wears a smile that’s rare in anyone else’s presence but hers. I’ve never really seen love until I saw them together, truly.”
Right? Secondly, I wanna have the banter and intelligence that Rose and Connor possess and taunt the rest of us mere mortals with, because Connor is seriously the bomb of the universe on so many levels and I’m 50% Rose so…
And lastly I want to have Ryke in my life, in all his caring broodiness and brazen attitude. Also, I want to be Daisy because I also happen to want to dye my hair like a rainbow. I mean, why not, right?!?!
"She has bigger pink highlights, a couple green ones, and a few purple scattered around her head. Still mostly blonde, but the color reflects her erratic personality. I know she’ll love it when she sees it, which is why I begin to smile."
Up next are my loves Lily and Lo, my favorites, so we’re going back to where it all began… Yay! Yay! Yay! I cannot contain my excitement!! I love, love, love, LOVE you Krista and Becca Ritchie!! You guys give me life with the Addicted series – please, with all my heart, I beg that y’all don’t ever stop. You guys have a once in a lifetime gift of storytelling. It’s so beautiful! Thank you.
Signed,
Francisca Cobalt Meadows Calloway Hale
P.S. – Yes, I’m nuts.
P.P.S. – No, I regret nothing.
P.P.P.S. – In case it wasn’t totally clear, I need Thrive. Like, yesterday.
~
{ RATING :: 5+ stars
SEX SCENES :: Very steamy
GENRE :: Contemporary romance, new adult, series
AUDIENCES :: 18
LENGTH :: 441 pages
HAPPY ENDING :: Yes
SEQUEL :: Series continuation, different characters }
