review :: Hothouse Flower by Krista and Becca Ritchie

AMAZON :: GOODREADS

 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 }

review :: Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie

AMAZON :: GOODREADS

Move over, every single author on the planet! Krista and Becca Ritchie have latched onto my defenseless, unprepared, battered but content heart and these uber talented ladies are here to stay! "Kiss the Sky" was absolutely breathtaking, emotional, bullshit free, refreshing, honest, beautiful, endearing and, most of all, PERFECT! Seriously, I don't wanna throw this word around so it loses its meaning, but this book is sheer perfection. I kid you not.

But anyway... Let's get down to business. You absolutely must read the first 3 books of the series (2 full books and a novella, to be precise) about Loren and Lily who, by the way, are so amazing in this book!!!! You can just feel the love and adoration and absolute passion emanating from these two. It's totally swoon worthy and sickeningly sweet in the best possible way. The only way I can accurately describe their relationship is by saying they're the most dysfunctional but functional couple I have ever met. Doesn't make any sense? I know. Lily and Lo are, without a doubt, up at the top of my favorite book couples, ever. Their love is on a league of its own. Just a recap: Lily is a sex addict and Loren is an alcoholic. Both in recovery in this book, btw. Help yourselves to my review here.

“You do realize that Lily loves Loren more than anyone else on the planet? If they were both given the ultimatum of oxygen or each other, I’m fairly certain they’d choose to suffocate.”

DYING!!!! But anyway. This book is about characters we meet in the first 3 books, actually, and it's told in dual POV's: Lily's sister slash "ice queen", tougher than nails, smarter than anyone ever, sophisticated lady and owner of Calloway Couture, Ms. Rose Calloway and the ever sassy, smartass, inhibited, brutally honest, careless but careful, Mr. Connor Cobalt. I've gotta be honest with y'all, I wasn't feeling this book at first. I even put it down once yesterday before picking it back up today, which rarely happens unless I give up on a book. Don't get me wrong, I love Rose and Connor, but I wasn't all that excited about reading this book in the first place because I'm not a fan of series about different characters. I just wanted Lily and Loren's story to continue forever, ya know? But of course, Krista and Becca had different plans for me and they gave me a story so deep, so fulfilling, so enthralling that it felt like this book was a slap to my face to punish me for my stupidity and preconceived notions. Thank you, ladies! *wink*

So, here are the kicks: Calloway Couture is under fire because the scandal broke that Lily is a sex addict. Suddenly, in the middle of it, the sisters are proposed with their own reality show, "Princesses of Philly", in order to attempt to clear the Calloway name. The show features Rose, Lily, Daisy, Ryke, Loren, Connor... and Scott, the producer and Rose's ex-boyfriend. Can you scream awkward?! 'Cause I can. Holy mother friggin' cow, I say. There is sooooo much going on in this book. The focus shifts between Lily and Loren, Rose and Connor (and Scott, ew), Daisy and Ryke... it makes my head spin, you guys. But in a good way! Also? Rose is a virgin. Also? Connor absolutely doesn't believe in love. Yep. A good more than half of the book revolves around the struggle between Connor and Rose, each other's demons and it is so amazing. So, so amazing. This creates drama because Scott, being the producer, twists everything around to make himself look good (the disgusting, vile snake!). Connor feels as if he's slowly losing Rose because of what burdens him, and it slays me. Rose's steely and unshakable confidence cracks under the thought Connor will never feel love for her. Heartbreaking, you guys.

“I’m not asking you to love me,” I tell her. “I think we’re both smart enough to choose oxygen.” I don’t see how love could benefit me.

Her eyes fall and her lips downturn. After a full minute of silence, she says, “I’d choose to die if it meant my sisters could live. You think it’s stupid, but sometimes love is worth every foolish choice you make.” She hops off the counter.

There's a scene in the bathroom (read it and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about) that solidifies what I love about these anticipation novels. They're so deep and so much more real than others, in a way. Your senses are in overdrive and you feel everything, every single word and every single action. Right? This scene in particular touched me, mainly because of Rose's naivety and Connor's "no bullshit" attitude. It's just so refreshing. But the insecurities are never far behind. Sigh.

“You’re not a pit stop. You’re my finish line. There’s no one after you.” I kiss her powerfully, my tongue parting her lips, and she responds. But not as much as I hoped. So I break apart and add, “I want you for eternity, not for a brief moment in time.”

I don’t understand why every time I speak it sounds like an empty pickup line.

The desperation is palpable, especially in a guy who is always so confident and cocky that nothing ever gets to him (at the surface, at least). But trust me, you guys. Connor simply does not believe in love or his worthiness of being loved. Kinda reminds me of a certain Mr. Grey, does it not?

“I never worry,” he says. “I do believe in love. When I was a child I thought it wasn’t real, but I’ve come to see that it does exist for some people. Just not me.” 

Right. He can’t love anyone. He’s too analytical, I suppose. I’ve come to accept it, but there’s a part of me that wants so badly to be his first love the way he’s mine.

But, fear not, because even if he doesn't admit he loves her, we all know he does. Deeply so. Am I right, ladies?! Sweet, rational, beautiful Connor...

“It wasn’t fair to the other people I was with, but you’ve been the most fascinating person to me. And no one could really compare in my mind.”

You guys, no word of a lie, I wanna give you every single line of this book. It's so fresh and unique and so awesome to be inside Connor and Rose's mind, so very stimulating too. I'm in love with this book!!!! Good grief, I'm pathetic, LOL. This book literally blindsided me because I genuinely didn't expect to fall so deeply in love with both Rose and Connor, in addition to Lily and Loren! This is such a fantastic book that everyone has to read. Yep, people, I ain't giving y'all a choice here, so read this now!

“One day,” he breathes, “we’re going to look back and recount all that we’ve done together. And we’re going to think, goddamn we were only twenty-four.”

My eyes well. “We’re the responsible pair.”

“The ones who clean everyone’s messes.”

“The ones everyone turns to,” I add.

Do you ever just find yourself reading a book and, somewhere along the way, totally out of the freaking blue, you get this overwhelming feeling of "Whoa, man. Wait a second. I have never ever read anything quite like this before! What is happening? What sort of spell did the author cast on me?! Help!" No? Is it just me? If you've never felt anything like this before, I genuinely pity you and I hope the literary Gods solve this problem immediately, because gosh darn, this feeling is glorious. I feel like I'm a part of this big dysfunctional family. I feel like I'm BFF's with Lo, Lily, Rose, Connor, Daisy, Ryke... Gosh! This is me, deep sighing and feeling my eyes roll back in utter delight and contentment. In a literary world where every book seems to blend into one and every story you read seems to be an exact replica of the previous one, it's so amazing to find that book which is the equivalent one person dressed in a neon yellow top and pink wellies in between tons of people wearing black. Do you feel me?! Aaaaah!

“Kiss the sky with me,” Connor whispers, a beautiful smile pulling his lips, “and don’t ever comedown.”

Thank you sooo much, girls. You guys are writing these series that fulfill a craving so deep within me which had been unknown to me until now. It fills my heart with such joy and hope to find someone who loves me as deeply as Loren loves Lily and Connor worships Rose. That's what life's all about in the end, isn't it? I can't wait for the next books, namely Daisy and Ryke's book "Hothouse Flower" in March 2014 and my loves Lily and Loren's next two books, "Thrive" and "Addicted After All" due Spring 2014... Squeeeee!!!! I'm so, so, so, so excited! *sobbing* Ta-ta, people! If y'all need me I'll be rereading a bit of the first Addicted books. Yep!

♥♥♥

{ RATING :: 5 stars

SEX SCENES :: Steamy

GENRE :: Contemporary romance, erotica, drama

AUDIENCES :: 18+

LENGTH :: 407 pages

HAPPY ENDING :: Yes

SEQUEL :: Series Continuation }

review :: the Addicted series

Attention readers, please make room... no, let me rephrase that. Readers, please build a house and a throne and a palace in your Kindle slash Life, slash Heart, slash World, for these three books immediately! Drop everything you're doing and just read this. I promise you won't regret a single breath! These books fulfilled a craving I didn't even knew I had... Isn't that just awesome?

So here's what I can tell you: Lily Calloway and Loren Hale are richer than virtually anyone, ever. Their fathers own Fizzle (read: soda) and Hale, Co. (read: baby products). On the surface, they're two rich kids who seem to be happily dating and attending college. On the inside, he's an alcoholic and she's addicted to sex. And what's more, they're best friends. Not a couple. Yep. She has sex with any man she can get her hands on, and his favorite company is that of a bottle of bourbon. Explosive, dangerous, passionate... and the list goes on. Going in, I knew this wasn't going to be my regular go-to story, I knew I'd be way out of my comfort zone and that this would probably be emotionally draining but I got so much more than I ever bargained for. Truly. I never knew what journey I was embarking on. I thought he was going to be drunk 24/7 and she'd be having sex with every guy on call. And they were. They did. But what I didn't see coming was their love story. You guys, it's magical. It's beautiful. It's stunning. And it is everything I ever want to experience in my life, minus the alcohol and the sex addiction.  

This series will punch you in the gut one minute and make you swoon the next. It's so different from every other book out there right now that my mind is still deeply confused about how I should review these books. I can't help but feel giddy and sad at the same time because while we are absolutely certain Lily and Lo are head over heels in love with each other, we all got to see just how evil and ruthless addictions can be. These books aren't the normal order of romance with a side of teeny weeny angst, some family drama and some sex. NO. These books are a breathtaking dose of real life with a side of truth, a big helping of sex, alcohol, deep love and absolutely no sugarcoating whatsoever. Are you ready to jump ship? Then I'm afraid I'm gonna have to restrain you, because you cannot miss out on these books, ya heard me? Stay put and buy these books right freaking now. 

I really don't want to spoil you guys, but the blurb doesn't even start to explain how complex, intricate, descriptive, captivating, emotionally draining but spiritually fulfilling this series is. There are no words. It's so much more than a story of someone dealing with alcoholism and someone dealing with a sex addiction mashed together: it's like Lo and Lily are two different universes with unique characteristics, desires and demons that are weaved together by some sort of magical connection that just... works, thrills, pulls the reader in. You know what soulmates are? It's Lily and Loren, no doubt in my mind. You know that she's the yin to his yang, she's the milk to his cookies, the stars to his sky. Just his everything, her everything. There's no Lo without Lily, and no Lily without Lo. How beautiful is that?

♥♥♥

"He’s filling my every single need. He’s taking care of me. Only Lo can satisfy every part of my all-consuming soul. He is truly my everything." - Lily Calloway

♥♥♥

Personally, I thought I knew what alcoholism was, what an addiction was, but my definition didn't even scratch the surface. Krista and Becca Ritchie, you guys are spectacular because you did your homework and you portrayed the harsh truth and the bitter reality of Lily and Lo in a captivating way, in a way that didn't even allow any kind of bullcrap. Thank you for that because that was one of the pieces that made this series so breathtaking. If you're looking for that 100% fairytale story, then this isn't for you. The harsh reality is that their addictions control them, even if they love each other more than life itself.

♥♥♥

"I hold onto the words, even if we both know they’re not completely true. She wants to fuck. She wants the high of a climax the same way I want to drown in a bottle of bourbon. I want the rush, the flush and the ride to purgatory and back. We are not each other’s first wants and needs. I am second to her. And she is second to me. I want that to change." - Loren Hale

♥♥♥

Krista and Becca don't simply mention their addiction and quickly brush it under the rug. Nope. They bring it out, they dance with it, they expose the naked truth, the rawness and bitterness of everything that comes with having an addiction: relapses, the withdrawls, the cold sweats, the sadness, the incessant fighting to stay afloat, to not drown in their own misery. It's the realest thing you'll ever read. Masturbation, pornography, gigolos, HIV, liver failure, lashing out, passing out cold, attempted rape. Trust me, it's real. It goes deep. And you'll keep on wanting more and more. You'll root for Lily and Loren as if they were your best friends. You'll want them to beat their demons but, most of all, you'll want them to beat them TOGETHER. And what's more, you'll find yourself falling in love with Rose's steel eyes but warm heart, with Connor's inability to be flustered and his smart but annoying ways, with Ryke's harsh but sincere attitude and love for Lo... you'll fall in love with this story. I promise you. 

I have to tell you guys, some parts of the book slayed me. This ain't no sickly sweet fairytale, far from it actually. A certain scene in book 2 involving Jonathan, Lily, Loren and a sparkly object teared me apart. I shall say no more. I don't know why that struck me so deeply and so harshly, but it did. Like Lily says often, "it was like a punch to the gut." It's like these guys can't friggin' catch a break. I feared their relationship would crumble. I could practically smell the trouble in the air and this sort of feeling of sadness had rarely happened to me before. This is when I realized how deeply invested I was in Lily and Lo's story, even if I found myself feeling so much anger towards Lily's actions sometimes. It's tricky, because the writing is so exceptionally good that it makes you feel like you're truly living the story, like you're Ryke or Connor or Rose looking at Lily and Loren and you are actually experiencing the whole thing. It's magical just as much as it's painful, there's kind of no middle ground, it's sensory overload and a roller coaster ride which makes you say "STOP! LET ME GET OFF THIS THING!" a time or two or a million. I seriously lost count of how many times my heart squeezed inside my chest.  

To me, these books were the ultimate experience of connecting with the characters, what I imagine every author wants the reader to go through by reading their books. I imagine every author wants the reader to be so invested in the story that they need the next page like their next breath... and dear Krista and Becca, y'all succeeded with me beyond any expectation. Bravo! For reals. There are so many twists and turns in this book, but I wanted to give an honorable mention to Mr. Ryke Meadows, for being the most unexpected but awesome brother Lo can ever have and wish for, who fought for him as if he was fighting for his own life.

♥♥♥

“Listen to me,” Lo breathes in his ear. “Meeting you was the best thing that’s ever happened to us. I’m sober and Lily’s in recovery. None of that would have been possible if it wasn’t for you.” He shakes Ryke, and a tear slips out of Lo’s eye. “You are the fucking reason I’m with the girl I love; you’re my brother, so don’t you ever feel guilty for what’s happened now. That’s not on you.” He holds up Ryke’s face to look him in the eyes. “Hey, you hear me?” - Loren Hale

♥♥♥

You guys, please, please, please click and buy this series. PUH-LEASE. I can't recommend them enough. It's dark but light, it's ugly but beautiful. It's everything! Wanna know what's awesome? There's so much more coming! In addiction to Addicted to You (book #1), Ricochet (book #1.5) and Addicted for Now (book #2), we have Connor and Rose's story - "Kiss the Sky" -, coming up in January 2014! After that there's Ryke and Daisy's story - "Hothouse Flower" -, in February 2014 and finally, FINALLY, we have the continuation to my loves Lily and Loren's story, "Thrive" (book #2.5) and "Addicted After All" (book #3) coming in the Spring (I think I have teared up a little writing Spring. I mean, why so far away!? Boohoo!) I CAN'T WAIT! I think I've peed my pants a little. Oops. READ. THIS. RIGHT. NOW. Yes. That. Is. An. Order. Ta-ta!

♥♥♥

{ RATING: 5 stars

SEX SCENES: Very steamy

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

AUDIENCES: 18+

HAPPY ENDING: Yes

SEQUEL: Yes }