Ricochet (Addicted 1.5) ~ Krista & Becca Ritchie

Ricochet by Krista Ritchie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5+ I Love Lily & Lo Stars!


One of the best things about the Addicted series....besides the fact that it's probably the best written and emotionally fulfilling series out there right now...is the fact that K&B always give us a healthy dose of our favorite characters with each new release. There are no 50 page novellas to fill in the gap between regular books in the series. So, even though this is listed as book 1.5 in the series, it's a full length story. And I for one, couldn't be happier.

Ricochet focuses on Lily as she tries to cope with the absence of Lo, while he battles his alcohol addiction in rehab. Lily is of course, battling her own demons, and is struggling with the idea of staying committed and faithful to Lo while he's away. Which means no sex for 90 days. A tall order for a sex addict who has is without her support system for the very first time.

Going into this book, i was curious how K&B would handle Lily and Lo being apart, because one of the best parts of the first book, Addicted to You was the intense dynamic between them. But, if anything, this book solidified the reader's understanding of LiLo's unbreakable bond. These two people love each other enough to be strong for each other. To battle their demons separately in order to be stronger when they come back together.

This book is really where we start to get to know Rose and Connor....(my personal two favorite characters in the series). On the surface, Rose seems like an Ice Queen, but in reality she is fiercely loyal and devoted to those she loves. The way she loves and supports Lily, and makes it her mission to understand her sister's addiction...without question or judgement...is why Rose will always be the true backbone and hero of this entire series in my opinion. And then we have Connor (whom i will spend a GREAT deal of time drooling over in my reviews of later books in the series). He's an outsider to the group, but even though he appears to be arrogant and self-centered...okay, maybe he IS those things...but underneath it all, he is also fiercely loyal to those he cares about. In Lo, Connor finds his first true friend, and in Rose he finds a partner in crime.



Other reviewers have commented on this, but this book had some of the sexiest scenes that didn't involve two people being in the same room with each other. Let's just say Skype can be your friend.

When Lily and Lo finally do reunite, it is handled in a completely believable and realistic way. Yes, there are awkward moments, which is to be expected when one person has been off in rehab learning a completely new way to live. And yes, Lily does wonder if Lo will want to be with her now that he is on the road to recovery. Will he consider her too damaged, or a risk to his sobriety? Other authors may have decided to pile on the angst...separate the two characters...make them (and the reader) suffer through endless pages of them being miserable apart. But not in K&B's world. They know that they best, really the only, way that both Lily and Lo can hope to succeed in fighting their demons, is by doing so together. And i freaking love that.

I heart and soul of Lily & Lo's story, is their unwavering devotion to each other. And that is one of the many....many....reasons I love this series.

Addicted To You ~ Krista & Becca Ritchie

Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars




This is a perfect example of a how everyone and their uncle recommends a series of books to me, but I keep putting off reading them for various reasons. And then when i finally do pick up the first book and dive into it...i want to kick my own ass for waiting so long.

I honestly don't know what say that hasn't already been said about these books and these incredible authors. Simply put, this is my new favorite series. Period.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when i began the series. Something angst filled and over the top dramatic, maybe? And while there is more than their fair share of both drama and angst here, the Addicted series is just
  SO

much more than that. The world that K&B have created here is just absolutely beautiful. And passionate. And emotional. And so many other adjectives that have probably been used repeatedly by other reviews in a much better way. All i can tell anyone reading this is that this story, and these characters touched me in a way that hasn't happened in far too long.



Lily and Lo are such damaged souls, and both are suffering from addictions that are spiraling out of control (she is addicted to sex, and he is addicted to alcohol). They have been best friends since they were small children, and all they know is each other. While they both come from wealthy, dysfunctional families, their family dynamic differs in that while Lily has 3 loving sisters (who she continually shuts out of her life), the only kind of love and support (co-depented and enabling as it may be) that Lo receives is from Lily. His father is a "functioning" alcoholic and emotionally abusive, and his mother has never been in the picture. Lily and Lo cling to each other like a mutual life support system and while I absolutely adore the devotion the two have for each other...the fact that they shut everyone else out of their lives, can't help but feed into their addictions.



I'm not going to lie. As i got deeper into Lily and Lo's story, it was hard to see them in so much pain, and being so destructive. But, I love the fact that K&B didn't sugarcoat their struggles at all. Did they make mistakes? Hell yeah, and often. Did they push and pull each other to the breaking point and beyond? Absolutely. But in the end, it only served to make their bond even stronger and prove that soul mates really do exist (at least in fiction).

Probably my favorite aspect of this entire series is that  the focus is not just on one or two characters. This series truly is an ensemble piece. While this book is definitely Lily & Lo's story, the series has six main characters and all of them are equally important and fully brought to life.

Probably my favorite scene in the entire book, was the ending. That scene between Lily & Lo....broke my heart in a million pieces, but also filled me with such love and understanding for these characters that have come to feel like living, breathing people to me. It was a beautiful, heartbreaking scene....done impeccably well. And while bittersweet, was the perfect way to end the first chapter of LiLo's story.

As corny as this will probably sound, it's very fitting that this series is called Addicted. Because these books have taken over my life over the last month. I am currently reading (and loving)  Hothouse Flower, and while i keep telling myself i need to try and space out the books to make them last longer, i am finding it impossible to read anything else. I will pick up something else, and find myself thinking about these characters, and wanting to get back into their world. In the space of a couple weeks I have turned into a massively unapologetic K&B fangirl. And i have no plans on looking back now.

Among The Echoes ~ Aly Martinez

Among the Echoes by Aly Martinez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6+++ Stars

Absolutely fantastic.
One of the best books I've read in 2014.

"I'm not some damsel in destress you can swoop off her feet and save, Prince Charming. I'm lost in a world so dark you wouldn't be able to to find the light of day again."


 



I have spent the last couple of days trying to figure out how much...or how little...to say about this story. I am a firm believer in diving into certain books completely blind, and letting it take you on a journey that you're not prepared for. This is definitely one of those books. The less said about the plot, the better. It makes for a much more captivating reading experience IMO.

But, this is a book review after all, so I will do my best to convey how much i enjoyed the book without giving too much away.

This book had me at the first sentence.

I am always up for a dark and twisty tale....and judging by the very first chapter of this book, I was in for a wild ride indeed.

 


This has to be said: The first chapter is dark. About as dark as it gets.
It may stir up some rather intense emotions, and can be hard to read. But, keep in mind that darkness is important to understanding the actions and RE-actions of the characters throughout the book. One character in particular...and the heart and soul of the book (for me at least) . If you can hold on through the first chapter....the rest of the story is SO worth it.

In a nutshell, the story centers around Riley, a woman who has basically lost everything and been forced into the Witness Protection Program. Initially, she is a terrified young woman, completely dependent on the man who has taken it upon himself to protect her. The emotional journey that she takes, and how much she grows as a character is one of my favorite aspects of the book.

There are three main characters, and they all equally important to the overall success of the story. I know that I am not alone in my preference for the 'Bodyguard' character over the actual leading man (Slate is a good guy, but my heart belonged to "Adam" from the beginning. I'm such a sucker for a tortured soul), but the dynamic between all three was perfectly executed by Martinez. It didn't feel forced in any way - and considering the circumstances the characters find themselves in? It would have been easy for that part of the story to feel a bit over the top or contrived. But, it all worked so beautifully. I honestly can't say enough about her skills as a writer.

All of Martinez's books are considered standalones...but this is loosely tied in with her previous two books Changing Course and Stolen Course. As well as her latest release Broken Course.

This was hands down one of the best books I have read in 2014, and i can't wait to see what this author is going to do next,

"Fuck your fairytale. I just want you. I'll make my own God damn happily ever after. But you're the one who is mistaken. You'll be at the end of that story, beautiful. You either come willingly or you force me into the dark after you, It doesn't matter to me, because either way I'll find you."


 

The Submissive ~ Tara Sue Me

The Submissive by Tara Sue Me
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Truly Surprising Stars

Let's just get this out of the way first.

Yes - this started out as Twilight fanfiction. Yes, it has obvious similarities to Fifty Shades. And for some people, those two points would be enough to say far, far away from this book. This series has gotten a bad rap because of the fact that it has gone through very little editing from the original version that was posted online (other than the obvious name changes etc). But, this book surprised the hell out of me. In a very, very good way.

I have been pretty much burned out on the Fifty Shades/Crossfire clones that seem to pop up every week. But I picked this up while browsing in my local bookstore the other day, read the first 4 chapters standing there in the 'Romance' section, and found myself immediately hooked.



The first thing that struck me is that it is very well written. Yes, there are obvious similarities to Fifty Shades present, but the actual writing is actually very well done. There are no run on sentences, or instances of the same phrases used dozens of times. The author managed to take a storyline that has been done to death over the last year, and put a neat little twist on it that, for me, was really addictive and enjoyable.

Yes, the BDSM elements are on the tame side, but Nathaniel states up front that he isn't a sadist (unlike our misbegotten Mr Gray). But, the sex scenes are still hot and...unlike in FSoG, it didn't feel like I was reading the same scene over and over again.



Without giving anything away, i have to mention 'The Twist'. It might not have surprised some people, but it took me off guard, and I thought it was great as surprise endings go. It added another layer to Nathaniel's character that made him much more endearing (in my eyes anyway...but maybe not to some). If I have a complaint, it's over the actual ending...there isn't really one. The story just sort of....stops. That was the one aspect of the book that really reminded me of FSoG...no clear cut ending.

All in all, The Submissive was a surprisingly enjoyable and well done and erotic tale that I couldn't read fast enough. Can't wait to get a glimpse inside Nathaniel's head in The Dominant.