Posts Tagged: New Adult

Monday, December 30, 2013

Review: Tragic by J.A. Huss

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Review: Tragic by J.A. HussTragic by J.A. Huss
Series: Rook and Ronin #1
Published by Science Future Press on May 20th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

-This novel was listened to via audiobook-

What a refreshing story. Even though it may have a lot of the same general elements as many New Adult novels – a protagonist with a rough upbringing who’s inexperienced in romance and meets this drop dead gorgeous guy that sweeps her off her feet – I found this one still had a lot of originality to offer. The whole erotic photography scene is new and pretty fascinating if you ask me. As a web designer, I admit to never thinking about the people on the stock images that I’ve worked with. Even those used on book covers; do you ever consider the kind of people they are and the kind of life they lead? They’re just book character personas to most of us. In Tragic, this is the job that Rook literally stumbles in without having any idea what she’s getting herself into, but desperately needing work and money.

I took to Rook immediately. She’s the kind of person who does what needs to be done, but stays smart about it. I like how real she is; confident, bold, with an obvious harsh past, but not overly cold or depressed as a result. She’s scarred from her last relationship, sure, but she’s also wanting to move on, not be controlled by it. She’s not perfect by any means, she jumps to conclusions sometimes and gets a little difficult towards the end, but it’s easy to see where she’s coming from. I don’t easily trust people either so I could relate.

Rook and Ronin make up the dual POV narration of this novel. Ronin is… well I wasn’t sure what to make of him at first. He kind of comes on strong. I mean the guy just barges into her apartment, and of course she’s sleeping naked. It didn’t take too long for me to see the good side of him, though. He’s very charming which helped, but he also obviously cares about the modeling girls and he sees Rook for who she really is. I especially loved the creativity of the the hot scenes between these two. Being set in an erotic photography studio gave a lot for opportunity for some unique, incredibly sexy scenes, while still keeping it realistic in a modeling standpoint. Their attraction was obvious from the start, making it all the more natural, all the more passionate. Their relationship does grow at a fast pace, but it’s well supported with off-the-wall chemistry that just flows off the pages. There is a lack of conflict that’s kind of bittersweet. On the one hand it’s refreshing to not have intense drama, but on the other, there is no intense drama. Am I difficult to please? 🙂

This book does feel like an introduction – to the characters, the romance, the modeling/photography scene. Even the ending is more of a “to be continued”, where their relationship, Rook’s future, and everything else is left uncertain. I do like the idea of the next project Rook signed up for, though. I also already like Spencer and curious to learn more about him. This book is definitely very character oriented and very sexy, but it doesn’t use sex to keep the story going. Actually this novel is very minimalist when it comes to sex scenes compared to other New Adult novels. By the reviews I’ve seen, this is just the beginning of a epic series to come!

A note on the audiobook: I loved that it had two narrators and both are fantastic. Ronin has an especially sexy voice that made his character even hotter. I would definitely recommend that format if you’re into audiobooks. Too bad that only book 1 is available so far, though.

four-stars

4 Hot Espressos

Forged by Fate: Guest Post + Giveaway!

Forged by Fate: Guest Post + Giveaway!

Posted by on 12/12/2013 • 8 Comments

Having read and really enjoyed a novel by this author under a mysterious other name (Oh I’m on to her!) I’m happy to have Reese Monroe on the blog today to talk about her newest book, Forged by Fate, which has just released this week through Entangled. Let’s have a look at what it’s all about and then we’ll give the blog floor to her!

Guest Post by Reese Monroe

Favorite Part of Writing Forged by Fate

I really enjoyed writing Forged by Fate, mostly because I love the characters so much. It’s difficult to pick a favorite part of the story, but I’m going to have to say I loved writing Sadie. This part in particular:

“I feel your turmoil.” He leaned down, so…

Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Posted by on 11/22/2013 • 20 Comments

I was a big fan of Obsidian when I read it way back, but this was my first foray into Armentrout’s more adult works as J.Lynn, and wowza! If you thought Obsidian was full of chemistry and sexual tension you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Before there can be great chemistry, we have to have great characters; J.Lynn delivers! When we meet Avery we know that something pretty terrible has happened. Among other signs, she’s cut herself off from her past, including her family, but we don’t know exactly what or what it all entails for a while. Albeit it’s not incredibly hard to guess most of it, it still makes her a bit of a mysterious tragedy which I always enjoy in character arcs. I immediately liked her, too. She’s…

Review: Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Review: Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Posted by on 07/16/2013 • 25 Comments

What could be better than a Scottish guy who makes mean waffles? (hint: nothing!)

Catching Liam has everything I look for in a contemporary: well developed, realistic, and likeable characters, a romance that takes your breath away, friendship dynamics that bring tears to your eyes, and a few rough patches to give the story a bit of an edge.

Even though this book does remain a lighthearted read, it still grabs at your emotions, especially when it involves Jillian’s condition. Jillian has been dealt a rough hand where she’s dealing with a medical diagnosis with which she hasn’t come to terms, yet. Not only does this add depth to the story and its characters, it reminds us to live life to the fullest. It’s an illness that, for no specific…

Review: Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Review: Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Posted by on 07/09/2013 • 25 Comments

JL Bryan has always impressed me with the level of originality and excitement he works into his novels (big fan of Jenny Pox), and I was yet again taken aback, this time by a time-travel dystopian that is full of thrills and has a kick-ass heroine to boot!

Time-travel dystopian! When I saw those words together my mind kind of flipped, making me unsure of what to expect. For one, time-travel is nothing to play around with if you’re not fully committed to deliver. I have a low level of patience for ignored time loops and paradoxes, and while I’m still wrapping my head around the details of JL’s take on it with Nomads and the universe taking care of itself, it’s one of very few time-travel plots that I…

Review + Playlist: This Love by Nazarea Andrews

Review + Playlist: This Love by Nazarea Andrews

Posted by on 07/04/2013 • 18 Comments

Perfectly timed for summer, the This Love blog tour is dropping by today. This is a great summer romance for New Adult fans. Why don’t you have a look at my review, and then you can check out the playlist for the book to put you in the mood! 🙂

A perfect for summer read, This Love is a forbidden love story involving a student and a professor that you know is doomed before it begins, yet you keep hoping, denying the fact that the end of their crazy, sexy summer is coming.

The beginning of this book was a little rough for me and left me uncertain as to if I would enjoy it. The story is told through a dual POV that switches quite often and…

Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Posted by on 06/13/2013 • 26 Comments

Am I maybe getting tired of New Adult a bit? Although I don’t feel I’ve read that many, I did read the top of the crop first. Ten Tiny Breaths was far from a bad book, I just can’t say it’s one of my favorites. The main – and really only – problem was that I got bored with the storyline that seemed to go nowhere for a while.

One thing to note in this New Adult novel is how the setting is not at college – or at any school – like most. Kacey is skipping college to be able to take care of her little sister after her parents died in a car accident. I found this gave a fresh standpoint; Kacey needs to become completely independent,…

Review + Giveaway: The Trouble With Goodbye by Sarra Cannon

Posted by on 06/07/2013 • 25 Comments

The Trouble With GoodbyeSarra Cannon Genre: NA Contemporary Publication date: May 21st 2013

One night can change everything…

Two years ago, Leigh Anne Davis shocked everyone in tiny Fairhope, Georgia when she broke up with her wealthy boyfriend to attend an Ivy League university a thousand miles away. At school, she finds a happiness and independence she’s never known.

Until one terrifying night takes it all away from her.

With no place else to go, Leigh Anne heads home to reclaim her old life. A life she worked so hard to escape. On the outside, she seems like the same girl everyone has always known. But deep inside, she’s hiding a terrible secret.

That’s when she meets Knox Warner, a troubled newcomer to Fairhope. His eyes…