Review: Rival by Penelope Douglas

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Rival by Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 26th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! Rival was utter perfection! I laughed, I swooned, I gasped, and I fell deeply and madly in love with this book. Rival is a stunning, beautiful, heart-wrenching book that will make fans of Penelope Douglas fall in love all over again with this series after reading it.

Rival was definitely one of my TOP anticipated reads of the year, and it didn’t disappoint. It totally met every one of my high expectations and then some. So for those of you who, like me, fell in love with Jared and Tate’s story and were wondering if Rival will be just as good? I’m here to tell you that it abso-freaking-lutely is. It’s been a while since a book has had me so consumed in its story, but once I started Rival, I literally could not stop reading. I was utterly addicted to each and every page.

There were people I liked and people I didn’t like. People I loved and people I hated.
But there was only one person I loved to hate.

Madoc and Fallon: step-siblings–who hate each other. Basically, the perfect ingredients for one hell of a book.

Two years ago, Fallon was sent away to boarding school. Madoc was left behind, and during those two years, hatred festered over misunderstandings and hurt. But the Madoc we know now? He’s not exactly an angry boy. He’s obnoxious, rude, funny as hell, but not very emotional. But now that Fallon is back, all these emotions are rising up in him–his lust and hate for her–and the chemistry between them is passionate and can’t be denied.

That beautiful girl that hated me, and I hated her, but–goddamn it–I loved how we hated, because it was raw and real. It didn’t make any sense, but yeah–it was real.

I absolutely loved how Penelope Douglas portrayed Madoc and Fallon’s attraction. No matter how much they hate each other, that attraction is always there, and it’s hard and fast and felt very, very real. I could feel the tension between them, how on edge the two of them were. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat, with my heart pounding, just waiting for the tension to explode between them. And besides, love and hate? There’s a very thin line between the two, and Madoc and Fallon cross that line again and again.

Fallon is one hell of a chick. I loved her, admired her, felt for her, hurt for her. She goes through such emotional turmoil from past and present hurts, all the while never giving up that badass persona. She’s tough through and through, but the one person who can get through those walls, the one person who sees her for her, is Madoc. Madoc, the first boy she’s ever been with, the boy who broke her heart, and now the man who fires her up like no other.

“You act like you have no heart, like you just swallow your conscience with all of the pain you cause. But I see through it, Fallon. The truth is, you want me like nobody’s business.” She closed her mouth and swallowed. “You’ve always wanted me. You know why? Because I don’t try to kill your demons. I run with them.”

Madoc and Fallon definitely don’t have an easy path ahead of them. They have so much history that we piece together as it’s slowly revealed throughout the book. Rival almost felt suspenseful, in the way that it was so thrilling and intense to read. There is just so much for Fallon and Madoc to overcome, but there is no doubt that these two can do anything together.

Rival is told in both Madoc and Fallon’s POVs, so we come to understand how both of them feel. We understand where their anger comes from, how their anger is justified. I never even wanted to smack either of them, that’s how much I came to love and understand them. This couple has one of the most gripping and addicting stories, and I applaud Penelope Douglas for creating them, for creating characters that I’ll never forget.

And Jared and Tate fans, don’t despair! These two play a heavy part in Rival, which totally me happy. And holy crapola, JAX! We get to see a little more of Jax, Jared’s brother, and I have to say, I have a feeling I’m going to love Jax even more than Jared or Madoc, which is saying something because I love Jared and Madoc to infinity and beyond. I grew a little obsessed with Jax while reading Rival–I swear, Falling Away cannot get here fast enough!

So, Rival? It’s one of the best books I’ve read all year. I loved every single thing about it. I was up until three in the morning finishing this darn book, but it was so worth it. I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!

Reading Order: Fall Away series

#1 ~ Bully: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Until You: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Rival: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling Away: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Aflame: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

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✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

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9Aug2014

Release Day Review: Tempted by a Rogue Prince by Felicity Heaton

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Tempted by a Rogue Prince by Felicity Heaton
Series: Eternal Mates #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 9th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

An elf prince on the verge of losing himself to the darkness, Vail is maddened by the forty-two centuries he was under the control of a witch and forced to war with his brother. Now, he roams Hell seeking an escape from his terrible past and the heads of all who bear magic. When demons of the Fifth Realm capture him, he sees a chance to end his existence, but when he wakes in a cell to a beautiful female, he finds not death but his only shot at salvation—his true fated mate.

Captured by the enemy of the Third Realm when the war ended, Rosalind has spent months in the cells of the Fifth Realm with her magic bound, forced to heal the new king’s demon warriors, and haunted by the lives she has taken. When she’s brought to heal an unconscious man, she discovers her only hope of escape has come in the form of her worst nightmare and the first part of a prediction that might spell her doom—a devastatingly handsome and dangerous dark elf prince.

Unwilling to fall under the control of anyone ever again, Vail must escape before the Fifth King can use him as a pawn in a deadly game of revenge, but he cannot leave without Rosalind, the woman who looks at him with dark desire in her stunning eyes and awakens a fierce hunger in his heart. A witch who drives him mad with need even as the darkness within whispers she will enslave him too.

Can Rosalind escape her fate as they embark on a journey fraught with danger and resist the temptation of her rogue elf prince? And can Vail overcome the memories that madden him in order to seize his chance for salvation and the heart of his fated female forever?

I absolutely love paranormal romance, and Felicity Heaton is definitely a go-to author for that genre for me. Her stories are so well written and complex (and freaking hot too), and her latest release is no different. Tempted by a Rogue Prince is the third book in the Eternal Mates series, a series I’ve come to love more and more with each book I read. I had high expectations for this book because, hello, it’s VAIL’S book, and Felicity Heaton absolutely did not disappoint! I wholeheartedly LOVED Tempted by a Rogue Prince!

Vail’s book was one of my highly anticipated releases–ever since Vail was introduced in Kissed by a Dark Prince (book 1), I wanted him to have a story, a HEA, so badly. Vail, also known as the Mad Elf Prince, is the brother of Loren (from Kissed by a Dark Prince). Vail had been under the control of an evil witch for 42 centuries, but after the events in Claimed by a Demon King (book 2), he’s free from her control, but broken and devastated by the damage he’s done in those 42 centuries. He holds so much darkness and guilt for the number of people he’d killed under the witch’s control, and he’s one of the most tortured characters I’ve ever read. My heart broke so much for Vail–for his guilt, suffering, and self-loathing. His story is definitely not an easy one, but I was riveted from beginning to end.

In Tempted by a Rogue Prince, Vail wakes up in the cells of the Fifth Realm, and it’s there that he meets Rosalind, a captured witch who has been forced to heal demons. Vail hates her on sight–after experiencing millennia under a witch’s control, he would never allow himself to be subjugated under another one. But Rosalind turns out to be Vail’s ki’ara, his fated female, so Vail is understandably conflicted. A witch ruined his life, so how could he fall for one?

Rosalind was such a great heroine. She was the perfect match for Vail, despite being a witch, or maybe because she is one. She’s tough–she’s had to endure being in the hands of the demons of the Fifth Realm and survive. She has a great heart, and that heart makes her want to help Vail, even knowing he might kill her. She herself holds guilt for killing in the war, even though it was to protect herself and her friends.

Both Rosalind and Vail have good reasons for staying away from each other, but they also have an undeniable chemistry. I was so impressed with the direction Felicity Heaton took their story. Vail needed to be handled firmly but delicately after over 4,000 years of being controlled, and that’s exactly how Rosalind is with him. He’s incredibly vulnerable, yet strong at the same time. I loved how well written Vail’s emotional turmoil is–it made my heart ache to see how he goes back and forth between wanting to kill Rosalind for being a witch and protecting her because she’s his mate. And poor Rosalind, having to deal with Vail. But I loved her for not backing down from him, even though he scared her. Their relationship grew at the perfect pace–so they don’t get hot and heavy quickly. (But when they do, it’s HOT. It’s Felicity Heaton, so what else needs to be said?)

Tempted by a Rogue Prince is an emotional, heart-wrenching roller coaster that fans of the series won’t be disappointed with. Vail and Rosalind’s story has easily become my favorite of the series so far, and it’ll be tough to top them. But since Felicity Heaton does PNR so well (I’m always so impressed with the world-building, the characters, the fight scenes, everything!), I have no doubts I’ll love anything more from this series.

More buy links for Tempted by a Rogue Prince:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon CA • B&N • iBooks • Kobo

Reading Order: Eternal Mates series

#1 ~ Kissed by a Dark Prince: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Claimed by a Demon King: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Tempted by a Rogue Prince: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Hunted by a Jaguar: Goodreads (Jan. 17, 2015)

31Jul2014

Review: Rogue by Katy Evans

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Rogue by Katy Evans
Series: Real #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 29th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

HE SAYS HE’S NO GOOD FOR HER.
SHE HATES THAT HE MIGHT BE RIGHT.

Brook Dumas found Remington Tate in REAL, and now it’s her best friend Melanie’s turn to find the man who makes her heart sing. After years of searching, one night in the rain, the strong and mysterious Greyson King comes to her rescue. He’s bold, and maybe just the lover, friend, and protector she’s been searching for. When they make love, he says her name like it means something. Like she means something–and that’s everything she’s ever wanted.

He disappears for days without a word, and when he’s around, he says he’ll only hurt her. Buy when he’s away, her heart hurts more.

Then Melanie uncovers the dark world he’d been determined to keep hidden, and suspects that their random first meeting might have not been so random after all.

Caught in a free fall of emotions, Melanie has no one to catch her but the man she should be running from. . .

But what do you do when your Prince Charming has gone Rogue?

Oh, my heart… Rogue is absolutely perfect! It’s a stunning, phenomenal read that had me riveted from start to finish. I am so in love with Greyson and Melanie’s story, I can’t even describe how much. Their story took my breath away–everything about this book is intense and raw and so freaking goooood. I went through so many emotions while reading–I was swooning one moment, then heartbroken the next. Katy Evans, you ruined me with this book! I loved it!

“I’m going to give you the fucking of your life, princess.”

Oh. My. God. Please have a fan with you when you read Rogue because it is one smokin’ book! Greyson is one of the hottest alpha-males I’ve ever read–he’s sex on a stick, and the things that come out of his mouth are just… perfect. He has one dirty, dirty mouth, Greyson does. God, I love this man so much!

The book is told through Melanie and Greyson’s alternating POVs, which I found added immensely to the story. We get to know what’s going on in both of their heads, which I was so happy for because I LOVED Greyson’s POV! Not saying I didn’t love Melanie’s either, but Katy Evans is fantastic at writing from a male perspective! Actually, to be honest, I love ALL of Katy’s writing–it’s unique and pulls you in until you can’t stop reading.

FUCK HER PRINCE CHARMING.
She’s getting me.

Melanie is the quintessential girly girl who loves all things feminine. She’s had dreams about finding her Prince Charming since she was a little girl, and she still holds on to the hope that she’ll find him some day. Melanie is such a sweet girl, and I totally connected with her from the start. But even though Melanie is such a happy girl, her quest for Prince Charming does take its toll on her–she sleeps with men, ‘kissing frogs’ hoping they’ll be THE ONE, but she only gets hurt time and again. My heart went out to Melanie, because she’s the kind of girl you wish would never get hurt. I loved her determination to never give up, despite the number of times her heart was broken.

Then one day, she meets Greyson. Greyson, a man who fires her up like no one ever has. She connects with him on a visceral level, and there is an explosive chemistry between them. Their chemistry is hot and powerful, and Katy Evans’s writing is so well done that I could feel it coming off the pages.

Suddenly, every fiber in my body, my sober body, tells me his is the one.
He is the one.
The one who’s going to wreck me. Hurt me. Demolish me. The one who is going to remove every inch of the girl in me. He will be the memory I will never forget, and good or bad, he will be THE one I dream of.

When Melanie and Greyson come together, it’s passionate and beautiful. I was completely immersed in them, in their romance. What was supposed to be only one night between them turns out to be so much more, but what Melanie doesn’t know is that Greyson is keeping a huge secret from her.

Greyson is a bad, bad man. He is known as Zero in the Underground world, and his job is to make sure that the people who owe the Underground pay up. And if they can’t… well, bad things happen. As Zero, Greyson is hard, cold, and unforgiving, but when Melanie falls into his life, nothing is the same.

I have never, ever wanted anything the way I want those green eyes to memorize me the way I’ve made it a religion to memorize her.

I love, looove, and absolutely adore how much Greyson loves his Princess. I never though I’d actually like the endearment Princess, but the way Greyson uses it for Melanie makes me swoon so hard for him. He’s an alpha-male to the max, so he’s protective, possessive and obsessive of Melanie, but in the best way possible. He wants all of her, but there’s no doubt that she has all of him.

“You got me, princess. Jesus! Do you not see what you’re doing to me? You have all of me, Melanie. I’m states away and I feel like half a man, I feel like I’ll tear something apart if I don’t see you soon with my own two eyes…”

Melanie has found her ONE in Greyson, but her Prince Charming isn’t a good man. But these two are meant for each other–there’s an something between them that can’t be ignored, and I was captivated by their story. I loved reading Rogue so, so much. I never expected this level of raw intensity in a book, but I applaud Katy Evans for writing it so well. Rogue is an emotional, heart-racing read that I never wanted to end. It was just perfect.

Reading Order: Real series

#1 ~ Real: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Mine: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Remy: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Rogue: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ripped: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Legend: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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29Jul2014

Release Day Review: Lead by Kylie Scott

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Lead by Kylie Scott
Series: Stage Dive #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 29th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (St. Martin’s Griffin) in exchange for an honest review

Stay up all night with the sexy rockers in Stage Dive, the epic New Adult series from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott, author of Lick and Play.

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it’s booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble.

Lena’s not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

Lord. Have. Mercy.

Jimmy, you kill me.

I can say without a doubt Lead is my absolute favorite of the series. I love Jimmy even more than Mal, which I didn’t know was possible. *Sigh* Jimmy is hotness incarnate and completely owns my heart! I loooooved reading his story so very much. I wish it never ended–I finished this book in a day. I never thought I’d be loving Jimmy this much (he’s not exactly an easy character to like in the previous books) but it took me less than a day to fall in love with him. God I love this man so freaking hard!

If you’ve read the previous book, Play, then you already know who the heroine of Lead is. Lena is Jimmy’s live-in assistant, the one who’s paid to keep an eye on him at all times to make sure he doesn’t relapse since coming out of rehab. I adore Lena. She’s absolutely perfect–she’s fiesty, sassy, a total smartass, and the perfect match for Jimmy. She’s the one who can stand up to him, but also support him in every possible way. She’s absolutely hilarious too!

Dark hair fell over his face and collar, framing the cheekbones of an angel but the jaw of a stubborn child. Every other discernible inch of him appeared to be fully grown male. The way he held his jaw, however … well.
And the man might be pretty, but he sure as hell wasn’t nice. I’d met enough not-nice men to know. Trust me to find him attractive.
So I frowned straight back at him.
His glare went up a notch.
I matched it.

Lena is tough-as-nails, and I loved every single interaction she had with Jimmy. They first and foremost become friends, which is honestly the best way for these two to start their relationship, because Jimmy definitely isn’t ready for something more–yet.

The two of them are together constantly, so it’s only inevitable that they’ll get on each other’s nerves. I love the banter between them, and how it only makes their friendship stronger. They make the best couple ever, even when they aren’t boyfriend/girlfriend. But the absolute best part about their relationship, what made me fall so hard for Jimmy and Lena’s story, is the slow burn romance between them. If you’re looking for something fast and hard, Lead isn’t the book for you. But I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect way for Lena and Jimmy’s romance to develop. The romance took a while to develop, but I felt it was the perfect pace for this couple–and just because it’s slow doesn’t mean it lacks in heat or intensity. Because HOLY HELL Jimmy and Lena set the pages on fire! There is so much chemistry between them that I was totally fanning myself while reading.

“Lie back,” he said. The look in his eyes, the tension, it was hunger for me. Amazing. Tightly leashed by there just the same. I’d never seen such a beautiful sight in all my life.

Oh, Jimmy. Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy. I love this man so much. I think the fact that I didn’t expect to love him made me love him even more. Jimmy is kind of an unlikeable character–mainly, he’s an ass. But he’s an ass you can’t help but love. He’s a tortured soul who thinks he’s unworthy of anything good. He had to protect himself and his younger brother from their deadbeat mother, and he had to recover from his alcoholism and substance abuse. Lena is his only friend–she’s the only one who can get him to open up, to see that does deserve good things in his life.

“It’s like you’re his new drug of choice. Only you’re actually good for him.”

Being in such close proximity with Jimmy, of course Lena starts to develop romantic feelings for him.

I wanted to know him, every last little thing about him. And I wanted him to know me. I wanted to be a real part of his life, not just his employee. To be the person he confided even his darkest thoughts in, the person he trusted.

Lena knows that Jimmy won’t reciprocate her feeling so she tries to ignore them, but they only grow stronger as each day passes. So she tries to quit her job, but Jimmy doesn’t want her to go. Jimmy tries to do whatever it takes to keep Lena in his life, even knowing that she deserves a something better.

The lead-up to a real relationship between these two was so incredible to read because I love the fact that Lena and Jimmy have a solid friendship to back it up with. Their friendship is the solid foundation that makes a relationship between them work. This is what I love most about friends-to-lovers romances, and Kylie Scott wrote the perfect friends-to-lovers romance with Lead–I just couldn’t get enough of Jimmy and Lena!

Fans of the series won’t be disappointed with Lead. It certainly has a different feel than Lick or Play–it’s more serious, and there’s that slow romance–but it still has that angst, humor, and tension that makes a Stage Dive book so perfect. And if you haven’t started reading the Stage Dive series yet, what the heck are you waiting for? It’s one of the best rocker series out there!

5 hearts! Jimmy and Lena are P E R F E C T!!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Oh, and by the way, Jimmy is mine!!! Kylie even gave him to me 😉

Sure. 🙂 RT @laceycatblog: @KylieScottbooks OMG I love you for writing LEAD. Can I PLEASE have Jimmy??? #finishedthisbookinaday

— Kylie Scott (@KylieScottbooks) July 12, 2014

Series Order: Stage Dive series

#1 ~ Lick: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Play: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Lead: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Deep: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

19Jul2014

Review: Thrive by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Thrive by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #2.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 18th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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.

Lily and Lo are BAAAACK!!!

Thrive is yet another fabulous, intense, and thrilling installment in the Addicted series, a series that I’m so utterly and ridiculously in love with. Each book in the series (and the spinoffs) is so exceptionally well written, and I really just can’t get enough of the characters. And Thrive is just as brilliant as the previous books, if not more so. I loved every single part of this book–I could totally gush all day about Thrive! It’s made me fall even more in love with all of the characters (who knew that was even possible?) and left me with such a warm, gooey feeling in my heart. So for all you Addicted series fans, Thrive should not be missed!!

“We’re going to have our happy ending. It just may take us awhile to get there.”

First off, Thrive takes place a little before Kiss the Sky all the way through a little after Hothouse Flower, so for those who haven’t read the spinoffs but plan to, you shouldn’t read Thrive just yet, because it WILL spoil the plots for KTS and HF. And if you’re worried that Thrive will be just a retelling of KTS and HF, let me assure you that it’s NOT! There’s so much new material and nothing felt repetitive.

Thrive is a huge game changer in the series. It’s dense–it’s a fairly big book packed with almost two and a half years worth of stuff that happens in the Addicted series world. But luckily, Krista & Becca Ritchie are ~~superhuman~~ ridiculously talented and managed to make the book perfectly paced and perfectly, well, perfect. We’re back to Lily and Lo’s POVs, which I’ve missed so much. Lily is honestly the most adorable narrator ever–it’s so cute that nearly everything is a sexual innuendo to her. And I love, absolutely loooove, how much stronger Lily grows in Thrive. The two and a half years will test Lily’s strength, but she’ll come out on top. Lo though, is the one who breaks my heart. His voice is blunt and harsh and raw, and my heart was literally aching for him throughout the book. He has so much hatred and self-loathing, I just wanted to tuck him close to me and hug him (which he would definitely not approve of). But Lo does have his strengths, and he too grows into them. Lily and Lo definitely do not have an easy road ahead of them–they have so many challenges ahead of them, but with each other, they can handle anything on their road to recovery.

“How do you know that I’m strong enough?”
“Because you’re better now,” he said, almost convincing me. “And you have me–sober me. I’ll make sure you don’t spiral out of control.” His voice lowered, and his forehead touched mine. “I don’t want to live if you’re not living with me.”

The thing about Lily and Lo, the thing that sets them apart from the others and makes them my favorite couple ever, is the fact that they are committed to each other 100%. Before, they were each others’ enablers, but now, they are each others’ greatest motivators. Lily is recovering from her sex addiction for Lo and Lo is recovering from his alcoholism for Lily, and I honestly think that that’s one of the most beautiful things about their unconventional relationship. They love each other unconditionally and without hesitation and this comes across so clearly in Thrive. I am in love and in awe of their romance that is just so perfectly imperfect.

Very softly, he says, “I wouldn’t be here without you.” It is bigger than an I love you. It is a declaration that solidifies what I’ve known for so long.
We aren’t connected by our addictions.
But by our childhood. Souls fused together from the very, very start.

Thrive is split into three parts, and in each part there are different events (some we have seen, but most we haven’t seen before) that shape Lily and Lo’s progression. There are the high days where we get to laugh with the characters and get warm, fuzzy feelings from how much Lily and Lo, Rose and Connor, and Daisy and Ryke have become so important to each other. You just know how much everyone loves each other, despite how much they make fun of each other. The Addicted series has one of the best cast of characters I’ve ever read–each relationship is distinct and unique, each character is an integral part of the group, and each character is unforgettable. (And I just have to say, I love Lo, but omg CONNOR!!! Connor is fantastic in Thrive!)

But even with all the laughs and giggles, there are still the low, low days where every minute of every day is a struggle for Lo and Lily. This couple has been through so much that it seems like a never-ending battle for them. They have to battle their addictions, battle the media that won’t give them any privacy after Lily’s sex addiction was revealed, and they even have to battle their family and friends. And no, they don’t end up winning all of their battles, but at the end of the day, no matter how much they’ve been tested, no matter how much they’ve been poked and prodded, Lily and Lo still have each other. They will always have each other.

“The world is never going to understand us,” he tells me, his eyes so impassioned that I can’t look away. “But it doesn’t matter, Lil. We have each other, and I get your pain, I understand how badly it hurst, so I need you to block out the other people today, okay? They don’t exist in our world.”

Thrive is one beautifully told story that is both gut-wrenching and heartwarming. You will laugh with the characters, you’ll cry with the characters, and most of all, you’ll fall in love with them all over again. It’s a phenomenal book that had me hooked from start to finish. I’m seriously addicted to this series ;).

Our love is rare. It’s one I can’t abandon, even if I tried. When she screams, an identical one rips through me. When she cries, my world rains with grief. When she loves, I truly, truly fly.
I have never wanted anyone else but Lily.

5 hearts for Lily and Lo! I love them to death!

It’s not necessary to read the spinoffs, but I highly, highly recommend reading them! So here is the complete Addicted series reading order, including the Calloway Sisters spinoff series!

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.1 (Calloway Sisters #1) ~ Kiss the Sky: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.2 (Calloway Sisters #2) ~ Hothouse Flower: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Thrive: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Addicted After All: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.1 (Calloway Sisters #3) ~ Fuel the Fire: My Review •˜ Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 (Calloway Sisters #4) ~ Long Way Down: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 (Calloway Sisters #4.5) ~ Some Kind of Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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