Next week I’ll be kicking off a new theme of book reviews. Till then I’m sharing a few of my
favorite reads this year, ones that I’m anxiously awaiting the sequels to! If
you haven't read the titles I’m featuring today and tomorrow, then make weekend plans with these amazing books…
Hothouse Flower (Callaway Sisters) by Krista and Becca Ritchie
5 Stars
Sex addict, Alcoholic, Virgin, Smartass, Jackass,
Daredevil, and Rebel…Wait! Rebel isn't one of the character stereotypes;
that’s this reviewer!
Yes, I’m the rebel. At least during this particular reading
and review. Browsing books on Amazon one afternoon I came across Hothouse Flower. I
was totally unfamiliar with the series but it sounded interesting so I downloaded
the sample and ignored all the warnings and recommendations to read the
previous books. To be fair, I did read the synopsis for Kiss the Sky,
which filled in a few gaps. Something just attracted
me to Ryke and Daisy’s story, and so I went against the rules and conventions,
bought the full title and jumped into the series at this juncture. But I
suppose if your going to be a rebel when reading this series, this book would
be the one to do it with as Ryke and Daisy are a bit rebels themselves, often
going against the wishes of their family and society, whether it has to do with
their careers, their appearances, or their love for one another. But I’m
getting ahead of the plot.
Hothouse Flower (title explained towards the end of
the book) follows Ryke Meadows and Daisy Calloway. As background, if you
are coming into this series for the first time like I was, previous books have
dealt with Ryke’s brother Lo, who battles an alcohol addiction, and Daisey’s
sister Lily, who battles a sex addiction. Both families are famous. Ryke and Lo’s
father is a baby product mogul and the Callaway girls’ father is the soda
king. In the previous book, Daisy’s
other sister Rose had her life filmed for a reality show, thrusting them all
further into the spotlight. Plagued by the paparazzi, Daisy suffers a sleep
disorder.
Daisy is an eighteen year old model. Ryke is a twenty-five
year old athlete/rock climber. The idea of them pairing up has been frowned
upon until now because of her age and their close family connections. Despite
all that, Daisy and Ryke exhibit a strong sexual attraction (oh man do they
ever) and an intense closeness and respect for each other.
Ryke is the guy you want in your corner. He is fiercely
loyal and well…pretty hot. He knows how to handle Daisy’s ADD personality, and
possibly loves her a little more for it. Ryke is deep and complex. He has
boundaries, yet he cares and doesn't care what people think about him at the
same time.
“He’s the hero of my story, but he refused to claim any of those moments…” –Daisy
Daisy is adorable. She is a unique mix of innocence and
experience that fits her age and lifestyle.
She has a free spirit and holds her own bantering/flirting with Ryke
from the very beginning. I felt bad for Daisy the way her older sisters
excluded her at times (whether intentional or not), and at how she had to
suffer because of their mistakes and poor choices.
Ryke and Daisy are perfectly flawed—as in their flaws make
them endearing and who they are, not annoying characters. They are definitely
ones to root for, and I’m glad they faced their problems and their families
together. They trusted in what they knew about each other and believed in each
other. They didn't let circumstances stand in their way. I wish more writers
would develop couples that do this. That
is not to say the book didn't have drama, but it was a well developed and well
balanced drama that fit the storyline and did not feel over the top.
Told from Ryke and Daisy’s alternating 1st Person
POV, the story perfectly balances adventure plot (road trip!!!) and couple time
(some very hot and creative love scenes that fit the pair well) as part of the
gang flies to Daisy’s “rescue” in Paris and then later all of the gang treks
across the country for Ryke’s big rock climb.
The dialogue and inner monologues are also well balanced and flow well
as the story unfolds.
There is no insta-love or insta-lust. Even having not read
the previous books that Ryke and Daisy appeared in, I could feel their history
and their strong feelings for each other. Their personalities made it
completely believable that they would be attracted to and fall in love with
each other. Plus, there was so much
sexual tension long before they ever even kissed.
“I wonder if that’s us. Soft to his hard. Sweet to his rough. Wild to his stone.” –Daisy
Daisy and Ryke compliment each other so perfectly, and their
story captures all the elements of being young and free. I was continually torn
between wanting to see them have their own little “crazy babies” or let their
free spirits adventure longer.
Long Way Down (the next book from Daisy and Ryke's POV) is on my Want To Read list. Add it to yours at Goodreads.
Check out Hothouse Flower at the following:
Barnes & Noble
If you are not a rebel and prefer to read the series in order, you can find all the details on previous and future books at Krista and Becca Ritchie's site. Their latest title Thrive is now available!
If you are not a rebel and prefer to read the series in order, you can find all the details on previous and future books at Krista and Becca Ritchie's site. Their latest title Thrive is now available!
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