Review: I LOVED EVERY WORD!!!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 30, 2014
EVERYONE SHOULD BE READING THIS SERIES!! The series as a whole stands out as one of the BEST New Adult romances I've ever read and Hothouse Flower had the perfect balance of a hot, sexy romance and a strong, well developed storyline. I adore these characters, I love the writing, and I'm completely ADDICTED to this series.Please note that this book is a part of the Addicted series (the fifth book in sequence) and I strongly recommend reading them in order. It is one continuous storyline that follows three main couples whose lives are all very closely connected and while each book in the series focuses a little more on one couple in particular, each one of the main six characters is an integral part of each book. So in order to get the complete picture and to feel all the feels, it's best to read them in order (see below).Ok... on to the review ;)The story in Hothouse Flower focuses on Ryke Meadows -- a 25 year old Alpha male -- and Daisy Calloway -- an 18 year old wild and fearless girl. When they first met, Daisy was 15 and Ryke was 22... but now it's three years later and Daisy is all grown up! They'd been close throughout those three years but kept the extent of their closeness hidden from their friends and family, afraid that they would misinterpret it for more than the friendship-only basis they were at. The promise of anything between them was totally forbidden for so many reasons but that didn't stop them from wanting more and even though they both knew they should try to move on, neither of them wanted to.Despite being a famous model at a young age, growing up as the youngest Calloway daughter had taken it's toll on Daisy and in an attempt to find her freedom, she headed off Paris alone to work Fashion Week there and hopefully gain back some of her independence. Back home, 25-year-old Ryke knew he should let her go, and continued to push back any feelings he had for her -- knowing the severe backlash they'd receive if they ever allowed a relationship between them to develop. But when he recieved a distress call from Daisy, he dropped everything to go and help the girl who'd always been in his heart.And.... I won't say anything else but that stairwell scene???? *dies* Just WOW!!!!!What I loved so much about Ryke and Daisy's relationship was that despite the fact that they'd never been romantically involved before this point, they'd build a very solid friendship over the past 3 years which really strengthened their bond and made their connection go far deeper than just their mutual attraction.But ho boy, their attraction and chemistry just sizzled!!!! No matter how much they (well, Ryke specifically) tried to keep them "just friends", each of their interactions was so powerfully charged. I mean HOLY SEXUAL TENSION!!!!! I was already fanning myself before they'd ever even kissed!!I've always loved Ryke. He's like the heart and muscle of the Addicted group. He cares so much for everyone and yet acts like he doesn't give a damn. And I loved especially how with Daisy, the depth of his caring for her over the years was even deeper because it came without the expectation of anything ever happening between them. He was a protector by nature and his personality was the perfect counterbalance to Daisy who was such a wild and fearless girl. She lived each day in the moment. She was a risk-taking daredevil -- the kind of girl who wouldn't think twice before leaping off a cliff for fun and Ryke was the kind of guy who'd jump right after her without a second thought. They were just perfect for each other.I was full invested in ever word of the story. Oh, and the last 20% of the book especially was just one big reveal or omigosh moment after another. Like really -- my heart was pounding!!!!!!!! And while there was a wrapped up ending with no cliffhanger, there were also some new developments that beautifully set up the last two books of the series which'll be released in the next few months. I absolutely adore the direction the story is heading in and I can't wait to read more!I also want to mention how refreshing it is that there is literally no "drama for drama's sake" in this entire series. Don't get me wrong, the situations in the book had my heart lodged firmly in my throat on several occasions but each of those situations made perfect sense for the characters and the storyline. I really have so much respect for these authors and the way they have orchestrated and written this series.And another thing I love is that this series has no cheating or love triangles (omg -- the relief!!!!) and once these couples get together, they stay together. It's about the relationship, about strengthening their bonds, about getting through things together. These are the kinds of relationships I most love to read about -- the kind where it's "them against the world" and not "them against each other". This series is literally everything I love most about romance rolled into one fantastically written story.I mean, even though in the beginning of the story, Daisy and Ryke were in denial of their feelings for each other, it made perfect sense for where they were at in their lives. Plus it served to build the sexual tension between them to epic levels so that by the time they came together, it was just explosive!!! And my gosh was it ever HOTTTTT. I mean really. This is about as hot as I've ever seen New Adult romance. Trust me, you will be fanning yourself for pages on end!!... But most of all, I adored that once they were together, they were genuinely together. No craziness, no drama, no stupid fights. Just them making it work no matter what came their way.And finally, I have to mention one more reason I love this series which is that even though the focus of this book was Daisy and Ryke, as with all the previous books in the series, all the main couples were heavily featured -- Lily & Lo, and Rose & Connor are in at least half the scenes of this book. The deeply interconnected network of friends, family, and lovers that this series has is so fantastically done. They all have each other's backs and have built such a strong, unwavering support system for each other. Yes, they bicker and tease but they're always united against an outside threat and are incredible caring and protective of each other. And there's just this brutal honesty and openness between them that is so deeply heartwarming. Each of them has their own special and unique relationship or bond to the other and the dynamics as they all play off each other is just gold!!!! Without a doubt, the Addicted series has one of the strongest, most endearing and well developed ensemble of characters I've ever read.*happy sigh*The Addicted series started strong and it just keeps getting better and better. These characters feel so real to me and I am fully invested in their stories. The writing is fantastic, the romance is hot, the character building is phenomenal, and with each book the story keeps my heart racing from start to finish.If you're a fan of New Adult romance, THIS is a series you should be reading.Rating: 5 stars!!!SERIES READING ORDER:➜ ADDICTED TO YOU➜ RICOCHET➜ ADDICTED FOR NOW➜ KISS THE SKY➜ HOTHOUSE FLOWER