If y'all have followed me for any length of time, you know I adore JA Huss. And if you haven't followed me for that long, well I'm about to give you some reasons to start reading her! ;) Not the least of which is that I'm giving away a signed copy of Tragic!
A little backstory...back in late 2012, I started conversing with JA via her blog, New Adult Addiction. We liked several of the same books and she was fun to talk to. So when she told me she was having a blog tour of her own and asked if I'd participate, I said "Sure!" Now, the books I'd be reading were not what I typically read, so I was a little out of my comfort zone. However, I ended up hosting an entire week of fangirling over JA Huss and Junco!
Fast forward a few months (in 2013), and she was releasing the first book in her Rook & Ronin series, Tragic. Well, I loved it, too! I thought I would share a few reasons why YOU should read this series, as well. So here goes...
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- A Strong Heroine (you'll always get one with JA)
"I was broken, beaten, and scared of pretty much everything. And then it hit me. If I wanted to change my life then I'd have to do it myself. Because no one was coming to protect me, or save me, or heal me. There was just me." -Rook, Tragic
"...a door, still closed and leading to every opportunity imaginable and requiring a leap of faith that the risk is worth it. You are my doorway to endless possibilities and I'm ready to take that risk." -Rook, Panic
- A Hot Hero (or Three!)
"Rook, no one gives a shit what I wear. They want me naked and if I'm not naked, then I'm just there to make you look good until we do get naked." -Ronin, Tragic
"Ronin challenges Rook to want a future - one with him. He challenges her to believe in herself, to believe in love and to believe she deserves it. Ford challenges Rook to stretch herself, to push past her boundaries, to reach and fulfill her potential. And Spencer, he provides Rook with the comfort and security of a big brother." -From my review of Panic
- Lots of Swoon
"I could describe what you look like, but that's not what I see. You are so much more than a body inside a dress Rook. You fit me." -Ronin, Tragic
"Miss Corvus, I am so far beyond in love with you, I can barely function. I want to marry you. Like yesterday. But I know that's not gonna happen just yet, so I just want you to know, I can wait. I will wait." -Ronin, Panic
"Well it's not really a mystery. It was the day I met you, that's when. You've changed me, Rook. You make me weak, you make me stumble, you make me fall, and even though I know you'll pick me up if I ask you to, it's not enough. I want you to make me stronger, just like I made you. I want it all or I want nothing. And since I can't have it all, I'll take nothing." -Ford, Panic
"But I'm desperate for more from her. I'm desperate for something more permanent. And I do understand that it's totally selfish of me to expect her to give up her dream to make me happy, so that's something I'd never ask her to do. But it eats away at me. Her lack of permanence. It's like she's fleeting, like she's a moment. Something that comes and goes. I want marriage, I want kids, I want everything I never had as a child, and I want it desperately. But I want her more. I will wait, that was not a lie. I'll wait forever if I have to." -Ronin, Panic
- A Sprinkle of Humor
"So, tell me, Ford--is that a family name? Or did your parents just like trucks?" -Rook, Manic
"How did I get here? We're Three's Company. Spencer is airhead Chrissy, Ford is intellectual Janet, and I'm pretending to be gay so I don't notice that you two are roommate eye-candy." -Rook, Panic
- Loads of Steamy
I am desperate to get him inside me, but he's slow now. "I might not be able to make many guarantees in this world, Rook," he says as his hand travels down and traces the crease between my legs. "But I will say with one hundred percent certainty that you will come tonight." Rook & Ronin, Panic
- A Little Mystery
"And it might be sitting in non-traceable off-shore bank accounts. Because we might've stolen all his money while we were at it. Serves him right since the only reason he got caught is because he tried to steal yours. Paybacks are always a bitch."
- Twists & Turns That Screw with Your Mind
"In Manic, Ms. Huss works some magic...keeping her readers even more involved and interested in Rook and Ronin's story through the reveal of some major revelations. We knew Rook's past was not a pretty one, but we learn even more about the extent to which she suffered. And then there's the shock of the sordid (look Ford, I'm smart, too!) past between Ronin, Spencer, and Ford. And then there was the panic attack inducing, pulse pounding bombshell part of the book. Yeah, I can't tell y'all about that. ;)" - From my review of Manic
- Writing That Makes You Think
"I like the contradictions of the story - the juxtaposition of the ugliness of Rook's life with the glamour of modeling. The glamour of modeling against the ugliness behind the scenes. That Rook has come to believe that no one will save her but herself yet the kindness shown to her by Ronin and Elise (and Antoine to an extent) essentially do just that. Rook and Ronin and somewhat contradictory as well - she with nothing, he with everything, but both missing something." -From my review of Tragic
"I enjoyed the culmination of Rook's journey towards forgiveness, love, wholeness. Because even though they're an 'us', this story is more Rook's story than Ronin's. Ronin is the catalyst for Rook's growth and therefore an integral part of Rook's story, but it's Rook's. And as the events of Rook's past are revealed, I admired her all the more." -From my review of Panic
So are you convinced yet? I certainly hope you are! And to tempt you even further, you can enter the giveaway for a signed copy of Tragic! Sorry! This giveaway is U.S. only. If you're International, don't despair! Just let me know in the comments and I'll put y'all into a drawing (using random.org) for Tragic in ebook format.
