Review // Tragic, Manic & Panic by JA Huss

She's a blackbird sitting in a tree staring out at the world, daring the wind to come and knock her off the swaying bough.

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Tragic by JA Huss

Rook & Ronin #1
Genre - New Adult Contemporary Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 280 pages

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.

MY REVIEW ~ 4 stars

In Tragic we meet Rook and Ronin. Rook’s a damaged girl who is more bent than broken. Running from a tragic past, she finds new hope and new beginnings with a new family. Elise is the mama bear who recognizes Rook’s pain and takes her in under her wing. Antoine is the papa bear who recognizes Rook’s beauty and offers her a chance to come out of her shell. And Ronin… well he’s the guy who’s all heart. The guy who gets her to try again. The guy who makes her feel warm, and good, and safe. The guy who makes her smile.

Based on first impressions, I decided to hold judgment on Rook. I felt like there was a lot more to her than had been revealed already. So when I get that story, I'll have my say. So far, it's Ronin who's making me keep reading. He's just so darned sweet!

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Manic by JA Huss

Rook & Ronin #2
Genre - New Adult Contemporary Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 300 pages

TRAGIC is over and Rook is ready for the future—Spencer Shrike and the STURGIS contract!

It’s three months of body art modeling! That means three months of Spencer Shrike’s paintbrush all over her body, three months in front of Antoine’s camera, and three months of twenty-four-hour filming for Spencer’s Biker Channel reality show.

Wait a minute… what reality show? Maybe she should’ve read that STURGIS contract a little closer? ;)

Sure, Rook’s bank account is overflowing, but Ronin is angry, Clare is trying to escape rehab, Antoine is a worried mess, and Elise is just trying to hold everyone together. Rook’s new family is about to fall apart before she even gets the chance to enjoy it.

Add in a mysterious man from her past, a road trip to the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and a final show in front of the entire world where all her goods are on display, and you’ve got Manic.

MY REVIEW ~ 4 stars

Manic is where all the magic happens. Spencer and Ford are both Ronin’s worst enemies… and his best friends. While Spencer is a master at body art, capturing Rook in such stunning and beautiful masterpieces, Ford is the man behind the camera. He captures all of Rook’s vulnerabilities and her strengths. And Ronin… he’s the magic, baby. He makes everything alright. And while I could have done without the back and forth between Rook and Ronin in this book, her constant doubts and push and pull, I guess it was necessary. She’s young, and despite how the author tries to capture her in ways to make her appear older, with the experience of a more mature individual, she’s still very young. Anyway, everyone helps Rook confront her recent past and it was wrapped up pretty quickly. I’m wondering if there will be any fallout in the book to come.

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Panic by JA Huss

Rook & Ronin #3
Genre - New Adult Contemporary Romance
POV - Dual 1st person (primarily)
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 312 pages

Rook is chasing her dream—film school and a chance at a life beyond the one she ran from six months ago. But before she can become the girl she wants to be, she must deal with the girl she left behind.

Ronin is also chasing his dream—a family of his own and a life away from erotic modeling. And he too, has a past he’s trying to forget. A past that makes Rook question everything about their life together.

Lies, secrets, and shocking truths will rock the foundation Rook and Ronin have built. Can they put the past behind them and move forward together? Or is this just another too good to be true relationship that will crash and burn in the end?

MY REVIEW ~ 4 stars

While I was really sick of Rook's back and forth, push and pull, immature thoughts, and just about everything else about her, by the end, I was her friend. She finally stood up for herself and for her person. Ronin finally got the woman he deserved. I only wish there was more to the story. The end felt very unfinished, but knowing there are other books (spinoffs), I'm looking forward to getting some closure.

I love Spencer and wouldn't mind reading more about him and Ford... that man's mind... I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to get a peek inside.