Hothouse Flower: Calloway Sisters, Book 2

Have you ever gone highlighter-happy on your Kindle? Yes? *high five* If you've read any of the Addicted books by Krista & Becca Ritchie, your answer is probably somewhere on a scale of “Duh, obviously” to “Yup, the whole damn book”. There were chapters in this latest novel, Hothouse Flower, where I nearly highlighted the entire thing, a rainbow of blue, pink, and yellow. (Daisy would've loved it...) And yes, I color code my quotes. (Rose Cobalt would approve.) I'm just so completely awestruck by these authors' originality and storytelling. I could print my favorite quotes...no, *passages*...on posters, frame them, and hang each one on every wall in my house. Like this, for example:Her eyes lock on me, and she whispers, "Big bad wolf, are you going to eat me?"You're a dirty girl, Calloway. My gaze drops to her mouth. "Until you f---ing scream."Oh, whoops, too much?! *squeals then covers mouth* Okay, maybe not that one. My house guests might go bug-eyed, and I'd probably be reduced to a hot mess every time I passed it in a hallway and remembered *that* scene.So, *what is it* about Hothouse Flower that has thrown me into a complete, unabashed book-hangover?? Aside from Daisy and Ryke themselves, there were three things about this story that locked me in and refused to let go until the ride was over: adventure, love, and healing.#1: Adventure. Daisy and Ryke's voices were so much fun to read. Ryke Meadows is full of snark and f-bombs, but he doesn't care what anybody thinks or says about him. This guy has the motorcycle, likes to run, and climbs mountains. And what about Daisy? Daisy is my favorite Calloway sister. *Yeah, I said it!* Not because we share a birthday or anything...or because I'm a baker and she's obsessed with chocolate cake...I love Daisy for her youthful curiosity and her exuberance. There's a whimsicality to her character, the daredevil with quirks. If I could, I would go shopping for the craziest t-shirts, explore a foreign country, and jump in for a midnight swim with this girl!Considering how these authors like to keep their readers on their toes, though, the crazy twists and gut-wrenching spins were a given! Hothouse Flower taps into your inner wanderlust and takes you all over the place, from Philly to Paris to California. Oh, and *that* trip is one you'll want to take over...and over...and over again. You won't be able to think of road trips, or camping, or…cornfields on the side of the highway...the same way. Ever. *grinning and blushing to the max*The Six Musketeers reunite, too. The bromantic banter between Ryke, Lo, and Connor alone was A+ quality because I giggle-snorted way too much. (The irony of wanting to use the expression, "I would give these guys their own reality show"...) When this group is together, the dialogue is just so clever and fluid. No offense real-life friends, but I want my own Connor Cobalt. And Loren Hale. And Ry- okay, you get my point.Since I'm not opposed to sacrificing sleep and human contact in the name of book love, this book was the bring-my-Kindle-wherever-I-go-whatever-I-do kind. I didn't want the adventure to end! Because there are few things more adventurous than a *forbidden romance*, and my heart was on fire for Ryke and Daisy.Ryke is 25 years old. Daisy is only 18. Daisy is also Ryke's little brother's girlfriend's little sister. Daisy's mother *also* can't stand Ryke...Do you see why "complicated" and "angsty angst" would be understatements here? Yet, it's all of that build-up that makes this forbidden romance *so* *damn* *good*. This relationship is 3 books and a few story-years in the making! We all got to watch their friendship grow into something deep and strong. By this point, they know each other so well. From the way Ryke protects and takes care of Daisy to all of the teasing, mischievous back-and-forth, I lost count of all the cute little moments. Finally, in Hothouse Flower, their chemistry lights up and burns the pages, leaving *Holy craps* and *Wows* in its wake. FI-NA-LLY. I'm talking about scenes that I had to slow motion read, *go back*, and read 'em again. *For emphasis.*Along with the adventure and the romance, though, there's a beautiful story of healing. Daisy has her own demons hidden underneath her bright, playful exterior, and Ryke is avoiding dealing with a painful past. I loved how they were together. Ryke was her unfaltering safe zone, and Daisy was the light to his dark. The way they get through that journey, with the help of their little family in Lily, Lo, Rose, and Connor, is so perfectly crafted by authors Krista and Becca. I loved being there for every excruciating and exquisite moment. Past all of the humor and smart-ass banter, there is a deeper connection between all of them. There were times when I was legitimately misty-eyed over these characters!I was all-in for Ryke and Daisy's story, and when I finished reading Hothouse Flower, I was out of my mind with how amazing the book was. Incoherent. Unable to put non-corny sentences together. 5 stars for Daisy, 5 stars for Ryke, 5 stars for adventure...No...I give *the whole sun* to Hothouse Flower. Please accept my offering, Krista and Becca, and write another book for Ryke and Daisy. I heard somewhere that Daisy Calloway is powered by the sun. ;)

"...he’s the kind of guy who wants to slay all those monsters for me. Too bad he can’t get to the ones in my head. Even if he tries."ok off the bat, i will just say i am still not a fan of the age gap we worked with. i think i wouldn't care if ryke hadn't really thought much of daisy before. like give me a "oh wow, one day she grew up and i just realized she's a woman but i can't reckon with it" trope. that being said, i chose to roll with it for the story's sake.this was good ptsd rep and i think a lot of what daisy goes through is what a lot of young celebs or people close to celebrity have to suffer as a sort of collateral damage to fame. i do love how much ryke is there for her and cares for her, he really does do a lot for the people he loves.“But if I crash,” she says, slinging her leg over the seat. “I’d rather crash with you.”the moment where daisy is thinking about how mad she is that lily is a famous sex addict and how much it has affected her life and how much it's hurt her... it just felt like one of the most real moments in daisy's head where she had some real AGENCY where she wasn't a victim and wasn't just pretending to be daredevil penny lane. it was raw and imperfect and human and i felt like it was a place she could work from to stand on her own two feet finally.i think i would have really loved this had daisy been aged up to 21/22 instead of just turned 18, but beyond that i wouldn't change anything else. something i'd like to see in daisy and ryke's next book is maybe her finding what her real passion is."She’s the sun. I’m the dark. If she’s gone, I can kiss that light away. Without her, I know I’ll never see it again."

Let me start by admitting that I did not heed the suggestion to start at the beginning of the series or even with the book before. That being said, I had no problem following the story or the characters (I did read the description on the previous book to know what went down so that might have helped).Hothouse Flower (title explained towards the end of the book) is over 400 pages, and some have commented that it’s a long book. Personally I don’t think that’s a long book; I think that’s how books should be and a lot used to be. There are far too many wannabe writers out there trying to make money by spinning short books for the buck. This is not one of them. There are also some longer books out there that are simply full of repetition and need a good editor. This is most definitely not one of them either. It’s clear the authors put their time and effort into this story that is well written, well developed (both plot and characterization) as well as free of grammatical errors.The story has a great balance of adventure plot (loved the road trip) and couple time (some very hot and creative love scenes that fit the pair well). The dialogue and inner monologues are also well balanced and flow well.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 make 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.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.Ryke is the guy you want in your corner. He is fiercely loyal and well…pretty hot. I loved how he handled Daisy’s ADD personality. Ryke is deep and complex. He has boundaries, yet he cares and doesn’t care what people think about him at the same time. Daisy is adorable. She is a unique mix of innocence and experience that fit her age and lifestyle. I loved her free spirit and banter/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. Frankly, I’m not sure I could get into reading the other stories if Daisy and Ryke aren’t the main characters. The rest worked great as supporting characters, but I couldn’t relate with any of them enough to get into their own stories. I’d love to see more of Ryke and Daisy and their adventures.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—perhaps a second book (set a few years down the road) with a mix of both (hint, hint to the authors!)

It took me some time to REALLY connect with Lily and Lo and Connor and Rose. But Daisy and Ryke?? Their story won my heart instantly. They are now my favorite couple in the whole series and I love this book so so much. It had a great character development for EVERYONE which I loved the most. The spice was spicing, the emotions were emotioning...ah everything about this book was so good.

Autoras maravilhosas, personagens maravilhosos, plots intrigantes, casais sensacionais. simplesmente amei!! O livro faz parte da série addicted/calloway sister. Recomendo muito para pessoas que gostam de NA e de romance <3

I loved the story of Ryke and Daisy. They are realistic interesting characters. I really wanted them to be together. Ryke is so protective of Daisy and I hated Lo for not seeing how serious Ryke was.Far better than Rose and Connor’s point of view in my opinion !

Bisher standen Rike und Daisy eher im Hintergrund, doch in diesem Band bekommen sie, nachdem unterschwellig schon lange Funken sprühten, ihre eigene Geschichte.Und was für eine! Die Anziehung zwischen Rike und Daisy ist regelrecht spürbar und dennoch wehren sie sich dagegen.Wir lernen die beiden von einer weniger unbesorgten Seite kennen, hat Daisy doch ein schweres Trauma, das mit dem Medienrummel um ihre Familie kam. Und auch in Rikes Familie geht es hoch herm, steht sein Vater, den er aus tiefstem Herzen verabscheut, im Kreuzfeuer der Regenbogenpresse.Doch natürlich geht es auch um Lilly und Lo und auch um Rose und Connor.War der Anfang des Buches wirklich aufregend, dachte ich in der Mitte, dass sich die Ritchie Schwestern beim Schreiben dieses mal ein wenig in Klischees verloren haben könnten - was war ich für ein Narr. Natürlich zerbrechen sie die rosarote Blümchenatmosphäre sofort wieder - mit einem Vorschlaghammer. An manchen Stellen war es so spannend, dass ich mich kaum getraut habe zu atmen.Und auch, wenn Lilly udn Lo weiterhin mein Lieblingspärchen aus dieser Reihe sind, wurde ich richtig gut unterhalten. Der Schreibstil, die unkonventionelle Erzählweise und das Gefühl, jedes mal wieder zu alten Freunden zurückzukehren. Das ist es, was diese Bücher so toll macht. Und ich kann es kaum erwarten, das nächste zu lesen. Wer New Adult mag, wird die Calloway Sisters lieben.