Blog Tour: Manic by J.A. Huss ~ ARC Review & Giveaway

I have the blog tour for Manic by J.A. Huss, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours, on the blog today and I am squeelng with excitement to share it with you. I LOVE this series and I have a review, plus some awesome photo quotes and a giveaway to share!

To follow the rest of the tour, click on the tour banner above.

Manic

Rook & Ronin #2

Author: J.A. Huss

Publisher: Science Future Press

Publication Date: August 1, 2013

Genre: New Adult

~Synopsis~

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 almost 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. Her new family is about to fall apart before she even gets the chance to enjoy them.

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 good are on display, and you’ve got Manic—a new adult contemporary romance that will definitely make your summer sizzle!

~Prelude~

I LOVED Tragic so when I saw the tour sign up for Manic, I was on it. I absolutely couldn’t wait for the continuation of Rook & Ronin’s story. I love the unique world of erotic modeling that J.A. sets this story in and it is even better in the second installment. This review may contain small spoilers for Tragic.

~Review~

Manic picks up where Tragic left off, with Rook getting ready to start the Sturgis campaign with spencer. She is regretting she ever signed that contract and it has definitely caused some tension between here and Ronin. Not surprising since it requires her to be completely naked and allow Spencer to paint her body for the shoots. On top of that, there is a new guy in town trying to drive a wedge between Rook  & Ronin and her past comes back with a vengeance.

“I’m pretty sure my relationship with Ronin is over. Because no man, I don’t care what kind of Catholic saint he is, would ever put up with this arrangement.”

I love Rook! She is super strong and she knows how to take care of herself. She has been through some rough times in her past that would normally make a woman weak and submissive but she doesn’t allow it to control her life. She hates having to do this shoot and being naked in front of all the guys and the cameras but she sucks it up and handles it like a champ. She’s got a saucy attitude and she isn’t afraid to use it with the guys. However, she is still fragile and insecure and Ronin seems to be clueless while Ford definitely plays off of it.

“If this is my end, I’d rather just go out fighting like a ballsy street bitch and not whimper and fade away like some pathetic loser.”

I like Ronin, I always have. He is a good guy to Rook and he knows her past and wants to protect her and shield her. However, I feel like sometimes he is a little to possessive and over-bearing. He can be a little insensitive to Rook’s feelings and he always thinks he knows what’s best for her. That’s what got them in the Sturgis contract mess in the first place. I do love that he would do anything for her and he does do some amazing things to prove his love for her.

“And while the heady, lustful passionate shoots are fun and say I want to jump your bones right now, this one is soft and sexy in a very tender way that says I want you to be a part of my life forever.”

I think Spencer is really freaking awesome and I love him. He is so laid back and fun. He likes and respects Rook. He sees something in her and he knows she is perfect for the Sturgis gig. He is a fantastic artist and he really makes Rook feel comfortable with the nudity. Ford is new and I had mixed feelings about him. He was a total dick but I kind of liked him. The more we got to know him, the more I liked him. However, I am still skeptical of his motives and even though it seemed he put them aside towards the end, I’m not convinced.

“Ford is either an evil genius for reminding Rook, that I left her last week, or a clueless dumb fuck. I think we’ve already established with of those he is.”

I loved the Sturgis campaign and felt like J.A. did such an amazing job setting the scene and describing the photo shoots. I really felt like I could imagine the outfits that spencer painting and the photo shoots that took place. I liked the progression of Rook and Ronin’s relationship and found the trials they faced to be very realistic. As fast as they moved, they still had a lot of obstacles to overcome and they each had to get past their insecurities. Rook’s past came back into play and it was a really exciting sub-plot. It gave us a glance into the friendship that is Ronin/Spencer/Ford since they clearly have an intricate past but they have major issues with each other. Ronin has a past that is revealed and I know will be focused on more in Panic. I can’t wait to delve into it and see how it affects his relationship with Rook.

“Because in the last twenty-four hours, I’ve thought about breaking up with Ronin twice and that’s not a good sign as far as potential long term relationships go.”

Overall, Manic was a really great middle book to the series. Sometimes they can fall flat but I didn’t feel that way about this one. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love the erotic modeling scene and I think it helps make this book what it is. J.A. is such a versatile writer and I have yet to read a book I didn’t like. I can’t wait to read Panic, book 3, and find out if Rook and Ronin get their happily ever after.

~IPOD Picks~

“Both of Us” By B.O.B

“Breakdown More” by Eric Hutchinson

“Almost Lover” by A Fine Frenzy

AUTHOR BIO

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Also, Tragic is on sale for $.99 so pick up a copy today!! Click on the banner below to purchase from Amazon.

*An e-ARC of this book was provided to me by the author & Xpresso Book Tours for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.*

Thanks J.A. and Giselle!

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