Power & Choice (Iris Boys #2) by Lucy Smoke

Power and Choice is book two in the Iris Boys series by Lucy Smoke. 

Summary:

What does it mean to be an Iris girl?

Does it mean following instructions and respecting the authority of your team? Or does it mean taking risks?

The latter – I’m finding – is something I’m good at. When the guys send me to Ms. Enders’ Etiquette Camp for Refined Young Ladies, I know that I need to master the game and play the part of the respectable socialite. We need to find the answer to this question: What is causing the girls to commit suicide? I knew there would be danger here, and if I don’t watch my back, I could find myself in a whole lot of trouble.

** This is a Reverse Harem Story and may contain some triggering subjects and scene. **

Review:

First, you should know that I review a story for its storyline and plot only. I don't really pay attention to grammar issues unless it is so bad that it interrupts the flow of the story.

Power and Choice picked up right where Now or Never left off. However, it was difficult to get back into the groove of the story as it had been so long between the first and the second. I remember that I enjoyed the first book, but it wasn't life-altering. This one follows along that same vein. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't life-altering. I think my main gripe is that Harlow is supposed to be a part of Iris now, as a new recruit, but no one tells her anything. We still have no real idea what Iris really is. Granted this is part of the reason I will probably read book three. 

The relationship aspect:

This is a huge part of any reverse harem story. The progression of the relationship is extremely important and I don't feel like she really connected with anyone. Only Texas has really given her the chance to know him and he's the one that was late to the physical part of the game. The others have already moved past the friend zone with her, but she has no idea who they are as a person and why they became who they now are.

I kind of wished the author spent more time building the relationship between Harlow and the boys before she moved past the friend zone with them. It makes it more believable that she truly can not choose between them if she loved them all, and you can not truly love someone if you don't really know them.

I rate this story: Attraction – A promising Story, but nothing life-changing. You would read the sequel as more of a backup story when you run out.

Rated: 3/5 Stars

Audio Version:

Brothers of the Flame - Ariel Kimber Book 1 by Mary Martel

Brothers of the Flame is book one in the Ariel Kimber series, and it's about a young girl whose life has been filled with abuse, thanks to her mother. Ariel's mother, who was described as a gold-digger, met a man online and decided to move in with him. Mr. Cole luckily was unlike any of her mother's past boyfriends.

Use to being invisible Ariel has to deal with the fact that now she no longer is. Life in a small town, where everyone knows each other, makes Ariel's "new girl" status all the more evident, something she greatly detests.

Though Ariel's detestable life starts to change when she meets the Rude Tyson. From the moment he bumped into her and commented rudely her life changed.

*This is a reverse harem story, though it does not have any explicit scenes it does have swearing. *

** Normally I do not make reviews based on grammar issues unless it is so bad that it distracts from the story and I am sad to say this one did. More than a couple times within the book I had to reread sentences because my mind picked up a word that did not belong. However, if you could get past those type of mistakes this storyline was awesome. **

What I liked about the story:
I like how the storyline progressed at a good rate. There really wasn't very much filler information that I found boring.

What could have made the story better: (beside the editing issues I mentioned above.)
I actually really enjoyed the story, so no complaints on that.

This series has great promise and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the reverse harem genre, but I would warn them about the editing issues.


I rate this Attraction – A promising Story, but nothing life-changing. You would read the sequel as more of a backup story when you run out. It could also be classified as Light Reading as I did finish this story in one sitting. 
Rated: 3/5 Stars

Below you can find an audio version of this review:

Introductions The Academy: The Ghost Bird, Book 1 By: C. L. Stone

Introductions (The Ghost Bird #1) is a short novel about a girl named Sang Sorenson, a young woman with an abusive domestic situation. Sang's life was filled with strange and unusual punishments and because she was forced - by her parents, into a life of isolation, she had no friends. Until one night she meets a boy from the neighborhood she and her family just moved to. From there she meets his friends whom then become important parts of her life.

Introductions is a perfect intro to the series as it gives the reader enough information to get you hooked. I was particularly intrigued with the elusive Academy that the boys were a part of.

** This series is a Reverse Harem - Sang has 9 love interests. ** It is also a Young Adult Series with no sexual content. **

I found this series to be completely addictive, even though it has no real "adult" elements that usually draw me towards the RH genre. I feel like I know Sang and her boys, which makes me feel invested in their story. I would totally recommend this series to anyone and everyone I speak with! This series as of now has 11 full-length novels with one on the way soon.

I rate this book: Light Reading - A Short story easy to finish in an hour or two.

Rated: 5/5 Stars

Thief The Academy: The Scarab Beetle Book 1 By C. L. Stone

Thief is the first book in C.L Stone's new spin-off The Academy series, The Scarab Beetle. The story is about a girl named Kayli Winchester. Like with Ms. Stone's other series, this one is also about a girl with an abusive home life. Unlike with Sang, Kayli is an adult, an older sister to a classmate of the original series heroine. Kayli is not your average everyday girl, she is an expert pickpocket and she uses her skill to help support herself and her little brother Will.

While she was out, looking for her next mark, Kayli is picked up by an Academy team that needed her special talent.

** This series is a Reverse Harem - Kayli has 5 love interests. ** This series is an adult series, but it does not contain erotica. **

It did take me a while to get into this series, but once I had I found it just as interesting as the original series. I liked the more adult themes that the spin-off offers because frankly, you can only passionately kiss someone so many times before (naturally) the boy will try for more.

Thief gave off more of a "spy" feel then the original series had and for me that made this story more interesting for me. Even though I was not crazy over Kayli, I continued to read because I liked the storyline - and the boys didn't hurt either!

I would recommend this series to anyone, but I would tell them to give it a few chapters first.

I rate this: Infatuation – You would read this story every chance you could.
Rated 4/5