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:

Blood Magic (Ariel Kimber #3) by Mary Martel

Blood Magic is book 3 in the Ariel Kimber Series.

Ariel Kimber isn’t your average seventeen-year-old girl. She’s recently discovered she’s a witch with magic and is looking to find her place in a brand-new world. Her place in this new world is in a coven with seven guys.

After all of the horrible things she’s been forced to endure, Ariel was looking forward to building her new life with the family she’s found herself a part of and focusing on healing with Dash after what Chucky did to the both of them. After the blood that had been spilled, they all struggle to put those memories and the incident behind them. It’s easier said than done, though.

Quinton is plagued with guilt and the rest of them struggle with the fact that they almost lost one of their brothers and Ariel is left with a permanent reminder of the incident.

New bonds are forged, and just as things are starting to settle down again for Ariel and her coven, the Council of Elders makes its first appearance in Ariel’s life. And they don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.

** This is a reverse harem series. **

This series is pretty much about a girl who finds out that she is a witch. Ariel up until recently had to deal with an abusive mother and a lonely life. She never thought that she was anything special, but now that she learns that she is indeed special; she's not sure that she likes it. On top of having to deal with the death of her 'mother', Dash being stabbed, and the seemingly endless guilt of Quinton Ariel also has to deal with the Council of Elders. All Ariel really wants is to find her father and she will do everything within her power to do it.


What I liked about the story: I loved how this installment gave us a more in-depth look at Julian and even introduced us more to Damien.


What I thought could have been better: There was a lot of inner dialogue but none of it helped us to understand Ariel's state of mind. She seemed to have glossed over a lot of issues that normally a person would have dwelt upon. For a 200+ book, it did not give us a lot of information, and I did not like how the installment ended where it did. No warning, no idea on how she even knew what she was doing, she went straight to blood magic.

I would give this an Attraction Rating – 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: