Manic: Rook and Ronin, #2 (Rook and Ronin, #2)

by J.A. Huss

• ISBN10: 1936413272
• ISBN13: 9781936413270
• Publish Date: 25 July 2013
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Imprint: Science Future Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 300
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

Now we're getting somewhere...

I'm starting to get it. Now I know why all my friends have read and loved the Rook and Ronin series.

Halfway through the book I kept thinking these people are bad. At first they were looking out for and protecting Rook then it all seemed just plain old yucky. She came across as totally being taken advantage of and deserted in her time of need. I started thinking bad thoughts of deserting the series and moving on...but, it got better and better and now I love them all.

Glad the baddie was "handled", but I still feel the Claire situation is unresolved.

Onwards and upwards....Panic is up next.

[littleread1]

I picked this up as soon as I finished Tragic - I had to know what happened next! Manic picks up not long after Tragic ends. Rook and Ronin are officially a couple, and life has to go on, with them not always working together. Poor Rook, who has issues, has to try and work through those (which you learn more about her issues in this story) with Ronin dealing with some things of his own.

My thoughts and feelings for Manic blend with the next book, Panic, because I picked it up immediately after I finished, and started reading right away. So the story-lines kind of blur in my mind. But that's ok because in Manic things take a turn you might not be expecting, and all of a sudden this is more than a contemporary romance with damaged characters - there is suspense! There is drama! There are new fascinating characters! And ALL THE FEELS.

And while Manic IMO wasn't as good as Tragic, it made me rush into the next book, Panic.

[Angie]

I'm not sure if I liked Manic better than Tragic. In some ways I did, in some ways I didn't. Either way, I still really enjoyed it. Rook has completed her first modeling contract, banked over $50,000, and is now moving on to her new deal. Unfortunately, Rook has no idea what's in store for her, since she didn't read the contract. She signed it in a fit of anger before finding out all of the details. There's a lot more stipulations written in, such as having cameras installed in her bedroom for a reality show. She just expected to serve as the canvas for body painting and pose with some motorcycles. Nope, there's a lot more to it than that. At least she learned a valuable lesson.

I actually loved watching Rook complete the STURGIS project a lot more than the TRAGIC one. Spencer is a true artist and has designed 30 different looks for Rook to "wear" while posing with his custom bikes. Rook is a uncomfortable at first, since there's an audience rather than just her, Spencer, and Antoine, but eventually stripping down and being covered in paint becomes second nature. Then there's the photo shoots. I thought the ones with Ronin were hot, but dang. One of the conflicts in Manic is how Rook is confused over getting turned on during the shoots with Spencer and what that means for her relationship with Ronin. She's assured that it's normal, because come on, she's naked with a sexy biker on top of a motorcycle! I was turned on and I was only an observer!

There's also the addition of a suspense plot in Manic. Rook's ex has found her and he's coming to get her. There's a few surprises regarding their relationship which come out, one more disturbing than the next, and it all almost sends Rook into a downward spiral. Thankfully, she has Ronin and he has a plan. Turns out that he, Spence, and Ford have some secrets of their own which come out in order to capture the abusive ex. I really was not expecting that at all!

Manic was a great sequel! It's nice watching Rook gain confidence and reach for her goals. Her second modeling job has definitely set her up with enough money to go back to school and get her own place if she wishes. But that ending! What does it mean?! I hope she doesn't do anything stupid to jeopardize her future after coming so far! I suppose I'll just have to jump into Panic to find out!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Linda]

Manic is incredibly fast-paced, and Rook is awesome! That is all for now.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Ashley]

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

I liked Manic quite a bit more than Tragic. It had the plot and conflict that I thought Tragic should have had. Rook’s abusive husband gets involved and we see a lot of action on that front. I think that conflict made a lot more sense than the lack of conflict in book 1. It worked well and kept things interesting!

I also really liked all the detail about the STURGIS modeling contract. I felt like this modeling contract had a much bigger and more substantial presence than the TRAGIC one did. I felt more involved in what was happening and I liked being able to see it progress. This contact lasted several months, whereas TRAGIC only lasted like a week or two.