Rook & Ronin Omnibus contains the books Tragic, Manic, and Panic and features a runaway girl who falls into a million-dollar dream of cherry trees and roof-top swings. A bad boy with a sketchy history of breaking pretty girls. And a job called Tragic that might ruin everything.
TRAGIC
She’s on the run from a horrible past.
He’s got an offer of a lifetime.
RONIN
Rook Walsh appeared out of nowhere like a dark angel sent to steal my soul. And I could just tell that she was broken, and beaten, and scared.
So I made her an offer of a lifetime. She needed a job and I needed a certain ‘type’ of girl for a modeling contract worth millions of dollars called Tragic.
I was warned to keep my hands to myself.
I was warned not to get involved.
I was warned not to ruin her.
(The way I ruined the last one)
But I don’t take orders—I give them.
ROOK
Ronin Flynn appeared out of nowhere like a bright light in my heavy darkness. And when he offered me a job, and money, and a fantasy roof-top apartment I wanted to believe that he was good, and fair, and honest.
But I’d been tricked by a pretty face before.
I’d fallen for the knight once—and lost everything.
This was my chance to start over.
This was my chance to escape and be free.
And this was my chance to do it all by myself.
I don’t need a knight.
I don’t want to be saved.
But sometimes you find yourself trapped inside the fairy tale and no matter how hard you try, nothing you do can stop the trainwreck coming.
Tragic is book one of the Rook & Ronin Series and features a runaway girl who falls into a million-dollar dream of cherry trees and roof-top swings. A bad boy with a sketchy history of breaking pretty girls. And a job called Tragic that might ruin everything.
MANIC
Must she choose between love and money?
Or can Rook get both?
ROOK
I get it. Stripping naked and letting your boyfriend’s best friend paint your body in order to sell custom motorcycles isn’t the ideal way to start a brand-new relationship.
Add in a TV reality show, another best friend who seems determined to make me notice him, and the little fact that in order to get paid I will have to strut my stuff in public wearing nothing but body paint.
Yeah. There’s not a chance in hell that Ronin is going to be OK with all this.
RONIN
It feels like everyone is trying to break us apart. Spencer with his stupid body painting contract. Ford with his stupid TV show contract. My sister and her boyfriend’s niece constantly calling me for help. Even Rook seems determined to stop our love before it starts with all the bad decisions she’s making.
But I’m not the kind of man who walks away.
I’m actually the kind of man who sticks around.
I don’t care how against-the-odds we are—I’ll fight for us.
Even if she won’t.
Manic is book two in the Rook & Ronin series and features Rook getting naked in front of tons of hot men, body paint being applied to the most inappropriate places, and a whole gang of people ready to let go of the past and look towards the future. It’s a story about love, and second chances. About friends who become family. And most of all, learning to live with who you are.
PANIC
ROOK
I’m chasing a dream here.
And I’m so close to having everything I ever wanted.
J.A. Huss never wanted to be a writer and she still dreams of that elusive career as an astronaut. She originally went to school to become an equine veterinarian but soon figured out they keep horrible hours and decided to go to grad school instead. That Ph.D wasn’t all it was cracked up to be (and she really sucked at the whole scientist thing), so she dropped out and got a M.S. in forensic toxicology just to get the whole thing over with as soon as possible.
After graduation she got a job with the state of Colorado as their one and only hog farm inspector and spent her days wandering the Eastern Plains shooting the shit with farmers. After a few years of that, she got bored. And since she was a homeschool mom and actually does love science, she decided to write science textbooks and make online classes for other homeschool moms. She wrote more than two hundred of those workbooks and was the number one publisher at the online homeschool store many times, but eventually she covered every science topic she could think of and ran out of shit to say.
So in 2012 she decided to write fiction instead. That year she released her first three books and started a career that would make her a New York Times bestseller and land her on the USA Today Bestseller’s List eighteen times in the next three years. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world, the audio version of her semi-autobiographical book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie award in 2016 and 2017 respectively, her audiobook Mr. Perfect was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017, and her book, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Johnathan McClain is her first (and only) writing partner and even though they are worlds apart in just about every way imaginable, it works.
She lives on a ranch in Central Colorado with her family.
I’ve reviewed this series individually last year when I first discovered JA Huss, so I’m going to focus this review a little differently than normal. For those that may have read Tragic and for some insanely ridiculous reason just stopped there, you missed out. Julie brings us the start of this story in a very pretty package. A broken down girl that, much like the title of the book says; is tragic. But Rook has fight within her. She may not always see it, but everyone else does.
What begins as a romance between then homeless-now model, Rook Walsh and Model, Ronin Flynn turns and twists into a much larger plot. One that includes the past resurfacing to haunt each of the characters.
The Team: Ronin Flynn Ford Aston Spencer Shrike
Each one has a purpose. Each one plays a part. The Liar, the brains and the muscle.
And each one falls easily into the role of protector for our girl, Rook.
If you expected this series to be hearts & flowers, provocative photography and a simple happily-ever-after; you’d be wrong.
What Julie delivers is a story that captivates the reader with flawless writing, brilliant story plots and some moments that you never ever see coming. She also brings you two characters that won your heart over, even when it went against everything you thought you wanted.
Spencer Shrike and Ford Aston both become just as much of the story as Rook & Ronin. These two characters became instant favorites and eventually got their own book – with their own story. But what I truly loved about this series was that it wasn’t simple. It was complex and each step seemed so well planned out, there were so many pieces that needed to be put in the right place and Julie accomplished that.
But the entire story isn’t told just within these three books. The conclusion of the plot of this series is resolved at the end of Guns.
This author has a style. She has this ability to twist a story that leaves you wondering how the hell you got from point A to point B. You can’t go into one of her books expecting to figure it out, it just isn’t humanly possible to. Her mind is brilliant, we’re still convinced that she is some sort of fucking robot.
If you haven’t yet given this author a chance. I recommend that you start here.
Experience Rook & Ronin. You won’t regret it. Then get to know Ford a little bit better with Slack/Taut and then finally Spencer with Bomb/Guns. And if you want more – Come kicks off series that includes players from Slack, Taut & Guns. These books are all tangled together and should not be missed.
I am a JA lifer. And these characters will remain my favorites for years to come.
I loved this series. I have been ignoring this series on my kindle for so long. I could not pump myself up enough to start reading because of the synopsis making it sound like a book about a spoiled model. After reading Come, I read a review that said the order J.A. Huss' books should be read to get the connection between all the characters in each book of her books. So I finally opened the book and proceeded to blaze through Tragic, Manic and Panic. Here's the thing: Rook and Ronin are so much more than the synopsis makes them to be. I loved every character and book. I cant wait to read more J.A. Huss!
If you want angst, lust, love, heartbreak all in one, this is your series! A dang near perfect series about new beginnings, fate, and finding that one love that will carry you through life!!!
I did not know what to expect from this book being I have never read a J.A. Huss book before. When I first started I was thinking this is going to be another book about the girls who needs saving and the guy who saved her. Let me tell you this was one of the best series I have read in a long time. It flowed perfectly and all three books kept my attention. It all starts with Tragic where Rook accidentally gets a card with an address on it little does she know how life changing that card is. She meets Ronin and the rest of the people there and that is it for her. Ronin realizes something is off but he still wants to help her. Rook is stubborn and decides she is going to pull whatever strength she has and make her own way by deciding to be the main model for a huge campaign. Book two slides right in which is Manic the only way you know you are in the next book is because you see the title there. In this book Rook spokesperson job begins and she is away from Ronin a lot. Her bonds are forming with Spencer and Ford and she is learning about a history between the three of them. She is also still working hard to be what she wants to be and moving her life along. Manic I feel is really the best of the three books because you get to see different sides of Rook and how she begin to form relationships while still watching for her past to haunt her. I also dhows how she is not going to let things hold her back, and no matter what life throws at her she is going to make it. Book three Panic brings Rook bad to the beginning. To the part of her life she never wants to face again. It is a tough spot for anyone to be in especially someone with her past. This is probably the hardest thing she will ever have to deal with in life while still maintaining her relationship with Ronin. This situation affects everyone and she does what she has to do to save everyone.
There is no cliffhangers in any of these and I felt the writing is impeccable. I look forward to reading many more books by this author.
I love when a book starts off strong and the momentum is not lost during the book. It just goes and takes you on the ride with it! These are books that I love to read. They are enjoyable, have just enough drama, hot scenes and of course a sexy man, in this case 3 sexy men!! I have been turned off of books that spread the storyline out over multiple books but this one sucked me in and didn't let go!! It quickly became one of my new favorite series and I hadn't even finished it!! Now I have and I want more the only real complaint I have is that I'm done with it! I was caught up in the lives of Rook and Ronin, I fell in love with Spencer and was intrigued by Ford. I'm so glad they are getting books. This series was a very easy and enjoyable read. I didn't pick it apart I just immersed myself into their world and loved every minute of it. We know that something terrible has happened to Rook we just don't know exactly what. And you don't know. You think you see it coming and BAM!! No you didn't see that coming! I really don't have anything negative to say. I maybe wish the ending was longer and we had more of Rooks life before Ronin. But overall LOVE this series!!
This is the first of JA Huss's novels I've read, and I really enjoyed it. I liked the character development and the back stories - no one was really "left out", but we all well-rounded and real. The chemistry between Rook and Ronin was believable and real for me. The three stories flowed nicely into one another, though were also complete in and of themselves. I liked the information on the photography industry and marketing - it fit and was never overused or boring, but added to the story. Loved the character of Ford and how he unfolded - I'll definitely be checking out his books soon!
This series was just awesome. I loved the character development in this. I mean characters that I hated I ended up loving. It is so so sexy. Rook and Ronin are hot as hell and so so sweet. I finished them in two days. One of my favorite Huss books hands down.
"Blackbird...All your life, You were only waiting for the moment to be free." - "Blackbird"- Paul McCartney
This is a rich, sweeping saga of a fate-destined love affair. After her young life of struggling and severe abuse , Rook is running away again. She is running from an emotionally and physically abusive relationship, following the signs of fate along the way. She finds herself in Denver of all places, taken in by a strange darker world of erotic modeling with people who seem like the kind of folks you can trust or are they? Her beauty is striking and compelling...with black-brown hair and electric blue eyes. She also has an air of innocence and suffering about her. The famous photographer, Antoine Chaput is absolutely convinced he must have her for his TRAGIC media campaign. Ronin while captivated himself with Rook, is a gorgeous polished erotic male model with striking looks and also the same shade of electric blue eyes. He tries to ignore his initial feelings for her, he soon discovers, however, that he is overcome with desire and longing for this creature who responds so beautifully to his sensuous ministrations both on and off the photography set. More than this he enjoys her as a person. Ronin by nature is a dominant and controlling man. His brand of dominance is laced with thoughtfulness and kindness. Unfortunately, Rook has known a more dark and sinister brand of dominance and pulls back from Ronin by asserting her will in accepting jobs and contracts that Ronin suggested may not be in her best interests. She is initially confused and scared when she begins her new job with the "Sturgis" campaign for Shrike bikes with Spencer Shrike an old friend of Rook's. Ronin is not always by her side to keep her steady through the demands of this modeling job. But soon she is learning to adapt and trust a little bit more. We are introduced to "the team" as they refer to themselves., Ronin, Ford and Spencer. It would seem to the reader that each of these men falls to certain degree for the "Blackbird".,, and each of these men bring to her an element to her healing from the past. Throughout the saga she is true to the man she grows to love, her Ronin, though the challenges she faces pulls at the fabric of this relationship. In the end she must go back and face her past and open up the floodgates for Ronin. She still needs to fly but Ronin hopes for the day she will come to roost with him. The writing is absolutely polished sterling and warm like honey. Ms. Huss shows her skill in describing so sensuously a mere touch which can bring goosebumps out in a reader...make one skip a breath even. The complicated story line is cleverly laid out so not a detail is missed by the reader. Beyond this, the reader often wonders which detail will open up the mysteries remaining in the story. The art of writing suspense is well-polished by this author. It is lovely when the reader's emotions begin to sync up with the characters as this writing compels the reader to do. This is yet another effect of the excellent composition skills of Ms. Huss. Overall, this is a superb trilogy which illuminates the goodness of the human heart and the desire to uproot and destroy that which is truly rotten. What is rotten is rape, forced slavery, trafficking in sex, abuse and corruption of public servants. Loving and consensual sex of whatever shade is like "joy in the morning."...celebratory, unifying, edifying and in a way...holy. And... ultimately this is a story about breaking free from that which is rotten on to that which is holy, through the many kinds of love offered to our "Blackbird". Edit Delete
I loved this series so much! There was action, tragedy, heartache, it had its twisted moments. Rook really grew as a women and kicked ass in the end. Ronin was amazing throughout the whole thing and I loved Spencer and Fucking Ford.
What a powerful story. Amazing characters and story line loved it. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and beautifully written could not put it down❤️❤️❤️
I loved this book Rook is spot on as a character, she's sweet but strong and damaged I just love her and Ronin well what can I say I'm female and breathing so I love him. I just can't get enough, this book truly is addictive and having just finished it I'm at a loss as to why I didn't read it earlier.
Manic.
Rook having signed the Sturgis contract in temper is finding out exactly what she signed on for, the three months of body painting, yes, the cameras and crew following her twenty four hours a day for a reality show, no definitely no, but there's nothing she can do at least she's got Ronin with her every step, or so she thought but Clare's struggling with rehab and needs Ronin. This is a fabulous book if anything it's better than 'Tragic' which I loved, we have Spencer of course but also Ford who seems so straight laced and serious but then there's something about him. I loved the line early on in the book when Rook while out to dinner at a table full of people when she's supposed to be on her best behaviour asks: "So, tell me, Ford-is that a family name? Or did your parents just like trucks?"
Panic
This is the final book in this series and it's the best so far and that's saying something because the previous two have been amazing. This is an emotional book, with Jon behind them Rook is free, or is she, she's still not faced and come to terms with her past but she's forging ahead with her dream of Film School with the help of Ford, she's signed on for the Sturgis reality show while Ronin is managing the Gidget contract so distance is a factor, while Rook is in Fort Collins with Spencer and Ford, Ronin is at Caput in Denver shooting Gidget with Clare, with their relationship still relatively new, their pasts and the distance plus Ford is there anyway they could possibly make this relationship work. Yes I'll admit I was a little worried at times because I like Rook and Ronin together but let's just say at times it's a bumpy ride. One of the things that really drew me into this book was the relationship between Rook and Ford, they both needed each other desperately and at times, I'll admit I wasn't certain where this would end up. Rooks past comes hurtling towards them and we're not sure what effect this will have on any of them, she's been through so much and I just wanted to see her happy. It was difficult at times to remember just how young she actually is and Ronin, he wants to be settled with a family but he's so young himself and I kept thinking 'don't push her, whatever you do don't push too hard' I loved this book but, and I hate doing this, but in order for this to be a totally fair review I have to say I found the last part a bit of a rush, not the epilogue, loved that, and in places you could argue it's maybe a little far-fetched but I'm not deducting anything from my rating because I enjoyed this book so much but I had to mention it, if this was totally the last book I'd argue that there's too many loose ends but with the spin-off books I'm sure everything will work out, I have to say not only did I love Ford and Spencer but Ronnie and her bothers are going to be interesting...
Tragic: Rook is an emotionally scarred and scared young woman. Growing up with a series of events that teach her to rely on herself and making her a bit needy for real love. She finds herself being her own rescuer. Through another series of timely events she ends up with an opportunity that may help her find herself and an inner strength she doesn't yet fully trust. Along the way her past experiences hinder and help her progress. When she lets down her guard she finds herself willing to open her heart and try to trust again. Manic: Rook is learning even more to trust her gut and stand up for herself. Ronin has a deep seeded need to protect her. The more Rook reveals about her past the more Ronin, Spencer and Ford want to help and protect her. Rook is really learning to stand on her own two feet as she is taught different thing by everyone in her life. She is finally reaching out to make her dreams happen, even as her ex finally attempts to get her again. I enjoyed the emotional journey of this book. Panic: I was already hooked on this series, but this is the one that confirmed that I totally LOVE this series and the characters. I can't get enough of Rook, Ronin, Spencer and Ford. The journey all of them take throughout this solidifies these relationships in so many ways. I was stunned by the depth of the secrets, hurt and guilt that Rook felt. I was also relieved to see how she really and truly began the last steps she needed to heal. I had to see more of Rook and Ronin's story in Ford and Spencer's spin-off stories in Slack, Taut, Bomb, and Guns.
I LOVED these books! Since this is the whole trilogy, I will try and break it down by book.
Book #1 - Tragic - introduces you to the characters. Rook, Ronin, Antoine & Elise are the main characters and easy to love. I loved that we get both Rook's and Ronin's POV's. Rook is funny and "tragic" in her own right.
Book #2 - We are introduced to a few more important characters, Spencer & Ford. They add some interesting insight and twists into the storyline.
Book #3 - We move into the "next chapter" of life so to speak but there is still a lot to be revealed and figured out.
Why did I love these books? Situations were brought up but then solved rather quickly instead of being long and drawn out. There were still a few surprises though. There is a great love story, perhaps more than one ;-) The characters are so easy to like, including ALL of the guys in these books! I loved that Elise, a woman, was the one to originally help Rook out.
Plus, there are several spin off books to read after these!
All three books are above and beyond what I thought they would be! I knew they would be good because of The Dark Dirty and Deadly series but the dynamic of all the characters on their own and then you put them together and it is crazy good! If you are looking for something just a little different her books are right up your ally! I normally pay more attention to our hero of the story,this would be Ronin who I loved but our heroine Rook is one of my favorites! I have a list of my favorite BBF but recently I have started a list for the females in the books too! Especially when I find one that is willing to stand up and find herself and realizes how strong she really is which is the journey Rook takes. I highly recommended these books! I can hardly wait to see what she has in store.with Ford!
I am in love with JA Huss and her writing. I was annoyed, then worried, then happy, then hot, then worried, then scared, then happy and completely floored at the end. It's a well-constructed hot mess of YA, romance, suspense, mystery and erotica. Ah-mazing!!
I am also in love with Ronin, Spencer and Ford.
My favorite quote: (I left out the details that would make this a spoiler.)
"You've changed me. You make me weak, you make me stumble, you make me fall, and even though I know you'll pick me up if I ask you to, it's not enough. I want you to make me stronger, just like I made you. I want it all or I want nothing."
This one of the best series I've ever read!!!! HANDS DOWN!
I'll be 100% honest here, I thought Tragic was good, original, But nothing overly exciting really happened. After Manic I was HOOKED, I still think it was my favorite of the series, but I could never choose one without the rest.
This world was brilliant, written perfectly! I got everything one would want, romance, love, suspense, and just a tad bit of dark. I couldn't ask for a better written cast of characters. I EFFIN' LOVE THESE CHARACTERS.
I am so glad I one-clicked this set!!!! It is friggin awesome......10 stars from me!
I will admit that whole modeling synopsis did not appeal to me at first, I was so so wrong. There is so much depth with all of these characters (they are not all models)! I truly loved them all AND hated Rooks drug-addicted-troublemakin nemesis.
Rook & Ronin are prefect together and I am absolutely lovin Ford :-) I can't wait to read more about the rest of this dream team....Ford and Spencer!!!!!
I kept putting these books off because I didn't want to invest in the time of starting a new series. Well that was STUPID. I read All three in four days. I was addicted to Rook and Ronin. I couldn't stop reading. I wanted----no---I NEEDED to know there secrets. When I discovered them they were so much MORE than what i was expecting. Because i have issues with discovering spelling errors I noticed quite a few but it did't deter me from the book. I recommend this to anyone who doesn't quite want to step into a dark book but yet likes to be right on the edge of it. Good job J.A. Huss.
I did enjoy reading this, but I did not love it. Each book in the series starts slow bordering on boring, then the last 20% of each novel is a page-turner. Even though there are no cliffhangers, I end up wanting to read the next one. It does not get more stars because of too-perfect, have-it-all characters. Despite their supposedly complicated pasts and some quirks, every character in this book is wholesome, responsible, kind, noble, and hell-bent on saying the right thing at the right time. Like totally unrealistic. Still, plenty entertaining. Bubble-gum for the brain.
Rook is a girl who is running from a dark past. Ronin is a sweet, sensually provocative male model who falls for her. As she slowly opens up about her ugly history, rebels against being openly bossed, Rook finds family, friends, and finally, security.
How lucky is this girl? Very. She not only has Ronin, she has Spencer and Ford, too! Uhm, can a girl be more blessed than to have three hot, very successful men who adore her and would do anything for her?
Good story! Likeable, flawed characters. Sexy and hot, too! I did have problems with Ronin making a promise to never do erotic photos with any other model except Rook, then DOING it AND LYING about it later. That just... ruined their relationship for me. Plus how often Ronin put Claire before Rook. This relationship was too realistic and flawed. I prefer epic romance with loyalty and devotion. And they didn't feel devoted.
I love the team. 3 hot guys and Rook. I really like the pace of the book. Events didn't drag on and on. Ronin, Spencer and Ford were all great guys and I loved the way they took care of and cared for Rook. Elise and Antoine were great, they gave Rook a new start.
I loved this series and can not wait to read the next set of books. Very intense at times but the story kept moving and did not drag out. I loved all the characters but never got one of my predictions correct as I read.
This is a great series! Great suspense and romance in these stories. Love Rook and Ronin together! Cannot wait to read Spencer and Veronica's story and to read Ford's story! The flow of these books is great! JA Huss kept me guessing through all 3 books!