Not a phenomenon Tempest could typically claim, but certainly the catalyst for where she’s landed. Not in peril, or pain, but in dire need of the very normalcy she’s often emulated, but never been able to obtain.
Now... there’s nothing in her way, except all those years of being everything except what she now has to become.
An ex-assassin turned candlemaker and a tattoo artist meet in a coffee shop and fall for each other 🥰 how cute Only reason it’s not five stars is I hate the evil ex trope, it’s very tired.
Ps. This book probably makes more sense if you’ve read Deuces Wild, but I didn’t and I caught on pretty quick despite not having read it
Christina C Jones is easily a new favorite author of mine and I devour every book I pick up from her. This one is definitely a unique romance and I haven't read anything like it. Tempest has finally left a secret organization that was all she had known and is trying to start over in life. Being the romantic suspense lover that I am, I really wanted even more back story to Tempest and what exactly she used to do and would have even liked some more suspense in this book. The author, though, chose to leave this organization Tempest was part of more mysterious and focus more on Tempest now trying to live a normal life. I really loved Tristan's character and how he was patient with Tempest but still pushed her in a good way to take risks and give him a chance. I will say that I'm not a fan of the evil ex character, which happened in here, but other than that, this was a fun romance the I couldn't put down!
I honestly expected not to like The Reinvention of the Rose because, the storyline is an extension of Ace’s story from Deuces Wild and I did not like that book. But, surprise surprise, I really enjoyed this book. It takes place in Mahogany Heights so, we get to revisit some of our favorite neighborhood businesses and owners. Tempest is trying to rebuild a normal life after she left The Roses. But, she finds a life of normalcy is not as easy to come by as she would like. Tempest has to learn how to deal with everyday life which, is something she’s not accustomed to. She’s still very leery and distrustful of those she doesn’t know. That includes Tristian, AKA Mr. Neighborhood Hottie. But, Tristian has his own demons to contend with along with a bad tempered baby mama and an ex who can’t let go. Although Tempest and Tristian never go into details about their past, they’re still able to bond and better understand one another. I loved that Tempest had Ace as a mentor to guide her while she was rebuilding her new life. In the end, The Reinvention of the Rose was a great read. I really hope CCJ rounds this story out by giving Dacia her own book. I’d love to see her finally get a HEA.
This is my first CCJ book, and it definitely will not be my last. I went into this one blind, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. An ex assassin trying to start over, and navigate a new life. If you love romantic suspense then check this book out.
“I don’t do freehand on strangers,” he’d claimed, and yet… here we were. In a tiny, sterile room, my breast bared down to the darkened fringes of my areola, with some rapper screaming over a beat in the background while I was reborn.” Sigh, Tristian. I loved the dynamic between these two as their mutual attraction grew stronger turning into something new for both of them.
I don't know why I waited so long to read this series but, I'm glad I finally did. I loved this book! Tempest was so deserving of her second chance at life. I adored her and Tristian as a couple. Both of them deserved their HEA. I was worried I wouldn't like Eboni Flowers but, she did a phenomenal job narrating this book. Kudos to her. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I know it probably won't happen but, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an update on them. 🤞🏾🤞🏾
I was waiting for my new reading vlog to upload so I can publish the review for this romance, but I failed miserably in my reading vlog challenge so I'm writing this alread.
I finished The Reinvention of the Rose yesterday and it was SUPERB! Former assassin moves to a small town and meets a tattoo artist who is sort of the neighborhood hottie. He's really charming and knows his way around words, but Tempest is not buying it. Plus she's still trying hard to leave her past behind but she knows it's going to take time for it to finally be a distant memory.
I had been waiting for this book to be available in KU and I was so happy to see CCJ announce she was going to include it for a limited time, so I had no time to lose and went to read it immediately. It's a short novel but it made my life SO MUCH BETTER. The pacing was perfect, the plot was amazing and the romance left me all mushy inside. I love how CCJ writes relationships and in every single book I read by her, the relationship dynamics in the couples are so great! Great communication, the characters know what they want and they aren't there for less of what they deserve. Seriously CCJ's novels are my favorite.
One other little thing I want to talk about is that Tristan is a single dad of a teenager and I love the relationship he has with his kid's mother. They have a really healthy relationship and I loved seeing that conversation with Tempest, Von and his mom together, they're hilarious. CCJ really does write very healthy relationships all around and I'm always feeling happy after reading them.
I Love this story and I always enjoy the inclusion of other characters making an appearance in the new and current stories. I love Temp’s BadAss Persona! I must admit I was hoping for one good ole ass kicking to be delivered to Nia....But, Tempest handled it the way she saw fit. I thought Tristan was a good stand-up guy and each of them had to learn and come to terms with some things about themselves to make their relationship work! Another Winner CCJ💕
Tempest is my favorite Rose because she is not for the play play! Her and Tristan are a very cute boy meets girl and fall in love trope. And while Tempest is carrying her baggage it’s nothing compared to the baggage thrown in her face that Tristan is carrying. Sometimes you have to choose to be better instead going along with “normal” or what’s convenient. Although this was Temptest’s story it was cool to see CCJ give us a hero and heroine but going through a reinvention while finding love together! This was a 5 star to me because I’m bias and love Tempest. I still highly recommend this book!
I definitely find a different appeal to CCJ reads then most, I love BlackLove absolutely, which she gives in abundance, that with the showcasing of Black pride and intellect, one could never go wrong picking up Any1 of her reads, but again for Mi it is characters like Kiara that bring the most joy.
Liked the assassin-turned-candlemaker heroine arc, meh on the evil ex (I’m not even against the conflict, but it took up excessive real estate in a short romance). Read via Hoopla/audio (narrated by Eboni Flowers).
* ARC Review* The Reinvention of the Rose by Christina C. Jones is about former assassin turned candle shop owner Tempest Lane & DisInk’d tattoo artist Tristan Grimes. This story takes place in Mahogany Heights, we revisit some of our favourite places and people. Jones effortlessly weaves elements of the Serendipitous, Equilibrium & High Stakes series into the story. Tempest Lane “Ms. Not Interested” is not interested in Tristan Grimes “Neighborhood Hottie” or so she says.Tristan is charming and Tempest is intriguing, he’s an army vet and she’s a retired assassin a match made in combat heaven. Even though they don’t go in depth about their pasts with each other it allows them to bond and better understand one another. Tempest’s thoughts/ murderous desires are hilarious, if I was a trained assassin I would feel the same way. She must have done a good job of acting like a regular civilian the way people kept coming at her crazy, Nya 👀. Overall a great story of self discovery & love.
Tempest was amazing. Tristan not so much, due to his weak handling of his catty ex. That whole subplot took up too much page time and added nothing beyond showing how comfortable both MCs are with being misogynist.
I could have read a whole book about Tempest’s former assassin-turned-candlemaker life and skipped the romance. This is the first book in a series but it’s really a spinoff from whatever book was about Tempest’s mentor, where presumably readers learned about what the Garden actually was. More explanation about Tempest’s life in the Garden would have gone a long way.
Characters: Tempest is a Black ex-assassin and candle shop owner. Tristan is a 30 year old Black tattoo artist, occasional security guard, and military veteran. He has a 13 year old daughter named Kiara. This is set in Mahogany Heights.
Content notes: street sexual harassment of 13 year old girl by a man and older boys, Evil Ex trope, sexual harassment, PTSD, physical assault, casual and overt misogyny, needle (tattoo), forgetting to eat, N-word (not a slur), FMC doesn’t know who her parents were, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), marijuana, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language (including “spazzing”)
Tempest is starting over in Mahogany Heights after leaving behind a life that was traumatic and abusive since she was young. She was a part of this mystery organization called the Roses, which took young girls when they were young and trained them as assassins. This book is solely from Tempest’s POV, and it’s basically her learning about what she likes and what authentic human intersections are. We also see her falling in love with Tristan, local tattoo artist and “neighborhood hottie”.
I liked Tempest and Tristan as a couple, but I would’ve liked more detail on Tempest’s time as a Rose. It was talked about so much that I felt like it should’ve been discussed. I do know that a little background could be found in Deuces Wild (the Ante Up series), but since this is a standalone, more details were needed in this book.
I knew the background of this series and it was good. I really like that CCJ delves into a darker side of the evolution of these characters. This is a spin off and it too has that deep quality that she showcased in the prior series. I also like that she only used one POV. I saw when she was playing with the idea and I didn’t know what to expect, but she nailed it! Tristan’s character didn’t lack even though the whole story was told through Tempest’s eyes. I liked their love connection. I also think she did a great job with the few supporting characters that sort of popped in and out. My favorite part in the book was the argument 😩 I was rolling my neck and everything. I was so glad that Tempest did not allow her awkwardness to dictate what she knew was reality. I don’t know if this was supposed to be like this but one of my chapters seemed to be out of place. I think it was chapter 13. It seemed as though it was something that happened earlier and I remember early on in I think chapter 3 wondering if I’d missed something. I know that writing out of order is a thing and it is good, but this seemed odd. This was the audiobook. Wondering if anyone else thought the same. On to the second installment! She is one of my faves for a reason.
First off I THOROGHLY enjoyed this book. I loved the banter between Tempest and Tristin. They were low-key kind of rude to each other and I loved every minute of it.
Reading this book made me want to go back and read Dueces Wild. I love that CCJ weaves all of these different types of people from all walks of life into her world. It makes if feel that much more REAL. Like a whole as ex-assassin could be living right next door to me and I wouldn't even know.
Tempests journey felt so raw. Even with her being this skilled and trained killer with all of this training, discipline, and hutspa under her belt - she was still just a human at the end of the day. One that got sad, angry, jealous, and petty just like the rest of us and I loved seeing her go through all of those phases and emotions. Because Tristan definitely TRIED it a couple of times.
I definitely wouldn't mind reading more about some other Roses, but for now i'll settle for going back to an old fav. Ace and Cree - chiiiiile!
i wish this had more to it. we never got that much backstory, it was just through brief conversations with people from her past, so i felt like i was missing a lot. i also struggled with the timeline, bc weeks would pass with little acknowledgement
This is going to be all red flags/safety deets. This is one of those "romances" where I'm pretty sure this heroine could have another book where she actually meets the love of her life after her toxic ex.
Please be aware that these points are FULL of spoilers. . . . . . . . . . . .
1. He has a baby mama who tells the heroine "if we weren't with other people, I'd probably give it another try". Uh?
2. His baby mam said she hadn't been with him because she wasn't going to make him grow up. He doesn't seem like a man who has matured well. I sure wouldn't date him.
3. When the "hero" is found tattooing his ex's upper inner thigh and the heroine is upset that the ex disrespects her, he defends his "friendship" with his ex. Yes, he eventually apologizes, but the gaslighting was BAD. If he fights like this in the beginning of their relationship, I cannot imagine he can fight more healthfully later. His first reaction is always to blame her for being upset rather than to give any credence to what she's upset about.
4. He is hitting on her HARD. When she invites him up to her apartment for some sexy times, he tells her no. She's super offended and hurt. I LIKED that he wanted to get to know her before they have sex. But, it's not long before he runs to have sex with her and then immediately acts like a jerk in a bunch of ways, including not telling anyone they are together.
5. His 13-year old daughter gets harassed on the street and she never tells him. Thankfully, his daughter tells him (as she should), but it's CRAZY that she wouldn't immediately tell him about a threat to his daughter's safety.
6. The heroine used to be some sort of spy/assassin. She never tells the hero about her past. Yes, I can see that she just wants to move on, but if you have that dark of a past and don't share that with your partner, I wonder if you know already that your partner isn't trustworthy.
7. The hero has some nightmares from his time in the military. Once again, he decides he doesn't want to tell her about it.
There are probably more red flags, but let's stop here. Basically, I don't recommend it.
There are also ridiculous things that aren't red flags, but are still bizarre... Like, this woman is supposedly an ex-assassin but cannot seem to resolve anything in a sly way. She threatens people all the time, but has no finesse. She's constantly getting spooked and not noticing things.
Also, she decides to reopen a candle shop? Why? And she just figures it out with no issues. Cool, cool. I guess she doesn't need the money?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
For every one of us who has had to figure out who we are all over again, only to find out she was so much better than expected.
Tempest is finding herself after “The Garden”. Tristan is the neighborhood hottie. This was self discovery, while finding love. I love The Heights, I wish it were a real place♥️❤️
I loved being back in the Heights! This one is basically a spinoff of Deuces Wild. Tempest is a former Rose and she is reinventing herself into a new life in a new city and with a new love for candles of all things. A former assassin who is now into candles. I love it. Tristian pursued her and we just love a man who knows what and who he wants without question. The progression of their friendship and love was beautiful. They had so much in common with his history in the military and her history as a rose.
"You didn't cover it to protect or conceal yourself - you did it to reinvent yourself. So you're not an assassin anymore, just my dad's girlfriend." That was so sweet and I really loved the conversation with Kiara. I laughed out loud a couple of times. Kiara and this tea is everything! I love a nosey girl because, same.
The only thing I would change is their communication about her past life. I think not telling him about what she used to do as a Rose could be a little dangerous and also these two are in it for the long haul so, tell that man what you went through! Other than that, LOVED this one. 🩷
As always, it's so good to be back in The Heights. I loved her conversation with Jules, she was one of my favorites from the Equilibrium Series and of course I loved the cameo from Ace and Cree. She was a great mentor and it was good to see her and Cree are still together. Nya is annoying in every book and I am glad she met Tempest in the alley. 😏 - IYKYK
Christina Jones has done it again! After reading the series that include Ante Up, I often wonder what was life after for the Roses and Thornes once The Garden was destroyed. I loved watching the transformation of Tempest even as she still maintained the essence of who she is...Nya met that almost to her demise. LOL. Anyway I loved how Tempest held Tristan accountable not allowing him to get away with those "small" things that can catapult into something huge much later. I wished that every woman would raise the BS flag immediately like Tempest did. I feel like I am rambling...certainly I am. The bottom line is that this was a great read...the elements of which makes it worth reading CCJ's works every time. Just read it!
I really liked this one. It had some over-the-top drama but I liked the story. Tempest getting a chance to reclaim her life was amazing. I loved watching her grow into the person she wanted to become.
My only issue was that I felt there was a lot of backstory I was missing - about Tempest's time being a rose and what the garden really was and who the other people from her life before were.
I feel like if the story was long more of that could be fleshed out. And I always felt like I was missing something. It wasn't enough to make me want to stop the story and honestly, I loved Tristan and Tempest. I just wanted that other part too.
It’s so ironic that two ppl from different worlds brh at have experienced similar history collide. The union is magnetic and undeniable... that is Tempest and Tristan.. the clam after the storm! The Heights is where ppl go to permanently evolve into their destiny!