Review: Passion Rising

Passion Rising by J.A. Huss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's the end we've been waiting for. It's the beginning we didn't realize we wanted.

Maddie and Tyler have been through so much in their short time together. They've struggled internally, externally, and everywhere else you can struggle.

And just when you think you're getting comfortable, because Huss and McClain lull you into a false sense of security for a good portion of this book, the shit hits the fan.

I was nervous. I wasn't sure what was going on. I messaged my friends who had already finished and asked them when the other shoe would drop. Because let's face it, it wasn't just Maddie and Tyler who felt that something bad was coming. Anyone who reads JA Huss is always waiting for that kick in the ass, that one thing that throws you for a loop.

But really, just when I thought I might come out the other side completely unscathed, they go and kick me in the ass.

And the result? Growth. Growth as a reader, growth as a devourer of the written word, growth as a whole.

The book is about many things. I've read reviews from people who didn't enjoy certain aspects of the book (Tyler's inner-monologues being a biggie for some), but those were the things I liked. Those were the parts that made the characters stand out and those were the little things that had me saying 'stick with it, I think there's a purpose.' And you know what? There was a purpose. There was a bigger, underlying cause. There was more than just some guy rambling in his own head. There was more than a girl pushing away the one person she always wanted.

There was more.
There was growth.

Growth as individuals, growth as a couple.

Maddie and Tyler at the end of Passion Rising are not the same Maddie and Tyler from the beginning of Sin With Me. They're more. They're wiser. They're together, in more ways than the obvious.

And that's what I took from this series. Growth. Not staying in one spot. Being more. Doing more. Finding purpose. Finding that one person who makes you a better version of yourself. The person who fills in all the broken bits and makes you whole. The person who loves you when you are at your literal worst. The person--or persons, because friendship goes a long, long way in this story--to build and share and grow with.

So, thank you, Julie and Johnathan for giving me more than I bargained for with Maddie and Tyler's journey. Thank you for making it deeper and more meaningful than just some hot sex and fucked up scenarios. Thank you for making me cry.

And Johnathan, if you ever read this, the love you have for your wife brought tears to my eyes. I almost came out of this book without tears--almost--but your EOBS left me sobbing. Happy tears. Tears of beauty because there is something beautiful and powerful about the love you have with your wife. For your wife. And the words you used to share that with us, your readers, left me smiling and crying.

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