Flip Trick

I will admit, I purchased this book solely based on the cover. Upon purchasing it, I did read the blurb. I was a little bit intrigued. I was curious about the story. I finally had the time to dive in…

The book started out okay. I was really digging it for a few chapters, then everything just went downhill. I was hoping for an angsty push and pull with these characters. I got the push and pull part but absolutely no angst. No connection of any kind with them. The author tried, she really did. She tried to build this overall consuming connection and chemistry between them, but it just wasn’t there.

The story itself is so all over the place and completely over the top. Full disclosure: I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at these characters and the scenarios the author put them in. It was just too much like a soap opera with bad acting. It was so all over the place. It was like the author was trying to put them in the most dramatic events she possibly could, but they just didn’t fit.

In a story like this, the reader wants the characters to fight for one another, not just give up every single time something goes wrong. The strength the characters supposedly held was not shown in this book. And seriously, why so many obstacles. Obstacles that were way beyond realistic, I was losing interest with each page.

There were way too many cliché tropes all thrown into this book. I really want to list them, but then I would be spoiling the “twists” in the book. It was a huge hodgepodge of tropes stuffed where the author thought they would fit.

This was my first read from this author. I do own a couple of others, but I am not sure if I will read them after this one. Between the above mentioned and the poor editing (which also took away from a good reading experience), I will have to think on picking up the others I have purchased.

Amethyst and Maddox had a special type of relationship. Their relationship wasn’t simple but extremely complicated. Each hurdle in their relationship talk them a lesson about themselves and about life and love.

Their family… Oh my god their family was unconventional and I loved them for it. Wolf and Talon are two brothers that you want in your life when the chips are down. Leila… she was definitely like a sister from another mister. Ame and Leila fought, laughed, and loved each other like no other. It was crazy to watch.

If you think this story will be simple, you are going to be surprised. If you read this author before, you should know a surprise or a wtf moment is always waiting around the corner.

3.5 Stars – unexpected good, but could have been better

I wasn’t sure what to make or think of this book. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to read it but then I thought, hey, it’s Amo Jones. So, clearly I had to read it because who wants to miss out on her book?! Not me for sure.

So, in the end, this one was a tough nut to crack. Amo’s books are always a surprise as I never know what to expect. They are unique with crazy characters which I love but want to strangle at the same time. She creates a crazy that’s addictive. This one wasn’t like her other books though, but special in a way nonetheless.

This book had me up and down the pipe. Haha! It started out really good although I had to get accustomed to a different setting as I was used to so far from the author’s recent books.
Amethyst, the main character was a real gem. She didn’t give a flying f.u.c.k about anyone and lived in her own private little world and was oblivious to the people looking at her in envy or lust. Her bubble was burst by Maddox who she soon found out was her stepbrother. This was never a real issue in this story though but there was still one drama and mess following the other. At times I wasn’t sure if they really were in college or still in high school with all the drama going on.

I was torn between liking the story and getting annoyed at the repeats of Amethyst’s thoughts and her and Maddox break-ups and constant fights. It felt like turning in a circle and the time jumps in the story just added to all the drama because there was one after the other and no room to take a calming breath. The constant back and forth was just tiring. They had a love-hate-relationship going or maybe it was just fate that didn’t want them together.

I generally liked the story but I thought at first that there wasn’t much to it and got a bit bored throughout. Later on though there was one thing happening after the other and I felt that some things were just too convenient and too strange a coincidence to feel natural to me.

I liked Maddox and also his brothers but I didn’t always like their actions and reactions in certain situations. When something happened that they didn’t like, they always punished their loved ones to the maximum. But when it was the other way around, they just got mad that the other person didn’t understand their reasons. I like strong men but they were a bit too self-centered and worried and cared too much about their own stuff.

At times I got so angry and mad at the characters but that’s something I’m already used to because the author has the ability to create characters that bring out the worst in me. =P *devilish grin*

4 Stars
Review by Amy W.
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Flip Trick is my first read by Amo Jones and as I have seen such praise for her writing I was excited to jump in.

He leaves the remnants of my heart on display for everyone to see, just so he can say, ‘I did that. She’s mine.’ His way of owning me, is by breaking me.

This is the love story of Amethyst and Maddox.

She’s a rebel without a cause, and her soul is fucking reckless, but I want it.

There are lots of obstacles that come between them, some I saw coming and some that blindsided me. This is an angsty read, like the angstiest of all angsty reads. So much freaking drama. Just when they overcome one complication another quickly took its place.

I really loved the characters, all of them. Amethyst, Leila and Liza as well as Maddox, Wolf and Talon; even Cassidy and Kennedy. But I have to say this started out as one type of book, the kind I expected from the blurb, and twisted into something else with each new stumbling block Amethyst and Maddox faced. This gave the book a slightly disjointed feel, but once you get over the initial shock of ‘so this is what this is now’, the story flows and will capture your attention.

I wish that the flow of the book stay in one central direction and didn’t have so much drama. That said I really enjoyed my first Amo Jones book and look forward to reading more soon.

Amo Jones knocked it out of the park again!

This wasn’t my first by her and I’m used to reading her dark and twisted books.
I didn’t know what to expect here and I’ve got to say that she delivered it perfectly.
The drama,the angst,the step brother factor kept me on my toes all the way.
I was sucked right into this one and couldn’t put it down.
Maddox and Amethyst are two great,yet flawed,characters and I connected with them instantly.

A late,I think,unnecessary sub-plot towards the end made it a bit distracting to me and it was the only reason why I really liked it but couldn’t love it.
Overall,it was a great read and I totally recommend it!

So Amo Jones is a newer-to-me author and I was very excited to read Flip Trick and I was not disappointed. The story was full of angst and drama I was literally at the edge of my seat for most of it!

Amethyst was such a strong character who was also very vulnerable. She was determined, but also finding her own way at times. Maddox was just so intense. I loved and hated him throughout this story. He was domineering, strong and full of himself, but he sometimes showed a different side that pulled us in just a little bit. There were times you were not sure they even belonged together and others you just wanted to knock them over their heads to beat some sense into them.

I have to start out by saying this was a very angst-filled read. So much stood in between Maddox and Amethyst and most of the time, it was their own actions. I wanted to throw my eReader often! I was not sure how these two could come it out at the end, if at all. This couple’s journey was not an easy one at all and their struggles almost undid me! But I kept on reading and I am so glad I did.

Flip Trick was not an easy read, but I do not look for easy. The characters drove me nuts, but their story captivated me. There was some over-the-top turns I was not expecting, but it flowed with the story. What a crazy and wild ride!

Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.

Happy reading!

How could you not love Flip Trick honestly? The characters and storyline are so gripping! I couldn’t swipe my finger quick enough on my Kindle to get to the end. Maddox is just.. holy moly!! I’ll take more of him please and thank you! Amethyst is such a great heroine and I just would have loved to be her when I was younger. Her style, her spunk, her relationship with Maddox. Amo has once again done such an AMAZING job with her words and created another captivating, original book!

“Despite the fact that last night made my thighs clench, my bones scream, and my soul roar with anarchy, it also made me painfully, somewhat aware how lethal Maddox Stone is.”

No hearts and flowers here, well maybe a little….lol. I loved the angsty, push/pull, tension through the roof, slightly forbidden whirlwind that was this couple. Reading to the wee hours, I inhaled this book like I was a starving maniac because I couldn’t look away for even a second. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the Author would throw another wrench…and another…and another….

“The very reason why I stayed away from guys like Maddox all my life, was this reason right here. They’re the devil’s work, and I don’t sin…”

Maddox is a complete force of nature, like a tornado, hurricane, and tsunami all rolled into one, and he clears the path to make his way to what he wants, consequences to the wind. At times, I wasn’t a fan, but his magnetism is undeniable to both Amethyst and the reader…he just commands your attention and will not let you look away!! The drama has you cursing and throwing your kindle…I mean you had to work for the HEA that you thought would never come, as unexpected events just kept shattering their little bubble!! Clear your schedule completely for this one, because you will not be able to put it down!! I thank the Author for providing a copy to review!!

“It’s intoxicating and forbidden, and probably poisonous, but a real nice way to wake up dead.”

~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog

Flip Trick stirred my emotions, had me ranting like a lunatic, shocked and ready to throw my Kindle yet still absolutely mesmerized by the story unfolding within its pages. I was unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster ride this story would take me on. I’ll be honest and admit I laughed, cried, ranted, cursed and considered wrapping my Kindle in bubble wrap to ensure its safety.

The characters are fantastic and held me riveted from the first page until the last. I figured I would read a few chapters and head to bed but instead read the book straight through and ended up going to work a bit bleary eyed. I love the dual POV and couldn’t tell you which character I loved more because even the secondary characters hold you captive. Maddox Stone was intense, moody and a bit of a mystery I couldn’t wait to uncover. I adored Amethyst Tatum and her tough yet loving, and quirky personality. This couple is one you can’t help but root for even when it seems like everything is about to head in one direction and life throws them a curve ball no one saw coming.

Flip Trick was a captivatingly intense, angsty and mesmerizing book that evoked all the feels and I hated to see end. A definite must read and one of my top books this year!!

After I read the synopsis of Flip Trick and talked with my blogger friend about Amo Jones’ writing, I knew I needed to introduce myself to Jones’ storytelling and the jacked up but amazing characters she creates. But even though I was forewarned that Jones’ stories take readers on an emotional rollercoaster EVERY. SINGLE. TIME, I still was not prepared for what the plot twists and the angst would do to my emotional state; for the duration of Maddox and Ame’s story, my stomach was in knots and my whole body was tightly wound and that never changed, even at the end when the story was brought to an amenable resolution.

I don’t think I can truly capture just how jacked up Flip Trick’s storyline is without giving away content, so I’m just going to discuss the characters and the plot in a general sense, offering insights into my experience reading the book and how my mind and my heart were both tortured and ecstatic due to the chaotic complexity of this story.

The first thing I need to make clear is that I loved Amo Jones’ writing; it’s easy to see how much of herself she puts in every word she crafts and that the trials and tribulations her characters face are what they need to endure in order to grow as people and in order to understand that life is difficult and the choices they make affect more people than just themselves. I can only imagine how strung out Jones was at the conclusion of Flip Trick due to the back and forth between Amethyst and Maddox and the way they directed their stories to be told. It was exhausting reading about all the ups and downs and highs and lows that these two faced throughout the course of their sometimes dysfunctional and highly emotional relationship, so to have them inside her head demanding that honest perspectives be used, no matter how gritty, fucked up, or unfair they may seem had to be beyond draining.

But while I can handle the presentation of characters’ raw and real circumstances, what I find difficult is when part of their journey feels too predictable and/or the reasons behind certain actions aren’t fully or clearly explained. Now, not all readers will feel the same way that I do when it comes to Ame and Maddox’s story; I’m sure some will not suspect anything as they read the first part of the book, but early on, I inferred what the conflict would be and the fallout that would occur due to those circumstances and I wished it would have gone in a different direction.

Now don’t get me wrong, there were aspects of the story I never saw coming and I could have never predicted just how long it would take for Ame and Maddox to find their way back to each other because they kept getting hit with obstacles that seemed insurmountable, but it took me a bit to get over the fact that I had called the main conflict early on because it just didn’t sit well with me given the connection that Ame and Maddox were supposed to have and how easily they seemed to let it go.

Despite my issue with some aspects of the plot line, though, I clearly saw what all of the other characters saw when it came to Ame and Maddox and their pull to each other. It’s rare to have that kind of connection from an early age, especially when a shitload of situations occur that push them in opposite directions for quite some time, but their bond was always there…just beneath the surface, waiting for the right time for it to make itself known and hopefully remain out in the open, even if things went awry again.

I had quite the girl crush on Amethyst throughout the duration of the story; I love that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her and that she remains true to herself. She’s a rare beauty and that’s clearly illustrated, even when she’s a hot mess due to circumstances out of her control. And, now that I look back on my adoration for her, it may be part of the reason I hated that the plot went the way that it did and caused her heartbreak.

Maddox Stone is definitely an enigma, and his fighting name ‘DESTROYER’ is quite fitting for the various complications that occur throughout the storyline. There was never a time that I detested Maddox, even though he made it quite difficult not to in certain parts of the plot. He felt that he always had a reason for his actions and for the most part, he did, but watching Ame suffer due to some of his decisions made me want to destroy him.

Flip Trick definitely provokes a wide range of emotions. I was exhausted when I finished the book, and I didn’t know if I wanted to breakdown or rage despite a satisfactory ending simply because I couldn’t calm down after everything that went down and what I witnessed the characters go through. There’s some seriously jacked up stuff that goes down and as a reader, I couldn’t help but feel just as much of a hot mess as the characters themselves because of how Amo Jones made me feel a part of the group who watched everything between Ame and Maddox go down and what they individually had to cope with when things were on a constant cycle of good and bad.

Amo Jones’ book are on my radar now, so I will be checking out the other ones that are on my Kindle, but I’ll have to space them up because it’s more than clear that I will be emotionally drained at the end of each one.

4.5 Poison Apples