Series: Book 1 of Stardust
Authors: Autumn Reed and Julia Clarke
Stars: 2.5 out of 5
Book Blurb: (from Goodreads.com)
The Stardust Series follows the story of Haley Jones and six dangerously appealing guys—Liam, Knox, Ethan, Chase, Theo, and Jackson.
All Haley Jones wants for her eighteenth birthday is answers. Thanks to an overprotective dad and a secluded existence in the Sierra Nevada wilderness, Haley has never experienced a typical life. Her dad claims there’s a good reason for their isolation, but he refuses to tell her why, delaying her questions with the promise of answers when she turns eighteen. That day has finally arrived, but the explanation raises more questions than answers. And when Haley wishes for the chance to explore the world, she finds that the old adage rings true—be careful what you wish for.
***
I started reading Phoenix due to the vague but very intriguing blurb. Why do Haley and her dad live alone in the wilderness? What are they hiding from? Are they in the witness protection program? I had to find out.
The book begins on the day of Haley's 18th birthday and readers find out along with Haley that she and her father are in hiding from a dangerous criminal. The danger soon becomes very real when Haley returns home from a hike and finds her home on fire and her father missing. Haley then finds herself in the care of six mysterious and attractive guys who work for a company called Zenith doing... well, we don't actually know.
For those hoping for the action and excitement of the introduction to continue, like I was, you will be disappointed. After Haley moves to Santa Cruz, California with the guys, the action takes a back-seat and the focus turns to Haley finding her place with the guys and learning to trust them, though I have to say I think they earned her trust a little too quickly. While Haley is in hiding and staying safe with the guys, the guys try to find her father and see the reason for Haley's home being attacked. Haley, however, isn't involved much in the search. The book focuses more on character and relationship development than on an action-packed plot.
I liked Haley and found her to be an interesting main character. She's intelligent, loves to read and play board games, knows self-defense, and knows how to make the best of difficult situations. The guys are also an interesting group. There's Jackson, the serious leader; Liam, the wealthy flirt who is the opposite to Jackson; the brothers Knox and Theo, one who is former who is very protective and works on cars, the latter who is friendly and fashion-savvy; Ethan, the M&M loving playboy; and Chase, the sweet, youngest member of the group. Each character is distinct and has a clear voice, which is helpful since otherwise it could get difficult trying to keep everyone straight.
The book wraps up neatly but doesn't close the story; it's clearly set up for the next book in the series. An epilogue from Jackson's perspective teases what is to come. While I wasn't as impressed with the book as I hoped to be, I still enjoyed it and will give the next book in the series a chance.
Series: Book 2 of Stardust
Authors: Autumn Reed and Julia Clarke
Stars: 3 out of 5
Book Blurb: (from Goodreads.com)
It’s been two weeks since Haley Jones turned eighteen and her life was turned upside down. While searching for her dad, Haley is adjusting to life in Santa Cruz with a new job and friends. Surrounded by six dangerously appealing guys, she’s still trying to figure out just who Liam, Knox, Ethan, Chase, Theo, and Jackson are and what they do. From a twenty-first birthday party to a swanky costume gala, Haley discovers just how difficult it can be to fit in and that maybe it’s okay to stand out.
***
In Draco, Haley gets a job at Zenith doing secretarial work. It's nothing as exciting as what the guys seem to do (though we still don't know what it is that they do because it's top secret). She gets a fake identity and back story so she can have a new start in Santa Cruz, though she has to be careful around her nosy co-worker, Melissa.
Haley and the guys also grow closer, though she's not a big fan of Jackson yet and Liam's flirting makes her uncomfortable. Her friendship with the guys (and hints of more than friendly feelings) are still the main focus rather than the mystery and danger surrounding Haley's father and his past. Rather, the background danger serves as the reason for Haley to stay safe with the guys. As Haley comes to care for the guys, she faces a couple conundrums. First of all, do they like her too or they just being the kind, awesome guys they are? And secondly, if they do, what will she do and who will she choose?
While there isn't a lot of action, there is a little bit. Some progress is made in the search for Haley's dad. The guys, through Zenith, were hired to find Haley's dad and the guys have the opportunity at a charity gala to question the man who hired them and find out more. I was glad to see Haley push for a more active role and she gets to go on the mission to the gala, albeit as Liam's "date." And when Haley finds out the guys haven't been keeping her in the loop, she stands up to Jackson and demands to be told what's going on, which had me cheering. While I would have rather seen Haley doing more, I was glad to see some improvement in Haley being less passive and the way she stood up to Jackson has me hoping to see a more proactive Haley in the next book.
Like the first book, Draco doesn't end on a cliff-hanger (thank goodness!) but there isn't full closure because it is set up to lead into the next book. Additionally, we get another epilogue chapter, this time featuring Jackson and Liam. It hints that the guys are feeling more than friendly towards Haley too, which could lead to tension in the group.
Series: Book 3 of Stardust
Authors: Autumn Reed and Julia Clarke
Stars: 4 out of 5
Book Blurb: (from Goodreads.com)
Haley Jones already thought her life was complicated, but after the events of the gala, she is in desperate need of direction—if only there was a compass for locating her missing dad or navigating relationships. Despite her efforts to gain independence and forge her own identity, she still feels adrift in her new life. And, when things heat up with Liam, Knox, Ethan, Chase, Theo, and Jackson, Haley finds herself in uncharted territory, torn between attraction and frustration. When tensions rise within the group, will Haley be the one to pull the guys together or tear them apart?
***
Pyxis is the third book in the Stardust series and it picks up right where book two, Draco, left off. It had been a while since I finished reading the last book and it took me a little time to remember all the different characters -especially since Haley is balancing six(!) romantic interests. We also see the return of Haley's BFF, Jess.
We hadn't seen a lot of Jess in the previous two books. She was Haley's only friend when she lived isolated with her dad, but then Jess left for college. She is a hilarious person, and encourages the new and improved more confident, more outgoing Haley. Haley asks Jess for advice, especially when it comes to the guys, and her feelings for them. It's good that Haley has Jess for support and a friend besides one of the guys.
With six different swoon-worthy guys in the picture, there's obviously going to be a lot of attention paid to the relationships between Haley and them. I appreciate how the authors have made each character unique. You can also tell that the guys all truly care for Haley. Better yet, the relationships between Haley and the guys are a two-way street and they help and support each other. Too many book relationships seem one sided, probably because we're only in one character's head, but it's not that way with this series.
The romantic feelings between Haley and the guys are further developed in this book. Haley doesn't seem to be leaning towards one guy more than any of the others (though something dramatic happens with one of the guys near the end!), which could be setting up the story to fit in the "reverse harem" (RH) category. This would mean that Haley doesn't have to choose one of the guys, but that they will all be in a relationship with her. RH books aren't for everyone, so if the idea makes you uncomfortable, then you may not appreciate the next books in the series. It will be interesting to see how the authors go about setting it up.
Over the course of the series, Haley has shown a lot of growth, which readers are reminded of when her best friend humorously asks if she's been taken over by aliens. She's always been intelligent and strong, but she's stands up for herself more and is more confident and comfortable around the guys (except for moments of awkward romantic tension). As a girl who grew up homeschooled and pretty isolated, she's doing a fantastic job of adjusting to a lot of new situations.
One minor critique I have is that she seems to be adjusting almost too well. Yes, she frets a lot about the guys and her feelings for them, but everything else hardly seems to come up on her radar. The guys will ask her how she's doing and if she wants to talk and it seems that in those moments she finally remembers that she still hasn't found her dad, there's a bad guy out to get him and possibly her too, and that her entire life was upended only a few months ago.
The pacing of this book was generally good. I would say this book is definitely more character driven than plot driven, but there is more action this time than in Draco. In Pyxis a bad guy emerges and Haley is stuck between a rock and a hard place. There were some points where lots of time was passing (weeks or even months) and I was starting to get anxious for something else to happen beyond the relationship drama. Once I got to that point, however, it usually wasn't too long until a new development would arise and the action would pick up again.
Overall, I would recommend that people who enjoyed the first two books in the series add the third book to their library as well. But be warned, Pyxis ends on a cliff-hanger (one of my pet-peeves). Book 4 won't be out until 2017, but you can read book 3.5 in the meantime! And book 3.5 resolves the cliff hanger.
Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Series: Book 3.5 of Stardust
Authors: Autumn Reed and Julia Clarke
Stars: 4 out of 5
Book Blurb: (from Goodreads.com)
Haley
“For the last seven months, my life practically revolved around 'my' guys—they kept me safe, made me laugh, and embraced me as one of their own. And, now, the unimaginable was happening. I was turning my back on the life I created with them. There would be no more duets with Chase, tickle fights with Theo, stargazing with Ethan, running with Knox, relaxing with Jackson, or cooking with Liam. In other words, I was walking away from the place—and the people—that had become my new home.”
Knox
“Theo opened his mouth like he was going to say something but then shut it again. The truth was, there was nothing left to say. We had to either compete for her heart or let her go, and both options were incomprehensible. Even if she chose me, could I live with the guilt of knowing I stole her away from my brother and best friends? And, if she chose someone else, would I ever get over her?”
***
Book 3 ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger and Chamaeleon picks up where Pyxis ended.
What I find most exciting about Chamaeleon is that this book is not just from Haley's point of view, but from each of the guys' as well. If you've been wanting a sneak peak into Knox's or Jackson's or Liam's or Chase's or Theo's head, well here's your chance! The characters are what really make the Stardust series and in Chamaeleon we get to dive deeper into each character, their thoughts, emotions, and motivations. While having a book switch between so many perspectives could get really confusing, A & J have done a pretty good job of keeping the flow and minimizing confusion. It helps that there are date headers for each chapter to help readers navigate the timeline of events.
From the beginning of the series the books have been about Haley and the guys, but now we get to see how Haley and the guys act without each other. I liked seeing independent Haley. She's smart and resourceful and while she misses the guys a lot, she sticks to her decision and makes the most of her situation. I also liked seeing how the guys deal with Haley's disappearance and because it's from the guys' pov, we get to see the dynamics of their team a lot more.
I find myself enjoying each book in the series more than the last. I definitely recommend Chamaeleon for anyone who has enjoyed the previous books and is a fan of RH. A & J are on a roll and I look forward to reading book 4 in 2017! Hopefully we won't have to wait too long into next year for the release...
Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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