[Steph’s Review]: The Rose by Tiffany Reisz

Author Tiffany Reisz returns to the world of The Red with an imaginative sequel full of lust and magic, and the dangers unleashed when the two are combined… 

On the day of Lia’s university graduation party, her parents—wealthy art collectors with friends in high places—gift her a beautiful wine cup, a rare artifact decorated with roses. It’s a stunning gift, and one that August Bowman, a friend of her parents and a guest at Lia’s party, also has his eye on. The cup, August tells her, is known as the Rose kylix, and it’s no ordinary cup. It was used in the temple ceremonies of Eros, Greek god of erotic love, and has the power to bring the most intimate sexual fantasies to life.

But Lia is skeptical of August’s claims of the cup’s mythology and magic—after all, he’s a collector himself, and she suspects he just wants to get his hands on this impressive piece of art. So he dares her to try it for herself, and when Lia drinks from the Rose kylix she is suddenly immersed in an erotic myth so vivid it seems real—as though she’s living out the most sensual fantasy with August by her side…

Realizing the true power of this ancient and dangerous relic, Lia is even more wary of giving it up, though August insists it is only safe with him. He’s willing to pay the full value of the cup, but Lia has another type of trade in mind. One that finds them more tangled up in each other—and in fantasy—than either was prepared for

I’m shook.

Let me start by saying this: if you haven’t read The Red, or if it’s been a while since you’ve read it, I highly recommend that you re-read it prior to reading this, otherwise you’ll feel compelled to go back to it once you’ve finished this! There are characters (and references to scenes) in The Rose who were featured in The Red, too.

Now that that’s out of the way, let me talk about how much I friggin loved this book.

Greek mythos and Tiffany Reisz books are my kryptonite, so to have both at one time had your girl shooketh.

The Rose was a saucy book filled with laughs, steamy encounters, plot twists, and amazing storytelling that straddles the line of fantasy and reality in a way that makes you wish you could live between the pages. The characters were entertaining and endearing, and I found myself wanting to devour every scene along along the way. The story flowed flawlessly, and I’m fighting the urge to go back and reread it because I loved this book so!
Tiffany Reisz yet again proves that she has a gift of weaving stories together in a way this is captivating and utterly brilliant. This book was the book I didn’t know I wanted, but I’m sure glad I got. 

This is my official first 5-star read of 2019, and I can’t wait for it to come out so that the rest of you can enjoy it, too!