Book Review – Lovely Trigger by R.K. Lilley

Lovely Trigger (Tristan & Danika #3)
Kind of *spoiler* warning: I don’t say much by way of “info” in this review regarding THIS particular book, so I think anyone can read it, but I suggest you just go right to review #1 (my book review of Bad Things by R.K. Lilley (Tristan & Danika #1), and read this series from there. Come back to this review when you’ve finished this book. And then… let’s hold each other. 😉 *giggle*

Come to think of it, now that I’m putting in the book-quotes, don’t read this review unless you’ve read book #2. 😉

ME <— such a happy reader right now. *sigh* 🙂 Yah you guys… I’m in book-fog LOVE mode right now, and I’ve been craving this end-of-series bittersweet feeling for ages now!

I got it back. That book-loving feeling.

This truly is one of those “old-school” indie bad-boy series the likes of those we fell in love with way back when. I’ve been on a search ever since and have successfully found more, but believable angsty love-story treasures like this are kind of rare, ya know? And even more so, when the first book hooks you (and keeps you) from the start, the second book is even better (and turns your world upside down for hours on end) and the final book proves to be the best one of ’em all.

As was the case (for me) with this one!

“Lovely Trigger” —> definitely 5-stars for this one. It was my favorite. I FELT it deep, and right from it’s start.

Maryse: 24% into Lovely Trigger and my heart is aching and I’ve got butterflies. Yep… I’m slow motion reading, seeing and feeling everything at this moment… ’cause it’s so goooood.

Lisa: This book tore me up, not like Rock Bottom, but pretty dark close!

Maryse’s Book Blog: Ahhhhhh Tristan. *swoooooooon* Right now he just feels so much like my beloved Travis in his sweet sadness. I just wanna cuddle him…

Marivett: I’m still in a book hangover after reading LT.

Tee: Ahhh!! You’re making me wanting to do a reread and I just read it like 3 days ago! lol

Sharon: I am about 65% into book one and I don’t want to finish it, because I don’t want to know what more is going to happen.

Vicki: I finished it!!! It was great! Everything you want in a great book. My emotions were all over the place. Sad, happy, mad, excited!! I loved it!!

Wendy: I did the same thing Maryse! Slow motion read because I wanted to read every single word and feel every single emotion. Plus, I didn’t want it to end Glad you’re loving it!!

Kimberly: Just finished!! Started this morning!! Right with you maryse! Now what??! Lol

Charlie: I was up until 3:30 this morning finishing it. *sighs* it was everything

Kim: I’m in a total book funk now. I’ve started 4 different books since finishing LT and can’t connect to anything. Loved this series!

Mairead: Maria!! Like Travis they said!!! Ermahgerd <— sidenote from Maryse: LOL!!!!!!

Maria: Ive read it Mairead Downey, just finished lovely trigger the other day

Mairead: Ooh get u lol – sneaky reading withot me! <—sidenote from Maryse: *giggle*

Maria: Lol thats the tristan and danika trilogy Mairead <— sidenote from Maryse: I love book friends. This happens to me all the time. *ahem* LORI!!!!

Catherine: I adored Lovely Trigger – that feeling of it not being over but not feeling safe enough for it to begin again. Both of them so scared of each other and yet unable to stay away. Tristan’s gentleness and sweetness………………SIGH!!!

Heidi: I read it in one sitting. It had me ugly crying, ugly laughing, just ugly everything really. PURE BOOK AWESOMENESS.

↑↑↑ What they said. “It was everything.” and “Now what?” and “PURE BOOK AWESOMENESS.” ↑↑↑

And as a whole? A five-star series, cause it took the time it needed to for me to LIVE them out completely.

It took the time to introduce that sweet, butterfly-inducing crush, and let me soak in it for days, weeks maybe even a month or two. Er… book-weeks/months. You now how that goes. No insta-love here. Insta-lust YES!!! But we got to play in it. Cuddle with it. Tease it and flirt with it. The oh so obvious… “But no! We’re just friends” stage. And the reader is allowed to indulge in it for a good long while. Oh you want it now (you crave it like crazy… as you get subtle nudges, lip brushes, finger touches), but you just LOVE the ride, anyway. That’s the best part!!!

And the author drew that deliciousness long enough for me to start falling in book-love. She gave that to us, too. That intro-couple stage… the yummy honeymoon phase. Constant making out, inhaling each other. Attempting to absorb the other one into you. Or you into him. LOL!!! I love when that happens. *sigh*

But where there is love between two SEVERELY HOT (and somewhat emotionally damaged) people… there will be drama! That intensely awesome connection and the intensely destructive reactions (and monkey-wrenches) were just right, for me.

…the losses started piling up until I’m sure she’ll say we lost more than we ever had together. That’s not true. We had more than we ever lost, but either way, I screwed it up.

The drama, for the most part, all made sense, right to the last book loaded in more jealousy-inducing infuriation, misunderstandings, and tentative re-connections.

Oh I LOVE that!! When it comes to books? I love pining so hard and wondering if I’m ever going to get him. I LOVE falling in love, I LOVE being jealous, I LOVE thinking OH NO HE DIDN’T!!! I love wondering what’s going on, and pacing the floor. Texting, and backspacing my text. Calling, and then hanging up before the call goes through. Calling again, and not getting an answer. I LOVE going cold and numb right down to my toes… I love that lump in my throat. I LOVE crying. I love fighting. I love thinking NEVER CALL ME AGAIN (and throwing my book-cell phone out the window and watching it smash to the ground)! I LOVE breaking up!!!! I LOVE regretting that reaction, when I start “hearing” the truth via my friends. His friends. I love making up… and all of the strides it takes to get there.

I missed him dreadfully.

I convinced myself that it had all been passion, not true love. True love was a myth, a misdirection from the solid things in life. What I’d felt for Tristan had been big, and all consuming, but I told myself like a mantra in my head, that it had never been solid.

Even so, every little thing brought him to mind. We’d had too much together, been through too much, felt too much, and every feeling had a memory. So many songs, shows, and movies were locked away for me, never to be viewed again.

It was that kind of breakup.

The ruinous kind.

*sob* Oh GOD, yes it was.

Will they? Won’t they? My lips are sealed.

Yes. I’m a nut. A book-love nut. 😉 I need that slow-burn that turns into a roaring fire. Intense, hard, and raw. And I need all of the mistakes that come with that kind of vigor.

It was only later, at night, as I lay in the dark that his words began to move in my head. To circle. In a crazy loop.

Here’s all you need to know about crazy: Crazy’s favorite shape is a circle.

Broken records, crazy urges on a loop. Any of this ring a bell? That’s how crazy works and why it keeps repeating itself.

And boy was it repeating itself now.

Oh yes!!! Yes. It. Was!

Mind you in real life? GAH!!!! I could NEVER handle all that. LOL!! I’m telling you right now, I throw up when I’m stressed. I’m like that girl on “Perfect Pitch”. You think I’m kidding? Just ask my husband. I’d be a barfy-mess. *blush* Nobody would wanna kiss me after that. Ick!

The consensus is that we read to escape. But it would seem my preferred “escape” is into full on “wtf-crazy-angst” mode. But the realistic “Yeah, I can see that” kind. I can “live” it… all that crazy emotion, experience those intense jealous feelings that I’m ashamed to admit… might TOTALLY be me, ’cause I could relate to this HEROINE BIG TIME!!!

But all that to say… wanna read three books in a row without stopping ’cause you just need to read them, they’re so good? Crush, pine, fall in love, and wanna throw up, cry and rock yourself back and forth in the corner for awhile? And then move onto book #3… for relief, BIG LOVE or at least.. some sort of closure? THIS SERIES!!!!!!

What’s this one about? I won’t say much. Let’s just say it is the continuation of Tristan & Danika’s journey. The last stage. They started young (full of “new adult” dreams of forever-love, family and rock stardom). What a life-lesson they learned.

It was a bitter pill to swallow; how my own rock bottom had impacted her. I had always been the one to throw myself in front of a punch for my brother, my mother.

And my wife. My wife. I’d have done anything to take her pain, to bear her injuries myself. Instead though, I had caused them.

This series will take you through the lives of early twenty-something year olds (well, her at least) into this last book where they are adult-adults. Young-ish, still… but so much older (life experience-wise).

Maryse: “I figure I have a better chance of getting you to come back to my house, if I fill it with the things you love.” Awwwwwwwww!

Tee: That’s my boo!! Tristan

Heidi: THAT BOY AND HIS SWEET LINES. *SWOON*

Wendy: Forget the like button, where’s the love button on Facebook ??? Tristan…*sigh*

Charlie: Swooooooon!

Melanie: Oh Tristan. Sigh.

Jennifer: Oh god!!!! Finished last night and I can’t move on!!

Deri: I still haven’t started a new book because I have a book hangover from this series. That only happens with my absolute faves….Usually I’m on to the next book immediately!

Angie: Started yesterday. Finishing today. Love love

Lila: I’m still in book hangover. Its been days…

Catherine: ^^^Me too Lila!! SIGH.

Maryse: Okay I’m done and this was my favorite of the three! Fantastic!!! *whooooooooo* that was intense. Tristan is to die for! Book #3 was absolutely my FAVORITE. Wow she had the emotions ALL done up right in that one.

Holy Moly I’ve never wanted to snuggle with a book-guy harder. Well, if we don’t count Travis, Kellan, Brian and Christian. Oh geeeez. But it’s been a LONG time since them, so this is BIG for me! Oh and Dex. Dex always makes me wanna cuddle him SO HARD!

But Tristan? You’re my newest #1! Oh boy are you ever!!!!!!!!

↑↑↑ Hehe. Those were my exact emotions… all of my barely containable exhilaration upon finishing this series. I was a delightful mess!

So yes… this one was my absolute favorite, and even though I gave the first two books 4.5 stars each, this series as a whole (especially due to this last book) is an easy 5-star series to me!

“You make me happy. You know that, right?”

5 stars!!!  —-> I LOVE YOU TRISTAN and R.K. Lilley. Oh and YOU absolutely, Danika!! We were one and the same, we were each other for 3 whole days, weren’t we? I’ll never forget how awesome you (we) are.

P.S. Song of the series, for me? “Say Something” <— careful. This video’ll make you cry. Fair warning. HIDE!!!!!

P.P.S This one, too —> Almost Lover. <— careful. I’m telling’ you now… Oh. And I’m gonna add this song to the list (the lyrics are exactly right!!!!! OMG it’s like this is THAT story) —> When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars

P.P.P.S. Beware of book-tears. The girls say crying in #2. However, I was too furious to cry. But I choked up #3. TONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tears. THIS was that book for me.

P.P.P.P.S: I bought ’em all, and totally worth every single penny!

➔➔➔  Love this author? Browse more R.K. Lilley features and reviews on my blog. 😀

➔➔➔  Looking for more of my must-read recommendations? Browse my 5 star and 4.5 star and 4 star reviews. 😀