Title: Infini
Author: Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie
Genre: New Adult
Pages: 465
Year: 2017
Publisher: Purchased
Source: ARC provided by the author
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Synopsis:
Some love is infinite
“Don’t have a best friend that’s a girl” — this was the advice from my older cousin. I didn’t take it. Because he followed with, “friends don’t f*ck friends. And you’ll want to f*ck her.”
It was terrible advice.
My cousin should’ve told me that being best friends with Baylee Wright — since she was twelve — would be the best and worst decision of my life.
He should have told me to protect her from what was coming.
He should have told me that when a darkness crawled towards us, there’d be no safety net.
Now I’ve signed back on to the same Vegas acrobatic show as Baylee, working together for the first time in years. And she tells me that she’s having trouble in a certain “area” of her life — because of our past.
“You can help me fix it,” she says.
And then she hands me a list.
Standalone New Adult Romance – Recommended for readers 18+ for mature content.
Luka Kotova is introduced in Amour Amour, and Infini takes place in the same acrobatic world. However, it’s not necessary to read Amour Amour prior to Infini
Reviewer’s Thoughts:
Infini is nothing like what I imagined. (That’s not a bad thing.) Prior to reading this novel, I had this fictionalized expectation that built up within me, not all of them were met or canon. (Again, not a bad thing.) I thought it’s going to be all fun, cutesy, and wild just like Amour Amour but the threshold exceeded that level.
Infini is more angst. There are intricate hard-hitting topics that are woven into the plot. (See: trigger warnings below.) It’s also the most slow-burn book Krista and Becca have ever written.
Infini is told from the shifting point of view of Luka Kotova and Baylee Wright. We already met Luka in Amour Amour. Back then, we already knew his history of shoplifting. He is kleptomaniac. He is also bulimic. You’ll see the part of himself that struggled with his disorders, but you’ll also get to unfold this side that you didn’t get to see before. He’s a dreamer, compassionate, unfailingly loyal, and reliable. We also get to meet the heroine of the story, Baylee Wright, for the first time. She’s pretty low-key, and not so mysterious. She loves soca music and sporty things. You’ll get to see her layers. What resonates with me with Baylee is her grappling with depression. That’s in no way easy. I love that she and Luka both have a supportive family system that understands their struggles.
Circus is family.
There is the trademark brand of Krista and Becca’s book such as familial dynamics and an ensemble of cast. Of course, the amazing quips and bond between the characters is what made Infini lifting. That’s the joy. I always say I’m weak for a huge cast even more so when they form a crew. We get to see the cast of Aerial Ethereal in a different light. I love that Katya and Timo are integral to the plot. We get to see Luka’s intimate relationship with them and his tough-love with Nikolai. What I didn’t expect is Dimitri’s significant role in Luka’s life. I dislike him in Amour Amour, he’s a dick. He’s still a dick, but I appreciate his character more than I used to. I love his relationship with Luka. We get to delve deeper into Katya’s, Timo’s, and Dimitri’s induvial arcs. We get an update about Nikolai and Thora as for John and Camila as well. Readers would also get to meet Baylee and the important people in her life. I don’t want to spoil it to anyone, but you’ll see. What I can confirm is, she’s not a token black character. I love a lot of things about Infini, but the family love is what I would always cite as my most favorite aspect.
Let’s talk about my favorite part: romance. This is the most difficult to talk about because everything screams spoiler. The trope is best friends to lovers mashed up with second chance romance. I’m biased, but I see a lot of parallels between Baylee and Luka with Daisy and Ryke rather than Lily and Lo. They’re all best friends to lovers. (In a different emotional scale.) I know, Baylee and Luka have their own merit, this is for Addicted Series fans who are planning to read Infini, they’ll noticed the danger, the restriction, the forbidden romance. They’re also painfully tragic. *clutches heart*
My only legit criticism is this line from the synopsis, “Don’t have a best friend that’s a girl” — this was the advice from my older cousin. I didn’t take it. Because he followed with, “friends don’t f*ck friends. And you’ll want to f*ck her.” It simply reinforces heteronormativity.
Verdict: I love it. I personally feel that Aerial Ethereal has so many tales to unravel, I wouldn’t mind a solo Timo, Katya, Brenden or even a Dimitri book. If you adore Amour Amour or Addicted series, you should pick it up. You’ll fall in love with the romance, art, and the characters. For new readers, and those on the fence, you should still pick it up. Your pre-conceived notions are probably going to be different, but you’ll be amazed by the surprising twists.
This book contains adult language and graphic scenes, including situations that may cause trigger reactions. Such situations include: grief & loss, bulimia, depression, kleptomania, and various forms of abuse. This story is meant for readers eighteen years or older.
That’s the trigger warning from the introduction. While Infini handled every aspect with a fitting approach, readers should still proceed with caution.
You don’t have to read Amour Amour to understand Infini. This is a standalone novel. Though, it’s highly recommended to follow chronological order of release.
Review also posted at Amazon and Goodreads.
Infini is now available for pre-order in Amazon and iBooks. It’s on sale for the first week and the price will go to regular afterwards. The authors, Krista and Becca, is also offering an exclusive short story set in Addicted Series universe for every reader that pre-ordered Infini. This is a good time to buy it! For more details, visit kbritchie.com/preorderoffer.
The first book in the series, Amour Amour is also on sale for $0.99. Buy it on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, & Ibooks.
