Tuesday 15 October 2013

Review: Bold Tricks - Karina Halle

The Faster They Live, the Harder They Fall . . .

Raised by con artists, Ellie Watt has a lot of crazy childhood memories-but none crazier than being scarred with acid by the demented crime boss Travis Raines. Now Ellie is a full-grown woman who lives for revenge, and Travis is a full-blown drug lord who kills for pleasure. The sadistic bastard has kidnapped her good friend Gus as well as her mother, whom he's been holding as prized possessions in his heavily guarded lair. And Ellie has only one chance in hell of getting them out alive-using two dangerous men who love her to death . . .

One is Camden McQueen, a talented tattoo artist who's made a permanent mark on Ellie's heart. The other is Javier Bernal, her fiery ex-lover who's busted more than a few heads in his time. From the crime-ridden streets of Mexico City to the predatory jungles of Honduras, this unlikely trio forms an uneasy alliance in the deadliest game of all-a gun-blazing battle to the finish that will pit enemy against enemy and lover against lover. And Ellie must choose the right man to trust . . . or die.

The Artists Trilogy:
On Every Street
Sins & Needles
Shooting Scars
Bold Tricks

Visit Karina Halle's website for more information

Review:
I have become completely and utterly addicted to this series so I was incredibly nervous about picking up this final instalment. I was desperate to know how Ellie's story would end but at the same time I wasn't sure that I was ready to let these characters go and I was worried that I wouldn't be happy with the way things turned out. I needn't have wasted time worrying though, Karina Halle has given us an explosive conclusion to the series and I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through.

It's very hard to give you any information about the plot of Bold Tricks without giving spoilers and I would absolutely hate to give anything away so I'm going to keep this review very vague. Ellie is in the very difficult position of needing both Javier and Cam's help to rescue Gus from Travis. It's going to be hard enough to keep her two ex's from killing each other let alone getting them to actually work together but she doesn't have any other choice if she wants to get Gus back. She's stuck between a rock and a hard place, especially when she knows that Javier has his own agenda and she isn't sure if she can trust him to have her back. At least she knows that Cam is on her side but will he ever be able to forgive her for going back to Javier in the last book?

Bold Tricks is absolutely gut wrenching, you will find yourself hurting on behalf of all of these characters whether you love them or hate them. The story is full of shocking twists and surprises, betrayals and emotionally wrought scenes that will make you question everything that has gone before. You'll find yourself heartbroken by some character's actions and swooning over others. Ellie's journey has never been a simple one and Karina Halle doesn't take the easy way out in this book either, she sends her characters to hell and leaves them to find their own way back. Some of their actions may surprise you but they always felt true to character, they have all become so real to me that it was hard to let them go but I couldn't have been happier with the outcome.

It does veer into slightly cheesy territory towards the end but I felt that after everything Ellie has been through she really does deserve to find happiness and that cheesy ending succeeded in making me smile. I needed that happy ending after the trauma and heartache of reading the series! I feel like I've been on the world's biggest and longest roller coaster, you step off at the end feeling a little dizzy and sick but also feeling incredibly satisfied and proud to have survived it. I'm glad to have shared Ellie's journey, I've been right there with her through every moment and I wouldn't have missed a second of it.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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