I received this book free from Netgalley, the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Bold Tricks by Karina Halle Series: The Artists Trilogy #3
Published by Forever on October 15th 2013
Pages: 226
Genres: Contemporary, Diiiirrrrrrttyyy, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley, the Publisher
Amazon
Goodreads
Also by this author: Come Alive, Shooting Scars, Ashes to Ashes
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.
About Karina Halle
Karina Halle is a screenwriter, a former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of The Pact, A Nordic King, and Sins & Needles, as well as sixty other wild and romantic reads.
She, her musician husband, and their adopted pit bull, Bruce, live in a rainforest on an island off the coast of British Columbia, where they operate Raven Ridge, a B&B that’s perfect for writers’ retreats and romantic getaways.
In the winter, you can often find them in California or on their beloved island of Kauai, soaking up as much sun (and getting as much inspiration) as possible. For more information, visit www.authorkarinahalle.com/books.
Halle is represented by Root Literary and is both self-published, and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Penguin, and Montlake. Her books have been published in numerous languages around the world.
Following the disastrous outcome of the events in Shooting Scars, Javier, Ellie and Camden are forced to team up to right the wrongs. Having the three thrown together forces Ellie to finally choose between the two men that stole her heart.
Bold Tricks is the final installment of The Artists Trilogy where we finally get to see how everything culminates. Told from the sole point of view of Ellie, Bold Tricks maintains the violent and thrilling complexity we’ve come to expect. All loose ends are tied up sufficiently but without that picture perfect ending because that’s the least you could expect with a cast of characters like this. Is there a happily ever after? Well… I suppose that depends on which Team you’re on. I will say I was a bit disappointed at the portrayal of a certain character though, but won’t reveal who. My guess is it was a way of making Ellie’s choice a bit easier but that person’s actions seemed too out of character and didn’t fit as well with what we’ve come to expect.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is not my normal genre and if I didn’t adore Karina Halle’s writing from her Experiment in Terror series then I likely would have never picked this up. Contemporary Romance is not my go-to genre, but the fascinating cast of characters is what truly makes this series shine. They may be written in such a way that makes them incredibly realistic, but they are in no way average nor predictable. I’m incredibly sad to see this series come to an end and despite my slight disappointment, Bold Tricks is still a satisfying enough end and a fantastic trilogy overall.
I need to get caught up in this series, they do sound good.
They’re definitely worth a read. 🙂
Oh god…now I’m nervous. Camden probably turns psychotic…
I’ll still read it, but I’m going in with reservations.
Rory recently posted…Storm Front by John Sandford (Or The Top Ten Reasons To Read John Sandford)
You can comment!
I can’t wait to see what you think. I have an inkling you’ll feel much the same as I did..
I know, I was so proud that when I pressed submit comment, it actually popped up instead of freezing the screen and disappearing!
Rory recently posted…Storm Front by John Sandford (Or The Top Ten Reasons To Read John Sandford)
That makes me happy. Blogger sucks.
Hey have you finished Doctor Sleep yet?
Ugh, no. When I read it, I really enjoy it, it’s just not something that’s holding my interest. I actually just finished re-reading The Dead Zone instead. Since I’ve been in such a slump/funk/bleak mood, I’ve been going back to old favorites more often than usual.
I should be able to finish it up today. Not sure if I went the wrong route with getting it on audio because I’m not enjoying it as much as I had hoped. I’ve been in a slump too.. should try to read a favorite myself. Might do me some good. I was trying to finish up Doctor Sleep and this other read I’m in the middle of so I can finally get to Burial Rites though!
I’m glad to hear that this was a satisfying end for you. Now I’m so curious to see which character’s portrayal was disappointing. I hate when love triangles are resolved when one character drops out of contention by behaving out of character or doing something horrible (*cough* Gale in Mockingjay *cough*). I need to catch up so I can read this one! Great review 🙂
Lauren recently posted…Book Review & Giveaway: Just One Year by Gayle Forman
Hah hah, I was JUST saying over on your WOW post. 😉 I guess I should enter this giveaway since you’re giving away all three books! (and the Mini, but that’s kind of secondary, hah.) Thanks for hosting, Bonnie!
Wendy Darling recently posted…Mini Reviews: Secret Lives Edition
And PS, in answer to your question–both glasses and tattoos can be sexy. Just depends on the guy who’s wearing them. 😉
Wendy Darling recently posted…Mini Reviews: Secret Lives Edition