In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to talk about the books we got in the mailbox or inbox as the case may be!
So I got:
Still another week of getting books, and enjoying them, and yet not putting the content into this post! What about you guys? Happy reading!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Week 13 Review: Weather Witch
In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!
Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia's most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn't miss this night for all the world!
But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.
My Review:
This was a really fantastic book! There were a lot of things going on, which made things a bit confusing (like there was Jordan, and then the staff of the Astraea household dealing with Jordan's mom, and the guy...yeah, a lot!) but it was really entertaining!
This world, was well built, but also not one that I'd want to live in! What with the banned steam power, and the highly structured lives, restricted lives, and the way that the "lesser" people are treated, was just horrible! Definitely wouldn't want to live there!
The big twist about Jordan, and her Weather Witch status, well, that's really interesting, and leaves me with a few questions, because yeah, there were quite a few POV's, so with that twist, well, things might not be what they seem!
All I say about that ending, is that this better be a series! Because things were left unfinished, and the characters are separated, and yeah, I hope that they can finally get together, because it seemed that was something the book was aiming towards!
Really fantastic book, weird, but entertaining, and I'd really, really, really love a sequel!
Author: Shannon Delany
Read: March 29th, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Enjoyed her 13 to Life series, and it's a SAC 2013 Book, and a Historical Fiction 2013 book!
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Expected Publication: June 25th 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 4/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Week 13 Review: Wicked Kiss
MY KISS CAN KILL.
I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul...or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't...I hurt myself.
Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop-or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy....
NIGHTWATCHERS
When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...
My Review:
I loved reading this book! And it was really awesome to get this book early, though I didn't read it early, bad me! But it was really fantastic to read this book! I enjoyed it so much, it was a great sequel, and I loved how it ended!
So Sam has changed because of the events of the previous book. Which kinda sucks for her, but makes for some pretty great reading material! There was conflict between Bishop, and Kraven, because hey, that's a pretty complicated situation! And Sam trying to figure out their history is a pretty big thing!
The characters are really what make up this book! 3 angels, 3 demons, and Sam. They're battered from Dark Kiss, but there's another threat up and coming, and they fight it pretty hard, which was really great to see!
One thing I'm wondering about, is when she took the energy from him, did that fulfil the hunger for the power, so that when she kisses Bishop, she doesn't take his energy? Because that would make everything so good, and I would love if how that was how it ended!
This was a really great book, I would love a sequel, though it's unlikely, since this wrapped things up pretty well!
Author: Michelle Rowen
Series: Nightwatchers #2
Read: March 29th, 2013
Source: NetGalley/Tuebl
Reason Why: I enjoyed the first book, and it's a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book and an End of Series 2013 Book!
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: February 26th 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 4.5/5 Stars |
Week 13 Reviews: Wolf Pact, Gates of Paradise
Lawson and his brothers escaped from the underworld and now lead desperate, dangerous lives. They’re pursued by the Hounds of Hell from one town to the next, never calling any place home. But when the hounds finally catch up with them and capture the girl Lawson loves, the hunters become the hunted. Lawson will stop at nothing to track down the hounds, even if the chances of saving Tala are slim...
The only hope he has lies in Bliss Llewellyn. Bliss, too, has lost someone to the beasts and will do anything to get them back—even if it means joining forces with the insolent, dangerously good-looking boy with a wolf’s soul.
From Goodreads:
Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael—Jack and Mimi Force, as they are known in the Coven.
Or so he thinks. Even as Lucifer assigns Jack and Mimi the tasks of killing their true loves, the Force twins secretly vow to defeat the Dark Prince once and for all. But how far will Mimi and Jack go to conceal their real loyalties?
Meanwhile, former vampire Bliss Llewellyn has joined forces with Lawson, the greatest wolf of the underworld, to free his people from their imprisonment in Hell. As they struggle against impossible odds, an ancient message, woven into the very fabric of time, reveals just how much depends on the success of their mission.
Lucifer seeks the key to the Gate of Promise, and when Schuyler is taken captive and delivered straight to Hell, she must make an unthinkable choice—the same one the archangel Michael was forced to make during the Crisis in Rome. Will Schuyler find the strength to do what he could not?
My Review:
I loved reading these books so much! The Wolf Pack collection, it was really great to see Bliss in the spotlight, and then Gates of Paradise, having everything come to a head, yeah, that was really great to read!
So Wolf Pact, was told in 4 parts. And I loved the covers, how the bush becomes less and less, while the story becomes more and more, that bit of opposite was really fantastic! It was just really fantastic to read about the wolves!
Then Gates of Paradise, where we're in the home stretch, and things are happening, and oh, was that an epic ending to the series! Jack and Mimi have to work for Lucifer so they can get free of him, and that really sucks! But in the end, they win, so that's a plus!
I just loved that ending! Besides that wolf couple, who weren't shown, people got happy endings, which was so darned great! And there's the spin off series, which I can't wait to read, I know it's going to be fantastic, and I can't wait to get to it!
I loved reading these books so much, they were a great ending to a series I enjoyed so much, and I can't wait to read more Melissa De La Cruz books!
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Series: Wolf Pact #1, 2, 3, 4, Blue Bloods #7
Read: March 28th, 29th, 2013
Reason Why: I'm enjoying the series! And they're Sequel Challenge Books! And Gates of Paradise which is a End of Series 2013 Book.
Publisher: ATOM, Disney-Hyperion
Published: September 25th 2012, January 15th 2013
Wolf Pact:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 3/5 Books |
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| 3/5 Stars |
Gates of Paradise:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 3.5/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Week 13 Review: A Touch Menacing
Eden is dying. For real, this time.
She is crumbling to ash, and an unnatural plague is ravaging mortals and immortals alike. With both Heaven and Hell out to destroy her, Eden can no longer tell the difference between good and evil.
Friends become enemies. And enemies are everywhere.
But don't underestimate Eden. She'll fight for her life, for the lives of those she loves, and for every life she has ever touched.
She'll fight for revenge. For redemption. For—just maybe—the chance to be mortal again.
Everything began with forbidden love.
What will be sacrificed at the bitter end?
My Review:
OK, in your minds, take the awesomeness that was A Touch Mortal and A Touch Morbid, combined. Then multiply it. And then scratch that, because you can't measure the awesomeness that was this book!
Leah Clifford broke my-and almost all others, if not all, that have read this book-heart's. Because there is a ton going on, and most of it, is not good for the characters! Like Eden's crumbling and various enemies.
Or Gabriel. That was hard to read. It just kept getting worse and worse, though there were hints of things getting better, those just kinda made things worse! And then Luke and Kristen, they had a really interesting dynamic!
The ending! Oh, my, that was an ending, one that we knew couldn't be a cliffhanger, because it's the end of the series. And thank goodness, because I don't think I could've taken much more! It was such a great ending!
I just loved this book so much! And this series! One fact is embedded in my mind-I want to read more books by Leah Clifford!
Author: Leah Clifford
Series: A Touch Trilogy #3
Read: March 28th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Love this series, and it's a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book!
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Published: March 5th 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 4.5/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Week 13 Reviews: Isolation, Partials
Two decades before the events of Partials, the world was locked in a different battle for survival: a global war for the last remaining oil reserves on the planet. It was for the Isolation War that the American government contracted the ParaGen Corporation to manufacture the Partials—our last hope in reclaiming energy independence from China. And it was on these fields of battle that the seeds of humanity's eventual destruction were sown.
Isolation takes us back to the front lines of this war, a time when mankind's ambition far outstripped its foresight. Heron, a newly trained Partial soldier who specializes in infiltration, is sent on a mission deep behind enemy lines. What she discovers there has far-reaching implications—not only for the Isolation War, but for Partials and humans alike long after this war is over.
A powerful take of our world on the brink, Isolation gives readers a glimpse into the history from which Partials was born—as well as clues to where the Partials Sequence is heading next.
From Goodreads:
The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.
Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.
My Review:
I loved reading both of these so much! The world inside of these books was so fantastic! I just enjoyed reading the both of them so much! Things happened, and I was just so interested in what was going on!
Just oh, man, this world, I loved everything about it, even though things were pretty horrible, what with the lack of choices that the ladies had with kids, because of how humanity is slowly dying out. That was really horrible! But they're working on it!
So Isolation, well, yeah, that was a pretty terrifying look at the future! And that we would treat the Partials like that, just because we created them, does not mean that we're better then them, or should treat them that way!
I just loved the fact that Partials and Humans have to work together to solve what's killing both sides. Because whoever came up with that probably thought that it wouldn't happen, and we'd all die. But ha, ha, that Kira and Samm were willing to work together!
Oh, man, this was a fantastic start to the series, and I can't wait to read Fragments next!
Author: Dan Wells
Series: Partials Sequence #0.5, 1
Read: March 28th, 28th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good, and they're 2013 Dystopia Books, and Sequel Challenge 2013 Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: August 28th 2012, February 28th 2012
Isolation:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Partials:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Week 13 Review: A Spear of Summer Grass
Paris, 1923
The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savannah manor house until gossip subsides.
Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.
Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming-yet fleeting and often cheap.
Amidst the wonders-and dangers-of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for-and what she can no longer live without.
My Review:
This was a fantastic book! It's pretty different from her Lady Julia series, seeing as it's set in the 20's, and Delilah is pretty different from Julia, like that she doesn't care about solving mysteries, except when it's personal, and yeah, it is it's own book, and I utterly loved it, I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading it!
I loved Delilah, and her layers, from the one that everybody sees, the social butterfly, party animal, that gets into trouble, but as we read, layers are peeled by, from her first husband and what happened to him, why she wears the black wristband, that she was a nurse during the war, there's more to her than meets the eye, plus she's pretty smart with dealing with the opposite sex, and playing games with them, and their heads!
I loved the 2 legends that were mentioned, the New Orleans Rougarou, and the Masai pinching man, The Rougarou was pretty creepy, but I'm glad how that ended! And the pinching man, I wonder who it was, though it probably changes, because it does work, though I wouldn't want to experience it!
The whole Gideon, and then the name he was born with, Ole, and when he tells her that name, it was just so bittersweet, that he's telling her that in their last goodbye, as they're never going to see each other again. He had a hard draw in life, and I hope he does well because he did survive!
I loved this books so much, it was just fantastic, and so good, and there were historical details, so you can learn stuff, too!
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Series: Spear of Summer Grass #1
Read: March 27th, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: I enjoy Deanna Raybourn's writing! And it's a Historical Fiction 2013 Book and a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book!
Publisher: Mira
Expected Publication: April 23rd 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Week 13 Review: Mila 2.0
Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.
Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.
Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.
Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza's bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity-style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.
My Review:
Oh, this was a really action packed, thrilling book! I loved it so much, it was so original, and with that ending, man, I do so want the sequel in my greedy hands right! But I'll have to wait, and that sucks, which is a sign of a pretty darned great author!
So the first third of this book, approximately, Mila things that she's a regular girl, and though strange things have happened, the whole "experiment in artificial intelligence" thing hadn't came out yet. But when it did, oh, that was a big twist!
This book was interesting and unique, which just made it all the more special, because it was high tech, and different, and I just loved reading Mila's journey, though there were some pretty hard parts, especially near that end!
But oh, boy, that ending! That was a really emotional ending, with her mom dying, and then her going on! And because that's after the break out, well, yeah, that was a pretty action packed ending to! I just loved reading it!
Such a fantastic book, and I can't wait for the sequel!
Author: Debra Driza
Series: Mila 2.0 #1
Read: March 27th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded really good! And it's a DAC Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Published: March 1st 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 4.5/5 Books |
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| 4.5/5 Stars |
Week 13 Review: Strands of Bronze and Gold
The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .
When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram's beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.
Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it's as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she's trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac's intoxicating world.
My Review:
I enjoyed reading this book so much! I wish that I'd read it early, like I got the opportunity to do with the ARC, but oh, well, I read it, and I loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel! This was such a great book, and I enjoyed it so much!
So I know the basics of the Blackbeard tale, about wives, trust and curiosity, keys, and death. So I wondered how that was going to fit in this book. And I loved how it did so, slowly, and it just crept up on you, that eerie feeling that something was happening, and then it was!
To be honest, I didn't like Sophie too much in the beginning. She was just a little bit too childish in the beginning. And then it kinda sucked that it was this experience that she had to have to grow her up. But her growing up, grown up, I liked her much better!
I really enjoyed her journey once it got going, the whole growing up thing, and that she fell in love, that she saw more possibilities for herself then what others saw for her, it just makes me really want the sequels, to see how they're going to play out!
This was a really fantastic book, I enjoyed it a ton, and I can't wait for the sequels!
Author: Jane Nickerson
Series: Strands of Bronze and Gold #1
Read: March 26th, 2013
Source: Tuebl/NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC book and a Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: March 12th 2013
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| 4.5/5 Hearts |
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| 3.5/5 Books |
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| 3.5/5 Stars |
Week 13 Review: The Nightmare Affair
Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn't get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli’s dream comes true.
Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.
My Review:
I enjoyed this book so much! It was just so good, and entertaining, and I just loved this world so much! I mean, nightmares? They're in the Soul Screamer series, but here, Dusty's the main character, and the way the world is set up, I just love it!
Dusty was just so awesome! A bit flippant, sarcastic, but strong, and wanting to the right thing, and some problems with authority, mostly because they kept her from doing what had to be doing, because they didn't understand. But there were some helpful adults!
I loved how Dusty and Eli investigated, it was just so cute! And I really enjoyed the clues, the story just flowed, and it was just a great mystery! I kinda guessed about Paul, but I didn't get the big bad in the story!
That ending! I loved how they defeated him, and learned stuff about her family, and made a better relationship with her mom, and yeah, that kiss with Eli! That was a great ending! And totally made me want to have more!
I enjoyed this book so much, and I can't wait for the sequel, it's going to be great!
Author: Mindee Arnett
Series: The Arkwell Academy #1
Read: March 26th, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: It sounded good, and it's a DAC Book!
Publisher: Tor Teen
Published: March 5th, 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Week 13 Reviews: Double Crossed, Perfect Scoundrels
Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?
W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?
There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.
Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they've never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.
When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they're at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey's spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?
The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.
From Goodreads:
Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want.
No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark.
Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.
My Review:
I enjoyed these so much! I mean, Double Crossed combines the world of the Heist Society with Gallagher Girls, so yeah, they're in the same universe! That is something to know! And then Perfect Scoundrels, that the heist is on Hale, not that Kat and Crew pulling one off!
I enjoyed Double Crossed so much, not just for the fact of it combines the worlds, but the small details in that, that their worlds are intersecting, and how the characters related to each other, especially Hale and Macey, since they were the ones in the high tension situate. The offer that Cammie makes, for Kat to join the Gallagher girls, was just awesome!
I just loved the mysteries in these books! Because of course the situation at the gala is more then it seems! And then of course, there's the problem with Hale's grandmother's will, and how tricky they were with that! It was just intriguing to read!
I just loved the developments that happened in both books, because while Double Crossed is small, it's pretty significant. And Perfect Scoundrels might be our last Heist Society book for a while, while her new series starts off. So there's a need to bask in both of these books!
I enjoyed reading both of these so much, they were so good, and I was just so excited to read them, they were just what I wanted, and didn't know I needed!
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Heist Society #2.5, 3, Gallagher Girls #5.5
Read: March 25th, 26th, 2013
Source: NetGalley, Library
Reason Why: Love this series! And they're Sequel Challenge 2013.
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: January 22nd 2013, February 5th 2013
Double Crossed:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Perfect Scoundrels:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |