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Review

Whoa! Another wild ride from the genius that is Karina Halle.

There’s really not a lot I can say without it being a massive spoiler for Sins & Needles, so read on at your own risk.

Picking up right where Sins & Needles left off, we find Ellie in the hands of her evil ex, Javier, and Camden left behind, devastated that she gave herself up for him, but with his own family to take care of.

With each chapter alternating between Ellie and Camden’s POVs we get to see exactly what is going on with them as Ellie is blackmailed by the man she used to love into helping him with the ultimate act of revenge, and Camden is betrayed yet again and finds himself on the run from the authorities and doing whatever he can to find her.

Once again, the story is dark and gritty, and it twists and turns all over the place. I was constantly surprised at the turnarounds and new directions the plot took. There is so much action and excitement, and the story moves at a great pace with a whole heap of WTF, there is no way to predict what is going to happen next. But it never overtakes what, I feel, is very much a character-driven story.

Now, I am out and proud to be Team Camden. Even during On Every Street, I was totally devoted to the hot hunk of nerd. But there’s just something about Javier in this book that got to me! He’s such a fascinating character! He’s got this way about him – so sly, controlled and powerful, and he wields it brilliantly. Plus he’s so freaking smooth, and he and Ellie have amazing chemistry. There is, of course, a lot of anger between them, but it’s so passionate! And yes, he’s a cheating, murdering drug lord, but when he shows his vulnerability, I’ve gotta say I melted a bit. And I kinda hate myself for it!

“I want to break every part of you! “ I exclaimed but gave up and collapsed on him. “I want you to break,” I whispered…
“You have,” he said softly, his hand stroking the back of my head. “I told you that you broke me when you left. And you did. I’m not lying to you.”
“You always lie.”
“No. Not now.”

But despite my momentary lapse, it’s Camden all the way for me, and Oh. My. God, he steps it up a few notches in this book! Desperate to get his girl back, he goes all badass, and honestly, he shocked the shit out of me! Who is this man? Not only his determination, but what he is prepared to do to find her. I felt so awful for him and all that he had to go through trying to find Ellie, and my heart literally broke for him at one point, which was the moment where I felt that the tension in the book stepped up big time, and I literally could not put it down until I had finished.

“All for a girl. But she wasn’t just any girl.
She was mine.
And I was hers.
Until the bitter end.”

And then, of course, there is Ellie. Our beloved, effed up, confused, Ellie. She endures so much in this book, and I really felt for her. I was right with her the whole way through – her shock and outrage at being taken by Javier, her confusion over her life as she fought to be good while surrounded by the bad that she thought she deserved, and all that that led to. Just… wow. She is such an amazing heroine! Raised in awful circumstances and subjected to evil that influenced her life in such a consuming way, yet she still tries so hard to find herself, and fights really hard to keep her head above water. She’s flawed, but that’s part of her appeal, and I absolutely love her.

Shout out, too, to Gus. He’s so awesome! His obvious love and concern for Ellie are beautiful, plus, he’s got a whole heap of badass going on as well! But most of all, I love how straightforward he is, and the relationship between him and Camden is gold.

“Now how about you man the fuck up, put your big girl panties on and go get your fucking ex- girlfriend back.”

While the romance is definitely a factor, it’s not as strong as it is in the first book, and definitely a whole lot more complicated. And I actually really like the direction things took in this book. It’s confronting and conflicted, but it adds so much more depth to the story, and the way everything played out – from the turning point right through to the aftermath –was sensational! It was shocking and raw, but it was realistic. And I thought the reactions and dynamic it created were absolutely sensational!

Karina Halle has given us a fantastic sequel to the phenomenal Sins & Needles, and has set up Bold Tricks beautifully, with all hell breaking loose, and a massive game changer coming in the final pages of the story. I’m really glad I waited to read this one, and I’m going on with the story right now.

4.5 stars.

 

The Artists Trilogy series

 

For similar reads, check out our Dark & Edgy Recommendations page

And for more amazing books by this author, see our Karina Halle Author Spotlight