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The Artists Trilogy #3
Bold Tricks
From the New York Timesbestselling author of A Ship of Bones and Teeth comes aspicy, dark romancefor fans of Katee Robert and Sophia Lark. Raised by con artists, Ellie Watt has a lot of crazy childhood memories, but none worse than being scarred with acid by crime boss Travis Raines. Now Ellie is a full-grown woman who lives for revenge, and Travis is a full-blown criminal 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.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2013
97 people are currently reading
6,679 people want to read
About the author
Karina Halle
113books18.7kfollowersKarina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Grave Matter, Blood Orange, & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it.
When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.
When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.
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August 26, 2013The book is done. The Trilogy is done. Yes, I cried big time. Man...fucking LOVE these characters and I really hate to say goodbye...*sob*
Dudes. I. loved. this. book.
Dudes. I. loved. this. book.
October 15, 2013
3 NO SPOILERS…UNLESS YOU CLICK ON THE SPOILERS LINK BELOW STARS
February 10, 2017
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW:
After unique and exciting and after intense and emotional believe me that THIS is going to be the most phenomenal and mind-blowing instalment in the series!
My Javier, Ellie and Camden:
The unthinkable has happened - Ellie, Camden and Javier have to unite to dig themselves out of the mess they created in previous book. But is it even possible for the three of them to cooperate after everything that had happened? Everyone wants to do things their own way and so the wildest ride of their lives begins. Will Ellie get her long-sought revenge? And will she ever be able to find peace and happiness?
Ellie's state of mind is not at good place at the beginning of this book. She made various mistakes she deeply regrets and she is a different woman than the one we used to know in previous instalments. Seeing everything through Ellie's eyes made me dizzy. All that raw passion and her desperation to feel loved, to feel alive... Karina Halle definitely did not make it easy for her readers, but I have to love her for her ability to make me feel completely engrossed in her story no matter what is happening!
Another thing that is most definitely worth of mentioning are sex scenes. Written by Karina Halle, they are never robotic or meaningless. They are always raw, emotional and memorable!
I loved how action-packed this book was from the very beginning. Full of adrenalin, excitement and constant present of danger. The moment things calmed down a little bit, something else happened. Believe me, this book will blow your mind and Camden will steal your heart!
So much has happened in Bold Tricks! I was shocked, I was mesmerized and I was constantly on my toes. It was one hell of a ride and fabulous conclusion to the trilogy. To say I loved it would be understatement. I devoured every single word and I'm sad it is over. Thank you Karina for sharing Ellie's story with us. This series will stay with me forever!
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG
After unique and exciting and after intense and emotional believe me that THIS is going to be the most phenomenal and mind-blowing instalment in the series!
My Javier, Ellie and Camden:
The unthinkable has happened - Ellie, Camden and Javier have to unite to dig themselves out of the mess they created in previous book. But is it even possible for the three of them to cooperate after everything that had happened? Everyone wants to do things their own way and so the wildest ride of their lives begins. Will Ellie get her long-sought revenge? And will she ever be able to find peace and happiness?
Ellie's state of mind is not at good place at the beginning of this book. She made various mistakes she deeply regrets and she is a different woman than the one we used to know in previous instalments. Seeing everything through Ellie's eyes made me dizzy. All that raw passion and her desperation to feel loved, to feel alive... Karina Halle definitely did not make it easy for her readers, but I have to love her for her ability to make me feel completely engrossed in her story no matter what is happening!
Another thing that is most definitely worth of mentioning are sex scenes. Written by Karina Halle, they are never robotic or meaningless. They are always raw, emotional and memorable!
I loved how action-packed this book was from the very beginning. Full of adrenalin, excitement and constant present of danger. The moment things calmed down a little bit, something else happened. Believe me, this book will blow your mind and Camden will steal your heart!
So much has happened in Bold Tricks! I was shocked, I was mesmerized and I was constantly on my toes. It was one hell of a ride and fabulous conclusion to the trilogy. To say I loved it would be understatement. I devoured every single word and I'm sad it is over. Thank you Karina for sharing Ellie's story with us. This series will stay with me forever!
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG
October 9, 2013
***NO SPOILERS***
The Artists Trilogy has been one of my favourite series of all time. Really. It has broken all my rules about contemporary romances, love triangles, "bad boys"... everything. I have loved Ellie, Camden and Javier; they have made me sad, frustrated and angry at times, but damn, have I loved them. As soon as this third and final installment was made available to me, I snatched it up with an eagerness that will only be understood by those people who have truly fallen in love with a series and waited desperately for the next book. And I want to give this book five stars. Or four at least. I want to rate it higher to express my love for the whole series, for the characters and for this author who's given me such a crazy story to love. But I'd be lying. Because , though not enough to kill my love for the trilogy as a whole, was a real disappointment for me.
The primary strength of this series has always been, in my opinion, its ability to break my own rules. I have always been highly critical of the romance genre and love triangles; so, for this series to come along and give me both of those at once but make me love them, well, that's really quite an achievement. And one of the main reasons that this love triangle works so successfully is because of the way the author keeps the two men on equal footing. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, they both fulfill an important role in Ellie's life so that the reader is genuinely unsure which one she will be able to live without. I finished the second book wondering how it would be possible for to take me from where I was (having no clue who Ellie would pick) to cementing my love for one of the men over the other (or at least convincing me of Ellie's cemented love). The answer: it didn't.
Halle has never had any problem putting her characters through several levels of hell. I knew that. I loved that. I expected to be taken to hell in this book and possibly have my heart ripped out along the way. But - and perhaps this is the most disappointing thing of all about this final installment - things were too easy. Ellie's decision was too easy for her. She's spent such a long time being tortured by her conflicted feelings for Camden and Javier that it felt like something of a cop-out to turn it around so quickly, so easily and so early on in the book. The characterisation of the man she didn't pick began to unravel too quickly; everything he did felt like an excuse as to why Ellie shouldn't pick him and at odds with the multifaceted character we've come to know and love. It would have been more realistic and far more satisfying to have Ellie choose between the two men who were on equal footing (even if our hearts were broken by it), than for her to face a choice suddenly made easy and obvious by the actions of one of the men.
Then we come to the issue of the choice she makes. I was willing to accept either and prepared myself to deal with whichever man Ellie ended up with. But I did not expect this book to take such a cheesy turn. "Cheesy" is a word I never thought could be applied to the Artists Trilogy. So imagine my surprise when Ellie's decision was quickly followed by the dialogue dissolving into the usual romance-y sweet nothings and cringy metaphors. While this book wasn't a complete disappointment, the romantic side of it was. And, for once, this is a series where the romantic aspect has been my favourite part, so it was doubly disappointing.
Still, there are a lot of positive things to say about . The writing has the author's addictive signature all over it, the characters are witty and hilarious as usual, and the action is at a series high. The drug cartel subplot plays an even bigger part in this book and it makes for a number of heart-stopping scenes of tension. The demons Ellie has been battling for most of her life finally surface for one last fateful showdown and a number of unexpected truths are revealed. I can't say that I wasn't wildly entertained by this conclusion and I know that I'll be looking out for everything Ms Halle writes in the future.
And I can't help but feel guilty about my rating and reaction to this book.
The Artists Trilogy has been one of my favourite series of all time. Really. It has broken all my rules about contemporary romances, love triangles, "bad boys"... everything. I have loved Ellie, Camden and Javier; they have made me sad, frustrated and angry at times, but damn, have I loved them. As soon as this third and final installment was made available to me, I snatched it up with an eagerness that will only be understood by those people who have truly fallen in love with a series and waited desperately for the next book. And I want to give this book five stars. Or four at least. I want to rate it higher to express my love for the whole series, for the characters and for this author who's given me such a crazy story to love. But I'd be lying. Because , though not enough to kill my love for the trilogy as a whole, was a real disappointment for me.
The primary strength of this series has always been, in my opinion, its ability to break my own rules. I have always been highly critical of the romance genre and love triangles; so, for this series to come along and give me both of those at once but make me love them, well, that's really quite an achievement. And one of the main reasons that this love triangle works so successfully is because of the way the author keeps the two men on equal footing. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, they both fulfill an important role in Ellie's life so that the reader is genuinely unsure which one she will be able to live without. I finished the second book wondering how it would be possible for to take me from where I was (having no clue who Ellie would pick) to cementing my love for one of the men over the other (or at least convincing me of Ellie's cemented love). The answer: it didn't.
Halle has never had any problem putting her characters through several levels of hell. I knew that. I loved that. I expected to be taken to hell in this book and possibly have my heart ripped out along the way. But - and perhaps this is the most disappointing thing of all about this final installment - things were too easy. Ellie's decision was too easy for her. She's spent such a long time being tortured by her conflicted feelings for Camden and Javier that it felt like something of a cop-out to turn it around so quickly, so easily and so early on in the book. The characterisation of the man she didn't pick began to unravel too quickly; everything he did felt like an excuse as to why Ellie shouldn't pick him and at odds with the multifaceted character we've come to know and love. It would have been more realistic and far more satisfying to have Ellie choose between the two men who were on equal footing (even if our hearts were broken by it), than for her to face a choice suddenly made easy and obvious by the actions of one of the men.
Then we come to the issue of the choice she makes. I was willing to accept either and prepared myself to deal with whichever man Ellie ended up with. But I did not expect this book to take such a cheesy turn. "Cheesy" is a word I never thought could be applied to the Artists Trilogy. So imagine my surprise when Ellie's decision was quickly followed by the dialogue dissolving into the usual romance-y sweet nothings and cringy metaphors. While this book wasn't a complete disappointment, the romantic side of it was. And, for once, this is a series where the romantic aspect has been my favourite part, so it was doubly disappointing.
Still, there are a lot of positive things to say about . The writing has the author's addictive signature all over it, the characters are witty and hilarious as usual, and the action is at a series high. The drug cartel subplot plays an even bigger part in this book and it makes for a number of heart-stopping scenes of tension. The demons Ellie has been battling for most of her life finally surface for one last fateful showdown and a number of unexpected truths are revealed. I can't say that I wasn't wildly entertained by this conclusion and I know that I'll be looking out for everything Ms Halle writes in the future.
And I can't help but feel guilty about my rating and reaction to this book.
Read
August 10, 2016Uhm ... NO.
DNF @ 28% ... I am not a fan of being forced to feel a certain way about characters. No disrespect, Karina. I enjoyed the previous 3 books in this saga but this one just didn't sit right with me. *** Just to be clear, my feelings re: this book have nothing to do with the outcome in the end (which I was prepared for and have no issues with) but with the way the characters were presented to us in this vs other books in the series.
Looking forward to your Dirty Angels series ...
#teamJAVIER FOREVER!!!
P.S. My absolute favorite in this series is . Still.
March 14, 2017
I’ve loved Karina Halle’s the Artist’s Trilogy since the first book�..it’s been a total wild ride and loved every moment of it. Captivated by the characters and their lives. It’s been more than
Bold Tricks, the conclusion to this series was totally unexpected�.talk about mind-blowing!!
It had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out where the characters would end up at. The suspense was nail-biting!!!
Ellie has been internalizing who she is and what she wants to do with her life.
She’s torn between her feelings for the two men in her life.
Camden McQueen, the tattooed artist and musician who she has known since her youth and has always loved her
Despite how he had behaved towards her in the last book, he has always been there for her�..she believes that he may be the only person who can redeem and make her a better personal
Javier, her first love, the ruthless, cynical and selfish, a manipulator
He might think he wants her back but deep down she realizes that he will sacrifice anyone to attain his goals.
All three thrown together � on the run from drug cartels, trying to rescue Ellie’s friend, Gus from the bad guys and along the way, have some incredible car chases, get shot at, discover secrets about Ellie’s parents that she had never imagined existed�..and in between trying from killing each other!!!!
Loved this…�And Camden�.hot and sexy and totally lovable!!There were quite a few surprises at the end but I was so happy that there was a HEA for Ellie�..of course if you want to know who with�..guess you will have to read the Trilogy!!!!
If you haven’t read it…I can’t recommend it enough. It will blow you away!
My reviews on this series:
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April 20, 2015
4 Final Stars!
Bold Tricks... one of my most anticipated books of the year. The final book in one of the most kick ass series I have ever read. Did it have some amazing parts? Yes. Was it full of action and suspense? Yes. Did we get some HOT scenes? Hell yes. Was the writing incredible? Yep. Did it measure up to the rest of the series? For me, not quite.
We start out right where Shooting Scars leaves off... In Mexico. Ellie, Camden, and Javier. All three together. With similar goals. They all want to get to the same place, even if it is for different reasons. This should get interesting...
I’m not going to go into the story, it would be a shame to spoil any aspect of it. I will talk about these two men... both stole my heart in different ways at different times.
� JAVIER �
Javier is the guy you hate to love, but love to hate. Book one, I hated the guy. OES, I started to fall for him. SS... oh boy. As attached as my heart was to Camden, I fell in lust for Javier. Javier is not a good guy. Javier looks out for Javier. Even with how he was portrayed in this book, I still feel there are some redeeming qualities in him. I’ve always felt that he loves Ellie. It’s a different kind of love than the love Camden has for her, but I also think it may be the only kind of love he is capable. I wasn’t super happy with the way Javi was portrayed in this final installment, but a part of me still feels for him.
CAMDEN �
Camden is a special kind of guy. He never fails to amaze me with his strength, love and loyalty. I have adored Camden from the first book. He just gets better and better. He truly loves Ellie. He makes sacrifices for her, things that Javier would never do. His actions convince me of his love for her. Camden has one special quality that no one else possesses... HE alone is able to make Ellie feel that she is good, that the bad things she has done don’t define her. He motivates Ellie to be a better person. That is why I have always been primarily Team Camden.
� ELLIE Now to Ellie Watts. Ellie is a kick ass heroine. She has some inner conflict. She wants to be a better person, but she also will do what ever it takes to accomplish her goal . Ellie feels regret for some of the things she’s done in the past. I was left wondering if she would change for good in the final book... you’ll have to read to find out.
What did I love about Bold Tricks? There was a lot I loved about this book. My favorite scene had to do with a forest and a lot of mud.
Karina Halle can write a passionate and raw sex scene like no other. She can write an action scene like no other. She can write like no other. I love how unpredictable this series has been. I love the jaw-dropping OMG moments that happen in every book. Bold Tricks is a story of redemption, love, hate, revenge and finding yourself. This has been a journey I will never forget with characters that I’ll always remember.
This is a 5 star series, all the way. The thing that prevented me from giving this particular book a 5 star rating like the others... Well, my favorite thing about Shooting Scars was the conflict that I, as a reader felt. Just like Ellie, I had trouble choosing which man I wanted. I felt like this book was just too easy. There wan’t much of a choice. I wanted that struggle, not a clear choice. The writing was amazing as always, there were many surprises, twists and turns, some very hot and sexy scenes, but I wanted who she ended up with to be a bit more unpredictable like the rest of the series has been. Now- how I felt about the ending:
Overall, I still enjoyed reading this book. I think this series is incredible and it comes highly recommended by me!
I'm still TEAM CAMDEN, how about you?
Bold Tricks... one of my most anticipated books of the year. The final book in one of the most kick ass series I have ever read. Did it have some amazing parts? Yes. Was it full of action and suspense? Yes. Did we get some HOT scenes? Hell yes. Was the writing incredible? Yep. Did it measure up to the rest of the series? For me, not quite.
We start out right where Shooting Scars leaves off... In Mexico. Ellie, Camden, and Javier. All three together. With similar goals. They all want to get to the same place, even if it is for different reasons. This should get interesting...
One one side of me was Camden McQueen, on the other was Javier Bernal. One more light than dark, one more dark than light. Both men had come for me, both med had loved me, and both of them I had underestimated.
I’m not going to go into the story, it would be a shame to spoil any aspect of it. I will talk about these two men... both stole my heart in different ways at different times.
� JAVIER �
Javier is the guy you hate to love, but love to hate. Book one, I hated the guy. OES, I started to fall for him. SS... oh boy. As attached as my heart was to Camden, I fell in lust for Javier. Javier is not a good guy. Javier looks out for Javier. Even with how he was portrayed in this book, I still feel there are some redeeming qualities in him. I’ve always felt that he loves Ellie. It’s a different kind of love than the love Camden has for her, but I also think it may be the only kind of love he is capable. I wasn’t super happy with the way Javi was portrayed in this final installment, but a part of me still feels for him.
CAMDEN �
Camden is a special kind of guy. He never fails to amaze me with his strength, love and loyalty. I have adored Camden from the first book. He just gets better and better. He truly loves Ellie. He makes sacrifices for her, things that Javier would never do. His actions convince me of his love for her. Camden has one special quality that no one else possesses... HE alone is able to make Ellie feel that she is good, that the bad things she has done don’t define her. He motivates Ellie to be a better person. That is why I have always been primarily Team Camden.
Camden owned my heart and the blood it pumped through me. He owned every atom and inch of my body, ever crevice and dark shadow of my soul.
� ELLIE Now to Ellie Watts. Ellie is a kick ass heroine. She has some inner conflict. She wants to be a better person, but she also will do what ever it takes to accomplish her goal . Ellie feels regret for some of the things she’s done in the past. I was left wondering if she would change for good in the final book... you’ll have to read to find out.
What did I love about Bold Tricks? There was a lot I loved about this book. My favorite scene had to do with a forest and a lot of mud.
Karina Halle can write a passionate and raw sex scene like no other. She can write an action scene like no other. She can write like no other. I love how unpredictable this series has been. I love the jaw-dropping OMG moments that happen in every book. Bold Tricks is a story of redemption, love, hate, revenge and finding yourself. This has been a journey I will never forget with characters that I’ll always remember.
This is a 5 star series, all the way. The thing that prevented me from giving this particular book a 5 star rating like the others... Well, my favorite thing about Shooting Scars was the conflict that I, as a reader felt. Just like Ellie, I had trouble choosing which man I wanted. I felt like this book was just too easy. There wan’t much of a choice. I wanted that struggle, not a clear choice. The writing was amazing as always, there were many surprises, twists and turns, some very hot and sexy scenes, but I wanted who she ended up with to be a bit more unpredictable like the rest of the series has been. Now- how I felt about the ending:
Overall, I still enjoyed reading this book. I think this series is incredible and it comes highly recommended by me!
I'm still TEAM CAMDEN, how about you?
“I love you,� he said, his voice gruff. “And I’ll have you. Keep you. Own you. You belong to me, only me, from now on.�
October 17, 2013
"This wasn't romantic any more; this was tragic, and it was all my fault."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I already knew I would enjoy this series before I started it. There are just some authors that click for me, and Halle is one of them. And this is a darker, grittier, and yet more realistic side of Karina Halle than her Experiment in Terror series. But no less exciting, just different.
Since book one, I've watched all three of these characters...Ellie Watt, Camden McQueen, and Javier Bernal...change. It's been a process for each of them, but I think it was Ellie that changed most of all. And I am so glad that she did. Never is the new and improved Ellie so necessary than in Bold Tricks. She has truly grown up and grown away from what she was molded into being.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"On one side of me was Camden McQueen, on the other was Javier Bernal. One more light than dark. One more dark than light."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bold Tricks picks up right where Shooting Scars left off. In Mexico, on the run from the bad guys and yet still running toward the bad guys. How does that work? Let's just say Javier isn't happy with the way things went during the last book. And now he's intent on getting to Travis and even more obsessed with keeping Ellie (and strangely Camden) alive. It's a twisted situation, for sure. Only now Ellie has to save the man who's been more of a true parent to her than her real parents ever were as well as her deadbeat mother. And dear old Camden is right there, willing to help in any way he can. And yet...so is Javier, albeit with much more selfish motives.
For me, Javier just gets greasier and greasier...this is a power hungry, loose cannon Javi, the one that has been slowly creeping up on us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I was back to dealing with the spurned Javier, the hunter and the sadist."
(...)
"Tell me angel, what is it about that boy that makes you forget who you really are? Is it the tattoos, because you know I have those. (...) Or is it those horrible glasses of his? You know, I can look like a fucking idiot if I really wanted to."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Haha! Gotta love the unapologetic prick.
Camden, Camden...your loyalty has quite simply astounded me. After your actions in book one, I was certain you could never be a bad enough ass (you know, a badass) to win me over. But you did. And you did, and you did, over and over.
Ellie sees Camden's loyalty, she sees this great man that he has become. I'm unsure of the time frame that all of this present craziness has taken place in, but I can't see it being less than a month or two. Boy, has Camden changed. Nearly as much as Ellie. He's just such a good person.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Camden McQueen deserved to have all his wrongs righted."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes. Yes. Camden McQueen blows me away and actually makes it onto my favorite heroes shelf. Whodathunk?
I did have a couple of small issues with the way things wrapped up in the end. I wanted a nice pretty bow, and I felt shorted when it came to a few things.
Those are very small spoilers I tagged there. There is one other BIG HUGE thing that I wish had been better explained or given a bigger ending, but you'll know what it is when you get there. It's glaringly, obviously missing, at least for me.
The ending...ah, what a grand epilogue! I loved it, I loved it! Although the events leading up to that epilogue...namely the last ten percent of this book was CRAZY! I literally cried out in surprise and agony at one point...it was THAT INTENSE!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I was wrapped up in layers and layers and he was at my core, at my middle. This was me and I was in his hands and he had me exposed to the bone."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edit to add: There is some controversy over who was left out of the triangle and exactly how this played out. I couldn't say it better than my friend Jeanne in her spoiler here: /review/show...
This is exactly what I couldn't say and exactly how I felt.
Arc provied by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Net Galley
October 19, 2013
4 I-Can’t-Believe-This-Is-The-End Stars!!
I will not say everything that happens in this book, because I don’t want to spoil, especially if you’re in the middle of the series.
Basically, after the end of Shooting Scars, we have Ellie getting ready to a do a very dangerous thing and she is depending of both Camden and Javier (way to piss off the fans of both teams, Karina!).
She not only will have to learn how to get out of this alive and with a chance of a relatively normal life, but in the end she will also have do decide with which man she wants to live it.
I really loved the first two books on this series and this was probably one of the books I was waiting more anxiously. I’m sad to say that it stayed far behind the previous two.
First because, second, because of the epilogue. No matter how this would end, after all we’ve been thought, we deserved a much bigger one!!
But the main reason, was because sometimes I felt like I was being forced to feel an exact way about a character or about the story and I don’t like feel like I’m forced to like or dislike characters or parts of the story.
Nonetheless, this is still an awesome series that you can’t miss and Karina’s still one of my favorite authors.
So, it’s all good ;)
I will not say everything that happens in this book, because I don’t want to spoil, especially if you’re in the middle of the series.
Basically, after the end of Shooting Scars, we have Ellie getting ready to a do a very dangerous thing and she is depending of both Camden and Javier (way to piss off the fans of both teams, Karina!).
She not only will have to learn how to get out of this alive and with a chance of a relatively normal life, but in the end she will also have do decide with which man she wants to live it.
I really loved the first two books on this series and this was probably one of the books I was waiting more anxiously. I’m sad to say that it stayed far behind the previous two.
First because, second, because of the epilogue. No matter how this would end, after all we’ve been thought, we deserved a much bigger one!!
But the main reason, was because sometimes I felt like I was being forced to feel an exact way about a character or about the story and I don’t like feel like I’m forced to like or dislike characters or parts of the story.
Nonetheless, this is still an awesome series that you can’t miss and Karina’s still one of my favorite authors.
So, it’s all good ;)
October 12, 2013
I'm sitting on this side of evil today.
Why, you ask? Because I know that Bold Tricks comes out in a few days and I think I'm going to be looking forward to the public reaction of this book. Of course, there will be at least a few pre-determined fangirl reviews, but I'm thinking that we'll also see at least a few pissy rants.
I look forward to the rants. Speaking of rants, did anyone else think one of the characters had at least one or two moments which seemed off? Or was that just me? I don't think I cared enough to be pissy about it, but I'm curious to know if other people are going to be upset.
Bold Tricks wrapped up the Artists' trilogy fine enough for me. While we never quite got back to the heart-stopping moments of book 1 (other than one nerve-wracking scene near the end), I got some closure and can proudly say that I managed to finish another series (this seems to be happening less and less for me lately).
I wish that I had more happy fan moments to add to my review, but I don't have any big highs or lows to report. The story had its moments of action and suspense, as well as a few steamy scenes, so I had enough to keep me from dropping a bomb on the entire feedback process, even if I didn't enjoy the final installment nearly as much as the first two of the series.
As usual, Karina Halle threw in a few sarcastic gems, as well as some beautifully written moments of conversation between her characters. I find myself going back and re-reading certain passages because she comes up with these random observations or descriptions which make me do a double take. Some of my favorite quips were about Javier, however his were almost too much of a given because of how extreme of a character he is, so I'll throw out a Camden gem.
"Can you still see?"
He smiled, all beautiful white teeth, full lips, and dimples. "I'm nearsighted. Which means I'll be a lousy shot until I get a new pair of glasses or some contacts. But at least I can see you clearly. The things up close. The things that matter."
Boom. There went my heart.
In the middle of a Mexican convenience store.
There was just as much action this time around but I think I found myself less interested in the actual story itself. I felt like the first half was one thing and the second half was recovery into a place I didn't necessarily want to go.
And my moments of wtf-ery included moments of cock impaling, walls gripping and milking, and taking someone to the hilt. Sigh. No, just no. I really want these over-used sex scene catch-phrases (that I see in far too many books) to die out soon.
At least the "addiction" line felt more like a joke, so I won't have to add it to my hall of fame love/drug/sex list.
Even with some minor complaints, this was a decent book and it worked well for a series ender.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
My review can also be found on .
October 31, 2013
5 and 6 and hell... 7 Awesome and Amazing, Unique and Tattooed, Bloody Perfect Stars
When everything else fails you, Karina Halle delivers... *bowing*
Until I find all the words to describe this mindblowing finale to a wild trilogy, I small teaser for y'all:
*full review to follow*
Cover and Blurb Reveal:
The wild ride and intense story that we were introduced to, with ; that took us back to the past and changed the way we feel about villains and threatened our loyalties, with ; that continued with an emotional and darkly amazing sequel, ; comes to its highly anticipating conclusion, this Fall, with !
Expected publication: October 15th 2013
Just waiting for it, will probably kill me!!!!!!!!!!!
Karina our bodies and minds are ready.... BLOW US AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
And never forget...
When everything else fails you, Karina Halle delivers... *bowing*
Until I find all the words to describe this mindblowing finale to a wild trilogy, I small teaser for y'all:
*full review to follow*
Cover and Blurb Reveal:
With more lives at stake and games in motion, Ellie, Camden and Javier form an uneasy alliance that will take them from the treacherous streets of inner-city Mexico to the wilds of the Honduran jungles in order to find their freedom. But with liberty just on the horizon, the cost might come at their own redemption.
The wild ride and intense story that we were introduced to, with ; that took us back to the past and changed the way we feel about villains and threatened our loyalties, with ; that continued with an emotional and darkly amazing sequel, ; comes to its highly anticipating conclusion, this Fall, with !
Expected publication: October 15th 2013
Just waiting for it, will probably kill me!!!!!!!!!!!
Karina our bodies and minds are ready.... BLOW US AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
And never forget...
October 16, 2013
Finally.... The final installment.....
With more lives at stake and games in motion, Ellie, Camden and Javier form an uneasy alliance that will take them from the treacherous streets of inner-city Mexico to the wilds of the Honduran jungles in order to find their freedom. But with liberty just on the horizon, the cost might come at their own redemption.
>
With this being said, I cannot possibly tell you anything about this book without giving away spoilers, but I won't do that!
ALL I will say that this book was like watching a movie.....
In the game of....
What will happen??
"I almost found it amusing that we were doing moves that belonged in a Mission Impossible movie but considering this was an actual life and death situation and Tom Cruise wasn’t going to start sprinting out of the bushes to save us, it wasn’t very funny."
What's at stake?
Who will win the lovely Ellie??
Which team are you on??
"You’ve always been my love Ellie Watt, since the very beginning. Since the moment I saw your face, your beautiful young face on that hot dry day. You were water for my soul. You made me feel like I had another half, someone else who understood what it was like to be unwanted.�
Or will it be my FAV bad boy???
"Javier did mean something. Just for those moments where I could fool myself into thinking it meant more than it did, it still meant something."
What an awesome series!
Karina Halle, you are an amazing writer!!!
With more lives at stake and games in motion, Ellie, Camden and Javier form an uneasy alliance that will take them from the treacherous streets of inner-city Mexico to the wilds of the Honduran jungles in order to find their freedom. But with liberty just on the horizon, the cost might come at their own redemption.
>
With this being said, I cannot possibly tell you anything about this book without giving away spoilers, but I won't do that!
ALL I will say that this book was like watching a movie.....
In the game of....
What will happen??
"I almost found it amusing that we were doing moves that belonged in a Mission Impossible movie but considering this was an actual life and death situation and Tom Cruise wasn’t going to start sprinting out of the bushes to save us, it wasn’t very funny."
What's at stake?
Who will win the lovely Ellie??
Which team are you on??
"You’ve always been my love Ellie Watt, since the very beginning. Since the moment I saw your face, your beautiful young face on that hot dry day. You were water for my soul. You made me feel like I had another half, someone else who understood what it was like to be unwanted.�
Or will it be my FAV bad boy???
"Javier did mean something. Just for those moments where I could fool myself into thinking it meant more than it did, it still meant something."
What an awesome series!
Karina Halle, you are an amazing writer!!!
October 18, 2013
I couldn't wait to jump right into this book and I enjoyed every minute of it!
My Thoughts:
� Ellie: I loved how she handled everything even if some things took me by surprise!
� Camden: Oh, how I love him & I love how he couldn't fight his feelings!
� Javier: He is what he is and KH made that very clear. I was a bit shocked that he didn't fight more. Can he be redeemed? Hell No and he doesn't want to be.
� Favorite scene: Fun in the mud baby!
� Favorite new character: Derek but close second is Violetta if things would have been different.
� Saddest scene: Her Mom...hands down. :(
� Best payback: Cuffed to the fence and left hanging! Priceless!
� Most unbelievable: PayPal payments...seriously?
� Epilogue: L-O-V-E-D it and I love sunsets too!
Favorite quotes:
� "This was the puzzle piece, the part that made my heart stop hurting, my soul stop bleeding."
� "You’ve always been my love Ellie Watt, since the very beginning. Since the moment I saw your face, your beautiful young face on that hot dry day."
� "I want you and I to go home and become a home."
� “You’re my moon,� I said quietly.
“Then you’re my earth.�
(Even if it is a little corny!)
May 25, 2019
|| || || ||
Ending a series is hard. There's so much riding on the last book in an established series, and you have to make sure that you deliver a full and developed story that is cohesive on its own while also supplying a conclusive and satisfying ending to the series overall. In short, if done well, the last book in a series needs to be greater than the sum of its parts, while making sure those parts are great, too.
BOLD TRICKS...did not do this.
I was worried going in because when I was looking at my friends' reviews for this book, a lot of them couldn't finish it, and many of the ones who did expressed varying degrees of disappointment over how Halle chose to end The Artists series. And yeah, she's the author, creative control, yadda, yadda, I get that. But at the same time, if a significant number of fans are telling you that you did your story dirty then it's possible that maybe you did.
The Artists starts out with SINS & NEEDLES, a story of a young scammer named Ellie returning to her hometown, ostensibly to get clean but in actuality it's to scam. And who does she choose to scam but her ex-friend and fellow loser, Camden, only he's hot now. So she dicks around with him with one eye on his pecs and the other on his safe, only it turns out that Camden knows a thing or two about scamming too, now.
SHOOTING SCARS begins where SINS & NEEDLES ends: with Javier, Ellie's ex-love-of-her-life taking away Ellie to help him in a Huge Scam, at the cost of Camden's life. Camden returns to his ex-wife and their child, ostensibly to start where they left off, only it turns out that his ex-wife knows a thing or two about scamming too, now, and has sold Camden out to her mafia brothers. Meanwhile, Javier is offering Ellie revenge on a silver platter lined with drug money: the chance to kill the man who scarred her leg while also getting revenge on her neglectful and idiotic scammer parents.
SINS & NEEDLES is a cheesy book but in a way that makes it too fun to put down. SHOOTING SCARS is a much better book, addictive, fast-paced, and developed and thoughtful in a way that SINS really wasn't. BOLD TRICKS undoes all of that hard work. Halle tears apart Javier's character arc, turning him into your typical laughing, perverted villain and also kind of a coward, whereas in the previous books he seemed much more complex and brave. Halle also seems to be doing her damnedest to ignore all of the shady things that Camden did in SHOOTING SCARS, which admittedly made him less appealing as a love interest but more appealing as a character. In BOLD, he becomes sappy and ridiculous, and Ellie won't shut up about his glasses, his tats, his height, or his cock. It's like she thinks they'll disappear if she doesn't sing their accolades enough, or something.
And let's talk about Ellie. I didn't like her, and never did, but at least in the previous two books you could kind of understand where she was coming from. SINS & NEEDLES was about her adolescent pain and SHOOTING SCARS was about Javier's betrayal, but in BOLD TRICKS she just becomes a raging, leg-humping psycho with no moral compass at all, who makes the most idiotic decisions, like having sex in the middle of the big bad's compound while they're looking for her.
The story was also ridiculous, with Halle flinging plot device after plot device into the mix, hoping something would stick. I thought the reveal about Ellie's parents was lame. I thought that sex scene where they decide unprotected is OK because they want children - a decision they make, and proceed to enact, while in the middle of mortal danger - and then calling it "baby-making" and saying "I want to put a baby in you" in the middle of sex was really gross. The sex scenes in this book in general are really gross, with some truly bizarre lines like "cock as hard as cement" and "wetter than water." The sex scenes in the first two books were great! What happened? Was the author asleep?
I was hoping for a high octane conclusion, but the fanficcy ending and the dialed-in way that this whole story was written just totally killed any enthusiasm I had about the story. Please, please, please tell me that the Dirty Angels series treats Javier right and takes some of the tarnish off this embarrassment, because I am so done with the cringe that is Ellie and Camden.
2 stars
August 12, 2016
Overall series rating: 4.5 Stars!!
Finished this entire trilogy (plus the novella) in one entire setting. Well talk about a heart-stopping, action-packed series!!
Honestly I'm torn about how I feel about this series by the end of this book. The first 3 books including the novella were 5-stars for me but the last book here fell short for me. I was quite disappointed by the direction the author took with Javier and how drastically things changed between him, Ellie and Camden in a rather last minute manner. In a way, it felt like choosing the one over the another was the "right thing to do".
Regardless I still loved how unpredictable the plot was. I think what sold me in EVERY book was not knowing what Javier's ultimate intentions were. Just when you think you had him figured out, another curveball gets thrown in and I loved that! Don't get me wrong, I do love Camden and I love the way he loves Ellie but part of me loved Javier more because I was just so damn intrigued by him. He's no saint at all but what I admired is how his character never wavered from the start and he's damn good at his game.
Very excited to read his own series now and I'm glad that we have one just for him! :D
Finished this entire trilogy (plus the novella) in one entire setting. Well talk about a heart-stopping, action-packed series!!
Honestly I'm torn about how I feel about this series by the end of this book. The first 3 books including the novella were 5-stars for me but the last book here fell short for me. I was quite disappointed by the direction the author took with Javier and how drastically things changed between him, Ellie and Camden in a rather last minute manner. In a way, it felt like choosing the one over the another was the "right thing to do".
Regardless I still loved how unpredictable the plot was. I think what sold me in EVERY book was not knowing what Javier's ultimate intentions were. Just when you think you had him figured out, another curveball gets thrown in and I loved that! Don't get me wrong, I do love Camden and I love the way he loves Ellie but part of me loved Javier more because I was just so damn intrigued by him. He's no saint at all but what I admired is how his character never wavered from the start and he's damn good at his game.
Very excited to read his own series now and I'm glad that we have one just for him! :D
October 19, 2013
*Contains minor spoilers of previous books *
After reading breath taking, emotional roller coaster, that Halle released in the beginning of the year, I fell in love with her writing and entincing storytelling. Her stories are simply wonderful mix of suspense and romance, but as much as I adored Sins & Needles and loved Ellie and Camden in the first installemnt of The Artist Trilogy, Shooting Scars was only good, Bold Tricks just� okay.
Somewhere along I started to lose my love for Ellie. From time to time I couldn’t handle her foolishness and jumping from Camden to Javier� made me sick. My hate for love triangles and undecided girls reared it’s ugly head. Silly Ellie started to piss me off. In Shooting Scars her actions stabbed me in the heart and killed my fascination and adoration toward her. I ached for Camden so much then. My heart broke for him more times that I could count.
I have no idea how to describe my feelings and review Bold Trick without giving away spoilers. It’s impossible task.
I think, somewhere deep down I knew that no matter what will happen in Bold Tricks, I won’t be satisfied. My love for Ellie and this series went away when she fucked Javier in Shooting Scars. So this ship was long gone. Despite that I had to know how it’ll end. I desperately needed Camden to have his HEA. He deserved it.
Unoftunately, my love for Camden wasn’t enough to swallow bitter taste I felt toward Ellie. I just can’t take anymore love triangles and cheating. It’s such a turn off for me!
I closed my eyes on this aspect in Shooting Scars. I really did. It pissed me off immensely, but I tried to rationalize with myslef, but in Bold Tricks, when I saw how Ellie acted toward Camden, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Camden as always melted my heart, mixed with strong fast paced and action packed plot as well as dangerous events, it was enough to not get me bored. Halle blew my mind with amazing, steamy sex scenes and great dose of dirty talking. Like always Halle threw some great jokes and fantastic sense of humor. Few times I stopped to read some sentences again. They were hidden little gems of brillaince that I cherished.
Overall, Bold Tricks is a great conclusion to the series. Every aspect was nicely closed and every question was answered. Why only three star rating then? The story lost me somewhere in Shooting Scars, because of Ellie’s behavior. There was literally nothing that could’ve been done to redeem her in my eyes.
December 11, 2013
Yaaaaaay !
Uploaded with
Thank you Karina !!!
Uploaded with
Thank you Karina !!!
October 14, 2013
5 BIG "I need you to make me good� Stars!
“Then the sun rose and his lips lightened my soul and his heart set me free�
It is no secret that I have read every book Karina Halle has written and that I pretty much loved every single one. In The Artists Trilogy I was introduced to Ellie/Eden, Camden, Javier and a wonderful host of secondary characters.
It grabbed me with S&N, took me on a wild ‘grifting� ride of deceit, revenge, lust and love.
Then I read On Every Street, the prequel novella in this series- I flipped for Javier and could not get over the heartache OES made me feel (still in need of therapy).
When I read Shooting Scars� well let me just say I was still #teamjavier. I have always been a sucker for the broken abusing and using bastard bad boys and Javier is at the top of that list.
Of course every main character Karina writes (male and female) are at the top of my list of all time, most memorable, book characters.
Can you feel the love yet? *Gushes*
*Ellie is hard, scarred, mean, beautiful, cunning, lost, hurt, and seeks revenge and forgiveness and wants to be 'good enough'.
*Camden is sweet, big gorgeous inked hunk, bullied in high school, deceived by his ex, loves his kid and loves Ellie� so much.
*Javier is power hungry, ruthless, sexy, dominant drug lord, loves Ellie/Eden but probably loves himself more.
This conclusion of TAT was full of suspense, chasing after bad guys, discovery, revenge, forgiveness, sarcasm, smoking sex and ultimately an ending that was just so right or fitting or KH style� whatever label� it totally worked for me.
And even though I switched teams at about 50ish% I will always have a spot in my heart for Javi. But I do believe Javier is not who Ellie needed to make her good and Javier could not be good just for Ellie. Even though he did have a few snippets of humanity
“I fucking need you and I need you to forgive me. I need that more than anything in the world! I need you to make me good�
“Camden owned my heart and the blood it pumped through me. He owned every atom and inch of my body, every crevice and dark shadow of my soul�
*ARC courtesy of Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley
*pre-review stuffings...
"It's hard to say no to a cock belonging to 6'2" of toned muscle"
10/15/13...
Waa...boo..hoo.... I can't believe it is over *sniff* review soon *wipes tears*
Damn you, KH... I can't stop thinking about...
Shiiiit...Fvck... Sorry-Tony and Claire of you are gonna have to wait... cause I just got me an arc from NetGalley... WooHoo!...
Get sum Javier
“Then the sun rose and his lips lightened my soul and his heart set me free�
It is no secret that I have read every book Karina Halle has written and that I pretty much loved every single one. In The Artists Trilogy I was introduced to Ellie/Eden, Camden, Javier and a wonderful host of secondary characters.
It grabbed me with S&N, took me on a wild ‘grifting� ride of deceit, revenge, lust and love.
Then I read On Every Street, the prequel novella in this series- I flipped for Javier and could not get over the heartache OES made me feel (still in need of therapy).
When I read Shooting Scars� well let me just say I was still #teamjavier. I have always been a sucker for the broken abusing and using bastard bad boys and Javier is at the top of that list.
Of course every main character Karina writes (male and female) are at the top of my list of all time, most memorable, book characters.
Can you feel the love yet? *Gushes*
*Ellie is hard, scarred, mean, beautiful, cunning, lost, hurt, and seeks revenge and forgiveness and wants to be 'good enough'.
*Camden is sweet, big gorgeous inked hunk, bullied in high school, deceived by his ex, loves his kid and loves Ellie� so much.
*Javier is power hungry, ruthless, sexy, dominant drug lord, loves Ellie/Eden but probably loves himself more.
This conclusion of TAT was full of suspense, chasing after bad guys, discovery, revenge, forgiveness, sarcasm, smoking sex and ultimately an ending that was just so right or fitting or KH style� whatever label� it totally worked for me.
And even though I switched teams at about 50ish% I will always have a spot in my heart for Javi. But I do believe Javier is not who Ellie needed to make her good and Javier could not be good just for Ellie. Even though he did have a few snippets of humanity
“I fucking need you and I need you to forgive me. I need that more than anything in the world! I need you to make me good�
“Camden owned my heart and the blood it pumped through me. He owned every atom and inch of my body, every crevice and dark shadow of my soul�
*ARC courtesy of Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley
*pre-review stuffings...
"It's hard to say no to a cock belonging to 6'2" of toned muscle"
10/15/13...
Waa...boo..hoo.... I can't believe it is over *sniff* review soon *wipes tears*
Damn you, KH... I can't stop thinking about...
Shiiiit...Fvck... Sorry-Tony and Claire of you are gonna have to wait... cause I just got me an arc from NetGalley... WooHoo!...
Get sum Javier
May 26, 2020
An edgy, action-packed, mind-blowing conclusion to a PHENOMENAL SERIES! I LOVE these characters. ♥Ellie♥Camden♥Javier♥Gus� The Artists Trilogy is going down as one of my ALL-TIME favorite reads! Simply put, these books are PERFECTION. Not going to lie though, my greedy book-whorish ways leave me wanting more - I am insatiable. I don’t want to be responsible for spoiling anything so, this is all you get from me � Bold Tricks is a non-stop thrill ride, filled with nail-biting, wtf moments. Be ready to experience a wide range of emotions.
The snake and the bear, the man of stealth and lies, the man of soul and strength. Both men who had a stake in my heart at some point in the game. This ever changing game.
I feel most fans of this series will be happy with this intense conclusion, regardless of which man you've been pulling for. Karina created a kickass story and I loved every minute of it. Will Ellie be able to save those she loves and keep her heart intact? Team Camden vs Team Javier � or maybe Team Ellie � who are you pulling for? - For me, I am Team Ellie - it's always been her story.
˥♥䲹˥♥
**ARC courtesy of Grand Central Publishing**
October 17, 2013
Bold Tricks is a continuation of The Artist Trilogy. It's a conclusion to the Ellie, Camden and Javier story.
Ellie's love triangle is complicated:
The story was action packed from page one to the very end.
If loving Javier is wrong than I don't want to be right. Just saying.
SERIES:
Cliffhangers.
Novella:
(#0.5) It was written after book one. I've been told to read it after book one even though it is 0.5
Ellie's love triangle is complicated:
On one side of me was Camden McQueen, on the other was Javier Bernal. One more light than dark, one more dark than light. Both men had loved me. And both of them I had seriously underestimated.
The story was action packed from page one to the very end.
If loving Javier is wrong than I don't want to be right. Just saying.
SERIES:
Cliffhangers.
Novella:
(#0.5) It was written after book one. I've been told to read it after book one even though it is 0.5
October 15, 2013
3.5 Stars!
Note: This is NOT a standalone. Should be read after Shooting Scars!
The Artists Trilogy was one of the series on my tippety-top TBR list so I started reading the first three books in preparation for Bold Tricks' release! Each of those books were phenomenal !! The intensity culminated as I finished each book and so I had high expectations for Bold Tricks, hoping it would give me answers and the conclusion I was waiting for! While book 3 is a well-written, action-packed conclusion to this series, I was extremely disappointed with the execution of the events that led to the end of this trilogy.
What I liked:
- Writing style: fluent and addictive. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page even if you pulled my iPad away.
- Humor: my favorite kind too ---> dry, sarcastic, witty humor and this book was filled with it! Definitely helped alleviate the tension in some scenes and provided comical relief
- Action: pulse-pounding and my heart was in my throat for the most part.
- Epilogue: VERY sweet!
What I didn't like:
- Character development: Team Camden vs. Team Javier. It was inevitable that Ellie would end up with only one of those men and even though I was happy for her in the ending, the way the author set up the events to lead to that ending really pissed me off. It wasn't necessary to paint a certain character in a harsh way, and I felt like I was pushed to accept Ellie and _______ to be together, not through my own feelings.
- Typos!! Was this edited??
- Length of the book: on my iPad, the total number of pages I had was 432 and the book ended around 386. The rest of those pages were excerpts. Normally that's okay with me, but as I was reading the book I did not expect the story to be wrapped up so fast. The ending was rushed, and though the epilogue helped make up for it, it still irritated me because this story felt short.
Something I thought was interesting: For the first three books, I completely fell for one man, but by the end of this book, my sympathies and allegiance was for the other. And the sad part is, Ellie doesn't end up with that man. Strange how in the beginning I rooted for Ellie and ______ only to switch sides by the end of this book. Perhaps that also contributed to my disappointment with Bold Tricks.
That being said, I am in no way suggesting that you should pass up this book and end your reading of this series with book 2. I just had a different experience from others, I guess.
On a side note: if given the opportunity, I will not hesitate to have Camden McQueen babies!!! Gimme, gimme, gimme!!
Note: This is NOT a standalone. Should be read after Shooting Scars!
The Artists Trilogy was one of the series on my tippety-top TBR list so I started reading the first three books in preparation for Bold Tricks' release! Each of those books were phenomenal !! The intensity culminated as I finished each book and so I had high expectations for Bold Tricks, hoping it would give me answers and the conclusion I was waiting for! While book 3 is a well-written, action-packed conclusion to this series, I was extremely disappointed with the execution of the events that led to the end of this trilogy.
What I liked:
- Writing style: fluent and addictive. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page even if you pulled my iPad away.
- Humor: my favorite kind too ---> dry, sarcastic, witty humor and this book was filled with it! Definitely helped alleviate the tension in some scenes and provided comical relief
- Action: pulse-pounding and my heart was in my throat for the most part.
- Epilogue: VERY sweet!
What I didn't like:
- Character development: Team Camden vs. Team Javier. It was inevitable that Ellie would end up with only one of those men and even though I was happy for her in the ending, the way the author set up the events to lead to that ending really pissed me off. It wasn't necessary to paint a certain character in a harsh way, and I felt like I was pushed to accept Ellie and _______ to be together, not through my own feelings.
- Typos!! Was this edited??
- Length of the book: on my iPad, the total number of pages I had was 432 and the book ended around 386. The rest of those pages were excerpts. Normally that's okay with me, but as I was reading the book I did not expect the story to be wrapped up so fast. The ending was rushed, and though the epilogue helped make up for it, it still irritated me because this story felt short.
Something I thought was interesting: For the first three books, I completely fell for one man, but by the end of this book, my sympathies and allegiance was for the other. And the sad part is, Ellie doesn't end up with that man. Strange how in the beginning I rooted for Ellie and ______ only to switch sides by the end of this book. Perhaps that also contributed to my disappointment with Bold Tricks.
That being said, I am in no way suggesting that you should pass up this book and end your reading of this series with book 2. I just had a different experience from others, I guess.
On a side note: if given the opportunity, I will not hesitate to have Camden McQueen babies!!! Gimme, gimme, gimme!!
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October 15, 2013
Happy Release Day!!!
Love this series x
Wowza... This final book was beyond amazing, an epic conclusion to a fabulous series.
The book continues on Ellie-Javier-Camden's journey in seeking revenge and rescuing characters. I was on an adrenaline high from start to finish. There was plenty of violence, a few shockers and yes at 90% My. Heart. Freaking. Stopped!!!(No joke!)
On the romance side, I've been Team Javier for most of the series and in this book he is his usual charming self.
Until this book. Camden absolutely won me over with his dedication to Ellie (sorry Javier) #TeamCamden *SWOOoooN*
There was the inevitable sexy time, angst, sexual tension and some heart clutching sweet moments.
I cannot express in words just how much I love this series. It was a breath of fresh air to the usual romance I read. Full of action, violence, tension, with a heart pounding romance. If you've not started this series I would recommend it whole heartedly x
ARC provided by the publisher
Quotes subject to change
Love this series x
Wowza... This final book was beyond amazing, an epic conclusion to a fabulous series.
The book continues on Ellie-Javier-Camden's journey in seeking revenge and rescuing characters. I was on an adrenaline high from start to finish. There was plenty of violence, a few shockers and yes at 90% My. Heart. Freaking. Stopped!!!(No joke!)
On the romance side, I've been Team Javier for most of the series and in this book he is his usual charming self.
I could have sworn it was just a few days ago that I last made you scream
Until this book. Camden absolutely won me over with his dedication to Ellie (sorry Javier) #TeamCamden *SWOOoooN*
I don't want to love you
There was the inevitable sexy time, angst, sexual tension and some heart clutching sweet moments.
You own my heart. Please let me have yours
I cannot express in words just how much I love this series. It was a breath of fresh air to the usual romance I read. Full of action, violence, tension, with a heart pounding romance. If you've not started this series I would recommend it whole heartedly x
ARC provided by the publisher
Quotes subject to change
August 2, 2013
This book is incredible! My favorite book in the series. The perfect intense, high octane, action-packed ending to The Artists Trilogy. Get ready, readers. This book will have you hooked from start to finish; gasping, laughing, crying, yelling, possibly throwing things. I don't know how Karina does it, but she has blown the lid off of this shit. I am in awe...
Read
October 16, 2013 With a heavy heart I must DNF (for now). .. I wanted to love this book, be consumed by it ,unfortunately I was not .... it has NOTHING to do w/ the love triangle as in my humble opinion , there isn't one. I hope I'm not coming across as cruel, that is not my intention.. I don't think its fair when reviewers bash just to gain notoriety. In fact, I'm writing this review in hopes of preventing others from doing so. Please don't allow my opinion stop you from reading Bold Tricks.. I will finish the series, just not today.
Mrs. Karina Halle, I wish you much success and look forward to reading more of your work in the near future.
Mrs. Karina Halle, I wish you much success and look forward to reading more of your work in the near future.
January 10, 2016
REVIEW TO COME
5 Stars!
5 Stars!
October 15, 2013
so picking up right where Shooting Scars left off
my heart : was with Camden that nerdy tattooed Hulk
my puta girl parts : Javier baby!!!
so damn conflicted!!!
I'm still on vacation in Mexico and with all the real life sexy Javiers walking around. damn this book was so effing hot!!! muy caliente!!!! when I get back home to the States I plan on lighting this review up. This book was perfection!!! no spoilers here : but always bet on your heart!!! Team Camden <33333
" Tell me angel, what is it about that boy that makes you forget who you really are? Is it the tattooed because you know I have those."
"He sees the good in me."
"I don't want to love you, Ellie, but I do love you. I cant stop myself. I've been trying to since the moment I saw you with him. You broke me, you broke my fucking heart. "
"I love you. I was never meant to love anyone else. No matter what. Ellie Watt, you own me. And I 'll keep you safe. "
I. cant. even. Camden <33333
I will stop here because I know I would cut a bitch who would spoil this EPIC EPIC finale for me!! enjoy everyone!!! Cant wait to engulf on the feed when I get home!!!
<
my heart : was with Camden that nerdy tattooed Hulk
my puta girl parts : Javier baby!!!
so damn conflicted!!!
I'm still on vacation in Mexico and with all the real life sexy Javiers walking around. damn this book was so effing hot!!! muy caliente!!!! when I get back home to the States I plan on lighting this review up. This book was perfection!!! no spoilers here : but always bet on your heart!!! Team Camden <33333
" Tell me angel, what is it about that boy that makes you forget who you really are? Is it the tattooed because you know I have those."
"He sees the good in me."
"I don't want to love you, Ellie, but I do love you. I cant stop myself. I've been trying to since the moment I saw you with him. You broke me, you broke my fucking heart. "
"I love you. I was never meant to love anyone else. No matter what. Ellie Watt, you own me. And I 'll keep you safe. "
I. cant. even. Camden <33333
I will stop here because I know I would cut a bitch who would spoil this EPIC EPIC finale for me!! enjoy everyone!!! Cant wait to engulf on the feed when I get home!!!
<
October 22, 2013
4.2 Soul Shattering Passionate Final-GoodBye Stars
“Every minute that goes by, you fill my heart. I don’t
know what I’d do without you, Ellie. I’ve been so close to losing you.�
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Trio started their journey of Mission rescue Gus and Ellie's Mother. And they all gone ammo to kick some serious ass....
One one side of me was Camden McQueen, on the other was Javier Bernal. One more light than dark, one more dark than light. Both men had come for me, both med had loved me, and both of them I had underestimated.
what I`d found a bit lacking was watching Javi not in his element, the power and possession he has in previous books was not in-sight for me here.
Bold Tricks was wholeheartedly about Camillie.
Javi was almost a Shadow Evil character who manipulated Cam & Ellie to reach his goal. I missed the Javi we met in first two books because in the final book Javier was completely portrayed like a soulless king of evil sins....
“Oh angel, you forget. You’re the only one who gave me a soul. If I don’t have one anymore, it’s not my fault.�
So, back to the lovebirds Camellie(it wasn't like they were singing songs and dancing around with butterflies in this book, but they are the lovebirds of this book chased by Demon Javi *not the sarcasm here*)
Camellie found their way to each others broken hearts, shattered souls and started healing their wounds bit by bit. It was a long journey with loads of bloodshed, deaths, vengeance, rage, passion, lies, love, truth and diversions.
And when the things hit the fan, Karina Halle made sure to keep it as steamy and hot as one can handle ;)
*coughs* mud *coughs* rain *coughs* forest!
As for Javier? I didn't liked the way things ended for Javi. his character has the potential and power who can't vanished like you just snap your fingers and Poof!
Javi had loss to much that made you Love-Hate-Him. My heart broke for him because what he had to endure throughout his life and people around him assumed that he's not redeemable which is not true. We'd seen that even with all his evil instincts and that he only thinks about himself, there was only one person he loved and cared about and would do anything for, is Ellie. Though he has his own way of showing it but it was there.
To me he has the darkest broken heart and soul as compared to others not even Ellie's scars can compete with the ones he wore within himself. And that's what made him ruthless.
----------------------------------------
TEAM JAVIER
I think it's only matter of time when we'll be seeing him again, maybe in his own separate book? with him ruling the world all over again!
“Every minute that goes by, you fill my heart. I don’t
know what I’d do without you, Ellie. I’ve been so close to losing you.�
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Trio started their journey of Mission rescue Gus and Ellie's Mother. And they all gone ammo to kick some serious ass....
One one side of me was Camden McQueen, on the other was Javier Bernal. One more light than dark, one more dark than light. Both men had come for me, both med had loved me, and both of them I had underestimated.
what I`d found a bit lacking was watching Javi not in his element, the power and possession he has in previous books was not in-sight for me here.
Bold Tricks was wholeheartedly about Camillie.
Javi was almost a Shadow Evil character who manipulated Cam & Ellie to reach his goal. I missed the Javi we met in first two books because in the final book Javier was completely portrayed like a soulless king of evil sins....
“Oh angel, you forget. You’re the only one who gave me a soul. If I don’t have one anymore, it’s not my fault.�
So, back to the lovebirds Camellie(it wasn't like they were singing songs and dancing around with butterflies in this book, but they are the lovebirds of this book chased by Demon Javi *not the sarcasm here*)
Camellie found their way to each others broken hearts, shattered souls and started healing their wounds bit by bit. It was a long journey with loads of bloodshed, deaths, vengeance, rage, passion, lies, love, truth and diversions.
And when the things hit the fan, Karina Halle made sure to keep it as steamy and hot as one can handle ;)
*coughs* mud *coughs* rain *coughs* forest!
As for Javier? I didn't liked the way things ended for Javi. his character has the potential and power who can't vanished like you just snap your fingers and Poof!
Javi had loss to much that made you Love-Hate-Him. My heart broke for him because what he had to endure throughout his life and people around him assumed that he's not redeemable which is not true. We'd seen that even with all his evil instincts and that he only thinks about himself, there was only one person he loved and cared about and would do anything for, is Ellie. Though he has his own way of showing it but it was there.
To me he has the darkest broken heart and soul as compared to others not even Ellie's scars can compete with the ones he wore within himself. And that's what made him ruthless.
----------------------------------------
TEAM JAVIER
I think it's only matter of time when we'll be seeing him again, maybe in his own separate book? with him ruling the world all over again!
October 14, 2013
Buckle up kiddies!! You are in for one hell of a ride! AMAZING!! Love this series, love this ending! It was an action packed adrenaline rush!
Bold Tricks picks up where we left off in Shooting Scars with Ellie, Camden, and Javier working together to get Gus, and maybe Ellie’s mother, back from the evil drug lord Travis. Can we trust Javier to come through, especially now that Camden is in the picture? Also, Ellie feels awful for giving in to self-doubt and Javier in the previous book. Ellie knows that she might have ruined any chance at future happiness with Camden and the uneasiness continues between them, but she’s unwilling to let go so easily.
How could I explain that my body got what it needed at the time but my heart was fooled?
I’m always nervous to read the final book in a series that I love for fear of disappointment. It wasn’t necessary with Bold Tricks and I have to say I’m thrilled with how things played out. Not only does the non-stop action and adventure keep you eagerly clicking through the pages, but all the relationship drama has you riveted as well.
Let’s be honest, the romance was the sticking point for me and I was not disappointed! Realistic feelings of hurt and betrayal, but also longing and lust between all three characters brought this story to life. There were steamy, passionate scenes, and some surprising declarations from all three characters!
“You own my heart. Please let me have yours.�
“I love you,� he said, his voice gruff. “And I’ll have you. Keep you. Own you. You belong to me, only to me, from now on.�
We get to know the main characters a little better: their motivations, weaknesses, and strengths, and I have to say, I was drawn in, and fascinated by every one of them. Ellie was frustrating to me in the first installment, but as I’ve got to know her, I understand where she’s coming from and have come to love her, mistakes and all. Camden is just such a mix of contradictions: nerdy and sometimes unsure of himself one minute and then HOT-tattooed-up-sex-god in the next!! Oh my stars! Javier, well that man just oozes dangerous charm, and the promise of a very naughty time! Poor, poor, Ellie, I wish I had such decisions.
Karina Halle wrote a brilliant ending to an addictive and memorable series, and I’m a little sad to say goodbye!
A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Bold Tricks picks up where we left off in Shooting Scars with Ellie, Camden, and Javier working together to get Gus, and maybe Ellie’s mother, back from the evil drug lord Travis. Can we trust Javier to come through, especially now that Camden is in the picture? Also, Ellie feels awful for giving in to self-doubt and Javier in the previous book. Ellie knows that she might have ruined any chance at future happiness with Camden and the uneasiness continues between them, but she’s unwilling to let go so easily.
How could I explain that my body got what it needed at the time but my heart was fooled?
I’m always nervous to read the final book in a series that I love for fear of disappointment. It wasn’t necessary with Bold Tricks and I have to say I’m thrilled with how things played out. Not only does the non-stop action and adventure keep you eagerly clicking through the pages, but all the relationship drama has you riveted as well.
Let’s be honest, the romance was the sticking point for me and I was not disappointed! Realistic feelings of hurt and betrayal, but also longing and lust between all three characters brought this story to life. There were steamy, passionate scenes, and some surprising declarations from all three characters!
“You own my heart. Please let me have yours.�
“I love you,� he said, his voice gruff. “And I’ll have you. Keep you. Own you. You belong to me, only to me, from now on.�
We get to know the main characters a little better: their motivations, weaknesses, and strengths, and I have to say, I was drawn in, and fascinated by every one of them. Ellie was frustrating to me in the first installment, but as I’ve got to know her, I understand where she’s coming from and have come to love her, mistakes and all. Camden is just such a mix of contradictions: nerdy and sometimes unsure of himself one minute and then HOT-tattooed-up-sex-god in the next!! Oh my stars! Javier, well that man just oozes dangerous charm, and the promise of a very naughty time! Poor, poor, Ellie, I wish I had such decisions.
Karina Halle wrote a brilliant ending to an addictive and memorable series, and I’m a little sad to say goodbye!
A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
October 17, 2013
2.5 stars
It pains me to say that the conclusion of The Artists Trilogy has not succeeded in giving me "the feels," which is what I aim to achieve and is my primary criteria for rating a book. I don't know if it has to do with the timing (I was in the middle of a fantasy romance series that I was enjoying), or if it's because I never bought the idea of Camden as an action type of hero. One thing I loved about this series was the magneticism of its flawed characters, but in this installment, I felt very disconnected to them for a reason I can't quite pinpoint. In some instances, I found that they acted and reacted unrealistically. In the romance department, I found the scenes to be extremely cheesy. Unless it's in a fantasy context, I can't take people comparing each other to the moon and stars or whatever. I may be biased, because in real life my fiance is very humorous and would NEVER say anything remotely close to the dialogues that appear in this book.
I had no problems with the person who Ellie ended up with. I've known since Sins & Needles, but the execution of their happy ending didn't feel triumphant nor touching for me. I kept thinking, 'how will they move on from here?' And I thought the way the story tied up the loose ends with Ellie's mom, Gus, and Ben and Sophia was too easy.
Ms. Halle's suspensful writing was what kept me engaged. Just when I thought I could breathe easily she'd throw in something unexpected to shake me up and look forward to the next scene. I think her screenwriting background really shone in this installment. I can easily picture this book being translated well into a film. I may not care much for action-packed scenes but I loved the chase sequences and the gritty portrayal of the different cities in Mexico. And honestly? Karina Halle writes the BEST VILLAINS. Seriously, she can Don Winslow the fuck out of Don Winslow.
My feelings aren't truly conflicted. I know for a fact that I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous books in this series. I do love the socially relevant world she decided to write about and for me her street cred is undeniable. Her writing is edgy and gritty, filled with witty lines and subtle humor. I look forward to reading the Dirty Angels series and the remainder of her EiT series *sob*
It pains me to say that the conclusion of The Artists Trilogy has not succeeded in giving me "the feels," which is what I aim to achieve and is my primary criteria for rating a book. I don't know if it has to do with the timing (I was in the middle of a fantasy romance series that I was enjoying), or if it's because I never bought the idea of Camden as an action type of hero. One thing I loved about this series was the magneticism of its flawed characters, but in this installment, I felt very disconnected to them for a reason I can't quite pinpoint. In some instances, I found that they acted and reacted unrealistically. In the romance department, I found the scenes to be extremely cheesy. Unless it's in a fantasy context, I can't take people comparing each other to the moon and stars or whatever. I may be biased, because in real life my fiance is very humorous and would NEVER say anything remotely close to the dialogues that appear in this book.
I had no problems with the person who Ellie ended up with. I've known since Sins & Needles, but the execution of their happy ending didn't feel triumphant nor touching for me. I kept thinking, 'how will they move on from here?' And I thought the way the story tied up the loose ends with Ellie's mom, Gus, and Ben and Sophia was too easy.
Ms. Halle's suspensful writing was what kept me engaged. Just when I thought I could breathe easily she'd throw in something unexpected to shake me up and look forward to the next scene. I think her screenwriting background really shone in this installment. I can easily picture this book being translated well into a film. I may not care much for action-packed scenes but I loved the chase sequences and the gritty portrayal of the different cities in Mexico. And honestly? Karina Halle writes the BEST VILLAINS. Seriously, she can Don Winslow the fuck out of Don Winslow.
My feelings aren't truly conflicted. I know for a fact that I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous books in this series. I do love the socially relevant world she decided to write about and for me her street cred is undeniable. Her writing is edgy and gritty, filled with witty lines and subtle humor. I look forward to reading the Dirty Angels series and the remainder of her EiT series *sob*
October 12, 2013
5 +++++ AMAZING CAPTIVATING ELLIE STARS
ARC provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All quotes aretaken from this pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
So we have already gone through Sins & Needles where we experience Ellie and her back story with Javier and Camden.
Then we went on a journey with Camden and Gus through Mexico in order to get Ellie back from Javier in Shooting Scars.
Now we finally get the last installment of the trilogy in Bold Tricks.
"And now I'm going to make you mine. I'm going to make you forget you've ever been with anyone else. I will own you from the inside out, with every hard inch of me."
Karina Halle has done it again but why am I even surprised. She takes a story and melds it into a masterpiece where the reader can't even wait to anticipate the next move in the story. She has you living the drama through the eyes of the characters. Need I even mention how she takes an ordinary sex scene in someone else's eyes and turns it into a steamy, panty dripping erotic lust fest!!
"Oh angel, you forget. You're the only one who gave me a soul."
This book is filled with heart stopping moments that just made me want to throw my phone against the wall and try to relax for a minute. Karina's writing is notorious for putting us through all the twists and turns while throwing in an absolute conundrum which makes you want to pull out your hair.
Can Ellie, Javier and Camden work together to save Ellie's mom and Gus?
What happens to Sophia and Ben?
Will Ellie kill Travis for Javier, so he can take over the Mexican Cartel?
and the biggest question.......
Who will win Ellie's heart - Camden or Javier? Or, will she end up alone?
Hmm....If you really really want to know....then pick up the book on October 15, 2013
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