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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
Ahhh Soo good!
Scammed is book two in the Vale Hall series by Kristen Simmons and if you haven’t picked this series up yet, you definitely need to change that. Simmons not only has a page turning story in this second book, but I was so invested in the characters that I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next. No spoilers here – it is a book two though so if you haven’t read The Deceivers yet, proceed with caution.
Brynn is our main character but at Vale Hall there are a number of other characters she is interacting with and each one has their own secrets. What she has to figure out is who she can trust and it’s not as easy as one would think.
In this book, Brynn is still working for Dr. Odin but she questions just about everything he tells her and when what he asks her to do begins to make her question Caleb, things start to get twisty. I can’t say too much about this because it is core to the story, and I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that there is so much that we don’t know right along with Brynn so I can’t hold any of her decisions against her. Well…maybe most of them.
Right along with all of that, Grayson is back in the picture which only complicates things more. This is where I wanted to elbow Brynn and tell her to think about what she is doing. So much happens with Grayson now that he is at the school and a big piece of the puzzle for Dr. Odin. I will tell you, I have always had strong feelings about Grayson and this book only solidifies my thoughts about him.
I have to also mention that I loved that we had more time with the secondary characters in this book. We got more exposure to Charlotte, Henry, Sam, and Geri and I thought it provided a bit more depth to them so I could better understand their relationships with Brynn. Of course, the bits with Caleb and Brynn together are some of my favorites.
I hate that I have to be super vague with this review but I really don’t want to ruin anything as there are plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing around what is really going on and right along with Brynn you will be trying to figure it all out. If you take anything away from this review, please know that I loved this book and can’t wait for the next book to see what happens next. Grab this book when you can…you won’t regret it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Scammed is book two in the Vale Hall series by Kristen Simmons and if you haven’t picked this series up yet, you definitely need to change that. Simmons not only has a page turning story in this second book, but I was so invested in the characters that I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next. No spoilers here – it is a book two though so if you haven’t read The Deceivers yet, proceed with caution.
Brynn is our main character but at Vale Hall there are a number of other characters she is interacting with and each one has their own secrets. What she has to figure out is who she can trust and it’s not as easy as one would think.
In this book, Brynn is still working for Dr. Odin but she questions just about everything he tells her and when what he asks her to do begins to make her question Caleb, things start to get twisty. I can’t say too much about this because it is core to the story, and I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that there is so much that we don’t know right along with Brynn so I can’t hold any of her decisions against her. Well…maybe most of them.
Right along with all of that, Grayson is back in the picture which only complicates things more. This is where I wanted to elbow Brynn and tell her to think about what she is doing. So much happens with Grayson now that he is at the school and a big piece of the puzzle for Dr. Odin. I will tell you, I have always had strong feelings about Grayson and this book only solidifies my thoughts about him.
I have to also mention that I loved that we had more time with the secondary characters in this book. We got more exposure to Charlotte, Henry, Sam, and Geri and I thought it provided a bit more depth to them so I could better understand their relationships with Brynn. Of course, the bits with Caleb and Brynn together are some of my favorites.
I hate that I have to be super vague with this review but I really don’t want to ruin anything as there are plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing around what is really going on and right along with Brynn you will be trying to figure it all out. If you take anything away from this review, please know that I loved this book and can’t wait for the next book to see what happens next. Grab this book when you can…you won’t regret it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I had no idea that The Deceivers would have a sequel until a couple months ago. i was hesitant at first to read this, but DAMN! This is definitely a worthy sequel that builds off of the first book. We get more in depth with the characters, especially Brynn, and the plot moves in a direction I wasn't expecting. The ending of this book sets a strong base for book 3, which i assume will be the final book. Anyways, if you read book 1 and were questioning on picking up the sequel I'd say go for it! It didn't disappoint and start rolling once you get past the first few chapters.
I had a lot of fun reading this book, it was definitely a stress reliever as I simultaneously read while also listened to and checked up on the status of the US election.
There are twists and romance and drama and I loved every bit of it.
I am also very proud that I was able to guess parts of the twists in this novel, not that they were easy to see or figure out. I definitely had my doubts while reading that my head was headed in the wrong direction.
There are twists and romance and drama and I loved every bit of it.
I am also very proud that I was able to guess parts of the twists in this novel, not that they were easy to see or figure out. I definitely had my doubts while reading that my head was headed in the wrong direction.
Kristen never disappoints! Just like The Deceivers, Scammed is an entertaining story. I love Vale Hall and the idea of a school for con artists! It's so fun! The drama ramps up in this one, too. I loved the dynamic between the characters and the sense of found family. Oh and the title is fitting because WHO DO YOU TRUST?! I never knew who to believe or which story was the truth. It's twisty, too - I had no idea what would happen next, and I appreciate Kristen's ability to surprise me! This is also a quick read as it's fast paced and keeps you wanting more. I don't have a whole lot to say about this book other than I enjoyed it and can't wait to see how the series ends in Payback!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
I received this as an eARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Brynn is still living in her prestigious boarding school, which fronts for the scammer school she actually attends. Brynn is suspicious of the director of the school, but knows that he holds both her future and her mother’s future in his hands. Brynn’s past choices return in this book and create a conflict with her friends at school and threaten her ability to stay. Brynn is conning in her personal life and she is sent out on a new case. Will she be able to keep everyone happy and get out of this school unscathed?
I enjoy this series. The books move quickly. I like Brynn and her romantic interests. However, I believe the Greyson character arc was not the best and not the best developed. Either way, I am willing to keep going in this world.
Brynn is still living in her prestigious boarding school, which fronts for the scammer school she actually attends. Brynn is suspicious of the director of the school, but knows that he holds both her future and her mother’s future in his hands. Brynn’s past choices return in this book and create a conflict with her friends at school and threaten her ability to stay. Brynn is conning in her personal life and she is sent out on a new case. Will she be able to keep everyone happy and get out of this school unscathed?
I enjoy this series. The books move quickly. I like Brynn and her romantic interests. However, I believe the Greyson character arc was not the best and not the best developed. Either way, I am willing to keep going in this world.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Kristen Simmons gets better with every book and her Vale Hall series is her best work yet. After the twists and turns of book one, I didn't think Kristen could shock me or trick me any more than she did in the first book and yet here I am.
Scammed picks up after the shocking twists of Deceived and the stakes are even higher than before. If Brynn thought she couldn't trust anyone before, she's in for a big shock in Scammed. No one at Vale Hall is who they seem to be with a plot lying in the very foundation of the school. Someone she never thought she would see again shows up at Vale Hall and turns the whole place on its head. No one will be the same after their stay at the Hall and who knows who will make it to graduation alive.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tor Teen through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*
Scammed picks up after the shocking twists of Deceived and the stakes are even higher than before. If Brynn thought she couldn't trust anyone before, she's in for a big shock in Scammed. No one at Vale Hall is who they seem to be with a plot lying in the very foundation of the school. Someone she never thought she would see again shows up at Vale Hall and turns the whole place on its head. No one will be the same after their stay at the Hall and who knows who will make it to graduation alive.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tor Teen through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*
Well damn... this was a roller coaster that I did not expect.
After devouring The Deceivers, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel. This was another book I devoured in one sitting, because it was just that good. There will probably be slight spoilers of the first book below, so you have been warned!
At the end of the first book, Brynn watched as Grayson drove away after she basically let him go. So imagine her shock when Grayson shows back up at her school and he doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. Now all of the lies Brynn told in the first book must continue now that Grayson is in the mix. But pretty soon, the line between the lies and the truths start to blur and Brynn must figure out who to trust, because there's more on the line then she thinks.
So let me tell you, I thought I had this book pegged. I knew who was lying, where this was going and how the book would end - and let me also tell you that I was wrong about most of it. Simmons has this beautiful way of making you look over here while something major is happening over there and you don't even notice until it's too late. The mystery is fantastic! This installment takes everything you thought you knew and just flips it on you.
Everyone is back and the accusations are flying. While all the characters have their moments, no one even comes close to Henry. And if anything happens to him AT ALL, well, I can't be blamed for my actions.
I cannot wait for the final book, but now I wait....
After devouring The Deceivers, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel. This was another book I devoured in one sitting, because it was just that good. There will probably be slight spoilers of the first book below, so you have been warned!
At the end of the first book, Brynn watched as Grayson drove away after she basically let him go. So imagine her shock when Grayson shows back up at her school and he doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. Now all of the lies Brynn told in the first book must continue now that Grayson is in the mix. But pretty soon, the line between the lies and the truths start to blur and Brynn must figure out who to trust, because there's more on the line then she thinks.
So let me tell you, I thought I had this book pegged. I knew who was lying, where this was going and how the book would end - and let me also tell you that I was wrong about most of it. Simmons has this beautiful way of making you look over here while something major is happening over there and you don't even notice until it's too late. The mystery is fantastic! This installment takes everything you thought you knew and just flips it on you.
Everyone is back and the accusations are flying. While all the characters have their moments, no one even comes close to Henry. And if anything happens to him AT ALL, well, I can't be blamed for my actions.
I cannot wait for the final book, but now I wait....
I didn't mean to gobble this up in a day, but I did. There's something about this series that checks all the boxes for me — from political intrigue, to boarding school, to elite living.
I wasn't surprised at all about the coworker revelation. My gut still tells me Grayson isn't evil. The ending got me cheering for our little ragtag squad.
This book is the definition of a bridge book, but it didn't necessarily feel that way. Plus, Kristen Simmons seems to have a clear path towards the end-game here, so I'll patiently wait to see how this all plays out.
I wasn't surprised at all about the coworker revelation. My gut still tells me Grayson isn't evil. The ending got me cheering for our little ragtag squad.
This book is the definition of a bridge book, but it didn't necessarily feel that way. Plus, Kristen Simmons seems to have a clear path towards the end-game here, so I'll patiently wait to see how this all plays out.