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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I've had this book on my kindle FOR. EV. ER.
I got it ages ago and started reading it and loved the beginning. But somewhere in the middle it fizzed. And then I'd put it down. Then I'd notice it was still there hovering at the 40% mark, and then I'd read some more but it would not keep me engaged so I'd put it down. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
I adore heist books and long cons and capers and thieves etc. So this book was way up my alley! This book started with a bang and was both fun and angsty. There is a great heist that goes wrong and we have a great main character in Bianca.
But then something unfortunate happens somewhere in the middle-- the momentum gets lost, the story kinda stalls, some plot elements felt rather predictable and I lost interest in the main character. In fact I had a hard time concentrating on the book. So I'd put it down for long stretches, only to remember I hadn't finished it and would pick it up again. To be fair there were some twists and some left turns I was not expecting... and yet it could not keep me wholly engaged so at times to keep reading felt like a chore.
Finally I just got sick of seeing it sitting there stalled. I truly did not want to DNF this because I did want to see what happened, so soldiered through hoping it'd spark for me again.
And then the totally unacceptable happens.... it ends on a cliffhanger. I really dislike cliffhanger endings!
So this was great in places but did not work wholly for me.
I got it ages ago and started reading it and loved the beginning. But somewhere in the middle it fizzed. And then I'd put it down. Then I'd notice it was still there hovering at the 40% mark, and then I'd read some more but it would not keep me engaged so I'd put it down. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
I adore heist books and long cons and capers and thieves etc. So this book was way up my alley! This book started with a bang and was both fun and angsty. There is a great heist that goes wrong and we have a great main character in Bianca.
But then something unfortunate happens somewhere in the middle-- the momentum gets lost, the story kinda stalls, some plot elements felt rather predictable and I lost interest in the main character. In fact I had a hard time concentrating on the book. So I'd put it down for long stretches, only to remember I hadn't finished it and would pick it up again. To be fair there were some twists and some left turns I was not expecting... and yet it could not keep me wholly engaged so at times to keep reading felt like a chore.
Finally I just got sick of seeing it sitting there stalled. I truly did not want to DNF this because I did want to see what happened, so soldiered through hoping it'd spark for me again.
And then the totally unacceptable happens.... it ends on a cliffhanger. I really dislike cliffhanger endings!
So this was great in places but did not work wholly for me.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one is kind of weird, almost like two
different books in one. At first it's just
caper hijinks over and over (three very
long somewhat boring situations),
but then for the ending it
morphs into an identity type book
where it's revealed just who the
protagonist really is.
And it's all handled pretty well, except
for an annoying method the author uses
to narrate. She frequently starts a
scene somewhere past the beginning and
then interrupts the flow of the narrative
with the background information needed
to get back up to speed. Very disconcerting.
As I note this is "#1" in a series, I am a
bit perturbed also by the cliffhanger of an
ending. Will I read the next in the series
to find out what happenes next? Not sure.
different books in one. At first it's just
caper hijinks over and over (three very
long somewhat boring situations),
but then for the ending it
morphs into an identity type book
where it's revealed just who the
protagonist really is.
And it's all handled pretty well, except
for an annoying method the author uses
to narrate. She frequently starts a
scene somewhere past the beginning and
then interrupts the flow of the narrative
with the background information needed
to get back up to speed. Very disconcerting.
As I note this is "#1" in a series, I am a
bit perturbed also by the cliffhanger of an
ending. Will I read the next in the series
to find out what happenes next? Not sure.
Probably more 2.5 simply because it failed to keep my attention There was nothing really wrong with it I would just read a bit then put it down and then basically forget about it. I felt no urgency to read on and discover what happens next. (Case in point it took me 5 days to read. Normally a book like this takes me a single day – 2 tops). I suspect that it is going to be a series based on that ending – and the fact they there was no romance (although there is a very obvious candidate for romantic lead). I do like how competent Bianca is at everything and I like her relationship with Doc.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Ultimatum on Books On Track
I mistakenly thought that this book was a standalone until I reached the end and there were too many loose ends left hanging...
It is the story of Bianca, a very skilled thief among other things, who loses her father on one of their missions. A lot of people are still looking for him and she tries to keep herself out of their crosshairs, and finally starts looking for answers about the past that she's forgotten and the parts of her father's life that she knew nothing about.
In the end it is revealed that
Spoiler
he isn't really dead and she isn't really his biological daughter. She is the result and only survivor of a top secret project to create super soldiers, and he was an agent who rescued her and defected.That explains how she was so good at everything and why he trained her as he did, which ended up saving both of their lives, as well as the lives of his wife and young daughter that Bianca believed was her sister
There is no real romance in this part of the story which left me quite disgruntled, but there was some chemistry between Bianca and Mickey, the undercover agent whom she encounters a handful of times during her adventures.
The series continues with [b:The Moscow Deception|35272474|The Moscow Deception (The Guardian, #2)|Karen Robards|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524518342l/35272474._SY75_.jpg|56631343], where Bianca's life will likely be a lot more complicated...
I accidentally read the second book in this series before this one, so I already kind of knew what happened. Still good though.
I had such high hopes for this one. Synopsis made it sound good. Chapter 1 was great. Then......disappointment.
I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series! Bianca is the perfect heroine.
Ohhh that was an enjoyable book. Pure entertainment if you like your entertainment served with a kickass, resourceful thief-heroine who hides the tools of her trade in her garter belt.
Bianca St Ives is a thief because her dad, a man known in legal and criminal circles as the Traveler, taught her to be. At the beginning of the book they’re on a big job that goes sour and soon she’s receiving threats from someone who could bring her dad, and by extension his innocent family members, not-so-innocent family members (including herself), and his crew, down. Can she take on another job and isolate the threat against them before it’s too late?
The thriller parts of this book are pretty straightforward. It’s obvious, for example, who the villains are. But there are still surprises and enough breadcrumbs dropped that I couldn’t wait to start book 2. Likewise for Bianca’s relationship with her dad; I want more engagement with that topic from both sides and I’m crossing my fingers for it in the next installment.
From the beginning of The Ultimatum the action is edge of the seat, high stress, and I loved seeing how Bianca evaded capture from the people chasing her...including the handsome Micky, a man she assumes is in law enforcement. The scenes when she puts one over on him are absolutely delicious and the chemistry between them is undeniable. This book definitely wouldn’t be characterized as a romance—and in fact, we really don’t much about Micky at all—but *once more for the seats in the back* I’m hoping that more’s revealed in the next book.
I did feel like there are a couple of comments regarding physical appearance that seem kinda tone-deaf (vis a vis ethnicity and race), but on the whole this book is an energetic, high-stakes, and frankly fun thriller.
4 stars
Thanks to Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
Bianca St Ives is a thief because her dad, a man known in legal and criminal circles as the Traveler, taught her to be. At the beginning of the book they’re on a big job that goes sour and soon she’s receiving threats from someone who could bring her dad, and by extension his innocent family members, not-so-innocent family members (including herself), and his crew, down. Can she take on another job and isolate the threat against them before it’s too late?
The thriller parts of this book are pretty straightforward. It’s obvious, for example, who the villains are. But there are still surprises and enough breadcrumbs dropped that I couldn’t wait to start book 2. Likewise for Bianca’s relationship with her dad; I want more engagement with that topic from both sides and I’m crossing my fingers for it in the next installment.
From the beginning of The Ultimatum the action is edge of the seat, high stress, and I loved seeing how Bianca evaded capture from the people chasing her...including the handsome Micky, a man she assumes is in law enforcement. The scenes when she puts one over on him are absolutely delicious and the chemistry between them is undeniable. This book definitely wouldn’t be characterized as a romance—and in fact, we really don’t much about Micky at all—but *once more for the seats in the back* I’m hoping that more’s revealed in the next book.
I did feel like there are a couple of comments regarding physical appearance that seem kinda tone-deaf (vis a vis ethnicity and race), but on the whole this book is an energetic, high-stakes, and frankly fun thriller.
4 stars
Thanks to Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.