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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't remember the last time I was sad about a series ending but wow, I'm pretty depressed right now. It's always hard to say goodbye but this was a damn good series.
Fuck.
There's literally no words that I can put together that would do this series justice.
It's got that slow-burn, tattoo artist, childhood friend, mafia, angst, suspense shit that everyone loves.
Seriously.
Just read it.
You wont regret it.
More Reviews: https://sshilsonreviews.blogspot.com/
There's literally no words that I can put together that would do this series justice.
It's got that slow-burn, tattoo artist, childhood friend, mafia, angst, suspense shit that everyone loves.
Seriously.
Just read it.
You wont regret it.
More Reviews: https://sshilsonreviews.blogspot.com/
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Bold Tricks is the third and final installment in Karina Halle's The Artists Trilogy. This book is not a standalone novel and should only be read if you have read both Sins & Needles and Shooting Scars. I highly recommend that you also read the prequel novella On Every Street before reading Bold Tricks. If you haven't read this series, there may be spoilers below. I have been both looking forward to this book and dreading it. I have really loved reading these books and I am sad that it is over. I have become incredible connected to these characters and it is hard to say goodbye to them.
This book immediately picks up right where we were left at the end of Shooting Scars. As Ellie, Javier and Camden continue on in their quest for revenge and freedom they form an alliance of sorts. There are many lies and secrets between them and very little trust. But in order to get past the dangers that lay ahead they know that like it or not they must try to work together. Each have their own agenda though, and with the stakes as high as they have ever been, is it possible that they will all make it out? Can they find the freedom and redemption that they seek? Will Ellie choose Camden or Javier, and can they have a HEA after everything that they have been through?
At this point in the series, pretty much everyone has decided which team they are on. I love both Camden and Javier for completely different reasons. I felt like I would be happy no matter who she chose, because I have really come to care for both of them. I did hope that she would choose Camden after Shooting Scars. I was solidly on Team Javier to start, but the more time that has gone on Javier has really started to change. I was hoping that he would sort of redeem himself in Bold Tricks though, even if him and Ellie couldn't work things out between them. I was a little disappointed if i'm honest about how this triangle sort of resolved itself. Ellie really didn't end up having a choice to make. Without going into details and spoiling everything, it is pretty easy for Ellie to pick because one of our guys seems to sort of shift in character. I don't know what happened to him to change him so much but whereas he was multi-faceted in the previous books he sort of loses many of the things that we have come to know and love about him. I was looking for a bit more angst and drama when it came down to the choice, but for some reason Halle sort of eased up on the havoc she was able to create so well in the previous books.
Overall, I think that this book was a satisfying end to the series. My small gripes about the romance portion of this book are really pretty minor in comparison to this story though. As usual, this book definitely brings the action and I loved how consistently great Halle's writing is. She does a great job of making her characters interesting and you really get invested in them as a reader. Halle does a wonderful job of pulling you into the story so that everything seems incredibly real. This series brings the heat and steam and is filled with adrenaline pumping action right up to the end. I have loved reading about these characters and seeing how they have grown and changed from the first page until the last. They have all had their ups and downs, and the evolution of each character has been something that I have really enjoyed. I'm sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I am glad that this book provided closure and was ended in a way that was believable to the reader. I can honestly say that Halle kept me guessing throughout this entire series, and I never knew what would happen and how everything would end. I cannot wait to read more from Karina Halle in the future, and I am interested to see what new characters she will come up with for her readers to get to know and love as we have with Ellie, Javier and Camden.
**ARC provided by NetGalley**
Bold Tricks is the third and final installment in Karina Halle's The Artists Trilogy. This book is not a standalone novel and should only be read if you have read both Sins & Needles and Shooting Scars. I highly recommend that you also read the prequel novella On Every Street before reading Bold Tricks. If you haven't read this series, there may be spoilers below. I have been both looking forward to this book and dreading it. I have really loved reading these books and I am sad that it is over. I have become incredible connected to these characters and it is hard to say goodbye to them.
This book immediately picks up right where we were left at the end of Shooting Scars. As Ellie, Javier and Camden continue on in their quest for revenge and freedom they form an alliance of sorts. There are many lies and secrets between them and very little trust. But in order to get past the dangers that lay ahead they know that like it or not they must try to work together. Each have their own agenda though, and with the stakes as high as they have ever been, is it possible that they will all make it out? Can they find the freedom and redemption that they seek? Will Ellie choose Camden or Javier, and can they have a HEA after everything that they have been through?
At this point in the series, pretty much everyone has decided which team they are on. I love both Camden and Javier for completely different reasons. I felt like I would be happy no matter who she chose, because I have really come to care for both of them. I did hope that she would choose Camden after Shooting Scars. I was solidly on Team Javier to start, but the more time that has gone on Javier has really started to change. I was hoping that he would sort of redeem himself in Bold Tricks though, even if him and Ellie couldn't work things out between them. I was a little disappointed if i'm honest about how this triangle sort of resolved itself. Ellie really didn't end up having a choice to make. Without going into details and spoiling everything, it is pretty easy for Ellie to pick because one of our guys seems to sort of shift in character. I don't know what happened to him to change him so much but whereas he was multi-faceted in the previous books he sort of loses many of the things that we have come to know and love about him. I was looking for a bit more angst and drama when it came down to the choice, but for some reason Halle sort of eased up on the havoc she was able to create so well in the previous books.
Overall, I think that this book was a satisfying end to the series. My small gripes about the romance portion of this book are really pretty minor in comparison to this story though. As usual, this book definitely brings the action and I loved how consistently great Halle's writing is. She does a great job of making her characters interesting and you really get invested in them as a reader. Halle does a wonderful job of pulling you into the story so that everything seems incredibly real. This series brings the heat and steam and is filled with adrenaline pumping action right up to the end. I have loved reading about these characters and seeing how they have grown and changed from the first page until the last. They have all had their ups and downs, and the evolution of each character has been something that I have really enjoyed. I'm sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I am glad that this book provided closure and was ended in a way that was believable to the reader. I can honestly say that Halle kept me guessing throughout this entire series, and I never knew what would happen and how everything would end. I cannot wait to read more from Karina Halle in the future, and I am interested to see what new characters she will come up with for her readers to get to know and love as we have with Ellie, Javier and Camden.
**ARC provided by NetGalley**
Bold Tricks was an alright conclusion to The Artist Trilogy - but it was far from satisfying.
The plot took over completely and of the steamy romance were only cringeworthy cliched and hollow phrases left that made me want to vomit a little. Yeah. It was bad.
The fact that the plot wasn't that great didn't help redeeming the icky romance. It consisted pretty much of Javier getting everyone in trouble (to put it nicely) over and over again. Yet, every time he opened his raging mouth and something horrible came out I wanted more of it, because I'm a disloyal reader and Javier being horrible was still more interesting than reading about Ellie drowning in self-hate and Camden in self-pity. That said, I hated how Javier's character was dealt with in Bold Tricks..
The biggest problem ultimately was, that the author couldn't convince me to pick one love interest over the other. (Neither for Ellie, nor for myself for that matter) and when the choice was made I didn't even really register it, because I couldn't believe that it would happen just like that and so easily. Damn love triangles!
I dearly missed Camden's POV in Bold Tricks - or even Javier's. Having the story narrated only by Ellie felt like I was missing the whole picture.
Still, I enjoyed being with Ellie, Javier and Camden every step of their journey and it was extremely hard to say goodbye to these characters! The Artist Trilogy is a fantastic series in the wide and weird genre of New Adult/Romance.
The plot took over completely and of the steamy romance were only cringeworthy cliched and hollow phrases left that made me want to vomit a little. Yeah. It was bad.
The fact that the plot wasn't that great didn't help redeeming the icky romance. It consisted pretty much of Javier getting everyone in trouble (to put it nicely) over and over again. Yet, every time he opened his raging mouth and something horrible came out I wanted more of it, because I'm a disloyal reader and Javier being horrible was still more interesting than reading about Ellie drowning in self-hate and Camden in self-pity. That said, I hated how Javier's character was dealt with in Bold Tricks.
Spoiler
I had the impression the author absolutely destroyed him so it would be easy for Ellie to commit to Camden once and for all - and also for the reader to hate JavierThe biggest problem ultimately was, that
Spoiler
despite trying to ruin Javier's characterI dearly missed Camden's POV in Bold Tricks - or even Javier's. Having the story narrated only by Ellie felt like I was missing the whole picture.
Still, I enjoyed being with Ellie, Javier and Camden every step of their journey and it was extremely hard to say goodbye to these characters! The Artist Trilogy is a fantastic series in the wide and weird genre of New Adult/Romance.
The beauty of this book, like its predecessors, is its ability to transport you into the moment with fired-up sexual tension and vivid action scenes. It's never less than jumpy with gun fights, helicopter and car chases, and Javier's unpredictable agenda.
If you're curious whether Ellie ends up with Javier or Camden, you don't have to read far into the book to make a good guess. The direction this aspect of the story took, and how the man-not-chosen was written to the side--as if to force out of favor--sent my molars crashing together. But this wasn't my story to write; I was just along for the ride. And what a ride it is! Once the love interest is proclaimed, there's more than a few passionate embraces (and penetrations) to help weather the storm of internal and external conflicts pummeling the lovebirds.
How the H/h rekindle their romantic flame is what drives the plot. Ellie renews her mission to be good, and through this crisis of conscience, her ragged edges soften into almost unrecognizable sweetness. If you prefer the rough-and-tumble Ellie over the hearts-and-sensibilities Ellie, you might be disappointed midway through. But in the end, she pulls her balls out of her purse, and reverts back to the gun-toting, day-saving heroine you know from the proceeding books.
The story comes together as an illustration of how betrayal and revenge can give way to love and redemption. It brings a wholatta twists, spiked with heart-pounding ups and regretful downs before it rewards with a happily ever after for everyone. Well, almost everyone.
If you're curious whether Ellie ends up with Javier or Camden, you don't have to read far into the book to make a good guess. The direction this aspect of the story took, and how the man-not-chosen was written to the side--as if to force out of favor--sent my molars crashing together. But this wasn't my story to write; I was just along for the ride. And what a ride it is! Once the love interest is proclaimed, there's more than a few passionate embraces (and penetrations) to help weather the storm of internal and external conflicts pummeling the lovebirds.
How the H/h rekindle their romantic flame is what drives the plot. Ellie renews her mission to be good, and through this crisis of conscience, her ragged edges soften into almost unrecognizable sweetness. If you prefer the rough-and-tumble Ellie over the hearts-and-sensibilities Ellie, you might be disappointed midway through. But in the end, she pulls her balls out of her purse, and reverts back to the gun-toting, day-saving heroine you know from the proceeding books.
The story comes together as an illustration of how betrayal and revenge can give way to love and redemption. It brings a wholatta twists, spiked with heart-pounding ups and regretful downs before it rewards with a happily ever after for everyone. Well, almost everyone.
My review on the entire Artists Trilogy can be found here: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1NO
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes