Review: A Peculiar Courtship by Laura Beers

A Peculiar Courtship by Laura Beers

Book Description:

Lord Jonathon Beckett's mission is simple: retrieve Lady Hannah and place her under the protection of the Crown. But he isn't prepared for the havoc she inflicts on his world, making him question whether his duty as an agent of the Crown should always come before his heart.
 
Lady Hannah's father has uncovered evidence exposing a French traitor to the Crown. Willing to do anything to silence him, the traitor's primary target has become Lady Hannah. Keeping her safe means locking her away from Society, but she refuses to stand idly by, letting others put their lives on the line to protect her. Instead, she will stop at nothing to learn to defend herself, even at the risk of losing Lord Jonathon's protection, or his affections.
 
With a sinister scheme in play to collapse the English government from within, Lord Jonathon must protect Lady Hannah from the French spies intending to use her as a pawn in their game of treachery. But can he protect her from herself?

Andrea's Review:

I enjoyed the first book in The Beckett Files series and was excited for the opportunity to read A Peculiar Courtship. I'm not sure why, but I was somewhat hesitant to start this book when it came. Maybe the cover didn't call to me. Anyway, whatever the reason, when I did start I was drawn in by Hannah's situation. There were some exciting and suspenseful times.

The first part of the book was fairly intense with Hannah's rescue. Then there was a lull for quite awhile that mostly focused on Hannah and Jonathon falling for each other and then miscommunicating so that they didn't know where each other stood (this happened more than once). It took me quite awhile to get through this portion of the story, but things picked up again near the end as the evidence was found to incriminate and catch the bad guy.

There's a handful of swearing throughout the book (which is always a turn off for me) that didn't fit the time period. I think that was perhaps my hangup with the book. It didn't consistently feel like a Regency romance. Some aspects or mannerisms just felt too modern.

In addition to the profanity, there is passionate kissing and violence.

Tarah's Review:

This book is a quick read that matches well with the first book in the series. That being said, it can be read as a stand alone book since everything important is explained again. I do enjoy that this author creates strong female characters.

Here's one of my hang-ups with this book. Killing someone is treated like it's nothing, even though that was the big problem in the first book (worry for Eliza's soul after she killed a whole lot of people).  But their solution to every problem is "Just let me kill so and so." Then they decide that that isn't the best idea for one reason or another...mostly that they need more information from the person, which they can't give if they are dead. However, they always always always end up killing them. Then it's like "Oops, didn't mean to do that. Oh well."

Another hang-up is that I feel like Hannah's and Jonathon's relationship is more lustly than love. They don't understand one another, but they are attracted to each other and that seems to be good enough reason to get married.

I read it quickly, and my attention was kept the entire time, I was just bothered by the attitudes of the characters to really recommend this book.

Rorie's Review:

For some reason, I was thinking that this story was a continuation of Eliza and Benedict, so I felt so lost for the first few chapters while I tried to place Hannah in Eliza's place. But once I figured out this story was about different people, it went a lot smoother.

Jonathan was not my favorite person. In fact, he was kind of a clueless jerk. Very sweet to Hannah one minute, and the next, completely overbearing. Forbidding her to do things that she clearly wanted to do, then acting all bewildered that she didn't just sit back and let him take care of her. It took me a long (very long) while to warm up to Jonathan at all.

Hannah was enjoyable to get to know. I like how she made up her mind to learn something new and kept at it so she could protect herself instead of waiting for someone to do it for her.

This book reads more like a contemporary novel rather than a Regency, so if you like traditional Regency stories, you won't get that with this book.

Title: A Peculiar Courtship
Author: Laura Beers
Publisher: Phase Publishing
Published: December 2017
ISBN: 1943048479
Source: We received copies from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Purchase: Amazon

Review: Saving Shadow by Laura Beers

 Saving Shadow by Laura Beers

Book Description:

Born with a perfect memory, Lady Elizabeth Beckett has become one of the world's most notorious spies, despite being the daughter of a duke. She is shielded only by her code name: Shadow. When young ladies of High Society begin disappearing from London, Eliza has no doubt who is orchestrating these crimes; a heinous man she has been investigating for years. Vowing to save them before they are sold to the highest bidder, she must risk everything to stop him.

Lord Sinclair was perfectly content being the second son of a marquess, but when his brother is murdered, he is thrust into a position he has not been prepared for and does not desire. As an agent for the Crown, he is expected to retire now that he is the heir, but he's been granted special permission for one more mission... to obtain justice for his murdered brother.

Used to keeping secrets, Lady Eliza and Lord Sinclair must learn to open up to each other when they are assigned as partners to bring down the same ruthless man and his brutal empire of abduction and slavery. As Eliza's tainted past becomes too much for her to bear alone, can she learn to trust her new partner with her secrets, her life, and possibly her heart?

Andrea's Review:

Saving Shadow is an entertaining read with a new take on the Regency genre. The inclusion of human trafficking as an issue of the time isn't something I can recall reading in other books in this genre. I'm not sure how prevalent it was, but it is an issue that I'm concerned about now, and the desire to find and free the women involved helped connect me to the story. Although this isn't the first Regency spy novel I've read, very few have a woman as a spy, and those that do don't have a woman so involved. 

Eliza is such a unique character. Her photographic memory and her ability to break codes made her invaluable as a spy. She was also quite skilled as a . . . marksman. I'm not sure that that would be the correct word (since she wasn't using guns), but if you were a bad guy, you wouldn't want her involved if you wanted to live. That was definitely not a trait for women in other Regency novels I've read, but I felt the author did a good job of unveiling why Eliza was the way she was. 

I liked Lord Sinclair, although the relationship that developed between him and Eliza seemed very fast and their intimacy seemed to walk the line of a clean romance, especially for a time period that was so focused on propriety.

I noticed a handful of swearwords, and would have loved if those weren't included (mild as they may be). 

Overall, I thought this was a good story, and I plan on reading the next book in the series.

Tarah's Review:

You know when life happens and the book that you were reading, and enjoying, doesn't get finished in a timely manner like normal, and that kind of kills the book? Anyone else ever do that? I felt like that happened with me and Saving Shadow. I was really into it, but I had to put it down to focus on some other things (i.e. life) and after I picked it up my mood just tanked. So I'm really interested in reading the second book to see if that happens again.

Anyway, I actually liked Eliza's character. Although I did find her, and her whole family actually, a little blood-thirsty. We sort of see the pain and anguish of taking another's life, but in the next breath someone in the family says, "I'll just kill him". That kind of bothered me a little bit.

The relationship moved a little quickly too, and seemed more based on attraction than any lasting emotional bonds. Lord Sinclair wasn't quite the gentlemen I normally like my men to be, but he was an entertaining character.

Head's up that content wise there is some swearing and passionate kissing. 

Rorie's Review:

I struggled with how quickly the relationship came about. One minute, Eliza hates Benedict, and the next, he's pressuring her to kiss him. I do wish the romance was developed a bit more, instead of rushing into it do fast.

The spy part was intriguing, especially since it was a female in that time period. Definitely something that would cause scandal if it were known by anyone. Eliza knows what she wants and works hard to get it, even though she ends up fighting demons because of her chosen career path.

There is enough solved in this story that you're not left with a complete cliff-hangar, but things are definitely left wide-open for a sequel.

Just be aware that there are some "Bible swears" throughout the story. Not a whole lot, but they are there.

Title: Saving Shadow
Author: Laura Beers
Publisher: Phase Publishing
Published: September 2017
ISBN: 1943048355
Source: We received copies from the author in exchange for an honest review.
 
Purchase: Amazon | Kindle

Blog Tour: A Date with Danger by Kari Iroz

Reviews * Giveaway

A Date with Danger by Kari Iroz

Book Description:

She just wanted to shake up her love life. Jacklyn (Jack) Wyatt is the typical twenty-five-year-old living the typical Provo single life with the typical bad luck— at least until the FBI recruits her for a completely different type of dating.

A young woman has gone missing, and all signs point to her online dating profile as the kidnapper’s operating ground. But when suspects who crossed paths with the missing girl begin contacting Jack, the FBI sees its opportunity for an inside man—er, woman.

Now Jack will have to play the field, dating each of the men in an attempt to weed out the kidnapper. But with such an unusual array of characters vying for her attention, pinpointing the culprit may prove even harder than finding Mr. Right. And as more young women disappear, will Jack stay professional and objective, even with the handsome Special Agent Damon Wade just a whisper in her hidden microphone away?

Andrea's Review:

THIS. BOOK. IS. HILARIOUS.

I have not laughed out loud so hard for as long as I can remember. This book was seriously hilarious. My daughter was concerned, and it was hard to stop laughing long enough to read some funny parts to her. Quite a few of the laughs may have come from situations stemming from LDS culture, but I think those not familiar with the culture would still be entertained.

The Sandra Bullock look-alike on the cover was very distracting. I put the book face down whenever I had to attend to life (although that wasn't often-this was really good and I just wanted to read and avoid those pesky details of real life). If covers are your thing, and this isn't the cover for you, ignore it and give the book a try. It is such a good read! I can't wait to read it again.

I liked the characters, and the regular citizen being pulled into helping the FBI made for such a fun story. There were intense moments broken up with great laughs. The online dating scene added so much to this story.

Kari Iroz is an author to watch for.

Rorie's Review:

I was a bit put off for the first chapter or two by Jack's...witticisms (I'm pretty sure that's not a word, but I can't think of what else to call it.) Thankfully, I either got used to it really fast, or it lessened a bit because it didn't take me too long  to become completely engrossed in the story, and it turned out to be a "put everything else on the back burner so I can finish this book in one day" kind of story.

Jack is a very socially awkward person, one that I can kind of relate to. Damon is pretty much the exact opposite, so it was very interesting to see their relationship grow from not really liking him at all, to friendship, to something even more.

The story line is interesting - online dating has always been interesting to me, but not in a "Hmm, that might be fun" kind of way, more of a "How do you know he won't turn out to be a sadistic killer?" kind of way. It was amusing to see the different kind of dates that Jack had to endure while they were trying to flush out the kidnapper.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Jack and Damon.  He starts out so stiff and serious, but I really came to like him as the story progressed. I also really appreciated how the author didn't make him all of a sudden resolve his religion issues. That actually might have ruined the story if that had been the case.

Definitely a good story that I highly recommend. A good mystery, some suspense, some good romance, lots of humor. It's all there.

Tarah's Review:

Okay, so I just have to start with the cover, because I'm a cover snob, and I kind of feel like this one is false advertising :) It totally looks like Sandra Bullock on the cover of this book, and with the title A Date with Danger it makes me think that this is going to be like the movie The Net (do you remember that movie? Wow, that was a long time ago). In all reality though, if I was keeping with Sandra Bullock movie themes, I would compare this book more to Miss Congeniality than The Net. It has laughs and humor and some suspense and mystery, but it's not a serious book. It's LDS fluff, and I love me some fluff. Especially funny fluff.

Okay, now on to the good stuff. I loved this book. When it came in the mail I wasn't excited to read it because of the cover, but I opened it up just to see really quick what I was in for...and I just kept reading. My family would look at me funny when I'd burst out laughing, but I just couldn't help myself.

I love how Jack said what she thought. Never in a rude way, though. It was more self-deprecating humor. While I think her dates might have been a little over the top (but really, I didn't date much so maybe that is pretty typical) it was entertaining to read.

I liked the mystery part, and was kept guessing till the very end. I also really appreciated how Damon did just all of a sudden decide to believe because of her, but that it was a work in progress.

I've already recommended this to my book friends, and I've gone back and reread my favorite parts. This will be a book I will reread again and again.


Blog Tour Schedule:

June 27th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

June 28th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/

June 29th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/

June 30th: http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/

July 1st: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://littlelightdesigncollective.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/

Tour Giveaway:

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Title: A Date with Danger
Author: Kari iroz
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Published: June 2016

ASIN: B01GW4DNME

Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for honest reviews. 

Blog Tour: The Spider and the Sparrow by A.L. Sowards

Reviews * Giveaway

The Spider and the Sparrow by A.L. Sowards

Book Description:

May 1915. After tragedy strikes during the Second Battle of Artois, Frenchman Julian Olivier will do anything to get out of the trenches. So when British Intelligence recruits him to spy behind enemy lines, he jumps at the opportunity. Just before he begins, however, he has a chance encounter with a young French woman who leaves his heart marked for the remainder of the war—even if he doesn't know her name.

Warren Flynn is a Canadian airborne hero, and dogfights with the Germans are all in a day's work. Second only to his love of flying is his fascination with Claire Donovan, the daughter of an American munitions manufacturer living in Paris. Warren flies Julian into Germany and soon receives orders to post the Allies newest operative—an attractive peasant woman named Evette in Claire's home.

As a dangerous ring of spies and saboteurs threatens to turn the war against the Allies, Julian discovers goodness in his enemies' hearts. But even if he survives, will he ever be reunited with the woman whose memory he can't erase? Will Warren survive the war, and will Evette unearth the infiltrator in her own territory before it's too late?

Rorie's Review:

I will admit, this book started off kind of slow for me, and I was wondering how I was going to manage to read it before the deadline. I needn't have worried. After the first few chapters, the book picked up quite a bit, and I ended up finishing it in only a few days. I was completely caught up in the story-line.

I don't really know very much about World War I - basics like when it happened and why it started, but that's about it. History has always been somewhat fascinating to me, so I enjoyed learning a little bit more about what was happening during this time period, and I would like to learn more about what happened during this war.

The whole spying thing intrigued me, especially Evette's situation. I can't even imagine being discreet enough to successfully spy on anyone without getting caught. The whole way through the book, I was kept guessing who the infiltrator was. The author did a good enough job making several people seem guilty that I kept changing my mind several times until the traitor was finally unmasked.

Definitely a book that I would recommend. I'm not sure if I've read any of the author's other books, but you can bet that I will now!

Tarah's Review:

This is not my typical type of story, and I'll admit that I kept putting off actually opening the book because the cover did nothing for me. However, once I opened the book and started reading I was pulled into the story right away (baring some confusion with names), and I kept wondering how things would go and how things would turn out.  I especially loved how this novel was from a French POV and Canadian POV (with background of Germans as well). It really made me feel connected to each side, and feel for each.  I cried a couple times feeling the loss of hope and dreams, and for seeing people for who they are instead of where they lived.

Content wise, this is a book about war, and therefore you should not be expecting daisies and roses. However, I will say that the author managed to convey the horrors of the infantry and cavalry soldiers without being graphic. She was also able to convey a plethora of different feelings towards the war, towards spies, and the different nationalities. I can't even imagine living through something like this.

Religion wise there are references to God, and the afterlife, which flowed very smoothly in the novel. It makes sense to think about both of those when you are staring at death everyday. Anyway, it wasn't preachy, and didn't seem out of place.

Since this isn't my typical fluff novel, I'm not sure how likely I am to reread it, but I would recommend it, and I will be thinking about it for a long time.

Andrea's Review:

I have really enjoyed A.L. Sowards' WWII novels, so I was excited for the chance to review her new WWI novel, The Spider and the Sparrow. However, once it arrived I was a bit hesitant to start. I think it may have been the cover. I'm not sure what I would have done differently, but it's not one that catches my eye (although my pilot husband thought the cover was good). This is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. Once I started reading, I found the story to be engaging. It tells of the horrors of war without dragging you into lots of gory details.

I felt a connection to the main characters almost immediately. Their situations were all so challenging, and then when the espionage was added there was an entirely new level of danger. I like spy stories, but I don't typically think too much about the danger to the spy if they are caught. I think it was important that Sowards addressed that. Also, when I think about the time period, I usually just think of the male soldiers. But women played an important role, and it was eye opening to see how they were involved, not only in factories, but in the espionage as well.

There were a few slow spots in the story where I felt like I was getting a daily log instead of much emotion, but in hindsight I think there must be times in war where you have to put aside emotion to just get through the day.

I had my suspicions about one of the bad guys, but there were several twists and turns that kept me intrigued. I was quite happy for the resolution, and I am looking forward to going back and re-reading Sowards' other books.

If you are a fan of clean, historical fiction, I'd recommend A.L. Sowards books.

Blog Tour Schedule:

Feb. 15th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/

Feb. 16th: http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://www.littlelightdesigncollective.com/, http://thethingsilovemost.com/ 

Feb. 17th: http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/

Feb. 18th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/

Feb. 19th: vhttp://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/, http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/

   
Tour Giveaway:

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Title: The Spider and the Sparrow
Author: A.L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: February 2016
ISBN:  1680479385
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for a review. 

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book

Blog Tour: Hotwire by Cindy M. Hogan

 

Hotwire by Cindy M. Hogan

Book Description:

Division spy Christy Hadden can't wait for her latest assignment posing as a student at a prestigious New York City academy and car thief extraordinaire. The best part of the mission is her attractive handler, Jeremy, and her new team. The worst part? The sociopath masquerading as the academy's most popular guy. But soon she realizes the car thieves are much more than they seem. Her simple spying mission becomes more dangerous than anyone imagined. If the organization discovers her true identity, they won't hesitate to kill her, and if she fails, others will suffer the same fate. Young Adults, teens and adults will love this exciting suspenseful adventure with a dash of romance. You won't want to put it down

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

iTunes * Smashwords

Review:

A few years ago I read Watched by Cindy Hogan. I don't remember a lot about it, but I thought enough of it to review Hotwire. It turns out that the main character is the same character in Watched.

Hotwire reminded me of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series initially, but moved on and was more mature/intense.

Christy is really mature for 19. I was surprised by how intense the violence got. It wasn't over the top, just more than I anticipated for a book I thought teens would probably read.

Parts were exciting and funny. Other parts intense and sad.

The very young undercover agent was interesting. It was hard to believe a girl so young could be in a situation like this, but it was a good read.  

Praise for Hotwire:

This book will take you on a crazy ride that you won't want to get off of to eat, sleep or anything else! ~Cathy Jeppson Hogan

Cleverly created characters with detail, who are both relatable and grounded. ~ the bookstalker

It’s a thriller that reminded me of a mix between Gone in 60 Seconds and the Gallagher Girls books ~Canda Mortensen    

About the Author:

Cindy M. Hogan graduated with a BA in education and is inspired by the unpredictable teenagers she teaches. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she's not reading or writing, you'll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. Most of all, she loves to laugh. She is the bestselling and award winning author of the Watched trilogy, a YA suspense series with a dash of romance. She has since branched off to write a mystery, Gravediggers, that won Best YA novel of 2013, a contemporary romance, Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips, and two in a spy series, Adrenaline Rush and Hotwire.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest

Tour Schedule

 

Blog Tour Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/26/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Review: Double Crossed by Ally Carter

If you are a fan of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series, you won't want to miss her new (free) crossover novella eBook, Double Crossed.

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Ally Carter's books are very entertaining, exciting, and clean! Having her two popular series combine in Double Crossed was very fun. My only disappointment was that it was over so quickly. The story was wrapped up very well, I just wanted to spend more time with the characters.

Even if you haven't read either series yet, I recommend reading this novella. There are excerpts at the end for both series, and you can't beat free (it is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble).

Review: Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover & Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

I love spreading the word about good books, especially at my local bookmobile library. They now have several more Ally Carter books in their collection, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading books three and four in the Gallagher Girls series.

This is a great YA spy series. There are some intense moments, but that is balanced with humor that keeps things from getting too heavy. These two books introduce us to a mysterious new organization. There's lots of action, and you don't know who you can trust. Plus, there's a bit of romance sprinkled in.

Very fun and entertaining!

When Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she's there to watch Macey's father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world's best school (for spies), "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart. Cammie and Macey soon find themselves trapped in a kidnappers' plot, with only their espionage skills to save them.

As her junior year begins, Cammie can't shake the memory of what happened in Boston, and even the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women doesn't feel like the safe haven it once did. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every one of the mansion's corners as Cammie and her friends struggle to answer the questions, Who is after Macey? And how can the Gallagher Girls keep her safe?

Soon Cammie is joining Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. The girls must use their spy training at every turn as the stakes are raised, and Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth.

When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when Cammie faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.

Now the danger follows her everywhere, and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent, Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.

Review: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy is another fun and entertaining novel by Ally Carter! Cammie and her friends make a great team. The new characters made for an exciting story, and any "loose ends" from Cammie's relationship in book one were resolved.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Review: I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

I'm so glad I was introduced to Ally Carter's YA books. They are so entertaining and fun (especially if you're into spy novels with some humor).

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

I got a kick out of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. I went to public school, so boarding schools have always fascinated me. Spy life is also something that interests me. Probably because it is so far from anything I'd ever do, but it's fun to think about.

The characters in this story were great, especially Cammie. It was fun following her as she tried to be a normal girl.

I highly recommend this series. There were a couple of mild swearwords, but other than that it was very clean.

Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

I recently heard about a YA writer named Ally Carter on Clean Teen Fiction. My library happened to have one of Ally's books, Heist Society, so I decided to give it a try.

For as long as she can remember, Katarina has been a part of the family business—thieving. When Kat tries to leave “the life” for a normal life, her old friend Hale conspires to bring her back into the fold. Why? A mobster’s art collection has been stolen, and Kat’s father is the only suspect. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

The only solution is to find the paintings and steal them back. Kat’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s history—and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Heist Society was a lot of fun. It reminded me of the Ocean's movies (which I really enjoy), except with teenagers. Kat seemed much older than 15-how could she not be mature beyond her years with her upbringing? I really liked her, which in a way is crazy because she's a thief.

You are rooting for the bad guys in this book, but it was sort of a battle between two evils. There was definitely a greater evil and a lesser evil, and you wanted the lesser evil to be victorious! Kind of like Robin Hood.

This was an enjoyable read that was clean, with the possible exception of one part where Kat is ogled when her disguise makes her team very aware that she's a girl.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Kat and her crew's story in the next Heist Society novel.