Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy #3)

Well…where to begin? Bold Tricks starts right where Shooting Scars picks up. We go from 0-60 and we NEVER STOP SPEEDING! I mean my heart stopped beating about 20 times in this book. And this my friends is why I love a Karina Halle read. She cranks out these amazing books and they keep me on the edge of my seat! I don\’t stop reading until I\’m done, I go in late to work, I lose chunks of my life. And I\’ll keep on doing it. We start with an unlikely trio. Javier, Ellie & Camden. Could it be possible that these 3 will unite to save themselves? But is there trust? Camden\’s been betrayed by Ellie, Ellie hates herself for betraying Camden and falling for Javier\’s tricks again, and well, everyone hates Javier and Javier could give a crap! But, at some point, you must trust a little right? Especially when you are in a hole dug as deep as these three have dug themselves. \”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 come for me, both men had loved me, and both of them I had underestimated.\” Javier\’s goal. KILL TRAVIS! Ellie\’s Goal. SAVE GUS and my PARENTS! Camden\’s goal. Well, for the most part, I think he\’s there to save Gus. He\’s so angry with Ellie that it\’s not about her anymore – or is it? \”I\’m on your side. I\’ll be on your side. All the way, until we get home.\” What? But what happens then Camden? Well crap on a shingle! Does this mean he\’s ditching Ellie? Homegirl is thinking the same thing. The theme – don\’t trust Javier. Ellie waivers a bit, because, after all she really did love him before and she has to believe that he wouldn\’t throw her under the bus for the sake of getting what he wants. Right? Who would do that to someone they once loved? For once she really doesn\’t know what to do and she\’s in a pickle. \”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.\” . Oh Javier. Ever the scumbag. Their search leads them into Honduras jungle. It\’s the three of them and 3 other men. It isn\’t long before Camden and Ellie find themselves alone and used as pawns in Javier\’s game. But…Camden and Ellie alone you say? Well…you know what this means. SEX! And schwoo if Karina can\’t write a sex scene that makes you wish you brought extra underwear to work! \”I effing 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!\” And then…BOOM. I took me a cigarette break. What? No shame here. Camden and Ellie continue on in the jungle. They won\’t stop until they get what they came for. Do they get it? Well, read on and see. Just know this: \”I was never meant to love anyone else. No matter what. Ellie Watt, you own me. And I\’ll keep you safe. This book was a wild ride from start to finish and let me tell you. It didn\’t disappoint. I\’m sad to see this trilogy end. It was everything and that much more. I cannot wait to see what\’s next from Karina!

Bold Tricks was an excellent conclusion to the Artists Trilogy. It kept me on the edge of my seat and excited for what was coming next. I have to say that I actually really liked Ellie in this one. I got a better understanding of her and the choices she made. Camden was perfect, I loved his devotion to Ellie. Although she broke his heart he never gave up on her but I\’m glad he didn\’t just fall back into her arms again and made her suffer a little. There was lots of action, lies and deceit in this one and the master mind was Javier. Oh boy Javier, I just don\’t know what to say about him. Yes he is sexy and charming but he definitely doesn\’t view the world the way others do. Honestly the man is not only crazy but extremely dangerous. While I do feel in some way he loved Ellie, I don\’t think he truly knows what love is or actually how to love. Its really a shame that love will never be enough for him. His only focus is power. I will read his story next but while I find him intriguing and I want to see how powerful he gets I know I can\’t put much stock into any romance because of he doesn\’t see being unfaithful as a problem.

What an ending! Bold Tricks had me on the edge of my seat, gripping the blankets, hyperventilating, crying, throwing my kindle, picking it back up (glad it was not injured!), and cuddling with it at the end. Yes, all those emotions. And more. So let\’s try and dissect that a little shall we? It is no secret that I love me some Javier. No, it really doesn\’t make sense. Yes I know he is a drug lord and kills people for fun. No I haven\’t had my head checked recently, why do you ask? That being said, I was never sure he was the right one for Ellie. I always described my love for Javier as – vacation boyfriend. You know, the guy you meet on vacation, that you have a steamy week or so with, you do things together, you get to be someone else for a time, and then you go home to your life. He is a bit unstable for a long term relationship. Poor Ellie is certainly put through the ringer in this last installment of The Artist Trilogy. She learns some things, looses some things, and is not sure where things stand between her and the two men in her life. Even though she sometimes sees herself as weak and not worthy of love, we really see her pull up her bootstraps and face down some things I hope none of us ever have to deal with. She turns out in the end to be the strongest character in the series. And Camden, sweet sexy tattoo covered Camden … well, after some of the things that went down in Shooting Scars he isn\’t so sweet and innocent anymore. But I still hurt for him. After everything he went through to get back to Ellie, and then the things he saw … well let\’s just say he starts off a bit confused and shaken. He doesn\’t know where things stand, where he wants things to stand, with him and Ellie. And then everything goes to hell in the ways you and I have come to expect from reading Halle\’s books. Does it end in an HEA? Who does Ellie end up with? Does everyone even survive? You will have to read it to find out. Perfect ending to a fabulous trilogy. Well done!

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* GAH!!!!! It was so great, but disappointing in parts! 3.5 stars from me. In the final book in this trilogy, everything comes to a conclusion. It\’s over. The end. I just feel that things could have played out differently. Anyway, a brief synopsis: Ellie realises she messed up with Camden by having sex with Javier in Shooting Scars (book 2), and tries her best through most of this book to make amends. Ellie, Javier and Camden go in search of Travis\’ compound to try and find Ellie\’s mother and also Gus. But as per Javier, things are not as they seem. He\’s led them into a trap, for his own gains. Will they get out, will they rescue Ellie\’s mother and Gus, and will Camden ever be reunited with his son, Ben? ***** My main problem with this book was that Javier was basically redundant. All he did was throw the occasional spanner in the works, and really, he was portrayed as a pantomime villain – used for comic relief. I was sad about this because I was \”Team Javier\” all the way after reading On Every Street. Where was the dangerous, edgy, sexy, self-assured Javier? Where did he go??!! He was very watered down in this book. I had no respect for him, and Ellie didn\’t seem to fear him in any shape or form, unlike in OES. I don\’t understand…… I loved the story of Ellie and Camden, but if I\’m being honest, she didn\’t deserve either Camden OR Javier. She was a likable enough person, but she\’d most likely rob the eye out of your head, then come back for the socket! Camden was such a sweetheart, and I ended up loving his character (in the absence of ANY character from Javier this time around). It ended well enough, and had plenty of drama to make sure I\’ve yet again no skin left around my fingernails! A great effort, but I just feel Javier was left on the scrapheap by the author to facilitate Ellie and Camden\’s love story. Bit of a cop out, I feel, but a very good series overall.

Wow, I cant believe this fabulous series is over although I am over the moon to hear that Karina Halle is taking some of the characters into a spin off series. More of Derek, Este etc would be very nice, thank you very much! Following on from Ellie and Camden being rescued from the clutches of Travis by Javier, the unlikely threesome work together towards helping Ellie to find Gus and her parents. Javier, always with his own agenda, leads Camden and Ellie to Travis with the aim of taking over the powerful cartel for himself. Ellie is still seeking revenge for Travis brutal attack on her as a child but Ellies greatest wish is to find Gus and to enjoy a quiet life with Camden and his son, Ben. That is once they manage to get Ben away from Sophia and away from the Madano family. Still on the Team Cam and Team Javier fence, I found myself continually switching sides throughout the story. Cam is still struggling to forgive Ellie for falling into bed with Javier again and fighting his feelings for Ellie tries to switch off his emotional attachments to her. Ellie knows that her love for Camden is all that matters and she does everything in her power to make him forgive her. Javier obviously still has feelings, of sorts, for Ellie although youre never quite sure if his intentions are honourable where Ellie is concerned or if ultimately he is simply using her for his own gain. If there ever was a book series which should be made into a movie then it is this one. The storyline is delicious but twisted at the same time. The lives of the cartel are violent and soon Ellie and Camden find themselves having to kill or be killed themselves. The story is fast paced and I just couldnt put the book down until I knew how it ended. By the time I reached the end of the book my insides were twisting and Karina Halle does an amazing job of drawing raw emotions out of you, even if I could have done without the emotional turmoil at the end. This is still my all-time favourite book series and one I would encourage everyone to read. Well that leaves just one matter outstanding and the answer is TEAM CAM!!!!

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