On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy #0.5)

** spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars So first let me start by saying I was very hesitant as to when I should read this book. The reason for this is that I knew Ellie winds up with Cam and not Javier. So with that in mind I decided to meet a young Ellie and Javier to see how it affects the future. When I first started reading this book I wasn\’t sure about Ellie. She is a young girl with vengeance on her mind. She decides to get close to her target she needs to seduce someone close to him, enter Javier. So they start a serious, lust filled relationship. She gives up her virginity to him and her quest for vengeance. Javier seems to be consumed by Ellie/Eden and although this relationship was doomed from the beginning because how can any relationship survive when its built on lies. Anyway love is all around and then boom WTF Javier CHEATS on her and if that wasn\’t a smack in the face the bastard did it in their bed. I was so pissed that I had to stop and think did I miss something, were there any signs, had he been lying the whole time? I really hate Javier because I hate CHEATERS. I really hope when they meet up again I get his story because I really want to know why he did it.

I said it wouldn\’t happen. Couldn\’t happen. Absolutely was never in a million years gonna happen. But it did. Javier charmed my pants off. The same guy with the crazy eyes that gave me nightmares while reading Sins & Needles. The same guy Ellie/Eden said was out to kill her. That guy. I fell for THAT GUY. And I loved every second of it. Regardless of what happens in this book, I believe Javier can be redeemed. No, strike that, I believe he MUST be redeemed. These next two books are gonna kill me. I am thanking baby jesus that books 2 & 3 come out in August and October of this year. YESYESYESYESYES! I\’m not sure what happened or if I\’m just a serious hormonal wreck at the moment but I finished this book last night and woke up to listen to \”On Every Street\” this morning and I cried. CRIED. Like…ugly tears! What a perfect song for this series. I loved this novella even MORE than S&N. At this point, I\’m not sure I\’d hate anything Karina Halle writes. The Experiment in Terror series is now on my MUST READ ASAP list. \”So, what would you like to drink?\” \”Aside from you?\” I laughed anxiously. \”You can\’t drink me.\” He leaned forward, his eyes running up and down my body, causing my skin to heat. \”Yes, I believe I can. And I believe I will.\” \”I once told you to leave and not to love me,\” he cried out, muffled. \”I\’m taking all of that back. Not because I deserve it or because I\’m worthy of your love. But because I need it like the air I breathe. I need you. I need you to believe in me. I need your love to make me feel like I can be redeemed.\” *NOTE: For those who haven\’t read this series, you MUST read Sins & Needles before this one. I would not have experienced this series in the correct way had I read On Every Street first. When in doubt of the correct order, always read in the order the author publishes – this is for a good reason.*

Once again, I\’m the nut for not reading a book or series when it was recommended to me. From how every line in this book was vividly portrayed in my mind, I feel like punching myself in the head for not jumping on this sooner. On Every Street by Karina Halle, is the prequel to Book 1 of this series entitled, Sins and Needles. It\’s recommended that you read this book after Sins and honestly and no disrespect to the author, I would have to disagree. On Every Street, gives you the history and the start of Javier and Ellie, (Eden White) relationship. And what a crazy relationship it is. Ellie is bent on revenge. Coming from a family of con artists, her parents set her up to steal from a big time drug lord, only to get caught and be scared for the rest of her life. Fast forward a few years later, she wants to get to Travis Raines and in order to do that she has to get on the inside of his empire. In order to do that, she must get to Travis\’ right hand. Enter Javier Bernal. The sexy, confident and alpha machismo. Ellie went in with her head set on revenge, but soon enough realize her heart is falling too deep for Javier instead. Like I stated before, this book played like a movie. And not some Lifetime movie, but a movie you wouldn\’t mind shelling out the $12 or $13 to go see. Karina\’s writing is vivid and when you see yourself set in this book world as an observer in the book character\’s world, you know you are sold. I loved seeing the start of Ellie and Javier. Now, I\’ve read the synopsis ahead for the series, knowing there isn\’t a happily ever after makes you realize what the freak happened with this two? I think Javier is one sexy mofo in this novel. He loves him some Ellie/Eden. I truly think he is taken aback of his feelings for her. I love that. Even though you know Ellie is conning and scheming you know she has STRONG feelings for him. But Ellie is a headspace. She truly can\’t see herself being happy and most definitely is a self sabatoger but with what she has had to deal with her entire life it\’s understandable. And the sex factor was high in this one. These two are sexy as hell! Lord have mercy *cold showers are needed after reading this book* Out of a 5. I\’m giving this a 4. You have me hooked Ms. Halle. Where the heck are you taking me next!

I am floored, I didn\’t even know this book existed and only found it whilst trawling for a new read – I adored Sins and Needles and gave it a rave review so this was automatic for me. Intrigued by Javier – hell yes! In \’Sins and Needles\’ I was afraid of Javier\’s lethal dangerousness whilst being so attractive, he hurt Ellie in the worst way – I really hope that is explained in book 3 in a way I can cope with because as someone who was cheated on and had the same experience of walking in on something…..I never got over that gut-wrenching pain even many years later so please Karina, make there a reason that I can deal with for this……….please. In this book we learn of how Javier became what he is, his absolute obsessive love for Eden, his fears and his determination not to lose Ellie/Eden. I really started to fall for this \’wrongun\’, he is everything you were ever warned about in one package……but underneath…..sigh, until that cheating part. (Just re-read this review and realised that I have completely not mentioned that cheating is probably the best of Javier\’s flaws – this author is so talented as to make me root for this anti-hero). The sex scenes in this are explicit and no matter what, these two characters are totally combustible when put together. Actually since reading this prequel I have changed my mind about how I would like this story to develop after Sins and Needles and that\’s a first. I absolutely HATE waiting for conclusions but will put part 3 of this in my diary because this is some of the best writing I have ever read – edge of your seat thriller and erotic. Completely hooked on these characters.

Nope. No no no. Not feeling Javier. Not at all. In fact, I\’d go as far as to say he\’s totally creepy. Sorry, ladies. He just didn\’t do it for me. To clarify, I read this book after reading \’Sins & Needles\’. Personally, I\’m glad I did that way around. I think that not knowing what had happened to Ellie heightened the impact of the story in S&N. I loved the way the reader was drip fed details of Ellie\’s past in S&N, and I feel that reading \’On Every Street\’ first would have spoilt that somewhat. I know that some people liked to have the insight into Javier and Ellie/Eden\’s relationship before reading S&N, but personally, I preferred not to know. This is the `before\’ story… It\’s set six years prior to \’Sins & Needles\’ and it\’s the story of when 20-year-old Ellie Watt leaves the comfort of her uncle\’s farm and goes back to her past, seeking revenge on the drug lord who ruined her life, when she was just a child. She tracks one of his employees, in a bid to seduce him and get herself closer to her mark to exact her revenge. However, as her plan plays out, she starts to find herself falling in love with the mysterious, sexy, Mexican henchman, Javier Bernal. But Javier is a dangerous and depraved man, and his life and world are more than Ellie is ready to deal with. Murder, drugs, betrayal… Ellie finds herself in way over her head. Falling harder and deeper for the sinful Javier. It was interesting to read about Ellie and Javier. It answered a lot of questions, revealed a lot about Javier and a lot about Ellie and why she fears him, why she loved him and why is so guarded. Ellie and Javier\’s relationship is explosive! It\’s insta-lust, smoking hot, incredibly sensual. I absolutely believed in the chemistry. Ellie is completely enchanted by Javier\’s charm and passion. He\’s like nobody she\’s ever met before. A vulnerable, young virgin, she\’s inexperienced in the art of sex and seduction, and Javier\’s cool, confident, sensuous approach at pursuing a relationship with her enthrals her from the very beginning. However… I did not fall for Javier. Not at all. Ok, some of the scenes were hot. But he was just over intense, completely scary and just not my kind of thing. At all. I love my alpha males, my over controlling book boyfriends and I especially love the bad ass dangerous types… but Javier just didn\’t float my boat. Maybe because I just loved Camden so much. Also, I think, knowing how this one ended (as it is revealed in S&N) I just couldn\’t bring myself to fall for him. So, with every sweet thing he said or did, I was just thinking `Well, yes, but…\’ I feel like I understand Ellie a lot better. Or Eden. Or Elaine. Or whatever she wants to be called. I didn\’t like her as much in this book. I like the more mature, wiser, tougher Ellie, rather than the vulnerable, indecisive, impressionable young Ellie. However, you can really put everything together, with this book, and see how she got to become the Ellie Watt you meet in S&N. But despite knowing the outcome of this book, there was still so much crammed into this delicious little package. There were so many twists and turns. It is definitely worth reading and really adds another dimension to this fabulous series. I can\’t wait for Shooting Scars! On Every Street Statistics Steam Rating (out of 5): Ending: Cliffhanger Series: Reading Order: Book #0.25 – Untitled (The Artists Trilogy, #0.25) Book #0.5 – On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy, #0.5) Book #1 – Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy, #1) Book #2 – Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy, #2) Book #3 – Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy, #3) Release date: October 15th 2013 Can this be read as a standalone? No Themes: Crime First love Warning. This book includes… Sexual content. Cheating. Lies. Murder. Writing: Great Review by Smitten\’s Book Blog

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