New Releases ~ week of 01/19/2015

A SEAL's Secret by Tawny Weber (#6 Uniformly Hot SEALs)

All Fall Down by Ally Carter (#1 Embassy Row)
Bound to be Tested by Becca Jameson (#3 Emergence)
Burned by Karen Marie Moning (#7 Fever)
Confessions by Cynthia Eden (#1 Battling McGuire Boys)
Consume Me by Ryan Michele (#3 Ravage MC)
Fear the Darkness by Becky Masterman (#2 Brigid Quinn)
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen (#6 Waverley Family)
Hero By Night by Sara Jane Stone (#3 Independence Falls)
Last Hit: Reloaded by Jessica Clare, Jen Frederick (#2.5 Hitman)
Lethal Consequences by Elisabeth Naughton (#2 Aegis Security)
Mr. Kiss and Tell by Jennifer Graham (#2 Veronica Mars)
Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 10: Shu's Crush by Naoshi Komi (#10 Nisekoi)

Once Loved by Cecy Robson (#2 Shattered Past)
Once Upon a Highland Christmas by Lecia Cornwall (#3 Once Upon a Highland Season)
One Last Thing by Kim Baldwin (#7 Elite Operatives)
Playing by the Greek's Rules by Sarah Morgan (#0.5 Puffin Island)
Playing it Kale  Keary Taylor #4 in McCain Saga
Polaris by Mindee Arnett (#2 Avalon)
Revealing Ruby by Lavinia Kent (#1.5 Bound and Determined)
Ripper by Lexi Blake (#1 Hunter)
Serial, Volume 3 by Jaden Wilkes (#5 Serial)
The City of Blood by Frédérique Molay (#3 Paris Homicide)
The Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene (#8 Nancy Drew Diaries)

The Prey by Tom Isbell (#1 The Hatchery)
The Prince by Sylvain Reynard (#0.5 The Florentine)
White Knight by Kelly Meade (#3 Cornerstone Run Trilogy)

Book Review ~ Perfect Scoundrels

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)

by Ally Carter
published by Hyperion Books
genre: YA, Contemporary,

Summary (Goodreads): Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

My Thoughts: I really liked how this seemed much more personal on a lot of levels. Everything was very close to home even when they were rushing off across the world.
The usual cast of characters are present in this as in the first two with some interesting additions. We meet most of both Kat and Hale's extended families. It was nice seeing glimpses of Hale's relationship with his grandmother and how it shaped him. Also, the first meeting between Kat and Hale where she went in to steal a painting and ended up leaving with the boy instead.
Overall, I've really enjoyed this series and this was my favorite so far. It had everything you've come to expect from this series. It had plenty of action and intrigue with that one moment where you're holding your breath hoping it's just another con.

Rating: 4

New Releases ~ week of 2/4/2013

A Howl for the Highlander by Terry Spear (#10 in Heart of the Wolf)
Hunting Daylight by Piper Maitland (#2 in Acquainted with the Night )
House Rules by Chloe Neill (#7 in Chicagoland Vampires)
The Queen Is Dead by Kate Locke (#2 in Immortal Empire)
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (#1 in The Finishing School )
Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas (#4 in Friday Harbor)
One Hot Murder by Lorraine Bartlett (#3 in Victoria Square Mystery)
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (#2 in Shatter Me)
A Duke Never Yields by Juliana Gray (#3 in Affairs by Moonlight )
Beautiful Creatures: The Manga by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl (#1 in Beautiful Creatures: Manga)
The Trap Door by Lisa McMann (#3 in Infinity Ring )
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter (#3 in Heist Society )

Going Under by Lauren Dane (#3 in Bound By Magic)
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (#2 in Lunar Chronicles)
To Brie or Not To Brie by Avery Aames (#4 in Cheese Shop Mystery)
Hot Ticket by Olivia Cunning (#3 in Sinners on Tour)
Hip Check by Deirdre Martin (#11 in New York Blades)
Wildcat by Cheryl Brooks (#9 in Cat Star Chronicles)
Town in a Pumpkin Bash by B B Haywood (#4 in Candy Holliday Mystery)
Under the Gun by Hannah Jayne (#4 in Underworld Detection Agency)
A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara J. Henry (#2 in Troy Chance)
Veiled Revenge by Ellen Byerrum (#9 in Crime of Fashion)
Blood Therapy by Lynda Hilburn (#3 in Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist)
The Good Daughter by Jane Porter (#2 in Brennan Sisters Trilogy)
Every Trick in the Book by Lucy Arlington (#2 in Novel Idea Mystery)
Homeland by Cory Doctorow (#2 in Little Brother)

Lost to the Gray by Amanda Bonilla (#3.5 in Shaede Assassin )
The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie (#1 in Chance Sisters)
Unbreakable by Alison Kent (#2 in Dalton Gang)
Lady Eve's Indiscretion by Grace Burrowes (#4 in The Duke's Daughters, #8 in Windham , )
Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E Brunstetter (#1 in Discovery)
Undercover Wolf by Linda O. Johnston (#7 in Alpha Force)
Oodles of Poodles by Linda O. Johnston (#4 in Pet Rescue Mystery)
Cross My Heart, Hope to Die by Sara Shepard (#5 in Lying Game)
Big Nate Flips Out by Lincoln Peirce (#15 in Big Nate)
India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy by Carol K Carr (#3 in Madam of Espionage)
Wait Until Dark by M. L. Buchman (#3 in Night Stalkers)
Sword-Bound by Jennifer Roberson (#7 in Sword-Dancer (Tiger and Del))
Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly (#1 in County Cork Mysteries)

All Natural Murder by Staci McLaughlin (#2 in Blossom Valley Mysteries)
Knot What It Seams by Elizabeth Spann Craig (#2  Southern Quilting Mystery )
Valkyrie Symptoms by Ingrid Paulson (#2 in Valkyrie)
Alexis Gets Frosted by Coco Simon (#12 in Cupcake Diaries)
The King Next Door by Maureen Child (#12 in Kings of California)
The Earl in My Bed by Sophie Jordan (#2.5 in Forgotten Princesses )
Rush by Maya Banks (#1 in Breathless)
Low Down and Dirty by Vickie M Stringer (#4 in Dirty Red)
Detection Mission by Margaret Daley (#1 in Texas K-9 Unit)
A Voice in the Wilderness by John Scalzi (#4 in The Human Division)
Guardian Ranger by Cynthia Eden (#2 in Shadow Agents)
Bear Is Broken by Lachlan Smith (#1 in Leo Maxwell Mysteries)
Midnight Alias by Elle Kennedy (#2 in Killer Instincts)
Deadly Stakes by J A Jance (#8 in Alison Reynolds)
The Golden Calf by Helene Tursten (#5 in Inspector Huss)
Brooklyn Bones by Triss Stein (#1 in Erica Donato)
The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis (#1 in Seven Wonders)
Giving Up the Ghost by Phoebe Rivers (#6 in Saranormal)
Play Makers by Mike Lupica (#2 in Game Changers)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)
by Ally Carter
published by Hyperion Books
expected release date: February 5, 2013
genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery

Summary (Goodreads): Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of lovable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark.

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.

**This is one of the few contemporary YA series that I will take the time to read. I've enjoyed the first two and cannot wait to read this one.

Book Review ~ Uncommon Criminals

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2)
By Ally Carter
Published By Hyperion

Summary: Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. 

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.


My Thoughts: I'm really enjoying this series. Uncommon Criminals picks up a few months after Heist Society. Kat still seems to be running from who she is and taking unnecessary risks while trying to prove something (whether to herself or everyone else). Her relationship with Hale is more evident in this book and is building up nicely. The rest of the crew is ever present and provide comic relief, and a great contrast to Kat, throughout.
I was concerned about how quickly things were happening in this book and was not sure where the story was going. The twist was interesting and led to great back stories of not only the Cleopatra emerald but also Kat's uncles. The simplicity of how they pulled it off in the end never occurred to me but seemed so obvious once I read it. Now to play the waiting game for the third book.


Rating: 4

Book Review ~ Heist Society

Heist Society (Heist Society #1)
By Ally Carter
Published by Hyperion Book

Summary: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected. 

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

My Thoughts: It's always a good sign when you finish a book,  in a series, and immediately want to read the next one. That's how I felt when I finished Heist Society (and I already have the 2nd one). This also surprised me as I don't usually read contemporary YA books, they usually have to have some element of fantasy or paranormal in them for me to enjoy them. 
The story was well paced and there were not many lulls that would make you want to put it down. The relationships between Kat and Hale as well as Kat and the rest of her "family" was well done without being over the top. The bad guy was suitably evil and Kat's interactions with him were believable in this setting. I also liked all the art history that is throughout the book.
The down side for me was Nick, he seemed like a throw away character that wasn't really needed in the overall scheme of things.


Rating: 4 (Off to read Uncommon Criminals)