Bold Tricks by Karina Halle

Bold Tricks (Artists Trilogy, #3)

by Karina Halle

Raised by con artists, Ellie Watt has a lot of crazy childhood memories-but none crazier than being scarred with acid by the demented crime boss Travis Raines. Now Ellie is a full-grown woman who lives for revenge, and Travis is a full-blown drug lord who kills for pleasure. The sadistic bastard has kidnapped her good friend Gus as well as her mother, whom he's been holding as prized possessions in his heavily guarded lair. And Ellie has only one chance in hell of getting them out alive-using two dangerous men who love her to death... One is Camden McQueen, a talented tattoo artist who's made a permanent mark on Ellie's heart. The other is Javier Bernal, her fiery ex-lover who's busted more than a few heads in his time. From the crime-ridden streets of Mexico City to the predatory jungles of Honduras, this unlikely trio forms an uneasy alliance in the deadliest game of all-a gun-blazing battle to the finish that will pit enemy against enemy and lover against lover. And Ellie must choose the right man to trust... or die.

Reviewed by littleread1 on

5 of 5 stars

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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!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 September, 2013: Finished reading
  • 29 September, 2013: Reviewed