Review: Way to close out a series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 28, 2013
Bold Tricks, How bitter-sweet are you? One can get all excited that it's here but then the bitter kicks in when you realize that this is THE END. All good things come to an end, right? Sometimes we feel as though the last book isn't enough. No worries folks, Karina did an awesome job with Bold Tricks. I didn't feel like anything was left hanging. Of course, it would have been nice to continue with Ellie and Crew but I am at peace with the finale. As I have stated in the Review for Shooting Scars, I was never fully swayed to pick Javier or Camden. I was always left on the fence. I finally found my persuasion and jumped. I devoured this one like a hot knife slides through butter.In Shooting Scars, the impossible happened. Ellie, Camden and Javier agreed to help each other. Now here we are picking up right where it left off. Oh, imagine the two loves/lovers in your life having to work together. Especially, when no one trusts the other or you don't know where you stand with either.  The atmosphere is so tense and action packed. There is not a boring moment in Bold Tricks."I'm on your side. I'll be on your side. All the way, until we get home."Setting out on the mission to save Violetta and eventually get Gus back, these three fight against other cartels and each other. Ellie finding that even when things seem to be one way they end up being another. Smoke mirrors - seems like an appropriate term. No, no one trust Javier but they need him to rescue Gus and Ellie's mom.Fighting and pouring their hearts out, we watch as Ellie and Camden find each other again. We discover just how messed up Javier is. (Psychology class 101) I am convinced that in his own way he loves Ellie."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."However, that does not excuse or make the things he did ok. Oh H*ll NO. I am totally over the Javier bridge. I have settled quite nicely on Camden Isle."Until the waves crash at our feet."At points, you don't know who is going to make it. Hell, sometimes I wondered if any would survive. Ellie and Camden start kicking a$$ and taking names. They are grabbing life by the balls and going for what they want. They fight for what they have."I love you....And I'll have you. Keep you. Own you. You belong to me, only me, from now on."Karina does a wonderful job of evolving her characters. She brings light to the things that make them tick. She shows that while they may be doing the same wrong things, the reasons behind the actions are different. That's what makes this story come full circle for me. I finally, like Ellie, was able to see that Javier is a lost cause and their relationship was toxic to everyone. He pretends that he does it for love, for family. That made me sad but Javier does those things for power, greed and revenge.  I was able to see that Camden can be a hard, strong man, but He does it with his heart. He does it to protect those he loves fiercely. Finally, we see Ellie realize the difference. She realizes that she has always wanted to be on the good side, be the good person she is underneath it all.I give this book 4.5 stars. This book kicked a$$ and like the Kings of Leon song says "It's a beautiful war".