The Fox chases the O'Hare

The Heist (Fox and O'Hare #1) by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Rating: 4 out of 5 hearts
372 pages
Released: June 2013
Buy it @ book depository

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.              

Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: He convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first.

Review 

I'm a huge fan of the 'Stephanie Plum' series also written by Janet Evanovich, so I thought I'd give this new, co-authored series a go.

I've never read anything by Lee Goldberg but after reading this, I really like his style. To me, it felt like I was watching a movie. I could imagine everything so easily in my head and the plot was more suited to a movie or tv show formula than that of Evanovich's normal writing method that I'm used to. 

This was another book I listened to as an audio and it wasn't too bad. The voice actor was a man and I didn't particularly like how he performed Kate's voice, but I learned to live with it.

People who read crime novels all the time may find this a little predictable and maybe even boring, but for me I found it to be an easy read that was a lot of fun, and what I've come to expect from Evanovich. What I usually expect from her is hot romance and she doesn't disappoint with this series. The sexual tension between Nick and Kate was steamy, but I have a feeling once something does happen between them, then it could fizzle out quite quickly. Here's hoping the series doesn't drag on too long with this going on.

If you're looking for something similar to the 'Stephanie Plum' series with a different twist, then I highly recommend this series. A bit of fun and a whole lot of action rolled in to one pretty cool book!

On the cover

I'm not a huge fan of this cover, I think it's the green and yellow. It almost looks like a movie cover - I can see it now, two well known rom-com actors (male & female) with arms crossed and back to back staring over their shoulders at each other...

What I'm listening to next: Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie

Books I'm pining for July

"Books I'm pining for" is a feature for new and old books that I want to read. So I thought I would share with everyone these books and to find out what books you are pining for. Most of these you may notice are sequels to other books I really enjoyed.

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge, England, the World – a city of spires, Isaac Newton and Auntie’s Tea Shop.

Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms, the Kingdom of Cello – where seasons roam, the Butterfly Child sleeps in a glass jar, and bells warn of attacks from dangerous Colours.

They are worlds apart – until a crack opens up between them; a corner of white – the slim seam of a letter.

A mesmerising story of two worlds; the cracks between them, the science that binds them and the colours that infuse them.

This sounds so cool and written by an Australian. I always like to read local authors stuff.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

Kiersten White is a favourite author of mine and I look forward to reading something new from her. It's also about Egyptian mythology which sounds awesome!

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

After spending an amazing day and night together in Paris, Just One Year is Willem's story, picking up where Just One Day ended. His story of their year of quiet longing and near misses is a perfect counterpoint to Allyson's own as Willem undergoes a transformative journey, questioning his path, finding love, and ultimately, redefining himself.

I really liked 'Just One Day' and it ended so abruptly that I can't wait to read from Willem's point of view.

BZRK Reloaded by Michael Grant

The entire BZRK cell--including Noah and Sadie--has been left in pieces after the last round of battle with the Armstrong Twins, conjoined brother who plot to rob mankind of its free will. Vincent's mind is shattered, and his memories hold dangerous secrets--secrets that Lear, BZRK's mysterious leader, will stop at nothing to protect.

Meanwhile, Bug Man has taken control of the President's brain, but playing with sanity is a dangerous game. The consequences can spiral way out of control, and the Armstrong Twins are not people Bug Man can afford to disappoint.

The nano is as terrifying, exhilarating, and unpredictable as ever. But the wall of secrets that surrounds it is cracking. What will it reveal? And once the dust has settled, who will be sane enough to find out?

The first book was so fast-paced and I look forward to seeing what else Michael Grant can throw at me.

Dare you to by Katie McGarry

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

I adored 'Pushing the limits' and I am hoping that Katie McGarry delivers on this companion novel.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

This is set the year before I was born so it will be cool to see what growing up during that time will be like. I've also heard some great things about this.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

This sounds amazing! Right up my alley - thrills and mystery, maybe even some romance thrown in.

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

With such a cliffhanger at the end of the first book, it was always going to end up on my pining for list.

That's it for now, What books are you pining for?

The winged kids are Nevermore

Nevermore (Maximum Ride #8) by James Patterson
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
368 pages
Buy it @ Book depository
Released: August, 2012

"One last chance...for Max, Fang, and Dylan...before it all ends.
Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming."

Review

My final thoughts after reading this were that I'm a tad disappointed with the ending. I know it would be really hard to try to end a series that has been going for quite some time. I can't tell you if the world gets saved or not because that would ruin everything if you haven't read this. I have to say though that I guess the ending was ok. At one stage I thought Patterson had taken the easy way out by killing off the main character and saying that's the end but luckily he didn't.

I remember the feeling I had when I read the first book in the series, it was exciting and I had never read anything like it before. After about the fourth or fifth book it was starting to lose that charm. With the main plot of each book being about mutant teenagers saving the world, it gets a bit old very quick. So I have to admit I'm glad that the series was coming to an end. Usually for any series ending there's a sense of sadness as you will never read about these characters again or join them on their adventures but I didn't feel sad. I felt like it had run it's course and was ready to end.

I read my review for the previous book Angel and realised how much I really liked it. Unfortunately this isn't how I felt with this one. I've been reading the manga versions of this series and it's been really good, I've enjoyed reliving the past with pictures.

On the cover

For me this cover symbolises the end because it's so washed out and the colours are dull except for the small splashes of red, blood maybe?

What I'm reading next: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Unexpected Awesome-ness

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

“In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance”

Review: I can not explain exactly how good this is! WOW! This was an amazing book. Anyone who loved 'The Hunger Games' will love this book. I hadn’t read any reviews about this book, all I knew was that it was a dystopian novel. Other than that I knew nothing so I didn't know what to expect and what I got was excitement, mystery, danger & romance. It jumps right into Roth’s imaginative dystopian world with Beatrice’s voice coming through loud and clear. I really loved how the story built up and up until it exploded with the action packed ending. The only down side was that a few parts were a bit predictable like which Faction the main character will choose and a few things towards the end (which I won't mention because it will spoil it for those who haven't read it) but that didn't stop me from really loving this book. I think if I was to choose a faction it would be Amity because out of all five I think Peaceful would suit me best, if only there was a faction for “The loud” then i’d fit in there perfectly! A fantastic first novel from a new author, I’m really looking forward to number two!

On the cover: Like I said in my review I didn’t really know anything about the book and when I first saw the cover I didn’t think this or that about it, I did like the shiny holographic look though. Once I started reading I figured out what the fire symbol meant and realised that the cover is a perfect depiction of what’s inside the book, I hate it when a cover has nothing to do with the story.

What I’m reading next: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

What are you reading?

* Picture & Blurb taken from goodreads