Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

Title: Sins & Needles
Author: Karina Halle
Blurb:
Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.


**The Artists Trilogy is a dark and sexy contemporary ride about three flawed individuals caught in a world where it's so easy to justify the bad things we do. This is a pure adult read (Not YA or NA).**

Links:
Sins & Needles on Goodreads
 
 Kala's Review:
I went in to this book with zero expectations. I had never heard of Karina Halle before and the cover/title wasn't something that would usually draw me in. Not that it's a bad cover, it's nice, but lately I've been on more of a YA Contemporary kick and I've been in to the fluffy pretty covers. However, I saw this book floating around GR and noticed some of my GR friends buying it and talking about reading it. At $2.99, I'll generally give a new (to me) author a try and WOWZA I am SO GLAD I DID!

Ellie Watt is a con artist and a grifter and she's on the run from some pretty bad people. In fact, she's been on the run for most of her life, except for a brief stint during high school where she stayed with her uncle. It was during that time she met and befriended Camden McQueen - whose description made me think Marilyn Manson.

Most of the book is about adult Ellie, who I believe is around 26. She's on the run and has returned to her uncle's to seek refuge for awhile. While trying to find a job, she runs in to Camden, who has turned from lanky/skinny goth freak in to a muscled tattoo-covered hottie with a septum ring and nerd glasses. What happens next... well... I want to talk about it, but I can't, because it would ruin everything.

I will say this.

It's not easy to surprise me in novels. I often find myself guessing what happens next and I almost always guess who the killer is in mystery/thriller novels.

Karina Halle, you totally got me here.



What happens in the middle was a complete and total surprise to me that I did not see coming from a mile away! Perhaps I was too engrossed in the story.  Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention. Maybe all the red flags were there and I missed them. Maybe, but I don't care. I freaking LOVED IT.

The twists and turns after that point...let's just say I started reading this book around 11pm at night and planned to put it down around midnight and go to sleep. I hit the 40% mark around 12:30 and that's where the shit hit the fan and from there, I HAD TO FINISH IT. I couldn't stop.

Action, romance, surprises, twists...

“I hate you Ellie Watt,” he whispered, lips coming closer to mine, “because I still love you after all these years.”

That about sums it up.

This book is amazing. It's a wild ride and BELIEVE me, once you get on you will not want to get off! And Karina Halle, you evil EVIL EVIL woman! That cliffhanger ending.



SO BEYOND EVIL!

I don't rate things 5-stars very often, as there just aren't that many books that blow me away. This one did. I've already started buying everything else I can buy this author and I can't wait to dig in to more of her stuff while I wait until MAY for the sequel to this book.

MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!

Buy this book! Buy it! Read it! You won't regret it!
 
5 out of 5 stars.

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/517368675