Review: Bold Tricks (The Artist's Trilogy #3) by Karina Halle

Disappointed and relived that it is over

Title: Bold Tricks
Series: The Artist’s Trilogy
Author: Karina Halle
Publisher: Headline Eternal, UK
My ratings: 2 out of 5 stars
Released: 16th December, 2014
I have been a Karina Halle fan since 2010. I’m one of those rabid fan of EIT that absolutely adored this series. When she began to get the popularity she deserved I could not have been happier. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for the amazing EIT series that got readers attention; it was Sins and Needles ,her contemporary erotica. I personally tried really hard to like it but failed. I am unable to understand the appeal for this series.

I read the first book which was enjoyable but as the trilogy went on it become worse and worse for me. I tried really hard to get on board but I was unable to do so. Bold Tricks is the final book in the Artist’s Trilogy and brings the toxic love triangle between Ellie, Camden and Javior.

Bold Tricks takes off exactly where Shooting Scars ends with Gus and Ellie’s mother taken hostage by Travis and the gang running for their lives. I thought this premise would give me the long awaited battle between Camden and Javior, the push and pull in Ellie’s mind but surprisingly she made up her mind pretty early in the book.

What my major problem with the book was, why was Javior demonised for Ellie to choose one or the other. Once she made up her mind, Javior was depicted in an increasingly bad light and Camden was almost given a Sainthood. I never liked Camden but I fancied the scheming, murderous Javior. My feelings aside, I just felt that Ellie was looking at Camden with tinted glasses and Javior was being turned into a monster. In fact towards the end, I started to hate Ellie.

I felt the dialogues were really cheesy while the action kept me on the edge of my seat, the premise with the romance left a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall Bold Tricks bored and at some points annoyed me. I still love Karina Halle but I like her horror more than the romance tittles she writes. She is doing what her readership demands I guess but a few more horror titles will not go amiss. I adored the Experiment in Terror series (Read my raving reviews here) and it is one of my favourite series and I still say it is a must read. The Artist Trilogy may appeal to you but it was not for me.

Review copy provided by Headline Eternal, UK