Sins and Needles

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.

5 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Sins & Needles
AUTHOR: Karina Halle
GENRE: Adult

If I ever want to assume a new identity in the very improbable future, I’ll take lessons from this book. See, I’m already making notes:

When in doubt, just go. My parents had taught me that, along with “never underestimate your mark” and “emotions don’t win the game.”

This book is just UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. Kept me up late last night!

Tattoo artist extraordinaire Camden McQueen may think that he’s running the show here, but the real boss will always remain to be the trained con artist and blonde bombshell, Eden White!

No, scratch that. The black-haired beauty, Emily Watson!

NO! NO! NO!
 

I sure had a knack for pissing off men and making them hold grudges. They sure had a knack of making me pay for it.

It’s Ellie F#cking Watts!!! (Who can forget that middle name??)

Their relationship is just so insane, original and off-the-charts that it was so unputdownable! I’ve never read anything like this! I seriously need to do some GR searching because I really like this con artist type of romance books.

And oooooh, I know this was common sense already; but I found something that could very well resemble a clue on what will happen on the next book. Look:
 

“I’m afraid,” he whispered.
 
“Why?” I whispered back, wiping away the tears, my body somewhere on a cloud.
 

“I can’t ever lose what I just felt.” He kissed my cheek. “I’m afraid if I did, I’d come looking for you too. I’m afraid I can relate… to him.”

Dangit!! I’m hoping Camden will go ala Liam Neeson from the Taken movie (one of my all-time-fave movies btw); this time, the lover version!

Just imagine that hot piece of tattooed guy above, with every inch of an 007 attitude, saying the very words that made Mr. Neeson even more famous (of course, just the shorter version and I tweaked the name):

If you let Ellie go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

Until that moment happens, I think I’ll fixate my fascination to some other mafia guy.

But I digress.

I’m just hoping Camden will grow on me by the sequel. Halfway through the first book, he was trying so hard to take control of the really messed-up situation that I found him to be a bit wimpy for my taste. Even when he redeemed himself, I still can’t fully embrace his character. Must be the goth eyeliner days??

Nah, too petty. Though seriously for me, he is simply a walking contradiction.

Our Mexican drug cartel guy Javier, on the other hand, was a mystery to unravel. And haven’t you heard? Mysterious guys are attractive!

I mean, what normal person even has both yellow-green eyes??

Well, that would still be none other than Javier, the man from Ellie’s past who will soon bite her in the ass. Literally and figuratively, if you know what I mean.

Anyhoo, don’t let this book sit on your TBR shelf for long. I can’t stress this enough – READ THIS BOOK ASAP.

I hate people telling me what to do so if I was doing the exact same thing, there must be a great reason. And kindly ignore the cliffhanger warnings; because honestly, it was bad but NOT that bad. I can’t think of any better scenario for an alternative ending. (That’s just my lack of creativity talking.)

Well, there’s the sequel coming soon anyways.

Just for the record, THIS BOOK IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Now, there you go Sins & Needles, straight to my 2013 faves shelf!

“I love you,” he whispered.  “From now until the end, under any name you choose.”