Book Review – Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

Sins and Needles (The Artists Trilogy Book 1)
Okay so I fell in love three times this weekend, and we’ll start with two characters right out of this book. Well to be fair… one of the characters, I’m still in crush mode over one of ’em, ’cause I just realized something. I was so focused on one thing, that I was missing something else.

That fact alone turned this fast-paced, adrenaline pumping steamy story into a potentially heart-wrenching series to come. And by fast-paced, I mean car chases, the Vegas strip, bad boys and one very bad girl. With a love/hate relationship that started long ago and just picked up some serious speed. Amidst the chaos and mayhem, I have a feeling some hearts won’t get out alive (along with a few lives. Yep! It’s one of those).

Mob guys, and a gorgeous bad-girl who fits the lifestyle perfectly. Raised by “grifter” parents who taught her young, she’s suffered for a few of those sins in her innocence, and has since become jaded to the world as a whole. She’s got a life to live and she’s doing it her way, no matter who she takes down in the process (and all the while, she’s internally hurting for it).

She’d pretended that she’d never miss that piece of integrity she lost that day.

She pretended she had to do what was best for her, no matter the cost to others.

And she never looked back.

But you see, she’s trying to “grift” the wrong guy. Again. The game begins.

So what’s it about?

Ellie, back in her hometown for a temporary lifestyle reprieve (believe me, she needs it!), runs into a local gorgeous tattoo artist (and beautifully tattooed!)/guitar playin’ hottie “Camden” <— YES!! THAT is him!!! and now so many of us are trying to claim him!!! What’s a girl to do? Grrrrrrr OFF!!! Oh? That didn’t work? *sigh*

She realizes that this is her once upon a time “best friend” (only friend) from high school, and he has changed. Both were outsiders of sorts, and had things to hide. He was a hardcore goth,

He was the most bullied, most tortured kid in the whole of Palm Valley High School.

and she was… just the daughter of known “gypsies”. Criminals. Scum. Plus, his dad’s a disapproving cop with a very short temper.

 “Ellie Watt. That scum of the earth, conning whore.” He spat out that word like it was lodged in his throat.

“Her parents made me look like the world’s biggest fool.”

She was offered an opportunity that was too hard to resist. She pounced. And well… maybe he never forgot it.

… she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but sadness in his. Perhaps he could already tell that she was going to ruin him.

Good “forgot it”? Bad “forgot it”? I’m not sayin’. I AM saying that this is a wild ride and I’m joinin’ it. I don’t care who shoots at me! Er… oh right. That shooting part? You see, once upon a time, she fell in love with an absolute HOTTIE bad guy. And I mean BAD GUY. But he and her were sooooo awesome together. Annnnnd things… happened. And she… “grifted” him, too. And nobody grifts Javier. NOBODY.

Now she’s on the run again.

My second crush? *grins sheepishly*

Maryse: Listen. I think I might heart Javier a bit…. I heart CAMDEN for SURE!!! But Javier *spoiler* What kind of story might THAT bring us, you know? *spoiler* Now I’m rethinking this…

Sherry: NO! !!!!! You cant like him……..We need more Camden….I’m scared of Javier…

And I asked Karina (the author, herself):

Maryse: I was wondering if you had an actor/model in mind for Javier? He sounds amazing… and scary. And I kind of like how intense he is about *spoiler*. Sorry I’m weird. I like the scary guys in books (not in real life, though. At all.)

Heheh… Suuuuuure Maryse. Likely story. 😉 Oh and, here is her Javier.

GUYS!!! STOP trying to make me spoil it!!!!

He exhaled. “So now it’s all making sense. You fell in love with one of the bad guys.”

“Don’t forget though, I’m one of the bad guys too.”

Just wait. It’s good! And it’s gonna get CRAZY GOOD! Raw and racy. Wanna go for a ride?

4 stars – great start and I have a feeling I’m in for some 5 star action in #2!

“Do you think because you don’t see my scars that they don’t exist? That’s the trouble with pain, Ellie. If you’re lucky, you can wear it for all the world to see. Most people have their pain deep inside, in places no one ever goes. Not until it’s too late.