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nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
In this second installment of the Eleanor Ames YA spy thriller series, Ellie is trying to make up for her con artist past and her mistakes in the first book, especially putting the wrong person in prison (well, sort of) and hiding things from her boyfriend (though he hid more than a few things himself). Of course, it's not that simple.
Ellie ends up embroiled in another FBI investigation, and this time she's determined to get it right. I'll confess that I felt like the first half of the book was a teensy bit slow---or, actually, lots of things were happening, but I just wasn't emotionally invested in the plot. At about 65% a major wrench is thrown into everything, and that's where I started to get really excited. The rest of the book flew by, and I was eager to see where it all ended up! I give the book 3.5 stars (taking off a half star for that slow start---but if you're a fan of YA thrillers, definitely check this series out!).
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
In this second installment of the Eleanor Ames YA spy thriller series, Ellie is trying to make up for her con artist past and her mistakes in the first book, especially putting the wrong person in prison (well, sort of) and hiding things from her boyfriend (though he hid more than a few things himself). Of course, it's not that simple.
Ellie ends up embroiled in another FBI investigation, and this time she's determined to get it right. I'll confess that I felt like the first half of the book was a teensy bit slow---or, actually, lots of things were happening, but I just wasn't emotionally invested in the plot. At about 65% a major wrench is thrown into everything, and that's where I started to get really excited. The rest of the book flew by, and I was eager to see where it all ended up! I give the book 3.5 stars (taking off a half star for that slow start---but if you're a fan of YA thrillers, definitely check this series out!).
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
feldy's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
michellesantiago's review against another edition
4.0
I hope we'll see more Ellie and Miles in the future. Loved them! Full review to come.
Full Review (originally posted on Undeniably Book Nerdy):
I quite enjoyed reading Chasing Truth, the first book in the Eleanor Ames series, so when I learned that we're finally getting its sequel (after nearly two years) I jumped at the chance to get my hands on Hiding Lies and read it as soon as I can. And I very much enjoyed it, even more than I did Chasing Truth.
Hiding Lies began a few weeks after Chasing Truth ended. But, since it's been almost two years since I read Chasing Truth (and I didn't have time to reread it), I had a hard time remembering and putting together the events in CT and connecting them to Hiding Lies. You definitely need to read CT before jumping into Hiding Lies--events in CT were referenced quite a bit and you would lose a lot of Ellie's character growth as well as her and Miles's relationship development.
Once I was able to meld the events in Chasing Truth to what was happening in Hiding Lies about a third of the way through I was able to enjoy the book much more. I love Ellie! She's goes after things head on and wasn't afraid to bend the rules, but she's also smart and doesn't take stupid chances. I really like the friendship and partnership that developed between her and Dominic too, who was a bit of an antagonist in CT. Aiden and Ellie's sister Harper were back too, but they were more in the background as the focus was more on Ellie's dad and their "family" members. It was great learning more about them and seeing them in action doing a con.
And, of course, Miles was back. To be honest I wasn't too terribly impressed with Miles in CT because you couldn't quite trust him and he was hot and cold (and I understood why he was like that in book one, but nevertheless it's one of my biggest pet peeves in a love interest) towards Ellie. He didn't get as much page in Hiding Lies, but when he was around I swooned. Miles was hot and it's obvious how much he loved Ellie and I just love, love, LOVE them together. Definitely OTP status. They're kind of opposites in a way, but they complete each other and I love all their scenes together, especially the last chapter.
As for the mystery aspect, it wasn't as thrilling as the one in CT as none of the twists and turns really got me, but still highly enjoyable. I was never bored. I did like that it was set in New York, which added a different flavor to the setting yet we still got a bit of that prep school vibe since Ellie's Holden classmates were still around as they were on a weeks-long learning trip.
When I finished Hiding Lies I wasn't quite ready to leave Ellie and Miles behind so I hope Julie Cross brings them back to do more sleuthing and more traveling around the world. But, if the Eleanor Ames series is only a duology, then I really can't complain. The author did a good job tying all the loose ends and the ending was satisfying.
If you enjoy light YA mystery thrillers in the same vein as Ally Carter and Sara Shephard (though not as catty), I recommend Chasing Truth and Hiding Lies.
Full Review (originally posted on Undeniably Book Nerdy):
I quite enjoyed reading Chasing Truth, the first book in the Eleanor Ames series, so when I learned that we're finally getting its sequel (after nearly two years) I jumped at the chance to get my hands on Hiding Lies and read it as soon as I can. And I very much enjoyed it, even more than I did Chasing Truth.
Hiding Lies began a few weeks after Chasing Truth ended. But, since it's been almost two years since I read Chasing Truth (and I didn't have time to reread it), I had a hard time remembering and putting together the events in CT and connecting them to Hiding Lies. You definitely need to read CT before jumping into Hiding Lies--events in CT were referenced quite a bit and you would lose a lot of Ellie's character growth as well as her and Miles's relationship development.
Once I was able to meld the events in Chasing Truth to what was happening in Hiding Lies about a third of the way through I was able to enjoy the book much more. I love Ellie! She's goes after things head on and wasn't afraid to bend the rules, but she's also smart and doesn't take stupid chances. I really like the friendship and partnership that developed between her and Dominic too, who was a bit of an antagonist in CT. Aiden and Ellie's sister Harper were back too, but they were more in the background as the focus was more on Ellie's dad and their "family" members. It was great learning more about them and seeing them in action doing a con.
And, of course, Miles was back. To be honest I wasn't too terribly impressed with Miles in CT because you couldn't quite trust him and he was hot and cold (and I understood why he was like that in book one, but nevertheless it's one of my biggest pet peeves in a love interest) towards Ellie. He didn't get as much page in Hiding Lies, but when he was around I swooned. Miles was hot and it's obvious how much he loved Ellie and I just love, love, LOVE them together. Definitely OTP status. They're kind of opposites in a way, but they complete each other and I love all their scenes together, especially the last chapter.
As for the mystery aspect, it wasn't as thrilling as the one in CT as none of the twists and turns really got me, but still highly enjoyable. I was never bored. I did like that it was set in New York, which added a different flavor to the setting yet we still got a bit of that prep school vibe since Ellie's Holden classmates were still around as they were on a weeks-long learning trip.
When I finished Hiding Lies I wasn't quite ready to leave Ellie and Miles behind so I hope Julie Cross brings them back to do more sleuthing and more traveling around the world. But, if the Eleanor Ames series is only a duology, then I really can't complain. The author did a good job tying all the loose ends and the ending was satisfying.
If you enjoy light YA mystery thrillers in the same vein as Ally Carter and Sara Shephard (though not as catty), I recommend Chasing Truth and Hiding Lies.
kristy_k's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
Hiding Lies takes us into Ellie's old live when her dad and "family" go to pull a con in the same city as her school trip. There's just as much excitement, intrigue, and suspense in this one as there was in Chasing Truth.
With Miles no longer at Holden Prep, Ellie has a surprising new ally, Dominique, to help her along with task: taking down her dad in exchange for her mom getting released from prison. I worried this meant we wouldn't see Miles, but I needed not to be alarmed. He shows up in plenty surprising places and the chemistry Ellie and Miles had in book one is still present.
This is fast paced with some twists along the way and not everything is always what it seems. A great sequel to Chasing Truth, I am eager to see if there will be more books in the series.
Hiding Lies takes us into Ellie's old live when her dad and "family" go to pull a con in the same city as her school trip. There's just as much excitement, intrigue, and suspense in this one as there was in Chasing Truth.
With Miles no longer at Holden Prep, Ellie has a surprising new ally, Dominique, to help her along with task: taking down her dad in exchange for her mom getting released from prison. I worried this meant we wouldn't see Miles, but I needed not to be alarmed. He shows up in plenty surprising places and the chemistry Ellie and Miles had in book one is still present.
This is fast paced with some twists along the way and not everything is always what it seems. A great sequel to Chasing Truth, I am eager to see if there will be more books in the series.
slc333's review against another edition
4.0
A fun fast paced teen spy/con story featuring former con artist Ellie and her teen spy boyfriend Miles. In this one Ellie agrees to go undercover for the FBI once more in order to catch her con man father while on a school trip to NYC in return for freeing her mother from prison. Miles is floating around the edges of her family's con but is not being forthcoming about his real agenda. And then there is the consequences from their previous foray in to crime solving from the last book where they caught a killer and exposed a group of rogue gvt assassins who may or may not want revenge. I was annoyed about Miles avoidance tactics and Ellie's tendancy to let it slide but she finally gets the whole story after figuring out most of it herself - gotta love that twisty busy mid of hers. And I totally understood her reaction. Where this one suffers most in comparison to the first book is the secondary characters. I missed Harper & Aidan and their individual relationships with Ellie. And even tho they were nominally in it I missed the Holden Prep crew. This time around they were mostly just names or one dimensional props to move Ellie's story along unlike in the first book when they were characters in their own right and I wanted to know more about them.
lenoreo's review
5.0
https://celebrityreaders.com/2020/10/21/hiding-lies-by-julie-cross/
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
4.5 stars — Oh dude!! This book took me through the ringer. I swear, my poor hubby. I was about to start reading again, and gave a huge anxiety induced sigh and my hubby made the mistake of asking me what’s wrong…and after I finished explaining how I wasn’t sure of this person’s motive, and I’m worried about this and that, he just blankly looked at me. I stumped him!!! HA! *snort* The joys of being married to a book nerd.
ANYWAYS. This was a solid follow-up to the first book. Even though it picks up super quickly after book 1 (which I wasn’t expecting, I was thinking it would be a few months later or something), I still feel like this was a solid sophomore book if that makes sense. It’s like, we’d already gotten to know our major players, and had connected with them, so it was easier to get sucked down the rabbit hole with them.
Ellie was delightful as always. That girl does sarcasm like no other. I feel like she went through even more tough emotions in this book than the other. Maybe because Miles had broken through her wall? I’m not sure. But there were quite a few emotional tolls being placed on her head, and it was hard to watch her go through that. Honestly, I thought the way Ms. Cross showcased how many directions Ellie was being torn into was done perfectly — I totally got the whys of it all, but it’s like, jesus, what else?? I just wanted someone to hug that girl.
I had a MUCH harder time deciding whose motives I could trust and not trust in this one. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say I doubted some good guys, and didn’t appropriately suspect some bad guys.
I was totally surprised by Dominic’s bigger role in this book…in a good way. He brought a lot of interesting elements to the table.
I loved that we got a satisfying conclusion at the end of this one. Does it stop me from wanting another book? Heck no! But I won’t be rolling around on the floor dying if there isn’t one (which I’m suspecting there won’t be). Ellie is a great character, and there are a lot of amazing side characters in this world that it’s easy to want more and more and more… Either way, I’m so glad I finally got to this book to find out what was next for our plucky heroine.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
4.5 stars — Oh dude!! This book took me through the ringer. I swear, my poor hubby. I was about to start reading again, and gave a huge anxiety induced sigh and my hubby made the mistake of asking me what’s wrong…and after I finished explaining how I wasn’t sure of this person’s motive, and I’m worried about this and that, he just blankly looked at me. I stumped him!!! HA! *snort* The joys of being married to a book nerd.
ANYWAYS. This was a solid follow-up to the first book. Even though it picks up super quickly after book 1 (which I wasn’t expecting, I was thinking it would be a few months later or something), I still feel like this was a solid sophomore book if that makes sense. It’s like, we’d already gotten to know our major players, and had connected with them, so it was easier to get sucked down the rabbit hole with them.
Ellie was delightful as always. That girl does sarcasm like no other. I feel like she went through even more tough emotions in this book than the other. Maybe because Miles had broken through her wall? I’m not sure. But there were quite a few emotional tolls being placed on her head, and it was hard to watch her go through that. Honestly, I thought the way Ms. Cross showcased how many directions Ellie was being torn into was done perfectly — I totally got the whys of it all, but it’s like, jesus, what else?? I just wanted someone to hug that girl.
I had a MUCH harder time deciding whose motives I could trust and not trust in this one. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say I doubted some good guys, and didn’t appropriately suspect some bad guys.
I was totally surprised by Dominic’s bigger role in this book…in a good way. He brought a lot of interesting elements to the table.
I loved that we got a satisfying conclusion at the end of this one. Does it stop me from wanting another book? Heck no! But I won’t be rolling around on the floor dying if there isn’t one (which I’m suspecting there won’t be). Ellie is a great character, and there are a lot of amazing side characters in this world that it’s easy to want more and more and more… Either way, I’m so glad I finally got to this book to find out what was next for our plucky heroine.
theestherhadassah's review
5.0
I read the first book in this series. Oh my gosh. Before I go on, I must say I've been reading many books with where the guy is named Miles. The name is beginning to grow on me and I think if there is ever a character with this name that is supposed to be "hated", I'm gonna have a hard time following LOL
"Hiding Lies" is the second book in Julie Cross' Eleanor Ames series. Eleanor Ames has this curious personality. I think she likes living slightly on the edge. Only slightly. But she's this amazing character, and the story just captivates you and holds you from start to finish. I was thoroughly engrossed and now I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
I voluntarily requested this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
"Hiding Lies" is the second book in Julie Cross' Eleanor Ames series. Eleanor Ames has this curious personality. I think she likes living slightly on the edge. Only slightly. But she's this amazing character, and the story just captivates you and holds you from start to finish. I was thoroughly engrossed and now I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
I voluntarily requested this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
autumnchrunik's review against another edition
5.0
I can’t even believe this series right now! Like holy crap did all that just happen? This book made me cry (don’t judge, I’m just super emotional right now) despite the fact that it isn’t even sad at all (but, like, Ellie + Miles scenes much?). I just love books about spies and heists and cons and wow. Blown away.
Full review to come on my blog (www.forthosewhoreadatnight.wordpress.com) on Friday.
Full review to come on my blog (www.forthosewhoreadatnight.wordpress.com) on Friday.