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Free Hostage

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My name is Timberly Day. I don’t drink, but I do know things.  
I know the heart beats over 100,000 times per day.  
I know for every one second, lightning strikes the Earth 100 times.  
 
I also know that Jaxon King—the bloody tosser!—is a muddler.  
A manipulator. A liar. A con, a thief...and a closet nerd. 
He’s as beautiful as innocence, as harmless as a feather.  
Except, it’s all an illusion.  
 
I see him and I see lies. I smell him and I taste deceit.  
And still—fool that I am—I rush in. 
His eyes are like ice. His tongue is like fire.  
His lies are white, but his touch is red hot.  
 
I had the chance to run. 
I didn’t.  
Now, I am a part of the game. 
And the only way to win...is to give in.

475 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2017

8 people are currently reading
654 people want to read

About the author

S. Ann Cole

23 books404 followers

I LOVE too much.
I READ too much.
I DREAM too much.

That about sums me up.


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READ TO ENJOY, NOT TO DESTROY.
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5 stars
143 (57%)
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70 (28%)
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23 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Melanie A..
1,245 reviews559 followers
March 15, 2018
5+ STARS!!
A lady should always have a fancy knife in her purse, not lipstick. Unless it's a knife disguised as lipstick.
Wow! Wow! Wow! What a total and utter surprise this book was!!! So charming, so absorbing, so original, so FUNNY, so heart-wrenching...I did NOT want it to end. One of the best books I'll read all year, I'm sure!

Timberly is a prodigy/genius. On any given day, along with her bestie, Melanie, she can be found inventing, hacking, stealing, experimenting, or blowing shit up with funds received from a mysterious benefactor. Life is one big adventure. Through events that start the story off, Timberly and Melanie become involved with a gang of professional thieves/con artists.

0-5%: DNF Truthfully, I started and stopped this book 3 times before I finally adjusted to the fact that it's partly a farce. The first scenes were...silly, I guess. I wasn't impressed, but I am SO glad I stuck with it.

5-50%: 6 STARS!! Once the story got rolling, I was in heaven. Timber has to be one of the funniest, quirkiest, most genuine heroines I've ever read. The things that came out of her mouth had me laughing out loud almost constantly. The supporting characters were also wonderful, all except the leader, Jaxon, who Timber describes like this....
"I don't talk to you because you're a brick."

"A brick?"

"Yes, a brick. You have no expression, no personality, no...nothing. You're just there. Blank and impenetrable. Like a brick."
...all the while fighting her physical attraction for him.
It feels as if I have been doused with gasoline and set on fire. There is a foreign feeling unfurling in my stomach. My nipples feel weird. A nice kind of weird. I'm so fruity I can barely breathe.
These two were so good together! Neither of them had a clue how to interact with the other despite their obvious attraction.
Where I'm a reality nerd, Jaxon is a fantasy nerd.
This led to some hard to read scenes as they fumbled and dropped each other's hearts numerous times, both on purpose and inadvertently as the story unfolded.

50-100%: 5 STARS
Never listen to the heart. The heart is a moron.
I'll admit that Timber lost a bit of her edge as she fell in love with Jaxon. But I understand that she couldn't remain static, not with everything that was going on. In fact, the author had me dreading the coming reckoning that couldn't be avoided.
At the end of the day, our choices are our own.
And holy cow, the angst! How I loved the angst! And man, was I indignant on Timber's behalf...and angry, and hurt, and vengeful. This is maybe something I wasn't such a fan of, that Timber didn't quite get to land her punches as hard as I would have liked. But that's where the writing was so good! The reader struggles, along with Timber, to come to terms with the reality that BOTH she and Jaxon made some very questionable moves in the chess game that was their relationship.

Be prepared for hilarity, betrayal, sweetness, heartache, and above all LOVE.
My heart swells so big I could tie a string to it and set it free.
I so hope I've convinced you to read this one! I can't recommend it enough!

If I have convinced you, then please don't read my minor bitching.
Profile Image for Robin Hill.
Author 3 books296 followers
November 8, 2017
I can just imagine Ms. Cole sitting back with her feet propped up sipping a Mai Tai trying to come up with a title for this book.
Cons Conning Cons
The Con and the Con Who Loved Him/Her
We'll Always Have Paris
Your Heist or Mine?

Thank God all of those were tossed because Free Hostage is an absolutely perfect title, and I didn’t realize it until I was completely absorbed. Engrossed. Hostage. <-- Ha! that totally wasn’t planned!

Willing captive/reluctant captor. Seriously, that’s all you need to know. Cole is a natural when it comes to compelling, heartwarming, laugh-out-loud love stories that keep you on the edge of your seat. And, her heroines have heart. Timber is strong, beautiful, and fearless. A broken girl who’d never admit to being broken, hidden beneath a mess of bangs and a willful pair of glasses constantly sliding down her nose. Timber is fast at work ripping the "adorkable" title from Zooey Deschanel’s grabby little fingers (I’ve been out of the loop. Deschanel does currently hold the title, yeah?).

Considering the nature of the plot, I questioned everyone all the time, especially Jaxon. But when I finally felt like I had a grasp on things, when I finally thought, huh, maybe Jaxon is the real deal, I had an honest to God “My So Called Life” moment. You know, when Jordan Catalano grabs Angela’s hand while Buffalo Tom wails in the background? I grinned. I giggled. I swooned. I emailed Cole to see if it was OK to give a status update. I waited. I filed my nails. I waited some more. Finally, I gave up and gave a status update anyway.

The feels are strong with this one.
Profile Image for Josiane.
120 reviews18 followers
March 29, 2018
This book was a fun ride. It seemed quite innocuous at first. Genius girl with glasses, confident and curious, a bit of a Nancy Drew with a penchant for theft. Then she meets con man thief extraordinaire Jaxon. He's gorgeous, suave, smooth as a babies butt and it becomes hard to tell who's conning who.

The slow burn budding romance between Timber and Jaxon is sizzling. There a lot of really good dialog in this book but I started having issues with Timber as she just gives everything away. Frankly, the phrase "have some dignity girl" passed my lips more than once while reading.

All in all, very satisfying and fun read!
Profile Image for Heather❀Kiss The Pages❀.
755 reviews298 followers
March 6, 2018
What in the world did I just read?!! I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't that. It was so much more! Amazing characters! Amazing plot! This book was F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!

I love characters like Timberly. Both she and her BFF/Sidekick/Partner in Crime Melanie are super intelligent tech geniuses. She started college at age 13 and has multiple masters degrees and PhDs. She is also an oddball with many quirky habits including spewing random facts at inappropriate times. She finds it hard to make friends and blend in which is why she and Melanie stick together and are partners who travel the world on contracts and missions that call for their expertise.

On one of these missions, she gets kidnapped by super sexy con-man and professional thief Jaxon King after she catches him in the act of stealing a priceless object. Oh Jaxon! Jaxon King just became a new favorite book boyfriend. A possessive alpha male that shows no emotions. Timberly nicknamed him "Brick" because she felt talking to him felt like talking to a brick wall. However we see this man who always has his feelings under control start to crack as he develops feelings for Tim. First we have jealousy and anger when another guy on his team starts getting closer to Tim and then by the end this guy is completely swoonworthy!
“You either want him, or you want me, but you can’t have both.. Choose, a better man would say. But I’m not a better man. I’m the best man. And I’m not giving you a chance to choose. Because I already chose you.”

There is also an underlying humor that runs through this book. There were so many moments that made me laugh. Most of these come from the innocence and naivete of Timberly. She has no experience with men and has never even considered becoming intimate with a man. Of course those feelings change when she meets Jaxon and I just loved the dynamics of their relationship.

This storyline is so unique, so refreshing and so entertaining! There were so many criminals and con-men/women that I was trying to figure out lies from truths. I loved the mission scenes and what they had to go through to plan a good heist. Overall, this was such a great, enjoyable book! Please, please give it a try! Highly recommended!

5 Stars
Contemporary Romance
Heat Level: Light to Moderate
POV: Heroine
HEA


COME FIND ME!

Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,863 reviews1,564 followers
November 28, 2017
Good Lord people!! Free Hostage legit came out of nowhere and knocked me flat on my behind!! I absolutely FLOVED it!! Right from the first page I was hysterically laughing at Timberly's inner thoughts, ramblings and commentary. She was so damn funny and so real!! And I absolutely loved Jaxon right away. There was something about that man that hooked me from the getgo. Their sexual chemistry was insane and the tension was palpable. I could not get enough!!

Without giving away any spoilers I can honestly say this book is like a combination between Hackers and Ocean's Eleven with SCORCHING sexy times that will steam up your kindle!! It was so addicting and the constant back and forth banter between Timber and Jaxon and the rest of the team is so awesome. I was hooked right from the start. When Timberly Day meets Jaxon King in the middle of a job gone wrong, she has no idea she is about to embark on an adventure that will change her life. Who can she trust and what does the elusive and mysterious Jaxon King want with her? Gahh!! Buckle up and enjoy the ride because this will totally suck you in and consume you.

All in all this was an AMAZING book and I NEEED more from S. Ann Cole in the future!! I need more books on the team members and Christopher King's book!!! Bravo!! 5 stars! ~Ratula

I would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jae.
693 reviews178 followers
December 16, 2017
Great writing.

I just have a little bit of issues with the plot twist at the end. I would have been livid should people make a play with my life the way they did. Lie to me once, you are out. No second chance whatsoever.

I even was rooting for the heroine to get it on with the hero's friend. He seemed a lot more trustworthy than him.
Profile Image for BleuBelle.
666 reviews184 followers
August 21, 2018
Serious spoilers ahead, about story line and safety.

I really wanted to DNF this book, but I can't have another one in my library. Somewhere I hoped that it would get better, that all was not like it seemed, that the Hero would redeem himself. I should've known better.

All this "undercover" and "missions" and "secret group" thingy was just so over the top, it bordered on ridiculous. Hyper intelligent best friends (in college at 12 years) who just cant get anything done (breaking in, stealing money, hacking and so on). I just found it very unbelievable.

I did not like the BFF of the Heroine. Even the Heroine admits that she's selfish and narcissistic at the end of the book. Her "best friend" decides to work for this secret group knowing that their leader broke the Heroines heart. Yeah, all right.

The Heroine was all right. I loved her at the beginning. But then it went downhill. She wanted the Hero, with all her heart. She's a 23 year old virgin and really wanted him to be the one. She was so fixated on him and his eyes, that she didn't mind his girlfriend all that much. Or all his conquests during his missions. She even would've slept with him and then let him go to his girlfriend afterwards. Or kissing him after he kissed his girlfriend in front of her. But on the other hand she was jealous and her heart hurt. I just couldn't understand what she saw in him and why she let herself be his emotional-punching-bag.

The Hero was an ass. He started conning woman for money (sleeping with them) since he was 15. Eww. And then while having the Heroine hostage he sleeps with his on and off girlfriend and various other hook-ups. But he tells the Heroine later on, that she had his heart all this time!!! So romantic!
Then one day he decides to have the Heroine no matter what and goes to all his hook-ups in person and cancels their future arrangements. He tells Heroine about that, all proud, as if she should be so pleased with him.
Then we have the giddy-romantic phase where they're a couple and all is perfect. But Hero wants the Heroin to complete her task and in order to do it she would need to "betray" the Hero. So what does he do? He hurts her kissing and flirting and fumbling with another woman in front of Heroine. She's heartbroken and waits for him for 3 days!! To come back or whatever. Then she "betrays" him and leaves.

It all ends in a happy end with an engagement. Hero explains that he needed the Heroine to leave him and he would do it again, because now they can be together for real. Wow.
He never apologizes to her for all his heartbreaking, for his cruel behavior or anything. The Heroine fights him off a bit but then decides to love him, because hating him would be too hard.

This whole "relationship" is based on lies and deceit and they decided they love each other? Sorry, but I don't see it.

Yeah, so. This book was so not my thing. I can't comprehend how this book can be labeled a romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Grey.
442 reviews47 followers
December 6, 2018
This is my December 2018 Pick-for-Me Challenge read, thank you, dearest Lisa! Also, it's the first book for me by Ms. Cole. I've had this one kicking around on my kindle for a while. I went to pick it up from Amazon and charming little thing that Amazon is... it tells me that I've owned it since last December... *hangs head in shame* what the heck is wrong with me? I have a certifiable disease, people, I just keep on one-clicking all these amazing books and then they sit on my kindle and get BURIED! Gah!

Anyway, here we are now! This was an interesting book for me. I am a huge fan of the *her* POV, present tense books. It's crazy hard for an author to pull off, making sure you stay in one specific character's mindset and not veer into another character's headspace...or that weird fourth dimension... it's very tricky. For the most part, I think it was handled well here. So I've gotta give mad props to the author. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, the hook was brilliant and not something I'd come across before so I was instantly intrigued. I loved that the MC was different and her bestie was different and they were smart and quirky...but ...then things started to change a little when the H was introduced and she became a little less likeable. So that kinda bummed me out a bit. But I was in it, I wanted to keep reading, even when I was irritated at certain situations, I still had to know how things were going to play out and that's the true test of a good story. 3.75 stars.
Profile Image for Maria (Ri).
5,143 reviews15 followers
November 4, 2017
Sweet Holy titfire. Where do I begin? There needs to be more than five stars for this book. I won't lie, I love everything and anything that S. Ann writes but hands down this is her best work yet. BEST WORK YET. S. Ann is one of those authors that I want others to discover. I have been waiting a very long time for this book --or actually any words from S. Ann. To the point I was getting worried that my stalking her on social media was bordering on creepy.

There is a certain quality and cadence to her style. I find myself chuckling at the inner dialogue that the characters have because they are all saying things that I KNOW I would say. This was especially true with this book. Good Lord Jax and Timber might be my favorite characters yet. Timber and all her random facts and ability to talk more than Miley (if you have ever seen her on The Voice you will know what I am talking about) had me laughing out loud. She was wickedly smart but also so naive at time . However that naivete was endearing. I loved who her family was as it pulled in characters from my other favorite book.

Jax. Sweet holy sex on a stick. If there was a way that book boyfriends could make your ovaries explode it would be this guy. I loved how he was the balance to Timber, especially with the random facts. Where Jaxon is a comic book geek, Timber is a technology geek. They are like a match made in heaven.

Add in a fantastic story line, chemistry and great secondary characters and you have a outstanding book. Seriously Mel and Colin were AMAZING. I laughed out loud several times at the antics of Mel. I won't give away spoilers but let me say her scene meeting the gang at the house had me rolling with laughter because I could picture it in my head. The first few chapters had me trying to figure out what was going to happen but once "water" ( you will understand when you get to this part) got involved I didn't care where it was going because I was hooked and couldn't get enough. There were steamy scenes but that was after much buildup in the story, by the time it happened I think I was just as hot and bothered as Timber. S. Ann knows how to write steam too. LAWD All Mighty, does she know how..

I cannot recommend this book enough ( or anything that Ms. Cole writes). I use reading as a way to get lost from chaos of real life where I find myself saddened by what is going on in the world. After the past year this is especially true. I can always count on this extraordinary author to replenish my belief that there are still amazing things in this world. She gives me hope and proves to me that she AND words are magic.

I am humbled and ever so grateful for the chance to read this book in advance. I would have read it regardless. I hope that either Mel or Colin start whispering in her ear for their stories to be told. Kudos, S. Ann, for another fantastic story.
Profile Image for Shierly.
635 reviews6 followers
December 1, 2017
I don't want this book to end! So, so good! Badassery to the highest level! 😁 epic writing! 👍👍👍👏👏👏
Profile Image for Em__Jay.
908 reviews
November 29, 2017
You smell like games and lies and knavery and immorality

I am on a roll! S Ann Cole joins a short list of new-to-me authors whose books I have thoroughly enjoyed.

With a title like ‘Free Hostage’, I’ll admit I was expecting something BDSM-ish and that’s not my jam. The blurb, however, had me hooked. Anyone who describes the hero as a ‘bloody tosser’ is someone I want to learn more about. And that’s Timber. Jaxon is the tosser in question.

This book does a great job in showcasing some very smart people. They are smart and devious and use their knowledge to conduct illegal activities. Not the murder and gore kind, but they type of clever crimes you want to watch movies about - like art theft. Well, at least I do.

Timber may have catapulted off the intelligence level charts but she is clueless about some things, especially romantic relationships. She has never had romantic feelings for a man until she is first mesmerised by Jaxon’s eyes. And the way they first meet? It’s the best! And no, I am not going to spoil it for you.

Timber’s inner dialogue offers a great read. For such a practical person, she is having many impractical thoughts. Her reasoning and coping mechanisms when faced with the mysterious Jaxon have her acting in all manner of ways. And they’re all unfamiliar to her.

While we as readers see that Jaxon is attracted to Timber, he is also the definition of man-of-mystery. Unexplained absences, ambiguous conversations and conflicting actions all have Timber in a spin.

Added to all this is a great cast of secondary characters – some deserving of their own books – and plenty of sexy times makes this book such a fun and unusual read.

I am not trying to be cryptic but this book deserves to be read with as few upfront spoilers as possible.

Kiss me they’re watching
Profile Image for Gigi staub.
942 reviews18 followers
December 1, 2017
My name is Timberly Day. I don’t drink, but I do know things.
I know the heart beats over 100,000 times per day.
I know for every one second, lightning strikes the Earth 100 times.

I also know that Jaxon King—the bloody tosser!—is a muddler.
A manipulator. A liar. A con, a thief...and a closet nerd.
He’s as beautiful as innocence, as harmless as a feather.
Except, it’s all an illusion.

I see him and I see lies. I smell him and I taste deceit.
And still—fool that I am—I rush in.
His eyes are like ice. His tongue is like fire.
His lies are white, but his touch is red hot.

I had the chance to run.
I didn’t.
Now, I am a part of the game.
And the only way to win...is to give in.

Review:

First thoughts...fun, sexy, quirky.

Who is conning who? Answer read it and find out. The story really is captivating. I loved the whole story and gosh I really don't want to give away too much because it was fun read from the characters to the witty dialogue. It does my geeky heart good to recommend this story. The Author did a great job of making Jaxon and Timberly likable even when I did not want to like them. Jaxon and Timberly are sexy together and the Author wrote some great intimate scenes. Oh, love the name Timberly too. And I forgot this is the first book I have read by this Author, but she is now on my must read list.

I think this maybe the vague-ess review I have ever written but I really think if you like a witty, sexy romance then pick this up.

4.5 Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*
Profile Image for Nicole P.
784 reviews
April 9, 2018
This is my first book by S. Ann Cole and I'm thoroughly impressed. At first I was like this character is odd. This is a strange way to start a book. But then it picks up and you can't help but like Timberly Day, the heroine of this tale of deceit and cons and love. All told from Timberly's POV (hence the 4 stars because I ALWAYS want a dual POV) I was pleasantly taken on a journey where I had to figure out the lies from the truth and the slow, agonizing build up between Timberly and Jaxon King. Jaxon is the leader of a band of merry men and when he is saved by the quirky and odd Timberly, he can't help but to bring her along.

Timberly was unique and zany with her facts and verbal diarrhea. A lot of the book was about her inner thoughts, which were funny and cute. Jaxon King was the star for me because I just wanted to know more about him. The two of them circled around each other and there was a lot of trust issues.

But all in all, this book was entertaining and funny. Here's hoping supporting characters such as Jaxon's brother and one of his teammates, Collin get their own story.

Now to research what other gems Ms Cole has produced...
Profile Image for Tara.
44 reviews6 followers
March 5, 2018
I really liked this book! The story line was different and it had me guessing the whole time. There were a few inconsistencies but not enough to rate the book lower. The twist at the end really surprised me which I liked but the change in the H after it was a little too much too fast. Again not enough for me to rate the book lower. I couldn't put this one down.
Profile Image for Niki.
54 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2017
4.5 Stars!! Another great read by this author!!
37 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2018
This book was great! It had everything I love in a book: hot guy, nerdy girl, suspense, a bunch of twists, laughter, and smart-ass comments. This romance unraveled in the perfect pace. Basically. this is about a girl and her friend who are super geniuses and rob things just for the fun of it. And then she becomes a hostage becuase she notices that a very sexy male is in the middle of trying to do a heist! The guy eventually takes her as his hostage and back to his compound. Turns out, he is the boss of a team who specializes in stealing things. She gets under his skin with her witty comments but he is the only one who is smart and sexy enough to take her on. This is def a read for people who like Penny Reid and Sara Ney
Profile Image for Kristina.
12 reviews7 followers
July 15, 2019
So original and consuming. S. Ann Cole has quickly become one of favorite authors & automatic one-clicks. No two stories are the same & her characters are so multi-dimensional. Timber & Jaxon are probably one of my favorite couples. I can’t wait to see what Cole gifts us with next.

*Thank you for my arc on Netgalley*
Profile Image for Nadine A.
226 reviews8 followers
November 25, 2017
5+ 'Conned right into my heart' Stars!

Free Hostage well and truly blew my mind. I'm not sure what I anticipated when I started this book. Clever, witty, captivating and exceptional story-telling is what I found in the pages I couldn't flip through fast enough.

Timberly Day -- this bespectacled beauty, and endearing fact-spewing genius was quite the heroine. The whole book was in her POV and I enjoyed every second of it. Never was there a dull moment; be it her hilarious inner musings or the situations she found herself in.

Speaking of which...
Timber and her best friend, Melanie, have a bit of crazy hobby. With their combined brains, they never get caught. From one adventure to the next; always pushing the limits. Until one day, they cross paths with a pair of thieves. Even with the briefest of encounters, Timber will never forget those frosty blue eyes of the one who entranced her.

More than a year later, while at an auction in Paris, she recognizes the criminal - she's sure of it. Except this time, he's a fellow bidder...or is he there to steal?
Going off her gut instincts, she follows him. He sees her and decides that he can't risk getting caught, so he takes her as a "hostage". Those quotation marks are there to convey sarcasm. You needn't be worried for Timber. This is just another adventure to her; if she wanted to escape, she bloody well could. And so begins this outrageously thrilling ride.

“He smells good. Like mischief and trouble. Like sweet wrongs and delicious danger.”

Our seemingly imperturbable hero, Jaxon King, is one twisty SOB. One minute you'll love him and the next you'll want to strangle him, much like Timber feels I suppose. But when he's good, he's really good and damn near swoony.

“He laughs. And I die. Because he never laughs. He keeps killing me. He keeps bringing me back to life.”

Each passing day, the more truths revealed only lead to more unknowns. Missions and obligations get fuzzy and lines are most definitely blurred. Should Timber listen to her heart and trust the con man, or should she listen to her head and run the other way?

“He’s become the thing I hate and the thing I crave. I feel him in the beat of my heart, in the pulse of my veins.”


Ms. Cole weaves a brilliantly constructed story that'll no doubt keep you on the edge of your seat. Humor, yummy slow burn and unconventional romance with a twist -- countless twists.
If her writing is always this wickedly genius, I can't wait to devour every word she's ever written.

**An advanced copy of this book was generously provided by the author and publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review**
Profile Image for Sangria.
583 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2018
LOVED this book!

What a unique, clever refreshing romance! I adored both characters....that never happens for me. I was pleasantly excited! This book is full of humor, excitement and suspense. Watching two thieves fall, never thought about it, but it definitely works here.

Timberly is a brilliant Mrs Gadget at 22. She steals things, then puts them back. We meet her, then again as she’s trying to warn Mr blue eyes he’s being betrayed. We’re off and running after he steals her and takes her hostage. I laughed so hard! She is FUNNY! A Chatty Cathy to drive em insane. HA!

One small problem is she doesn’t want to leave. She’s a free hostage. She’s falling for him!

“And if he’s the one who mind-screwed me into thinking I want to be there, then I can honestly say I’m glad he did. Yep, I’m glad he did, and I’m hoping he mind-controls me into much more than just being in his bed."

It’s a delicious slow burn in the beginning. Jaxon is my favorite kind of hero. Brooding, secret, strong. Watching him fall was EPIC!

Timber was a breath of fresh air! I was getting tired of all the dumb blonde jokes showing up in my books and boy did this author put them to shame with this character. She’s smart and sassy, hilarious and yet inexperienced in the heart and sex department. Watching her fall was just as fun.

I don’t always need my leads to be on equal footing. But in this book, they are on fire with their capabilities as thieves. There’s many twists and turns. As the group gets to know her they begrudgingly fall in love with her too.

The supporting characters are just as GREAT! You will fall for Collin and Mel. You’ll meet another King as well. (I’m hoping for books for the two men I mentioned at the very least, I’m selfish like that, lol)

So now......I shall put this author on my to read lists, as she truly deserved it. I’ll be looking for more books, and I’m hooked. Well done Ms. Cole! If you like adventure, smart, sassy, broody characters, terrific supporting characters and a well written suspenseful plot? This is your book.

Enjoy, I recommend.
Profile Image for Christine.
537 reviews37 followers
November 16, 2017
Timber and Melanie best friends and work mates out in a museum to right the wrongs they've done, come face to face with a couple of masked men all in black. All Timber sees and remembers are those deep blue amazing eyes she will never forget. At an auction in Paris a year later she sees those eyes across the room and follows them, bad move.
Not saying more about the story to give anything away, but some great characters with lots of angst and intrigue and some lol moments.
Timber is a technology nerdy girl who hates silence so fills it with all the info she knows about the subject. Sometimes usefull sometimes not.
Loved the banter between Colin and Timber he was so laid back and she was so Cool and comfortable with him.
Jaxon you just never knew what you were going to get with him truth or lies who knew?
I really liked Timbers attitude and not being treated like a doormat and letting Jaxon walk all over her she was a strong, witty and feisty young woman who knew what she wanted.
Really enjoyed this story great to hear from some characters from past books come up and would love to see more of the characters in this story get their books written.
An arc generously given for an honest review.
Profile Image for JBird831.
1,064 reviews11 followers
December 1, 2017
I loved this book!! It was a breath of fresh air as far as storylines go and I enjoyed every minute of it... Timberly and Melanie were hilarious! Loved how intelligent and sassy they were... How they get involved with Jaxon is a whirlwind of an adventure that I couldn’t get enough of...

I think the only thing kind of through me for a loop was how things shifted towards the end... Not the twist but Jaxon’s character... It’s almost like he reverted to this kid like persona after seeing him so in control... But other than that everything worked.. I really don’t even know how to explain this book without giving anything away, so I won’t even try... No epilogue but we do get a great ending! Wish there was more to this storyline with the other characters...
Profile Image for Jeisha Castaneda.
4 reviews
November 28, 2017
Love love love it!

I’m torn! I love JK and Saskia but I think I’m loving Tim and Jaxon more. You’ve outdone yourself S Ann Cole. Can’t put it down!
Profile Image for Ayekah.
1,123 reviews
November 12, 2017
What can I say? I could spew facts; all the things we ever or maybe never wanted to know Timber knows them. What an amazing creature she was, I absolutely loved her. Timber had it all going on, the brilliance, the wily wit, no nonsense, sensitive, and so much more. Her bestie Mel was the ballsy one, where Timber let her brain do the work. And now we come to Jaxson, my least favorite character in the book. Jax was a class A jack hat. I don't give a rats rump what he did and why he did it and when he was still a little prick who didn't deserve to breathe the same air as Timber. I digress.

These three meet during a job in NY and Timber is entranced by the blue eyes behind the ski mask.
When he makes a run and grabs something she dropped; she stumbles on something he lost in the mad dash to get away. You have to read the bit of backstory early in the book to understand what Mel and Timber are doing and why. S. Ann unfolds this story in the very best of ways.

When Mel and Timber fly to Paris a year later to attend an auction to acquire some coins, Timber sees those eyes again. She knows it's him. She doesn't know who he is, but she knows the eyes. So when the auction begins and he gets up and leaves she follows him. She finds him in the middle of relocating a priceless piece of history into his bag, so while she offers to help him she also allows him to take her hostage. But she's not really a hostage as they have no intention of holding her, yet she isn't free.

She finds herself waking up in NY amid Jax's little partners in crime, better yet worker bees. Everyone has a job. Dax is cold, closed off and treats Timber like the crap on the bottom of his shoe, he knows she's got a little crush on him. Timber has zero experience with sex, romance or anything that doesn't involve brain power.

The story continues to unfold and lies become truth and truths are lies and how can you tell the difference? How can Timber? When the bottom drops out for Timber, she ditches those little lace panties and throws on her big girl pants and hits the road telling the power that be to take a hike.
I loved that moment. Talk about a Texas throw down and they aren't in Texas. Timber is totally too intelligent and bright to rightfully set a few of her good friends here in there own rooms in hell, but reader can hope. Jax is lurking, his tremendously overblown ego is the only thing that surpasses his dick, or I'm sure he thinks. You can tell I wasn't fond of Jax. Not at all. He didn't do one thing that made me like him. Colin was a peach, what a great match for Timber's personality.

This book was fantastic and as crazy as crazy gets. The characters are written to perfection, the plot line is perfect, the backstory is important in this one and is woven seamlessly into the story. Loved it.
It's a great story, great twists, insanely great characters that you'd want as friends.

4.5 stars


**arc from NetGalley and Entangled in exchange for a fair review**
733 reviews9 followers
November 29, 2017
This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, there should be an option to add an extra star for an exceptional book! I was so intrigued with this book that I could not put it down and stayed up til 3 am to finish it (I had to be up for work at 7 am so not the best choice!)!

This book is filled with twists and turns, lies, and cons and just when you think you know what is going on, you realize that you don't! There were parts that were funny, parts that you can feel the pain, and many parts that you embrace.

It is hard not to give away any of the twists in the book, so I will try to be careful as this is not a book that you want to read the ending first (I do that sometimes). You really want to let the story unfold and not get ahead when the story really needs to flow. There are parts that I want to go back and re-read (after I get more sleep!).

Timber and Melanie were just such fun characters, and Jaxon was a real enigma so it was fun to watch him slowly unravel when he meets Timber. When he figures out that Timber and Collin were not sleeping together and that they conned him, that was hilarious!

Now I want to read her other books because this one was just that great!
Profile Image for Mitch Buenaventura.
449 reviews3 followers
December 25, 2017
Oh wow! This book is unexpected. Started with a two totally hilarious nerdy and crazy to the max girls. They made me laugh out loud a lot of times. Their banter are batshit crazy. And there was Jaxon, oh you would swoon all over for him. Suppressing his actions but really can’t get his hands and heart for Tim. I loved it, swoon all over it. I want more, more. Never miss this book, you’ve got to experience it.

“You either want him, or you want me, but you can’t have both,” Jaxon cuts through my stammer. “Choose, a better man would say. But I’m not a better man. I’m the best man. And I’m not giving you a chance to choose. Because I already chose you.”

“With a nip at my lip, he whispers, “Random facts time.” He kisses the side of my mouth. “Did you know I think about you every second of every minute of every hour?” He peppers kisses along my jaw. “Did you know I get nervous…for liking you too much?”

Excerpt From
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S. Ann Cole
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Profile Image for Dani.
Author 8 books6 followers
December 4, 2017
S. Ann!! Why did you do this to me!? Huh!? Why!!

I can’t even find the words to express how mind blown and fulfill I am. I’ve been in a book funk for awhile, I wanted something new and exciting to read, nothing that I could predict and guess what S. Ann? You came through with this one. Di ting sell off!!! (The book was great)

I won’t go into a synopsis of the book, I have no other words than, GET THIS BOOK! READ THIS BOOK! I promise you, you will not regret this! This is the best thing I’ve read all year!!

I wanted to savor the book, but the more I read, the more enthralled I was. I couldn’t stop and I didn’t want to.

You have truly out done yourself with this book S. Ann, as ever with your writing style it’s new, exciting, well written, and it made me want more! I didn’t want it to end! This story will have you feeling things for days to come. This book is every high and good praise (yeah it’s that good).


Bless up! Di ting mad! It sweet! Bap bap!! Lol

One love!
Profile Image for Elaine - Splashes Into Books.
3,883 reviews136 followers
December 7, 2017
I definitely didn’t see this one coming - the blurb didn’t give me any clues but there again, most of the action in this story involves conning others, so maybe it is particularly apt? Don’t believe a thing they say or do, don’t be sure just who you can trust and get ready for a real page turner, a brilliant adventure superbly written and totally enthralling!

Timberly Day is an extremely able young lady, having gained multiple degrees whilst still a teenager. She hates silence. Talks incessantly. She’s great at thinking out of the box to devise gadgets, solutions and so much more.

Sorry, not going to type more as I’ll end up giving spoilers and I really don’t want to do that. My best advice to anyone who enjoys quirky suspense with a side helping of steamy romance grab yourself a copy of this fantastic story asap!

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.
Profile Image for Crystal Yawn.
602 reviews3 followers
November 8, 2017
This book took me a chapter or two to get into, but once I dug in I was hooked and did not want to put it down. The book is a bit wacky and hard to follow. Everyone is a Con, so you don’t know what’s truth and what’s the con. It is captivating. You have an idea of who the main players are but it’s a triangle that unfolds and refold to unfold again throughout the book. It really hooks you in to see what is going to happen next, who is going to win, who is going to get crushed and will Timberly loose her virginity.
Highly recommend this for anyone looking for a thriller romance.
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