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Still on the hunt for her missing brother, Kayli Winchester's life amid the Academy team comes to an abrupt halt when she and Brandon are kidnapped. Mistaken for his identical twin brother, Brandon's life is threatened unless he helps a team of criminals hack into a secret underground cellular network and exploit it.
The cunning Kayli makes a daring escape. With Brandon still held prisoner, she turns to the guys to help save him. Despite the team of Axel, Marc, Corey and Raven working tirelessly, this desperate search and rescue mission quickly changes into submission to the kidnappers. If the team doesn't give the bad guys what they want, someone will die.
It’s unavoidable: they’re going to need to bring in outside help... help that will come at a high price. Saving the guys might require Kayli to do the unthinkable, and may shatter the team forever.
The cunning Kayli makes a daring escape. With Brandon still held prisoner, she turns to the guys to help save him. Despite the team of Axel, Marc, Corey and Raven working tirelessly, this desperate search and rescue mission quickly changes into submission to the kidnappers. If the team doesn't give the bad guys what they want, someone will die.
It’s unavoidable: they’re going to need to bring in outside help... help that will come at a high price. Saving the guys might require Kayli to do the unthinkable, and may shatter the team forever.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2015
233 people are currently reading
1455 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Stone
58 books4,350 followersC. L. Stone likes :chocolate_bar: and #findingburiedtreasure. Her books are about :revolving_hearts: and @dark_themes and #chocolatechippancakes.
If lots of book boyfriends scare you...run. Run now.
If lots of book boyfriends scare you...run. Run now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
February 2, 2015
.....Some spoilers......
Well, Daphne, I mean Kayli and her mastery van of misfits are at it again in this next edition of The Scarab Beetle Series. From start to finish it was action packed and you would think that would be a good thing, who wants a boring book, right? Yet, I was bored that was for sure. Kayli gets no closer to understanding her mixed emotions towards the guys, plus Blake and maybe this new guy Avery? Who knows! and honestly, how could she when there was practically no down time for her to interact with any of the guys. Oh sure, she made out with a few of them when they were on their way going somewhere before getting kidnapped and all that, but other than that you don't learn anything new when it comes to their "Blossoming" relationships, and what I mean is that their is no blossoming relationship of any kind going on, except maybe of the "lust" kind. Look, my personal opinion is if you writing a story that has a harem-ish feel to it you need a balance between action and down time so Kayli can get to know these guys a bit better, see her interactions between them. etc.. heck, even learn more about Kayli herself, all I really know is that her brother is still missing, she had a crappy childhood and of course her hormones are all over the place and she gets grumpy when she doesn't eat.
Honestly, I'm still having a hard time liking Kayli, sure she worked tirelessly trying to get the guys back and safe, so that was a plus, but still she doesn't have any trust for them and is planning on running off with Blake for 2 weeks or so. Really? why is Blake even still around in this book? Honestly, I'm finding myself wanting the Academy guys to just dump her, she is so annoying to me.
Anyway, I give this book a 2.5 stars and honestly, I think I'm done with this series, I'll stick to the GB series.
Well, Daphne, I mean Kayli and her mastery van of misfits are at it again in this next edition of The Scarab Beetle Series. From start to finish it was action packed and you would think that would be a good thing, who wants a boring book, right? Yet, I was bored that was for sure. Kayli gets no closer to understanding her mixed emotions towards the guys, plus Blake and maybe this new guy Avery? Who knows! and honestly, how could she when there was practically no down time for her to interact with any of the guys. Oh sure, she made out with a few of them when they were on their way going somewhere before getting kidnapped and all that, but other than that you don't learn anything new when it comes to their "Blossoming" relationships, and what I mean is that their is no blossoming relationship of any kind going on, except maybe of the "lust" kind. Look, my personal opinion is if you writing a story that has a harem-ish feel to it you need a balance between action and down time so Kayli can get to know these guys a bit better, see her interactions between them. etc.. heck, even learn more about Kayli herself, all I really know is that her brother is still missing, she had a crappy childhood and of course her hormones are all over the place and she gets grumpy when she doesn't eat.
Honestly, I'm still having a hard time liking Kayli, sure she worked tirelessly trying to get the guys back and safe, so that was a plus, but still she doesn't have any trust for them and is planning on running off with Blake for 2 weeks or so. Really? why is Blake even still around in this book? Honestly, I'm finding myself wanting the Academy guys to just dump her, she is so annoying to me.
Anyway, I give this book a 2.5 stars and honestly, I think I'm done with this series, I'll stick to the GB series.
January 31, 2015
3.5 stars
Fake is the third book and I wish I could say this was one of the best work by C.L. Stone but I can't because I was a little disappointed by it. I want the romance to be developped instead of being still. I hope Kayli will be more honest with them and try to deal with her growing feelings. We didn't get a lot of the guys together and most of the book was focused on this new plot which I wasn't particulary amazed by. I didn't really care about Alice or Eddie. And while I'm saying this I know the author did lots of other books I really enjoyed. This one was good but not the best and I hope I'll love the next one. I want more of the guys and the series in general. :)
Fake is the third book and I wish I could say this was one of the best work by C.L. Stone but I can't because I was a little disappointed by it. I want the romance to be developped instead of being still. I hope Kayli will be more honest with them and try to deal with her growing feelings. We didn't get a lot of the guys together and most of the book was focused on this new plot which I wasn't particulary amazed by. I didn't really care about Alice or Eddie. And while I'm saying this I know the author did lots of other books I really enjoyed. This one was good but not the best and I hope I'll love the next one. I want more of the guys and the series in general. :)
February 1, 2015
'"Blake didn't have a quartet," Brandon said to me as we dove into the thickest part of the crowd.
"He had a band," I said. (...) "I think that's more than a quartet."
"He didn't have an ice sculpture," Brandon said.
"Yes, he did," I said, although I couldn't really remember. I just wanted to contradict him. Why were we comparing parties?"
"This house is bigger," he said.
I looked around the house. "Yes," I said, noting the rooms were large and open compared to Blake's old-fashioned house. "But Blake's house is an antique built two hundred years ago. This one is new. And why do you care whose house is bigger? Is this a guy thing?"'
February 1, 2015
Always a five star series. Always a five start author.
January 28, 2018
the first book was so good but i’m not sure if i still like the series:( i feel like it’s just missing something🤷♀️
April 5, 2015
I'm really disappointed with this book... C.L. Stone is on my top list of favorite authors although this book is probably my least favorite of all!
I fell asleep from being bored to death at one point and with her being confused about her emotions and all that going on is to much.
What I don't quite understand is why she's doing all this shit - to be honest if I were In her situation I'd just ditch the guys even if they kissed hella good and were hotter than Chris Hemsworth face mashed with Robert Pattinson!
About Ethan well he was just plain naïve and Alice was an unrealistic character the whole plot was unrealistic and expected.
When I'm reading a book I want to be like woah did that just happen, not oh of course that happened! And with the whole core and two teams going against it with a heroine and some backstabbing... I honestly feel like this book is a couple downgrades from her other writings.
(LOVE how she incorporated the Ghost Bird team in here)
Still an enjoyable read and I do recommend it for anyone who's read her other books!
I fell asleep from being bored to death at one point and with her being confused about her emotions and all that going on is to much.
What I don't quite understand is why she's doing all this shit - to be honest if I were In her situation I'd just ditch the guys even if they kissed hella good and were hotter than Chris Hemsworth face mashed with Robert Pattinson!
About Ethan well he was just plain naïve and Alice was an unrealistic character the whole plot was unrealistic and expected.
When I'm reading a book I want to be like woah did that just happen, not oh of course that happened! And with the whole core and two teams going against it with a heroine and some backstabbing... I honestly feel like this book is a couple downgrades from her other writings.
(LOVE how she incorporated the Ghost Bird team in here)
Still an enjoyable read and I do recommend it for anyone who's read her other books!
February 6, 2015
Oh Kayli...you make such poor life choices.
I think that all of the characters in C.L. Stone books need the guy who plays the Sassy Gay Friend to follow them around and prevent them from doing stupid shit in relationships.
If you are so concerned with breaking up the team and being a problem THEN STOP KISSING ALL OF THEM. I understand that they kiss you first but at least *try* to say no or "I need some space". Maybe confide in the one that you sleep in bed with about your concerns and have an honest conversation.
These books are all ridiculous.
I say all of this and yet...
I still adore these books. Why chose one guy when you can have them all?
Some of the characters were a little AWOL but it allowed other relationships to develop. Marc had a little more screentime as did Brandon which I think was important. We sort of missed those guys in the last book.
Theory Time:
I can't wait for the next book though! Next one in this series comes out this summer and is called Accessory. Next Ghost Bird is in April and is called The Other Side of Envy.
I think that all of the characters in C.L. Stone books need the guy who plays the Sassy Gay Friend to follow them around and prevent them from doing stupid shit in relationships.
If you are so concerned with breaking up the team and being a problem THEN STOP KISSING ALL OF THEM. I understand that they kiss you first but at least *try* to say no or "I need some space". Maybe confide in the one that you sleep in bed with about your concerns and have an honest conversation.
These books are all ridiculous.
I say all of this and yet...
I still adore these books. Why chose one guy when you can have them all?
Some of the characters were a little AWOL but it allowed other relationships to develop. Marc had a little more screentime as did Brandon which I think was important. We sort of missed those guys in the last book.
Theory Time:
I can't wait for the next book though! Next one in this series comes out this summer and is called Accessory. Next Ghost Bird is in April and is called The Other Side of Envy.
February 1, 2015
To be updated...
August 22, 2018
Just when Kayli thinks she can focus on finding her brother, she and Brandon get kidnapped in the middle of the night by a group of Germans that want Corey to hack into an underground cell network. Kayli escapes, but it seems like everyone she turns to for help ends up in more danger. It is also becoming more clear that she cannot choose between the guys in the group, but continuing on the current path will likely lead to hurt feelings, etc.
This installment of the series is what I would label a "filler". Kayli hasn't made any progress on any of her problems (she doesn't know where her brother is, hasn't figured out what to do about the Academy guys, hasn't figured out what to do about Blake Coaltar, and hasn't learned anything new about the Academy), but this new adventure distracted her and entertained me at the same time. Normally, I hate plots where there are a bunch of kidnappings, but I overlooked it in this case. I'm hoping that Book 4 will not be such a "filler".
This installment of the series is what I would label a "filler". Kayli hasn't made any progress on any of her problems (she doesn't know where her brother is, hasn't figured out what to do about the Academy guys, hasn't figured out what to do about Blake Coaltar, and hasn't learned anything new about the Academy), but this new adventure distracted her and entertained me at the same time. Normally, I hate plots where there are a bunch of kidnappings, but I overlooked it in this case. I'm hoping that Book 4 will not be such a "filler".
January 25, 2015
So I have decided to be adopted by all the Academy guys since I cannot choose! I choose all 15, just saying, that is not including Kevin but including Blake!
A sneak peek of Fake will be at the end of Liar so you can get ready for a little taste of what is to come December 15th
I need more swoon-worthy academy rogue group of criminals!
Thief & Liar are ready to purchase below!,
November 29, 2018
ARC!
The third book in the series begins with Kayli trying her hardest to bury all of her feelings for all of the guys, and for being worried about her brother. They still haven't found him, and are unsure of what is going to happen next. But Kayli may have more problems then she knows what to deal with especially when she may have to save the guys, but do something that could hurt them later on.
This book kind of frustrated me. In some ways it felt like a repeat of the last book all over again. I'm getting a little bit frustrated with Kayli not mentioning her real feelings to anyone. She's a grown woman, who is open enough with her affection, but not her feelings. It's starting to make her look bad in my eyes. Other then that I did enjoy the book though. But I do hope the next one is better, and has more story to it, and not the same repeated issues.
The third book in the series begins with Kayli trying her hardest to bury all of her feelings for all of the guys, and for being worried about her brother. They still haven't found him, and are unsure of what is going to happen next. But Kayli may have more problems then she knows what to deal with especially when she may have to save the guys, but do something that could hurt them later on.
This book kind of frustrated me. In some ways it felt like a repeat of the last book all over again. I'm getting a little bit frustrated with Kayli not mentioning her real feelings to anyone. She's a grown woman, who is open enough with her affection, but not her feelings. It's starting to make her look bad in my eyes. Other then that I did enjoy the book though. But I do hope the next one is better, and has more story to it, and not the same repeated issues.
October 7, 2017
This book was disappointing for me. Kaylie is still indecisive about all her feelings for and about the guys. I just really want to see her actually get to know the guys more instead of just kissing them and being so confused. Don't get me wrong, I love all the steamy moments but I wish that she would actually talk to them more and find out more about them.
Which brings me to my main pet peeve about Kaylie. The guys are always helping her out and she risked a lot to save them, but why is still not trusting them and second-guessing them?
Oh well, let's move on to the next book.
Which brings me to my main pet peeve about Kaylie. The guys are always helping her out and she risked a lot to save them, but why is still not trusting them and second-guessing them?
Oh well, let's move on to the next book.
February 1, 2015
I have to admit CL Stone's last few books have been increasingly disappointing. The editing, for one, is getting worse and while I appreciate how quickly she's trying to get these books out and that she's trying to stick to a schedule it should not be that difficult to find an editing team who will catch the flagrant spelling errors and spots where she clearly changed her mind about how she intended to phrase something, thus leaving two disjointed attempts side-by-side. I know dozens of her fans would volunteer their services, myself included.
Editing aside: This story, like the last Ghost Bird, felt rushed. She spends so much time introducing new villians and new problems; and it wouldn't be a problem if the book were twice as long, but as it is it felt like we didn't get anything from the boys. We're still getting to know these characters and pretty much all I learned about them in this book is that Corey wrote some software (and we already knew he was a computer God) and Brandon has a motorcycle shop. We read these books for the characters, not obscure technology references. Give us some substance, CL!
Also, is it just me or do they seem to know the Ghost Bird guys a lot better than the Ghost Bird guys know them? I thought CL said they'd occasionally cross paths, but they're leaning on the Ghost Bird boys like this is a cross-over fanfic, naming North and Victor outright. Also, is the Mr. Anderson they mention one of the older group with 4 guys and 1 bird? I think so but am too lazy to go back to the second or third GB book to find out.
Editing aside: This story, like the last Ghost Bird, felt rushed. She spends so much time introducing new villians and new problems; and it wouldn't be a problem if the book were twice as long, but as it is it felt like we didn't get anything from the boys. We're still getting to know these characters and pretty much all I learned about them in this book is that Corey wrote some software (and we already knew he was a computer God) and Brandon has a motorcycle shop. We read these books for the characters, not obscure technology references. Give us some substance, CL!
Also, is it just me or do they seem to know the Ghost Bird guys a lot better than the Ghost Bird guys know them? I thought CL said they'd occasionally cross paths, but they're leaning on the Ghost Bird boys like this is a cross-over fanfic, naming North and Victor outright. Also, is the Mr. Anderson they mention one of the older group with 4 guys and 1 bird? I think so but am too lazy to go back to the second or third GB book to find out.
January 30, 2015
I love CL Stone.
I love her writing. Her books. How weird they are... Everything about them.... PERFECTION.
This one is probably my least favorite out of all of them. I still liked it, but I didn't LOVE it like I do the other ones. Which I will explain. :)
I'm sad, because I love Blake, and I feel like he's about to be excluded from this love... umm.... I would say triangle, but there are, like, six (or seven) guys in this equation. Blake is my favorite, besides Raven and Corey. So I'm super sad about that. But I'll live. I suppose it had to happen at some point *sigh*... Okay, fine, I'll take Blake for me :D
I think the thing I didn't like about this book was we didn't see everybody TOGETHER. I want to see Kayli with ALL the guys. I also feel like Kayli is acting pretty immature right now. More than she did in previous books. I want her to just fess up to the guys and tell them the truth about how she feels.
One request: PLEASE MORE RAVEN. Because, seriously.
YUM.
With that being said, CL Stone, PLEASE WRITE FASTER. LOL. I know, I know. You write as fast as you can. I'm just addicted to these characters and I NEED more. Always. :)
I love her writing. Her books. How weird they are... Everything about them.... PERFECTION.
This one is probably my least favorite out of all of them. I still liked it, but I didn't LOVE it like I do the other ones. Which I will explain. :)
I'm sad, because I love Blake, and I feel like he's about to be excluded from this love... umm.... I would say triangle, but there are, like, six (or seven) guys in this equation. Blake is my favorite, besides Raven and Corey. So I'm super sad about that. But I'll live. I suppose it had to happen at some point *sigh*... Okay, fine, I'll take Blake for me :D
I think the thing I didn't like about this book was we didn't see everybody TOGETHER. I want to see Kayli with ALL the guys. I also feel like Kayli is acting pretty immature right now. More than she did in previous books. I want her to just fess up to the guys and tell them the truth about how she feels.
One request: PLEASE MORE RAVEN. Because, seriously.
YUM.
With that being said, CL Stone, PLEASE WRITE FASTER. LOL. I know, I know. You write as fast as you can. I'm just addicted to these characters and I NEED more. Always. :)
January 31, 2015
"Fake" is the third book in C.L. Stone's Scarab Beetle series and, while I enjoyed it (as I have all of her books), I didn't feel it was quite as good as the others in the series. The author mentioned having some trouble with the story when she pushed the publication date back, and I'd have to agree she seemed to have trouble with this one. I felt the plot was a little confusing, and while I'm quite willing to suspend belief for a good story, I had too many questions at the end of this one. There didn't seem to be any advancement in the story line of the romance and I was left feeling a little empty. It was an enjoyable romp, another look into the crazyness that is Kayli's existence and I did find myself laughing out loud at the situations she gets into. I really liked the new character of Avery and I have a feeling we'll see him again (or at least I hope we do!) Overall, it is a light, fun story and if you have not yet read the first 2 in the series, I highly recommend you do so!
January 30, 2015
Loved it! but also sad that there was a lack of Corey/Kayli and Raven/Kayli. I just wish these books could be like 400 pages Lol
January 5, 2016
I'm exhausted just from reading this book.
July 5, 2018
Let's be honest.
I'm just here for the guys.
I want alllll the guys!!!
I kinda love Blake, because I like that he's morally ambiguous-ish.
Am I the only one who googled hot tattooed men?
I'm just here for the guys.
I want alllll the guys!!!
I kinda love Blake, because I like that he's morally ambiguous-ish.
Am I the only one who googled hot tattooed men?
May 23, 2015
Although this all started out because Corey, in actuality Corey (or any of the boys) was hardly in the book. Then when Corey was brought up to date, it took him very little effort to solved the problem. Which make me wonder, if Kayli and the boys have told Corey the whole truth from the beginning, perhaps less people would be injured, kidnapped, and Kayli weren't need to spend the entire book running around in circle.
Normally I love how long the book of the series were, however since Fake has focused entirely on the mystery solving, which could've been an interesting story, except I've thought it was overloaded with unessential information, which made this book seem long and dull. To be honest, I couldn't quite connect with the story, and didn't particularly enjoyed this book as much as the previous two. In the end, I thought Fake pretty much has a repeating theme as Thief, where Kayli running around trying to solve the mystery and saving the academy boys. She also brought back Blake, and honestly that was the better part of the book.
This book has left me with many questions, like how did the bad guys managed to break into the apartment, snatched two people without anyone notice and got away with it. And why didn't the academy boys worked as a team when Kayli escaped. I thought their reasons seem weak and illogical to me, and it goes against everything the Academy supposedly stands for, to always work as a team.
In a way Kayli seem to have an incredible good luck, as well as more resourceful than the academy boys. After escaping from her kidnappers, Kayli have managed to find a cab driver that happened to be one of her old classmate, whom helped Kayli unconditionally throughout the book. While in the most part of the book, the academy boys didn't do much to help at all. Which bring me to another question, in Fake, the boys seem lost, unorganized and was frankly a disappointment. Rather focus more on the boys, the book has introduced a new character (Kayli's old classmate), and brought back Blake and his tech guy, whom by the way showed more character than the boys in Fake. Whatever happened to the Academy boys that I love to read about? And how on earth did the bad guys managed to get away with roomful of Academy's people? I have no clue.
At book number three of the series, I am still unsure about Kayli, she is flaky, contradicted, and plain annoying. Once again she spend the entire book undecided what she should do with the boys. Sure, she'll trust Blake, but when it comes to to the boys, she'll question everything. Which was pretty much the same thing she did in the last book, so nothing changed.
Overall, I didn't think the series advance much if at all after this book, there were no major story progress, and the lack of character and relationship building were a major setback. I also failed to see how the events took place in this book connect to the series as a whole. I was mostly disappointed to see there were very little interactions between Kayli and the academy boys. I thought this book was lacking the most important element of the series, the academy boys.
Base on Thief and Fake, I feel The Scarab Beetle series are focus more solely on Kayli, where the academy boys seem to fade into the background. At this point I am still undecided how I feel about the series, I might read the next book, only because I want to read more about the boys. But I am hoping to see a better balance on the actions, and the character buildings in the next book of the series.
Happy Reading!! XO
Read
February 8, 2018Rating : TBA
I hate and love the fact that Kayli questions everything.
She questions both the guys and Blake. She questions the Academy.
And she definitely should be.
But I also just want her to trust them for real and go all for it.
And stop feeling guilty and just tell them the truth of wanting them all.
I hate and love the fact that Kayli questions everything.
She questions both the guys and Blake. She questions the Academy.
And she definitely should be.
But I also just want her to trust them for real and go all for it.
And stop feeling guilty and just tell them the truth of wanting them all.
October 29, 2016
Mainly reading this for the romance part now because Ghost Bird was good, and to find out what happened to Wil.
The action spy portion, which takes up a large portion of the story, is unfortunately bad. It's a comedy of errors, filled with farcical bungling as they stumble around, falling into every trap and getting outmaneuvered at every turn. Reading it made me want to go and read some urban fantasy with righteous ass-kicking heroines for a while. Faugh!
The heroine who is supposedly so smart is actually a moron, and one with no loyalty at that. She runs around blabbing the Academy's secrets at the drop of a hat. Her idea of strategy is to hurl herself face-first into danger with no plan whatsoever, greatly endangering the people who then have to jump in to rescue her. The things she's supposedly so smart for figuring out are head-scratchingly obvious. I don't really like this heroine compared to the one in Ghost Bird. Oh, well.
The action spy portion, which takes up a large portion of the story, is unfortunately bad. It's a comedy of errors, filled with farcical bungling as they stumble around, falling into every trap and getting outmaneuvered at every turn. Reading it made me want to go and read some urban fantasy with righteous ass-kicking heroines for a while. Faugh!
The heroine who is supposedly so smart is actually a moron, and one with no loyalty at that. She runs around blabbing the Academy's secrets at the drop of a hat. Her idea of strategy is to hurl herself face-first into danger with no plan whatsoever, greatly endangering the people who then have to jump in to rescue her. The things she's supposedly so smart for figuring out are head-scratchingly obvious. I don't really like this heroine compared to the one in Ghost Bird. Oh, well.
March 31, 2023
1.75*
Let me make it clear that my 1.75* rating may be misleading. If you liked the first 2 novels of this series, then Fake (book #3) is certainly more of the same. For me though, the longer this series has gone on, the less I’ve been able to stomach. My rating wholly reflects how enjoyable I found this book to be from start to finish. Not only did issues that had been present in prior novels continue to be skipped over and largely ignored (other than a mention that these problems are still hanging out in the universe), but additional issues were tacked on and I can no longer tolerate such a ridiculously dramatic and over-the-top story. I’m out.
Truthfully, despite the fast-paced and action-packed escapade that this book tried to take us on, I found myself to be unforgivably bored throughout the entire “adventure.” It was easy to put down and I think I rolled my eyes at something that happened just about every single chapter – it’s a wonder that my eyes didn’t get stuck up there. I was cringing and grimacing my way through this book and I’m thrilled it’s over.
I’ve mentioned this in a prior review, but ALL of the novels in this series have a reverse harem tag. And, there are hints that a relationship between Kayli and all of the boys might play out in a way that this would, indeed, become a ‘why choose’ story. However, we’re at the end of book 3 and literally NOTHING has happened (beyond a make out or two) with ANY of the boys. Kayli has yet to come to grips with, or understand her feelings about any of the guys and this creates an incredibly wishy-washy heroine that makes her harder and harder to tolerate.
To make matters even worse, there were already 6 boys thrown into this not-a-relationship relationship – and since Kayli can’t make up her mind or admit that she wants all 6 of them, you’d think that 6 would be plenty to keep our girl busy. And yet, another fella, Avery, gets thrown in as possible candidate #7. Where in the world is the author getting the idea that there needs to be MORE guy drama and immature angst than there already is?? Now, I will admit that Kayli doesn’t seem to be interested in Avery (except to constantly use him) at this point, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Avery had developed feelings for our oh-so-special-snowflake. I mean, seriously? How many guys are going to fall at this girls feet by the end of the series?
It addition to us getting absolutely zero action in a “reverse harem” series up to this point, Kayli was running here, there, and yonder throughout the entirety of this novel. I assume that this was supposed to make the novel hooking and addictive but not only did the plot fail in that regard, it also helped contribute to there being zero progress made in any relationship developments. Kayli doesn’t get to spend more than a minute amount of time with any of the guys (especially while they’re not running around trying to save someone else). That means we’re largely left hanging when it comes to any growth surrounding Kayli getting to know each guy more personally – or for us to even get to know her more than we do.
This leads me to point out that Kayli has the worst personality ever. In general, other than her bad childhood, all we know about her is that she’s constantly “tired and hungry.” Kayli has a bottomless pit for a stomach and needs food every hour or she’ll get grumpy. But even worse, she’s very consistently not on her game because she’s just too tired and needs constant naps. This is mentioned at least once in every single chapter, and I can’t tell you how annoying I found that. This novel seemed to be particularly bad when it came to how “tired” Kayli was. I honestly don’t think Kayli had any other personality traits besides tired and hungry. It was gratingly annoying and I was ready to hit her upside the head by the end just so she could sleep it off.
Admittedly, the author kept throwing her tiredness in our faces (over and over and over and over) again – really driving the point home there – because it was part of a reveal a little bit later on and tied into the plot. Unfortunately, the plot didn’t work from the start, and this repetitive pounding we got to make sure that stuck in our heads fell utterly flat.
The plot of this novel was a downright convoluted mess that was completely unnecessary as well. There were waaayy too many people/groups that got involved in the whole issue of the Core, not to mention the fact that Alice was trying to steal something that didn’t work in the way she was convinced it did. It was just one ridiculous or dramatic turn after another (which is not a compliment). It was so nonsensical that it became a cartoonish caricature of a decent storyline. The believability factor throughout this series has been questionable at best since the beginning and there’s still too much about the Academy and how it operates we don’t understand. However, Fake seemed to take the lack of realism from the previous books and say ‘challenge accepted’ when it came to how low we can make that bar.
Also, toward the end of the novel, Kayli had to make a deal with Blake that she’d run away with him for a couple weeks once everyone was back home, safe and sound. This is yet another questionable plot device that doesn’t make sense and seems rather dumb. If I was planning on continuing the series, I wouldn’t be looking forward to leaving 5 out of the 6 guys in this (supposed) reverse harem mashup ‘just because.’
I can’t stand the heroine, the world-building is incredibly lacking, and the plot is laughable. It’s not written or organized well, which is a shame. I liked the boys but it would’ve been a lot more fun feeling like I was really getting to know them along the way. As I said, I’m hanging up my hat now that I’m done with this book and I don’t plan on finishing the series.
Let me make it clear that my 1.75* rating may be misleading. If you liked the first 2 novels of this series, then Fake (book #3) is certainly more of the same. For me though, the longer this series has gone on, the less I’ve been able to stomach. My rating wholly reflects how enjoyable I found this book to be from start to finish. Not only did issues that had been present in prior novels continue to be skipped over and largely ignored (other than a mention that these problems are still hanging out in the universe), but additional issues were tacked on and I can no longer tolerate such a ridiculously dramatic and over-the-top story. I’m out.
Truthfully, despite the fast-paced and action-packed escapade that this book tried to take us on, I found myself to be unforgivably bored throughout the entire “adventure.” It was easy to put down and I think I rolled my eyes at something that happened just about every single chapter – it’s a wonder that my eyes didn’t get stuck up there. I was cringing and grimacing my way through this book and I’m thrilled it’s over.
I’ve mentioned this in a prior review, but ALL of the novels in this series have a reverse harem tag. And, there are hints that a relationship between Kayli and all of the boys might play out in a way that this would, indeed, become a ‘why choose’ story. However, we’re at the end of book 3 and literally NOTHING has happened (beyond a make out or two) with ANY of the boys. Kayli has yet to come to grips with, or understand her feelings about any of the guys and this creates an incredibly wishy-washy heroine that makes her harder and harder to tolerate.
To make matters even worse, there were already 6 boys thrown into this not-a-relationship relationship – and since Kayli can’t make up her mind or admit that she wants all 6 of them, you’d think that 6 would be plenty to keep our girl busy. And yet, another fella, Avery, gets thrown in as possible candidate #7. Where in the world is the author getting the idea that there needs to be MORE guy drama and immature angst than there already is?? Now, I will admit that Kayli doesn’t seem to be interested in Avery (except to constantly use him) at this point, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Avery had developed feelings for our oh-so-special-snowflake. I mean, seriously? How many guys are going to fall at this girls feet by the end of the series?
It addition to us getting absolutely zero action in a “reverse harem” series up to this point, Kayli was running here, there, and yonder throughout the entirety of this novel. I assume that this was supposed to make the novel hooking and addictive but not only did the plot fail in that regard, it also helped contribute to there being zero progress made in any relationship developments. Kayli doesn’t get to spend more than a minute amount of time with any of the guys (especially while they’re not running around trying to save someone else). That means we’re largely left hanging when it comes to any growth surrounding Kayli getting to know each guy more personally – or for us to even get to know her more than we do.
This leads me to point out that Kayli has the worst personality ever. In general, other than her bad childhood, all we know about her is that she’s constantly “tired and hungry.” Kayli has a bottomless pit for a stomach and needs food every hour or she’ll get grumpy. But even worse, she’s very consistently not on her game because she’s just too tired and needs constant naps. This is mentioned at least once in every single chapter, and I can’t tell you how annoying I found that. This novel seemed to be particularly bad when it came to how “tired” Kayli was. I honestly don’t think Kayli had any other personality traits besides tired and hungry. It was gratingly annoying and I was ready to hit her upside the head by the end just so she could sleep it off.
Admittedly, the author kept throwing her tiredness in our faces (over and over and over and over) again – really driving the point home there – because it was part of a reveal a little bit later on and tied into the plot. Unfortunately, the plot didn’t work from the start, and this repetitive pounding we got to make sure that stuck in our heads fell utterly flat.
The plot of this novel was a downright convoluted mess that was completely unnecessary as well. There were waaayy too many people/groups that got involved in the whole issue of the Core, not to mention the fact that Alice was trying to steal something that didn’t work in the way she was convinced it did. It was just one ridiculous or dramatic turn after another (which is not a compliment). It was so nonsensical that it became a cartoonish caricature of a decent storyline. The believability factor throughout this series has been questionable at best since the beginning and there’s still too much about the Academy and how it operates we don’t understand. However, Fake seemed to take the lack of realism from the previous books and say ‘challenge accepted’ when it came to how low we can make that bar.
Also, toward the end of the novel, Kayli had to make a deal with Blake that she’d run away with him for a couple weeks once everyone was back home, safe and sound. This is yet another questionable plot device that doesn’t make sense and seems rather dumb. If I was planning on continuing the series, I wouldn’t be looking forward to leaving 5 out of the 6 guys in this (supposed) reverse harem mashup ‘just because.’
I can’t stand the heroine, the world-building is incredibly lacking, and the plot is laughable. It’s not written or organized well, which is a shame. I liked the boys but it would’ve been a lot more fun feeling like I was really getting to know them along the way. As I said, I’m hanging up my hat now that I’m done with this book and I don’t plan on finishing the series.
October 18, 2020
Good overall. Fast paced and a pretty quick read. I am still not as hooked into this series and these characters as I am the ghost bird series. I just can't seem to really like these characters. They still feel underdeveloped and so many new, seemly random people keep entering the picture that just detract from the main characters (Avery, Future, etc). All that aside, I still enjoyed the book. I am hoping that as the series continues the characters will be more developed!
Reread update:
Ok, the plot is bananas so suspend reality. Like, all of reality. And, similar to the issue I have with the GB series, its annoying that everyone loves Kayli because she is hot. That is literally the only reason every guy who meets her is enamored with her. It's so sad.
Reread update:
Ok, the plot is bananas so suspend reality. Like, all of reality. And, similar to the issue I have with the GB series, its annoying that everyone loves Kayli because she is hot. That is literally the only reason every guy who meets her is enamored with her. It's so sad.
July 20, 2025
Pure adrenaline…and poison.
Another great book in the Scarab Beetle series. I absolutely love these books. I have read them several times over the past few years, as they are one of my “go-to” series. This is one of the series that sparked by love for the RH genre. This is a very slow-burn series.
Kalie Winchester keeps getting in deeper with the Academy guys, Axel, Marc, Corey, Brandon and Raven…and kind of Kevin). This time she gets caught up in another dangerous adventure by being kidnapped while she was sleeping. It’s a lot of fun and excitement, but quite convoluted. And of course, she has to depend on Blake and Doyle again. And another great new character, Avery. Couldn’t put it down.
Another great book in the Scarab Beetle series. I absolutely love these books. I have read them several times over the past few years, as they are one of my “go-to” series. This is one of the series that sparked by love for the RH genre. This is a very slow-burn series.
Kalie Winchester keeps getting in deeper with the Academy guys, Axel, Marc, Corey, Brandon and Raven…and kind of Kevin). This time she gets caught up in another dangerous adventure by being kidnapped while she was sleeping. It’s a lot of fun and excitement, but quite convoluted. And of course, she has to depend on Blake and Doyle again. And another great new character, Avery. Couldn’t put it down.
February 21, 2017
3 1/2 for storyline 2 for editing or lack there of. Get an editor. Seriously. You are ruining your reputation by not having one. Contact me, I wil edit the next one, on the house. Seriously.
Want to read
May 28, 2015January 29th
February 14, 2015
This is my least favorite so far. Nothing moved the story along, at all. Just seemed like filler.
January 30, 2015
So intense
I finished this in a few hours because I couldn't put it down!I have so many more questions now and can't wait for accessory!!
I finished this in a few hours because I couldn't put it down!I have so many more questions now and can't wait for accessory!!
March 2, 2015
Love the series, can't wait for the next!
May 21, 2015
I cant wait for the next one I'm so excited but I wish Kayli would make up her mind already about the boys ugh...
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