Stung

Struck #2

by Joss Stirling

Stung by Joss Stirling is a breathtaking romantic thriller from the bestselling author of Finding Sky.

Sixteen-year-old Kate has a talent for disappearing. Framed for murder, and hunted by a violent gang, she's running for her life . . .

Nathan is the young recruit tasked with finding Kate before her enemies track her down. He's determined to stay detached no matter what.

But when Nathan and Kate's paths collide, neither is prepared for the electricity that sparks between them.

As the net tightens, can they trust each other long enough to stay alive? Or will their next kiss be their last?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Fantasy, Young Adult Romance, Fiction

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2015

About the author

Joss Stirling is a British novelist. Her first novel under this name was the internationally successful, Finding Sky, which is followed by five others in the same series entering into the savant world of young people with special powers. Central to the story are the Benedict Brothers, seven talented guys from Colorado.

In a second series, Struck, Joss begins a new world of detective romance. The first three parts are: Struck (#1) and Stung (#2), and Shaken (#3) and Scorched (#4). Joss introduces readers to four new heroes - Kieran Storm, Nathan Hunter, Joe Masters and Damien Castle, who all attention the Young Detective Agency. The first part, Struck, won the Romantic Novel of the Year 2015 in the UK.

Her new series, PERIL, a paranormal love story set in the near future, is out 13 July 2017.

Joss lives in Oxford, England. She is married with three children.


Stirling also publishes under two pen names: Julia Golding and Eve Edwards.

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Oxford University Press Children's Books, and NetGalley.)

"We failed Kate badly. I had sent a team to extract her, but we didn't move quickly enough. Kate disappeared."

I had hoped that this book would be better than the first in the series, but unfortunately, I think it was worse.

I liked Kate at first, she seemed like she was into self-preservation, which is always good, and I felt quite sorry for her at the way her mother treated her, and the fact that the scorpions were after her.

The storyline in this revolved around Kate trying to get away from both the people who were trying to kill her, and the people who were trying to help her, but I got very bored, and I really didn’t care what was going on at all.

The ending to this came as a relief, and I quite honestly do not want to read any more books in this series ever again.
5 out of 10

[Amelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die YDA geht in die nächste Runde und nachdem Raven Stone das Buch von Joss Stirling war, das mir bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt am wenigsten gefallen hatte, hatte ich auch hohe Hoffnungen in Stung gesetzt. Leider wurden meine Hoffnungen enttäuscht, denn Stung war auch nicht besser als Struck.

Während ich bei Struck die Liebesgeschichte unheimlich gern mochte und mir der ganze Rest zu wenig Action bot (und mich das mit dem Mobbing etwas genervt hat), war es in diesem zweiten Teil eher andersherum. Ich fand, dass das Buch sehr actionreich gestaltet war, dafür ist das hier aber auch die schwächste Liebesgeschichte von ALLEN Büchern gewesen.
Das Problem dabei ist, dass alles so schnell geht. Nathan ist ja schon in sie verliebt, bevor das Buch überhaupt richtig losgeht. Die beiden kennen sich von früher und er liebt sie einfach schon seitdem. Punkt. Fand ich persönlich ziemlich langweilig. Entsprechend schnell geht das dann auch auf der Flucht, wo die beiden sich nach wenigen Tagen auch zum ersten Mal küssen. An sich ist das ja keine so lange Zeit, aber auf der Flucht, wo man dem jeweils anderen eigentlich nicht trauen sollte?! Dann schon. Auch ist mir hier aufgefallen, wie wenig Zeit die Autorin auf Kussszenen verwendet. Eigentlich hat mich das bisher nie gestört. Sie hat die Emotionen auch so herübergebracht und brauchte dazu keine Schmetterlinge im Bauch, wenn die Lippen sich berühren und sich bewegen und die Hand in die Haare des Gegenübers fährt... Ihr wisst ja, wie das läuft. Normalerweise brauchte die Autorin das nicht. Hier allerdings fehlten für mich die Emotionen außerhalb des Körperlichen und deshalb haben sie mir genau da gefehlt. Der erste Kuss kam für mich auch total plötzlich. So "He kissed her" und weiter im Text mäßig. Also da ist bei mir wirklich NICHTS angekommen.
Unrealistisch war der Action-Teil auch, aber da das bei allen Büchern der Reihe der Fall ist, stört mich das irgendwie nicht so wirklich.
Natürlich mag ich den Schreibstil noch immer und aus genau diesem Grund bekommt das Buch auch nicht noch weniger Sterne. Außerdem mochte ich Nathan wirklich gern und ich finde, so richtig falsch machen kann man mit Joss Stirlings Büchern eigentlich nichts. Ich werde jedenfalls definitiv wieder zu Büchern der Autorin greifen.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember when I said I had no self-control and I would read every book of this series? Well, I’m actually (surprisingly) doing it!

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this book because struck didn’t STRUCK me that much, haha get it? (I’m so unfunny) But anyways, I’d say I was expecting a bit more from it but it turned out to be more- well- dumb. I found it boring, I didn’t understand a single thing of some aspects, and I think it was just.. a bit worse.

It’s the story about Kate, a girl who- runs away from the YDA and the bad guys aka the scorpions.

So uh, yeah, it’s basically about a girl who is running away from everything and everyone because she had problems with a past mission and uh, she was embarrassed and then she.. fell in love with a guy.

I don’t even have to mention that the plot was so so slow for me at some parts and so repetitive too, like yeah, I know you’re scared, why do you have to say it for the twentieth time IN A PAGE?

The romance was- extremely boring, extremely fast-paced (trope which I hate, nothing wrong if u like it tho, I just like when there’s more interaction before anything romantic starts to flow).

P.S.: 2 more books to go… hopefully I get to read them in one day too

[Marjolein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was quite amusing but I didn't like the relationship between Kate and Nathan at all. I mean, when they knew each other for like, 3 days, they already said they loved each other.. It just didn't work for me!

[Nitzan Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Originally published on my blog on March 27, 2015

First of all, I'd like to thank Oxford University Press Children's Books and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book ahead of time! As a huge Joss Stirling fan, I can't thank you enough!

I'll start by saying this: I highly recommend Joss Stirling's books. I've read them all, so I can honestly tell you they'reall great fun, with swoony characters and engaging plots. You get sucked right into them, and they tend to keep you captive until you're done with them.

Sting is the second book in her Struck series, which deals with teenage spies from the Young Detective Agency also known as YDA. Which makes them Yodas. That amuses me, for some reason. I can't help quirk a smile every time one of the agents says he's a "yoda".

Kate used to be a yoda, until a mission went very wrong. That was one year ago, and ever since then she's been on the run. But now she's back in England, and when the YDA picks up on that, they send a team of yodas to apprehend her and bring her back in to finally find out everything that happened... and why she ran.

Nathan is the leader of that team. A jokester, a happy-go-lucky Wolf. A hunter, in other words. Who used to have a crush on Kate that he thought long over. Of course, he thought wrong, and now all he wants to do is help Kate clear her name and stop those who are after her.

I'll be upfront - their romance was my only major issue with the book. They were extremely cute together, don't get me wrong, but it literally took them a couple of days to fall for each other. For those who don't know me, I hate insta-love. Stirling is one of those author that has managed to make me "buy" it a couple of times, but it wasn't the case here. I felt like there wasn't enough time for them to reach that stage, especially since all they know about each other are from very stressful situation, not their 'normal behavior'.



The only "Too fast" gif I managed to find. Anyone has any to share?
But I'll repeat -  they were cute.

Now for  two minor issues that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story , but were nagging at the back of my mind:

#1 -  Neither Kate nor Nathan felt like genuine specially trained kids. Yes, they handled the stressful situations very well, and had some unique skills, but I've read book where characters reacted similarly without the covert ops background. I guess  I was looking for that edge  the training should supply.

#2  I felt like the Scorpions were very nice to Kate, so to speak . I mean, they're a murdering, human trafficking orginazation. And yet, they don't do much to Kate. I felt there should've been more to it, considering the way she spoke of it. Though, I guess I don't wish anything worse had happened...

My favorite parts of this story were probably the Kieran x Raven cameos , and  the dynamics between Nathan and Damien , and Nathan and his family. I don't know why, but both really captured me. I am now in debate over which BF I want to get a book first - Joe or Damien? (speaking of Joe... he was sadly absent from the book. I hope he'll get to appear in the next!)

The ending was extremely cheesy, but I admit... I grinned happily. #sorrynotsorry 

So, yeah. I had a few issues with this one. But did I enjoy it? Did I practically read it in one sitting and sneaked pages at work? Yes. Yes I did. 

I would love it if you pop by my blog! :)

[Tilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Not as good as the first in this series but I still enjoyed it. A nice easy read.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)

The characters in this were alright, but I didn't love any of them.

The first book in the series took a while to get going. While this one didn't take quite as long, It still took a fairly long time. By the time it got going, I wasn't very interested in it, and after a few chapters, I lost interest completely.

Overall, Not a series I've enjoyed very much unfortunately.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit deel vind ik beter dan deel 1. Veel meer actie en begint meteen goed

[Azori Blomkvist · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me da tristeza que ya no disfruto este tipo de historias como antes jaja demasiado infantil y sin sentido en ciertas partes pero es fácil de leer y entretiene.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to start with a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced reading of the book. I really enjoyed it and I’m glad I was given the chance to read it.

I should probably admit that upon requesting to read the book I was unaware that it was the second in a series. However, the book works perfectly fine as a standalone novel. From what I can gather at looking at the first book in the series, the first is an introduction to the establishment and tells the story of different characters (although they are characters who appear in this book). To be honest, I’m now interested in reading the first and I believe it may have served me well to have read it before reading this book, yet as I said this one also works well as a standalone novel.

Overall, it’s a great idea. An establishment which works with teenagers fighting crime – what teenager who loves crime fiction hasn’t imagined themselves in such a position? Our story follows Kate, who has returned to the UK after a mishap on her mission. The specifics of what went down – although you do know in what way things went badly – are hidden from us until quite late in the book which at first had me questioning whether I had needed to read the prior book yet such turned out not to be the case. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the specifics that were given – I was expecting things to be much worse – but overall they played in well with the novel. It’s the good old ‘it is not as bad as it could be’ in this regard.

One thing I will say is that the insta-love was somewhat annoying between the two. It may well be that the crush spoken of throughout the book was more than I was made to believe, but in my eyes such was not the case. I understand that there would be some lust in a high risk situation involving a duo whose hormones control their actions, but the way things played out seemed to be too much for me. After all, who would spend a romantic day on the beach when they’re being chased down? Fictional it may be, but I prefer my reading to ring true to some degree and this did not.

Nevertheless, it was a thoroughly enjoyable book and I’m certainly interested in reading the prior book to find out more about the establishment – and to possibly correct any errors in my view of how things played out.

[Kirke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I really do love a good mystery novel. Joss Stirling has a knack of spinning a tale that you have no idea what is coming next. She writes characters that you will love, though I have to admit things between Nate and Kate were a bit too instant love for me. Still, plenty of realistic action, figuring out the mystery along with the characters and fun dialogues to keep you entertained.

With Stung the dynamic between Kate and Nathan was very interesting. He's tasked with bringing her in, and it seems that he isn't completely over his little crush on her. Kate's first reaction on the other hand is to get as far away from him as she possibly can. The girl definitely doesn't take it easy on him. During this cat and mouse game, Nathan finds out that not all is as clear cut as he would have liked. The threat this time comes from two sides, and it becomes a race to get to Kate first.

The banter in the beginning between the two main characters was one of my favourite parts. Though once they go all lovey-dovey on each other, that dims a lot unfortunately. It does give Nathan the opportunity to show his worth, and he is a great guy you can rely on. I could understand that trust wasn't easy for Kate, and I can not blame her. It was interesting to see how this changed during the story, for her to realise that she's not so alone as she thought she was.

Strung was a great second novel in the Struck series. I liked the fact that we got to know more about the work these young people do, what it exactly entails and the consequences of those missions. Nathan and Kate were good characters. I do favourite Nathan a bit more, because it was clear how much effort he was putting into it and I felt that Kate at times could have cut him more of a break.

I hope this isn't the last book in the series and I'm curious who's story we're going to read next.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Samantha (A Dream of Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joss Stirling is one of my favourite UK authors and I'm always excited when she has a new book out. I adore her Soulfinders series but I'm turning into an equally big fan of the titles in her new Young Detective Agency series. Last year's 'Storm and Stone' (renamed Struck) was a brilliant read and I was hopeful that she would write another instalment. My wishes were granted with 'Stung' which follows two other members of the team, Nathan and Kate, as they find themselves in danger and on the run.

The story was really exciting, with Nathan tasked with bringing Kate in. However, she is not the easiest person to apprehend and keeps him well and truly on his toes, as he tries to hunt her down. I thought the relationship between the two was great, with a kind of love/hate vibe going on in the beginning, until Kate comes to realise that Nathan is on her side and will do anything to help protect her. I didn't feel the romance between them as much as I had previously done with Raven and Kieran but I think that was in keeping with the overall storyline, which was more about the mystery behind what had happened to Kate and why she was on the run, rather than focusing on the two falling for each other.

I did prefer Nathan as a character to Kate, but I think that's partly due to the fact that Kate was on the defensive most of the time, so didn't reveal quite so much about herself. Nathan on the other hand was terribly sweet and also extremely likeable.

I loved the mystery and action of the plot and the sense of danger that lurked the whole way through the story. I found the ending really gripping and packed full of thrilling moments. This was another winning read for me and I'm dying for Joss Stirling to continue the series. What will happen next?!

[Pati Kantún · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es la continuación de la saga Struck pero al igual que con su saga Finding love no se necesita leer el libro anterior puesto que cuenta una historia nueva con distintos personajes principales aunque hay apariciones de los personajes principales anteriores, en realidad son nulas y aunque historia es de cierta manera diferente y similar, en ningún momento sentí aburrimiento. Como todos los libros de Joss Stirling, este resultó ser ágil, agradable y con una historia que se disfruta y se lee por si sola. Me encantó; es sencilla pero divertida, y tiene sus dosis de romance juvenil que no caen en lo empalagoso y lo soso. Esta saga en general es de misterio y la autora con una trama sencilla hace que te veas envuelto (a) en una serie de eventos que despierta el interés y nos guía hacía el desenlace, uno que no resulta ser demasiado predecible por lo que se disfruta aún más la historia.
No tengo muchas más por decir, salvo que he leído todos los libros publicados en México de Joss y probablemente seguiré haciéndolo porque la verdad es que no me aburren sus historias para nada. Las recomiendo especialmente entre lecturas más densas o que no te han gustado porque a mí siempre me quitan la resaca literaria y me dejan un buen sabor de boca para continuar con otros libros.

[Evelyn Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voy a ser muy honesta en esta reseña, como lo soy siempre.

Personalmente, amo los libros de Joss Stirling y este me gusto, pero siento que de todos los que me gustaron... este es el que menos me gusto o el mas flojo que escribió.

En este segundo libro de la serie "Struck" nos encontramos con los personajes del libro anterior, pero en este caso los protagonistas son Nathan, a quien ya conocemos, y Kate, quien es una chica que era parte de la academia, pero que ahora la están buscando por traición.

Uno de los principales problemas que tuve con el libro fue que sentí que hubo demasiado insta-love con Kate y Nathan. Ya sé que Nathan ya le atraía Kate desde antes, pero fue raro.

Por otro lado, a pesar de todos los defectos que le encontré a Kate, creo que fueron porque me sentía muy identificada con ella. Lo que me hacia amarla y odiarla al mismo tiempo.

En cuanto a trama, como siempre se hace interesante como Joss Stirling combina romance y acción, pero en algunos momentos se hacia pesado o como si dieran un paso hacia adelante y cinco para atrás, así que en ese sentido lo sentí flojo en comparación a otros libros de ella.

Pese a que es "mi libro menos favorito", me gusto y por eso le dí las 3 estrellas.

[Zwaantina van Duren - de Graven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minder leuk dan het eerste deel, maar nog steeds een prima hap-slik-weg boek. Er zitten niet echt verrassingen in het verhaal en sommige dingen zijn niet echt logisch.

[NAT.orious reads ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank God, this is soo much better than the first one (Storm and Stone. Throughout the entire novel I was dying to know who betrayed Kate back in Indonesia. I caught myself not trusting anybody but her, Nate, Rave and Kieran. Sweet Jesus, I started getting crazy not knowing whom to trust. I honestly bet on edgy Damien and sweet Julian a lot of times, and also Isaac's asssistant, Ms. Mac. For a very short period of time, I also thought Nate's Das Jim might be behind all of it. Guess you have to see for yourself ;)

It is at first very challenging to get into it, I have to admit it. It is still a given thing that as opposed to the savant series givey you a bit of a hard time feeling it. But after the first third I caught myself not being able to put it aside even for so much as getting to the bathroom.

Honestly, who could not love Nate. He is cute but also very masculine which makes him just the perfect match for shy but tough KAte. He has had a cursh on her ever since he layed eyes on her which was probably the biggest incentive for Nate to actually give Kate the opportunity to proove her mistrust in the YDA system. He cares for her and understands her in every way, giving her the reassurance she needs not to bolt again.

This makes me want to straight dive into the next books. Guess I have to read the other 20-something books on my trp first...

[Lesly Sarabia · Rating 3 out of 5]

En realidad es un 3.5 pero siento que está vez no sube a 4 estrellas.
El libro tiene la misma fórmula que el anterior, un romance nada memorables y situaciones convenientes que se resuelven rápido.
Una lectura entretenida pero que no aporta nada nuevo.

[Luu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me rompió el corazón todo lo que sufrió Kate, pero me encanta la pareja que hace con Nathan. Sin dudas me encantó que no estén en un lugar y que Kate tenga en claro las cosas.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a member of the Young Detective Agency Kate was sent to Indonesia on a mission to infiltrate the Scorpion gang and help put a stop to their human trafficking operation. She was betrayed by her partner though and is now being hunted by dangerous criminals. The YDA have been trying to find Kate since she disappeared a year ago and now that there are rumours she has returned to England Nathan and his team are sent to bring her back to safety. Kate has good reason to believe that there is a mole in the YDA though and she fears going back will be the death of her. Can Nathan convince Kate to trust him and can he keep her safe while he tries to figure out who has betrayed them?

I'm a huge fan of Joss Stirling, I love her Savant's series and I really enjoyed the first YDA book Struck (originally released as Storm and Stone) so I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of Stung and couldn't wait to read it. The story is just as action packed as you'd expect and I loved the mystery and trying to uncover who was working for the Scorpions. I also enjoyed learning about Kate's original mission and how she had been conned by both the gang and her YDA partner which lead to her giving away critical information unwittingly.

Kate has been through a lot and she hates herself for what happened, she also finds it very hard to trust anyone and has has spent a whole year living moment to moment trying to stay one step ahead of the gang. After the betrayal by her friend and partner Tina it's completely understandable why she didn't turn to the YDA for help and why she is so reluctant to trust Nathan now. Nathan is a great character too, he is charming, smart and protective of both the YDA and of Kate and I enjoyed seeing him slowly putting everything together. It was great to catch up with the other members of the YDA too, I loved Raven and Kieran in the first book and it was nice to see how they're getting on as well as getting to know some of the other team members who I'm assuming will get stories of their own further down the line.

Where Stung fell down a bit for me was with the romance. Although I really liked both characters individually and even felt that they made a good couple I thought the romance a bit too rushed considering the circumstances. They pretty much fell straight into a relationship which I didn't find believable because of Kate's trust issues. I get that they knew each other before everything went wrong for her but at the same time she had already been badly hurt by friends and I think she would have needed more time to be sure that Nate was one of the good guys. The romance didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story but I think it would have been so much better if it had been a slow burner.

Stung is still a great read though and one I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first book in the series. There is plenty of action along with a great mystery and I'm sure Joss Stirling fans will enjoy it.

[Sienna Logan (Lost to Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews at http://losttobooks.blogspot.com

Actual rating 4.5

When I won an ARC of Storm and Stone (now Struck) I was ecstatic, so when I got approved to read this book in advance I was equally excited. Joss Stirling is my favourite author--no matter what name she writes under--and I couldn't wait to read more about the YDA, hoping Raven, Kieran, and Joe still featured.

I think the spy genre is one of this author's strengths. She creates believable situations and there are no flashy gadgets or miracle solutions that get the characters out of everything. I like the action and tension that comes from the characters knowing how to fight so they can get themselves out of a situation. It makes for a more interesting and engaging read as they only have themselves to rely on.

Just like with Storm and Stone the new characters introduced in this book were interesting and easy to connect with. I will admit that I was disappointed Joe never featured as I was hoping this would be his book, but Nathan grew on me and made me overcome that. By the end of the book I fully supported and loved him. I thought he had a great balance of loyalty and strength. He was a consistent character that people were able to rely on and for that you end up respecting him, especially when he chooses sides. Similarly, Kate was also a strong character. However she has this past that also makes her vulnerable. I thought the author mixed the two emotions and traits brilliantly. She felt very real and I enjoyed watching her have to open up slowly. She was distrusting of everyone, which made things different.

Moreover I liked the added romance. Once again it's not the main focus in the book and therefore you don't get the feeling it's insta-love or rushed. It's more of a slow, background add-on an therefore it doesn't detract from the main story, but adds another thread to the book to keep you engaged.

The only criticism I have--and I hate to say this about this author--is that I thought the pacing could have been better. I found myself skimming a few denser sections in this book wishing things would hurry up because parts were quite obvious. I'm not going to reveal anything, but I did find this book didn't have me sat on the edge of my seat like the first. It felt tamer and slower until things picked up for the action-packed ending.

Overall though it was a good follow up and I hope there's going to be more. I would love Joe to be included again, but the cast is interesting and the plots are believable. I'd highly recommend this author and any of her books.

[flooor · Rating 5 out of 5]

IN CREI BLE
me encantó la verdad, no es solo un romance mas, tiene una historia re grande adentro que siento que esta muy bien expresada, me lo compre y tipo en 5 dias lo lei xq no podia parar!! muy bueno

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eigenlijk: 3,5 ster.
Laat ik één ding rechtzetten: ik heb van alle andere boeken die ik van Joss Stirling heb gelezen (zeven stuks) er nog geen één met minder dan vier sterren beoordeeld.
Wat mij betreft is Joss een van de betere YA-auteurs. Haar schrijfstijl is uitzonderlijk meeslepend: als je eenmaal begint met lezen, is stoppen amper een optie meer, en dat geeft niet, want haar boeken laten het heel goed toe om op ieder moment het verhaal weer op te pakken. Haar vlotte dialogen en de slimme humor die ze door het geheel vlecht maken Joss’ boeken onweerstaanbaar. Daarbij zijn haar personages wat mij betreft echt goed vormgegeven tieners: slim en nadenkend, zoekend maar zelfstandig, allemaal een beetje onzeker en bovendien geen stereotypes (oké, Zed misschien wel een beetje, bij nader inzien).
Joss Stirling bewijst ook nog eens dat romance en actie prima samengaan zonder dat het een overdramatisch geheel wordt of dat het één het ander in de weg gaat zitten.
Hunter & Pearl vond ik echt tegenvallen. De romantiek was hetgeen wat me enorm stoorde. Van de ene op de andere dag verklaren Nathan en Kate elkaar totaal de liefde, en dat terwijl ze elkaar pas een dag kennen (even weggelaten dat ze een soort jeugdkennissen van elkaar zijn, want in die tijd kende Kate Nathans naam niet eens). Ik had echt zoiets van: Oké??? Are you being serious?
Ja, dus. Halverwege het boek volledig in love. Dit ergerde me zo dat ik niet echt meer in staat was de rest van het boek serieus te nemen. Maar ik moet toegeven dat ik het einde en de hele resolution toch wel erg slim in elkaar vond zitten – en zoals gewoonlijk enorm amusant om te lezen.

Trouwens: waarom the fuck heet Damien in deze Nederlandse vertaling Daimon???

[Hannah D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This epic secret agent romance is cut throat and wonderful. In Stung, Kate has been running away from the powerful gang known as the Scorpions for about a year, and believing that the scorpions have a infiltrator in the YDA, she runs from her former friends and partners too. Nathan loved Kate before she dropped off the map in a botched job with the dangerous Scorpions, and when she is sighted, he goes after her.
This epic love story in chock full of great chase scenes, action scenes and *wink wink* kiss scenes. In this life and death situation, Nathan and Kate grow close together as they take on the bad guys. The development of these characters effectively emotionally attaches the reader to the characters in record time, and the plot development was very well done. Joss Stirling once again writes an amazing YA romance novel that captivates the reader, and plays their heart strings. I was absolutely captivated by Stung and definitely recommend it to all! I give Stung the rating of FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!

Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just as incredible as the first and yet there were a few differences. This one had a less complex plot and i kind of guessed all the major players and plot lines in the first 100 pages unlike the first which was also relatively guessable but not as predictable as this one. But i still loved it somehow.
I loved all the old characters being there and how it didnt delve into theor story too much but you still got some cute moments. As for Nathan and Kate, well there too cute to handle! I loved their banter. Nathan is the perfect guy but similar to Kieran from the first novel, he had flaws making me love him so much more. A review will be up soon. But it will probably be a page of gussing about everything from the first page to the last. 5/5 stars.
Here is my full review of this awesome book: https://hawthornbookreviews.com/2019/...

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

This book was a whole lot better than the first book in this series.

The characters were way more complex and interesting in this book than the last, and they didn't annoy me anywhere near as much.

I thought the story was a lot better also. Because we knew what the YDA was it took a lot less time to get going, and it was straight into the action and mystery. I felt this book was a lot better defined, genre-wise, than the last one, which just didn't feel very cohesive at all.

Overall, I did enjoy this novel, though I'm still not completely sold by the series. I expect there's going to be another book in it, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to get it.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit different to the first book in the series, but still great - more like a James Bond film where the bad guys (an Indonesian mafia type gang called the Scorpions) are hunting the heroine because they think she has vital information that could take their organization down. They want her dead or alive, and the hero together with his pals from the YDA (Young Detective Agency) step in to try and save her (even though initially she doesn’t actually want their help). There was plenty of chemistry between the hero and heroine, as well as real danger with some seriously nasty villains. I couldn’t wait for them to get their come-uppance!

[Marinka Van wingerden · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does she does that? Always the thrilling excitement mixed with those beautiful romances, Again in Stung!

What I love about Joss Stirling is what she does with the main characters in the books, like the Soulmates serie's she always brings back the Benedict brothers,
And with this serie I see it's always about the YDA! I just Can't wait to her other book! <3 Yeeeyy to Joss my favorite writer so far <3 Thanks for brining Zed in my life, My all time hero! hihi

Thanks for brining new books! :D

[sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this one. I still prefer the Finding Sky books, but I really liked Nathan and Kate and their development, as well as seeing other characters and getting to know more about them. I also thought the story was great- and I loved that for most of it you didn’t know who was the traitor, and was suspecting everyone.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

het is zo'n leuk boek, het leest zo lekker en je wordt echt het verhaal in getrokken. ook is het gaaf om weer wat van raven en kieran te horen.

[Fadua Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5❤️❤️❤️