Dare You: The Second Book in a YA Mystery Thriller Where Synesthesia Reveals the Dark Truth

Nikki Kill #2

by Jennifer Brown

In the second book of the suspenseful Shade Me trilogy, perfect for fans of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars and Kimberly McCreight's The Outliers , Nikki Kill becomes embroiled in another mystery with the gorgeous Detective Martinez when she discovers that the Hollises are trying frame her for the murder of Peyton Hollis—and only her synesthesia can help her unravel the dark truth. Nikki Kill didn't realize that trying to find out who killed Peyton Hollis would tangle her in a web of dangerous family secrets that would rock her identity to the core. But now that Nikki knows the truth, the all-powerful Hollises want to frame her for Peyton's murder. And now Nikki's only chance at escaping the cold black bars of prison or the crimson grip of death is teaming up with the enigmatic Detective Martinez and relying on an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of clues...

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Romance, Contemporary, Teen

496 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2017

About the author

Two-time winner of the Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award (2005 & 2006), Jennifer's weekly humor column appeared in The Kansas City Star for over four years, until she gave it up to be a full-time young adult novelist.

Jennifer's debut novel, HATE LIST (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009) received three starred reviews and was selected as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA "Perfect Ten," and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. HATE LIST also won the Michigan Library Association's Thumbs Up! Award, the Louisiana Teen Readers Choice award, the 2012 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award, was an honorable mention for the 2011 Arkansas Teen Book Award, is a YALSA 2012 Popular Paperback, received spots on the Texas Library Association's Taysha's high school reading list as well as the Missouri Library Association's Missouri Gateway Awards list, and has been chosen to represent the state of Missouri in the 2012 National Book Festival in Washington, DC. Jennifer's second novel, BITTER END, (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011) received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and VOYA and is listed on the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults list and is a 2012 Taysha's high school reading list pick as well.

Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

This was a YA mystery story about a girl with synaesthesia.

Nikki was an okay character, but I didn’t find myself really caring all that much about her unfortunately.

The storyline in this was okay, but I did find that I got bored really quickly. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for this one, but the storyline didn’t really hold my interest well at all. We had Nikki investigating when had happened to Peyton, and also finding out more about her mother, and we had a bit of romance happening too, but none of it really interested me.

The ending to this was okay, but I was pleased that it was over to be honest.



6 out of 10

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dare You picks up seven months after the events at the end of Shade Me. It recaps what happened pretty well drawing you quickly back into the mystery of Peyton Hollis and the family that surrounds her. Nikki Kill is still my absolute favorite. She remains a total badass with a complete attitude and her synesthesia is still a large help in unraveling the truth.

Life has moved on for Nikki after finding out who killed Peyton. She hasn’t heard from Detective Martinez since. Nikki Kill seems to be out of the ringer. She can focus on graduating and deciding what is next. Her father is pushing for college, of course. But in Nikki’s world, things can’t stay normal. She is pulled back into things when she gets arrested for drugs, the drugs she saw Luna have. Now drawn back into the Hollis world of deceit, she is being framed for much more - Peyton’s murder. Can Nikki’s synesthesia help her get out of this one?

I did enjoy the story. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as Shade Me. I felt this sequel lacked the excitement found in the former. Plus the romance played a bigger part, though it hasn’t quite hit yet. It is one of those super slow-burn “will they or won’t they” kind of romances. I personally don’t care for it and wouldn’t mind if they just stayed friends. I am quite invested in the mystery, though. There are plenty of revelations that make it hard not to keep reading. Plus, I do love Nikki and am curious of the trilogy will end.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Edelweiss/Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, Mystery
*Rating* 3.5-4

*My Thoughts*

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

Dare You is the second installment in author Jennifer Brown's Nikki Kill series. It has been (7) months since the events of Shade Me. Soon to be 19-year old Nikki Kill has quietly stayed out of the spotlight, for the most part, since encountering Luna, Dru, Bill, & Vanessa Hollis that nearly killed her. With Luna in juvie, and her parents apparently hiding in Dubai, she is about to do what she never thought possible; graduate from High School. Then she attends a party and gets arrested for drug possession, and a variety of other charges. 

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
.

[Jim Crocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second Nikki Kill Trilogy, Nikki and Detective Martinez are in trouble deep. I'm not gonna say how this one ends, because it's a major cliff-hanger. Now I'll hav'ta read the third one.

Start with the first one and you're off to Nikki-Land and there's no turning back.

Cheers and happy reading!
JIM in MT

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Addictive. And now I so very desperately need the next book in this series. Right. Now. I can't wait to read what happens next and get back to Nikki and Detective Martinez. Ahhh. When can I have book three??? But first, let me tell you about my love for this book.

Dare You picks up where Shade Me left off. Nikki knows who killed Peyton, she just can't prove it. So she finished school and is about to graduate. But that's it when it comes to plans, unsure about what to do with her life. She hasn't heard from Detective Martinez in months. But when she is arrested she knows that those who killed Peyton haven't forgotten about Nikki and they intend to see her jailed or dead.

It's great to return to the world of Nikki Kill. Where emotions, words, letter and numbers are colours. Where her senses have helped reveal a classmate's killer but infinitely complicated Nikki's world. Dare You and Shade Me are the very best kind of mystery stories, plenty of suspense, a strong protagonist, seemingly impossible odds, and just the barest hint of romance that keeps you desperately hanging on for more.

With the return of the bad guys to Nikki's life, so too returns Detective Martinez (cue happy dancing and confetti). I was so happy to see Nikki and Detective Martinez team up again. I love their story, love them together. Bring on those yellow sunbeams (and violet streaks, hmmmm). And this book certainly continued their story, the one I was so desperate to see develop after the events of Shade Me. But what a slow and agonising - in the most delicious way - (love?) story. We will have to wait for the next book to see further development. It will be worth the wait, I can just tell.

But while Nikki's personal life may be developing slowly everything else happens at light speed. New developments, new clues, more twists, more people woven into the mystery that is Nikki's life. Just when she uncovers something it gets harder to prove and more complicated.

I love Nikki's character. Rough around the edges, go it alone, troubled by what she sees and knows, Nikki Kill. Tough as nails, acerbic, loner. How can a girl who continually walks into dangerous situations not evoke the stupid-girl label from me? How can a girl who treats good guys badly not make me angry? Maybe it's because she doesn't walk, she marches. Maybe because she is upfront with the guy, believes she isn't worth his time or anything long term with anyone. I love her instincts, love her attitude, love how she feels infinitely guilty and sad about the people she has loved and lost. And while I'm listing things I love, can I just express my love for the cover, especially the choice of those particular colours.

This series has to be read in series order to understand the plot, mysteries and clues uncovered so far. The end of Dare You is resolved enough not to leave the reader hanging but there are still so many unanswered questions, and it is almost a cliffhanger because there are lives in the balance, people!! Again, I repeat, I need book three.

I love this series, love this book, love the writing, love the characters. This series, Dare You in particular, is highly recommended.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Find more reviews on my blog Madison's Library.

[rachel, x · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dare You was more enjoyable read than Shade Me but there is just something about this series - although I have no clue what - that stops me from completely loving it. Brown has undoubtedly managed to create a suspenseful atmosphere that leaves you turning the pages anxious for answers but she fails to completely draw you in with her wordy writing style and dense, slow-moving plots.

The storyline was not quite as addictive as I would have liked. It felt a little too drawn out. I understand that Nikki was being threatened with prosecution but I didn’t think that that pressure was ever evident during her investigation. The story lacked a sense of urgency, something I think would have really helped to drive the story forward and boost the suspense levels. Instead of following Nikki on a desperate hunt to clear her name, the mystery of this story had a distinctively half-hearted tone to it. She kind of wandered about and occasionally discovered information about her family’s past. I was bored a lot of the time and often forgot what she and Martinez were even trying to achieve. The connections to Peyton and the events of the first book felt like the author was clutching at straws, and the ending was not satisfying at all. I thought this was meant to be a duology but I sincerely doubt that it will be now since nothing tied up. Maybe we’ll get all the answers in the last book? I sure hope so.

Nikki is just not a protagonist that I personally find either relatable or lovable. Her constant anger at the world is something I struggle to understand or empathise with. I do like that she is not - in any way - typical and that she is not afraid to be herself. I don’t mean she acted like one of those YA heroines who think they are misunderstood and misfits but are actually popular and adored by everyone they meet. Nikki is just the type of person who likes to figure out her shit by herself and doesn’t like being tied down by people’s expectations of her. I actually really admired her for this and how she was just so independent and savvy. Her anger and hostility were off-putting at times and the way she never thought to include anyone in her plans drove me insane. The best part about her development in this sequel was that Brown acknowledged the fact that Nikki was traumatized by the events of the first book and we got to see how she worked through this. I mean, she did deal with it typical Nikki fashion - by smoking, getting into fights, and putting herself in danger - but it was good enough for me that we got to see her grieve and acknowledge her emotions. While I don’t personally like Nikki all that much, I do like reading from a perspective so different to my own.

If I am being completely honest, the only reason I was motivated to keep reading was Detective Martinez’s character. Swoons! I love a cute man in uniform, let alone one with his strong moral code and the whole calm to your crazy thing he had going on with Nikki. I wanted more, more, more from him and desperately hope we will get to explore his past in the third book.

Overall?

Dare You was by no means a bad book. I did enjoy it for the most part but the plotline was missing a special something to really drive it forward. It just was not as strong as the first book and I was disappointed that we didn’t quite get all the answers I wanted. Nikki is a different type of protagonist than I am used to and why I still struggle to connect with her, I do admire her in some ways. My love for Martinez was the real reason I kept reading and if a third book is released, I’ll definitely pick it up and give it a shot.

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin

I really enjoy these books - they have a "noir" feel that I really like.
Review to come.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher for providing a free advance copy of this book for me to review. If you are a regular reader of my reviews, then you know that getting a free book does not necessarily make me like it!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing! I hadn't read a lot of mystery before this book, and I feel like this is something I absolutely need to change in the future. Though I started in the middle of this series, Jennifer Brown sucked me in and kept me reading despite not having a firm grasp of who each character was. Rather than throw me out of the action, however, not knowing who everyone was only made me want to read more. I wanted to piece together the events of the first book through the events of the second, which only served to add to the mystery for me and actually made the story more enjoyable. That being said, I really want to go back and read the first one now to see what I missed.

The story follows Nikki Kill, who has what is known as synesthesia, allowing her to associate numbers, letters, and even emotions with certain colors. I had never heard of synesthesia before this book, and had to Google it after reading it to see if it was a real phenomenon before I labeled the story as realistic fiction. In this way, Dare You not only fascinated me, but taught me something new as well. Nikki Kill has had a traumatic life up until the beginning of this book; her mom was murdered when she was very young, and she was inexplicably roped into the dangerous lives of the Hollises, a famous and powerful family known for quickly silencing anyone who gets in their way. In the first book, she discovered she had a long-lost half-sister named Peyton, only to witness the murder of Peyton before getting the chance to really know her. In this story, Nikki must team up with a detective named Chris Martinez to help clear her name, as someone is now framing her for Peyton's murder.

What a thrilling ride this story was, from beginning to end! As I said before, I haven't read many mystery or thriller novels, but like many genres, I've quickly gained an appreciation for them. Almost every chapter of this book revealed some new and exciting information that I'd never even considered, throwing me for a loop every time. When the person framing Nikki was finally revealed, I was absolutely shocked; I hadn't seen it coming in the slightest, though I probably should have. Brown was really good at sucking me in and making me want to know more about these characters, even though I was coming into this story with no background knowledge. Surprisingly, Brown supplied enough information for me to very quickly catch on to the story, meaning this could easily be read out of order and still be interesting as a stand-alone novel. While I would like to read the first one at some point to fill in my knowledge gaps, I admire the author's ability to weave her books together while still making this one interesting on its own merits.

Because I love a good romance story, I would be remiss if I didn't also discuss the relationship between Martinez and Nikki. From the very beginning of the novel, I sensed a deep and realistic chemistry between the two; the butted heads and played off of one another in a way that felt very natural, and left me feeling very little patience for Jones. I felt kind of bad for judging him so harshly, as Nikki is pretty terrible to someone who only seems to care about her well-being, but I got a very distinct "nice guy" vibe from him, and not a "genuine nice guy vibe." Jones is the kind of guy who claims to be nice, but will immediately scold and chastise you for putting him in the "friend zone" when you decide you aren't interested in him. He was also incredibly clingy and over-bearing, to the point where even I as the reader was getting claustrophobic.

On the contrary, I truly believed that Martinez and Nikki could be together in real life; they developed first as reluctant allies, then friends, then quickly became something that neither of them seemed ready to admit. None of it felt forced or rushed like many young adult romances I've read before, and it didn't feel like Brown was trying to shoe-horn in a romance to appeal to readers who, like me, enjoy having a couple to root for. Instead, it felt as if the relationship between these characters developed naturally as a by-product of being forced together under highly unusual circumstances.

In fact, all of the relationships in this book, from Nikki and her father to Nikki and her half-sister Peyton, are fleshed out and made to be complicated and realistic. Nikki clearly loves her father, but resents him for hiding important things from her. Meanwhile, Nikki's father clearly wants to protect her, but can't seem to figure out how to act like a proper father. Though Peyton is dead when the book begins, she too develops a character, as Nikki slowly learns that the face she wore for others was not an authentic version of her at all. I never got the chance to know this character in the first book, but I could feel Nikki's profound sense of loss as she learned more and more about her.

Aside from what some might call an excessive amount of cursing (seriously, I would not recommend this book to younger audiences or those unaccustomed to swearing), I really enjoyed this book. I was given a stack of books to read and review by a friend and colleague of mine, and so far this has been my favorite from the stack. I look forward to reading the third book in the series when it comes out, and I plan to purchase and read the first book as well. This series is excellent for fans of mystery and suspense, as each chapter will leave you wanting more. Once I started this book, I found I could not stop myself from reading ahead. You should definitely give it a try if you're looking for a book to keep you up reading late into the night!

[Lozz’s Random Reads McKenzie - Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unravelling more Secrets Held by a Diabolical Entitled Family, The Hollises

Well, Well, Well,


We are on to book two in the Nikki Kills/Shade Me series .

Now, we all know that sometimes when we read a suspenseful, book about an bad, uber rich family with their fingers in multiple dirty business, money to burn, like the Hollises, who are not beyond even killing close family members to keep their business going, that sometimes….just sometimes ….a second book might not measure up…

And!
To be fair we did have to cover a lot of repetitive ground playing catch on the first book,in this one for the people sitting in the back.

BUT!

Overall this second book was a real cracker IMO.

Nikki is still trying to find Peyton’s killer.
Now she suspects she knows who it is, but she can’t find him, thus relying on her synesthesia to give her that slight advantage

Problem bringing the Hollises are hiding him real good

However, this time there is a sense of urgency attached to her investigation, because the Brentwood Assistant DA is looking at arresting her for murder , all due to evidence found against her planted in Peyton’s car.

Nikki is at a loss, as she believes everyone who would want her in prison, or worse dead, are either out of the country ( Bill & Vanessa Hollis in Dubai ) Or in Juvie ( Luna)
So who would be doing this?

With the help of young Detective Chris Martinez, Nikki finds herself in and out of dangerous situations in a quest to get to the truth!!!

Before this story is over, someone she trusts implicitly, will betray her, while another refuses to tell her his truth, in relation to her mother’s passing, keeping his secrets close to his chest.

Ending with things turning full circle, with her once again sitting at a hospital bed seeing nothing but crimson.

The colour of Death.


Well.
You can never say Nikki doesn’t like a good fight.

In this book she once again has to fight off bad guys, calling on all her martial arts training to do so

( unfortunately, she has a habit of being unbalanced a lot, or not in the best of states, so this approach doesn’t always work in her favour)

Chris Martinez proves to be an excellent adversary, as the two form quite the buddy team.

( and very, very, slow burn…possibly a romance…hmmm! )

Anyway, the last few chapters are non stop ACTION!
Ending on…
You guess it

CLIFFHANGER

[Marjolein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[julieta · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing I love about these books is how much Nikki hates herself and thinks sshe's a horrible person but also knows she's the only one who can (and will) take care of herself. I don't know, I find this very relatable.

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid sequel. I'm a big fan of Detective Martinez, so of course I liked all the extra page-time with him. Nikki definitely started to grow on me. I liked the twists and turns, even though I'm not usually a fan of stories that involve framing.

Again, if you're not a fan of reading books with a lot of language, this might not be for you. But if you don't mind it, this was a pretty gripping sequel in a interestingly unique series. It's like Nancy drew on steroids. ;)

[Ryan Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid sequel. I like Nikki Kill. I like her synesthesia. I like that she solves mysteries but she's also kind of an asshole. It's fun.

[Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot of feelings about this book, both positive and negative. As well written as the prose itself is, the plot disappointed me, especially compared to the first book which was incredibly well done. My first point is that the plot twists in this book were almost entirely predictable, although that didn't make the book unenjoyable for me personally.


I also coulnd't get behind the obvious romance between Nikki and Detective Martinez. While I love both characters individually the age and experience gap made me a bit uncomfortable. 18 and 24 isn't in itself that bad but it's the fact that Chris has so much more life experience over Nikki that made is significantly more uncomfortable. I also wasn't a fan of Blake willis and her sole purpose in being an obstacle in the relationship between Nikki and Chris. She could have been there as her role as DA and nothing more but to have her a girlfriend only to break up... obvious and a bit tacky. I could have done without.


That all being said, I did enjoy the book and was pleasantly surprised with several of the twists that weren't as predictable. I don't want this to be a complete spoiler review so I'll refrain from the details but there was a lot that I did like reading.

The clues and connections between Peyton Nikki were super fun to follow and very cleverly written. The trail of clues were one of the best parts in this book and were one of the things I loved the most in the first book and I was glad it continued in the second.

After finishing the first book I was incredibly excited to read the second however I am less excited to start the third, although I still will after a small break. There are still loose ends that I want answers to and that I care about. Overall, this book was enjoyable and I didn't have many qualms aside from the romance aspect, which I think may be entirely unnecessary considering Nikki's character but I digress.

⭐⭐⭐

[Alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

*spoilers ahead*
Nikki Kill, synesthete has found herself entangled in the lies that killed her half-sister. She has been dragged down this road by Detective Martinez, and the yellow associated with him. She doesn't let people in, and she doesn't trust anyone but herself and her instincts. How could she? When she's found out that her whole life was a lie? Her mom, her dad, her sister's family. Hell even the one person who she thought would always be there for her, Jones? But Martinez won't stop until she's proven innocent. He is at a cross-roads with his feelings about her, knowing that he can't be involved with her, not when she is the main suspect in her sister's murder. But he can't help it, that kiss it meant something to him as it did to her. He is willing to give up his life for Nikki. He can't love anyone as he does her, not even Blake who is madly in love with him, but he can't help that he's fallen in love with Nikki. She is hard to love, underneath it all she just needs someone who understands her and her synesthesia. But will she tell him while she has the time? Or will it be to take too and the only thing she'll have left to remember is the crimson, the black and grey's and the yellow long forgotten?

[Shaylee Durfey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this series couldn't get any better but boy I was wrong. For some reason and for a good reason ( no spoilers) but something was telling me not to trust Jones. I also really like Nikki and Chris working together, and their banter. It was kinda awkward to find out that Blake was dating Chris.. and that he wasn't working the Hollis case anymore. I am really glad that Nikki did end up graduating, and that she went to visit the memorial at graduation for Peyton. I really wish that more people did know that they were sisters. Chris was working a dangerous case on the side and was being super secretive to Nikki about it. Like when she questioned why his cop car had bullet holes, or when she was being nosy and was asking about who Heriberto was and what he did for Chris to investegate him. But even with him working this secretive case he still helped Nikki, going to met Brandi, Blue and multiple people that Peyton's Clues were leading her to. But in the mean time she found out alot of darker secrets that she didn't know about. Dru was actually Brandi's son which was also Bill Hollis's son- they (vanessa and bill) took him from her. And now Nikki feels like her dad is hiding things from her, there is a safe box in his desk.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

****SPOILERS - my notes so I know what happened when the next book comes out.

Nikki is being framed for Peyton's murder. Her and detective Chris Martinez are trying to prove her innocence. She finds out her mom was a prostitute and slept with Bill Hollis. He would get women pregnant then have them get an abortion. She didn't want one so her and Brandy ran away and hid, Brandy had Drew. Bill found them and took the babies away. Nikki's dad says her mom was on a movie shoot when she was really hiding out with Brandy. Nikki finds evidence that her dad knew Bill Hollis but her dad denies it and says he barely knew him.

At the end of the book Nikki and Chris go to arrest the Hollis thug man Rigo but get jumped by Luna and Nikki's ex boyfriend Jones. Fighting ensues, Bill Hollis is presumed killed, Chris Martinez is in the hospital clinging to life (where Nikki kisses him and says she will apply to the police academy), and Luna and Peyton's step mom escape capture. Rigo is caught and admits to Peyton's murder.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki Kill is barely recovered from the trauma of her mother’s murder, the murder of a newly discovered half-sister, and the murder of her boyfriend. Her father is emotionally distant, her best friend, Jones, clearly wants to be more than a friend, and Nikki has been arrested for Peyton’s (her half-sister) murder. With the help of a young police detective, can Nikki figure out who is trying to frame her? Can she use her synesthesia to solve the clues left by Peyton?

This is a sequel to Shade Me. It’s filled with thrilling action scenes, touching emotion, twists & turns to keep you guessing and even humor. I had not read Shade Me, but I will now. There’s enough exposition and character development that I was able to easily follow the storyline. While the story wraps up nicely, there are plenty of unanswered questions and a definite opening for a 3rd book. If you can get past Nikki’s strange abilities, this is a great action-packed, can’t put it down series

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nikki Kill is back to kick butt and save her life. This novel picks up a few months after the last one. All of the big players from the last book are either in juvie, hiding in another country, or totally ghosting Nikki. Though none of that really matters, because Nikki is graduating and trying to figure out what to do with her life. However, things turn up missing and a new DA is looking hard at Nikki for the murder of Peyton. With the help of her synesthesia and some old friends, Nikki goes back down the Hollis rabbit hole to find answers about herself and the crimes committed around her.

I enjoyed this book better than the first. However, I feel that it is slow. I feel that this same story could be told in fewer pages. I am not as committed to these characters as I typically am with Brown's other realistic fiction books.

[Sarah Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

*REVIEW CONTAINS A MILD SPOILER*
I am still in shock from the cliffhangers with which I was just left. Is it too much to ask for the next book RIGHT NOW?!?!

Dare You was, in my opinion, even better than Shade Me. I loved every page. And let's just take a moment to appreciate the wonderful character that is Detective Martinez! Yes please! The character development was great, too! We see Nikki learning to trust and open up a little more, not to mention the blossoming relationship between her and Martinez! All in all, Dare You was amazing, and I can't wait for the next book! Don't leave us hanging for too long, Jennifer Brown!!!

[Nuala · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all.
The writing was terrible - it was SO cliched. For example, at the end of the chapter it would just have 'and then everything went black'. BORING.
Also, I didn't feel like there was a real plot. I was just reading and reading, actually waiting for something to happen. And then in the last chapter, the big scene did occur. But it was so predictable. Bad people die - oh no! Good person gets caught in the crossfire. What a surprise!
SO yeah, I would not recommend. I only finished the book because I HATE not finishing books and I was trying to see if it would get better. But it didn't.
DON'T read it.
It's a waste of your time.

[Laura's Book Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The kind of regret that will never go away. The kind of regret that leaves you heart wondering what the hell happened. The kind of regret that had you sitting alone."

Well Jennifer Brown has done it again, the second book in the Nikki Kill trilogy was every bit as brilliant as Shade Me. I honestly don't want to leave the world Jennifer has created and after that ending I need Break Us now. Thank goodness I've only got to wait a few weeks for it!! Nikki & Chris have stolen my heart and I can't wait to see what the next book brings for them....

[Janae' · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book from the series. It had so many action packed scenes, and like always Nikki barley escaped death. There was even a bit of romance involved between Nikki and Detective. I like how their relationship evolved, and they became closer to each other. The ending was definitely the best part of the book. It is gory and action packed. So much happened in just four chapters! We see betrayal, friendship, and how power and money can get you anywhere. The very end leaves everyone wanting to know more and can't waiting to read the next book.

[BookChic Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this follow-up to Shade Me- it was just as fast-paced, funny and suspenseful as the previous book. Brown does a great job of pacing the novel, answering questions along the way while bringing up new ones for the next (final) book to answer. A lot happens over the course of this book but there's still plenty more to wrap up. I'm eager to read the final book early next year and see how everything pans out now that the mystery has expanded so much more.

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I picked up this book, unsure of what to expect and was amazed to say the least. The book was filled with unexpected twists in the tale and left my heart pounding after I finished the book. The characters, once again, captivated me and kept me hanging on every word. I'm excited and a little nervous about what the third book has to offer based off of everything that happened near the end of the book.

[Isha Narang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nikki must find evidence that she wasn't behind Peyton's murder to avoid prison. I found the second book to be a little weird. I didn't like how Nikki's character was written in this book. Again the mystery in the story wasn't easy to follow. It was fast-paced and if you could ignore its flaws the book was okay, but it didn't leave me wanting to read the third book in the series. The second book was unnecessary. I enjoyed to middle parts of the plot but not the rest of it.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Nikki Kill series. Nikki looks further into not only who her mother really was but also clearing her name with the authorities.

This second novel reveals more about what her newly found sister was trying to steer Nikki toward, but Nikki’s relationship with Detective Chris Martinez develops as well.

I felt this novel moved the story along a bit slower than the first novel but has an explosive ending that sets up the next novel well.

[Jeraca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this free eARC novel from the author and Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

Sadly, I just can't connect with this series. I tried even after not connecting with book 1, I really wanted to like this story, but for me it's just dragging and dragging. I'm sure this book and series will connect with other readers, but unfortunately I just can't click with this. I am glad I got the chance to try and read it though!

[Kelly Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I am just here for Detective Martinez. Nikki is still annoying as hell. I'm still into the whole synesthesia bit of the storyline, it makes things interesting. I really do want to know more about Nikki's mother's past and find out the lies she's been fed all her life. I want to know what will happen next to Martinez, and how Nikki will fix this.

3 stars

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling narrative with spectacular zest. The plot was incredible and the main character has developed so well. Nikki Kill is absolutely extraordinary. I love the tension between the characters. The betrayal was evident throughout the storyline. The cliff-hanger at the end nearly drove me crazy.

All in all, an amazing read. 100% recommend!