I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Summary:
Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I decided to read this book because I love Ally Carter's Heist Society series and wanted to check out her other work. I still love Heist Society a lot more but this book was pretty cute!

I love the idea of strong female characters which is why I wanted to read this novel (the title is way too long) but this felt like a watered down version of Heist Society. Probably because these characters are still learning how to use their spy skills and Kat and her gang are actually out in the field. But I do love that they attend a secret school to learn how to be spies. What a fun concept and I really enjoyed that aspect.

I don't have too much to say about this book other than it's light and fun. It's definitely for a younger audience but if the older crowd wants to read it there's nothing wrong with that.

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Summary:
Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy. (from GoodReads)

Review:
This series is one of my absolute favorites and I'm so glad I finally got to read book #3. Perfect Scoundrels did not disappoint in the least!

Even though each book in the Heist Society series features a heist of some sort, spying, surveillance, and just all around subterfuge, each story is unique and I could read them all day. This book is a little different because this time Hale is the mark instead of being the con artist. That makes it a lot harder for Kat and her merry band because the stakes are much higher. Hale is much less cooperative in Perfect Scoundrels because his grandmother just died and he doesn't want to see that anything is wrong. He comes around eventually but these events definitely put a strain on Hale's and Kat's relationship.

I don't have much to say about this book because I enjoyed it so much. It looks like there will be a 4th book (it's on GoodReads) and I really hope that's the case! I can't get over how clever and smart Perfect Scoundrels and the rest of this series is!

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: Christmas gift

2013/Hyperion/328 pages.

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Summary:
Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules. (from GoodReads)

Review:<

I absolutely adored the first novel in this (hopefully) series, Heist Society. Uncommon Criminals reaffirmed my love of these books, while also adding to the story.

I loved Uncommon Criminals for the same reasons that I highly recommend Heist Society to other readers. I love the plotline, about a young girl who is an art thief. If you've ever seen Ocean's Eleven, it's the same thing, but with younger characters. There's jet-setting to faraway places and a smart and clever heroine. I want to be Kat sometimes, she is that cool.

Formerly, Kat would steal art with her family for profit. But now Kat is in the habit of stealing art that has been stolen from its original owners and returning it. That's pretty nice of her, I think. She gets a request to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald, which is cursed. There are several twists throughout the story, which I enjoyed, because it kept me on my toes. Not is all as it seems with the emerald, but Kat and her crew are smart enough to figure it out.

My only, teensy problem I had with Uncommon Criminals was that it was too short. Of course I wnat more story, but from an objective standpoint, I thought that some parts were a little rushed. It got better by the end, but I was internally yelling at Ally Carter to give us more information. It kinda shows how much I love these books :)

Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
FTC: bought!

2011/Disney-Hyperion/298 pages.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Summary:
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre... to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria... to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own - scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and, hopefully, just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's (very crooked) history - and with any luck, steal her life back along the way. (Taken from inside flap)

Review:
When Heist Society was first released in the beginning of 2010, I thought it seemed like an interesting read, but didn't really think about it again. But when I saw it in my library, I decided to give it a chance. And I'm so glad I did because I thought that Heist Society was amazing!

First, I loved the whole art thief/heist aspect of the story. I've never read a story about any type of high profile thieves, let alone a whole family of them. After reading Heist Society, I now want to become an art thief. The novel made it sound so glamorous and intesting. Kat is also one of the smartest heroines I've ever read about. She knows how to disable CIA level security systems, speak about five different languages, and con herself out of any sticky situation. She and her crew are also smart enough to break into the Henley, an art museum with the highest security in the world. Their plan was so clever, and so crazy, but it was awesome to watch everything fall into place and watch Kat perform the biggest heist ever.

Besides the art, a big part of the story is Kat's relationship with her friend Hale. He's part of their "family" and has been working with Kat for two years, though they don't really explain how they met (and I am dying to know!). Their relationship isn't quite romantic (yet) but there's definitely tension and potential for more. Plus, their banter is hilarious and super witty; I just loved reading scenes with them together. When I finished Heist Society, I needed to read more, so I looked it up online. I was delighted to discover that Ally Carter is writing a sequel! I am so excited now. It's slated to be released Summer 2011 and I don't know how I will be able to survive.

I would recommend Heist Society to those who like their heroines intelligent and stealthy, or for those who like movies like Ocean's Eleven. There's humor, action, clever plans, spying, expensive art, jet-setting, and visits to London, Paris, Las Vegas, New York City, to name a few. I loved Heist Society and think that it should get way more recognition than it already has.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: I borrowed this from my library.

2010/Disney-Hyperion/304 pages.