Heist Society series; book III
KAT! HALE! THEY'RE BACK! I'm so excited! WHEEE!

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
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My Thoughts
Hale? HALE! This is a HALE book, much to my excitement. There is plenty of Hale, and not just the one you're thinking (have I mentioned Hale's name enough? Because really, what more of an excuse do you need? One more time? HALE!)
...
Right.
The Heist Society series is honestly just pure escapism and fun times for me, and that's why I adore it so much. Teens planning and executing cons could not possibly be more entertaining, especially with such a kick-butt protagonist and a loveable supporting cast. It's the type of book where I don't give a crap that there's one too many tropes, I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of it anyway.
My only issue with this book (because as usual, I love the delightful characters and smooth writing) is that I felt the plot lost the "it" factor towards the end. I ended up questioning the author's decision to "trick" the reader for a page or two, and the shift (BEING VERY VERY VAGUE HERE) between the 'bridge' and the 'train' was really.. confusing? The transition felt very clunky, so my suspension of disbelief shattered a wee bit.
There were also parts of the plot that I wasn't a huge fan of (we know the antagonist's plan too early on), or that the heist was underwhelming (it was sneaky, but not... heist-y enough for me, or imaginative enough). I have a selfish wish that there could have been more Kat and Hale moments, despite a lovely sum of them already... and more Bagshaws and Simon and Gabrielle. They were all so happiness-inducing.
Essentially: fun book, escapism, heists, HALE, okay-villain, Scooter!, maybe could have been a better heist, but overall entertaining.
8.5/10 - because although there were some parts I wasn't the most pleased with, I still had and wonderful time reading it and escaping into Kat's world. I thought Carter dealt with so many heartfelt themes in an impacting way (I really adored the way she wrote about Kat stealing Hale), the themes of family and friendship really stood out and I greatly enjoyed it.
And I went to her signing and here's a picture of the very sweet and lovely author Ally Carter and myself :)
source: bought
author twitter / website
my reviews of Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals