Rating: 4.5 stars

I have to say, I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book, which means I really liked it. Some of the things I enjoyed:

•You all know I love being in NYC. It's always a treat to read a story set in my hometown, and I enjoyed traipsing around the boroughs with Ellie and the gang from Holden Prep.

•Though I missed spending time with Aiden and Harper, I enjoyed all the quality time spent with Justice and Dominic. Dominic and Ellie grow a lot closer on this trip, and I learned that there's a lot more to Dominic than meets the eye.

•Ellie's "family" plays a big role in this book. We learn a lot more about Ellie's life before, as well as what happened to her parents after the FBI raid. It was really interesting to get that first hand look at her life before, as well as revisit her memories pertaining to her previous life.

•I was pretty shocked to discover what Miles was doing on his Christmas vacation, and it added an extra level of intrigue to the story for me.

•Miles little excursion was only one of many twists Cross threw at me, and I enjoy following those twists and turns throughout the book.

•The romance ramps up in this one, and you know I was happy about that. I ship these two hard and just want to see them in a solid relationship with each other.

•I am a fan of this kind of series. Where there is a shorter story arc completed in the book, which also adding to the series arc.

•That ending made my heart sing. It was all sorts of wonderful.

Overall: Another great Eleanor Ames story, which left me all sorts of satisfied. If this is the last book, Cross gave us a great ending, but I must say, I would love to read more of Eleanor and Miles' adventures.

The premise of this series is there is a group of teens who have been recruited or are attending a specialized school to make them into spies.

Eleanor’s family made up of criminals. She was used by the FBI to entrap her father, but this plan backfired, and her mother was sent to jail. Eleanor would do anything to get her mom free, including working with the FBI again to capture her father.

But her father now has some very unsavory partners that are extremely dangerous. Putting Eleanor, her boyfriend and fellow spy in training, and classmates all in the sites of this extremely volatile criminal empire. All the while there are still rogue agents and they don’t know who they can trust and whether they can even trust each other.

This would of been straight out 5 stars for me but in the end it lost 1 stars and I think its because of my personal life experiences. Being a parent of recent teens, I had a hard time getting past 16-18 yr old, one minute talking about breaking a group rogue FBI and others in the government with the FBI and CIA... and then talking about mom and dad. I know, I know fiction... But once I got past that, Cross provided an amazing, riveting and well balanced conspiracy, secret agent, romantic thriller.

I received this ARC copy of Hiding Lies from Entangled Publishing, LLC. This is my honest and voluntary review. Hiding Lies is set for publication April 17, 2018.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Julie Cross
Series: Eleanor Ames Series
Sequence in Series: Book 2
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: April 17, 2018
ISBN-10: 1633758168
ISBN-13: 978-1633758162
Genre: Teen Mystery Thriller

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Lies-El...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hidi...
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hidi...

For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.

6 likes

On the cover we see Eleanor nicknamed Ellie with Miles in a street.

We learn that Ellie was never what she seemed to be. She is a high school girl trying to get on with her past life. Especially when she's going to get some startling news from someone in her past criminal life. The plans she had in mind for the next school outing will have fallen by the wayside. Especially when the friend of FBI Miles goes there too.

A second volume that I loved, a fascinating story with endearing characters, I hope there will be a sequel.

I absolutely love the characters in the Eleanor Ames books and was thrilled to read an arc of this 2nd novel in the series. Eleanor is a wonderful character with spunk and personality. Miles, her boyfriend/FBI agent in training/tough guy, is another wonderful character! When I read these books I feel like I should be watching a great drama series on the CW! Full of mystery and intrigue, former con artist Ellie is trying to help change her mother's jail sentence. Her choices lead her back into the life she was trying to escape and forces her to see her father again. Set on a school trip to NYC, this story picks up right where the first book left off. With her friends, Ellie finds herself battling con artists, mobsters and the FBI. The story is well written and the plot moves quickly. I really enjoy the cast of characters and I'm excited to see where their story goes next! I am secretly hoping for a Harper/Aiden story too since Ellie's sister and her boyfriend are also brilliant characters. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

There was a lot going on in Hiding Lies. Miles was here and there on his own assignment and Dominic stepped up to be Ellie's sidekick. Their interactions were good and Dom proves he can be an asset. It was a bit weird that Ellie and Dom were able to sneak away from the school trip so often and for so long without teachers or others really knowing. I get that her friends covered somewhat but still it seemed a bit unusual. As proven by Chasing Truth not everything is what is seems and that goes double for this book. I received an ARC and provided an honest review.

I received a copy HIDING LIES on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

Five stars and here's why:

HIDING LIES kept me reading way past my bedtime. Julie Cross delivers a riveting suspenseful story. I got sucked in on page one and ended up with a wicked book hangover.

I didn’t read the first book in the series, but this HIDING LIES can be read as a standalone. That being said, I just bought the first book, CHASING TRUTH, because I need to be totally immersed in this story as it’s that good. Ellie reminds me of Veronica Mars. Boy, was I addicted to that story. Ellie apparently helped put her con-artist mom in jail and she’s been dealing with the fallout of that situation. She decides to go undercover and get the real villain – her father – and that’s when the story takes off and you just can’t put the book down.

If you love a book about a sassy, savvy girl, some sexy guys, and a suspenseful plot filled with twists and turns that’ll keep your head glued to the page, then this book is for you! Highly recommend!

Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥



Refreshing and vibrant. 5*

I'm totally in love with Julie Cross's books. This is my fourth and I just can't wait for more! If she's writing I'm reading! Her stories are always colourful and her characters are complex.

Hiding lies is the follow-up book to Chasing Truth. It can be read as a standalone (It has all the catch up you need) but I would recommend reading book one first.

Eleanor Ames has been compared to Veronica Mars and in many ways, she's the closest famous character to relate to her, but Ellie is so much more. Who is Eleanor Ames? Well, that's just it. Not even Ellie knows who she really is. Her mother is in jail and her father is a notorious con man. She now lives with her sister and they have a fake name but Ellie doesn't know her real name anyway. Ellie feels bad about how things turned out for her mother. She feels her dad should be the one doing the time.

Ellie is now settled into a normal high school teen life. She studies and is actually considering college. Two things Ellie never thought she could have. Her boyfriend Miles aka secret agent in training is visiting her for Christmas before he vacations in Turkey. His parents have accepted her and he is keeping her self-defence skills in top form.

Ellie's family are all con artists. Her cousins are probably not related to her and all family members have special talents. Her father is the mastermind behind the cons and her mother was the conscience that kept them safe. Now she's gone her father has taken his tricks to a whole new level. Ellie's cousin, Oscar has managed to hunt her down and wants her help. The family are in trouble and Oscar thinks Ellie is the only one who can turn it around.

Dominic was close to Simon and Miles. Now he will become Ellie's new best friend. We get to see a whole new side to Dominic and I'm loving his character. He's smart and brilliant when he puts his mind to it.

Miles and Ellie's relationship is taken to the next level. I love these two and their relationship is just so complex. The criminal and the federal agent. It works so well. They both have a trick or two up their sleeves. Their relationship is intense and passionate.

The great thing about this book is that we get to see all the characters again and the story follows perfectly. We get to know more about Ellie's past. There is no black and white everything is grey.

We are going on a schools trip with Holden Prep to New York City. The trip will be educational in more ways than one. There will be an opportunity to meet with college representatives, write a school report and enjoy the delights the city has to offer. The problem is Ellie is taking more than her school friends. She has to juggle school work, meet with her father and did I mention the FBI? They have decided to join the party too! Ellie has a new mission. She's hoping to help her mum get out of jail but this ride is going to be bumpy.

I absolutely love this story. It's exciting and full of twists. The characters are dynamic and interesting.

I really like Julie Cross's writing style and she keeps me hooked on every word. There is so much more I could tell you about this book but I don't want to spoil anything. In my opinion, this is a must-read. Highly recommended. It has romance, dangerous missions and loveable characters.

5 stars out of 5. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. *I received ARC in exchange for a review.

Hiding Lies (Book 2 Eleanor Ames Series) Is a Fantastic book. It was full of suspense and I couldn't but it down. Another Great book by Julie Cross but I can't say I'm surprise she's a terrific writer!!!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Eleanor Ames is back with another explosive adventure in Hiding Lies, and readers will be quickly drawn into the complex world that our heroine once again finds herself wrapped up in. Surprises, truths, and shocking revelations will all come to light as Eleanor comes to terms with just how far she's willing to go to save the ones she loves.

Back in book one, Eleanor had collaborated with the FBI to try and put her con artist father in prison. Unbeknownst to her at the time, her parent's decided to switch places for the current con, and Eleanor was left watching her mother get dragged off to prison, and living with the notion that it was her who put her there. However, in Hiding Lies, she has a chance to redeem herself. It was her father the FBI truly wanted in the first place, and after she learns about the harsh terms of her mother's upcoming sentencing, Eleanor's ready to make a deal. She'll go undercover as their informant in her dad's newest con, if it means getting her mother clear and free in the process.

When a blast from her past shows up in the form of her "cousin" Oscar, Eleanor finds her opening, but she may be vastly unprepared for the job ahead of her, as this con is unlike any her family's ever pulled off before, and it's got Oscar shaking in his boots. With the FBI on her side, Eleanor embarks on Holden Academy's academic trip to New York, which serves as the perfect ruse to get her to the city. Soon she's right back in the family business, helping her father con innocent people, although she definitely didn't plan on having Dominic working along side her, or Miles finding out what she's planning to pull off.

Told in Julie's signature writing style, with twists and turns around every corner, Hiding Lies is a great follow up to the first book, and kept me engaged in the story right from page one. I enjoyed getting the extra glimpses into Eleanor's past, and the way her and Miles struggle to trust one another having been brought up the way they were. I've come to expect to be blown away by the ending of every Julie Cross novel, and I was most definitely not disappointed with this one. I thought I had a pretty good idea how everything was going to go down, but I was mind blown with the last plot twist, and just how well it all came together. One of my favorite parts of picking up any of her novels is the romance element, and readers will definitely not be disappointed on this front. No one can write a book boyfriend as well as this amazing lady can, and while Miles and Eleanor's relationship isn't as much of a focus in Hiding Lies as it was in the first one, I loved all the moments we did get between the two of them, and it only served to make an amazing book even better.

Hiding Lies was exactly what I was hoping for and more, and I undoubtedly recommend this one to anyone who's a fan of Veronica Mars, Nancy Drew, or suspense/thriller type mysteries. I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series releasing, to find out if Eleanor's story can ever truly be wrapped up! I rated this one four out of five stars, and I only wish they were a little bit cleaner, as I wasn't a huge fan of how much language was contained in it throughout. All in all though it was a great story that I found myself truly drawn into, and I most definitely recommend!


Thanks so much to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an arc copy!

I just checked and I read the first book in this series in August 2016. So that is quite a while back and fortunately I remember a lot of the story. Because this book just jumps right in and I must admit I was lost a couple of times regarding some characters. The author does not give extra explanation and only a very brief summary of the last book. So this is absolutely not a standalone!

But OK, I dove in and was immediately sucked into the story. We get some more background on what happened before book 1. Ellie made a deal with the FBI but was upset to find her mother was caught instead of her father. Her mother faces up to ten years in jail, so Ellie makes another deal with the FBI and travels to New York (on a school trip, how convenient) to make contact with her dad and find what he is involved in. Boyfriend Miles pops up and has his own agenda. Dominic, another friend from book 1 and schoolmate, is an interesting addition to the core group. He plays along and helps Ellie where he can. Danger is everywhere!

I enjoyed the story but not as much as the first. I thought there was so much going on and it seemed more implausible than before that two teenagers (16 and 17 mind you) could pull this off. They seem wise beyond their years. The relationship between Ellie and Miles has gotten to another (more steamy) phase, which I liked.

Overall a good installment and I look forward to the next.

leanor Ames is back and Hiding Lies was just as enjoyable as book one.  



Ellie is dealing with her regrets of getting her mom put in jail.  She is willing to do just about anything to get her out.  Once she finds out that her mom is getting ten years, Ellie offers to go undercover with her family to get her dad instead.  Luckily Holden Prep is heading to New York and that just happens to be where her dad is.  Her "cousin", Oscar, finds her and says that her dad is in over his head this time.

Miles is acting a bit distant and keeping something from Ellie.  But Dominic gets pulled into this con and helps Ellie out with her family.  I loved Dominic in this book.  He provided a break in tension with his humor.

"God, how do you do this shit all the time?  I'm on a verge of a dozen nervous breakdowns."

Hiding Lies has a fast pace with different twists and betrayals.  Ellie finds herself wondering if she can trust Miles, even after she realizes that she is in love with him.  She is also keeping secrets from Harper and having to use her friends and the teacher she really likes.  But she just wants to help her mom and get revenge on her dad.  



I can't wait for book three and to find out if Ellie will ever be able to live a normal life.  I gave Hiding Lies 4  1/2 stars (rounded up to 5 on goodreads).

Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy of this book for review.  The quote above is taken from the arc and may change before release date.