One year after The Steal concludes, Jerome and Ania are dating. The setting is again magnificent with the glitz and glamour of a ball in Venice. But Jerome and Ania have a secret agenda to enact revenge on the Leopard they squared off with in book one. And it's not clear that their agendas match.

I won't give spoilers for this book or the previous one, but I will say that I find it fascinating that Jerome and Ania aren't more competent. I keep expecting them to be the smartest in the room and enact a grand plan. Instead, their bumbling feels quite relatable and more realistic.

I appreciated the references to the fall out after World War 2 and the remaining anti-Semitism. They added depth to both stories.

This is a series I definitely recommend reading in order. It would be tough to understand The Bait without having already read The Steal. 

Thank you to Let's Talk Books, Blue Box Press, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. These opinions are my own.