Summary: After growing up living the short-con life, Bea has set her sights on the target of her longest con yet. But when the affluent Colin proposes, his family and friends are less than thrilled by Bea and her intentions. At the forefront is Colin’s friend Gale who is determined to figure out who Bea really is, thus setting off a cat and mouse game with deadly consequences.

Thoughts: What a debut! I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this one from the moment I saw the gorgeous cover. Twisty and fun, Koller Croft had me rooting for the bad guy and I loved every minute of it. Forget cat and mouse - this book was like cats and mice. Throughout the book, I continually had to question who was conning whom? And why? Who am I rooting for? And why?

Bea is a really interesting MC, and as you learn more about her backstory and her previous relationships and their consequences, she becomes that much more intriguing. I could not help feeling a connection with her at times, regardless of her innate deviousness.

I listened to this on audio, and while I think the book is really well done (again, I can’t believe it’s a debut) the narration on audio hindered my enjoyment just a bit for me. The narrator wasn’t bad so much as monotone and at times it was a bit hard to tell the characters apart as they didn’t really have a distinct sound to them. With that said, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. I have a sneaking suspicion this one will be a hit.

Read if you like:
•domestic suspense
•psychological thrillers
•dual time lines
•cat and mouse
•morally grey characters

Thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for the ARC and PRH Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you for the copy! Totally enjoyable con book. Protagonist was completely arrogant and self centered but fun watching her plot and play the long con. Somehow I was still cheering for her to succeed. Great idea. Thanks !

Just when you think you know what's going to happen, like Bea, you're surprised. Bea is so close, so close, to the dream of marrying into an immensely wealthy family but she's got a nagging secret. She isn't who she says she is. How much does her fiance Collin's BFF Gale know? She's remade her life so that she's financially independent thanks to her smarts and hard work, she's beautiful, and she's driven. Collin has fallen so hard that he's proposed but his family is skeptical and Gale is downright horrible. This intersperses Bea's voice with flashbacks to a girl whose mother preys on men, and uses Bea as a tool as she gets older. It's a tricky novel that has some serious twists I won't spoil. Croft's a great storyteller who roped me in early on (when I was sure I know how this would go) and kept me turning the pages because, well, despite the fact that Bea isn't really likable, I was, oddly, fascinated by and rooting for her. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A terrific read.

Stone Cold Fox is honestly one of the best books I’ve ever read. Is it a literary masterpiece? Not quite. But it ticked every single one of my boxes. It’s extremely well-written, with a fast-moving plot that kept me devouring every word until the wee hours of the morning. There’s plenty of juicy drama, delicious backstabbing, and characters you love to hate. And a surprisingly likable protagonist you can’t help but root for. I loved this book SO much and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

Now that's what I'm talking about, 2023!

I could not put this book down. This was an unexpected read for me considering I mostly read romance and fantasy, but I flew through this thriller - and it's a debut!

Bea was a fascinating character to have as our narrator and seeing the world through her view for the duration of this story was wild. The way she is constantly thinking about what she's expected to say or do, and always trying to be two steps ahead of everyone else was interesting to read. And I liked that her character is very morally gray, leaning more towards villain than hero. As the reader I found myself not rooting for her success as I normally would for the protagonist, but I was simply enjoying the ride!

Though this was a stand alone, I could see the author continuing this as a series and writing another book with these characters, and I would love to read that!

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

DNFed this one fairly quickly. I found the main character very unlikeable right off the bat. The description of the plot seemed fairly interesting, but after finding the main character so unlikeable so fast, I wasn't really interested anymore.

From the publisher: "A compelling debut novel about an ambitious woman who, after a lifetime of conning alongside her mother, wants to leave her dark past behind and marry the heir to one of the country's wealthiest families."

Bea is sick of running cons with her mother. She decides to get what she deserves by marrying rich. She has a mark and everything. That's when the games begin.

If you love books about rich people behaving badly, this is for you. I thought it was a lot of fun.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I love a problematic narrator, and it was hard not to root for her throughout this. There were some solid twists and it was a great concept. That said, it felt so wildly improbable that it made the story feel unbelievable.

Thank you to the publishers at Berkley and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Stone Cold Fox!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
💋 love to hate the MC
👥 have a dangerous relationship with your mother
📖 enjoy long chapters
👯‍♀️ have little to no girl friends

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

Bea is determined to become the newest Case family member, no matter what it takes.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Bea is dating Collin Case, a plain, boring man, but, one who has plenty of family money. Determined to make him her husband, Bea has invented the perfect life - dead parents, no siblings, nobody to question her and her motives. But Collin’s best friend, Gale, has other plans because Gale has always loved Collin and isn’t about to let him go so easily. But Bea is hiding an unsavory past, one that, if discovered, will leave her with nothing, forced to start all over again. Will Bea be able to pull off this long con?

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such a fun read. A bit of a slow burn, but well worth the wait. I loved all of the new discoveries, though I did suspect a few and was pleasantly surprised by others! The long chapters were a bit off putting for me (only because I prefer shorter chapters) but I think they worked well for the story. We really got to know Bea. She’s someone you love to hate, and she became more likable as the novel progressed. She definitely does a lot of growing up, in a good way! I can’t wait to read more by this author in the future!

Rich people behaving badly? I’m all the way here for it. STONE COLD FOX follows grifter Bea and her quest to marry Collin, a lackluster love interest that conveniently comes with obscene amounts of money. With a mother committed to a lifetime of climbing the social ladder, Bea came by her desire for the finer things in life honestly.

This is a fun cat-mouse story as Bea tries to hide her sketchy past from Collin’s friends and family. I enjoyed how debut author Rachel Koller Croft explored mother/daughter relationships and the ways in which the past is never too far behind. The author is also a screenwriter and her talents shine through in this novel with a strong sense of place in the upper echelons of society.

With a combination of print and audio I flew through this story. Narrator Carlotta Brentan brought Bea’s conniving antics to life. Pick this up for your galentine on 2/14!

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: February 14, 2023

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

This was slightly disappointing for me on a couple counts. One, Bea's narrative voice wasn't super engaging to me for some reason? Her dialogue (and some of the other characters) felt really off to me to the level of being distracting. Second, where the plot ended up going and the ending. I feel like there were some red herrings throughout the book of where things might end up, and I would have preferred any or all of those over what actually did happen.
This book does earn points for taking a trope that usually focuses on a male character and expanding that focus to the women in his life. That aspect makes it more refreshing to read. I'd compare it to Janet Fitch's White Oleander over anything else.

What a compulsive and addicting debut! If you enjoy stories about con artists, anti-heroes, the rich and powerful, manipulation, extreme cat and mouse mind games… then you’ll want to add this to your TBR!

This story follows Bea, a woman raised by her swindling mother who’s looking to escape her dark past by marrying Collin Case and joining his uber wealthy family. Bea’s ambition to claim what she wants and believes she deserves has her facing off against other members of the Case family as well as Collin’s best friend, Gale, in the biggest cat and mouse game where the stakes are high.

Bea is an extremely complex character. She is absolutely flawed and damaged because of the horrible things she dealt with when younger and because of her toxic mother. Present day Bea is our narrator and she does not come off as particularly likable. Sure she’s extremely confident in herself, but her words and actions also make her seem very vain, pretentious, and her ambition to manipulate anybody and situation to her desires. We do also get glimpses into her past and as the story progresses you see some cracks in her facade and really begin to understand what she’s after and why. Admittedly, I tend to struggle with unlikeable characters, however Bea was very well developed and the very definition of an anti-hero that you hate to love.

The book also dives into the society of old money/ the wealthiest families. There’s a theme of “protect your own” and shunning outsiders into this world. It really showcased how different and how these groups really do operate in their own little rich world.

As for the battle of wits, it was interesting seeing Bea and Gale go head to head trying to outsmart each other. Plus it was suspenseful wanting to know all the secrets these two were fighting to bury or reveal. And then on top of that there was a little twist at the end that brought things to a new level and was just like !!!

Though I can see this be a bit of a polarizing read, overall I thought it was clever with lots of psychological elements to keep you invested!

First 15%: hooked. Bea started off strong w bitchy/caddy vibes galore trying to con a wealthy family.

Middle: this part dragged. It was very repetitive and a lot of internal dialogue that got a little eh.

Last 15%: yes, we are back in! Twists did surprise me! Also possibly set for a sequel?

This is a debut so I will be reading the second I hopes the pacing/flow gets a little better.

Thanks to Berkley and Let's Talk Books Promo for the copy of this ARC.

Stone Cold Fox is a spectactular debut from Rachel Koller Croft. I was immediately sucked in through the past and present timelines, straight up haughtiness of Bea, and all of her (honestly kind of terrible) internal thoughts. This is a book where you know the main character is gonna throw out some cutting words and do whatever it takes to get what she thinks she deserves, but you're also gonna root for her the whole time. There are some great twists, con artist schemes and drama galore. I had a lot of fun getting sucked into this one!

Read if you like:
- con artist stories
- drama with old money families
- rooting for devious and haughty characters
- ongoing cat fights
- the show Ginny and Georgia

This book unfortunately did not grab my attention and felt the characters to be rather flat. I was also under the impression from the marketing that this was a period piece and found the pop culture references to be forced.

Bea hasn’t had an easy life. Raised by a cold, emotionally distant mother who drifted around the country conning men, she has always had to fight for things. Now she’s still under 30 and gorgeous, and she has finally left her mother behind. Bea has her eyes on the prize–marriage to Collin Case, scion of the wealthy and prestigious Case family. This will gain her entrance to a life-time of comfort and protection, not to mention provide distance from her mother and her own past self. She has no problem conquering Collin, but a much harder time gaining the approval of his family.

Her biggest nemesis proves to be Gale, Collin’s childhood friend who obviously wanted and expected their childhood to deepen into something more. Bea views Gale as a welcome diversion, a chance to fight and win something else, but she’s met her match. Gale proves herself willing to fight as dirty as Bea has ever managed. Gale’s alibis approach Bea on their own. There’s Dave, all animal appeal and danger with a reputation. There’s Syl, Collin’s new assistant. Something about her appeals to Bea. Could Syl be her first real friend? Or is she hiding her own secrets?

When things come to a head, Bea will have to choose who she is, and how far she is willing to go to keep her hard-earned gains. Is she like her mother after all? Or will Bea strike her own path, make her own peace with the past? Sometimes life just surprises you.

Stone Cold Fox is a thriller that keeps you on your toes. How much can we trust Bea’s narrative? What about these other rich women, who surely have their own secrets to hide? A gripping read.

Bea is a fox. Definitely a catch. She is outrageous, vivacious, absolutely gorgeous, and tremendously smart. Unfortunately, these assets are not working in her favor. For the past year, she has dated millionaires and billionaires and they all had one thing in common … they were boring. Old men looking for a trophy wife which is what Bea thought she wanted to be but now she is looking at her future differently. Old guys have too much baggage and hang-ups, they are too much work. For a change, Bea decides to look at trust fund babies.
Through her work in an advertising agency, Bea meets Collin Case. His family is loaded. He is tall and handsome, charming, attentive, and best of all, he finds Bea attractive. They begin dating and their romance is hot & heavy. It’s not too long before Collin invites Bea to move in with him. Within a short time, Collin is ready for the next move, inviting Bea home to meet the family. She is not sure about this but knows she will have to some time.
Meeting the future in-laws is as awkward as she expected. The night isn’t even over and they are offering her money to go away. Bea feels certain she can win them over – it is the best friend who will be a problem. Gale doesn’t view her relationship with Collin to be platonic and she plans to get rid of Bea any way she can. The gloves are off, the claws are out … who will be the winner?

For a debut novel, Rachel Koller Croft writes very confidently. Her voice is strong. Bea is a wonderful character. You cheer for her, hope she mops the floor with Gale, and want to give her the 3 Stooges salute as she takes on the future in-laws. I found her writing very similar to Liv Constantine’s. Way to go, Rachel, I look forward to your next book.

A solid four-star entry in the "manipulative woman infiltrates high society" genre. Bea (not her real name) is in her mid-twenties, and she's decided it's time to settle down with as secure a nest egg as she can find. And what's more secure than marrying into NYC's upper crust? Sure, there's a prenup, but Bea's not planning on stealing any cash and escaping into the night. She's in it for forever: she'll be the best wife possible to Collin. She just needs to make sure no one ever finds out the truth of her past.

Unfortunately for her, she's got a rival in Gale, Collin's childhood BFF. Gale has been in love with Collin forever, and if she can't have him then she's going to at least make sure that whoever he falls for is a Good Person. At first, Bea enjoys their rivalry. But soon enough she realizes that Gale has some inside knowledge that she shouldn't have. With shades of "You" and "Gone Girl," this is a fun thriller for everyone who roots for the bad girl once in a while.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

The story was top notch, and I really liked Bea as our lead. I couldn't put the book down. I felt the ending fell somewhat flat after the rest of the story, but it seemed like the ending might have been changed to set up a sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft is a wickedly creative thriller that I just loved. I found the book impossible to put down.

Story Recap:
Bea knows what she wants in life, and she’s determined to get it. And Bea is used to getting what she wants. She learned from the best, her mother. She taught Bea how to swindle men and get what she deserves. Except, Bea has more aspirational goals, she wants to marry an extremely rich man and be set up for life.

Bea has set her sights on Colin a very wealthy man from a family of old money. Bea doesn’t believe in love and that makes Colin a perfect candidate, he’s boring, loyal, and completely besotted with her. Bea is confident she can get Colin to pop the question, her only challenge will be his doting family and his best friend Gale.

My Thoughts:
After reading just the first few pages, I knew this book was for me! The book is told from Bea’s POV, and her thoughts are disturbing and calculating. Bea is not a likable character, but she’s fascinating, intriguing, and very compelling. I couldn’t stop reading even though she’s a cold-hearted, and disturbed woman. And, even though she’s not very nice, I was rooting for her the entire book.

The book flashes back to her childhood with her mother, and these flashbacks definitely made me more sympathetic for Bea, she’s a product of her unorthodox and disturbing childhood.

Stone cold fox is a fast-paced, exciting thriller that I couldn’t put down.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Stone Cold Fox to anyone who enjoys thrillers. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.