Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC

You just know it's a Berkley thriller when the thriller part isn't very good. The books I've read from them tend to be romance, and it's fine that they have a specialty.

For being such high stakes, the characters certainly were not stressed or have tension whatsoever. They trusted one of the antagonists??? Like he was blackmailing the main characters and they still told him their plan?? And the fact that someone they were hiding was still alive?? They seemed too trustworthy for con artists who deal on the black market.

I didn't see the plot twist at the end coming, and I really liked it. Not gonna give any spoilers, but it was pretty unique.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of The Confidence Games by Tess Amy.

This had such a fun premise with con artists and a heist. A little different than what I usually read but I enjoyed it. Emma and Nellie cracked me up and I was entertained while reading!

Emma and Nellie have gone into business together swindling men who deserve it when their past comes to bite them. When Nellie is kidnapped, Emma is then blackmailed into participating in a dangerous heist that goes against their rules. Emma has to not only plan a heist, but also figure out how to get Nellie back. Overall, a mostly fun heist story though some of the internal monologues of Emma's were a little frustrating. The ending helped tie things together and really brought the story around.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Tess Amy really didn't have to go this hard in this book, but I'm so glad she did. We've got con artists, kidnappings, hackers, really just the whole shebang. I'm still not entirely sure how they created their criminal empire, but it's clearly working for them. It absolutely flew by! I wouldn't be mad if we got a sequel where they con the assholes of the world. I'd recommend this to fans of Leverage, jewel heists, and anyone who wants a cozy thriller.

Emma Oxley and Nellie Yarrow have been best friends for years. When Emma gets simultaneously dumped and booted from her ex’s home just as she loses her job, Nellie comes to her rescue. They become successful con women, swindling only men who have shown themselves to be jerks. When one con is complete, they play a game to see what they will do next.

Their comfortable life together is threatened when Nellie is kidnapped and Emma is told the only way to get her back is to steal a famous and extremely expensive bracelet from an event in London. She must sell it to a ruthless criminal and turn over the proceeds to the kidnappers.

The scenario is terrifying for Emma because she has always relied on Nellie to do certain parts of their work together. And they’ve never attempted a heist like this, let alone one that would hurt innocent people.

But the clock is ticking and Emma has to figure out what to do. Will she pass this ultimate test? Or will she lose everything important to her?

The Confidence Games is an entertaining heist story that checks all the boxes of the genre. It has plenty of action and moments of tension. It has a nice number of clever plans, complete with extra secret plans that aren’t shared entirely with the reader. It has bad guys and some who have been thrust into roles they would rather not play, and it includes an old snarling cat and an adorable little girl. All these ingredients come together nicely to make a delicious and satisfying book that’s fun, easy reading.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley and author Tess Amy for the arc!

How fun was this one!? I love the cleverness of an exciting & dangerous heist and a good con within a con story … ala the Ocean’s movies … and this one does not disappoint! There is action, mystery, humor, heist adventure, great characters & a nice big twist! A super quick & fast paced read that I binged right up!

I can see this leading to a series or at least a sequel … the set up reminding me of the TV Show “Leverage” (which I also loved! >> a band of “robin hood” type criminals who perform cons to get revenge for clients who have been cheated & wronged in some fashion!) If this does turn into a new string of books … sign me up!

Emma and Nellie are life-long friends, each of whom possesses some unique skills learned from a family member long ago. Nellie loves to shine, and is comfortable being the center of attention. Emma has always struggled with self-esteem; born to parents who didn’t really want a child and mostly ignored her, she’s found at the opening of the book just dumped by her rich fiancé who is suing her for keying his car. Together, they are more than the sum of their parts.

Forging new identities, the duo emerge as jewel thieves with a difference–they only steal from marks who deserve a little bad karma. CEO in the news for sexual assault of your employees? Wealthy woman being rude to waitstaff? “Annie” and “Janet” might just happen to bump into you, and you find out later that Patek Phillippe on your wrist is now a fake, or your diamond earrings have metamorphosed into cubic zirconia. They sell their stolen goods on the dark web under their assumed names, and are living the high life.

But while they’re masters at the art of the Switch, they don’t really do heists. Until, that is, Nellie is kidnapped, and to ransom her Emma has to agree to pull off a heist at the top echelon of society–under the watchful eyes of the best security in the world. With an unlikely “family” formed around the duo, a homeless child, and a tech support guy, they have no choice but to try.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Confidence Games. There are so many twists and turns and obstacles that you’ll be constantly guessing, but you’ll cheer for these unconventional friends who operate by their own guidelines and morals. Highly recommended–the perfect summer read!

Emma Oxley and Nellie Yarrow have been best friends since they were children, always being there for each other when the people who were supposed to love them the most not only failed but outright abused them. But as the day of Emma’s university graduation looms closer, free-spirited Nellie senses that her best friend is heading towards a far more conventional life than she wants for herself. After giving Emma her blessing to prosper and bloom, she goes off to travel the world as she’s always dreamed.

So when Emma’s life falls apart after she catches her fiance cheating, Nellie swoops in to set things right again. Well, “right” as Nellie defines it. Having honed her skills as a con artist during the time they’ve spent apart, she offers Emma the chance to join her in the life of glamor and thrills that they’d talked about as kids. With conventional morality having done so little for her, Emma willingly jumps into a far more criminal yet oddly more just lifestyle.

Five years on and Emma and Nellie have created a solid reputation for themselves as thieves extraordinaire. With the help of the Dark Web, they’re able to fence their stolen goods – invariably taken from rich and terrible men – on Goods Exchange International, a clearinghouse for coveted luxury items. Emma and Nellie aren’t even particularly good at technology, having been forced to hire a trusted hacker to help keep them protected and organized. But they are really good at both sleight of hand and, perhaps more importantly, weaving the stories they use for their cons:

QUOTE
And while everyone would like to believe they can tell the difference between a truth and a lie, here’s a little something I’ve learned over the years: it’s the storyteller who counts, not the story. It doesn’t matter what you tell someone, it doesn’t matter how outrageous it is, how obscure or far-fetched, as long as you tell it well. And rest assured, Nellie and I could spin that yarn better than Rumpelstiltskin himself. We’d tell you exactly what you wanted to hear, soothe your fears, confirm your biases, and give you something to believe in. We’d smile and nod in all the right places, and by the time you realized what we were really up to, we’d be fifty miles away, painting our nails and sipping Dom Perignon in our MG.
END QUOTE

The best friends have just arrived in London to case the jewelry industry’s glittering Exhibition Month, with Tiffany & Co.’s invite-only showing being the most renowned event taking place over a series of glamorous weekends. Having booked rooms at the Ritz, they already have a target and a well-rehearsed plan. Emma is about to turn in for the night when she realizes that Nellie isn’t actually in their suite any more. This discovery is swiftly followed by the appearance of a little girl named Sophia, who walks into their rooms with a note. According to its message, Emma is to lock the child in the bathroom then head to the Denmark Hill Station or Nellie will definitely get hurt.

A frantic Emma soon learns that Nellie has been kidnapped by a criminal named James Reid and his own small crew. Having somehow figured out the true identities behind the duo’s Goods Exchange profiles, he wants Emma to steal the priceless Heart Of Envy bracelet from Tiffany’s Serenity And Splendor exhibit for him. If she does, he’ll return Nellie alive.

Emma would do anything for her best friend. She’s pretty sure though that not only is this heist in direct contradiction of their moral code, but that she cannot pull it off by herself. The bracelet is heavily guarded, and a lone thief stands little chance against the security measures put in place to protect it. As she negotiates with James in a desperate attempt to outwit him without jeopardizing either Nellie’s safety or poor Sophia’s, she’ll have to step into a new role, assuming a confidence in herself that she hasn’t ever previously had:

QUOTE
I [had] wanted to be seen and heard and loved, whatever the cost. And maybe that person, the old Emma I’d worked so hard to bury, had been just as much a fraud as the string of alter egos that had come after her. Maybe I’d been wearing a mask my whole life and it was only now that I’d finally allowed myself to drop the disguise and look in the mirror. To really look. Maybe it wasn’t so much a transformation that was required but an acceptance. Because wasn’t I already who I was meant to be?
END QUOTE

This crime caper is filled with twists and double crosses as Emma learns to trust herself in the process of pitting her excellent mind against that of another master manipulator. I grew to care so much for her and Nellie and their little found family, even as I was wary of believing any of the criminals depicted in these pages. The ending filled me with such happiness, as Emma not only saves the people she cares about most, but learns to step into the spotlight that she’s been more than happy to cede to Nellie all this while. This was a deeply satisfying heist novel with plucky protagonists doing their best to be good people while outwitting the truly bad guys.

What a fun read!

The Confidence Games centers around two female con artists with the reader getting to see everything unfold via Emma’s eyes. Both Emma and Nellie are extremely likeable characters and I think you’ll find that for con women, they hold a high moral standard. Getting to know these two women and the small cast of connected secondary characters was a mixture of entertaining and heartfelt storytelling.

May smartly keeps the pace to this story moving quickly which serves to build an air of tension. This overall vibe had me glued to the story trying to figure out where things were going and if our con women could pull off a huge job.

This book has that fun “feels like a movie” quality to it that will keep you entertained for hours!

I’ve got my fingers crossed big time that there’s more Emma and Nellie to come!

Emma and Nellie have been best friends their whole lives. As adults, they gave themselves new identities and began to live a life of adventure as con artists. But when they are blackmailed into completing the biggest heist of their lives, the stakes are much higher than usual.

This wild roller coaster is the type of book I read in one sitting. The suspense, the action, the twists and turns along the way made this such a fun read. This story was fast-paced and often bananas and I had so much fun reading it. In addition to the fun plot, the real heart of this story is the friendship between Emma and Nellie. They aren’t just best friends, they are truly chosen family and their bond is so beautiful and these women are badass! This debut from Tess Amy was the perfect summer adventure and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Thank you Berkley Pub for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Emma Oxley and Nellie Yarrow weren't always con artists, but they were always, always inseparable. After finding it necessary, for lots of reasons, to reinvent themselves, they join in on the Games -- stealing from men who deserve it by adhering to a few simple rules and playing things just right. Now known as the most trustworthy and successful swindlers on the European Black Market, Emma and Nellie have made quite the (fake) name for themselves. Their success is almost too good, however, when a competitor shows up and attempts to blackmail them into stealing a priceless bracelet from a high-security, high-society event. New to this type of game, Emma and Nellie have to question everything they know about the Games, and who is behind them, in order to save themselves before it's too late.

I sooo love a con artist story and this one was no difference -- what a fun premise! While it lost me a little bit towards the middle, we came back strong and I couldn't wait to see how things would turn out. Con artist stories are always fun and exciting, but this one was touching, too! With some found family, coming of age and friendship themes, the story was really taken to the next level and made even more meaningful. I really enjoyed reading the process of planning this heist, especially because us readers were kept in the dark about somethings, making it even more exciting. There were some great, unexpected twists that added to the enjoyability a ton. Though I think the execution of this story could have been slightly better, I still really enjoyed it and would definitely read more of Tess Amy!

Note: NetGalley provided the review copy, opinion 100% my own.

“They called us swindlers, fraudsters, tricksters, cheats. But make no mistake: we never crossed anyone who didn’t deserve it”

There's a woeful lack of lady-led heists but "The Confidence Games" is fills the bill (almost) perfectly. This is a solid 4.5.

If you are a fan of a good heist/con this is the book for you. It has Leverage feels (though not quite hitter, hacker, mastermind, thief, grifter) both in the narrative and the underlying rules of the cons. The end leaves me hopeful that we will see this ragtag family group again.
4.5 stars

Life long friends Emma and Nellie are very successful con-artists who only target men who deserve it. They’re criminals with a conscience, if you will. The tables are turned, when the two are suddenly being blackmailed into pulling off the biggest job of their careers. To save both their lives, Emma must work alone to steal a priceless bracelet on display at London’s version of the Met Gala before it’s too late.

This was a fun premise and at 288 pages a short read. Unfortunately, I felt this thriller lacked any real stakes and required a hefty amount of suspension of belief to finish. Overall, both the story and characters lacked the development I’m looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Confidence Games is a sharply stylish modern heist/caper standalone novel by Tess Amy. Released 9th July 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

An appealingly cynical pair of confidence trickster best friends making the evil b@stards of the world pay for being jerks. Distinct overtones of Thelma & Louise without the violence, they're loyal to each other and it's definitely them against the world (and they're winning). They've got a hapless IT assistant wing-man sidekick apprentice, and very (very) high stakes games.

The mystery/twist and the heist are very well constructed and the action driven plot careens along at breakneck speed, dragging readers along for the ride. The denouement and resolution are satisfying and well wrought.

Four stars. One for readers who enjoy revenge fantasy, mystery, and capers like Oceans 11, it's sleek and smart.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A little girl power meets Ocean’s Eleven. This was an entertaining read about friendship, misdirection and a heck of a heist. I connected with Emma and Nellie from the start and liked that they were an opposites attract pair. The loud one and the quiet one. The bold and the shy. It made for an intriguing read to see how the two would solve their issues.

There are quite a few supporting characters but it never felt like there were too many or they were hard to follow. Some are quirky and all are quite memorable. I think young Sophia aka Daisy Duck stole the show, but I was also a fan of Sir Sebastian, Emma’s cat.

I’m starting to be a fan of the author omitting details from the story that change the dynamic. They lead me down the path, letting me draw my own (incorrect) conclusions. Knowing I will later go Oh when I figure it all out. I’m not sure if that is a twist or just a misdirection, but no matter what it is called, I like it.

This is really a roller coaster of a ride. From start to finish I was entertained and bamboozled by the twists and misdirection. There is no way I would have figured it all out no matter how much I tried to work it all out. The suspense kept me not wanting to put it down. Wondering how they would pull off this elaborate heist and which characters were ultimately their allies throughout it.

This is not your typical mystery or thriller with it relying a little more on the characters, their friendship and their found family, but it is definitely worth the read. If you are looking to change things up, this is definitely the book you need. Quirky and unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyBookTok

I had high hopes for this book and while the book wasn't awful., my expectations were unfortunately too high. I thought this book was slightly boring and the plot a little bit wishy washy. With that being said, I would check out more books by Tess Amy in the future!





Many Thanks again to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

High stakes and charming friendship relationships! This included excellent characters discovering the depths of found family and a challenging life or death con that Emma and Nellie must run. Some nice humor and glamour round out the story.

Emma Oxley and Nellie Yarrow have reinvented themselves as thieves and con women who swindle men who deserve it. They often change their names and minimal digital footprints, and have a reputation as the most trustworthy swindlers on the European black market. To save Nellie, Emma will have to steal a priceless bracelet from a high-security exhibit. This will take a team to pull off, as well as allies willing to help them. She can only hope they make the right decisions along the way.

Emma started on this path after a traumatic breakup, and it's now a life where she second-guesses the motivation of others and only trusts Nellie. The pair have their business, but also secret codes and extraction plans. They are up against someone better than they are, setting off a chain of events that challenges Emma’s new life. The tension rises and falls as she tries to figure out a way to save Nellie and stay alive. As much as she doesn't want to get other people involved, this is a job she can't do alone. Multiple people aren't who they seem to be, and it's difficult for Emma to stay ahead in this game. She's a planner, and not a heartless thief, which is partly what got her caught in the trap.

It's a heist story, but also one where Emma gets to learn who she is without Nellie, and that she doesn't have to slink in the shadows. She isn't the only one who made errors in judgment but realizes along the way that she can handle herself after all. She isn't the hopeless case her ex thought she was and made her think about herself. She's every bit as capable as Nellie thought she was, with a found family that cares about her. This was a fun read, with great cinematic moments to really showcase their skills and the connections between them. Emma started on this path after a traumatic breakup, and it's now a life where she second-guesses the motivation of others and only trusts Nellie. The pair have their business, but also secret codes and extraction plans. They are up against someone better than they are, setting off a chain of events that challenges Emma’s new life. The tension rises and falls as she tries to figure out a way to save Nellie and stay alive. As much as she doesn't want to get other people involved, this is a job she can't do alone. Multiple people aren't who they seem to be, and it's difficult for Emma to stay ahead in this game. She's a planner, and not a heartless thief, which is partly what got her caught in the trap.

It's a heist story, but also one where Emma gets to learn who she is without Nellie, and that she doesn't have to slink in the shadows. She isn't the only one who made errors in judgment but realizes along the way that she can handle herself after all. She isn't the hopeless case her ex thought she was and made her think about herself. She's every bit as capable as Nellie thought she was, with a found family that cares about her. This was a fun read, with great cinematic moments to really showcase their skills and the connections between them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyBookTok

I had high hopes for this book and while the book wasn't awful., my expectations were unfortunately too high. I thought this book was slightly boring and the plot a little bit wishy washy. With that being said, I would check out more books by Tess Amy in the future!





Many Thanks again to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!