I really enjoyed this one. I went in completely blind - had no idea what it was about and was pleasantly entertained. Lots of action and adventure in this one. Loved the mystery, the thrill of a heist and plenty of twists. Perfect for fans who enjoyed the movie series Oceans 8/9/10/11. I was immersed in my visualization of the scenes with this book. It was playing out like a movie for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Short and sweet - had a hard time visualizing some of the things in this one, a rare occasion when I think it would be a better movie than a book. 🫣

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this copy of "The Confidence Games."

This was such a fun page-turner with very-well crafted twists and turns, so it feels like we readers are part of Emma and Nellie's team.

After training with Nellie's "Gran," best friends Emma and Nellie don new identities to start their "con women" team, but they only target unscrupulous men.

Emma prefers to stay in the background and let Nellie have the limelight. But when Nellie is abducted and Emma is forced to use her skills to craft a theft in exchange for Nellie's freedom, she devises a plan that can save them both.

Thank you to Berkley, Netgalley, and Tess for an advance copy of The Confidence Games!

Emma & Nellie are lifelong best friends. After some time away, Nellie comes back at a pivotal moment in Emma’s life and the two decide to reinvent themselves…by becoming conwomen and duping unsuspecting men. But only men who deserve it. They vow to only stick to these Robin Hood-esque punishing of those worthy scheme and they hold true to their word becoming two of the most notorious in the game on the dark web.

When Nellie is kidnapped and held for ransom, Emma must make the decision to stick to their original plan of never pulling a con for the sake of pulling one or sacrificing her morals and pulling off the ultimate heist in order to save her best friend. She will plot to steal one of the most invaluable bracelets from one of the highest security exhibits, without the safety net of her partner in crime.

I had a good time with this one! I definitely went in expecting it to be a little more on the light-hearted side of things, kind of like a cozy mystery, but it was actually quite the opposite. Instead, I got a high octane thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Emma could pull off the impossible.

There’s a little time jump at the beginning of this book that I thought was great. We see Emma go through a devastating break up and then we flash forward several years and see the new and recovered version of Emma. I enjoyed not having to wade through the repairing of her and watching her friend pick up the pieces. Instead Tess expertly shows us that while Emma is a much stronger and more confident person than she used to be, there are parts of her that are definitely still healing and learning to cope.

I don’t often seek out heist books, but I think the fact that 1) the cover has neon on it, and 2) the cons are women getting revenge by way of other jerks made it intriguing. So I would definitely still recommend checking this one out even if the normal heist plot isn’t typically your thing.

I was hella impressed that this was a debut and will have Tess Amy on my radar for future releases.

This was such a fun read! The two main characters, Emma and Nellie, were a bit older than I expected from the cover and have a bit more life experience and history. There skills compliment each other well and they've found a mission that gives their conning a focus. They're also intelligent and sympathetic characters. I loved the Emma and Nellie's friendship and especially loved seeing them work together when the stakes become high.

The story hooked me from the beginning and the pace really took off a chapter or two in when the heist gets underway. I was rooting for the characters and holding my breath a bit to see just how everything would play out. Emma and Nellie pick up a few characters along the way and it definitely enriched the book and I could not have loved the ending more.

If you're looking for a fast summer reading with likable characters that's a bit different from the usual mystery this would be a perfect choice!

The Confidence Games by Tess Amy
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Emma and Nellie have been besties their whole lives and the past few years they have traveled together as con women, with their own rules. But someone has been watching them and they will have to pull off the biggest heist of their loves to avoid trouble.
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What I liked:
-Two women who are con artists? Yes please! I adore heist books and Confidence Games lived up to all my hopes for this story. 🥰
-Emma and Nellie’s back stories made me love them more.
-Daisy Duck stole my heart.
-There’s a grumpy cat named Sir Sebastian.
-Emma and Nellie’s rules for conning were perfect.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Confidence Games was non-stop entertainment featuring a suspenseful heist, found family, and friendship.

Read if you like:
💍 Jewlery Heists
🙈 Kidnapping
🔀 Twists and Turns
👯‍♀️ Female Friendships

I had so much fun reading this book, let me say I love books aboutc con artists & this definitely made for a great summer read!

Emma and Nellie are the perfect characters, they're smart and witty and capable on their own, put them together and they're almost unstoppable con women!

Going through this, seeing where they've come from, what they've been through, and what they can accomplish is a fascinating story, and makes you realize that just because you're down doesn't mean you're out. As long as you have your friends in your corner you can get through anything.

If you're looking for a story that will keep you guessing, make you root for the con women, or just want to read something that will make you laugh!

Thank you to Berkley for my ARC in exchange for my review!

I had so much fun reading this book, let me say I love books about thieves, con artists, and that whole genre, seeing people that can camouflage themselves and appear as something completely different fascinates me.

Emma and Nellie are the perfect characters, they're smart and witty and capable on their own, put them together and they're almost unstoppable, unless you're checking credentials at a certain gem show but that's a different story. On the topic of characters Daisy Duck is one I'll never forget.

Going through this, seeing where they've come from, what they've been through, and what they can accomplish is a fascinating story, and makes you realize that just because you're down doesn't mean you're out. As long as you have your friends in your corner you can get through anything.

If you're looking for a story that will keep you guessing, make you root for the thieves, or just want to read something that will make you laugh and cry this is the book for you, five stars all day long.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this e-book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun book! The Confidence Games by Tess Amy is the story of two best friends, Emma and Nellie, who also happen to be con artists. Only this time... they are the ones at risk! This book is the story of the two friends working together to make a con happen that will also save their lives. There are so many fun twists and adventures in this book. Though it is tense at times, there's also a good amount of humor, personal growth, and interesting side characters to lighten the mood. This would be an awesome movie, and is a great summer read. My only complaint about this book was that, though it was set in London, the sense of place was not great for me. It felt like it could be set anywhere. But Nellie, Emma, their IT guy Dax, and their cat Sir Sebastian are a great little family... and they add to that "family" over the course of the book in sweet ways. Highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Best friends and con artists Emma and Nellie must pull off the highest stakes heist of their lives.

Thoughts: The Confidence Games is a super fun, action packed read! The entire book felt like watching a fun summer action movie (think Oceans 11 style), and this is definitely the kind of book you can binge. Great pacing, writing, and plot twists made for a smooth read. I especially loved Emma and Nellie’s amazing friendship. Overall, I had a great time reading this one, and I definitely recommend!

Read this if you like:
💎 heists
💎 action packed
💎 books that could be movies
💎 badass female characters
💎 female friendships

Heists are, in my opinion, entertainment gold. There’s something incredibly enjoyable about watching or reading about somebody attempting to make a big score; check out Netflix’s “Lupin,” the “Ocean’s” movies, or S.A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland, to name a few.

The Confidence Games introduces us to two British fraudsters, best friends Emma and Nellie. The two have honed their skills, and are now at the top of their game, able to get away with the most outrageous thefts while living the high life in Europe’s best hotels. Working under assumed names, they sell their scores on the dark web. To make them a bit more sympathetic, author Tess Amy makes sure the reader knows that these are ethical con artists: “Make no mistake: we never crossed anyone who didn’t deserve it… that sleazy lawyer, that shady investment banker, that corrupt politician,” Emma insists.

Then one day someone who seems to know everything about the pair kidnaps Nellie and threatens to kill her unless Emma can pull off her biggest heist yet: steal the Heart of Envy, a massively famous bracelet that’s going to be displayed at a Met Gala-type event in London. Emma would do anything to save her friend, but as the beta to Nellie’s alpha, she’s not convinced she can go it alone.

Also in the mix are Dax, the duo’s resident computer expert (he’s just OK at his job, but he’s trustworthy, which counts for something); a 10-year-old street urchin named Sophia; and Sir Sebastian, a cat. I knew off the bat that this was the type of book where I didn’t have to worry about any harm coming to the cat or the child. It’s more of a cozy caper novel, which is fine by me.

As for the heist itself, I’m not convinced that it was entirely plausible, but I did like all of the planning, and the chemistry between Nellie and Emma. It would be a crime if they didn’t come back for a sequel.

I love a good heist story and was excited to read this! It was fast-paced and action-packed, with a bit of a mystery and two fabulously badass FMCs. You have to suspend reality for this high-stakes adventure, but it's an entertaining read. The writing is descriptive, the plot clever, and this reads much like a movie. I enjoyed the suspense and twists, and Nellie and Emma are two very likable con artists. They have such a great friendship, and I really rooted for them. This story also has a lot of heart, touching on deeper themes like trauma and found family. But what really clinched this for me was the fantastic ending! This is a debut novel, and I will happily read whatever the author writes next. Escapist and enjoyable, this is a fun summer read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the free book!

What a perfect title for this debut heist story!!! I loved the female friendship, the feminism, the found family, the TWISTS and the Ocean's Eleven style final big heist. If you love female con artists and heist adventures you don't want to miss this one!

Told from the POV of "Emma," a novice con artist and best friend to, "Nellie" (the more experienced of the pair), who has to find her own confidence to take charge when Nellie gets kidnapped and a mysterious bad guy blackmails Emma into stealing a priceless bracelet for him in order to get Nellie back. With help from some unexpected people, Emma somehow pulls of the biggest heist of her career but not without a few hiccups along the way!

Such a fun British caper perfect for fans of the movie Ocean's 8 and books like Philip Ellis's Love & other scams and great on audio narrated by Billie Fulford Brown. I can't wait to read more from this promising new author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This reads like the movie it needs to be. Emma and Nellie have each other but that's about it. And they're experts at cons and heists so when they're offered the chance to go after a jewel, it doesn't take long for them to say yes but can they do it alone? This rises on the banter between this odd couple and on their affection for one another. It gets a bit twisty near the end- you'll need to pay attention. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you Berkle Pub for the free book and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy of The Confidence Games! #PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyBookstagram #berkleypub #BerkleyIG #berkley

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐲
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝-𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟰.𝟱★

This book was so entertaining! I had no idea what to expect but I was drawn to this one by the cover and I’m so glad I gave this one a chance! It’s the perfect suspense but also gives off cozy mystery vibes and I could not get enough of Emma and Nellie! They are the perfect duo who have a reputation for going after men, but only men who deserve it. Now, they are suddenly being blackmailed and must do everything possible to save their own lives.

This book seriously went by so quickly! It was so fast-paced and I did not want it to end! There were some great twists too! This book was such a pleasant surprise and I just devoured it! I cannot recommend it enough!

🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by Billie Fulford-Brown. Let me tell you, the narrator NAILED this one! She was SO dynamic and I was in awe of her performance. There were so many characters and different accents and she did she an amazing job switching between the different characters. Truly flawless. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Posted on Goodreads on July 4, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 5, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 9, 2024
**-will post on designated date

COMING SOON • REVIEW

Thank you #partner @berkleypub for my #gifted copies. 💗 #berkleypartner
#berkleypub
#penguinrandomhousepartner

The Confidence Games
Tess Amy
7/9

📖 Emma and Nellie have been best friends all their lives. They're also thieves. Con women. Swindlers. But don't you dare say they're without morals! They only go after men who deserve it. Abusers, predators, the scummiest of scum. So it's easy to root for this duo as they find themselves being blackmailed, fighting for their lives!

💭 This British contemporary fiction novel is somewhat hard to describe... it's a little bit thrilling, a little bit cozy, but a whole lot of fun! I requested this solely based on the cover and went in completely blind, and it ended up being a hoot! It perfectly balances heart pounding thrills with deeper, more tender moments of friendship, found family, and overcoming trauma. Action-packed with twists and turns, The Confidence Games is sure to keep readers on their toes and flipping pages to find out what happens next! At under 300 pages, this is a quick, entertaining, ultimately satisfying read!

📌 Available Tuesday 7/9

WOWZA WOWZA WOWZA WOWZA!!!!!!!!! The Confidence Games written by Tess Amy was absolutely phenomenal. This book is absolutely on the list of my favorite reads in 2024. I fell in love with that gorgeous cover the moment I saw it, but after reading this book I loved every single minute of it. It was fast paced, it was such a quick read. The Confidence Games was a crazy roller coaster ride, the twists and turns kept knocking me off of my feet and giving me whiplash. I can't even count the number of times my heart fell out of my chest, it was just insane. I don't know how authors come up with plots like this, but oh my gosh I was invested the entire time. The Confidence Games is Tess Amy's debut contemporary fiction novel, so mark your calendars for July 9th, 2024. I was never once bored with this book, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The Confidence Games left me in a cold sweat, I didn't know what was going to happen, but with every turning page a new surprise would pop out at you. I can't recommend this book enough, please do yourself a favor and grab a copy immediately. I wanted to scream so many times, but I didn't want to scare my puppy, but damn did this book shock me to the core with all of the plot twists.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

"The age when things start hurting, especially hearts, when all the stupid choices you made in your twenties finally catch up with you."

"He wanted to remind me that men who cheat can be forgiven, but women who go nuts must be ruined."

"If scared, take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and remember: sometimes it takes the scary things to show us how brave we are."

"Heartbreak feels like a thousand knives to the chest. Like dying, like drowning in freezing water, can't breathe numb, can't feel anything but the thing that's killing you, can't scream, or if you can, no one can hear you, and then, right before the end, when everything hurts so bad you actually want to die, somehow, you take a breath and start again."

Emma and Nellie are the best of friends, they are like two peas in a pod. Emma and Nellie were Bonnie and Clyde, but without the guns and murder, they are the indestructible force, the perfect double act, and the dream team. Nellie was literally perfect, she had a model body, she was muscular and very tan, she had dark blue eyes and beautiful champagne blonde hair, where as Emma had pale green eyes, and stunning auburn hair. I felt like Emma sold herself short sometimes, she was literally gorgeous and such a sweetheart, but Nellie was always there to remind Emma that she is absolutely gorgeous. I absolutely adored Emma and Nellie's friendship so much. Nellie and Emma were called swindlers, cheats, fraudsters, and tricksters. Emma and Nellie made a name for themselves on the Goods Exchange International, which is Europe's biggest Black Market. Emma and Nellie made tons of money after pocket picking from people who truly deserved it. Emma and Nellie have the biggest job ahead of them, they have to steal the Heart of Envy at one of London's biggest events, but this event has a ton of security and press everywhere, can Emma and Nellie really pull this job off without risking their lives?

The Heart of Envy is a very expensive bejewled bracelet with high quality diamonds, rare Colombian emeralds, and bestowing good luck for everyone who touches it. This is the biggest swindling job Emma and Nellie have ever done before, I was literally scared for them wondering if they were going to make it out alive or not. This bracelet is locked in a glass case, so no one can steal it, but Emma and Nellie are on a mission to prove that they are the best in the business. The Heart of Envy is not just a string of diamonds and emeralds, it's a symbol of honor, prestige, and glory, but most importantly it's a talisman. Without Nellie by her side, Emma was lost, she had no idea who she was without her best friend and side kick. Despite their tough outer shell the world saw, Nellie and Emma both had many fears and suffered from anxiety. Nellie grew a reputation for herself, she was a boss bitch, the girl no one messed with, hard core, but no one saw Nellie at her lowest the way Emma did, scars that never healed, nightmares that made her scream and tossing and turning in her sleep. By the end of the book, I was so beyond proud of Emma and Nellie, but I wanted to reach into my kindle and give them both the biggest hug after the obstacles they both conquered.

3 Stars I don't normally read thrillers, but this was a fun one! Though it was a little bit too long and took too much time at the beginning of the novel to introduce the characters and their backstory before getting to the action. It was fun to read about con artists Emma and Nellie with a Robin Hood-esque mission to swindle men who deserve it, suddenly being blackmailed into a bigger heist. Thanks Berkley for the fun read!

Solid thriller. The lead up was a little big long for my taste and I would have liked a bit more action a little bit sooner. We got a lot of backstory on characters as well but nothing that really made them feel ALIVE - maybe a little more show instead of tell or a few more quirks in interactions? All that said I read the book in less than three days which isn’t something that happens often these days which means it was pretty engaging. Especially once we got to the final act.

The confidence games by Tess Amy is a great book about Emma and Nelly two con Artist who love to rip off the underhanded and deserving. They learned from the best Nelly‘s aunt who they called Grand but who is now sadly deceased. The night we meet them they’re checking in to a fancy hotel in London and after a few drinks they head to their suite but Emma had to run to the loo so she gets there a few minutes later or at least she thinks she does. Right after noticing something is off a little girl opens the door and hands Emma a note it says he has her friend into lock the little girl in the bathroom and meet him at the train station at 1 o’clock. Not for the last time Emma disregards most of his note but does go eventually to meet him only to find the police there. Emma wants nothing more than to get her friend Nelly back but it seems the guy knows a lot about them and threatens to ruin both of them. This is a book about what happens when con artist who have a Lot to lose gets blackmailed and why you should never mess with a con artist. I really like this book despite the fact I found a lot of their ingenious plans only work because of great coincidences although I will be honest and say I did not at all see the twist that twisted the whole plot coming that truly was genius. What makes all the coincidences okay is that this book is full of likable if not lovable characters especially Sophie in her book, the fast action plot and the bad ass females. Needless to say there’s a lot more to this book than I put in my brief summary and it is all great at least in my opinion I only gave it four stars due to the super coincidences but having said that it is still so worth reading!!!#BerkeleyPublishing, #NetGalley, #TessAmy, #The ConfidenceGames,