This was such a good book! I absolutely flew through this book. The characters were so interesting and I absolutely loved where the author took this story. I will be recommending this book to all my family and friends.

Every star. Give it to this book.

As I was nearing the end of this book, I started trying to construct what I would say in this review. I finished the book roughly 11 hours ago and I still don’t know if my rambling thoughts will do this book justice but here we go:

Dishonestly Yours follows Phoebe Graves and Hailey Tinrock as they attempt to leave their life of conning behind and live more honestly. No lying, no deception. Seems easy enough until Hailey’s brother Rocky says he’s coming with them. Now Phoebe’s worried that his presence will cause them to backslide into their old ways.

The setting:
Phoebe and Hailey find their way to a wealthy coastal town and I absolutely love that this is the backdrop to this book. Phoebe and Hailey are con artists to their core - and suddenly they’re in a town full of wealthy people that could be the perfect marks - but no, they’re living the straight and narrow and they cannot give in to temptation. But I love that it exists. On the surface, the townies seem easy enough to read, but the longer Phoebe and Hailey are in town, the more they (and us the readers) uncover, which brings us to…

The characters:
This is the first time in a while that I’ve met a whole new cast of characters from Krista and Becca. Between all the books they’ve written, they manage to make each character sound so unique and different. It’s so refreshing to read and learn about them.

Phoebe and Rocky are of course the main characters and yes there is dual POV, so we get to be in both of their heads. They were both so much more complicated than I predicted - from the synopsis, I thought I understood their motivations, but I was way off. There is so much backstory to why they choose to live honestly or dishonestly and it surprised me (in a good way). I love that they were a bit unpredictable, because it kept me turning those pages to learn more.

All of the con artist characters have different roles in these cons that they run - Phoebe’s role in particular surprised me. Some of what the families do isn’t pretty, and you start to understand that Phoebe has a deep love for her family and wants to protect them from some of the seedier aspects of their cons whenever she can. She has her own way of protecting and it’s kinda heartbreaking to read about. You can’t help but admire the strength and determination she carries. But at the same time, I also respect her so much for wanting to change her life around and try to live an honest life. Phoebe still has these instincts from her old life and watching her battle them - it will twist your heart to pieces. I was rooting for her throughout the whole book. And also - she has this sassy, sexy side to her that had me cackling. I just loved her so much.

And then Rocky - Mr. McBroody - was also super complicated and unpredictable to me. I really thought he was following Phoebe and Hailey for certain reasons and I was so off. He’s very distrusting and it surprised me how that affected the way he goes through life. Rocky is also a big protector of his family but he’s more likely to take that immoral route, (especially compared to Phoebe and Hailey once they decide to leave their life of conning behind.) And as he watches the two of them commit to an honest life, and also interact with people in the town, he really starts to question himself. I loved seeing him work through his own motivations and character, when he’s willing to protect someone but at certain costs. He says there are lines that he’s far more willing to cross than most, and him coming to terms with what kind of person that makes him - it’s a fascinating look into a morally grey character’s thoughts.

Then we have the rest of the Tinrocks and Graves. Hailey Tinrock, Phoebe’s best friend - I loved her relationship with Phoebe so, so terribly. They come up with this pact to live honestly and you wonder why Hailey is so driven to make this plan stick. When you eventually find out, it just made me fall in love with her character even more. They are best friends, but it’s so much more. They are ride-or-dies, sisters from another mister, platonic soulmates who would protect the other at all costs. They have such an incredible bond that brought tears to my eyes. And Phoebe’s siblings - I love how tight they all are together. Secret code words, confiding in each other their deepest secrets, going through some pretty dark moments together. We don’t really find out the full extent of all they’ve endured (this is the first book after all) but they’re also so protective of each other. Yes, they’re siblings, but there’s still a sense of found family in their shared experiences.

Like I said before, Phoebe and Hailey picked a wealthy coastal town for their new life of honesty, but this town is filled with people who would be the perfect marks for these reforming con artists. And they are such a temptation. We meet a couple townies and on the surface they seem unassuming enough, just characters to help fill the town and bring a little bit of dialogue to the book. But the further into the story you get, you start to realize there’s a lot more under the surface and these townsfolk have plenty of their own secrets that I’m desperate to uncover.

And then we have the villains of this book. I can’t share who they are but omg they scare me. Samantha Calloway was evil in her own way - these characters are in a whole different league. I don’t know what their limits, boundaries truly are (and trust me, you’ll question it too). They loom in the background for most of this book and I spent plenty of time feeling all the nerves, waiting for the shoe to drop, for these characters to pull some big move. And when they did *head explodes* I was shook. I’m still shook. I will continue to be shook until I get the next book and more answers.

The plot:
At the core, this is a Krista & Becca Ritchie book, so I will say expect more character driven action, but there is still plenty of plot to keep readers invested. While they don’t have a ton of page time, there is this threat of the villains that is steeped into so many aspects of the storyline. They create this tension throughout the book, and give you a sense of wanting to look over your shoulder because you feel like they’re lurking just out of sight.

And then you have these secrets and suspicions that crop up from the other characters. There’s so much more going on in this new town that Phoebe and Hailey want to call home. As these two, and Rocky, start to become more entangled with the townsfolk, we start to unravel several threads that help drive the book forward even more. You will finish this book with so many questions and be desperate for any kind of answer.

THE ANGST
Krista & Becca started their writing career with the angsty, messy book that is Addicted to You. Over the years, they’ve mastered the art of angst and heartbreak, and it’s so very apparent in this book. Phoebe and Rocky will give Lily and Lo a run for their money. What really kept me hooked was this almost unbearable desire and desperation to see Phoebe and Rocky together. The number of times I was screaming in frustration, crying my eyes out over the tension between Phoebe and Rocky - brace yourselves. These two so clearly have an attraction for each other. They grew up together, have known each other for basically their entire lives, and so also care about each other. It’s there in all of their interactions but also in their subtle actions. But at the same time, we learn why they feel like they can’t and shouldn’t be together. I hate it, but I understand, which makes it even more difficult when I’m still desperately rooting for the two of them. They’ve played so many roles and have lived their lives so dishonestly; to love each other authentically, honestly as themselves, is too dangerous for them to try.

There’s a lot of history between Phoebe and Rocky to sort through. Krista & Becca wove their past so well into the storyline. The one that had me particularly anxious to learn more about was the con job that goes south - the whole reason that Phoebe and Hailey want to change their lives. This mystery job is constantly mentioned but not in detail and it adds so much to the angsty vibes of the book. I was flying through the pages to figure out answers to what actually happened.

There are some seriously heart wrenching moments and so many times that I felt pain because of these two. I just know that K&B (the self proclaimed writers of soulmate love) will - eventually - give these two a happy ending and it will be the most satisfying feeling after all this angst that we have to wade through. It may not be as soon as I want it, but I know it will be worth it.

All of this to say…
(if you’ve made it this far, I’m so impressed and thank you for reading my rambles)
This is such an incredible first installment in this series. I feel like a decent number of people who follow me on social media or read my reviews are here because they too are fans of Krista & Becca’s writing. But even if you are a newbie, this is a perfect start for you! It’s filled with all the hallmarks of their writing style - found family, fascinating relationship dynamics, character driven action, so much drama, unpredictable twists, OMFG moments, and the most soul-gripping, heart-wrenching, enduring romances in the world.

From chapter one, I was completely hooked. I felt an immediate connection to these complicated characters, and I needed to know everything I could about them. There are so many twists and WTF moments in this book, and it’s made me feral for the next book already. We’re only one book into the series and I’m already fully in love with this universe and all its characters. It was absolutely amazing, gave me all the vibes of my favorite older CW shows, and I already feel the biggest slump coming. I’m absolutely devastated by how long I’m gonna have to wait for the next installment.