Proceed With Caution:

This book contains violence, death, and blood.

The Basics:

Conning for Keeps is the second book in the series, but it stands alone. There’s only a brief mention of Cal and Pen from the previous book, but no spoilers. This is an interracial romance between Marissa and Trevor, coworkers at that super secret branch of the FBI.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Conning for Keeps at the beginning! It’s a mash-up of all things that I adore: interracial romance, feisty ladies, fake engagement, and curses! Okay, so that last one was unexpected, weird, and not really developed, but I give the author props for trying. Marissa and Trevor are tasked with bringing in this long-lost painting that’s believed to have the ability to kill people, and is currently in the possession of a feared mafia don. The two go undercover as an engaged couple, as said mafia don is paying for his son and a bunch of other couples to get married. Yep, there is a lot going on here!

Conning for Keeps honestly did some things that I had never read before. First of all, this wasn’t just a straight forward fake engagement between two secret agents. Marissa is actually put under hypnosis so that she doesn’t slip out of character! What in the world?! I’m sure you can imagine what kind of drama that can cause for a budding romance. Being a novella, it doesn’t really “go there” but it was fun while it lasted.

There really isn’t much to say about Conning for Keeps without giving anything away. It’s a very short and quick read at just over a hundred pages. I loved how Marissa was a professional con artist and handled the mission using her unconventional skills. While there are a lot of unique elements here, I’m not sure that they worked all that well together. However, it did leave me wanting to read a novel about an actually cursed, killer painting…

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the story is pretty simple. Marissa, our dynamite-damsel heroine, is an undercover agent with questionable morals, who was forced to do an assignment with Trevor, our serious and stoic love interest. They have to pretend as an engaged couple in a mission involving a mafia don and a notorious painting. The hi-jinks in the story happen during their mission as they are caught at a crossroads between their personal and professional interests.

There is much to be said about a heroine who isn't really a clean-cut goody two shoes. I really liked Marissa's sass and spunk, and the fact that she can bluff her way out to hell if it comes down to it. I was initially on the fence about Marissa. I was worried that she might ruin something good and stable in her life for the temporary high of a good heist. I think this was also part of the reason why I was drawn into the story. I was intrigued about Marissa and wanted to see what she'd do next.

It was really fun to read about the complicated situations that Marissa and Trevor get into. I mean, while I think Marissa is a really fun, feisty and layered character, Trevor doesn't lag too far behind, and it was fun to see them clash and be forced to work together. The chemistry between them was evident, much as they try to hide or downplay it.

My only complaint about this story is that it is much too short, and the romance between Marissa between Trevor seemed a little rushed. I mean I get that the setting of the story states that they've known each other and have worked with each other for a few years already, but it would have been better if they were given more time to really get to know each other during the mission.

All in all though, I really enjoyed this story, and highly recommend it for those looking for quick fun reads.