Book Review: Double Crossed

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists. Quoted from Goodreads

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This novel is pure fan-girl fun.  If, like me, you're a fan of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls and Heist Society books, then you have to check out this novel, where those two worlds collide.  

Now you could actually read this novella cold, with no background in either series, but you would miss out on what makes it so much fun.  Sure, there is tension, twists, spy and thief stuff, etc. all of which make a fun story in itself, but that's not what I loved about this book.  What I most enjoyed is seeing the characters I've come to know from each series meet each other.  It's fun to see how they both recognize the different skill set the other possesses and how they work together.  You also pick up a few fun insights into the other's world.  It's not particularly new information, but when you see it through new eyes, you get a fresh take on familiar characters.

Plus, this book is free!  Yes, as of right now you can get this book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and all other major e-book publishers for free, sort of an early birthday present to you from Ally Carter.  Now, just a warning so all of you won't be taken by surprise.  The book ends around the 55% mark.  After that, you get the first two chapters of the first book in both series, which is nice if you haven't read them before, but a little disappointing if you were expecting a longer story like I was. 

For me, this is an excellent 4 star book.  As far as colliding worlds go, it deserves 5 stars, but the plot was a little bit predictable.  Maybe I've read/watched too many mysteries (a particular episode of White Collar  and Psyche comes to mind), so I wasn't stunned by the final twist.  Still, there were a few other ones that were delightful.  So pick it up.  If you haven't read any of the other books, it will draw you in, and if you have, well, enjoy watching two excellent series come together.