Aces High

by Elle Casey (co-author), Jason Brant (co-author)

What do a small-time card shark fresh out of the state foster system and a newly-expelled-from-college computer geek have in common? Desperation. And they live in apartments across the hall from each other. An ill-timed peek through a peephole and an impromptu omelet lead to a business venture that takes Charlie (she's the brawn) and Doug (he's the brains) into the strange worlds of bounty hunting and the supernatural.

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

250 pages, ebook

First published February 27, 2013

About the author

Elle Casey, a former attorney and teacher, is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling American author who lives in France with her husband, the youngest of her three kids, and several horses, dogs, and cats. She has written more than 40 novels in less than 5 years and likes to say she offers fiction in several flavors. These flavors include romance, science fiction, urban fantasy, action adventure, suspense, and paranormal.

BOOKS BY ELLE CASEY
 (by genre):

ROMANCE 

By Degrees

Rebel Wheels (3-book series)
Just One Night (romantic serial)
Just One Week
Love in New York (3-book series)
Shine Not Burn (2-book series), also available as an Audiobook
Bourbon Street Boys (3-book series), also available as an Audiobook
Desperate Measures
Mismatched

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE 

All the Glory: How Jason Bradley Went from Hero to Zero in Ten Seconds Flat
Don’t Make Me Beautiful
Wrecked (2-book series), Book 1 also available as an Audiobook


 CONTEMPORARY URBAN FANTASY

 

War of the Fae (10-book series)
*Book 1, The Changelings, is a free ebook at most retailers*
Ten Things You Should Know About Dragons (short story, The Dragon Chronicles)
My Vampire Summer

Aces High



 SCIENCE FICTION
 

Drifters’ Alliance (3-book series +)
Winner Takes All (short story prequel to Drifters’ Alliance, Dark Beyond the Stars Anthology)
The Ivory Tower (short story standalone, Beyond the Stars: A Planet Too Far. A Space Opera Anthology)


 DYSTOPIAN

 

Apocalypsis (4-book series) *Book 1, Kahayatle, is a FREE ebook at most retailers*


 PARANORMAL
 

Duality (2-book series)
Monkey Business (short story)
Dreampath (short story, The Telepath Chronicles)
Pocket Full of Sunshine (short story & screenplay)

A personal note from Elle ...
If you've enjoyed any of my books, please take a moment to leave a review on the site where you bought the book, here on Goodreads, or on any book blogs you participate in, and tell your friends! I love interacting with my readers, so if you feel like shooting the breeze or talking about books or your family or pets, please visit me. You can find me at:
www.ElleCasey.com
www.Facebook.com/ellecaseytheauthor
www.Twitter.com/ellecasey
www.Instagram.com/Ellecaseyauthor

Want to get an email when my next book is released?
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Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been really excited about this book ever since I heard Elle and Jason were writing something together. I was even more excited to get it early as a beta reader. This book more than lived up to my expectations.

Charlie is a complicated young woman who aged out of the foster system after living in at least twelve different foster homes. She makes her rent money by participating in small time after hours poker games at a local Chinese restaurant.

Doug is a germaphobic computer geek who has been expelled from college after hacking into a professor's computer. He's living in his deceased father's 'writing cave' apartment when his mother gets wind of his expulsion. She doesn't take it well, cutting him off, cleaning out his accounts and making moves to evict him.

These two live across the hall from each other in a rundown apartment building that's not on the greatest side of town. After Doug catches Charlie spying on him through her peephole, the two form a rather awkward friendship/partnership over omelets. Both of them are near broke and the rent is coming due, so they hatch a plan to earn some money-- capturing fugitives and turning them in for reward money. They expect to meet a few drug dealers and prostitutes, but they don't expect to find themselves face to face with the supernatural.

This book is hilarious. The trademark humor of both Jason and Elle is in evidence. There's dumpster diving, poisoned pot pie, cow snog, puking on prostitutes and much more. The humor is not politically correct (not even a little bit), but it is well executed and blends into the plot of the story. The writing styles of the two authors compliment each other and combine almost seamlessly together.

Doug and Charlie are not superheroes. They're not even very good at bounty hunting, but together they make it work. What starts out as a reluctant partnership, especially on Doug's part, deepens into a friendship where each of them supports and protects the other. Charlie has some trust issues, but she begins to open up to Doug a little and he realizes she's not so bad. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and I'm curious about where life may take them next. I thought they were both very well developed and they had just enough "issues" to make their sarcastic and humorous banter realistic.

There's also an assortment of interesting secondary characters: Candy Corn, Darlene, George (aka Cheeseballs) and The Wangster. Their interactions with Charlie and Doug create even more laughs.

The plot has just the right amount of a supernatural twist and the story flowed well. It certainly kept me guessing about what was going to happen and what nastiness poor Doug was going to get stuck to him next.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Elle Casey. You dragon slay the french crepe out of me. I have never heard of this Jason Brant guy, but I'm about to get to know his books!

This story starts off as a hilariously cute story of neighbors getting to know each other. But, it ends up being more than that. So much more. It has a paranormal twist you don't see coming.

I think I could read this book over and over and still laugh every time.

If you have never read Elle Casey before, seriously, start now. She has kept my hands glued to my Kindle countless times. I ignore my family, my dogs, my own well being (have you ever walked while reading? It's dangerous). Shame on you Elle, shame on you.
And Jason...good stuff. Looking forward to reading more of your work!

Wonderful collaboration!

My favorite quotes:

Won't you be my neighbor?:

"I yank the door open and stand there, feet spread, ready to kick some serious ass. Or to loan him a cup of flour, if that's what he's come over for, I'm good like that; I can go high or low at a moment's notice, depending on the hand I'm dealt." - Chuckles

Ninja:

"I jump as two pieces of toast fly up out of the toaster and land on the counter. I handn't even seen him put them in there. It's cool how he's like a breakfast-making ninja." - Chuckles

I Could Be Your Hero Babyyyyy:

"I'm not afraid. I'm protecting you from rapists." "Okay, whatever you say. Thanks for protecting me from rapists." - Geek and Chuckles

Nerds vs. Geeks:

"I'm not a nerd - I'm a geek. There's a difference." Charlie looks at me the same way she regarded the puke on her shoe last night.
"Nerds dress like anime characters, live in their moms' basements, and are antisocial. You need to have all three of those qualities to classify as a nerd. Geeks on the other hand, are kickass, like yours truly. Sci-Fi books, obscure horror movies, and video games comprise a geek's life." - Geek

Charlie's response:
"Are you actually listening to the things that are coming out of your mouth right now? You're quibbling with me about the difference between nerds and geeks." She shakes her head. "You seriously need to get laid."

[Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aces High is a book by Jason Brant and Elle Casey—a collaboration of two of my favorite authors. If you have read their books you would wonder what they could possibly have in common genre-wise, besides humor and a flair for the paranormal. Elle is mainly YA and Jason is mainly horror. Aces High is proof that you can’t put anybody in a little box and expect them to stay there. Their writing styles meshed so well that the book flowed seamlessly, with Elle writing a chapter and then Jason the next. I was impatiently waiting for this book from the second that I heard that they were writing a book together. I love both of their styles and this book did not disappoint. The absolute funniest part of this book (to me) was that I pictured Jason and Elle as the main characters. I could absolutely see their faces while I read…which had me CRACKING UP the whole time… I could just see them getting into those situations—with Elle beating up on Jason the whole time.

The two main characters, Charlie (a girl) and Douglas, are as different as two people can be. Charlie is an independent, take-no-shit, card shark, while Doug is a self-proclaimed geek and…well…a little bit of a wuss. A peephole and an egg is what makes this unlikely pair a team. Both young, on their own, and down on their luck, they come up with the unlikely idea to become bounty hunters, going after the bad guy to make the rent money. Charlie is a lot brash, a little abusive, with a foul mouth to boot and Doug is a germ-freak with a scream like a little girl, but somehow they make their friendship work. This book follows them through old, nasty hookers, victory dances, eye drops, police chases, dumpsters, and a surprising twist that some will expect and some won’t…but that leaves the book wide open for a series I can’t wait to read. I extremely enjoyed the relationship between the two—watching it grow felt as if you were really getting to know them. Full of smart-ass comments, inventive swear words, situations that have you saying WTF, and an unlikely friendship that has you rooting for the pair to the very end, this is a book that you don’t want to miss. I can’t wait to see what Charlie and Doug get up to next.

Quotes from the Book:

“People are going to stick guns in your asshole.” (Charlie)

"Penis, penis, penis—all day long. That’s me.” (Doug) *I almost choked to death when I read this part of the book as I was laughing so hard.*

“We make good partners. Two ass-kickin’ survivors. We’re just squirrels trying to get a nut.” (Charlie)

“This was just the fart frosting on top of my shit cake of a day.” (Doug)

STAY TUNED IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH JASON AND ELLE!www.cynthiashepp.wordpress.com

[Terri Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider myself insanely lucky to have gotten this book to read as a beta. I’ve been a big fan of both Elle Casey and Jason Brant for a while now, and LOVE interacting with them as they insult one another on Facebook. That being said, when it comes to beta reads, I’m tough, impersonal, and fair.

This story had me hooked by the very first paragraph. One can not simply walk away and leave this book to read more later. This is a one sitting, marathon, fly by the seat of your pants ride! Being so familiar with both writer’s styles, I could tell who wrote what parts, but they meshed so perfectly. This book is a work of art!

Charlie has been in foster home after foster home her entire life. Now, at 18, she is on her own and has the street smarts to survive. Normal rules don’t apply to Charlie. She is bold, smart, funny, and has the quickest wit of any of Elle’s characters to date (that is saying a lot!) She gets by beating old men in poker in the basement of a Chinese restaurant. When she catches her across the hall neighbor, Douglas, peeking into her keyhole, Charlie does what she does best. A shock and awe type confrontation ending in a meal of eggs and an unlikely partnership. (Huh? Yeah, I know, but it makes sense once you read it, I swear!)

Douglas is a recently expelled college student. He was expelled for hacking into his teacher’s computer for all the right reasons. He wasn’t ready to tell his mother and decided to spend some time living in his deceased author father’s apartment, living off of his father’s royalties until he could work up the nerve to tell her. Too late. She found out, wiped out his accounts and evicted him, literally leaving him homeless and broke. His only hope to make enough money was partnering with Charlie to catch fugitives and collect the reward money. With him as the brain, and her as the brawn, what could possibly go wrong? Jason Brant wrote this character incredibly well. Douglas is insanely smart, awkward, germaphobic, and exactly just enough wit to compete with Elle Casey’s Charlie. A perfect match! The evolution of their partnership into friendship, and the trust that it required was really heartwarming.

The story itself is flawless, the characters so real that I completely forgot I was reading a book. That is what seals it for me, I HAVE to be emotionally involved enough in the story that I forget that I’m turning pages and reading words. This book did this for me! I laughed out loud (not recommended for reading in a place where hysterical bouts of laughter are not acceptable), I shook my head at the decisions these youngsters were making, cheered them on, and when I got to the supernatural twist, I was floored. This is something I’ve never read about, but always wondered about. I won’t divulge more information, you’ll have to get the book and find out yourself! I also learned a whole plethora of new insults that I’ve already tried on my co-workers. You can never go wrong with Casey/Brant insults!

If it were possible to give more than five stars, I’d give…like…elevendy seven! I am so looking forward to the next book in this series. (YAY! It’s not going to end!!!)

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book by Elle Casey before, but have read all of Jason Brant's and I am a big fan. I have read these two playfully butt heads with each other on facebook. I can see the personality of these two in the characters created in this book. When I found out that they were going to write a book together I thought this should be really good.
Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart. At first I thought it was going to b a book about two young college age kids swindling old men out of poker money until the "skinwalkers" show up. Then the real roller coaster ride begins. It keep me up late a couple of nights wondering what was going to happen next, and what amount of trouble these unlikely pair where going to get into next. The language can be pretty tense but there is a lot of humor in the book also. The twist at the end has me crying out for sequel please!

[Donna Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!!!! This book JUST came out Friday March 1st and it is so cool! I finished it this morning! I was laughing so hard I almost lost my green tea out my nose several times! The Characters in this book seem so real and the banter between them is hilarious! Charlie ( a girl) and Doug a guy insult each other non stop and it will have you rolling on the floor laughing! AND they get into quite the adventures of the paranormal type. Which to some may be a little gross when they find peoples skin ( the whole body skin) hanging around. The ending (?) was a surprise and I was informed by one of the authors (Jason Brant) that they plan on writing a whole series with these characters! WOOHOO!!!!!!!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aces High is probably one of the funnest books I've ever read. Charlie is a misfit who's been in and out of the foster care system for years. Now as a young adult, she scrapes by as a card shark and ekes out enough of a living to pay her rent and eat (sometimes). Douglas is a smart kid who just got kicked out of college for hacking his professors computer. Living at his dads old apartment he plays video games and well that's about it. A chance encounter between Charlie and Douglas over an egg starts them on a path towards friendship, bounty hunting and eventually leads to the supernatural. The two are forced by destitution to band together. Douglas is soon to be kicked out of his dads old place and his mom has cut him off. He's super smart but not very street smart. Charlie is self sufficient and knows how to take care of herself but is tired of living in squalor so the two of them hatch an idea one day to become bounty hunters and track down criminals that the police haven't been able to find in order to collect the award money. Both of them have a lot of ideas on how to accomplish their goals but neither one has ever done anything quite like this before. If Aces High sounds fun then that's because it is! Douglas and Charlie's interactions together are some of the funniest moments in the books. Douglas is a bit of a wuss, he's the brains and Charlie is totally the brawns and Douglas has the bruises to prove it. Their nonstop practical jokes and the way they pick on each other is hilarious.

I've read all of Elle Casey's books, I'm a huge fan. In fact she's my favorite author so I knew going into this that it would be a great book to read but I'd only ever read one of Jason Brant's books: Gehenna West of Hell #1 which was an awesome zombie/western and was a pure adrenaline rush with nonstop action that managed to have very detailed characters. I wasn't sure how this book would turn out with two different authors but I shouldn't have worried. Elle Casey and Jason Brant not only give each character a unique voice but also manage to make the whole book flow quite smoothly. In fact I can't really even tell where one author left off and the other began. Each plays off of the others humor very well, creating a book that is not only unique but also a lot of fun. I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one and cannot wait to read more of Mr. Brant's works. Both authors deserve a lot of credit for creating something different and making it refreshingly hilarious to read. I hope to see more books by both of them individually and together.

http://jamiesbookblog.com/aces-high/

[K. Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Aces High is a blast of fun and snark. Meet young Charlie-- product of too many foster homes, card shark, over-the-top presence, nicknamer extraordinaire-- who just is trying to keep herself in enough money at low-life chinese joint poker to afford her rat trap of an apartment.

And spy on her neighbor. Doug is about to have a bad day. Although he's hiding away in his father's apartment, his life is about to change forever when he peeks in Charlie's spyhole just as Charlie is peeking out, and she starts to take over his life.

Both of them need money, and so they decide to team up together with hijinks, bad nicknames, gastrointestinal distress, and a disturbing villain's handiwork ensues.

Fun, with emphasis on body-function name-calling, insults, and banter.

Add a most mysterious and supernatural villain and counterpart policeman, and you've got quite the successful mix. It didn't quite get the 4 stars for me because some of the insult/banter wore on me after a while. I found myself skimming that to get to the good stuff action where charlie and Doug work together to take down the bad guys.

I also felt Doug's POV and tendency to call people the same nicknames as Charlie kind of made their characters blur a bit when switching POV.

Fun series, not safe for younger YA if worried about language and body function jokes.

This Book's Snack Rating: Doritos for the punch of spicy insults on an addictively crunchable set of YA characters

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start out by saying I haven't read any of Elle Casey's work but I’m a big Jason Brant fan. So I went into this book not completely knowing what to expect. Although, I figured it would be easy to spot the authors "changing of the guard", I was wrong. This book is a fantastic collaboration that flows together absolutely seamlessly.

The highlight is the characters. They're funny, likable and relateable in that awkward post teen not yet an adult sort of way. Charlie is sassy and knows how to take care of herself whereas Doug is perhaps a little high-strung and even a bit sheltered. They torment the hell out of one another mercilessly, constantly trying to one up each other. Their interactions were hysterical.

The chapters alternate which character's perspective the reader is seeing, making for a fast paced story and a fun read. The authors plan for this to be a series and it's going to be extremely entertaining to see what shenanigans Charlie and Doug can get into. I believe this series is going to be a wild and crazy ride!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I was hooked from the first page, and couldn't stop reading til the last page. I seriously went from first word to the end of the book in one day. Thank God for insomnia!

Charlie is a tough-as-nails product of the foster care system. She has finally turned 18, and has struck out on her own, living in a self-proclaimed "roach motel". Doug is her neighbor and reluctant friend, recently expelled from college and cut off from his mother's financial support. Together they set out to find a way to support themselves, and the journey is sometimes dangerous, sometimes mysterious, and always laugh out loud funny.

The writing team of Elle Casey and Jason Brandt is brilliant! I can't wait for the next installment of "Aces High". I have been a huge Elle Casey fan since "The Changelings - War of the Fae" was free on Kindle. Little did I know that I was going to become hooked on everything she has published since then. This is my first foray into the works of Jason Brandt, but I intend to start reading his books as well.

Bravo Elle & Jason! Great work!

[David Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was, for me, kind of a crazy mash-up between enjoying watching the main characters act like real people and freak out when crazy stuff kept happening, and being frustrated by the almost superhero-like banter they kept throwing at each other. It was like the characters had two people living inside their heads, and weren't sure which one to let out, when.

I haven't read Elle Casey before, but I've read several of Jason Brant's books. He is what brought me to try this one (read his West of Hell series - brilliant). This didn't give me the joy or fascination that his other books have, but it was a fun ride nonetheless.

I'd recommend it as a good "Whip through it on a lazy Saturday afternoon" read.

[~*~Happy Hour Prez~*~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHERE THE HELL IS BOOK #2???

I HAD ORIGINALLY RATED THIS BOOK 4.25 STARS BUT THAT WAS BEFORE I WAITING OVER 1.5 YEARS JUST TO HEAR ABOUT A SEQUEL - OTHERWISE IT'S JUST A BITCH OF A CLIFF HANGER AKA AN UNFINISHED BOOK. I'M DONE REPETITIVELY CHECKING.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Funny & Hilarious - what you would expect from an Elle Casey book.
Very creative & kept me interested. I wish it wasn't a cliff hanger. I thought it was a stand alone since there was no series name shown on the Goodreads book info. oh well. I guess I have to wait for all this to play out now. I just forget so much between readings. Gaah!

[Mandy Jamerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of Elle Casey and wasn't sure what to expect of a collaberation with another author, but holy crap. This book was an insane ride. I completely embarrassed myself laughing so hard. I absolutely love Charlie and Doug. They are completely different but so real. Oh to have a friend like either of them. They get theirselves into some crazy situations and trying to get theirselves out is the best part. Wasn't really expecting a few of the turns the book made, but enjoyed it every step of the way. Hopefully there will be a second book, because I need to see where they are going.

[Kitlina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely fucking hilarious.
I didn't laugh so hard in ages. To say that I loved the duet is lightly put, I went shitballs over it.
I hope to GOD they write the sequel to this book because it was amazing. And I want some romance. Doogle Ass and Chuckles are perfect together, perfect. I want some smooching between them in future books.
I loved the supernatural angle this book had. And damn, the situations they got themselves in were more than crazy. I really want to read some more of this series.

[Wendy Schuster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will pick up anything Elle Casey has written and read it so this book was no exception. The characters are rich and funny and Elle and Jason paint a vivid picture of their lives. I would caution people that this book has some scary and creepy moments. It doesn't take anything away from the book, but it is something to be aware of especially if the person is a younger teen. I think the book is imaginative and I loved it. Can't wait to read more from this team!

[Vega_girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!!!! This book was not what I was expecting, it turned out to be so much better!!!! Charlie is a girl who has issues socializine and her geek neighbor Doug was just expelled from college. They both need money so they team up. This is so freaking laugh out loud hilarious!!! The back and forth between the two is a serious ab workout!!! Elle Casey has done it again and like previous reviewers have said I had not heard of Jason Brant but will definitely be checking out his books!!!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!! This book was awesome! Please tell me there will be more of this Elle/Jason collaboration. I loved the characters. They way the interacted with each other was hilarious. I laughed so much during this read. What's even better was it was suspenseful. I kept trying to guess what the heck was going on. Highly recommend this book!

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

not at all what I was expecting .... but still good. Hope there's more where this came from!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really funny book. I look forward to book two.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me laughing out loud.

[Ellelou]

DNF at 68%

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!! Read it twice already! I really really want the next book to come out. Any ideas as when that is? I can't wait.