Hiding Lies

Eleanor Ames #2

by Julie Cross

Fans of Veronica Mars or Ally Carter will love the snarky, whip-smart former con artist Eleanor, in this sequel to Chasing Truth.

At Holden Prep, dirty little secrets always have a way of coming to the surface.

Eleanor Ames has never been what she seems. Average high school student on the outside, but reformed con artist trying to break free of her past on the inside. When Eleanor receives startling news about someone from her previous criminal life, plans for a new operation coinciding with her school’s upcoming field trip quickly consume her.

But operations rarely go according to plan. And this is one her irresistible teen FBI agent boyfriend, Miles, would never approve of.

Now, more than just Ellie’s reputation is at stake. If she fails, it could be her life.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller, Teen

300 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2018

About the author

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more!

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiding Lies by Julie Cross is the second book in the Eleanor Ames series. This series is a bit of a young adult mystery/thriller mixed with some romance. The series is one that the story carries over from one book to the next and is best read in order.

In Chasing Truth readers were introduced to Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Ames who is attending Holden Prep while living with her older sister. Ellie’s parents were con artists and had raised their girls in that life but now they are going straight and Ellie is trying to use her talents for something better now.

While Ellie’s FBI in training boyfriend, Miles, is away with his secret agent parents Ellie finds out that someone from her previous life is trying to run a con and it happens to be going down in the same location of her school’s field trip. Despite knowing it’s dangerous Ellie seeks Dominic’s help to tag along on the school trip and then agrees to be an informant and get herself involved in the new con.

This series is a fun young adult mystery with a snarky but likable main character. This second book picked up the pace which I loved after complaining the first dragged a bit. I also loved that we are finally given a lot closer look at Ellie’s background of being a con artist and her family. There was obviously more story that can be told after the end of this one so I’d definitely join Ellie on her adventures again if the series continues.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing and vibrant. 5*

I'm totally in love with Julie Cross's books. This is my fourth and I just can't wait for more! If she's writing I'm reading! Her stories are always colourful and her characters are complex.

Hiding lies is the follow-up book to Chasing Truth. It can be read as a standalone (It has all the catch up you need) but I would recommend reading book one first.

Eleanor Ames has been compared to Veronica Mars and in many ways, she's the closest famous character to relate to her, but Ellie is so much more. Who is Eleanor Ames? Well, that's just it. Not even Ellie knows who she really is. Her mother is in jail and her father is a notorious con man. She now lives with her sister and they have a fake name but Ellie doesn't know her real name anyway. Ellie feels bad about how things turned out for her mother. She feels her dad should be the one doing the time.

Ellie is now settled into a normal high school teen life. She studies and is actually considering college. Two things Ellie never thought she could have. Her boyfriend Miles aka secret agent in training is visiting her for Christmas before he vacations in Turkey. His parents have accepted her and he is keeping her self-defence skills in top form.

Ellie's family are all con artists. Her cousins are probably not related to her and all family members have special talents. Her father is the mastermind behind the cons and her mother was the conscience that kept them safe. Now she's gone her father has taken his tricks to a whole new level. Ellie's cousin, Oscar has managed to hunt her down and wants her help. The family are in trouble and Oscar thinks Ellie is the only one who can turn it around.

Dominic was close to Simon and Miles. Now he will become Ellie's new best friend. We get to see a whole new side to Dominic and I'm loving his character. He's smart and brilliant when he puts his mind to it.

Miles and Ellie's relationship is taken to the next level. I love these two and their relationship is just so complex. The criminal and the federal agent. It works so well. They both have a trick or two up their sleeves. Their relationship is intense and passionate.

The great thing about this book is that we get to see all the characters again and the story follows perfectly. We get to know more about Ellie's past. There is no black and white everything is grey.

We are going on a schools trip with Holden Prep to New York City. The trip will be educational in more ways than one. There will be an opportunity to meet with college representatives, write a school report and enjoy the delights the city has to offer. The problem is Ellie is taking more than her school friends. She has to juggle school work, meet with her father and did I mention the FBI? They have decided to join the party too! Ellie has a new mission. She's hoping to help her mum get out of jail but this ride is going to be bumpy.

I absolutely love this story. It's exciting and full of twists. The characters are dynamic and interesting.

I really like Julie Cross's writing style and she keeps me hooked on every word. There is so much more I could tell you about this book but I don't want to spoil anything. In my opinion, this is a must-read. Highly recommended. It has romance, dangerous missions and loveable characters.

5 stars out of 5. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. *I received ARC in exchange for a review.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Hiding Lies takes us into Ellie's old live when her dad and "family" go to pull a con in the same city as her school trip. There's just as much excitement, intrigue, and suspense in this one as there was in Chasing Truth.

With Miles no longer at Holden Prep, Ellie has a surprising new ally, Dominique, to help her along with task: taking down her dad in exchange for her mom getting released from prison. I worried this meant we wouldn't see Miles, but I needed not to be alarmed. He shows up in plenty surprising places and the chemistry Ellie and Miles had in book one is still present.

This is fast paced with some twists along the way and not everything is always what it seems. A great sequel to Chasing Truth, I am eager to see if there will be more books in the series.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this series is there is a group of teens who have been recruited or are attending a specialized school to make them into spies.

Eleanor’s family made up of criminals. She was used by the FBI to entrap her father, but this plan backfired, and her mother was sent to jail. Eleanor would do anything to get her mom free, including working with the FBI again to capture her father.

But her father now has some very unsavory partners that are extremely dangerous. Putting Eleanor, her boyfriend and fellow spy in training, and classmates all in the sites of this extremely volatile criminal empire. All the while there are still rogue agents and they don’t know who they can trust and whether they can even trust each other.

This would of been straight out 5 stars for me but in the end it lost 1 stars and I think its because of my personal life experiences. Being a parent of recent teens, I had a hard time getting past 16-18 yr old, one minute talking about breaking a group rogue FBI and others in the government with the FBI and CIA... and then talking about mom and dad. I know, I know fiction... But once I got past that, Cross provided an amazing, riveting and well balanced conspiracy, secret agent, romantic thriller.

I received this ARC copy of Hiding Lies from Entangled Publishing, LLC. This is my honest and voluntary review. Hiding Lies is set for publication April 17, 2018.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Julie Cross
Series: Eleanor Ames Series
Sequence in Series: Book 2
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: April 17, 2018
ISBN-10: 1633758168
ISBN-13: 978-1633758162
Genre: Teen Mystery Thriller

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Lies-El...
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[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading "Chasing Truth", the first Ellie Ames book, and loving it, I was super keen to read the next installment in the series. Although I had a few issues with "Hiding Lies", overall it was a fun read and I enjoyed my time with it.

"Hiding Lies" continues on with Ellie's story shortly after the events of "Chasing Truth". It had been quite a while since I read "Hiding Lies", so I couldn't really remember what had happened previously. Fortunately, Julie Cross provided some flashbacks and details through some of Ellie's inner monologues, and I ended up catching on pretty quickly.

At the beginning of the book, Ellie and Miles have become even more close, although it becomes evident early on that Miles is hiding something big. Ellie wants to trust Miles and not be the type of clingy girlfriend who always creates drama wherever she goes, but it's difficult to not worry at least a little bit when her boyfriend has effectively gone off the grid.

Which bring me to one of those "issues" I mentioned earlier on. Ellie and Miles didn't have much page time together, to my disappointment. What little time they did spend in the same vicinity was schmexy as hell, because nobody writes teen steam quite like Julie Cross, but I was kept wanting more as far as the two of them working together as a team, or bantering back and forth like I remember from "Chasing Truth".

Instead, we get introduced to Dominic as Ellie's sidekick, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't remember Dominic at all from the first book, so he obviously didn't make a huge impression on me, but he wasn't very well developed here, either. There was one rather deep and compelling moment between him and Ellie, but other than that, I found Dominic's character to be bland and forgettable once more.

This lack of development of secondary characters was another of my issues with "Hiding Lies". Justice and Chantel, Harper and Aiden - they all make appearances in this book, but they don't really add anything to the story. Aside from one very amusing episode between Justice and an FBI agent, and a short road trip Ellie took with Aiden, the entire cast of secondary characters could quite possibly have been eliminated from the novel and I wouldn't have noticed.

As for the plot, I have so many questions, like what exactly was Ellie's dad's con, anyway? And how was the mob involved in any of it? That didn't make sense to me. Oh yeah, and how did Ellie (and Dominic, most times) manage to miss most of the events of the field trip without anybody noticing? Maybe I don't have a criminal mind, or I missed something during my reading, but I was left scratching my head in confusion.

Despite these problems, I still enjoyed my time with "Hiding Lies" and if there is a third book in the series, I will definitely be wanting to continue reading.

My rating: 3.5 stars

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I was really excited to catch up with Ellie and Miles, and I was not disappointed. This installment takes us to the Big Apple as Holden Prep takes over New York. Ellie, however, wasn't there for the enrichment the program had to offer, but rather, as a way to slip back into her old con artist ways. Once again, digging in one direction revealed many other secrets, and Ellie risked losing everything she has been working for.

Honestly, I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book, which means I really liked it. Some of the things I enjoyed:

•You all know I love being in NYC. It's always a treat to read a story set in my hometown, and I enjoyed traipsing around the boroughs with Ellie and the gang from Holden Prep.

•Though I missed spending time with Aiden and Harper, I enjoyed all the quality time spent with Justice and Dominic. Dominic and Ellie grow a lot closer on this trip, and I learned that there's so much more to Dominic than meets the eye.

•Ellie's "family" played a big role in this book. We learned a lot more about Ellie's life before, as well as what happened to her parents after the FBI raid. It was really interesting getting that first hand look at her life before, as well as revisiting her memories of her previous life.

•I was pretty shocked to discover what Miles was doing on his Christmas vacation, and it added an extra level of intrigue to the story for me.

•Miles little excursion was only one of many twists Cross threw at me, and I enjoy following those twists and turns throughout the book.

•The romance ramped up in this one, and you know I was happy about that. I ship these two hard and just want to see them in a solid relationship with each other.

•I am a fan of this kind of series. Where there is a shorter story arc completed in the book, while also adding to plot of the entire series.

•That ending made my heart sing. It was all sorts of wonderful.

Overall: Another great Eleanor Ames story, which left me all sorts of satisfied. If this is the last book, Cross gave us a great ending, but I must say, I would love to read more of Eleanor and Miles' adventures.


*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Dali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Cross continues her Eleanor Ames series with Hiding Lies. A story of prior con artist Ellie Ames and her teen FBI boyfriend Miles Beckett.

With Miles gone for a month long vacation with his government secret agent parents, Ellie stays home ready to start a new semester at Holden Prep but when she finds out that someone from her past is planning a scam that’s way in over their heads in NY, the same destination as her approaching school’s field trip, she decides to intervene using her talents to right some of the wrongs she’d done. Even with the help of her well-meaning friends, this operation is could go lethally wrong.

As with the previous book in the series, Julie Cross delivers an intensely addicting story with a witty and independent heroine, a fiercely loyal hero, appealing secondary characters and a fast paced plot with so much action, suspense, twists and turns, I could not put down. The tale crackles both in its moments of intrigue and manipulation when Ellie tries to put all the pieces and players of the con into place as well as the growing relationship between Miles and Ellie.

While Ellie practically throws caution to the wind jeopardizing her legitimate future as an Ivy-League student trying to help the FBI for the sake of the people she cares about, Miles’ role in this installment remains a bit of a mystery that was extremely enjoyable to guess at and untangle. Their characters continue to engage, Ellie with her snark and wit and Mile with his devotion and protectiveness. I enjoyed Dominic’s, one of Ellie’s classmates, more fleshed out role as well as the insight into Ellie’s background.

Even if some loose ends were left which of course beg for another story and made it a bit less satisfying that the previous book, Hiding Lies is a fun, thrilling read with entertaining espionage and covert dealings.

Hiding Lies is book #2 of the Eleanor Ames series by Julie Cross. It is standalone young adult mystery/thriller romance told by the heroine’s point of view with a happy ending.

4.5 stars

Amazon -> https://amzn.to/2wJsHLo

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *

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[Erica Chilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads

5 Stars from a young adult perspective
3 Stars from an adult perspective
4 Stars overall

Young Adult age-range: 14+ due to violence, kissing, and fade-to-black sexual situations.

Hiding Lies is the second and possibly final installment in the Eleanor Ames series. I'd strongly suggest against reading this as a standalone. I read the first pre-release as well, so it has been a long while for me. If you haven't read the first in the series, I'd suggest reading books 1 & 2 back-to-back to get the optimal reading experience, as I struggled to remember the finer details after so long in between. If you enjoy rereading, and it's been a while since you read the first, I'd suggest a refresher.

This is a spoiler-free review, where I will avoid major plot points, as this is considered a mystery and suspense young adult series.

It was a slow start for me, not to say I wasn't enjoying said start- just that I was having difficulty remembering what had happened previously after reading 500 books in between. There was also a lot of threads going on, maybe 2 or 3 too many for young adults to grasp, giving a chaotic feel. So many things that there was no way there were enough hours in the day for Ellie and company to pull off what they were doing.

I'm thankful my logical personality was tucked away while I read, not rearing its ugly head until after I had finished the book. After all, this is fiction.

Ellie is a con artist who accidentally put her mother away in prison on their last job, 11 months ago. Now she's trying to right the wrongs (and that's all I can tell you to avoid spoilers. HA!)

Ellie is not TSTL. She's not a damsel in distress. Ellie is logical, putting her feelings to the wayside to get through what needs to be done. This is where the emotions of the novel truly hit me hard. I'm a sucker for a punch to the gut sensation, where rejection and betrayals really tug my heartstrings and connect me to the narrator.

Ellie is ashamed of her past, how she treated others as a means to an end. In actuality, as the pages go by, it's Ellie who is a means to an end, for everyone on the pages. No one is putting her first. No one is taking care of her. After all, she is a seventeen-year-old girl, and she should be someone's focus. No matter who is helping her, they have an agenda- they all lie to her. From the title to Ellie's inner monologue, one would assume it is Ellie hiding the lies... from my perspective, it's everyone hiding lies from her, as they ask things of her they shouldn't.

There are two points that lowered my reading enjoyment, hence the 3 stars from the adult perspective. I feel young adults won't notice, as they will be swept up in the swoon-worthy teen romance and the mystery and suspenseful action.

However, the adult in me did notice how things didn't make any sense when we got to the ending. Had I reviewed this immediately, my rating may have been higher, but after mulling the book over, nothing tied together in an lucid, logical, or even rational way. It made no sense whatsoever. Ellie's con family, the FBI renegade group, and the mafia, added with several governmental agencies, absolutely nothing tied them together, all the way to a rushed ending that tied the romance in a pretty bow.

Truthfully, I felt the author was going to pull another trigger, that would have been an ultimate betrayal, but decided against it when it came time to do it. Otherwise, everything was illogical and too coincidental how everything fell into place.

It also had the feel of an ending for the series, yet nothing was resolved.

"We're going to let the adults handle it."

I enjoyed being inside Ellie's mind, as I feel she was the most rational character of the bunch. The rest of the cast acted as if they too were teenagers, even when grown adults in high positions. That's where the book fell flat for me. Those in charge were all too bumbling, written so to allow teenagers to shine, which makes me fear for our country if that were the case.

Dominic was a shining star, more so than Miles. Btw, what happened to Oscar?

I have no idea if this is the conclusion, even though it had a feeling of finality. New breath could be breathed into it if the focus shifts to a new narrator, or if Ellie got away from everyone and started over. Ellie is an amazing narrator, but being inside Dominic would be eye-opening.

I highly recommend to young adults. For the more detail oriented adult, I'd suggest reading quickly, then not mulling over how things got from point A to point B, all the way to point Z.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.5/5*
Hiding Lies is the second book in this series and I have to say I thought it was even better than Chasing Truth - and I enjoyed that one! Actually, I think it important to read these books in the correct order as they show events in chronological order, building on events from the previous book. However, I also acknowledge that the author has included reminders of previous events so it could be read as a standalone. Now my problem with writing this review is endeavouring not to include any spoilers for anyone planning to read the first book . . . . so I’m going to give most of that a miss.

I’ll just say that the main character in both stories continue to be Eleanor Ames but in this story the focus is on the con Ellie’s Dad and other members of her extended family are involved with in New York. When Holden Prep take Ellie and other students on a visit to New York, it offers her the opportunity to catch up with her family - but does she really want to be drawn into their cons once more? Again, the FBI are involved as they continue to try to bring her father to justice. It is a story where family loyalties are tested. One where initial assumptions can so easily prove inadequate or flawed and one where friendship proves to be so essential but lies and secrets can be so disheartening and destructive.

The great character development, intriguing plot and surprises make this a very entertaining read and I only have one problem now - I’d love to read the final two books in this series straight away! Unfortunately they aren’t published yet, so I’ll just have to wait but I’ll definitely keep an eye out for their release. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to anyone who enjoys fascinating teen mysteries with compelling writing that makes them a real page turner - even if you left your teens decades ago!

I requested and was given a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Chasing Truth, book 1 in the series, I could not wait to get my grabby hands on more of Eleanor and her hijinks. I think I found my favorite reads of the read so far, maybe my top YA contemporary read in general. Yep, that is how much I am in love with this book and this world in general. I will admit that I was a little hesitant, regardless of my excitement to read more (and yes, I was so happy that I could binge read the series back to back and not have to wait for book 2...don't get me started on waiting for book 3...Please be a book 3 somewhere down the line, just saying...)

Hiding Lies picks up a few weeks after the events of Hiding Lies, where Ellie's life basically imploded and her almost-kinda-sorta boyfriend Miles was reassigned out of town, leaving her trying to pick up the pieces of her life. The danger that she thought was past in book one ends up coming back to light as well as some truths from her previous life, the life she pretends did not happen. I loved learning more about how Ellie was raised, her true skills, the crimes she took part in and how much she gave up to have this chance at being a "typical" teen. Ellie can never be typical, but watching her struggles and triumphs was so endearing, regardless of her truths I rooted for her to succeed. To me, Ellie can do no wrong, regardless of her questionable choices that made me cringe. Julie brought Ellie to life so well I feel as if I know her, that we are friends.

The story wrapped perfectly, I could not have asked for more loose ends to be tied in a nice little bow, but that doesn't mean I would not love to have another book featuring Eleanor and the trouble she inherently finds herself in. Julie, I am such a fan girl for your books and for Ellie as well as the "Ell-iles" ship! Yet again, I would not change a single thing about these books or this world, it was just the right mash of suspense/mystery/tension/lies and a dash of romance(the swoon worthy kind!) to hook me and keep me fully engaged for the entire journey. Oh, don't forget the snark and humor that color the pages as well- what is a good book without snark? I love Ellie and I know anyone else who pick up this book to read will too!


I am voluntarily reviewing an advance, complimentary copy of this book.

[Victoria Bunce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy HIDING LIES on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

Five stars and here's why:

HIDING LIES kept me reading way past my bedtime. Julie Cross delivers a riveting suspenseful story. I got sucked in on page one and ended up with a wicked book hangover.

I didn’t read the first book in the series, but this HIDING LIES can be read as a standalone. That being said, I just bought the first book, CHASING TRUTH, because I need to be totally immersed in this story as it’s that good. Ellie reminds me of Veronica Mars. Boy, was I addicted to that story. Ellie apparently helped put her con-artist mom in jail and she’s been dealing with the fallout of that situation. She decides to go undercover and get the real villain – her father – and that’s when the story takes off and you just can’t put the book down.

If you love a book about a sassy, savvy girl, some sexy guys, and a suspenseful plot filled with twists and turns that’ll keep your head glued to the page, then this book is for you! Highly recommend!

[Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

leanor Ames is back and Hiding Lies was just as enjoyable as book one.  



Ellie is dealing with her regrets of getting her mom put in jail.  She is willing to do just about anything to get her out.  Once she finds out that her mom is getting ten years, Ellie offers to go undercover with her family to get her dad instead.  Luckily Holden Prep is heading to New York and that just happens to be where her dad is.  Her "cousin", Oscar, finds her and says that her dad is in over his head this time.

Miles is acting a bit distant and keeping something from Ellie.  But Dominic gets pulled into this con and helps Ellie out with her family.  I loved Dominic in this book.  He provided a break in tension with his humor.

"God, how do you do this shit all the time?  I'm on a verge of a dozen nervous breakdowns."

Hiding Lies has a fast pace with different twists and betrayals.  Ellie finds herself wondering if she can trust Miles, even after she realizes that she is in love with him.  She is also keeping secrets from Harper and having to use her friends and the teacher she really likes.  But she just wants to help her mom and get revenge on her dad.  



I can't wait for book three and to find out if Ellie will ever be able to live a normal life.  I gave Hiding Lies 4  1/2 stars (rounded up to 5 on goodreads).

Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy of this book for review.  The quote above is taken from the arc and may change before release date.

[diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

Can anyone please tell me this isn't the end?!! This is SO GOOD I need ten more of it! I don't know why it has few ratings on Goodreads because it was AMAZING! Seriously guys this is a must-read! I love the writing. I love the mystery and the action. I love Ellie and honestly I even love the Hayes family in all their conning ways. I love Dominic. I love the Becketts. And dammit I LOVE MILES. Miles Miles Miles. My newest book boyfriend Miles. No he's not yours he's mine.

Fans of Ally Carter's GG series and Jennifer Lynn Barnes' The Fixer would love this!

[T.H. Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING – Spoilers Ahead for Book 1
It’s been over 18 months since I read CHASING TRUTH by Julie Cross, yet the characters and story were still so vivid in my memory, I didn’t need any refreshers. HIDING LIES picks up where CHASING TRUTH left off, with life returning to relative normal, considering Ellie’s past and Mile’s future. With Miles returning to his military academy after spending the holidays with his family abroad, Ellie fills her time with her sister, Harper, Harper’s former Secret Service boyfriend, Aidan, and her classmates from Holden Academy.

When Miles fails to meet her as planned after returning from overseas, and Miles’s CIA Agent father makes an unusual request of Ellie, she can’t help but worry about Miles. Things get more interesting when Ellie’s past confronts her in her present, setting up an opportunity to undo the damage from one of the biggest regrets in her short life. With one twist after another, this was the first page-turner I’ve read in a while. I’m a huge fan of Julie Cross, and HIDING LIES reminds me why.

Plot
The plot is flawless. Everything flows with important information is sprinkled throughout so when something unexpected happens, you realize the hints were there all along. This is a “stay up late and read until your eyes blur” kind of story. While some of it on the surface seems implausible for teens, the author always explains it in a believable fashion. And if if she didn’t, I wouldn’t care, because it’s just that good.

The Characters
I have so much love already for former con-girl, Ellie, straight-laced Miles, flakey Harper, and G-man Aidan, but in HIDING LIES, Ellie spends more time with Dominic, the moody secret love interest of Ellie’s tragic friend, Simon. Dominic and Ellie forge an almost friendship and I grew to love him in this book. A number of new characters are also introduced who add a lot to the story, and I also got to know and respect Justice just a little bit more. All the characters are deeply drawn and realistic.

Top Five Things I Loved About HIDING LIES
1. Miles. He drove me nuts with his conflicted feelings, but he totally redeems himself in the best possible way.

2. Ellie. She’s changed by the events in the first book and is less confident, leading her to make choices I might not have expected before, but given everything she’s been through, they are completely within character. I loved seeing a more vulnerable side of her.

3. Surprises. There were so many unexpected twists, I couldn’t put this book down.

4. The ending. Well done and even more exciting and satisfying than the first book.

5. Teen angst. While different this time around, there is no less drama surrounding Ellie and Miles’ romance.

Bottom Line
Julie Cross upped her game and wrote one of my favorite young adult novels ever!

Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads.

I've always been a big fan of books/shows/movies with strong, smart and sassy leading ladies, so it was no wonder I've enjoyed the Eleanor Ames books as much as I have. The first in the series, Chasing Truth, was great and I couldn't wait to see what would happen with the second. Well, it should be no surprise at all that Hiding Lies totally lived up to my expectations and was a great continuation of the series. 

Hiding Lies picks up basically where Chasing Truth left off. Now, these books can be read as standalones, but I'd still recommend reading them in order as parts of the story carries through. Plus, they're just that good and you shouldn't want to miss a minute. But anywho. If you enjoyed the first book and have wanted more of Eleanor and Miles, you'll want this book. If you enjoy a great, strong heroine (a la Veronica Mars) and you've not read any of this series yet, you should. 

I'm not going into detail about the plot here. You can find out everything you need to know going in from the blurb. Plus, I don't want to be responsible for ruining anything for you. What I will say is Hiding Lies had it all — action, suspense, mystery, twists and turns, secrets AND swoony romance. (And, you know, great writing and seriously interesting characters.) I didn't want to stop reading once I started and the closer I got to the end, the more quickly I was flipping pages. This book definitely took me by surprise a couple times... and it also kept me on the edge of my seat, literally, at least once.

The Eleanor Ames series just keeps getting better! I hope there are (many) more books planned. These books are different from anything else I read and I like mixing things up. Also, I'm just not ready to give these characters up quite yet and there's definitely more story left to tell.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FAVORITE QUOTES

I don't want that life again; I know I don't. But that doesn't mean I can stop myself from wishing for pieces of it. 

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiding Lies is the second book featuring Eleanor Ames, I really enjoyed Chasing Truth, so I was excited to read this one. It did take me a few minutes to reorient myself to the events of the first book because it's been over a year since I read the first book. This one picks up pretty much right after the events of the first book, so I would advise reading them in order. Otherwise you will be lost as well as having the first book spoiled.

This is a solid follow up to the first book. I felt like I got to know Ellie a bit more through flashbacks to her time with her con artist parents. I wish we could have gotten more background on Miles, but the story is told only from Ellie's perspective. Their relationship does grow more, however, there was a bit more angst in the trust department. I still love them together.

The mystery was really good. As in the first book, there are a lot of surprises. I'm not going to talk plot except to say once Ellie gets to New York, the book really gets going. Some of the characters from the previous book show up and add a lot of flavor to the story. I highly recommend this one as well as the first. I would keep it to over 16 YA crowd as there is some borderline mature content in it. I can't wait to see what happens to Ellie and Miles next!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 4/27/18.

Phew!

Once again, Ellie and friends lead us on a non-stop ride with twists and turns that no one can possibly see coming. Don't plan on doing anything until this one's done--seriously, it's pretty much un-put-downable. Who's really on which side? What, exactly, are the sides? Who can Ellie truly trust? Where is Miles, and what has he been doing?

Gah! So. Many. Questions.

So. Much. Stress.

It's definitely a good idea to read this book with the events of book one ( Chasing Truth ) fresh in you mind, because a lot of what happens here is connected to previous events. Since I've literally read dozens of books since I read that one, those events were a bit fuzzier in my mind than I would have liked, kind of like that dream you vaguely remember but can't quite grasp the details of...even so, this book kept me turning the pages. If you haven't yet read Chasing Truth, though, I absolutely recommend taking the time to read it before tackling this one.

Ms. Cross left Ellie (and Miles--thank goodness!) in a good spot at the end, but there's certainly room for another book if she is so inclined...and I for one will be early in line for it if she does, because Eleanor Ames! (I'd prefer not to wait another whole year, though. Just sayin' ;))

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

It has been 18 months since book 1 in this series and I was excited to finally be getting my hands on book 2.

Hiding Lies sees Miles in Turkey with his parents and Eleanor going on a three week field trip to New York City. But the field trip is just an excuse for Eleanor to go undercover in her father’s current con, working with the FBI in the hopes of getting her mother’s prison sentence reduced.

This story is full on from start to finish. Between school, her friends, her boyfriend Miles, her family, the FBI and the mob Eleanor has so many balls in the air. The collision of the different part of her life keep Eleanor on her toes and we get to see in her element, putting her skills as a con artist to good use.

The story has a few good twists and turns but I kept waiting for everything to go pear shaped. I loved seeing Eleanor working all sides and trying to decipher right from wrong and good from bad but it is a lot of presume on one high school student.

Hiding Lies is an excellent, fast paced action/mystery with a bit of family drama and some good solid teen romance and I had a great time reading it. I hope we don’t have to wait another 18 months for book 3.

[Avid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiding Lies (Eleanor Ames #2) by Julie Cross
4 stars
M/F Thriller, Romance
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.

This is the second book in this series and it doesn't disappoint. Miles, Ellie and Dominic are all thrown in to the story and you get to see them mature, develop their skills and see their relationships grow.

Ellie is still reeling a little from the situation she found herself in at the end of book 1. She wants to find a way to redeem her mom and put her dad where he belongs. When the opportunity presents itself, she'll need all of the people around her to pull off this con. You are given more background for Ellie and also get to meet a new family "cousin".

Miles and Ellie deepen their relationship all while trying to navigate their inherent conclusion to mistrust everyone. I liked that they were able to continue their relationship, despite being on opposite "sides".

Black and white don't belong in this story - it's all about shades of grey.

The character who surprised me the most was Dominic. He was a breath of fresh, humorous air. I liked how he was able to help Ellie do her job, but kept things light and funny.

This story is full of twists and turns that you don't necessarily see coming. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Manon the Malicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a bunch of books by Julie Cross and I’ve loved most of them. I was really excited to start this series and even more so when I’ve read the dedication of the first book.
I’m a huge fan of Veronica Mars, it’s my favorite series of all time and though not much was similar to it, I could tell how it was inspired by it.

Anyway, this book starts a couple weeks after the end of the first book, and not much has happened since.

As much as I did enjoy this book, it wasn’t as good as the first one, in my humble opinion. I found it to be not as fast paced and I wasn’t as captivated as I was by the first one.
I guess the setting wasn’t as exciting to me. I missed the burgeoning of the relationship we could see in the first one, the connection. The friendships weren’t as interesting either, except the one between Dominic and Ellie which I really really loved.

It was still insanely good and I didn’t see any of the twists coming.
I would definitely recommend this to everyone I know and I truly hope another book is gonna come out soon!

[T. Rosado · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS!!

It's been one of the best reading experiences getting back into the world of Eleanor Ames. She is by far one of my favorite YA heroines and this is definitely a favorite series. My expectations were high for this second outing, because Chasing Truth was a favorite YA book of mine from 2017. Yet, Julie Cross outdoes herself and delivers a funny, tempestuous, shocking, and ultimately romantic story. I honestly can't decide which book I love more. They are equally fabulous. With the way Hiding Lies is written, it can well and truly stand on its own, but it would be an injustice not to read Chasing Truth first and get the whole Eleanor Ames experience. Personally, I loved how some of the characters from the first book took new and exciting roles in this one. I'm not sure if this is a continuing series or just a duology, but if the author plans to continue in the world of Eleanor Ames, I will most assuredly follow. (This is my voluntary and unbiased review of an advanced copy of Hiding Lies via the publisher and Netgalley.)

[Sarah Bittel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the characters in the Eleanor Ames books and was thrilled to read an arc of this 2nd novel in the series. Eleanor is a wonderful character with spunk and personality. Miles, her boyfriend/FBI agent in training/tough guy, is another wonderful character! When I read these books I feel like I should be watching a great drama series on the CW! Full of mystery and intrigue, former con artist Ellie is trying to help change her mother's jail sentence. Her choices lead her back into the life she was trying to escape and forces her to see her father again. Set on a school trip to NYC, this story picks up right where the first book left off. With her friends, Ellie finds herself battling con artists, mobsters and the FBI. The story is well written and the plot moves quickly. I really enjoy the cast of characters and I'm excited to see where their story goes next! I am secretly hoping for a Harper/Aiden story too since Ellie's sister and her boyfriend are also brilliant characters. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm conflicted on this one. I adore this book in many ways. Ellie and Miles deserved this second story and I enjoyed getting to see a new element to Ellie and visiting some of her past. I liked that Dominic got to develop as an actual person and he was interesting and I liked him. I just liked learning more I think. But it also frustrated me cos I still have unanswered questions and I don't feel I got enough answers even though they were teased. I also struggled to suspend my disbelief a little with this book. But it was fun and everything I expected really.

[Autumn Chrunik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t even believe this series right now! Like holy crap did all that just happen? This book made me cry (don’t judge, I’m just super emotional right now) despite the fact that it isn’t even sad at all (but, like, Ellie + Miles scenes much?). I just love books about spies and heists and cons and wow. Blown away.

Full review to come on my blog (www.forthosewhoreadatnight.wordpress.com) on Friday.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I should be out of breath. The action just kept coming in this one. Ellie, our snarky, Veronica Mars-esque heroine is back and things have gotten more complicated than ever.

So many twists and turns. The plot just ran downhill like a snowball building. I also adored the increased character development of side characters like Dominic, and Ellie's teacher Mr. Lance.

I am not ready to let go of this series yet, so I am already desperately hoping for a book 3.

[Taznim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot more action in this one,but I missed Miles...

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Sav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... no words just... Wow!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so first I have to say that this will probably be kind of short and maybe vague, because I really don’t want to spoil anything for folks who are new to the series. Second, I have to say ;OIHA;RIUFHPQOIH I AM SO GLAD THIS BOOK IS NOW OUT!!! Ahhh, I have been waiting for so long! Absolutely. Thrilled.

Okay, let’s put the flailing aside now! I have so much love for this series. I was blown away when I read the first book at just how much depth there was to the story. It was no surface-level mystery/thriller that was heavy on solving the mystery or thrilling us with action, but light on world-building and character development – no, sir! As much as I loved Chasing Truth, and as much as I love Julie’s writing, I admit to some trepidation before reading Hiding Lies; I was worried, since the huge mystery of the first book had been solved, that this one would focus more on the long-distance relationship of Ellie and Miles and some piddly student-related mystery inside Holden Prep or something. Well, let me tell you, I will never again doubt Julie Cross, and I apologize for ever even *thinking* she might let us down! Hiding Lies is at least as good as Chasing Truth, possibly even better – and I do not say that lightly.

All of the fantastic characters are back, some with added depth and personality that we didn’t see in book one when they were more peripheral characters (I’m looking at you, Dominic!). Of course Ellie is still amazing, and Julie does not hold back on giving her real concerns to deal with. I think that’s one of the things I love best about Julie’s books – they are on the longer side, but I love that, because she really takes the time to set up the “world,” to give the characters depth, to build up to the mystery and the ultimate climax of the story. (Hey, speaking of climax, a slight aside: thank you, Julie Cross and Entangled Teen, for bringing us healthy, beautiful depictions of sex between two people who love each other and who wait for each other to be ready, who are mature and talk to each other about what they’re feeling when it comes to sex!)

In addition to the masterful build-up and the fleshing out of characters we met in the first book, I absolutely love the plot of this book, the mystery that Ellie gets involved in. I have to say it was an absolute delight to meet folks from Ellie’s past, to see the con in action, and to get more of Ellie’s flashbacks of growing up in a family of con artists and grifters. I was absolutely absorbed in what was happening and stayed up past 2:00 a.m. two nights in a row because I just couldn’t force myself to stop reading! And just when I’d think, “okay, phew! that was a crazy twist!”…along would come *another* one and blow my socks off. That, it actually occurs to me as I type this, is what is so special about Julie and this series – she can actually surprise me. I have never been able to guess ahead of time what’s *really* happening, how it will end, or who the “bad guy(s)” will be. I mean, I’ve been reading for 40 years, and she can still surprise me! That is an exhilarating feeling for a reader who sometimes feels as if she’s read every plot out there! Julie just keeps giving me more.

Well, long story short, I hope you can at least see how much I love this book, this series, and Julie’s skills! She is one of my favorite authors and I’m so thrilled that she’s with one of my favorite publishers. I will read anything Julie writes, and I would encourage y’all to do the same. Or at least find the genre you like best, since she’s written everything from contemporary to sports romances to science fiction to mystery/thriller! Seriously, there’s something for everyone, and I guarantee you will enjoy yourself. I highly recommend the Eleanor Ames series for readers who like smart, intricate, airtight mysteries with kick-butt heroines and swoony (and also kick-butt) heroes. Thank you to Julie and Entangled Teen for letting me take part in this blog tour and let y’all know just how much I love these books!

Rating: 5 mysterious and thrilling stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early copy of the e-book for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary, and this is my honest rating and review.

[Avery ☆ bforbookslut · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never been so glued to or invested in a young adult contemporary before, much less a young adult contemporary mystery thriller romance. The more I read fantasy, the less I was into mysteries and contemporaries but Chasing Truths and Hiding Lies were so phenomenally good that I couldn’t put them down.

Hiding Lies is the sequel to Chasing Truths and I do recommend that you read the latter first. However, Hiding Lies has enough catch-up for you to be able to read it as a standalone but where’s the fun in that? You’ll want to read Chasing Truths if only to see Eleanor and Miles snip and nip at each other before finally, becoming a thing.

Moving on,

In Hiding Lies, Eleanor is finally moving on from the death of Simon and the circumstances that lead to his demise as well as the rogue assassin group that is out for her head. But, her boyfriend isn’t answering her texts and calls and she receives devastating news that her mother’s sentence is extended despite her original deal with the FBI. So, what does noble Eleanor do? She negotiates a new deal to exchange her father for her mother but things never go as planned.

The badass Eleanor Ames has been compared to Veronica Mars and while I love and adored Veronica Mars, Ellie is not Veronica Mars. She’s better. She’s a tough cookie; she has to be, after all, as she grew up a criminal, surrounded by criminals and with criminal parents. But she’s at heart a teenager and I think that’s what makes her such a great character and so easy to connect with. In Hiding Lies, she is struggling with returning to normal life, with a family that loves her, a boyfriend that is loyal to his secret agent life and making as well as keeping friends. She’s also torn on going to college.

I think what makes Hiding Lies even better than Chasing Truths is seeing how Eleanor’s relationship with the people around her evolve as she grows and finds the person that she is, that she’s supposed to be. Miles plays less of a role in this story which I’m thankful for because while I love a good romance especially one filled with danger, we got that in Book 1, thank you very much, let’s move on. Instead, we get Eleanor and Dominic as well as a little bit of Bret and Justice, all main players from Chasing Truths.

It’s so important that in books, we show more than just the romance in the characters’ teenage years. Like, sure, finding out whose bits you want to boink is important but also forging lifelong friendships and a support system is equally as important.

I did feel that there was a lot less suspense in Hiding Lies. The story relied a lot more on Eleanor’s frustration and efforts to expose her father and save her mother from a lifetime in jail. But it was still thrilling nonetheless as we learn about more secrets and truths.

I did wish we saw a lot more of Harper and Aidan who are part of Eleanor’s central support system and family but considering that Harper is estranged from their father and Eleanor is looking for her father, I get why we see so little of them. I also really wished the ending wasn’t so Disney, or wrapped up so perfectly.

Conclusion:

The Eleanor Ames series is so cleverly thought out with Julie Cross’ signature writing style and it plays out like a tv show where there’s some continuity but it’s essentially a new story so you never really have to play catch up because you’re thrown into a new situation. I hope there is a third book in the works because I can never get enough of Julie Cross.

A big thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Any information here is subject to change in the finished copy.

This review was also posted on B For Bookslut!
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Review to come!