Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of Hiding Lies by Julie Cross

Author: Julie Cross

Publisher Entangled Teen

Date of publication: April 2018

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.

Buylinks: https://entangledpublishing.com/hiding-lies.html

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!

Enjoy this excerpt:

My feet have been dangling. I start to lift them up, attempting to conceal myself. But I’m not fast enough. Warm fingers wrap around my ankle.

“Got you,” the guy says. “How long have you been up there spying on me?”

“Spying? On you?” I shake my head. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m waiting for someone. He’ll be here any second.”

The hot guy takes the binoculars and looks them over, analyzing the zoom-in and recording switches hidden on the underside. “Fancy. Not exactly for recreational use.”

That’s because they’re Aidan’s. My sister’s boyfriend. Up until two weeks ago, when he was forced to resign, Aidan was a Secret Service agent. He used all kinds of spy gear in his former job—like these high-tech night-vision binoculars.

I hop down from the tree, assessing the intruder, searching for body language that says friend or enemy, even though I already know the answer. No harm in having a little extra practice. Role-play is definitely a skill of mine, but it’s also a muscle that must be worked regularly. “Just so you know, I am trained in self-defense. Wouldn’t try anything if I were you.”

“Yeah?” He lifts an eyebrow. “That’s good because this place is sketchy as hell.”

We both glance around the deserted warehouse building beside us, the vandalized lumberyard nearby, and the questionable items strewn across the walkway leading to the giant warehouse door—condom wrappers, broken beer bottles, cigarette butts.

“You’re right, it’s sketchy,” I say. “I better take off before something bad happens.”

“Wait…” Hot Guy reaches for me, his fingers curling around my waist. He tugs me until my back rests against the tree and we’re hidden from anyone on the street. “Tell me about this other guy you’re waiting on.”

I stare up at him, taking in the cocky smirk, perfectly messy dark hair, and blue eyes that hold dozens of secrets. “What other guy?”

He grins, showing off two perfect dimples to go with the rest of his perfects. “Good answer.”

Then, before I can refocus on the role I’ve been playing, he leans down and kisses me. It’s only been a week but feels like a month. Maybe longer. His cheeks are cold, but his lips are warm and tender. I bring him closer and closer until his slinged arm is lodged between us.

“Miles,” I mumble against his lips.

“Uh-huh.”

“Miles,” I repeat, too caught up in this kiss to celebrate the slip he just made. “That’s his name. The guy I’m waiting on.”

“Miles. Sounds like an asshole. Forget him.” He pulls away just enough to see my face. His good hand rests against my cheek. He looks like he’s about to dive into kissing me again but hesitates. “It’s really cold out here.”

“And sketchy,” I add. “Why would you pick a place like this? You can’t coast forever on the whole mysterious-hot-guy persona. So if that’s your plan, I’d rather meet at the Y or Planet Fitness like a normal person.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yes, that’s my goal in life. Devote all my time to training to be a spy so I can impress girls.”

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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, Chasing Truth, Off the Ice and many more to come! Julie Cross was a longtime resident of central Illinois but has recently moved her entire family across the country to continue her academic studies at Stanford University.

Author Links:

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Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

Author: Julie Cross
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Date of publication: September 2016

At Holden Prep, the rich and powerful rule the school—and they’ll do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden. 

When former con artist Eleanor Ames’s homecoming date commits suicide, she’s positive there’s something more going on. The more questions she asks, though, the more she crosses paths with Miles Beckett. He’s sexy, mysterious, arrogant…and he’s asking all the same questions. 

Eleanor might not trust him—she doesn’t even like him—but they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Fighting the infuriating attraction is almost as hard as ignoring the fact that Miles isn’t telling her the truth…and that there’s a good chance he thinks she’s the killer.


Chasing Truth is the first in a new YA series.  I actually ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would. It's going to be hard to really tell you much without giving away the plot.  But, the basic story is that Ellie is living under witness protection after having turned in her parents for fraud.  She lives with her sister and her sister's Secret Service agent boyfriend.  A new boy moves in next door and he seems want the same answers to what really happened to her friend Simon that she does.  Miles is pretty straight-laced yet seems to have some secrets of his own.

It's a complicated plot with a lot of twists and surprises, but that is what made the book fly by for me.  I kept wanting to see what happened next.  The ending was a complete surprise as well.  As for Ellie, I loved her character.  She has lived her young life surrounded by con artists and is struggling to become someone new.  It's hard for her to realize that the past doesn't define her and she can change. I am looking forward to seeing how her character develops in future books. The romance between Miles and Ellie was sweet and not entirely angsty.  I wold love to see how it matures.

I would definitely recommend this one to YA mystery lovers.  I would keep it to the over 16 crowd though as it does have some mildly mature content in it.  I look forward to seeing what Ellie gets involved with next!