Tangled Webs by Lee Bross

Title: Tangled Webs
(Tangled Webs #1)
Author: Lee Bross
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Classification: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Disney Hyperion!)

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.
Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.
But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.
Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

When I first found out about Tangled Webs, I knew this was a book I wanted to read. A story with secrets, disguises, and scandals? Yes, please! Overall, I enjoyed reading Tangled Webs. I started reading it late one night before bed and had a hard time putting the book down so I could go to sleep. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. But I ended up not falling in love with this one. There were a lot of things I liked about the story and it intrigues me enough to say that I do want to read the next one to find out what else will happen. 

The story is pretty entertaining. There were times I was completely engaged and didn't want to stop reading. I liked the world building and the plot of the story. I also liked the characters. Arista is an interesting main character. I didn't have any difficulty caring for her and hoping that things would work out for her. I like that she wanted more from her life and was trying to find a way to do what she wanted. 

In some ways Tangled Webs wasn't what I thought it would be, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing because I did like the book. But I thought there would be a little bit more romance and mystery. Some of the twists weren't completely surprising, there were a couple that I didn't see coming. 

My Recommendation:

Overall, I enjoyed reading Tangled Webs. It was entertaining and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. Some of the twists didn't catch me completely by surprise and I was hoping for a little bit more romance, but that didn't keep me from liking the story. I liked the world building, plot, and the characters. I would probably reread this story sometime. And I definitely am interested in finding out what will happen next.

My Rating: