Book Review: Liar (The Scarab Beetle #2) by C.L. Stone

Rating:

liar scarab beetleLiar”, book 2 in “The Academy – Scarab Beetle Series” finds Kayli Winchester and the Academy boys – Corey, Raven, Brandon, Marc and Axel in Florida helping an elderly woman who was a Ponzi scheme victim.

But instead of checking financial records, the Scarab Beetles team found themselves in a high-octane car chase dodging bullets. And what is Blake Coalter, the team’s nemesis doing in Florida? Is he going after Kayli to make her pay for wrecking his yacht? Or is Blake’s reason less sinister than that?

Fans of the series already know that this is a reverse harem scenario – one girl and five good looking men plus one. A favorite fare in anime, author C.L. Stone has brought the reverse-harem to book lovers first in her “Ghost Bird Series” and now, here at Scarab Beetle Series.

And while The Ghost Bird series remains YA, the Scarab Beetles series toes the line to New Adult with the potential of becoming erotica as the storyline matures.

The lead characters of the Scarab Beetles series are all anti-heroes, including Kayli who is the title character “Thief” in the first book. Interestingly enough the designated “villain” Blake Coalter is an altar boy (compared to the Academy boys); though Blake has bad boy tendencies.

Together, all the characters in this book live in the fringes of the law and I believe that is what makes the book tick.

Liar” is Rated M for Mature due to some very steamy scenes.

Book Description

Worse than a thief, is a liar.

Kayli Winchester can finally let go of her thieving past and for once walk on the right side of the law. She’s had enough of the hustle and is determined to become the good girl.

But her brother, Wil, is still missing. On the hunt for him, she discovers something worse than a missing sibling: Marc, Raven, Axel, Corey and Brandon. These aren’t just scoundrels with hearts of gold. They’re flat out criminals. But they’re criminals who need her.

In a ruse to draw them away from her brother and learn more about this so-called Academy, Kayli joins them on a mission to Florida in search of a missing little girl. Kayli will do anything to make sure her brother is safe. She’ll find their leader. She’ll discover their intentions. She’ll infiltrate their ranks. And if they try to threaten her brother or herself, she’ll burn them all.

But when these five hot Academy teammates all contend for her heart, her resistance starts to crumble.

Maybe she wasn’t meant to be the good girl, anyway