This wasn't great. I couldn't connect with Tate's character. And although the plot was interesting and there were some great family dynamics and important conversations thrown in, it wasn't too great.

I came here for the mafia and I stayed for the witty banter.
I was not disappointed with “Shoot the Moon”. It was a fabulous read from start to finish. The characters are throughout fleshed out and the plot and worldbuilding is well crafted.
Also, major props given for how addition was handled in “Shoot the Moon”! The fact that the story is told from an unreliable narrator makes me fall in love it even more. I’m that person that usually ends up rooting for the “bad” guys but it takes a lot of skill to actually make me like a horrid main protagonist and then make me want them to come out on top of the world.
A wonderful novel and a must read!

A copy of the book was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

This is not my favorite kate Watson book but I did enjoy it. I love how she wrote the addiction part of this book, I really felt that aspect. I just felt like the character where lacking and the pacing was a little slow at times. But I did enjoy Kate other works and I suggest everyone check them out

A brilliant concept and well executed. It's something that seems to be coming into the forefront of YA novels and I'm glad that this is the case.
Particularly good for those who are wanting to read Juno Dawson's Clean.

4/5 stars. Shoot the Moon is the second book in a series, although I didn't know that when I requested it. I started looking at other reviews and saw that you don't have to read the first to read this one. And honestly, you didn't. This book gives you all the details you need to get into the story and know the characters. The first doesn't seem very interesting to me, so I probably would have given it a miss anyway, but this book really intrigued me.

Let's get into the things I really liked about this book:

1. Tate. TATE. He was such an idiot and there were so many times when I wanted to shake my kindle and shout "WHAT ARE YOU DOING??" Yet at the same time, I'm in love with him. He's one of my latest book boyfriends and I haven't stopped thinking of him, even after finishing this book. Tate is the epitome of a real, flawed character. He has so many good points, in that he clearly cares about people deeply, he's very smart and dedicated, and he tries so had. But he also has a serious gambling addiction, as well as many other flaws that make him so real and so lovable. I would honestly read another book that's just about Tate doing things, because I loved him so much.

2. The gambling addiction at the center of this novel. Tate is addicted to gambling, especially poker, but he doesn't think that he does. At the beginning, he runs an illegal card room, even though he supposidly has his 30 day chip from Gambler's Anonymous. This is the central plot of the novel, even though there are many other threads that really make this novel a masterpiece. I have also never read, and never even HEARD of another novel with gambling addiction at it's core. It's not something that gets explored often, and I really enjoyed learning about it. It's an addiction that's hard to recognize, which is shown in how Tate struggles to admit he has an addiction.

3. The family. Tate's family in this novel is so present and so loving: I adored it. Tate's mom has fibromyalgia, which I thought was an interesting addition because you rarely see it in novels. Even though his mom isn't in this novel too much, she feels like a real mom. Tate's brother, father, aunt and foster sister are also really vibrant and make a very interesting cast of characters that obviously care about Tate. It's a pleasant surprise since a lot of YA novels don't feature a supportive family. And since this is about addiction, the support is absolutely necessary.

4. The world. Although you're kind of dropped into this world (probably my fault for reading the second novel first...) I didn't feel like I was ever confused over who was who and what was going on. It's a contemporary novel, so there's not magic or anything, but the society in this is vibrant and I really enjoyed all the intricate pieces.

Now, with all that praise, here's what made me rate this book only a 4 stars:

1. The romance. It's very obvious that Alex and Tate are set up to be in a relationship from the very start. So I don't feel bad about spoiling it, really. That being said, I thought this was a romance that was so very forced. The two of them had an obviously very unhealthy relationship, which can be an interesting dynamic but... (view spoiler) It just left a bad taste in my mouth and I felt that the novel would have been fantastic without the epilogue to ruin it. Focus instead on the people themselves getting better, instead of the romance.

2. Alex. I HATED her character. All her problems, she caused because she couldn't communicate. I think this plot device is infuriating, but Alex seemed to be the only character that actually had this problem, which is what made me really dislike her. Yes, there were secrets being kept from her, yes she wasn't being treated poorly, but she didn't help the situation by not communicating to ANYONE, especially the people who clearly cared about her. I hated her character so much that it's literally enough for me to knock off a star JUST FOR HER.

Overall, I thought this book was a very interesting premise, one that I hadn't ever seen before, and which really intrigued me. In the end, both the premise and the main character met their end of the bargain, it was just a couple major things that kept me from loving this book as much as I wanted to.

This YA Contemporary picks up a few months after Seeking Mansfield  but this time you're getting Tate's POV. You remember Tate, Ollie's big brother, who ended up in the hospital due to his gambling addiction. 

Tate is not the most likable character and at times I struggled with his personality. I had to keep reminding myself that addicts are often so used to lying that they've become accustomed to doing what people expect them to do out shear habit. Tate is exactly like this. I struggled because he was just so cold on the inside but over the course of the book, seeing his struggle with his gambling addiction, it made more sense. Of course he's cold, his addiction is what drives him, and it's also what keeps the wedge between him and his family. Watson did a wonderful job of portraying this struggle and by the end of this book you'll be rooting for him! 

Can I just tell you that the end of this book with its twists and turns and secrets revealed was so well done that you never would've seen what happened next. It becomes almost like a thriller and the connections made in the end are shocking. I really enjoyed the corruption aspects of this book and by the end you're not sure who to trust. 

I've never read Mansfield Park but from what I've heard from others this retelling is spot on with it's portrayal of the main character. I'll have to add this classic to my TBR list so that I can make all the fun connections those who've read it have been able to make!

Another great story by a new favorite author. Definitely a story you will be needing in your life.

Even though I started this read knowing it was not a continuation of Seeking Mansfield and it was not another modern day adaptation of a Jane Austen book, I really wanted to like it. And I so…didn’t.
The issue? For me, it was the main character himself. Tate Bertram is an arrogant jerk who believes he is smarter than everyone around him, that he knows best. I waited and waited…and waited…for this guy to redeem himself. When he does finally admit to his faults and failures, the person I felt a smidgen of pity for in this story proves herself just as arrogant and unlikable as Tate.
Granted, the book does have some bright spots. I enjoyed getting a peek into what’s going on in the Bertram household. Mr. and Mrs Bertram, Oliver, and Finley Price all make appearances as does Aunt Nora. And some of the witty banter is enjoyable—especially those interactions between Tate and Nia.
In fact, I thought Nia made a better match for Tate than Alex. Overall, Shoot the Moon was a mediocre read after Watson’s fantastic debut last year.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I was a fan of Watson's debut, Seeking Mansfield, and was excited when I heard we were getting another story from this world. This companion was quite different from its predecessor. As each Bertram child was unique, so are their stories. This one, like Tate, was grittier and a little darker than Oliver's story, but still kept me just as entertained.

•Pro: Tate was so beautifully complicated. On the surface, he appeared to have it all - good looking, great grades, wealthy family, but inside, he was battling multiple demons. Watson did a fantastic job in presenting a character with a lot of depth and tons of layers.

•Pro: Tate was a gambling addict, and his addiction, denial, and daily battles with himself were illustrated quite well. There were many times in the book, where I felt like I was physically part of his struggle. Watson also explored how his addiction affected those who loved him, and how Tate had to deal with the harm he inflicted on his loved ones.

•Pro: This was about redemption. Tate fell from grace in the first book and he fell even further in this one. However, he realized he wasted something different, and he worked hard to achieve that goal. I am a sucker for that sort of thing.

•Pro: There is a little bit of something for everyone in this book. There's a little family drama, politics, crime, and romance.

•Con: A little bit of romance is nice, but I would have liked a little more. What can I say! I am a hopeless romantic.

•Pro: So many different family issues were spotlighted. Between the that, the political double-crossing, and the mafia, there was tons of delicious drama to enjoy.

•Pro: I found being immersed in the world of poker rather fascinating. Between the lingo, probabilities, and the psychological aspects, I found myself quite enthralled. The mind of a poker player is a very interesting place to be.

•Pro: It was fun catching up with Finley and Oliver. I loved those two so much, and catching up with old friends is one of my favorite things about companion novels.

•Pro: I thought the ending was really great. I was quite pleased with the way Watson tied up some of those loose ends.

Overall: Another strong offering from Watson, featuring great characters, snappy dialogue, and whole lot of delicious drama. I am hoping we get a third book, featuring the last Bertram sibling, because Watson had her up to some interesting things in this book, and I want to know more of what she has been doing.

This was an interesting book. I learned a lot about poker. I'm happy to see how one could deal with their gambling issues. This was a very educational book.

Last year I read and loved the first book in this series, Seeking Mansfield, and I was so excited to find out there was a sequel. While Shoot the Moon was not quite the light and fluffy read I was expecting, I still really enjoyed it.

This books focuses on Tate, Oliver’s older brother. I loved how witty and sarcastic he was. He could also be kind of awful, but in a fun way. I loved watching his journey throughout the book. He had many ups and downs and by the end I felt like he was really heading in the right direction. I initially was excited in seeing Oliver and Finley again, but I felt disappointed in what we got from them. I don’t consider this a spoiler because we find out in the very first chapter (but skip ahead if you don’t want to be spoiled at all!) that Oliver and Finley have broken up! And then there’s a brief thing with Tate and Finley that had been hinted at in the previous book, but actually goes further. There’s a little more back and forth with Oliver and Finley, but they didn’t really play a big part in the overall story of this one.

One character I really didn’t care for at all was Tate’s new love interest, Alex. Though we know how insecure she really is, it still really frustrated me when she lashed out at Tate. She came across as very unkind and manipulative and I just couldn’t like her at all, though she did get a little better by the end of the book. Still, I do not think that she and Tate were a good match. I felt like if they wanted to be together they still had so much growing up to do and they weren’t there by the end of the book. For awhile I thought it was looking like Tate would end the book single and I was actually pretty excited about that, but I don’t think it’s a surprise to say that that didn’t happen.

There were a lot of poker terms included in this. There is a glossary of terms in the back of the book which I perused before I started reading, but I find it too difficult to go back and forth with e-books so I was often lost when there were passages with lots of poker terms. While I appreciate the authenticity Watson was going for in including them, I felt like it could have been edited down a lot. It’s one of those instances where it felt more like the author wanted to show how much research she had done, then it being really relevant to the progression of the story. There is also a lot of politics in the story. I thought it was a little heavy handed at times. Depending on your particular political bent you will either really enjoy it or be kind of annoyed by it.

Overall, while Shoot the Moon was not the follow-up to Seeking Mansfield I expected, I still enjoyed it. I really loved Tate. Even when the story lost my interest occasionally, Tate still made me want to keep reading. Though this isn’t the light read that the first book was, I would still definitely recommend it to fans of Seeking Mansfield. I am looking forward to reading more from Kate Watson.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars

Shoot the Moon is a companion novel to Seeking Mansfield. It follows Tate Bertram, only a secondary character in book one, as he struggles with a gambling addiction, trying to keep his grades up at school, and interning on his aunt's political campaign. All that, plus the political competition might have ties to the mob! This book was so fun!

I really enjoyed this book - maybe even more than Seeking Mansfield! I enjoyed Tate's characters development, especially how Watson made sure that his gambling addiction wasn't just *poof* fixed, but that he had to struggle through it.

I also appreciate that she wrote about poker so much, but did so in a way that someone who knows nothing about poker (*ahem* me) wasn't completely lost or bored by it all.

I can't wait to see what Watson comes up with next!

Again, Kate Watson's writing showed to be very fluent. If there's one thing that immediately pops up when I see her name somewhere it's "Darn, her books read fast!" without a doubt. It didn't take me long at all to finish Shoot the Moon and I honestly love it when I can read a book at such a fast pace.

While her first novel, Seeking Mansfield, was a book that made you fall in love with the MC, this novel is completely different. I've never been so frustrated with a main character in my life!
Although this might cause others do stop reading, do dislike the whole novel, I didn't have the same reaction. On the contrary. It pulled me in even more. I got intrigued to find out how everything would turn out. Would Tate realize his gambling problem? Admit to it? Or would he be stuck in his bubble forever and, with that, throw his life away?

Tate's gambling addiction, specifically poker, pops up quite a bit. There are more than just a few games being played throughout this novel and it went way above my head at times. I don't know all the poker terms, the rules and the what's what of poker. Unfortunately that made me skim some of the novel, simply because I didn't feel like trying to understand what was going on when Tate was playing poker..

It honestly did make me enjoy the novel a bit less, but I still enjoyed it. I loved Seeking Mansfield, I quite liked Shoot the Moon. Now that I had both Oliver's and Tate's story, I'm definitely curious to see what Kate Watson will bring us next!

Goodreads Synopsis:
Despite what his brother—and sponsor—thinks, nineteen year-old Tate Bertram isn’t an addict. He has the 30-day chip to prove it. But when his father learns Tate’s been running an illegal card room out of a friend’s dorm to pay off old gambling debts, Tate is cut off. With his family no longer talking to him, his aunt Nora offers him a chance to intern for her political campaign. Juggling school with the intense internship, Tate finds himself buying scratch-off lottery tickets to take the edge off.

Tate is surprised to find the beautiful and calculating Alex Wolf—his first crush and the girl who taught him how to gamble—volunteering with Nora’s campaign, too. Soon, Tate is more drawn to Alex than ever. Her mind games stick in his head, but her vulnerable, softer side gets into his heart. But as tensions rise along the campaign trail, Tate is forced to question whether he’s really addiction-free, after all.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS meets ROUNDERS in this high stakes tale of the cost of winning and the price of redemption.

My Review:
I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

First off, let me say how much I love the characters. The main character in this book, Tate, has changed so much even through the first book. I'm really glad I got to know him in this way. The setting is a bit more plain that other books I've been reading lately, but it's exciting and really a breathe of fresh air. I absolutely loved this book.

Unlike "Seeking Mansfield", the main character is Tate, rather than switching viewpoints between his brother and adopted sister. As the eldest brother of the family, he struggles with life because of his full blown gambling addiction. He tends to stay away from anyone he cares about because he doesn't want to hurt them. It's not that he doesn't care about them, quite the opposite actually. He just feels it's safer for them if he keeps his distance, especially after his incident in the last book. I was sucked into the story from the very beginning and didn't want to put it down for a second, even after finishing the other book and immediately moving onto this one.

Although the two books aren't directly connected story wise, many characters from the other story are in this. It gives you a chance to get to know them from a different point of view and really just gives you more time to love them. They fight against themselves for various reasons every day and seem very realistic, although they've been through some tough times, seem to handle themselves pretty well. Tate is the one character I wished I got to know better, and this book gives you exactly that. He's a really cool person and uses a lot of the skills he learned from gambling in his everyday life, which gives him kind of a new outlook on things.

Although gambling makes him feel lighter than air, just being around the chips, the money, and the smell of the cards makes him feel good. He denies any help he can get although he knows he needs it. In the book he tries helping out his aunt Nora in her campaign, and meets some people he would rather stay away from, from his past. Honestly most of the book is Tate's downward spiral, but everything that happens just makes you want to read more into it, and you just know he'll figure everything out by the end.

Like I said earlier, I absolutely love this book and although I picked it mostly for the description and the amazing eye catching cover, I'm glad I got the chance to read it. You don't have to read "Seeking Mansfield", although this book is kind of a follow up, you wouldn't be lost just reading this book by itself. Definitely check it out if you get the chance!

Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

First, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC.

Secondly, damn. I MEAN DAMN. Any writer who can take an unlikable douchebag character and humanize them, then make me actively root for them should get all the stars in the world for their books. In this case, this is worthy of five fist pumping stars.

I'm going to have to do a reread with this to pick up on all the poker details, especially after reading the glossary at the back. If you're only sort of acquainted with poker (in that I've watched many hours of the World Poker Tour with my dad but there was still SO MUCH I didn't know), read the glossary in the back first, as that will help you understand the dozens of terms thrown around.

Until I can reread the final product, I'm just going to say that I'm so happy this book exists, it definitely made me cry, and I need more Bertram stories in my life (hey Kate, a third one then...?)

Mini review:

DNF

I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read the previous book. I liked Seeking Mansfield and of course requested this one. Unfortunately it wasn't for me.

I didn't mind it in the beginning. I felt that the author dealt with Tate's addiction very well. After some time Tate began to get on my nerves. I especially didn't like how he manipulated Finley.

This was a personal thing so I still recommend.

Unfortunately I found this book dragged for me. I liked the idea of a book about a recovering card sharp with a background of Chicago politics, but this one was a lot more about Tate dealing with anxiety over not gambling and his relationships with Finley and Alex. My expectations diverged too much from what the book actually is and so inevitably I was disappointed.

Shoot the Moon is the second novel in the Seeking Mansfield series. I didn't know it was a second novel in a series when I read it. I frequently felt that I was missing parts of the story while reading Shoot the Moon - which makes more sense now that I know it is a book two. To me, it does not work well as a stand alone novel.

Tate, has had a gambling addiction in the past but he's been in recovery for 30 days by the time the novel begins. But that is just semantics. Tate is still living an addicted life. He runs an illegal card operation, he carries cards with him just to feel their smooth corners, and he thinks like an addict. It takes Tate quite a while to realize that leaving an addiction is about more than just not playing the actual game.