This is the first book by this author that I've read and it definitely won't be the last. This book is a whitty and captivating story, which will keep you hooked till the last page. I just couldn't put this book down, I enjoyed every minute of it. The characters were really well written and so interesting to read. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

I definitely didn’t see this one coming - the blurb didn’t give me any clues but there again, most of the action in this story involves conning others, so maybe it is particularly apt? Don’t believe a thing they say or do, don’t be sure just who you can trust and get ready for a real page turner, a brilliant adventure superbly written and totally enthralling!

Timberly Day is an extremely able young lady, having gained multiple degrees whilst still a teenager. She hates silence. Talks incessantly. She’s great at thinking out of the box to devise gadgets, solutions and so much more.

Sorry, not going to type more as I’ll end up giving spoilers and I really don’t want to do that. My best advice to anyone who enjoys quirky suspense with a side helping of steamy romance grab yourself a copy of this fantastic story asap!

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

My name is Timberly Day. I don’t drink, but I do know things.
I know the heart beats over 100,000 times per day.
I know for every one second, lightning strikes the Earth 100 times.

I also know that Jaxon King—the bloody tosser!—is a muddler.
A manipulator. A liar. A con, a thief...and a closet nerd.
He’s as beautiful as innocence, as harmless as a feather.
Except, it’s all an illusion.

I see him and I see lies. I smell him and I taste deceit.
And still—fool that I am—I rush in.
His eyes are like ice. His tongue is like fire.
His lies are white, but his touch is red hot.

I had the chance to run.
I didn’t.
Now, I am a part of the game.
And the only way to win...is to give in.

Review:

First thoughts...fun, sexy, quirky.

Who is conning who? Answer read it and find out. The story really is captivating. I loved the whole story and gosh I really don't want to give away too much because it was fun read from the characters to the witty dialogue. It does my geeky heart good to recommend this story. The Author did a great job of making Jaxon and Timberly likable even when I did not want to like them. Jaxon and Timberly are sexy together and the Author wrote some great intimate scenes. Oh, love the name Timberly too. And I forgot this is the first book I have read by this Author, but she is now on my must read list.

I think this maybe the vague-ess review I have ever written but I really think if you like a witty, sexy romance then pick this up.

4.5 Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

I wanted to give this book 5 stars. The story is clever, cute, sweet and steamy everything you would want in a Cat and Mouse type of story. I don't know it is the way the author writes or just the story but many times I found the book to be choppy, the wrong use of certain terms made the 22 year old Timberly Day feel 90 years old.
The author gave a authentic feel when it came to the character losing her virginity I will give her points for that.
Honestly the story was choppy why the characters did what they did really didn't feel natural. A lot of talk but very little show. Timberly I suppose to be a genius and yet I wanted to see her use those gadgets but most of the time it was spent with Timberly talking about how hot and the ice blue eyes of her love interest was. readers need more with this story.
After a while as a read I wanted to yell YES I GET IT HE IS HOT AND HAS AMAZING EYES!
the names were cliche at best Jaxon King and the reason why just need more. I needed more reason than they were bored.
Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the copy of this story.

Timberly Day is not your typical girl. She knows things maybe too many things but her smarts are what got her where she is. When she runs into Jaxon King for the first time, she is sure she'll never forget him so when they cross paths again it's also my like fate put them in each other's way. But Jaxon is a liar, a thief, and a con man. Can Timberly truly trust him with her heart that seems to be falling for him quicker than she'd like or will he just play her like he does everyone else? They may both be thieves and liars but what happens when you try to con the unconnable conman?



Words cannot begin to properly explain how much I loved Free Hostage! S. Ann Cole, you are a talented genius and I am thrilled to say, I will read anything you ever release!

I was swept away by the pure brilliance that was Free Hostage. The writing was some of the best I've read not only in a while but ever! The characters were amazing and so easy to love, I'd actually really like to have each and every one of them in my own life. Timberly in particular, had me laughing with her inner commentary and her crazy thoughts. Her rambling was the best and I could help but fall for her fun personality! And of course, the romance, oh how it was perfection. It was layers of sweet, sexy, confusion, shock and just about every feeling and emotion you could think up. I am oh so grateful to have received an ARC copy of this book because I honestly don't know how I could be loved without having read this book! S. Ann Cole is exactly the kind of person I'd want to be friends with because of she is anything like her characters, she must be the most fun human being alive!



Holy mother of awesomeness. If this book doesn't make my top books list then I don't know what book will!! ;)

When I first heard of this book, the synopsis holed me in. I immediately started searching around in hopes that I could get my hands on an advanced copy despite the fact that there was only a handful of days left before the release. When I got the email saying that my Netgalley request was accepted, I was full-blown ecstatic! I will admit when I started this book, the prologue didn't really interest me all that much but now I'm realizing that it may have been because of the after-effects of the previous book I had read before Free Hostage which wasn't all that great. Suffice to say, as soon as I got through the prologue and into chapter 1, there was nothing and I mean nothing that could stop my heart from free falling! It was done... I was officially addicted.... A junkie....And I wouldn't have had it any other way!



Everything about this book, from the seamless writing, to the brilliant characters to the to-die-for romance, was pure perfection. All I can say is, why haven't I read anything by S. Ann Cole before?

Writing a review of a book I loved is always harder because it is pretty much impossible to properly explain the love I have for a book. But I'll try for the sake of getting more people to read this book because it's that good! S. Ann Cole truly delivers a fantastic read that is sure to have you hooked to the story from beginning to end with no hope of being able to put it down. The moment I started this book, I knew it was something special. The con artist idea to the story was super interesting and dare I say a little sexy. I love me some criminal romance and this was my cup of tea. Not only was the storyline perfect, but the execution of said storyline was also amazing. The way the author was able to bring her story to life boggled my mind, I truly felt like I was living alongside the characters the whole time. Speaking of the characters, I adored them! Timberly, Jaxon, Collin, Melanie and everyone else.... They all held a piece of my heart and made it so I was procrastinating the hell out of finishing this book! They were all so easy to love and I need them in my life! Timberly is a once in a lifetime character. It is very rare that I have zero issues with the female lead character because the majority of the time they develop a certain annoyingness or become petty but Timberly really wasn't like that. She stole my heart from the first page with her chatterbox of a mouth and her facts. She was perfect and if I could have anyone as a best friend it would be her. Jaxon truly was what you would picture when you imagine the perfect con artist. He was cold, detached, seemingly emotionless and indifferent. But he was sexy as sin and beneath his immovable mask, He had a heart that was brimming with love for Timber. They were fiery together, their passion and sexual chemistry were palpable and though their relationship was slow burning, I was rooting for them so hard! They were soooooo sexy but I could see beneath the surface and I loved that sweetness hidden there. And their banter was life! I wish the there story would be been longer because I was in no way ready to part ways with them!!!! And of course, I have to say a little something about the complete perfection that was S. Ann Cole's writing. It was seamless, flawless and so easy to get lost in. She drew me in with her beautiful words and the fun personality in her writing. The banter, the dialogue and everything in between were some of the best I've ever read and I cannot begin to explain how much I adored this book for everything it was! I have not read a better criminal romance in my life and it'll take a miracle for one to knock Free Hostage out of its #1 place I can assure you!



If there is one thing you need to know, it is that this book is amazing and needs to be read by everyone! It is perfect in every way! As you can see.... I've run out of words LOL

Free Hostage was a fantastic read and I'm so completely grateful for the ARC I received. I really don't know what I would've done if I hadn't read this book because I completely swept me away and left me in love with it and all its beauty. The characters were some of the best I've ever had the pleasure of meeting (not literally, unfortunately) and the writing was also some of the best I've read this year and ever! The romance made me feel every feeling and emotion known to man and I was just in utter love with this book! S. Ann Cole is a brilliant author with a raw talent and all her books need to be read by everyone! Free Hostage was an addicting book and if you've noticed I've not said much about the story itself, it's because you need to go in as blind and clueless as possible, promise that is the best way to go about it. You definitely don't want to be spoiled! I'm giving Free Hostage 10 stars and would recommend it to everyone ever!

P.S. if you've watched the TV Show White Collar with Matt Bomer and loved it, this book will be right up your alley! :)


I'd love to be Jaxon King's. I'd sign up for that spot any day!


"I’m not my own anymore. The moment he kissed me in that lift, he branded me and made me his."


*An advanced copy of this book was generously provided by the author and publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, there should be an option to add an extra star for an exceptional book! I was so intrigued with this book that I could not put it down and stayed up til 3 am to finish it (I had to be up for work at 7 am so not the best choice!)!

This book is filled with twists and turns, lies, and cons and just when you think you know what is going on, you realize that you don't! There were parts that were funny, parts that you can feel the pain, and many parts that you embrace.

It is hard not to give away any of the twists in the book, so I will try to be careful as this is not a book that you want to read the ending first (I do that sometimes). You really want to let the story unfold and not get ahead when the story really needs to flow. There are parts that I want to go back and re-read (after I get more sleep!).

Timber and Melanie were just such fun characters, and Jaxon was a real enigma so it was fun to watch him slowly unravel when he meets Timber. When he figures out that Timber and Collin were not sleeping together and that they conned him, that was hilarious! I also loved that Timber could have escaped at any time but just chose not to as she liked having new experiences.

Now I want to read her other books because this one was just that great!

Unique story line with plenty of intrigue.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Good Lord people!! Free Hostage legit came out of nowhere and knocked me flat on my behind!! I absolutely FLOVED it!! Right from the first page I was hysterically laughing at Timberly's inner thoughts, ramblings and commentary. She was so damn funny and so real!! And I absolutely loved Jaxon right away. There was something about that man that hooked me from the getgo. Their sexual chemistry was insane and the tension was palpable. I could not get enough!!

Without giving away any spoilers I can honestly say this book is like a combination between Hackers and Ocean's Eleven with SCORCHING sexy times that will steam up your kindle!! I was so addicting and the constant back and forth banter between Timber and Jaxon and the rest of the team is so awesome. I was hooked right from the start. When Timberly Day meets Jaxon King in the middle of a job gone wrong, she has no idea she is about to embark on an adventure that will change her life. Who can she trust and what does the elusive and mysterious Jaxon King want with her? Gahh!! Buckle up and enjoy the ride because this will totally suck you in and consume you.

All in all this was an AMAZING book and I NEEED more from S. Ann Cole in the future!! I need more books on the team members and Christopher King's book!!! Bravo!! 5 stars! ~Ratula

I would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

5+ 'Conned right into my heart' Stars!

Free Hostage well and truly blew my mind. I'm not sure what I anticipated when I started this book. Clever, witty, captivating and exceptional story-telling is what I found in the pages I couldn't flip through fast enough.

Timberly Day -- this bespectacled beauty, and endearing fact-spewing genius was quite the heroine. The whole book was in her POV and I enjoyed every second of it. Never was there a dull moment; be it her hilarious inner musings or the situations she found herself in.

Speaking of which...
Timber and her best friend, Melanie, have a bit of crazy hobby. With their combined brains, they never get caught. From one adventure to the next; always pushing the limits. Until one day, they cross paths with a pair of thieves. Even with the briefest of encounters, Timber will never forget those frosty blue eyes of the one who entranced her.

More than a year later, while at an auction in Paris, she recognizes the criminal - she's sure of it. Except this time, he's a fellow bidder...or is he there to steal?
Going off her gut instincts, she follows him. He sees her and decides that he can't risk getting caught, so he takes her as a "hostage". Those quotation marks are there to convey sarcasm. You needn't be worried for Timber. This is just another adventure to her; if she wanted to escape, she bloody well could. And so begins this outrageously thrilling ride.

“He smells good. Like mischief and trouble. Like sweet wrongs and delicious danger.”

Our seemingly imperturbable hero, Jaxon King, is one twisty SOB. One minute you'll love him and the next you'll want to strangle him, much like Timber feels I suppose. But when he's good, he's really good and damn near swoony.

“He laughs. And I die. Because he never laughs. He keeps killing me. He keeps bringing me back to life.”

Each passing day, the more truths revealed only lead to more unknowns. Missions and obligations get fuzzy and lines are most definitely blurred. Should Timber listen to her heart and trust the con man, or should she listen to her head and run the other way?

“He’s become the thing I hate and the thing I crave. I feel him in the beat of my heart, in the pulse of my veins.”


Ms. Cole weaves a brilliantly constructed story that'll no doubt keep you on the edge of your seat. Humor, yummy slow burn and unconventional romance with a twist -- countless twists.
If her writing is always this wickedly genius, I can't wait to devour every word she's ever written.

Free Hostage by S. Ann Cole is a exciting read for sure. It keeps you guessing since most of the characters in this story are con-artist. But it is a book that is very hard to put down. Really enjoyed it!

I’m not much into writing spoilers as I think it better to find out for yourself how the story goes as it would get really spoiled if you know too much of the book. Always better to get your own take on it and always have that feeling you get when you have read a book for the first time and think wow just wow I was expecting that and this book delivers that in spades and more. I’m definitely a fan of this author and this book. The only thing I will say is that you really do have to get your own copy of this book and take a couple hours for yourself to read this book.

Oh my god, this was absolutely hilarious. I laughed so hard I cried in places.
Jaxon is the perfect aloof hero, loved him and watching how hard he fell.
Timberly was fantastic, odd name, odd girl but absolutely hilarious.
Mel and collin, were brilliant secondary characters.
I couldn't stop reading and certainly never expected it to end how it did. Loved it.

What can I say? I could spew facts; all the things we ever or maybe never wanted to know Timber knows them. What an amazing creature she was, I absolutely loved her. Timber had it all going on, the brilliance, the wily wit, no nonsense, sensitive, and so much more. Her bestie Mel was the ballsy one, where Timber let her brain do the work. And now we come to Jaxson, my least favorite character in the book. Jax was a class A jack hat. I don't give a rats rump what he did and why he did it and when he was still a little prick who didn't deserve to breathe the same air as Timber. I digress.

These three meet during a job in NY and Timber is entranced by the blue eyes behind the ski mask.
When he makes a run and grabs something she dropped; she stumbles on something he lost in the mad dash to get away. You have to read the bit of backstory early in the book to understand what Mel and Timber are doing and why. S. Ann unfolds this story in the very best of ways.

When Mel and Timber fly to Paris a year later to attend an auction to acquire some coins, Timber sees those eyes again. She knows it's him. She doesn't know who he is, but she knows the eyes. So when the auction begins and he gets up and leaves she follows him. She finds him in the middle of relocating a priceless piece of history into his bag, so while she offers to help him she also allows him to take her hostage. But she's not really a hostage as they have no intention of holding her, yet she isn't free.

She finds herself waking up in NY amid Jax's little partners in crime, better yet worker bees. Everyone has a job. Dax is cold, closed off and treats Timber like the crap on the bottom of his shoe, he knows she's got a little crush on him. Timber has zero experience with sex, romance or anything that doesn't involve brain power.

The story continues to unfold and lies become truth and truths are lies and how can you tell the difference? How can Timber? When the bottom drops out for Timber, she ditches those little lace panties and throws on her big girl pants and hits the road telling the power that be to take a hike.
I loved that moment. Talk about a Texas throw down and they aren't in Texas. Timber is totally too intelligent and bright to rightfully set a few of her good friends here in there own rooms in hell, but reader can hope. Jax is lurking, his tremendously overblown ego is the only thing that surpasses his dick, or I'm sure he thinks. You can tell I wasn't fond of Jax. Not at all. He didn't do one thing that made me like him. Colin was a peach, what a great match for Timber's personality.

This book was fantastic and as crazy as crazy gets. The characters are written to perfection, the plot line is perfect, the backstory is important in this one and is woven seamlessly into the story. Loved it.
It's a great story, great twists, insanely great characters that you'd want as friends. An absolute must read.

4.5 stars


**arc from NetGalley and Entangled in exchange for a fair review**