Stone Cold Fox by R.K. Croft, published by Penguin Random House is the debut novel by this author. And she did a great job.
I just loved Bea, the perfect anti-heroine, her cynism, the twists and turns the storyline took, 4,5 stars.

Deliciously devious is the phrase that comes to mind when thinking of Stone Cold Fox. Who doesn’t love rich people behaving badly, especially when there are secrets being kept? Rachel Koller Craft’s debut kept me on my toes and I devoured this one faster than I have any book in a long time. I absolutely can’t wait for the rest of the world to read this one!

Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was so much fun to read! The narrator was snarky and not entirely likable, which was really great. But, then, there really weren’t any truly likable characters in the book! They were all deliciously flawed and delightful to read about. There were plenty of twists and turns, too; but, unfortunately, also a few too many coincidences. However, the quirky plot, fast pace, and entertaining characters made this book a winner for me.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

QUICK TAKE: I loved this domestic suspense about a grifter trying to marry into a wealthy family and the woman who tries to take her down. Extremely voice-driven, sharply written and very witty. Delicious fun.

This was an amazing debut book! I had an awesome time reading it. Twists, riveting pacing, increasing tension between two women were so enjoyable! I loved a lot of things about this book, Bea was complicated, damaged, and ruthless, and I couldn't help rooting for her to succeed in her plan to marry bland Collin and live a safe and easy life of luxury. I love stories with a protagonist like this; a clever female who isn’t who she says she is. Of course you’re meant to root for them, even though they aren’t necessarily great people. The story was a good cat and mouse chase, with a fun look at the inside of old money. Her battles with Gale were so much fun to read and the flashbacks to her traumatic past with her mother showed how Bea was shaped by the things she experienced. I loved reading the book from her perspective. The ending was CRAZY in all the best ways. I highly recommend this delicious, entertaining, smart novel! Many thanks to Rachel Koller Croft, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinions. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

I really loved Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Killer Croft. Bea is a total badass who has had to fight, claw, tooth, and nail to get what she wants from life--and she knows what she wants. Raised by a con-artist mother, she's become a superb con artist herself. And her latest con is making one wealthy Collin Case fall in love with and marry her. But of course, she has her fair share of obstacles along the way. This is told in two timelines, so we see the younger Bea, who only wanted her mother's love. I really enjoyed this story. That said, it did have a bit of a unique story structure, and at times I felt as though it wandered. That said, I plan to purchase a copy of this book for my own shelf. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book. This was by far the best book I have read in a while! I think it takes the cake for my favourite thriller I read this year!
I found the plot incredibly unique, which is often rare to find in the thriller genre. This was such a fun and addicting read. The mind games in this book were so well done and there were twists around every corner.
This is definitely a book where you will find yourself rooting for the anti-hero. She is likeable and funny.
I enjoyed every page of this book. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Absolutely outstanding!

Be a spent her younger years helping her mother grift older, richer men and taking whatever abuse they wanted to throw at her. Now, finally free of her mother's influence she has lined up a rich m a for herself. The plan is to marry him and finally settle with some security for life. Unfortunately for Bea she is surrounded by women trying to take her down, expose her for who she is and keep her from her happy ending. I lost count of the psychopaths in this book but it was a really fun ride.

A perfectly wicked debut thriller about an ambitious woman who, after a lifetime of conning alongside her mother, wants to leave her dark past behind and marry the heir to one of the country's wealthiest families.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 star read for me!

This book was a RIDE! I loved that Bea was unapologetically herself and went after exactly what she wanted at every turn; that being said I did feel a TOUCH let down by the ending.

Bea is 100% an instrument of chaos. I loved how the book was set up, hilariously told from her point of view but also throwing in key moments of her childhood/upbringing that highlighted and explained exactly how she became the way she is. Those were heartbreaking and made Bea a little more grounded for me. Until I hit that first flashback, I thought Bea interesting but vapid and I wasn't sure I could manage an entire book from her very casual POV. But she definitely grew on me as her motives become more clear.

I wouldn't say this is the most well written book I've ever read, but it is FUN. And it is thrilling, and there ARE times when I held my breath. The catty behavior between Bea and Gale was a highlight, but I also found myself having to suspend some disbelief because the way Gale was introduced and characterized seemed at odds with her behavior. However, that obviously works in her favor so its not a detriment.

I almost want more of Bea's life, and I hope a final showdown between Bea and Mother could be in the cards.

Bea has finally found a man to marry. He’s everything she’s been looking for… rich, very rich. As she tries to win over his family, she finds out his best friend, Gale, will be a worthy opponent as well.

I love stories with a protagonist like this; a clever female who isn’t who she says she is. Of course you’re meant to root for them, even though they aren’t necessarily great people. The story was a good cat and mouse chase, with a fun look at the inside of old money. There was a small part of the end that I didn’t get, but I enjoyed how it all turned out.

“The ones at the top are at the top for a reason. We don’t get burned, but we’ll burn the ones that try with pleasure.”

Stone Cold Fox comes out 2/14.

This book was fantastic, I would give it ten stars if I could. What a ride! An excellent thriller with the twists and turns that you can't predict, and an amazing, brilliant original plot. Wonderful, captivating writing gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader. I highly recommend this. I can't wait to own this novel in print.

I loved this book. At first I was not certain how much sympathy I could have for Bea, but as the story progressed I was certainly pulling for her. Bea's mother used Bea as a tool to help her ingratiate herself into the lives of wealthy men who she then divorced and received pots of money from. Bea ditched her mother in the hopes of gaining security but she didn't think she would ever be able to actually love someone or find a friend because she had too many secrets. A few surprises, and, Spoiler alert--Mom comes back to cause more trouble. There were a few loose ends and there is possibility for a sequel to tie them up. Some adult situations, so I probably will not purchase this for my high school library, but otherwise I strongly recommend.

Ramona Thompson

Cool, calm and collected, I loved this book.

It’s hard to say what I loved about it without spoiling it or giving too much away, but there were solid characters with development and backstory to really get your into their psyches.

With plentiful twists and turns, I couldn’t put this down!

Well written, interesting story. A protagonist that you both hate and root for at the same time. Definitely did not see the ending coming, which is always great.

This is the story of a young woman, BEA, who must make a decision about how to use her gifts af brains and beauty. Her conniving and plotting are foreshadowed by the role model presented by her own mother.

She must determine what is really important. Her relationship with Syl helps bring clarity to her future. BEA, despite her mother, does have a sense of what she needs and wants.

All of these relationships are brought to a very satisfying close. It is an enjoyable read which I recommend to those who enjoyed books such as LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE.

Thank you Netgalley for this very readable novel. I suspect this will be a bestseller this year.

I wanted to really like it, long cons and reinventing oneself are great storylines but I was less enamored after the human trafficking.

Delving into the behaviors of a mother with a twisted mindset, author Croft weaves a tale of young Bea as she is introduced to the world of an upscale sex worker by her own mother. As a young child, gorgeous Bea is lavished with love and praise by her mother's wealthy boyfriends/husbands and so has come to expect that she is worthy of the rich things in life. One thing that her mother constantly withholds is love, whether it is from herself or any of the men in Bea's life. As a teen, Bea finally makes her escape from her mother's clutches, forging a new identity for herself and in her twenties, a new life among the top 1%. But marrying into the rich and powerful Case family comes with a powerful enemy just waiting to take Bea down. Croft adds layers to the suspense as bit by bit, Bea's "erased" past comes back to haunt her and possibly take away everything she has built for herself. How far will she go to protect her new life? Would murder be out of the question?

What a debut! This story was really entertaining and kept me on my toes. Bea had a lot of depth as a character. She was so well-written, that there wasn’t even a moment throughout this book that I didn’t enjoy reading from her perspective. I look forward to reading more from this author!