Elle Keaton
Bait and Switch : Subtle Deceptions Book 2 (Paperback)
Bait and Switch : Subtle Deceptions Book 2 (Paperback)
4.72 / 5.0
(29) 29 total reviews
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The plan? Lie low on Heartstone Island and wait for the dumpster fire that is his past life to burn itself out. So far, so good. Until it isn't.
Gabriel has avoided Ranger Man for days, made a few important repairs to his sailboat, and put a dent in the stack of dime-store mysteries Elton loaned him. Life is at least okay.
Eight days in and his strategy crumbles like a wet cookie.
His ex-partner-in-crime returns, but this time he is very dead. And wearing a baby blue tracksuit, which somehow makes his murder even worse.
Is his body a message from the crime family they mutually pissed off? Did Peter have connections to Heartstone? And if he didn't, how the hell did he know he'd find Gabe there?
With yet another exceedingly ill-timed murder, Gabe's luck is once again not the Good Kind. Then there's his simmering attraction to Casey, which he's actively sweeping underneath his mental throw rug. Lundin is definitely not Gabe's type. He's a walking-talking moral compass that never seems to cease pointing out everything he's sure is wrong about Gabe. But damn, that man's uniform fits him like a custom glove.
Adding to it all, snow is in the forecast, there's a missing brush worker up the valley, and Calvin Perkins is still on the loose. Gabe's not even going to think about the spiders.
Everything will be fine. FINE.
Bait and Switch is told in dual point of view and is book two in the Subtle Deceptions series.
DELIVERY DATE SEPTEMBER 23, 2025 via Bookfunnel
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I’m enjoying this series with its slow burn romance. The mystery ramps up in this story, with more bodies, and someone not wanting Gabriel or Casey connecting any dots. I loved the brief crossover with Piedras Island, and how, although there are some answers, the author leaves some threads hanging for the rest of the series.
I love how Gabriel and Casey go back and forth, with both men clearly attracted to the other, but determined not to be. Gabe’s inner monologue which sounds a lot like his mother is fun, and often the voice he should be listening to.
Elton is wonderful. I love how he takes charge of many of the situations, and no one argues with him. The little bit revealed about his past wasn’t a surprise, considering all that.
I loved the way the mystery continues to unfold, especially the suspense scenes. Nicely done.
Keith makes a great addition to their ‘team’, and I already loved Bowie.
I am truly loving this series! In the true fashion of an Elle Keaton mystery, there are more questions than answers (which I am sure will be resolved by or in the last book), and plenty of opportunities for readers to guess (and second-guess) what's happened and happening. The MCs ex-grifter Gabriel Karne and 'ranger man' Casey Lundin provide va satisfying dialogue of back-and-forth snark and sniping. Casey is very serious and by-the-book, while Gabe doesn't seem to take too much too seriously while he tries to stay at least one step ahead of the last peo[le he conned. If you like your romance hot and fast, you'll have to slow down, because this is definitely a slooow burn. The mystery comes first. Looking past Gabe and Casey, the side characters are equally engaging and well-developed, particularly the elderly, caring Elton, who helps and believes in Gabe when probably no one else would. And, he's funny, often in a dry, but not sarcastic, way. There's a dead body (Gabe's ex-partner in crime), a house/boat fire (Caseys's), and more twists and turns than Houdini could unravel. So grab a comfortable chair, put your feet up, and enjoy the wild ride. (P.S. Make sure you've read Book 1 'The Last Grift,' before you begin this one, as events are cumulative.)
Thank you to the author for providing a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest and completely voluntary review.
I absolutely adore Casey and Gabe. I love the nicknames they have for each other which mostly stay in their inner monologues. I therefore find it amusing when they occasionally slip and say them out loud. The cast of characters in this series is wonderful and quirky. I love that I never know exactly where the author is going to take us. I always know it's going to be fun, though. This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order.
This book is just as good as the first. It is a little more fast paced and before you know it, the washing and chores will be in your todo list as you just want to read this book. It follows on from the first book in the series so it may be wise to read it, to get to know all the characters.
If found both Casey and Gabriel fun characters and we learn more of the history as we move along. There is still the undercurrent of sexual tension but well they will rock the boat….
Lost of mayhem and a dead body or two….and the side characters are brilliant.
You won’t want to stop and then it’s a wait for the next one in the series.
- series
- slow burn
- small town
- crime
This is the second outing for Gabriel and Casey, and things are definitely NOT going Gabriel's way when his ex-boyfriend turns up dead on his (almost) doorstep and he ends up almost getting framed for his murder. Add in corrupt cops and more twists than you can see coming and this is a great second outing for Ranger Man and Gabriel, but then the course of true love never did run smoothly. There's also a cat who's decided to adopt Gabriel too, so it's all happening for him here.
I loved being back on Heartstone Island with all the residents, and the progression of Gabriel and Casey's relationship was great too, I love the way they antagonise each other but there's a real connection between them and it was great to see them finally give in to that. I felt like a lot of loose ends were tied up with this story, but I'm hoping there is more to come as I'd love more from Gabriel and Ranger Man.