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Friday, March 16, 2018

BLOG TOUR & REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: Lies That Bind by Diana Rodriguez Wallach @entangledteen @dianarwallach #partner


Lies That Bind
by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

I'm today's BLOG TOUR stop for LIES THAT BIND!  You can see my review for the first in this series, PROOF OF LIES, HERE.  Continue below for more about the book, the author, a GIVEAWAY, my review and an EXCERPT!


Publisher:  Entangled Teen
Published:  March 6, 2018
Kindle Edition
322 pages
Series:  Anastasia Phoenix #2
Genre:  YA, thriller

What do you do when you learn your entire childhood was a lie? 


Reeling from the truths uncovered while searching for her sister in Italy, Anastasia Phoenix is ready to call it quits with spies. The only way to stop being a pawn in their game is to remove herself from the board. But before she can leave her parents’ crimes behind her, tragedy strikes. No one is safe, not while Department D still exists.

Now, with help from her friends, Anastasia embarks on a dangerous plan to bring down an entire criminal empire. From a fire-filled festival in England to a lavish wedding in Rio de Janeiro, Anastasia is determined to confront the enemies who want to destroy her family. But even Marcus, the handsome bad boy who’s been there for her at every step, is connected to the deadly spy network. And the more she learns about Department D, the more she realizes the true danger might be coming from someone closer than she expects…




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My Review:



Anastasia is back.  She desperately wants to get out of the "spy business" but THEY JUST WON'T LET HER.  With her crew and a couple of additions, we get another action packed, teen spy novel that's highly entertaining.

Look, I'm just a fan of YA and when you add in a spy story, I'm just a happy camper.  You don't need to read book one to read this one, but I suggest you do to see how the characters grow (a bit).  That being said, this was basically a regurgitation of the first book.  And I mean that in both a good and not so good way.  The interactions and angsty parts were so similar to the first book that it became a bit cumbersome.  Been there.  Done that.  While the first book delved more on rescuing Anastasia's sister, Keira, this one feeds along the same parallel story line of what Department D is, more conspiracy, more shocking revelations and confirmations of what book one was bringing forth.

What does it for me in this series is the fun action.  This book, we get a more international feel as she traverses us through different scenarios in different countries.  As a military brat, I understand the moving around all the time, being in different cultures and feeling a kinship with fellow brats.  Same with these Dresden kids (as was noted in book one... nice!).  I was happy to see more humor in this book as that was something I noted was lacking in book one. The champagne bottle scene!  I've seen this actually happen so I found that extremely humorous.

If you like YA action thrillers with a side of spies, hold the onions... then you'll love this series. 

★★★


About Diana Rodriguez Wallach:

Diana Rodriguez Wallach is the author of the Anastasia Phoenix Series, three young adult spy thrillers (Entangled Publishing, 2017, ’18, ‘19). The first book in the trilogy, Proof of Lies, was named by Paste Magazine as one of the “Top 10 Best Young Adult Books for March 2017.” Bustle also listed her as one of the “Top Nine Latinx Authors to Read for Women’s History Month 2017.” Additionally, she is the author of three award-winning young adult novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Books); as well as a YA short-story collection entitled Mirror, Mirror (Buzz Books, 2013).
She is an advisory board member for the Philly Spells Writing Center, a school-based Workshop Instructor for Mighty Writers in Philadelphia, and has been a Writing Instructor for Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth since 2015. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and currently lives in Philadelphia.


Excerpt from Lies that Bind:

“Mom and Dad are either dead or they abandoned us. I’m not sure which is worse,” I said bluntly. “But if they are alive, we don’t know how many people, how many lunatics, think we’re walking maps to their doorsteps. They’ll use us, and they’ll hurt us. Again.”
“Then we’ll stop looking for them.” Keira shrugged like it was easy. “Why do we need to go anywhere to do that?”
“Because everyone on that terrace is somehow connected to Department D, Marcus and Antonio especially!” I stared at the gray sky, aggravated. Did she think I wanted to do this? I was about to walk away from a guy I cared about because of our parents, because of things that they did. They committed crimes, they had an affair, and they put us in danger. All we could do now was survive. “As long as we’re linked to them, we’re not safe. Especially if Mom and Dad are alive. We have to go off the grid.”



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