Smash and Grab is a well written story about Lexi, a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie who does dangerous things for fun, and Christian, a pseudo gang member who robs banks. As unlikely as they are to be the heroes of a story, these two protagonists do find common ground when they both target the same bank for different reasons. Lexi is trying to prove that the man that worked with her father at that bank is at least as guilty as he is. Christian is looking to make one last score to get his family out from under the threat of the local branch of the Mexican gangster cartel. When they meet and realize their common interest in the bank, they decide to pool their resources and go after the bank together.
The fact that these two protagonists feel guilt over some of the things that they have done doesn't negate the fact that they both know what they are doing is wrong. Because of this, I had trouble liking either character, which made rooting for them difficult to do. The story is well thought out and brings a level of suspense, but without a connection to the characters, it was hard to like the book. ( )

Easy read - meant for teens. Lexi is a wealthy daredevil whose father has been arrested for bank fraud. Christian is trapped into robbing banks to keep his family safe. Their lives collide twice - 1) she lands on his stolen car after she skydives from a building 2) he mows her down when fleeing a bank robbery. She wants to find the goods on another bank officer, Christian needs info about the bank for a huge heist. They join forces to help each other. They learn that Christian's gang is marked for death so Lexi and her crew help them survive and escape the bank with the cash. Meanwhile, Lexi's brother moves the bank officer's funds to off-shore accounts. None of the kids are caught and in the end, Lexi and Christian meet for a date. ( )

Are you looking for a fun read that will fly by? I'd definitely consider picking up a copy of Smash & Grab! Seriously, this book was a ton of fun to read. If you're willing to suspend disbelief for a bit, and just fall into the story head first, you're going to love reading this. Getting caught up in dangerous stunts and crazy heists is a really pleasant way to spend a few hours.

First off, I fell pretty hard for Lexi and Christian. As I said above, you kind of have to suspend disbelief a little bit to be able to fully appreciate their epic stories. Lexi is the rich girl, whose life is on the brink of falling apart. She seeks adrenaline rushes to deal with her anxiety, and does some fairly intense stuff. Base jumping terrifies me, but Lexi makes it sound like a walk in the park. Christian is the boy whose circumstances have kept his family down. His mom works hard to make money, he works hard to get good grades so he can get into college, but both of those things just aren't paying the bills. So he robs banks, to ensure his family's safety and cash flow.

These two were so different, but I could tell right from the start that Parker was working hard to make their chemistry real. In fact, the first time these two actually interacted I saw some sparks! It's wonderful when a story actually cares about making a relationship real, even if in this case the story itself might be a little over the top. The other wonderful part was that the romance aspect of this isn't even overwhelming. The focus is on Lexi, Christian, and the heist they need to pull off. If there's romance along the way, well that's just how it works.

My only real complaint about Smash & Grab was the ending. I had so much fun the entire ride, but that ending just wrapped things up much too succinctly and easily. It was a little too perfect to feel realistic. I mean, obviously the entire book is a bit like that. Christian and his buddies make robbing a bank feel like anyone could do it. Like it's just a small thing you do, and then escape. I was willing to let go of all that though, because I was enjoying the ride. I just wish the ending had a little more tension, after all the build up.

Still, this is a really solid read! As I said, if you're looking for something action packed and full of potential, this is one to add to your TBR. ( )