The Bourbon Thief: A southern gothic novel

The Bourbon Thief is a story within a story and it was the inside saga that captured my fascination as opposed to the mystery of the bourbon thief.As the storyteller delved deeper into the story as to why an exceptionally expensive bottle of bourbon is so important to the thief, the reason for telling the story was soon forgotten. I found myself immersed in Tamarra's life. She was a determined young lady who, when she set her mind to something, followed through on it. At times she had a naïve outlook and would get her own way through manipulating others, partially through selfishness but as she matured it was her sense of justice that guided her decisions. Whatever it was, the result was a captivating story.This book won't be for everyone. It has some disturbing moments. There are plot twists that had me squirming, to say the least. One in particular towards the end had me wanting to pretend I hadn't read what I had read. Thankfully not long after, there was a change in the perspective of the story which meant it was no longer the focus. It's important to note that the tone of the story was optimistic and told through witty and thought challenging dialogue.A big fan of Tiffany Reisz's The Original Sinners series, I found this book maintained the witty charm I have come to associate with Ms. Reisz's writing. I went into this story excited and unsure. I am glad I read the story, as it took me on a journey I hadn't been on before. It had me cringing, smiling and questioning my opinion on the various subject matters broached. While I didn't get a book buzz, The Bourbon Thief did leave me pondering several aspects raised in the story. Books such as this are a reminder that reading is such a worthwhile past time.

Had this book in my kindle library for six years. I kept putting off reading it because I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it or if it would hold my interest. This novel did that and more!! From the very beginning of the story I was drawn in and hooked. The characters were so well developed. This story told a story within a story. This was my first time reading anything by this author and I 5 stars recommend it!!!

“You can’t sell people. Oh, but you can by them.”Well, well, well, I’ve taken my first ride aboard the Tiffany Reisz express, and I do not want to get off. Luckily, she has another series out there that I’ve heard is insanely good, and I’ll get to it, but first let me bask in the afterglow of this inebriating read. Let’s talk about The Bourbon Thief.“Boubon’s like the truth, you know.”“How’s that?”“The first taste burns, but once you get used to it, it’s the only thing you want in your mouth.”I absolutely love everything about this novel, even the aspects that I assumed I would hate or at least turn me away. The Bourbon Thief is a smoothly written novel with a wicked plot filled with shocking and sweet moments, both of which leave me craving more. I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that after picking this up on a whim, I quickly lost myself in the haze of this intoxicating story, and I’ve yet to recover.I was going to say that this was a quick read. I began this review immediately after reading the last sentence, but I didn’t get very far before I had to pick it back up and start again from the beginning. So no, it’s not a quick read, it’s a long lasting one.“We tell ourselves lies to survive when we know the truth will kill us.”The Bourbon Thief is a tale about love, lust, lies, loss, revenge, and truth. This standalone is overflowing with so much deliciousness, that I’m surprised I didn’t drown from it. The story begins with Paris, a mysterious femme fatale duping a rich man to get her hands on a bottle of priceless whiskey. It then continues, forty years earlier, with the tale of Tamara Maddox and Levi Shelby, the bourbon princess and the horse groomer, two souls bound together and kept apart by lust and secrets. Occasionally the story returns to the present to Paris, as she expertly weaves this enthralling tale, and dangles the answers to the secrets we’re dying to know.I absolutely loved how this story unraveled, as I was fully enthralled and invested in every word. I was told that Tiffany Reisz is a good writer, and The Bourbon Thief shows her talent greatly.“Love what they destroyed. Destroy what they loved.”The Bourbon Thief is an absolutely unique experience, and one that I can’t recommend enough. This story is full of life, both its beauty and horror. Reisz tells a story of two people who are thrown together by fate and history, two people who vow to right the wrongs of the past and refuse to let the future tear them apart. This isn’t an easy read, though it went down surprisingly smoothly for me, and I did immediately go back for more. If you love a saga, then you’ll love The Bourbon Thief; if you don’t mind pushing your boundaries, then you’ll love The Bourbon Thief; and if you love damn good writing and an exceptional story, then you’ll love The Bourbon Thief.

As always, Tiffany has written a captivating, thought provoking, emotional Rollercoaster of a story. I will read anything this woman writes. Without fail she gets into my head, heart, and soul and sets them all on fire. Thank you Tiffany!

Okay. Wow. Wow. Wow. Tiffany Reisz has officially, well and truly, blown my freaking mind! So, I don't know if anyone else can relate but sometimes I love a book so much I can write out a review within five minutes. Then sometimes I love a book so much that I feel as though I've been swept away to a whole new dimension, and it takes me a while to remember how to use my words. THIS is one those times. My brain and my emotions are completely scrambled.So anyway, we meet Paris when she walks into Cooper McQueen's bar one night. McQueen sets his sights on her as soon as she does, but little does he know that Paris is on a mission. One that involves him and his million dollar bottle of Red Thread Bourbon. After a night together and Paris's plan to steal McQueen's bourbon fails, she tries another tactic. She tells him the story of the birth and demise of Red Thread Bourbon and Tamara and Levi.“My story. I inherited it.”“I think I’d rather inherit money than a story.”“I have that, too, not entirely by my choice.”“You don’t want to be rich?”“God favors the poor. But don’t tell rich people that. It’ll hurt their little feelings.”Tamara and Levi's story is one that had me on the edge of my seat for most of the book. Waiting, wondering, nail biting in anxious anticipation of what will happen to these characters, of how their story ends. Because you just know, once Paris sets out to tell Cooper this tale, it isn't going to be all butterflies and unicorns. Their story is almost haunting in its delivery. There were moments when I had legit shivers, not the good kind either. Yet I didn't care, I was totally enraptured. There's no other way to describe it, really.“Fate was a train that didn't stop until it reached its final destination.”This is a story about family legacy, secrets, lies, love, revenge, mystery, betrayal and fate. The author's prose measuring up to some of the best I've read. It's poetic, demanding and makes damn sure to leave its mark well before you've even finished the last page. The feelings evoked from this intricately twisted plot were intense. One second I think I've got some of it figured out, only to be sucker punched in the gut and have the breath stolen from my lungs in the next. It was almost as if I was in a perpetual state of shock and intrigue. The Bourbon Thief is story telling at its best. And I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who has yet to read it.“Love what they destroyed. Destroy what they loved.”

An easy, yet captivating read. I highly recommend this book “And bourbon’s like the truth, you know.” “How’s that?” “The first taste burns, but once you get used to it, it’s the only thing you want in your mouth.”

Wow ok huh whoa...now I'm a huge Tiffany Reisz fan and just love her characters from the original sinners series, so I will admit there was a moment reading this book that I had to remind myself I didn't know what these characters were going to be like and it felt weird but...she doesn't disappoint! Nope this was a wonderful break from my mind I was totally swept up in the mystery and hooked pretty much right away with the feeling of "ooh I wonder what this is about?"I have the habit of collecting clues and working mysteries out of stories and quite often have the issue of finding stories "predictable" but NEVER with Tiffany's books, she's good I never see her twists and I just about screamed at this one! Again wow ok huh whoa...loved this it is one of those books you want to forget just so you can read it again and again and be surprised each time in the same pleasant way! Dark and twisty with a nice splash of humour (very important to me) and did leave me wanting to reach for a bottle of bourbon

Couldn't put it down until it was finished! I can't wait to read anything and everything she writes!! Did I say amazing?!?