Four Stars
I have to say, after a subpar experience with the first two Kat Martin books I picked up, I was worried about reading THE DECEPTION. I let it sit on my kindle for a while and eventually decided to pick up the audiobook, and boy am I glad I did! While the book was a little slow to start, once I finally got into the action and suspense plot, I was totally hooked. I actually resented my need to take a shower because I had to put my book down at a pivotal point!
For an average length book, Ms. Martin packed in a freaking ton of subplots and mystery development. I was on the edge of my seat. The story never went exactly where I thought it would go, but I was satisfied with every plot twist. The short, quick-to-read chapters kept me reading in breathless anticipation.
I will say, the romance grew on me. I was not a big fan of the hero at first and if I heard him or someone else say he’s “not a relationship guy” one more time, I was going to scream. He did grow on me, though, and I am glad he gave it a chance. I actually saw character growth in the way he noticed the heroine. At first, it was basically all about her boobs and butt, but as the story progressed and he got to know her, he appreciated her mind, bravery, loyalty, etc. I appreciated the effort to make him less of a superficial guy because I was about to give up on him after four chapters.
The heroine grew on me too. Honestly, I had a hard time relating to this tall, gorgeous blonde with a perfect career and amazing friends. Plus men kept basically falling at her feet drooling; it was getting a little ridiculous. But as the story went on and the heroine explored her own, personal motivations more, I enjoyed watching her stick doggedly to the hero and trust her instincts.
Overall, while I had to suspend my disbelief a little bit to really get into this book, I can’t rate it any lower because I enjoyed it so much! Was it the perfect story? No. But I ended the book with a huge smile on my face and with anticipation for the next book in the series, so I guess I am hooked!
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 