She’d only be safe if she got away…
Lainie Taggert needed to break away from her abusive relationship before it killed her, but Sonny Fitzgerald had all the keys to controlling her. Until she landed in the hospital with bruises and broken bones. And her friend, Drea Halstead, convinced her they had to spirit her away.
His life was in limbo…
Zane Halstead was rootless after three tours with the SEALs, medically discharged and not sure what to do with himself. When Sheriff Alex Rossi in Montana reached out to him with an offer to join his staff, he thought, what the hell? A house came with it along with two horses he could work with. But then his sister pleaded with him to take a battered woman with him and keep her safe. How could he say no?
But the best laid plans and all that…
They never expected to fall for each other, Zane with his determination to stay single and Lainie with her nightmares and a vicious bully after her. And a rich one at that. But chemistry and emotions have their own plans, and when Zane gets word Lainie’s ex is on her trail, he realizes he’ll do anything to keep her safe…and for himself. With the help of Sheriff Alex Rossi, he is ready to take on the enemy for his woman.
Happy Wednesday darlings! I am a bit late coming at you with this review, but I needed to get this up before the holiday for a whole host of reasons (a huge one being that you need to get this book in your hot little hands ASAP), so let’s just dive in!
I know you hear this from me often, but reviewing romantic suspense and/or mystery books always leaves me floundering. I have SO MUCH I want to share, but in a fabulous story like Desperate Deception, revealing certain things can spoiler some absolutely delicious twists that you really need to experience for yourself.
Let’s start with a quick intro into our female lead, Lainie. This lady is one tough cookie and basically defines the word “survivor.” She’s in a relationship that may kill her. Sonny is extremely wealthy, extremely powerful, and extremely influential. Not to mention extremely abusive. When another one of his rages lands her in the hospital a-frickin-gain, Lainie runs into an old friend. One that Sonny had cut her off from. And Drea knows after one look at Lainie that her friend needs her help. That help comes in the sexy shape of her brother, Zane.
And please let us all rise to welcome the entrance of our studly hero because, folks, I am all about Zane. He has all the markings of the kind of man I adore. He is a broken boy (somewhat literally) who has been discharged from his position as a Navy SEAL (yup, I was swoooooooning imagining all of this hotness wrapped up in a uniform) and has now traded in life saving missions for a badge in a sleepy Montana town.
But the hero in him rises up following a frantic call from his sister begging him to save her friend.
Okay now here is where I need to pause for one moment. This is something I need to highlight because I really appreciated the care Zane took with Lainie. He recognized her pain physically, mentally, and emotionally, as she recovered from the trauma Sonny inflicted upon her and he took extra special care when advancing their intimate relationship. That absolutely touched my heart and was so well done. Now you can see why I am 100% #TeamZane… amirite?
And the thing is, as I mentioned above, Zane is broken in his own way. Battling the demons that came attached with his time as a SEAL. I love how they balance each other and manage to offer a modicum of healing for the other.
Before I end, I’d like to simply say, Sonny is evil. There literally aren’t words to describe how much I hated this man through my entire read of Desperate Deception. I am fairly certain I ground away about five layers of enamel from my teeth just reading the man’s name throughout the book.
If you love romantic suspense with a strong looming threat of danger that never lets you rest, Desperate Deception is the book you need in your life and the perfect distraction from the holiday stress and family drama weighing you down at this time of year.
Amelia Foster 