Deceiving Derek: An Instalove Summer Wedding Romance

Love & Other Calamities Romantic Comedy #1

by Cindy Procter-King

A workaholic trying to break out of her shell and the steadfast police detective who can't believe what's unfolding in front of his eyes...

Enjoy this sassy, steamy romcom from RWA Golden Heart finalist Cindy Procter-King. Love, laugh, swoon - and read in one sitting!

Love at first...falsehood?

Lingerie designer Lacey DeMarco livens up her life by finagling a sexy police detective into attending a rowdy bachelorette party. Lacey needs one last item to complete a scavenger hunt list. Can she help it if handsome cop Derek McAllister fits the bill the same way he fills out his jeans? That is, so much more than nicely…

But a little trickery is at work. Lacey and Derek are both being hoodwinked. In the name of love.

Deceiving Derek is Book 1 in Cindy Procter-King's Love & Other Calamities Romantic Comedy series of fun and steamy feel-good short romances. Follow Lacey and her girlfriends as they prepare for a wedding and find true love along the way! HEAs guaranteed.

Deceiving Derek is 9000 words

28 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2012

About the author

Cindy Procter-King writes steamy romcom and contemporary romance bursting with laughter and emotion. Sassy feel-good fiction!

Cindy’s books are available from eBook retailers all over the world, as well as in trade paperback, some library hardcover and large print, and some foreign editions.

Cindy lives in Canada with her family, Ghost’Da Allie McBeagle, and too many grand-dogs to count.

Visit Cindy’s website at http://www.cindyprocter-king.com

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

*ARC provided through Netgalley*


It was a really short story, easy to read between two books. I'm rating it 2 stars not because I hated it but probably because it was too short for me to get really attached to the characters. It was like reading a few scenes but it was light and fun. I liked the end with Derek and the dog and the matchmaking Janie did (Derek's twin sister). Fortunately nobody is mad for being "deceived", and what a meeting at the police station! :)

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading something by this author. This is the first book in the Love & Other Calamities Romantic Comedy series and was quite a fun introduction for me to the author and the series. It's a quick and steamy, light read, with an instant attraction. Lacey is a lingerie designer and she convinces a police officer, Derek, that her prototypes have been stolen from her apartment. But when Derek arrives at her apartment, it's not a crime scene he finds, but instead he is smack dab in the middle of a bachelorette party.
A fun, short story and an entertaining read with a good dose of humor. A great story to pick up if you're looking for some fun and laughs but don't have a lot of time. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
My thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary review.

[K B · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Deceiving Derek
4 Stars
I received a free copy of the steamy short, Deceiving Derek: An Instalove Summer Wedding Romance (Love & Other Calamities Romantic Comedy Book 1) by Cindy Procter-King and this review was given freely.
Humor, romance, and instant attraction.
A well-meaning sister and a bachelorette party scavenger hunt introduce workaholic lingerie designer Lacey DeMarco and Rosevale, Washington police detective Derek McAllister in this steamy short containing a meet cute and a steamy epilogue.
May be read as a standalone but is best if read in series order.
2. Catching Claire
4 Stars
I received a free copy of the steamy short, Catching Claire: An Instalove Summer Wedding Romance (Love & Other Calamities Romantic Comedy Book 2) by Cindy Procter-King and this review was given freely.
Atypical, realistic characters with an unconventional second meeting bond over single-parent childhoods and caring for a snake during the hectic day after Tania’s drunken bachelorette party.
A little twisted fast-paced story of poor body image and love at first sight containing innuendos, a steamy intimate scene, and a caring protective male.
Drunk and curvy Claire Merriweather throws herself at medical school student and part-time stripper Ridge Pederson the night after her friend’s bachelorette party, only to wake up with no memory after passing out drunk in the laundry room of her friend’s apartment building.

[Alejandra Guerrero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nonsense, stupid characters, and way too short. It wasn't particularly funny either.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, short read.

[Sapphyria · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5 Star**

Deceiving Derek was originally published in 2002 by NovelBooks Inc. and reissued by Chippewa Publishing in 2007. There were revisions and updates done in 2012 and Deceiving Derek is now novella #1 in a 5-part romantic comedy short story series (Procter-King, C., 2012).

Deceiving Derek is a cute, funny little story. Lacey runs into a police station indicating that her lingerie prototypes were stolen out of her studio, which just happens to be her apartment, also. She needs an officer - Derek, specifically, to come investigate the thefts. She even goes so far as to bring some of the remaining pieces of thong underwear that the thief didn't grab. When they arrive at the apartment building, Derek is corralled right into the middle of a bunch of screaming women having a party. Only then does Derek realize he's been set up ~ in more ways than one.

In real life, lying to a police officer and reporting a false crime in order to get him/her to come with you to a specified location will most likely get you arrested. This, people, is why we call this fiction.

The antics displayed by Lacey in the police station are hysterical and the interaction between Lacey and Derek are funny. The story is very short at only 28 pages and is very fast paced. The physical tension between Lacey and Derek is believable, if not a bit rushed, however.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and found the story easy to follow and laugh out loud funny in a few places.

Review Copy Courtesy Of: CrushStar Multimedia LLC and Blue Orchard Books, via NetGalley approval at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I choose this short story as I wanted something to read in between my novels as a quick read.

My first impression of the book from looking at the cover was that it was going to be an erotic short story, I was pleasantly surprised as I began reading it.

The story began with Lacey running into a police station looking for Derek the detective to help her solve a robbery. This robbery happened at her 'studio' and she manages to persuades him to accompany her back to her 'studio' to view the crime scene. When he gets there, however he is in for a bit of a shock.

I enjoyed short story and I got to know Lacey well, I did felt that I didn't know Derek as well as I could have done, his character came across to me as a bit quiet but also as a thoughtful man.

This was the first time I had read a Cindy Procter-King short story/ novel and from reading this I would be encouraged to read more of Cindy Procter-King books in the future.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deceiving Derek is Cindy Procter-King's prequel to Catching Claire, both part of what will be a delightful series of love affairs and encounters under the title "Love & Other Calamities." What is exceptional about all of Procter-King's writing, whether in short story style (such as this) or in her full-length novels such as Head Over Heels, is her ability to capture her characters' personalities and, more important, their morality and humanity. She always reminds us of the good and vulnerability in men, even those men who seem unapproachable and veiled, as well as of the insecurity in women, even those who on their face appear strong and self-reliant. She allows her own optimism and humor to drive her writing, leaving the reader with a good feeling and wanting more. For those of us who read romantic comedy and novels, want a respite from "real life" and yearn for those days when love seemed simple, Procter-King is the answer.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publisher and author state that though Deceiving Derek has appeared in print before, this edition has been revised prior to reissue. Ms. Procter-King is using this wonderful funny short story to introduce her series; "Love & Other Calamities." Wow, That was a mouthful! So was this charming short story! A mouthful of enchanting humorous premise, quirky, engaging characters, and a story I didn't want to end. I have to admit I am hooked, and I am really looking forward to taking the journey to love with Ms. Procter-King's characters. The pacing of the book was great, the dialogue was both witty and humorous without being slapstick. Ms. Procter-King had a small window of opportunity in Deceiving Derek, to draw the characters fully enough to engage the readers emotions. She has definitely succeeded. I will be reading more.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

FUN AND FROTHY


A lighthearted short story featuring Lacey a wannabe underwear designer, and Derek a police detective. Lacey needs to get a policemn to her friends party he is an item on a scavenger hunt list. Lacey comes up with a fantastic story of a thief stealing her designs. Thus persuading Derek a detective at the local police station to attend the scene of the crime. Lacey does worry what he will do when he realises he's been had. But what Lacey doesn't realise is that she's been deceived as well.

A fun filled and romantic short story. That despite its length has everything. It's descriptive and flowing, the characters are very well defined and easy to relate to. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

*this copy kindly provided by NetGalley on behalf of the publishers

one problem... IT'S WAY TOO SHORT!

would love to see more of Derek & Lacey, unfortunately their story doesn't continue in book 2.

this was lots of fun to read, right from the start to the very end. the initial spark between the two characters was good, but would've loved to see their relationship develop more in a longer book, or at the very least more instalments.

the way in which these two meet is quite unconventional, a little unrealistic, but at the same time you can believe that a sibling actually would pull the strings necessary for it to happen.

lots of giggles packed into a super tiny book!

[Jennifer Lombardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story of 5200 words. It is quick, to the point and does not drag on at all. I LOVE that. LOL. I found it to be funny and intriguing. I could not wait to see what was going on and when I found out, I could not help but laugh.

I really like Lacey. She sounds fun to be around. The author did a great job of quickly introducing the characters and making you like them. What she did was wrong but you still like her! LOL

I recommend this story to anyone and I can not wait to read the next one!

***This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review***

[Megan Hodgson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Orchard Books for giving me a copy of this book!

This is a very short story. It was cute, simple, and was the perfect length for a train ride.

This story was fun, and was amusing enough to make me almost miss my train stop! The writing wasn’t super strong but I would absolutely love to read more like this on train rides in the future.

I will give this story a 3/5. It wasn’t anything special, but I want to read more of these little stories in the future!

[Julie Heintzelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, fun, short story. Having a good friend set you up with your own twin brother is sneaky but in this case, for the good of both the friend and the brother as they're both workaholics and would be very good for each other. Will be interesting to see where their relationship goes, if anywhere, in the rest of the series.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really have to stop ordering novellas....that being said. This was a cute, short, story. And since it was, my review will be short. I like it, it was an entertaining 30 minutes. That is all.

I received Deceiving Derek as an ARC through Netgalley, via Blue Orchard Books.

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, This story for me was just middle of the ground. I can't say that it did anything for me at all now the second story Catching Claire now that one I did like. So, what can I say. Just don't like how short that they are and that you have to keep paying for so few pages.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-paced, immensely readable! Definitely recommend.

[Sadrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute, short read full of humour for your pastime. I do like the characters, and was a bit disappointed when it ended. Will be looking out the for the rest of the series!

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute quick short story I read in 20 minutes

I received this title from NetGalley in return for an honest review

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute novella.