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Shades Of Deception #1
Just a Little Lie
Mariah Garnet didn't mean any harm when she sent her older sister's picture to Sgt. Sol Standish—her pen-pal stationed in the Middle East—and forgot to mention that at 18 she's on a fast track to becoming a surgeon like her dad.
Then Sol is badly wounded in combat, and there's no time to straighten things out before Mariah grants him his last wish—her hand in marriage—over the phone.
Sol didn't expect to live, or return home with a battered body and defeated spirit, to face a new bride who isn't at all what he'd expected.
Now Mariah must convince him that she's much more than the little lies that landed his ring on her finger.
Then Sol is badly wounded in combat, and there's no time to straighten things out before Mariah grants him his last wish—her hand in marriage—over the phone.
Sol didn't expect to live, or return home with a battered body and defeated spirit, to face a new bride who isn't at all what he'd expected.
Now Mariah must convince him that she's much more than the little lies that landed his ring on her finger.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
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275 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 28, 2019
"You turn me on," she murmured, undulating beneath him. "Even more than animal husbandry."
"I am animal husbandry, love. After all, I'm an animal..." He bit her neck and tongued her ear before he whispered possessively, "and your husband."
"Just a Little Lie" is the story of Mariah and Sol.
A beautiful love story, between a soldier and his savior.
The h is a young woman, who becomes the solace for the hero who fights in the war zone. Their love blooms through letters, and peaks when the hero marries her on the telephone. Unknown to him, the h has used her sister's photo in her letters..And hidden the fact that she is barely legal.
The hero returns from his duty, now wounded and crippled, and is pleasantly surprised to find a different-ish bride at the airport. Though they have wild sex, and proclaim deep love, the hero knows the h is hiding something from him. That is until the truth is revealed..
Even after that, there are some issues that are resolved, the couple lays out all their cards, and only then we go towards their HEA.
I really enjoyed the book. The author pushed the revelation until the very end, and I kept anxiously waiting for the ball to drop. The lovemaking was SUPER hot and kinky, the angst delicious, and both the h and H were very much in love and likable MCs. I also liked the H's parents and their relationship with the h.
Safe
4.75/5
"I am animal husbandry, love. After all, I'm an animal..." He bit her neck and tongued her ear before he whispered possessively, "and your husband."
"Just a Little Lie" is the story of Mariah and Sol.
A beautiful love story, between a soldier and his savior.
The h is a young woman, who becomes the solace for the hero who fights in the war zone. Their love blooms through letters, and peaks when the hero marries her on the telephone. Unknown to him, the h has used her sister's photo in her letters..And hidden the fact that she is barely legal.
The hero returns from his duty, now wounded and crippled, and is pleasantly surprised to find a different-ish bride at the airport. Though they have wild sex, and proclaim deep love, the hero knows the h is hiding something from him. That is until the truth is revealed..
Even after that, there are some issues that are resolved, the couple lays out all their cards, and only then we go towards their HEA.
I really enjoyed the book. The author pushed the revelation until the very end, and I kept anxiously waiting for the ball to drop. The lovemaking was SUPER hot and kinky, the angst delicious, and both the h and H were very much in love and likable MCs. I also liked the H's parents and their relationship with the h.
Safe
4.75/5
August 21, 2013
This was a hard book to pin down. Ostensibly, it is contemporary, as in 2000s. But, the phraseology, the way the characters talked and acted, I would have thought this was happening in the Vietnam War era.
She was so naive it was ridiculous and he acted liked some idiot from another century. The dance scene was straight out of the 50s and I've been to Wisconsin. They don't talk that way, even in the rural areas.
Unfortunately, the highly ambiguous sense of time undermined the story a lot for me. If I judge it as a contemp, it gets really low marks because it's just implausible. If I judge it as an older story thrown forward, I have to ask why it was just picked up and moved a few decades later without any regard to how that would come across.
She was so naive it was ridiculous and he acted liked some idiot from another century. The dance scene was straight out of the 50s and I've been to Wisconsin. They don't talk that way, even in the rural areas.
Unfortunately, the highly ambiguous sense of time undermined the story a lot for me. If I judge it as a contemp, it gets really low marks because it's just implausible. If I judge it as an older story thrown forward, I have to ask why it was just picked up and moved a few decades later without any regard to how that would come across.
August 14, 2013
Contemproary military romance with one tough and sexy guy in a uniform who falls for his pen pal who he thinks is a mature woman, but actually she is a pre-med teenager. Mariah Garnet has a sexy pen-pal relationship with Sgt. Sol Standish who is stationed in the Middle East she is very mature for 19 years old because she is also a genius that has already finished college. Her family has her whole life planned but Mariah has her own plan and that involves her pen pal love Sol who she marries under duress when Sol is badly wounded in combat and is on the operation table when they get married on the phone. She may have not planned to be married like that but she has no regrets.
Sweet military damaged hero and an even sweeter heroine who is still figuring out her future.
170 pages and kindle freebie
2 stars
Sweet military damaged hero and an even sweeter heroine who is still figuring out her future.
170 pages and kindle freebie
2 stars
December 5, 2013
2.5*
Ummm not quite sure what happened here... I really liked the beginning of the book and the way that it was written, but the plot itself bothered me a lot! Why was there such a huge mystery about her past and why did she keep lying to him the whole time?! The reasons just did not seem convincing enough! The way she acted, scheming and lying the whole time just annoyed me - she acted like an immature child! And why hide her brains?? Maybe she should have stood up to her parents sooner, rather than acting stupid and lying to both her parents and her husband for so long!
Also - during what war is this supposed to be happening?? The author claims it's the "current" one, but the characters act and talk as if this was happening in the '40s! (I know it's not taking place 70 years ago, but then why does everything sound so dated?!)
Ummm not quite sure what happened here... I really liked the beginning of the book and the way that it was written, but the plot itself bothered me a lot! Why was there such a huge mystery about her past and why did she keep lying to him the whole time?! The reasons just did not seem convincing enough! The way she acted, scheming and lying the whole time just annoyed me - she acted like an immature child! And why hide her brains?? Maybe she should have stood up to her parents sooner, rather than acting stupid and lying to both her parents and her husband for so long!
Also - during what war is this supposed to be happening?? The author claims it's the "current" one, but the characters act and talk as if this was happening in the '40s! (I know it's not taking place 70 years ago, but then why does everything sound so dated?!)
December 25, 2013
JUST A LITTLE JAILBAIT.
This ended better than it does in real life. Buyer Beware! Okay seriously, I did enjoy this book. Even thoug it seemed like no one could tell the truth about any thing. Lies and half truths were flying around everywhere. I'm not sure how they kept track of it all. And, a hero hurt is still a hero. A man (or woman) does not stop being a soldier just because there is no. More war he can fight. The hardness forged in battle doesn't always quietly go away because the scenery changed. And boy did I really enjoy this book.
This ended better than it does in real life. Buyer Beware! Okay seriously, I did enjoy this book. Even thoug it seemed like no one could tell the truth about any thing. Lies and half truths were flying around everywhere. I'm not sure how they kept track of it all. And, a hero hurt is still a hero. A man (or woman) does not stop being a soldier just because there is no. More war he can fight. The hardness forged in battle doesn't always quietly go away because the scenery changed. And boy did I really enjoy this book.
September 21, 2014
Started out ok, but then it was like, what just happened? An 18 yr old has been writing letters to a 30 year old soldier who thinks she's actually her 24 yr old sister. He's injured in war and returns to the states after "marrying" her over the phone. Like another reviewer pointed out, the language in this book sounded historical and yet it was a contemporary novel. It just didn't do it for me.
December 16, 2015
I made it quite far... I believe almost 40% of the book. Unfortunately, I felt nothing for the characters. The way they interacted with each other made no sense to me. Also the whole marrying over the phone thing. It's just a little too weird.
August 14, 2013
Thanks Jessica for the loan!1
Rating 3.25 stars
This book was old and so UN-PC!!Still it was wacky fun.
Rating 3.25 stars
This book was old and so UN-PC!!Still it was wacky fun.
October 5, 2013
Liked Sol... Didn't like Mariah so much... Too much lying! But Sol was great about it, considering. At the same time, I didn't quite believe the story or connect with the characters that much.
January 9, 2025
This was my first romance book ever..... It holds a special place in my heart.
May 16, 2024
⭐⭐ ½
Just a not really important spoiler alert so...
I rate 2½ cause it was just average okay, Mariah sometimes makes u cringe but she's 19 paired up with an adult of 30 so... Not completely mature yet but the huge secret wasn't so secret after all, twas just too obvious and the "I have a gift.." part was so cringing but compared with the time it was written?, I'll let it slide.
Love the POV on both characters and how Sol deals with his injuries and healing.
Love the "kiss and make up formula" and the "Rules on how to go about an argument between lovers". Really smooth Sol 😏.
Cute sex too.
It was a cute quick read to pass time. 👍
Just a not really important spoiler alert so...
I rate 2½ cause it was just average okay, Mariah sometimes makes u cringe but she's 19 paired up with an adult of 30 so... Not completely mature yet but the huge secret wasn't so secret after all, twas just too obvious and the "I have a gift.." part was so cringing but compared with the time it was written?, I'll let it slide.
Love the POV on both characters and how Sol deals with his injuries and healing.
Love the "kiss and make up formula" and the "Rules on how to go about an argument between lovers". Really smooth Sol 😏.
Cute sex too.
It was a cute quick read to pass time. 👍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2018
Great read
Great book! I could not put it down. I want to read all of this author's books. Romantic and intriguing. This book engages your imagination and is a must read.
Great book! I could not put it down. I want to read all of this author's books. Romantic and intriguing. This book engages your imagination and is a must read.
September 5, 2018
Definitely a learning to love through all kinds of hurdles book. Loved Sol and Mariah's story.
September 21, 2016
"What happening to us?" Sol asked, his body trembling all over, his pulse racing out of control.
"I don't know," Mariah whispered. She was pinned by his body, by his searching gaze. "I feel so- strange."
"Help me up, he said, and his fingers sought hers. Their wedding bands connected, and their vows were suddenly there between them, a haunting memory of terror and heartbreak.
"To have and to hold," Mariah murmured. Tears smarted in her eyes. "I never thought I'd hold you like this, I lost you, Sol, and I thought I was dying with you. "Don't ever leave me again."
He raised her hand to his lips and brushed her band of gold against his whiskered cheek. "Don't cry. I'm here, and we've got the rest of our lives together. Maybe I took my vows without realizing they'd stick, but I did, and we're together from this day forward."
"You don't regret it?" she asked softly.
"I did at first, but not since I laid eyes on you."
He fingered his eye-patch and she felt a quick stab of emotion. She reached up and stroked his finger away to touch the patch. Her breath caught. She knew what she was about to do wasn't wise, but she was driven by need to take their intimacy beyond sex, and slipped her finger beneath the patch.
Sol tensed and grew still. As she caressed the wound, she ached for his loss, felt his vulnerability.
"You amaze me," he said in a rough voice.
"Why did you do it?"
"I wanted to touch you where no one else would....."
"I don't know," Mariah whispered. She was pinned by his body, by his searching gaze. "I feel so- strange."
"Help me up, he said, and his fingers sought hers. Their wedding bands connected, and their vows were suddenly there between them, a haunting memory of terror and heartbreak.
"To have and to hold," Mariah murmured. Tears smarted in her eyes. "I never thought I'd hold you like this, I lost you, Sol, and I thought I was dying with you. "Don't ever leave me again."
He raised her hand to his lips and brushed her band of gold against his whiskered cheek. "Don't cry. I'm here, and we've got the rest of our lives together. Maybe I took my vows without realizing they'd stick, but I did, and we're together from this day forward."
"You don't regret it?" she asked softly.
"I did at first, but not since I laid eyes on you."
He fingered his eye-patch and she felt a quick stab of emotion. She reached up and stroked his finger away to touch the patch. Her breath caught. She knew what she was about to do wasn't wise, but she was driven by need to take their intimacy beyond sex, and slipped her finger beneath the patch.
Sol tensed and grew still. As she caressed the wound, she ached for his loss, felt his vulnerability.
"You amaze me," he said in a rough voice.
"Why did you do it?"
"I wanted to touch you where no one else would....."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2013
This was a great story of unconditional love and how commitment is more than just being there in the good times. Although there are some more graphic scenes, they are done tastefully and add to the story.
February 9, 2015
good story
I enjoyed the story. The characters seemed realistic and the relationship developed over time. There wasn't a rush to solve all their issues. This was my first book by this author and I am interested in reading more of her stories.
I enjoyed the story. The characters seemed realistic and the relationship developed over time. There wasn't a rush to solve all their issues. This was my first book by this author and I am interested in reading more of her stories.
September 18, 2013
Read in E-pub format on my Nook.
August 9, 2013
Brilliantly worded but I wish the plot would have been a little more complex.
January 31, 2014
Better than I expected.
January 24, 2015
2.75 stars
quick, trashy romance
enjoyable for a winter afternoon read
quick, trashy romance
enjoyable for a winter afternoon read
February 9, 2015
Great book
A little lie, a little deceit, but a big love that makes it worth it. This is a well-written book that keeps you reading from the first word to the end.
A little lie, a little deceit, but a big love that makes it worth it. This is a well-written book that keeps you reading from the first word to the end.
March 1, 2016
Final score - 4.5 Stars
Great tender hearted love story with a lack luster epilogue. Should have been more than just a paragraph.
Great tender hearted love story with a lack luster epilogue. Should have been more than just a paragraph.
February 14, 2015
Good Book
I really enjoyed this book, I liked the plot, the hero was very likeable and the heroine had a way about her that had me pulling for her.
I really enjoyed this book, I liked the plot, the hero was very likeable and the heroine had a way about her that had me pulling for her.
May 23, 2015
OK, but not special.
June 4, 2016
3.5 stars
June 27, 2014
aka: just a little lie
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews