Sweetest Deception

Deception #1

by Akwaah K.

He came under thunder and rain, dressed in an impeccable suit.
He stole my future. Trapped me with a contractual obligation under the deception of marriage.
I accepted because he doesn’t get to be the only one to take advantage of the situation.
Except, this time deception looks all too sweet.
My eyes keep finding his in every room, our touch explosive and slowly, I am falling for my husband who hates the mere sight of me.
I wanted love but found a sweet deception of a marriage.
I wanted to experience the blooming of emotions only to be left with a betrayal that rained all over the flowers that my husband was blooming in my cracked heart.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Dark, Fake Dating, Marriage, Mafia Romance

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2023

About the author

Akwaah K is a bestselling author living somewhere in the UK while trying to finish a degree and write all the same. From bookstore trips when any inconvenience happens, to writing about soft morally grey characters just to see them fall in love. When not writing, an iced drink and a shopping trip heals it all for her.

Reviews

[annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was just like every arranged marriage romance book where the heroine slowly makes her way into the hero's heart through her smiles and jokes, while the hero struggles against his feelings for her. He kept denying it until he finally accepts it! YES, I LOVE THOSE BOOKS, SO I ENJOYED THIS ONE! 💕😭

First off, Rowan you lied? 🔪 I expected a scene involving a SCARY someone, but it wasn't there?! 🫵🏻

❝Welcome to a world of deception, Aurora. Don’t bring your fantasies into this, or you will leave broken.❞

This book is super short and fast-paced. I didn't even realize I was on page 90 until I read about their marriage lol. It's not dragging at all! Although I would've loved a slow burn more for this type of story, as it's well-executed like that, but this book is part of a duet, and romance isn't the main focus right now!

Aurora Torre — a businesswoman who's mature, stands her own ground, and is a ball of sunshine 🥺 She's kinda nice. Although she quickly got attracted to Remo (big boy vibes), I'm so glad that she didn't outwardly say SHE'S IN LOVE WITH HIM because it would've been too rushed.

Remo Cainn — hahjakaka he's so oblivious 😭. I don't know why, but he gave me such innocent boy vibes when he WASN'T! He's morally gray and a ruthless businessman, of course, but that was kind of told and not shown (well, it's not always shown lol he's not into mafia and all), but he was such a cutie. His love language is taking care, and trust me, HE DEFINITELY DOESN'T KNOW THAT EITHER! 🥺

It was such a short read, and I must say, the plot is interesting. I'm invested in it, and I'm literally suspicious of everyone at this point. Not gonna reveal anything before the release date, but the plot is captivating, and I'm super ready for groveling in the next book and answers 🤭

Thank you, Akwaah, for the ARC. ♥️

⤷ ratings .𖥔 ݁ ˖

• Bitter Deception – 3 stars
• Darkest Deception – 4 stars

[buket · Rating 3 out of 5]

what the helly

[Yasemin˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love arraigned marriage books! Even though some of the character traits were annoying, they were really cute together 💖

The grumpy x sunshine trope fit perfectly!

[Mishty · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO MINDBLOWINGLY AMAZING.
Only 200 pages but it stayed true to the tropes.

-arranged marriage with a grumpy billionaire
-she runs her own fashion line
-he’s broody but he always pays attention to her
-she feels the most safe with him
-the sexual tension was so freaking good

In all, gave me all the feels. And that cliffhanger???? Jumping on to book 2 as soon as humanly possible.

[grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 20%

the writing is childish and the dialogue is cringey. it had me semi hooked because of the plot but that’s it and i couldn’t even bring myself to read past 20%

i think if the writing was even 10% better i’d have stuck with the book bc i genuinely did like the plot

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Zainab · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was so bad I want to give you a zero but that's not possible so I give you a one

[˚₊‧꒰ა vruxreads ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book on wattpad. First of all congratulations author for publishing this book!

This had a marriage of convenience, arranged marriage trope. Aurora was strong, ambitious and sweet at the same time. I loved her character. Remo is your typical cold, grumpy billionaire. He had his own vengeance and goals from this marriage.

The book was very fast-paced for my liking. Like everything kept on happening and many many questions were left unanswered.

This book is a small and quick read which ended on a CLIFFHANGER.

‼️No cheating, no OW drama‼️

[zah · Rating 2 out of 5]

the ending????!!!!!

[sads · Rating 1 out of 5]

characters were boring and the writing was mid

[gia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i did NOT know this was a duet wtf is that ending

[vania ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like it but I didn't hate it either, it’s quite bland but I have to admit that the “cliffhanger” made me curious.

[Teodora · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE ENDING?!? I’m gonna.. AHHHHHH!!

I’m glad the second book is already available because I don’t think I could wait to find out WHY this is happening.

But I also have to admit.. (little spoiler ⚠️: I LOVE betrayal in every shape or form. It ads so much good juicy drama to the plot)

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁:
Aurora Torre runs her own fashion line but never seems to get her father’s approval. She feels like the black sheep in the family and her older sister makes sure to remind her of that. Aurora is proud of her job and feels like this is her only way of enjoying some freedom. But that all changes when one day her cruel father makes a proposition.
Arranged marriage.

And my god, her husband is a whole course meal. I’ll have Remo Cainn any time of the day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snack ugh! He’s the broody, stoic billionaire who has a soft spot for his fake wife and I love it!! 😫

One of my favourite moments was finding out what the prologue means. The way my stomach dropped when I finished chapter 6.. I immediately went back to read the prologue again. Seriously such a cool twist.

If you guys love slow burn, I can confirm it’s so good in this book because he genuinely doesn’t like her in the beginning/throughout the book but once he DOES… oh lawd 🦋✨🦋✨

[Deepthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect short and sweetest book
Loved reading Remo & Aurora.

Tropes: Grumpy Sunshine, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, she falls first but he falls harder.

That cliffhanger had me. Diving straight to second book.

[Meilin · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG THAT CLIFFHANGER!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|🌶️

This was so freaking good! I love it so much. The characters, the plot, the romance and omg that cliffhanger! That ending was cruel, and I need the next book like NOW.

[aliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a fun book to read !! I absolutely adored the characters !! I would’ve given this 5 stars had the story been just more cohesive ? it just felt fast paced in some areas & felt super slow on the plot lines where it actually mattered ?

regardless, enjoyed the plot! it’s definitely unique despite a few romance cliches here & there.

[Gracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A kiss is not enough for me. Don’t make me keep you forever, Aurora."
This was everything....I loved it ...
Remo being the MORALLY GREY VILLAIN AND AURORA BEING THE COMPLETE SUNSHINE....HER FALLING FOR HER HUSBAND...
"DON'T TALK TO MY WIFE, LIKE THAT"
REMO PLACING AURORA FATHER IN HIS PLACE AND HIM SLOWING FALLING FOR HER....
AND THE CLIFFHANGER❗❗❗❗❗NO WAY....
I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT... LET'S WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK....

SWEETEST DECEPTION TROPES:
• MORALLY GREY HERO
• GRUMPY X SUNSHINE
• ✨ MY WIFE✨
• "I'll blacklist everyone who made her upset."
• LONDON ELITE
• SLOW BURN
• ✨ I HATE THAT I LOVE YOU ✨
STARS:🌟🌟🌟🌟🥺🥺❤️‍🩹

[Ayuzawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating -3.5/5
Anticipation uffff
i love the crazy PERFECT combo of
grumpy × ☀️ sunshine
I cant wait for part 2 already

The way he slowly but definitely falls in love with aurora
His protective aura
I love it so much becoz he doesn't Fake it i mean not with his deception part aprt frm that his care atleast he is trying to get her

HIS POV IS MY FAV
Aurora wat a strong women u r
The way u r dealing with everything wow

I just hope i get HEA ..
Plz author give us part 2 fast !!
I love evry bit of this booook ! ❤️❤️

[Firefly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good it had no full blown spicy scenes it was a super slow burn. This book was practically nothing but tension but it was good! I gave it only 3 stars because the plot at times felt like it was going nowhere and it was just the main female pining after the main male and there was also quite a FEW typos which really threw me out of the zone. The ending was a shock my jaw was on the floor though. I’ll be jumping into the next one I wanna support this author and finish Remo and Aurora’s story.

[Mariha Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

the only reason i would give this a 1 is because of how cute remo and aurora were. that’s it.

let’s talk about the good points:

- comparing this from the author’s other book, tangle of obsession, you can clearly see a big improvement. unlike that one, this book did have good grammar and spelling (it’s better than the other one)
- i loved the banter between remo and aurora. usually a simple for grumpy x sunshine so this worked out pretty good. i love the whole thing, aurora being the sunshine and remo trying not to smile. i liked it a lot.

negatives:

- i felt as if the relationship between aurora and her family could be explored a little more. like i know there’s a second book coming out, but even in the first book it could’ve been there so readers have a better understanding of her relationship with each and every one of them.
- the same goes for remo. maybe we could’ve delved into his family’s and his relationship so we could’ve had a better understanding of what was happening and why he hated them. like it didn’t need to be fully revealed in this book, but hints could’ve been placed every here and there.
- my biggest ick: the smut. i could not for the life of me read it in one go. i closed my eyes 20+ times and tried not to laugh. the way how it was written gave me the impression that it was written by a 12 year . it was so bad. like to vocab and words to describe some thing… atrocious. i couldn’t stop laughing at one point because i needed to make the best of the situation.
- despite showing that aurora is strong and everything, it was constantly shown how much she depends on remo. like it was getting to a point where it was annoying (this may be just me). like i know she married him for the name and whatever but like girl please do something on your own. you don’t need your man everywhere with you and telling you how to get through something every time. i personally believe that she is strong enough to handle half the things. like genuinely saying. i understand that the message that remo is always there for aurora is trying to be portrayed but you know i hope it’s shown that aurora, despite having a soft side, can be ruthless when needed.

overall, this was not that bad of a read (apart from the sex part that threw me off 💀) but i guess few improvements could be made. this was not to put down the author but help them move ahead in her writing journey because i know she had potential.

[Sneha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is good. But the way the story flows, it lacks a bit much. If she writes a total story in 1 book, then it will be good. I have known this author from wattpad. She wrote some of the chapters from this book. And let's see how this book goes 😊.

[Javeria Matin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐
I really liked it.
It’s very light and interesting, and nothing about it is extreme.

[ForeverBooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

❁ arranged marriage with a grumpy billionaire
❁ He tries so hard to resist but she worms her way into his heart
❁ she runs her own fashion line
❁ he’s broody but he always pays attention to her
❁ she feels the most safe with him
❁ the sexual tension was so freaking good
❁ Eats double breakfast just because she cooked it
❁ He cooks for her
❁ Laminates the sticky notes she left him
❁ Takes off her heals when she falls asleep
❁ Puts on her heals because she can’t reach due to her dress
❁ Hypes her up at her work event when she is freaking out
❁ Who did this to you
❁ Be careful how you speak to my wife
❁ Takes care of her when she is dying from cramps
❁ her smile is the most beautiful thing he sees
❁ remembers everything she talks about
❁ She has a stalker and suffers from ptsd and anxiety but she feels SAFE with him
❁ He’s so grouchy but shows his quiet love with acts of service

Book Highlights:

My eyes dart around, frantically trying to find a source of safety.
Anything.
I hear footsteps coming down the hall, and my heart races frantically in my chest. My temple starts throbbing as the steps get closer and closer.
My appetite is forgotten.
I try to take deep breaths, but they come out ragged, and I can’t focus on anything.
My eyes blur and—
“Aurora?”
Everything screeches to a stop.
The world stops spinning, and I look behind me to see Remo standing there in a black hoodie and sweatpants with white socks on his feet. He looks a lot more laid back and at home.
A calmness surrounds him, something comforting, and my heart slows. He becomes the centre of my attention.


I’m sure your secretary has told you about the event I’m holding for my new collection.”
When I raise my head to look at her, she is looking at me expectedly, her eyes slightly wide. She is so innocent and not used to the scary world.
Why was it her?
Why did I agree to marry her?
“Yes, I’m aware,” I say.
Her lips lift in a small smile, and her eyes shine even brighter, if possible. Those chocolate-coloured eyes make me question if there is some sort of magnetic force in them that makes me unable to look away from them. I always find it hard to look away once my eyes catch hers.


“Aren’t you going to finish your sentence?” I ask.
Her eyes widen ever so slightly. “I wasn’t… expecting you to listen. I—” She stumbles over words before she sighs and shakes her head.
Does she not know that—despite not wanting to—I hear every word that comes out of her mouth?

“Now tell me. If you keep that bottled in, you’ll get a headache.”
My frown deepens. Yes, oftentimes I get a throbbing headache when I’m dealing with issues, and then I get even more pissed off than usual.
How does she know that, though?
I stay still, surprised that she noticed not only the food by the flavour of it but also the fact that I am angry and irritated. No one’s ever paid close enough attention to ask the reason. They just stayed away, that’s it.
“I just… had a hectic day.”
She motions for me to continue, eager and listening.
“A colleague did something without my permission, and it could cost me quite a lot,” I elaborate.

I wake up with a startle when something cold clasps my arm. Rising to my elbows, I look down at my arm. A small, feminine hand lightly holds onto me. That hand is adorned by a simple thin bracelet and the diamond ring I gave her.

How could her hands be so cold at this time in the morning?
When I look back down at her, unable to help myself, my gaze catches on a piece of hair that has fallen on her face. My eyes trace down her face to her soft lips. They have a natural pink tint to them and prove to be a dangerous temptation. Something soft wraps around my chest, something I don’t want to put a name to.
My wife is beautiful.
The fingers around my arm slowly curl and tighten. Her face scrunches and her body tenses, as if something is bothering her.
I can’t help it when my hand slowly extends. My finger hovers above her face, right over the strand of hair that is clearly irritating her.
Don’t do it, Remo.
What am I doing

Her gaze lands on the couple standing in front of me, and her eyes flick to me, her brows lifted. I feel like something is sucked out of me, and I can’t breathe when her eyes are on me.
She gives me a pretty smile.
Pretty.
What is wrong with me?
“Morning, handsome.”
My chest restricts with the familiar nickname, like something finally feels right


She affects me so much, and it’s crazy that I don’t want to admit it.
I don’t want to.
This is fake.
She is putting on a show for my parents.
We both know it.
So why is it that when she turns in my arms, pressed so close to me, my arm is still around her waist?
Why is it that she leans closer, as if seeking warmth from me?
And why do I believe I can give it to her?


I sit through the breakfast and eat the croissant filled with cream cheese and the omelette Aurora has cooked, along with her freshly squeezed orange juice. I eat it all and shake my head at Isabelle when she goes to tell Aurora that I already ate.
Aurora sits next to me, her cherry scent only growing stronger. I am barely holding on to my self-control, so I don’t touch her. So I don’t kiss her, devour her.

Aurora and I get ready, then climb into my car. It’s only a few minutes before Aurora turns to me.
I already expect the conversation, or should I say the ten-minute-long monologue from her, where she’ll tell me something that happened

yesterday at her office or anything else she finds interesting, then she’ll place her hand on my arm in excitement.
And I will listen to it.
Silently.
Patiently.


When I catch the excitement on her face—the big smile, the bright eyes—as she talks to me, gesturing with her hands, it feels like she is moving in slow motion. Yet she still looks magical.
She can’t be real. Can she?
How can a woman look so enchanting when talking?


“Like what?” He questions again, and I don’t know what—oh.
“Like you… want to… murder me?” I say it slowly, hoping he doesn’t get any more furious.
I can’t look at him. I can’t bear to see the anger rising in his eyes. His hold on my wrist tightens.
My breathing speeds up, and tiny dots appear in my vision.
“What makes you think that?” He tugs lightly on my arm.
I swallow, not looking at him. “You… It doesn’t matter. I made peace with—”
Another harsher pull.
“Why do you think that, Aurora?” His tone turns hard.
There I go, getting weak in this man’s hands.
“You always look at me like you’re annoyed with me. You look away or walk away when I am in a room. You don’t even care to listen to anything I have to say. I know I talk too much, but I thought maybe we could be civil while being in this marriage, so our lives don’t get more complicated, but I feel like you just hate me so much.” I suck in a sharp breath and bite my lip. I can’t allow my emotions to overcome me.

Amina: He stuck all ten sticky notes on a piece of paper, then placed it in a clear plastic pocket. It’s resting on his desk. He keeps looking at it and frowning. Not sure if it worked.
She doesn’t realise what that means for me.
Remo won’t smile, but I know he is keeping them to ask me about them.
Smile a little because frowns don’t suit you
You’re so cute, it’s distracting
That one made me giggle while I wrote it. He probably hates that one the most.
You must be one hell of a thief because you stole my heart from across the room


I sigh in absolute bliss. I’ll remove my makeup and heels in a minute.
Just one minute of resting my eyes.
I wake up to the feeling of something loosening around my ankle. I groggily open my eyes, my vision slightly blurred, but I notice a head with black hair looking at my feet and hands moving around the strings of my heels.


“Aurora!”
My eyes snap open. My chest heaves faster and faster as I breathe at an impossible speed.
Remo’s face is in front of mine. I swear a flash of worry goes across his face before it’s gone. His hand is hovering above my arm, his shoulders pulled tight.
“Remo.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair. It’s damp with sweat. I cringe.
Remo’s hand gently touches my cheek, then his thumb brushes back and forth across my skin. I look up at him. The small, confused twist of his brows is there because of me, but all my heart can focus on is the intimate action. He’s trying to comfort me, and all I can do is stare up at him wide eyed.
I drop my eyes instantly once I see questions rise in his.
“Bad dream. Sorry to scare you,” I murmur, eyes fixed on my hands.

“Isabella,” I sing when I enter the kitchen. Only to stop in my tracks.
Remo is sitting at the kitchen island, drinking the juice I make for him every night for his breakfast and reading something on his phone. He looks up at me, his gaze scanning me from my perfectly styled hair to my pink glittery butterfly heels as if checking for something.
Then, as if he finds it, he nods once at

“What is it?” he grumbles, rubbing his shoulder again, and that strained expression pulls at his face.
“I have lavender oil in my bag. You really seem to have pain in your shoulder. It helps me when I sit down for too long. Do you want me to apply it for you?”

“Please don’t hate me for this.” My whisper sounds loud in his silent office as I take the last few steps towards him and wrap my arms around him.
He stiffens.
I rest my head against his chest, taking deep, long breaths to calm myself down from the news I got earlier. Remo’s big build and the muscles under his suit make me believe that he is a monster who can save me and keep me safe in his arms

Watching this big man, Remo Cainn, at my feet, putting on my heels for me, it makes me feel all sorts of things, and the Remo from these past few days is making me worry.
What is he doing?
Why now, all of a sudden?

Remo’s touch is beginning to feel a lot more like the peace my mind seeks and less like the cold hands of my fake lover.
These past two weeks feel different. With Remo.
“Everyone is here for your success, Aurora, for you. If you weren’t so good, why would anyone be here?”
Tears brim in my eyes, and his face blurs. His words make me want to hug him.
“Stop worrying. Go close those deals. I will be there. No one will utter a word against you. Not while I am here.” His gaze turns sharper as he says the last sentence, his jaw ticking like he would do so much more for me.
A slow smile starts to spread on my face until I release a soft laugh through my tears.
The hand on my cheek slides around until it’s resting on the back of my neck under my hair.
Remo hesitantly takes a step forward until my forehead meets his chest, and he pulls me in closer.
My heart races, my mouth opening.
Slowly, he wraps an arm around my waist while the other holds the back of my neck, keeping me close, secure, and safe.
Remo is… hugging me?


“Why don’t you do the honours then? Since you are so good at it. And leave me the hell out of this mess.” I snatch my wrist out of my father’s hold and step back. “Don’t force me to make a scene. You need to know the power I now hold as Mrs Cainn. You stripped it from me as a Torre, but apparently, you’ve forgotten exactly who you handed me over to.” The threat in my crisp words is clear.
Having a powerful husband has many perks, and I am using every single one of them.

“And out.”
I release my breath, my eyes closed, so I don’t have to face it all.
I keep repeating it as his soft voice wraps around like the comfiest blanket.
“Good girl,” he mutters, placing a kiss in the crook of my neck. My eyes snap open. His blaze with a barely controlled fire.
“Now, tell me, who the fuck was it?” His hand returns to my neck.
It tightens, not to cut off my air, but to encourage me to look up at him. The words are on the tip of my tongue. He is demanding my attention, and he wants it all, so I don’t lie to him.

I don’t know what brought this on, but I am going to find out who made my wife panic like this, who made her feel so unsafe that she started hyperventilating and shaking in my arms.

Why is it that in front of people in meetings, I know exactly what to say, and yet when this woman, this infuriating woman, is around me, all I want to do is wrap my hand around her neck and keep her eyes on me?
I want to use one of those little ribbons she wears in her hair to tie her hands behind her back and kiss her, demand answers so she knows she is mine no matter how much I hate myself for wanting her.
Why the fuck she is the sole woman who makes all thoughts leave my mind?
I need her safe, but at the same time, how could she be safe when danger lurks around her? It lives in her house, sleeps in her bed, drives her to work, eats meals with her…

She doesn’t know what was running through my mind as she was relieving that pain from me. I wanted to pull her into my lap and kiss her, to give her the same comfort she had given me, and yet, I stayed still.
What will I tell her when she falls for me, then the truth comes out? I can’t let her worry for me, care for me, or want anything more with me. And I sincerely hope she is forgiving, that she forgets all about me and doesn’t look back twice.
So, why am I failing at this so miserably?

Why do I keep looking at her Post-it notes every day in my office and find myself reading them over and over even though I’ve memorised them?
Why do I keep looking towards my office door as if I am expecting her when she has only come to my office a few times?
Why did I kneel in front of her and put her heels on for her, knowing I was on the verge of fucking everything up just so I could kiss her?
There is no reason for my behaviour, and not a single thing saying this is fake.
I told her to only act like my wife outside of our home, and yet here I am, doing the exact opposite.
“It’s fine,” I say, but I want to tell her it doesn’t hurt and ask her to massage me every day, so it never hurts again.
“Just fine?” she asks, her lip jutting out slightly as if disappointed.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” I find myself elaborating further.
My eyes won’t leave her lips as they spread in the most beautiful smile I have ever seen, and it feels like I can breathe again.
Oh, Mace Torre. What have you done?
Who have you given your daughter to?

“No one, and I mean no one, on this earth has enough guts to stand before me and threaten me, and you think your lousy little father, the one who was so quick to give you up, will be the one to do so?” A humourless laugh leaves me. My eyes dropping to her parted pink lips, and my heart twists.
“You are my wife, and anyone who speaks ill of you will find their lives crumbling around them.”

Stop me.” My whisper is hoarse, dripping with desire. “Stop me, Aurora, or I will do it.”
There is a glimmer of hesitancy in her eyes for just a moment, then it’s gone, and she shakes her head.
“No,” she whispers. “Just once.” Her lips part, and they touch mine.
We are both breathing heavily, our breaths mingling. Feeling the throb of my heartbeat in my ears is one thing, but being so close to tasting Aurora is another.
I want the prettiest flower, and I want to keep it, no matter that it may die because it has been taken out of its habitat.


As soon as we arrive and make it to the front porch of the Torre mansion, Aurora looks up at me and gives me a shaky smile.
And my heart melts.
“As you can see, the princess is scared and needs her knight in shining armour.”
I cannot for the life of me hold in my smile at this. I have to bite my lip so hard it may even bleed a little, but her face only makes me want to smile harder.
“What happened to the strong woman from last night

The spoon in my hand starts to bend. Aurora freezes beside me, her hand dropping to her lap. A very fine tremble shakes her shoulders, and her eyes shutter, like the light within her extinguishes. And that’s what gets on my last nerve.
“How could I have a whore of a daughter who gets herself locked in a room with a man she doesn’t even know? Talk about humiliating,” he spits out, clearly disgusted with her.
Red covers my vision.
That’s my fucking wife right there.
I push my chair back, my knife in my hand, and turn to Mace. I hold the silver blade under his jaw. His eyes widen, and he freezes. The tip of the knife grazes his skin.
The loud screams and shouts of his wife and daughter ring in my ears. I ignore them.
I lean closer to his face, studying his wide, bloodshot eyes. A sweat breaks out on his face.
“Let’s not forget who you married your daughter to. My reputation doesn’t precede me for no reason. So be careful how you speak to my wife,” I bark out.


Aurora?” I walk up to her to find a frown on her face. It doesn’t suit her. This frown.
She’s the one who is supposed to be smiling. Frowning should be left to me.
My chest constricts as I watch her. It feels wrong.


A soft huff of a laugh escapes Aurora as she looks out at the gloomy weather. She reaches out, and raindrops drench her hand. She smiles up at the rain, and I watch her like a lovesick fool.
How much more of my power will she strip me of by just being herself?
“You know, you are kind of okay when you aren’t outright glaring at me,” she says softly.
I chuckle.
Her head snaps up, stopping me mid-laugh.
“You laughed!” She points a finger at my face, fascinated.

[vanshikha · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5

"Welcome to the world of deception, Aurora. Don't bring your fantasies into this, or you will leave broken."

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴋᴡᴀᴀʜ ᴋ. ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʀᴄ!

Swettest Deception is BOOK 1 in the Deception series and the first book in Remo and Aurora's duilogy, filled with beautiful and explorative tropes and intriguing storyline.

There was no part in the book where I wanted to put it down or close the book because something didn't feel food to be written. The pacing was medium and perfect and th narrative never felt dragged of forced for the plot and the tropes.

I think this book served a magnifient introduction to the whole series. It created and atmosphere which is hard to let go.

I can't believe that I read the book withing 2 hours. Loved the book and unexpectected plot twists. There's a lot of unsolved mystery which I'm sure will be wrapped up in the next book.

Can't wait for Bitter Deception!

[Toobareads · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has annoying main characters who do mindbogglingly stupid things and never communicate. It is also filled with grammatical errors and misspellings.
The MFC is beyond annoying. Does this girl have serious comprehension problems?

[Messy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanna start off by saying that it should be illegal to have this many loose ends. This story could easily have been 5-stars stories, if everything was explained. But the unanswered questions just kept piling up and nothing was answered.

I really liked the suspense in the story. And that's what kept me going. This what one of those books that I could have read in one go, if I had the time, cause it was that good. But at the same time, it was almost too much suspense. To the point that I feel like I never knew the characters, and/or what was going on.

The FMC is treated horribly by her family, mainly her father, while her older sister is seen as the golden child. Something traumatic happened to the FMC. That is never explained. We keep getting hints all the time. There was a stalker and he is still in the picture, there are trauma (a cigarette burn behind the FMCs ear), and it seems like the family knows since the FMCs father called his own daughter "a wh*re who was locked inside a room with a man".

And then there is the FMCs family. I feel like a lot of things should have been explained. What is going on? I didn't really understand the motive behind the FMCs father's resentment toward her, and the same goes for the FMCs sister. Why are they treating her like shit? I felt like a backstory was needed. Why did the FMCs father basically sell her off to a man, who later on became her husband? I have so many questions...

And then there's the MMC. I was so lost throughout the story, because I felt like I never really understood who he was. I mean, he was a businessman, but WHO was he? There was moment were I suspected that he was part of the mob....

Then there are some tension between the MMC and the FMCs father. What's that all about? Why do the MMC want to ruin him? I mean, I don't disagree, ruin him all you want cause he is a shitty father, but whyyyyy? What did he do to you? Why did the MMC agree to marry the FMC, when he clearly cannot stand her. And he keeps telling her to stay away, and make their boundaries clear.

And the MMC keeps mentioning a "her". Who is she? is he referring to the FMC, or is "her" another woman?

And then there was the worst cliffhanger of my life. The book ends with the MMC holding a gun to the FMCs head... The End!

Like WTF!

I'm sure that there's going to be a sequel to this. There's no info on when and were... But I needed everything in one book. Cause I'm left with so many questions. And I feel kind of empty.

The book overall was good. There was a lot of buildup and suspense. But the never-ending trail of loose ends just ruined it for me.

Like I said in the beginning, this could have been a 5/5-star book, but I will give this 3/5 stars! 🌟

[M.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book,  the writing can be a little more polished but that comes with time and isn't necessarily sth I care immensely about. Although there are a few sequences which took me time to understand what was happening It all did eventually click albeit w some connecting of dots.

Over all I love the story there is a sense of mystery there starting from the prologue and it kept me hooked, Remo and Auroras interactions although contain limited words at least from Remos side are so wholesome, I love Remos pov so much and how he can't contain himself from falling for aurora!!! Him trying to keep her safe is everything!!! AND HIM BEING ABLE TO COOK!!!!!!AND THAT TOO COOK WELL!! him literally being so attentive to her and listening to her yap is the best thing ever.
Aurora being sweet but not bending over backwards for everyone is one of the many things I like about her and HER BEING SELF MADE IS THE BIGGEST INSPIRATION!!! ISHE SHOULD BE LOVED AND PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS!!
I'm loving the friendship dynamic between Kamari and Aurora it's so cute and I love that she has someone to love her unconditionally as she deserves.
I HATEEE HER FATHER LIKE I WANNA TORTURE HIM FOR TREATING HER POORLY AND USING HER AND HER SISTER🔪🔪🔪 AND THE STALKER WHOEVER IT IS IF I GET TO KNOW ABOUT U I WILL TORTURE U LIKE NEVER BEFORE FOR SCARING MY PRECIOUS GIRL.

LOVED HOW GOOD THE STORYLINE WAS GOING AND THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN REMO AND AURORA AND THE WAY HE CARED FOR HER WHEN SHE WAS ON HER PERIOD>>>>>>> BUT WTH WAS THE PLOT TWIST IN THE LAST CHAPTER!!!
BLOODY REMO HAD MOOD SWINGS AND LITERALLY TOOK A 360 MY POOR HEART!!! WELL TBH I WAS EXPECTING STH BUT NOT THIS.

so we can successfully conclude I have mixed feelings about Remo. I WANT TO HATE HIM BUT I LOVE HIM😭 AND WHY DID HELIA HAVE TO BE A PART OF HIS PLAN LIKE I WAS LIKING HIM SO MUCH. 😫😫 HE'S SO HOT AND AMBIGUOUS!!!

AND IF I WAS AURORA I'D BE NEEDING REMO TO GROWEL THE SHIT OUT OF HIMSELF, THEN I'D CONSIDER FORGIVING HIM!!!

Also there are too many questions that need to be answered!!!! LIKE WHO IS THE STALKER???
WHY IS HE SO OBSESSED W AURORA???
WHO HIRED THE STALKER CZ I THINK SOMEONE IS BEHIND THIS???
WHY DOES REMO HATE HIS PARENTS??? LIKE WHAT DID THEY DO???
WHO IS THE HER REMO TALKS ABOUT???
AND WHO IS THE HE WHO WILL GET GLAMOROUS????
TOO MANY QUESTIONS LIVING RENT FREE IN MY MIND!! I NEED TO GET TO BOOK 2 ASAP

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Akwaah K. for sending me this ARC!

Sweetest Deception is the first book in a new series with slow burn romance, marriage of convenience and grumpy x sunshine main characters that I really enjoyed!

When Aurora’s father arranges for her to marry a stranger so he can save his company, she wants to make the best of it and plans to make her husband like her, but the mysterious Remo seems to want nothing to do with his wife. Forced to be married and live together for a year, they quickly realize neither of them is who they thought each other to be and with the risk of falling in love, they will need to decide whether the can allow themselves to become a true married couple, especially when Remo’s reasons for agreeing to this marriage seem to be more nefarious than anyone expected.

I really enjoyed this author’s previous book and I must say this one was equally good. Aurora and Remo are such interesting characters, Aurora is really strong after everything she went through and Remo was so unexpected but I loved him, the author described him as a 'villain in disguise' and I think it fits him perfectly. These two had a true slow burn romance, there was so much tension I couldn’t help but root for them and was screaming in my mind for them to just admit their feelings and be together, I loved them and can’t wait to see what will happen with their relationship after that cliffhanger, I still can’t believe it happened.

The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I think this story would be better as a bit longer book, there were some moments that I felt were rushed and there were a lot of time jumps in the middle of the chapters, it read as if everything happened within a few weeks and then at the end of the book suddenly it was mentioned that 8 months passed since certain event.

Sweetest Deception is a really great romance book that I enjoyed and definitely recommend to everyone who enjoys this kind of books, there are so many great tropes here. I already can’t wait for the second book!

[Laura Iuliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I really really enjoyed this book. OMG it was amazing guys. I don’t like at all the slow-burn trope, like I fk hate it and if the characters don’t catch my attention I DNF but this was so beautifully and cute written and I couldn’t not love it and there is an arranged marriage, MY FAVE & Akwaah slaaaayed with this one.

A sunshine-grumpy story, with past trauma, so don’t skip the TW, but like all sunshine-grumpy, arranged marriage she tries to get under his skin and makes him look more human, and he is very private with his life, mysterious and annoyed with her and her bubbly attitude. HOW I LOOOOOVE THIS TROPES YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!!!!

AURORA TORRE – Our sunshine heroine who loves pinks and whites and is a businesswoman, actually a grown woman who doesn’t fall for Remo the second she sees him (I really liked that about her), but she obviously got attracted to Remo. Who wouldn’t? 🤔

I suddenly feel lightheaded, drunk on the desire he is igniting within me.

REMO CAINN – Grumpy, mysterious and a morally gray businessman. AH REMO, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE😍 He was very rude and intolerable at the beginning, and I was like “EXCUSE YOU WITH THIS ATTITUDE? YOU DON’T TREAT AURORA LIKE THAT!!!” but he became a really attentive&caring husband and I think I fall for him too.

My eyes don’t leave her as she shakes her head giggling, I want to kiss those lips.

I want to say so many things but I don’t want to give spoilers so all I have to say is that I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE GROVELING. REMO YOU WILL CRAWL TO AURORA and there is no other way back to her heart and her love.
Thanks God there is a second novel cause I would be dead rn with that cliffhanger.

Thank you Akwaah for the ARC. You are absolutely amazing and your work is fabulous.