Double Deception

The Corinthians Series #9

by Patricia Oliver

A lovely widow accepts a marriage proposal from an earl's handsome son. But his attractive father, seeing her as someone coveting his son's wealth, sets out to defeat her with everything from cold coin to warm kisses. Now she's torn between two men--one with a ring for her hand and the other with the key to her heart!

Genres: Regency, Historical Romance, Historical, Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Patricia Oliver is a pen name of Patricia De La Fuente. Between 1993 and 2002 she wrote for the Signet Regency Romance imprint and for Jove under her other pseudonym Olivia Fontayne.

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the first triangle with a father and a son I’ve read.
But certainly, my first in a traditional regency.
It’s well done, no ick factor and is engrossing with a very angsty tone.

*With Spoilers*
The down on her luck widow is trying do her best to secure her daughter’s future by marrying a wealthy young man. She’s been shunned by her father, her in-laws and lives in genteel poverty so her accepting the proposal of a besotted young (by 9 years) viscount for whom she feels only an affection (just like for her daughter!) is forgivable.

It’s only when they go to visit his father that the drama begins!
He’s a manipulative a-h who brings in the big guns to defeat the widow Standish and meanwhile also does his bit of grabbing and kissing. The first 3/4th of the book is really gripping and the cat and mouse game, her being side-lined, her increasing helplessness, fears and realization of her ‘defeat’ make it super-angsty and even made me tear up a few a times. The om/son goes from sweet and innocent to horny and hormonal (for someone else) and starts ignoring her and her daughter who's equally hurt and bewildered by his desertion. That was a quite unforgivable.

The H is portrayed a scholar/expert on Ming vases when he’s not busy being Machiavelli. But I never bought that benign side of him. He’s focused on getting what he wants even as he realizes that the h is not the greedy, grasping female the family feared and may even have honest feelings (affection!) for his son. By now, he wants the h for himself - only without the benefit of the vows. His obsession with her physical charms can be seen as in way of a strong sexual chemistry but I found it gross when he feels her up and is aroused by an unconscious h rather than be concerned for her wellbeing.

The story didn't feel like a triangle as the son is cleverly sidetracked by the father (and the author) with a more exciting diversion, and is mostly awol for most of the book.
Also I thought her a fortune hunter to begin with but forgave her quickly. A mother can have strong motivations to go to extreme lengths - and especially in times so horribly weighed against single, solitary women.

The later 1/3rd, after the revelation of the ‘Double Deception’ is a letdown and a drag. The author tries to portray the H as a reticent 'scholar' which I couldn't buy.
Still a 3.65*.
ETA: Both mcs had loved and now miss their dead spouses. The H moreso as he resurrects his wife in his thoughts many a times. But I didn't mind as it felt only natural that he missed a beloved spouse of 15-16 years.

[Nabilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has an original premise. I don’t believe I’ve read anything in a traditional regency romance where the heroine was initially betrothed to the son (the heroine was a decade older than the son) but ended up with the father instead (the father was only 14 years older than the heroine). No icky factor as the son was on the sideline from the beginning. The father, an Earl, hired an actress to lure the son away from the heroine. He thought the heroine was a fortune-hunter. The heroine accepted the son’s suit only because she wanted security and a home for herself and her daughter (she was an impoverished widow). Upon meeting the Earl, the heroine was quite swept away ( she likened him to a wolf). As you can imagine, the Earl did many underhand dealings that hurt the heroine. He was a widower for the past 5 years and married for 15 years and loved his wife. Only the heroine managed to stir some feelings inside him. He set out to seduce the heroine but became the seduced instead.

I enjoyed the dialogues very much; they were lively, entertaining, and period appropriate. Unfortunately, the final 25% was a drag. Too many misunderstandings bogged it down. I was not too fond of the heroine’s reaction toward the Earl’s underhanded dealings. She still pined after him even after the numerous deceits. I liked my heroine to show a little bit of backbone, please. I found the side characters one-dimensional, so that’s another aspect of the story that I didn’t enjoy as much. Hence, only 3 stars from me. It’s hard to find decent regency romance authors, so I might just give some of her other books a try.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super into the heroine and the father ending up together! Thought the author did a great job with the triangle.

Looking for this trope of anyone had more suggestions!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Athena Standish was a beautiful young widow with a little girl to raise and a life on the icy edge of poverty to lead. Young Peregrine Steele might have been a trifle too impulsive for her, but he was too handsome, too adoring, and too rich for her to refuse his marriage proposal.

There was but one barrier between Athena and the safe haven of wedlock. Peregrine's father, the Earl of St. Aubyn, saw Athena as a wanton widow in search of wealth and set out to defeat her designs with every weapon at his command, from cold coins to warm kisses. This devastatingly attractive lord had not wanted a woman since his own wife died, but he knew all too well how to make a woman want him-as Athena was torn between the man with a ring for her hand and the one with the key to her heart.

This book bogged down in the last 75 pages. Too much, "should I or shouldn't I". I wanted to say, for God sakes move on already! Maybe I need to take a break from romances. Think I will go for a mystery next.

[Ilze · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting story (I couldn't put it down and this morning I'm regretting that!), but multiple problems in the story don't allow me to give it more than 2.5 stars. There are several *extremely* annoying characters in the book (especially Lady Ridgeway and her husband) and I tended to skim through the sections where they were featured in the story, once I realized that they were just plot devices rather than actual characters. The age difference between the heroine and the hero (14 years) is too much for me to easily accept their HEA. The heroine jumps from being engaged to a very young and naive man, to marrying his father in the space of a few weeks - that is just too much to take in stride, and I don't see how they would all be able to live comfortably together after the marriage - the situation seems too squicky to me. Finally, there seems to be a lot of padding toward the end of the story, when the hero and heroine are supposed to get together, but the required Traditional Regency page count hasn't been reached - the ending is just way too drawn out and silly.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice lighthearted regency romance. My first time reading this author and I was pleasantly surprised.

[Jean]

"Double Deception" by Patricia Oliver August 1997
Athena fell in love with John Standish but his father would not approve of the marriage. Confident the father would change his mind, John and Athena were married. When John's father cut off his allowance, John joined the army to fight Napoleon. At this same time Athena's father remarried and his new wife didn't want Athena to live with them so Athena went with John to the Peninsula and while there had a little girl, Penelope. John was killed at Talavera and now she finds herself with a small pension living with her Aunt, Mrs Mary Easton in London.
Mrs. Easton and Athena received an invitation for Lady Hereford's alfresco breakfast at her home outside London beside the Thames. She really didn't want to go but did so to please her Aunt.
Athena felt like an ancient beside all the giggling innocents so she took herself off for a walk by the river hoping it would be cooler. As she stood by the river a swan trailed by a fleet of half grown cygnets came straight toward her hissing imperiously. She was saved by a young man (about 19 or 20) who carried a plate of delicacies. He told her food was the only thing to keep the beasts at bay.
Peregrine Steele, Viscount Fairmont, was the only son and heir to the Earl of St. Aubyn. After speaking to Athena and finding out she was the widow of one of England's heroes he became totally infatuated with Athena. He also came to love her daughter, Penny. He bought them clothes, took them for rides in the park and started begging Athena to marry him. He promised security and a future for her daughter so although he was so young she finally accepted. He wanted to get his father's permission and knew his father would love Athena as much as he did.
Sylvester Steele, Earl of Aubyn was not happy when Perry came with Mrs. Standish and her daughter telling him about his future bride and Sylvester called Athena a fortune hunter and tried to bribe her to leave Perry alone.
What does Sylvester do when Athena refuses his bribe and what can he do to discourage Athena from marrying Perry now? Him as a distraction? But does Sylvester learn to love Athena as much as Perry or More?
This is a another fun story so to all my friends and readers...Happy Reading!

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, easy read, silly at times but with a nice ending, eventually. I'm not buying Sylvester Steele's tongue-tied scholar routine, I think he was ruthless enough to speak to Athena at any time if he wanted to, although love has been known to make fools of the most eloquent men, so I hear :0) I think Athena had convinced herself that she wanted to marry Peregrine for the right reasons & did the right thing when she realised her mistake - a very likeable heroine, Mrs. Standish. Not a spectacular tale, but a very pleasant & comfortable one.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.35 stars - r-lite (can't remember why -- probably mention of mistresses?)

Tedious, silly, sluggish last chapters and a somewhat clumsy "happily ever after" ending detracted from an otherwise GREAT, fast-moving romantic regency story. Wonderful Hero and terrific secondary characters.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroine Athena Standish is a widow with a little girl, living in poverty. Meeting youthful Peregrine Steele seems a dream when he proposes marriage. Peregrine introduces his fiance to his father, the Earl of St. Aubyn. The Earl believes the widow to be a gold digger. Peregrine's attention shifts to a younger woman. Who is the real deceiver in this Regency romance?

[Lika · Rating 4 out of 5]

LEGENDARYYYYYYYYYYYYY crack COCAINE, i love how his personality changes depending on what the plot needs, like by the end of it hes SHY???? and socially awkward????? like like how he kept changing SO FUNNy, and like the general set up of this was AWESOme, HASHTAG LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also like his random ming vase this was so funny, then he drank water from her throat HUh////?????

[HistoricalHussy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Romance where?

[Seema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written but peters out towards the end

[Aneca · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems I may have to search for Oliver's backlist