Strong willed, strategic and calculating, Chloe seemingly had it all, a great legal career, amazing friends, the perfect house with the perfect cat. She was well on her way up the ladder to success. Until Jake Cunningham, a friend of her father’s, an elusive wolf in sheep’s clothing, comes into her life and pulls the rug from under her feet, getting the promotion she always wanted.
To add insult to injury, the man enjoyed tantalizing her, and scrutinizing her work on a daily basis. The last thing she needed was to get involved with her father’s trusted advisor, no matter how irritatingly attractive and clever he was.
But the more they work together, the harder she struggles to resist his charm. Eventually Chloe puts her defenses down and succumbs to his advances. But then, he pulls back the curtains and shows her his true purpose. The truth is revealed, tainting their relationship with lies and deceit. Can she ever trust him again?
Jake
Powerful, stoic, sharp, Jake was a task-oriented man who always caught his target. He’d taken a new job at his friend’s company, helping him handle a delicate situation. Jake’s job required him to be discreet and trust no one, and he was great at it. What he hadn’t accounted for was Chloe Holmes, his friend’s daughter and the company’s general counsel, distracting him from his mission.
He’d always felt office romances were a poor choice, and he did not intend to make exceptions. Chloe was just a piece of a bigger puzzle he was brought to solve. But her wit, her intelligence, manage to get under his skin, and his efforts to keep things professional begin to crumble.
However, just as he starts to cave in, he discovers Chloe may not be who she appears to be. But by questioning her character, Jake inadvertently leads them both into danger they could have never expected. He didn’t deserve a second chance, but he would fight for one anyways.
My name is Stéphanie. I write angsty love stories with assertive female leads, who go toe to toe with alpha heroes.
My love for romance stems from my teenage years, when I used to secretly read my grandmother’s harlequin books under the covers, coupled with spending every weeknight avidly watching telenovelas with my mother.
I have been writing romance books since I was a teenager, but not in English. Fast forward to a few years ago, I finally found the courage to pick my pen back up and write romance stories in English.
I grew up in the Caribbean and currently live in Illinois.
My favorite pastime is spending time with my cat, a romance book in hand.
I found Stephanie's work by being an ARC reader for GOR and it was one of my favourite books of 2024, so when I was also selected as an ARC reader for this book I knew I was in for a treat. This book is addictive (and so is Jake 🤤). The writing is so good, you can imagine everything scene by scene and I love how she separates the stories into two where you then get both POVs in the second half. The characters were great, Chloe is a very strong and independent woman that I absolutely love to see. Jake is an alpha male but definitely has a possessive side for the right woman. Not going to lie, part of be was very concerned for Chloe with that twist (!!) but everything works out in the end 🫶🏻 Another insanely good story from Stephanie, she's definitely an auto buy author for me now.
This was a phenomenal story! Chloe and Jake are absolutely amazing! And I lived for Jake’s alpha male/possessive moments!
Plus we get dual POV although it’s a little different than I’m used too, it’s in 2 parts, first we have Chloe’s POV and then Jake’s POV in the second part.
There’s so many twists and turns that you don’t know what to expect and I could not put it down! It was such a great book I loved everything so much and it’s definitely a must read!
Oh my goodness the emotions this book took me throughhhhhh. The whole plot of this book had me hooked from the very start. When I thought I knew what was going on, I was wrong HAHA. I really liked the plot twists that were in this story. Every time I needed to take a break I found myself not being able to because I was like “no wait let me read one more chapter”. The love, the heartbreak, all the emotions I could feel for this book, I FELT. The amount of times I wanted to grab Chloe’s shoulders and say “girllll get a grippppp”. Chloe really just went through it. I couldn’t help relating to so many things she went through which made it more emotional for me. I loved the strong and confident woman she strived to be even when she was broken or hurt. I won’t lie. Jake made me want to throat punch him a couple times lmao, BUT he won me over (of course). The possessiveness, the longing, the yearning, & the passion from Jake made me melt. And just an FYI Jake is blonde for my blonde appreciators 😌 This was a great read for me. I had a good time and it had all the spice✨
The title itself says a lot about what to expect in the story or who will be the hero. The writing style is quite different, everything is detailed from the scene to the food, to the rooms or clothes. Everything. And that made the story quite lengthy for me. There is no doubt I enjoyed the story and loved the characters but I would have devoured it easily had it been a little short.
The plot is interesting with dual PoV but you’ll see Jake’s PoV almost from the middle and the reason will be clear when you read the book. And I think the wait was worth it. Both the characters have a very strong and charismatic personality. The story has twists, banter, heavily involved emotions, some forbidden workplace spice and friends that are very needed. The intense chemistry is the cherry on the cake. Overall enjoyable.
“Game of Deception” is told in two parts. The first part of the story is told through Chloe's POV, and the second is both Jake's and Chloe’s. It’s a hefty book running close to 600 pages. I am glad Author Stephanie C. added Jake’s chapters. It was great to get the a-ha moments to the whys, who Jake was, and the moment when Jake fell for Chloe.
“Game of Deception” is a story filled with secrets and miscommunications that will have readers clenching their jaws and speaking to the characters out loud. Jake, at times, was quite infuriating but redeemed himself. There were a few steamy scenes, though not as detailed as I’m used to but still good. Overall, I liked the story.
This was honestly a decent read. I was really excited to get this ARC and honestly I had a fun time reading it. Jake and Chloe were super cute and I loved the whole workplace romance aspect of the book. I just feel like the middle of the book got boring and I ended up having to skip around a lot. I’m really glad that we got to see dual POV in the second half of the book because it was honestly a rough ride in the first half not being able to see both MC’s thoughts. This book was honestly really cute overall and was such a fun read. I have never read a book from this author before and it definitely won’t be my last!
Before I begin I want to thank the author, Stephanie C., for giving me this ARC.
This was not for me. This was too toxic to enjoy it. I like toxic but this is another level of it. I also didn't like the writing style. I hate it when authors describe every single detail. I don't need to know the exact shoes the characters are wearing. And even then at least choose something pretty because what do you mean you chose "nogat coloured, alligator style, embossed calfskin, stilettos" that's just horrible and unnecessary especially the stilettos part if you 15 words before already stated that they were So Kate's. Just no. Also the fact that these stupid shoes are mentioned a hundred times in this book in so many different ways that I just started to hate them.
Small disclaimer: I don't hate the So Kate's; I even like them. I love them on Zendaya, and I know the whole history behind them. I know that Kate Moss inspired them and that Miss Z is inspired by Zendaya.
I hated the storyline this was all just too much. I get the essence of it of course but the execution of it was just terrible. This was just not balanced. If you write this much toxicity then it should be balanced with stability and love. This was not love this was lust.
I could go on about this but I'm just tired of it. I know all of this sound pretty harsh but I'm just trying to be honest.
This book was good. I liked that the dual POV was broken down into a part 1 and a part 2. I think that is what made the book good. Sometimes, when there are dual POV, it feels like things get repeated, and that is sometimes irritating. The writing was descriptive. I was able to make a clear picture of what was going on. There were times I forgot I was reading. I didn't know what to expect. But it was a good read. There were so many plot twists and secrets I didn't see coming. I didn't like Jake at first, but he redeemed himself in his half of the story. The story really comes together after after part 2. It was so good. It's not an easy book to set down. If i wasn't reading this book, i was sleeping. I even found myself dreaming about it.
Thank you @goodgirlspr and Stephanie C. for this ARC.
Game of Deception was sooo good! And Jake was everything! The writing is so good, you can imagine everything scene by scene. The characters were great; Chloe is a very strong and independent woman that didn't get on my nerves too much, plus I loved her fashion sense! Jake is an alpha male but definitely has a possessive side for the right woman. There’s so many twists and turns that you don’t know what to expect and I could not put it down!
It was such a great book and is definitely a must read!
A lengthy book that I devoured piece by piece. Jake, a protective and possessive alpha, is bargaining for more than he signed up for when he meets the strong and independent Chloe. The pair heats up the pages with their obvious tension and chemistry! Game of Deception is a titillating romance with twists and turns that keep readers begging for more.
Chloe is a boss. She is amazing at her job and one day hopes to take over the family business, knowing its importance to her family. She is blindsided when Jake gets the promotion. They haven't known each other long, but they have an instant chemistry. It's hard for them to get along...probably because they are so attracted to each other, and are fighting to keep things professional. Once they get a taste, they find a new addiction in each other. Then, author Stephanie C. brings the unexpected, and chaos is upon them.
I loved how the author broke it up into two parts. The first part was solely told from Chloe's POV and the second part switches from Chloe to Jake's POV. I thought that was genius. I felt that it was necessary for readers to fully absorb the tension and high-stakes situations. My jaw dropped a time or two, and it even had me questioning what was real. The ending was satisfying. I am a new fan of Stephanie C., and I look forward to reading more in this series.
*Thank you to Good Girls PR & the author Stephanie C. for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.*
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ Rating: ⭐⭐1/2
I'm going to start off by saying I DNF'd about 55-60% through for now. I've heard a lot of people saying the second half of the book was much more enjoyable for others but I just had to put this book on hold for now. The book style of dual POV was really nice, and I could see myself enjoying it more if it wasn't so toxically immature? And I hate saying this because I know authors put their everything into their books. It was just the back and forth of I want to do this, no I hate this, I'm going to trash them for me to really get into it. The writing was really good, it was just really hard for me to enjoy this book. The characters we're hard to connect with and the the overly detailed descriptions of outfits and everything was just a turn off to me. I'm really going to try to finish this after I take a little break, because I could see myself enjoying the author's writing!
Game of Deception would be a good book for those who enjoy: Workplace Romance Dad's Friend (but MCs are close in age) Hate to Love You Will They/Won't They
This book just wasn't for me, but I could see many enjoying this book. There was just a little too much "I'm going to kiss you, but then instant regret it right after and make you feel bad" for two 30 something year olds. It does feed into the drama, but it was a bit too much for me, and felt a little immature for the age of the characters.
I ended up DNFing about 44% through. I've seen that the second half was more enjoyable and there's an interesting twist, so I may decide to re-attempt. The writing was good, there's nothing wrong with that, I just couldn't connect with these characters. I would try another book from this author.
Thank you, Stephanie, and GGPR, for sending me a copy of this book.
This was my first book by Stephanie C., and it wasn’t my favorite. The writing was decent, but there were way too many details, like what characters were wearing, which just slowed the pace down. The middle of the book dragged, and I found myself skipping around a lot.
Jake, the male lead, was frustrating, rude, arrogant, and honestly, not a good person. The back and forth between him and Chloe got tiring really fast. However, Chloe was an okay character ambitious and well-developed.
Overall, not for me. If you enjoy toxic relationships and drama, it might work for you.
Thank you Good Girls PR and Stephanie C for providing me with this ARC and in exchange for an honest review!
Thoughts: Such a cute read! Though I did struggle in the middle and the first 20% of the book. It definitely picks up after a bit! The back and forth hard to get is quite cute! I do love how Chloe has worked so hard to make a life for herself and how she’s humble. The developing relationship between Chloe & Jake is super cute!
Recommended to/troupes: NA Workplace romance Enemies to lovers Friendship Romance
Game of Deception delivers plenty of tension and drama with its office romance and power struggles. Chloe and Jake have strong chemistry, and their dynamic keeps things interesting as they navigate ambition, deception, and unexpected feelings. The story starts off strong, but some twists felt predictable, and the ending was a bit rushed. While it’s an entertaining read with solid tension, it didn’t fully deliver on its potential. If you like workplace romances with a mix of intrigue, this one is worth checking out.
REALLY enjoyed this one. it's my second book from this author and it did not disappoint! so much angst and confusion! kept me interested. I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO PART 2!!!!!! it all starts to make sense once you get to Jake's POV (and its so worth the angst and mystery!) i love how those books kind of give us an enigma to solve! dont get me wrong though, there is still top notch spice! ooo Jake, i think I'm in love with an imaginary character. SO GOOD.
This book took me a bit to get into because of how many pages there were but I enjoyed it overall. I loved the workplace romance as well. I was introduced to the dual POV but separated into two parts which was very interesting. I like my possessive men so Jake was certainly enjoyable at times. Reading about strong FMC is also a change from my usual reads so it was fun.
This book gave me Blair and Chuck vibes all the timeeeeee. Even with their little toxic relationship games 😂. Let me tell you something that poor necklace was tireeeeeed of all the returns it had 😂😂.
Chloe and Jake story was a rocky one. At some point you didn’t know what kind of game Jake was playing at. The hot and cold between them was tiresomely entertaining - they’re together in one chapter and surprisingly the next one they’re breaking up again (?). Game Deception stars a a one single POV, Chloe is the one who tells their story and you get all her frustrations towards Jake because WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG .
Almost at the end of the story we get Jake's POV and you kinda get what he’s been doing all the time. The secrets are discovered but not all of them. And this is where everything gets messier 🙃. At this point I was just inhaling and exhaling because I was FRUSTRATED with Jake. If I was Chloe I wouldn’t forgive him.
It’s an entertaining story, but I’m my opinion I just needed more romance because all the time I felt they were fighting. And Chloe throwing the necklace at him and making up again to rip apart… AGAIN.
I really felt I was watching Chuck and Blair in Gossip Girl 👀.
This book was really good. I thought the characters were relatable. I really enjoyed Chloe's Character. She was my someone I was rooting for through the whole book. She is very driven and ambitious. However I couldn't really stand Jake he was arrogant. and I just am not a fan of that. I will absolutely be reading more by Stephanie C.
Took time to finish this off, it was okay read, my taste for both characters improved in the 2nd half of the book d/t dual POV. It was just an okay read. Thanks for the ARC, all thoughts are my own!
Well written, millionaire x billionaire pairing. Was slightly annoyed with the FMC and i don't care about all the brand name clothing dropped every chapter. But I did enjoy the chemistry and the corporate espionage.
DNF at 65%. The MMC is dating both the FMC and get cousin, the reasoning behind the conflict is so unorganized I can't believe it and I frankly just dislike the MMC so much that's why I'm DNFing