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Deadly #1

Deadly Deception

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Human One of the most prolific and profitable businesses in the world and growing every day. But that’s only in third world countries, right?
Isabella Donnelly, is drugged, abducted, and taken from her so-called friend’s house in Colorado and transported across state lines all the way to Virginia. Finally escaping after several attempts, she ironically runs into the arms of skeptical detective, Wyatt Bowman. The staggeringly handsome, with nothing-gets-past-him sharp blue eyes, is hard to convince that the horrific story she’s telling is true.
Their attraction is hot, sizzling, and irresistible. While they get caught up in each other, will Wyatt be able to let her go through with a sting operation against the group that is human trafficking women from all over the country? Will he trust her to handle the danger, and then when she finds out his secret, will he be able to gain her trust in return?

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2010

4 people are currently reading
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About the author

Lorelei Confer

20 books479 followers
Amazon bestselling author of romantic suspense, Lorelei Confer, has been writing since the fourth grade. She lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with her husband and AJ, a longhaired Chihuahua, who are both her constant companions.

In 2010, her first novel, Deadly Deception was published, the first in the Deadly series. Another series, Saddle Creek, began with the first release, Rustlers and Romance in 2016. This series is set in the shadows of the Grand Teton mountains in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Mentoring children years ago led to helping aspiring authors set goals, and generally, meet their objective to finish the book. She practices her own discipline every day.

After six years as a copy editor and two years as an editor at The Wild Rose Press, she ventured out on her own as an indie author.

Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.loreleiconfer.com/subscribe to receive exclusive excerpts and bonus material, receive alerts when books are released, and take part in great giveaways.

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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Caitlyn Lynch.
Author 208 books1,825 followers
July 12, 2017
A good premise utterly botched by terrible writing.

Human trafficking is a very relevant topic, and I picked up this book for review thinking that it seemed like an interesting theme for a romance; a human trafficking victim who falls in love with a detective investigating the case.

At least, that's what the Amazon blurb led me to believe.

I really should have paid attention to the other reviews. This book is a hot mess of completely unbelievable events, most of them cause by the heroine being TSTL (Too Stupid To Live). I mean, seriously, who goes to the home of someone whose last name you don't even know, and you don't have the actual address, just complicated directions? Frankly, it's no surprise that Isabella's casual acquaintance turned out to be working for a human trafficking ring.

After being drugged and kept in a seedy motel for a few days, Isabella manages to escape her captors just as she is about to be delivered to her buyer. Running away through woods, she finds a house with a light on in the window and instead of doing the sensible thing of knocking at the door and begging for help, she decides to pick the lock instead, despite having no idea of how to pick locks, and she actually manages it.

With her bra underwire.

Now, it's possible that there are some superspies out there who can pick locks with bra underwires, but Isabella ain't no Black Widow, so this is a completely unbelievable plot point. Not quite as unbelievable as the fact that the house she breaks into belongs to not only a hunky guy (bet you saw that one coming) but he is also... a detective who investigates human trafficking.

At this point my suspension of disbelief got on a horse and rode off into the sunset laughing, I'm afraid. I read through the rest of the book with a mounting sense of WTF going on. From Wyatt (our hero) behaving like a total ass to Isabella and treating her like a suspect instead of the victim she quite clearly is, to police cars being stolen and not able to be found because apparently they don't have GPS, to a detective on the case being murdered and then in the very next chapter turning up alive at his desk... I'm not even kidding.

The plot is completely unbelievable. Isabella claims to not even know what human sex trafficking is. She is a grade school teacher, not a child! Anyone who reads the newspapers knows what it is. And the dialogue is as stilted and unrealistic as the plot... the following example had me rolling my eyes, after Wyatt took Isabella to his log cabin, (for Safety Reasons obviously, and nothing to do with the fact that he'd already had unprotected sex with a trafficking victim less than 24 hours after meeting her)

"It's - it's so majestic, yet so homey. I love it! Kind of a mix of rugged and safe, like you."

NOBODY TALKS LIKE THAT. NOBODY.

I'd tell you more about the TSTL heroine, but the fact that the author saw fit to have her stuck braless for the entire story because Wyatt burned her clothes and his sister's didn't fit her is infuriating me too much. There were constant prurient references to her nipples poking through her shirt... but it doesn't occur to her to ask ANYONE to buy her a bra.

Wyatt's such a prize, too. I mean. Really. Human trafficking detective + human trafficking victim = handle with kid gloves, right?

Not so much. After her ordeal, Isabella very wisely takes a shower, puts on a bathrobe - all she can find to wear - and falls asleep in his bed. He comes to check on her, pervs on the fact that he can see she doesn't have any underwear on and then... wait for it...

GETS INTO BED WITH HER.

Even if she WASN'T a victim and he wasn't a detective, this is horrific and predatory behavior. But just imagine how someone who had been through that ordeal would feel, waking up in bed with a strange man???

No amount of bleach will ever get this absurd nonsense out of my brain. The author needs to talk to some actual police officers about how human trafficking victims and their cases are handled, not make up this offensive bullshit. One star, and at that, I'm being quite generous.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through ReadingAlley.
Profile Image for BookAddict  ✒ La Crimson Femme.
6,917 reviews1,436 followers
May 10, 2021
Sold off as a sex slave in today's age is an urban legend, isn't it? Just like walking up in a hotel bathtub missing a kidney... The first in this series, Isabella Donnelley finds out just how wrong she is about slavery. To be fair to her, in our modern times, slavery has been white washed into a politically correct term, "human trafficking". Sound a bit benign, doesn't it? Kudos to Ms. Confer and her story showcasing a plausible human trafficking situation.

Isabella Donnelley is targeted as a piece of merchandise. Tricked by a so called friend, Isabella wakes up to find herself trapped. Keeping her wits about her, she escapes and finds help through Wyatt Bowman. Only one problem - Isabella has had a bad experience with law enforcement so she's not that interested in staying with him.

The suspense in this story keeps a nice tension. Added with the action, the story moves along quickly and quickly pulls a reader in. The plot device used in this story is nicely done and when the "big reveals" are made, it ties everything up nicely. There are no big surprises as Ms. Confer does a nice job of laying out the clues for a reader to anticipate each reveal. I wouldn't say the story is predicable. The hints are obvious which helps makes the storyline more believable.

As a start to a series, this is a good one. Ms. Confer creates a world that is easy to understand. Readers will immediately be able to identify with one of the characters. Both Isabella and Wyatt are down to earth characters who can easily represent a majority of reader's backgrounds. This makes they easy to like. Overall, this story reminds me of a cautionary tale which can easily translate into a TV special. I can even see the actors playing the characters. This contemporary romance is recommended to suspense readers.

* Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Juli.
Author 40 books94 followers
June 21, 2011
Good premise and timely...
Profile Image for Virginia Marks.
40 reviews2 followers
September 4, 2017
Some fiction books mirror non-fiction so closely that you can believe the possibilities inside. This book is about the horror of sex trafficking and the creative ways they can lure you into their snare.

Wyatt Bowman is fighting a battle inside of his mind and his heart. He is torn between running his late fathers company, Bowman Industries & Land Development, or continue to be a cop assigned to the sex trafficking and sex slaves. He has taken some time away from both choices to make a decision on which to continue. Kicked back reading a newspaper he hears someone breaking into his house.

Isabella Donnelly has just escaped from her captor and has broken into a house in the woods. She tries to find a place to hide and is astonished to see that there is no place to hide. Sneaking through the house she finds that the house is not empty at all. With the fear in her eyes and look on her face she tells the stranger that those outside are looking for her. To her relief the man agrees to help her hide. Once the people gave up for the night, she now noticed the stranger's home she broke into.

When she tells Wyatt that she used the wire from her bra to break in, he was very impressed. He tries to calm her down to find out what scared this beautiful woman. She tells him her story and knew that he would either believe her or tell her to leave.

She has to repeat the entire story to Dave, who happens to lead the team. She met her friend for a "girls night" and from there everything snowballed.

Isabella detested cops due to the lousy way they protected her father which caused his murder. Wyatt sensed her hesitation and only told her that he owned a buisiness. He, by nature, was suspicious and needed the truth and every detail of her capture and escape.

This story shows us a glimpse of the reality of some women. These thugs don't care about age or social status. They simply needed girls that they could "train" them into obeying their master's. Some women are kept drugged with sedation medication and other's get introduced to harder drugs. These evil people take passports, identification, credit cards, cell phones, and even family information. They own you completely and will threaten your family to keep them submissive and scared.

Isabella shows the fear through her eyes and yet also shows the strength that can make them stronger to fight back. She never gave up and fought every way she possibly could. She shows us that there is hope for a better tomorrow and that there can be something good to come from the struggle.

The point of views are told by the main characters, enemy and the good guys. The story is well rounded from start to finish. It grips your mind and refuses to release you until you finish the last word on the last page! I was given this book to review from the author/publisher through Reading Alley and in exchange I give my unbiased opinion.
183 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2020
Do the research

If an author is going to write a police procedural romance, then they should do their research. There were way too many inconsistencies in the story to make it plausible, starting with the absurdity of the heroine's father being in witness protection or under police protection because he was being harassed by some unknown stalker (that's not how it works) and ending with the charges that were leveled against the criminals (Amanda can't both be given immunity and probation for the same crime. The local district attorney can't give immunity for federal charges. Spike would have had a litany of federal charges associated with human trafficking, not just homicide).

Procedural aspects aside, there is little to no character development for the heroine and hero. The heroine is just plain dumb. For someone who specializes in human trafficking, the hero is dumb. Attempts to give each character more of a backstory fall flat. Wyatt's story about Rachel feels like something thrown in from left field as it does nothing to strengthen the story. It could just as easily have been left out and never would have been missed. The plot line with Isabella's father just moved to story to absurd. Just goes to show that teenage boys will do anything for sex, I suppose? In the end, there is little to like about Isabella and barely more to like about Wyatt (Sure it's okay for the cop to totally perv on a victim who was about to be sold as a sex slave.)

And what happened to Megan? We start the book with the task force looking for Megan. We see Megan taken from a house where Isabella is being held. We neither see nor hear anything further about Megan. As this is a part of a series, there should be either a tie in for the next books or there should be a body found or something that takes us full circle with the start of the book. And yet there is nothing.

From the use of the word diatribe in relation to the victim on page one, to the lack of character development, to the inconsistent police procedures, I felt as though the author was taking me (the reader) from granted, as though it were my responsibility to work harder to believe the story than it was her's to make it believable.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Char Davis.
583 reviews7 followers
April 10, 2020
Wyatt was talking to his partner Save he told him he was tired working the task force and also running the business he inherited from his parents.Hes built the company even bigger than is was but trying to have both things going all the time is wearing him out.As he;s relaxing at home almost asleep he hears someone in his house its a woman bruised an her clothes are ripped an torn but still shes the most beautiful woman hes ever seen.Isabella broke into a house an found the man who says his name is Wyatt.She asks him to help her when she tells him what happened he wanted to call. The cops but she doesnt trust cops .They hear a noise an he hides her they hear a guy saying they have to get her back shes worth a lot of money .This story is exciting dangerous action packed suspense filled.The characters are captivating.There are so many twists and turns to this story will keep you riveted until the very last page and leave you begging for more..I love the way this amazing author brings the characters to life before your eyes and makes you feel their emotions and their pain.I can hardly wait to see what;s next by this multi talented author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
488 reviews7 followers
February 29, 2020
This book is about a second grade teacher named Isabella who gets kidnapped by sex traffickers, but there are lots of connections to why this happened to her in particular. Wyatt is the man who rescues her and then works to keep her safe. Isabella and Wyatt do not really trust each other at first but are very attracted to each other. The story was important to me to read because I have a friend who was almost trafficked, but managed to escape before anything bad happened to her. There are suspenseful events that happen in this story as the kidnappers try to get Isabella back for their boss, and a dramatic conclusion that fortunately allows for an HEA for Isabella and Wyatt. I like those HEA's and highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more by this author!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kymber Jones.
377 reviews7 followers
March 23, 2020
The book, Deadly Deception, is not bad story wise. It is based on a very serious topic of kidnapping and sex trafficking, but the writing seems to be a bit hasty thrown together. Several times there are inconsistencies and things just not making sense, like how the female protagonist knew her so called friend and was kidnapped and transported across state lines over several days but she didn't know so much time passed, or that she was drugged.

While the story had a lot of issues going on, I admit, I really did enjoy the book, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I don't know if this is the first book this Author wrote, but I can only see her writing getting better as the series goes along.
6,028 reviews40 followers
April 6, 2020
Our heroine is abducted and escapes, happily running into a police detective who can help. That is if he believes her story.

This is a romantic suspense story combining a bit of action and intrigue with the romance. The story itself is well written, but the plot has some holes in it that were rather frustrating. The characters were also a mixed bag with the heroine seemingly dumber than a bag of hammers. The hero had a bit more going for him, but could have used a bit more depth as well. Overall, I did enjoy the story, but would like to see it solidified a bit.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.
Profile Image for Laurie Beemer.
679 reviews28 followers
September 3, 2017
This book discussed a very serious issue, human/sex trafficking. I had a little bit of trouble really getting into the characters. There was a part of me that wanted to yell at Wyatt for being such a jerk when he first came across Isabella. What Isabella has been through is traumatic and what follows can either help put an end to it or make everything worse. Thank you Reading Alley and Lorelei Confer for allowing me to read this book and write a honest review.
Profile Image for Christina Standridge.
1,007 reviews3 followers
March 14, 2020
A fast paced action book. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Isabella is drugged and kidnapped by an acquaintance. She is able to escape and breaks into Wyatt house to hide from the kidnappers. Wyatt agrees to help her. As they work together to find who is responsible they get close. Will Wyatt be able to keep her safe or will the kidnappers get her back?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,793 reviews4 followers
March 14, 2020
This is the story of Isabella and Wyatt. She is kidnapped by human traffickers and after several attempts, finally escapes and breaks into Wyatt’s house to hide. He agrees to help her and their friendship turns to romance. I enjoyed this action packed, suspenseful romance. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Heather W.
4,064 reviews35 followers
March 14, 2020
Deadly Deception is an interesting read about human trafficking. I enjoyed reading this book and would read the next book in the series. There is danger, suspense, and romance. I did think that Isabella should have been portrayed as more careful after having been drugged and kidnapped.

I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
Profile Image for Barbara.
19.1k reviews8 followers
March 17, 2020
Book one in the Deadly series and what a start to this series. I did not think that human/sex trafficking was an issue in the States, but after reading this book I will not be so complacent. Isabella Donnelly and detective, Wyatt Bowman's story is a must read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Justen Perkins.
321 reviews3 followers
March 14, 2020
This is a first for me on this author and wow. This book was incredible to read and kept my attention completely through the entire story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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