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The Image of Deception
Clarissa Edwards has been dating her boyfriend, Robert, for two years, and has been living with him in their apartment for three weeks. Everything has been going fine… until she finds another woman texting him, asking when their next date is going to be.
Pretending to be Robert, Clarissa sets up a date with the woman — this Megan Barry — in order to confront her. But when she comes face to face with Meg she realises that neither she nor Clarissa are to blame; it's Robert who has toyed with them and their emotions.
Teaming up, they decide to work together to make him pay for his betrayal. But as they spend more time with each other, Clarissa and Meg find themselves bonding beyond their taste for revenge.
Pretending to be Robert, Clarissa sets up a date with the woman — this Megan Barry — in order to confront her. But when she comes face to face with Meg she realises that neither she nor Clarissa are to blame; it's Robert who has toyed with them and their emotions.
Teaming up, they decide to work together to make him pay for his betrayal. But as they spend more time with each other, Clarissa and Meg find themselves bonding beyond their taste for revenge.
95 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2018
3 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Anne Hamilton
6 books74 followersCharlotte Anne Hamilton is a blue-haired mermaid-wannabe who lives in Ayrshire, Scotland with her two fur-children, Izzy (chocolate lab) and Smudge (queen cat). She is currently studying Astronomy and Planetary Science and in her spare time she enjoys reading and gaming, as well as dabbling in all forms of art and her craft as an eclectic witch. Her main source of inspiration in writing and in life is the popular phrase: "but make it gay".
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 7, 2023
rep; megan (mc) is a pansexual woc. clarissa (mc) is bisexual and has chronic pain. zoe (sc) is black and aroace.
two women find out the guy they’re dating is two timing them and team up to get revenge? but they end up falling for each other and ditching the guy and their revenge to be together? and one of them is a pansexual woc? and the other is a bisexual woman with chronic pain? and there’s a black aroace side character? and there’s an emphasis on communicating and not bottling things up or filling in the blanks with your own assumptions? and the bisexual character mentions being attracted to guys, girls, and non-binary people and being open to whoever, and how pansexual kinda fits them, but bi is what feels right for them? and the pansexual character uses the word? and there’s an adorable dog who deserves the absolute world and i would die for? there’s the moment i was hoping for when the two women are out on a date and run into the guy who cheated on them with each other? there isn’t an inappropriately long sex scene compared to the length of the novella?
i had been wanting to read this for a while and it’s just as wonderful as i had hoped.
aside from a tiny bit of ableist language, my one thing is that i don’t like the comments about the women wanting to hit the guy. or the moment added to justify one of the women acting on her long desire of punching him in the face. the moment is sort of framed as her not wanting to hit him, but he doesn’t listen to her warnings or let go of her arm, thus giving her no choice but to hit him. i don’t know, given all the comments about the women wanting to hit the guy, it just feels like the author felt the cheating boyfriend deserved to be punched in the face, but didn’t want the women to be seen as the abusive ones, so they added that moment and the overall looming vibe that he would turn violent at any second (the feeling of “is he going to hit her? is this going to take a turn?” was present whenever he was) to make it happen.
oh! if i’m being picky...i know the pan character’s “gender doesn’t matter to me” comment is in regard to her attraction, but i would have preferred if there had been a “when it comes my attraction to people,” before it or that it had been reworded to be “i don’t think about gender when it comes to dating” or maybe if her pansexuality had been explained more like the bi character’s sexuality, with her just saying something like she’s attracted to all kinds of people. people still think pan people are dismissive about one’s gender identity/lack thereof, so i would have preferred something a little better or different or more specific than “gender doesn’t matter.”
but all in all, this is everything i wanted and hoped it to be. these girls and their dog deserve more stories.
two women find out the guy they’re dating is two timing them and team up to get revenge? but they end up falling for each other and ditching the guy and their revenge to be together? and one of them is a pansexual woc? and the other is a bisexual woman with chronic pain? and there’s a black aroace side character? and there’s an emphasis on communicating and not bottling things up or filling in the blanks with your own assumptions? and the bisexual character mentions being attracted to guys, girls, and non-binary people and being open to whoever, and how pansexual kinda fits them, but bi is what feels right for them? and the pansexual character uses the word? and there’s an adorable dog who deserves the absolute world and i would die for? there’s the moment i was hoping for when the two women are out on a date and run into the guy who cheated on them with each other? there isn’t an inappropriately long sex scene compared to the length of the novella?
i had been wanting to read this for a while and it’s just as wonderful as i had hoped.
aside from a tiny bit of ableist language, my one thing is that i don’t like the comments about the women wanting to hit the guy. or the moment added to justify one of the women acting on her long desire of punching him in the face. the moment is sort of framed as her not wanting to hit him, but he doesn’t listen to her warnings or let go of her arm, thus giving her no choice but to hit him. i don’t know, given all the comments about the women wanting to hit the guy, it just feels like the author felt the cheating boyfriend deserved to be punched in the face, but didn’t want the women to be seen as the abusive ones, so they added that moment and the overall looming vibe that he would turn violent at any second (the feeling of “is he going to hit her? is this going to take a turn?” was present whenever he was) to make it happen.
oh! if i’m being picky...i know the pan character’s “gender doesn’t matter to me” comment is in regard to her attraction, but i would have preferred if there had been a “when it comes my attraction to people,” before it or that it had been reworded to be “i don’t think about gender when it comes to dating” or maybe if her pansexuality had been explained more like the bi character’s sexuality, with her just saying something like she’s attracted to all kinds of people. people still think pan people are dismissive about one’s gender identity/lack thereof, so i would have preferred something a little better or different or more specific than “gender doesn’t matter.”
but all in all, this is everything i wanted and hoped it to be. these girls and their dog deserve more stories.
December 6, 2018
I love, love, love the idea of this story - I'm always hoping female characters will get over asshole dudes and start dating each other.
At the beginning, I wanted this to be a little more tongue-in-cheek, since I'm not really into vengeance, but it in the end I liked how things worked out. Robert sometimes seemed like too much of a villain, to the extent that it was hard to figure out why both of them would have been with him in the first place, but on the other hand I don't think there was anything in his portrayal that was at all unrealistic. I did think the writing could have used a bit more polish, as it often felt a bit clunky, and I would have liked a bit more on-page development of the romance. However, I appreciated the representation and the fact that this wasn't a coming out story for either Clarissa or Megan.
At the beginning, I wanted this to be a little more tongue-in-cheek, since I'm not really into vengeance, but it in the end I liked how things worked out. Robert sometimes seemed like too much of a villain, to the extent that it was hard to figure out why both of them would have been with him in the first place, but on the other hand I don't think there was anything in his portrayal that was at all unrealistic. I did think the writing could have used a bit more polish, as it often felt a bit clunky, and I would have liked a bit more on-page development of the romance. However, I appreciated the representation and the fact that this wasn't a coming out story for either Clarissa or Megan.
February 3, 2019
YES!
+F/F!
+Clarissa is bisexual! Megan is pansexual! Megan's roommate, Zoe, is aroace!
+Revenge!
+I love this whole premise of the girlfriend and "other woman" plotting against the cheater, but falling in love along the way!
+Puppy birthday party!
NO!
-Typos and lots of wrong word usage (ex. Socks instead of sockets).
+F/F!
+Clarissa is bisexual! Megan is pansexual! Megan's roommate, Zoe, is aroace!
+Revenge!
+I love this whole premise of the girlfriend and "other woman" plotting against the cheater, but falling in love along the way!
+Puppy birthday party!
NO!
-Typos and lots of wrong word usage (ex. Socks instead of sockets).
May 27, 2018
I have watched this book develop over at Patreon so was happy to see it published. I enjoyed the story and only wish it was longer because I was enjoying it. I rooted for the main characters throughout.
Without spoiling it, I was pretty worried in some points that worse things would happen. It’s made me think about the expectations I have about people.
And I loved the way they spoke. As an American it was really fun. :-)
Without spoiling it, I was pretty worried in some points that worse things would happen. It’s made me think about the expectations I have about people.
And I loved the way they spoke. As an American it was really fun. :-)
May 19, 2018
12/5/18 - final draft uploaded to kdp for publication next week. nervous af but here we are.
27/3/18 - cover is finally live... now... I suppose I should finish revising so it's ready for its release date... huh??
27/3/18 - cover is finally live... now... I suppose I should finish revising so it's ready for its release date... huh??
August 15, 2018
(4.5 ⭐️)
This is the story that I always wanted to read but couldn’t find, so thought I’d write but chickened out. When Charlotte released this novel it was like a dream come true and I full on squealed!! It was so well written and the dedication made me want to cry.
I bought this book during pride month but life sucks and I didn’t get around to reading it until now and all I can say is I WISH I HAD READ IT SOONER!! I read this story in one sitting and it only took me just over an hour. Its full of representation and a joy to read. As someone who is bi and suffers from a chronic illness, it’s not often that I’m able to look at characters and go ‘hey, that’s me’ but I could in this book, particularly as they were also Scottish! Being able to see myself reflected in the characters made this novel relatable in a way so many have failed to be.
The romance between Clarissa and Megan was sweet and kind and understanding and those girls *communicate* which is so refreshing to see. It’s the kind of relationship people dream of - it’s not perfect but it’s willing to try. It’s growing and expanding. Also there’s a doggie and he’s such a good boy 💙
I loved this book and thoroughly recommend it. I wish there would be a follow up but only because I love the characters so much, the ending leaves you more than content. It’s a light, easy read that warms your heart!
This is the story that I always wanted to read but couldn’t find, so thought I’d write but chickened out. When Charlotte released this novel it was like a dream come true and I full on squealed!! It was so well written and the dedication made me want to cry.
I bought this book during pride month but life sucks and I didn’t get around to reading it until now and all I can say is I WISH I HAD READ IT SOONER!! I read this story in one sitting and it only took me just over an hour. Its full of representation and a joy to read. As someone who is bi and suffers from a chronic illness, it’s not often that I’m able to look at characters and go ‘hey, that’s me’ but I could in this book, particularly as they were also Scottish! Being able to see myself reflected in the characters made this novel relatable in a way so many have failed to be.
The romance between Clarissa and Megan was sweet and kind and understanding and those girls *communicate* which is so refreshing to see. It’s the kind of relationship people dream of - it’s not perfect but it’s willing to try. It’s growing and expanding. Also there’s a doggie and he’s such a good boy 💙
I loved this book and thoroughly recommend it. I wish there would be a follow up but only because I love the characters so much, the ending leaves you more than content. It’s a light, easy read that warms your heart!
May 16, 2020
What a concept. Two women who plot revenge on their two-timing boyfriend and then end up falling for each other? Perfect. Iconic. We have been truly blessed.
I really enjoyed this book. It felt believable, the characters were lovely, it was super quick to get through and I felt a real connection with these two women who make something beautiful out of a bad situation. My only complaint is the one I always have with novellas: I want moooooore. This book was so fun and wonderful, I'd have loved to see it as a full-length slow burn and for us to really delve into this relationship. Don't get me wrong, it didn't feel underdeveloped or anything, I actually thought it did a great job of fleshing out the characters in such a limited space, but when I think about the potential for pining here... oof. Please. I need it in my life.
Definitely recommend this one, especially if you're looking for something quick and fun to help you through a reading slump.
I really enjoyed this book. It felt believable, the characters were lovely, it was super quick to get through and I felt a real connection with these two women who make something beautiful out of a bad situation. My only complaint is the one I always have with novellas: I want moooooore. This book was so fun and wonderful, I'd have loved to see it as a full-length slow burn and for us to really delve into this relationship. Don't get me wrong, it didn't feel underdeveloped or anything, I actually thought it did a great job of fleshing out the characters in such a limited space, but when I think about the potential for pining here... oof. Please. I need it in my life.
Definitely recommend this one, especially if you're looking for something quick and fun to help you through a reading slump.
June 6, 2018
4.75 stars
I'm right in the middle of finals right now and I read this book two weeks ago, so I won't even try to write a review or anything resembling it. Let me just tell you that this book was extremely adorable and had the sweetest romance. The two main characters identify as bisexual and pansexual respectively, and this was also the first time I've seen a bisexual explicitly mention also being attracted to non-binary people, which absolutely warmed my heart. Oh, and there's also an aro/ace character!
Honestly, so much love for this story. SO MUCH LOVE.
I'm right in the middle of finals right now and I read this book two weeks ago, so I won't even try to write a review or anything resembling it. Let me just tell you that this book was extremely adorable and had the sweetest romance. The two main characters identify as bisexual and pansexual respectively, and this was also the first time I've seen a bisexual explicitly mention also being attracted to non-binary people, which absolutely warmed my heart. Oh, and there's also an aro/ace character!
Honestly, so much love for this story. SO MUCH LOVE.
April 29, 2020
A fairly short, fairly cute read.
Clarissa finds out her boyfriend Robert is cheating on her with Meg. She goes to confront Meg, and ends up asking her to help her get back at Robert. Clarissa and Meg begin to develop feelings for one other. I really enjoyed this, it made me smile a few times.
Clarissa finds out her boyfriend Robert is cheating on her with Meg. She goes to confront Meg, and ends up asking her to help her get back at Robert. Clarissa and Meg begin to develop feelings for one other. I really enjoyed this, it made me smile a few times.
June 17, 2018
I hope to read more from this author.
March 3, 2020
sometimes, you just need to read about two women fucking up their cheating boyfriend while falling in love with each other
February 9, 2021
I love the concept of the book but the execution is just kinda meh. Like, I know that it's a short story but there's basically no development. I especially wasn't a fan of the guy suddenly becoming extremely horrible once it's found out he's cheating. I get that rose-colored glasses would be removed and that may make a difference. But the guy either did a complete 180 or his girlfriend was extremely unobservant. He's a cheating ass that would have been enough to make us dislike them.
I did like the development of the relationship and the comment at the end regarding how he was involved in the creation of their relationship. Good concept but there's not much behind it.
I did like the development of the relationship and the comment at the end regarding how he was involved in the creation of their relationship. Good concept but there's not much behind it.
September 9, 2019
The Image of Deception is a sapphic romance with a bisexual MC and a pansexual MC. The story starts with Clarissa getting herself a pep talk before confronting her boyfriend’s lover. But it’s a surprise for both them, Megan had no idea that Robert was a cheating asshole. They’re angry and disappointed, so they make a plan to get revenge. But as things go, they realize that Robert may have done something good in his life: connecting them.
The story is pretty short, so it’s understandable that I feel like I need more, but still, I needed more. The revenge thing was super fun and entertaining to read, but the relationship took me a while. Nothing wrong or bad, it just felt like they were friends pretty quick. And although the romance comes after, I needed to see more of them alone as characters and then of them as a couple.
Anygay, Charlotte’s writing is good and I always enjoy her books, so definitely I’ll keep reading.
The story is pretty short, so it’s understandable that I feel like I need more, but still, I needed more. The revenge thing was super fun and entertaining to read, but the relationship took me a while. Nothing wrong or bad, it just felt like they were friends pretty quick. And although the romance comes after, I needed to see more of them alone as characters and then of them as a couple.
Anygay, Charlotte’s writing is good and I always enjoy her books, so definitely I’ll keep reading.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews