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Bishop Security #1
False Front
Emma Porter is not real. She is an accomplished young woman, living a fulfilling life in New York City, working for an online news agency, and striving toward normalcy. The truth, however, is something else. She was once Emily Webster, a child of privilege, and the twenty-first century Lindbergh Baby. Her high-profile, unexplained abduction and subsequent rescue led to a childhood of paranoia and preparedness, as her kidnapper remained at large and still on the hunt. With her father’s guidance and resources, Emily became Emma Porter, living each day in her new identity, vigilant and unattached. Unattached but for the seemingly unbreakable tether that connects her to the man who, as a young boy, lived next door.
Like Emma, Nathan Bishop is not what he seems. Preparing to helm his family’s defense contracting company, Nathan is better known for his womanizing and reckless behavior than his business acumen. His striking image peppers the pages of society tabloids and police blotters, but beneath the facade of a rake, lurks a warrior. When an arms dealer procures a lethal bioweapon and is rumored to be selling it on U.S. soil, Nathan and his team must use every resource at their disposal to stop the threat.
With danger closing in, fate, once again, puts Emma in Nathan’s path, and the two must determine if the weathered bond between them is enough to find the truth behind their false fronts.
Be advised: this story contains scenes of violence equivalent to an R-rated movie and explicit sexual situations.
Like Emma, Nathan Bishop is not what he seems. Preparing to helm his family’s defense contracting company, Nathan is better known for his womanizing and reckless behavior than his business acumen. His striking image peppers the pages of society tabloids and police blotters, but beneath the facade of a rake, lurks a warrior. When an arms dealer procures a lethal bioweapon and is rumored to be selling it on U.S. soil, Nathan and his team must use every resource at their disposal to stop the threat.
With danger closing in, fate, once again, puts Emma in Nathan’s path, and the two must determine if the weathered bond between them is enough to find the truth behind their false fronts.
Be advised: this story contains scenes of violence equivalent to an R-rated movie and explicit sexual situations.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2020
1185 people are currently reading
4330 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Baldwin
7 books334 followersDebbie Baldwin is a successful print media and television writer. She is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Virginia School of Law.
Debbie and her husband live in Saint Louis, Missouri with their puggle, Pebbles. They have three children in college. False Front is her first novel.
Be sure to follow Debbie on BookBub for the latest on new releases and sales:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/debbi...
Debbie and her husband live in Saint Louis, Missouri with their puggle, Pebbles. They have three children in college. False Front is her first novel.
Be sure to follow Debbie on BookBub for the latest on new releases and sales:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/debbi...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
March 11, 2021
3.5 Stars!
... Debbie Baldwin's debut novel.
I have mixed feelings for this one. It was great in some parts, but there were parts that I felt like it was lacking, and parts that were too much for me. After hours of contemplating, I finally decided to give this three and a half stars.
Note: This is a romantic suspense.
There is no doubt that this was an expertly written novel. A brilliant suspense read that kept me hooked from the very first page. If I sum up my suspense reads this year, this might be one of the best. However, I was looking forward on the romance aspect, which I didn't find that great.
Emma Porter was once known as Emily Webster before she was abducted, before she was tore apart from Nathan Bishop, and before her life changed forever. I loved her transformation. I liked how she used her terrible life experiences to create a better version of herself. Her false front. Emma is the kind of heroine I extremely adore. The one who could stand up for themselves and never rely on others.
As to Nathan, I loved that he never stopped looking for Emily. What he showed was proof enough that he cared and loved her. His false front should never be judged. Nathan's emotional connection with Emma and me as a reader was what I felt like needed to develop a tad more.
The romance was fast paced, and it wasn't a problem for me. I just thought that both of them should get to know each other more. Nathan and Emma were loveable characters, but I wasn't pleased with their development as a couple. It was rushed.
Speaking of the secondary characters, I was overloaded. I couldn't keep up with them. They're introduced in a mass, and fuck me if my mind hadn't been in a jungle of explanations and names. But as the story progressed, I familiarized some of them. In fact, Ren and Twitch are my favourite side characters.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. This was such a great work for a first. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
I recommend this to those who likes: Debbie Baldwin, romantic suspense, friends to lovers, captive, romantic comedy, and a happy ever after.
A copy received from the author - this is my honest opinion.
... Debbie Baldwin's debut novel.
I have mixed feelings for this one. It was great in some parts, but there were parts that I felt like it was lacking, and parts that were too much for me. After hours of contemplating, I finally decided to give this three and a half stars.
Note: This is a romantic suspense.
There is no doubt that this was an expertly written novel. A brilliant suspense read that kept me hooked from the very first page. If I sum up my suspense reads this year, this might be one of the best. However, I was looking forward on the romance aspect, which I didn't find that great.
Emma Porter was once known as Emily Webster before she was abducted, before she was tore apart from Nathan Bishop, and before her life changed forever. I loved her transformation. I liked how she used her terrible life experiences to create a better version of herself. Her false front. Emma is the kind of heroine I extremely adore. The one who could stand up for themselves and never rely on others.
As to Nathan, I loved that he never stopped looking for Emily. What he showed was proof enough that he cared and loved her. His false front should never be judged. Nathan's emotional connection with Emma and me as a reader was what I felt like needed to develop a tad more.
"... what I feel for you makes love seem very small."
The romance was fast paced, and it wasn't a problem for me. I just thought that both of them should get to know each other more. Nathan and Emma were loveable characters, but I wasn't pleased with their development as a couple. It was rushed.
Speaking of the secondary characters, I was overloaded. I couldn't keep up with them. They're introduced in a mass, and fuck me if my mind hadn't been in a jungle of explanations and names. But as the story progressed, I familiarized some of them. In fact, Ren and Twitch are my favourite side characters.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. This was such a great work for a first. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
I recommend this to those who likes: Debbie Baldwin, romantic suspense, friends to lovers, captive, romantic comedy, and a happy ever after.
A copy received from the author - this is my honest opinion.
“This is love. You are love.”
January 24, 2023
**I was provided with an ARC for an honest review.**
My god that was a wild ride.
The characters
Emily Webster, her new identity as Emma Porter.
She is absolutely an ice bitch character — cold, calculating and ready to do whatever it takes to survive.
But it is also a coping mechanism. Sometimes she needs to shut off emotions and jump into action. This book really worked to balance her strength of character balancing the victim and survivor complex... and THE SASS.
"Okay, good. If I got one more 'all right' out of you, I was going to stab myself in the thigh with a letter opener."
"All right," She smiled wickledly"
Our love interest, Nathan Bishop
He was cocky. He was sweet. He was a sly motherfucker... who still remembers his old childhood partner in crime, Emily *swoon*
"I’m going to make love to you, and then I’m going to fuck you. Then we’ll see how the rest of the night goes"
Their character dynamic
My favorite FAVORITE thing about this book was you totally saw how their dynamic changed over the years- both characters obviously changed and developed.
"Several therapists had offered breathing techniques to help her overcome sudden panic.
Too bad none of them knew about the crook of Nathan’s neck; it was restorative"
You read about the present with scenes in the past just wAiTiNg and hoping to figure out what FUCKING changed!?
I loved how the author also played with RomCom cliches. She rewrote those typically magical moments. Like seeing your love interest — dramatic music playing in your head, saying the perfect right words, getting swept off your feet —
Their moment was a tad different ...
The plot
This plot was wayyy more intricate and devious than I was expecting for a rom com. Our MC had hidden memories she began remembering that began giving subtle details, building up the suspense to the major issue at the end.
This book had two distinct parts of the first half being the courtship romancing overcoming trauma of past, then the second half being HOLY FUCKING SHIT DEFCON 2
Secondary characteristics
This book had a serious problem with Names. Names of characters. Tons of Characters. Nicknames for those characters.
Our main character has two names AND a nickname of "IQ" which is mentioned once. Our love interest Nathan, ALSO had nickname of "North"
I have this tendency as a reader where I start to skim over names that aren't MCs. Which can be good and bad. And in this book, I would've fucking drowned if I was actually trying to keep track of all the additional names.
Prepare for rapidfire.
Carolina Fitzhugh: BFF
JFT: bodyguard... where did he go
Rigo: bad guy BFF
Alex: bitchy mean girl
Hercules Renolds: assassin
*with a name like that why do you need a nickname too. and why short
Cerberus: secret info source
*whose real identity is someone here mentioned
Tox: love interest's BFF
Harris:
Calliope: girl
Twitch: computer badass
Finn McIntyre:
Ren:
Jonah Steady Lockhart:
Teddy:
Charlie: uncle ?
Sofria Kirk: CIA girl
Maggie: love interest of Charlie
Dario Sava: ... okay fine he was just an awesome baddie
“Rest assured I will not leave your children fatherless. Your wife without a husband.”
“I will kill them too.” And with that Dario slit the man’s throat “Now see if this cousin of his still wants a job. There is an opening”
It got kinda confusing to keep track of them all in who I actually needed to remember and was important.
The writing style
Quick tangent: I absolutely loved the prologue. Wonderful way to begin the book~ great balance of world-building, introducing key characters, with some anticipating foreshadowing
The pacing of this book with building the romance and the danger element was pretty good so it never felt slow
But the dialogue had these huge spaces between them which made the dialogue seem short, awkward, and chunky instead of the desired banter back and forth I think the author wanted to convey
But then...
suddenly a huge event would happen that’s in the middle of a descriptive paragraph and I’d have whiplash of WAIT WHAT JUST HAPPENED
Why was there not a paragraph gap BUT THERE WAS EVERY OTHER PART
Overall, this was a fun suspenseful romance that gave me that telenovela drama. I adored the main characters and the military badass drama provided an engaging setting that had me screaming desperately for a happy ending. But the secondary character overload was frankly overwhelming and unnecessary. For a debut, this was pretty good and the author just needs to make some stylistic changes to keep the dialogue dynamic, and not overwhelm their reader with characters.
My god that was a wild ride.
The characters
Emily Webster, her new identity as Emma Porter.
She is absolutely an ice bitch character — cold, calculating and ready to do whatever it takes to survive.
But it is also a coping mechanism. Sometimes she needs to shut off emotions and jump into action. This book really worked to balance her strength of character balancing the victim and survivor complex... and THE SASS.
"Okay, good. If I got one more 'all right' out of you, I was going to stab myself in the thigh with a letter opener."
"All right," She smiled wickledly"
Our love interest, Nathan Bishop
He was cocky. He was sweet. He was a sly motherfucker... who still remembers his old childhood partner in crime, Emily *swoon*
"I’m going to make love to you, and then I’m going to fuck you. Then we’ll see how the rest of the night goes"
Their character dynamic
My favorite FAVORITE thing about this book was you totally saw how their dynamic changed over the years- both characters obviously changed and developed.
"Several therapists had offered breathing techniques to help her overcome sudden panic.
Too bad none of them knew about the crook of Nathan’s neck; it was restorative"
You read about the present with scenes in the past just wAiTiNg and hoping to figure out what FUCKING changed!?
I loved how the author also played with RomCom cliches. She rewrote those typically magical moments. Like seeing your love interest — dramatic music playing in your head, saying the perfect right words, getting swept off your feet —
Their moment was a tad different ...
The plot
This plot was wayyy more intricate and devious than I was expecting for a rom com. Our MC had hidden memories she began remembering that began giving subtle details, building up the suspense to the major issue at the end.
This book had two distinct parts of the first half being the courtship romancing overcoming trauma of past, then the second half being HOLY FUCKING SHIT DEFCON 2
Secondary characteristics
This book had a serious problem with Names. Names of characters. Tons of Characters. Nicknames for those characters.
Our main character has two names AND a nickname of "IQ" which is mentioned once. Our love interest Nathan, ALSO had nickname of "North"
I have this tendency as a reader where I start to skim over names that aren't MCs. Which can be good and bad. And in this book, I would've fucking drowned if I was actually trying to keep track of all the additional names.
Prepare for rapidfire.
Carolina Fitzhugh: BFF
JFT: bodyguard... where did he go
Rigo: bad guy BFF
Alex: bitchy mean girl
Hercules Renolds: assassin
*with a name like that why do you need a nickname too. and why short
Cerberus: secret info source
*whose real identity is someone here mentioned
Tox: love interest's BFF
Harris:
Calliope: girl
Twitch: computer badass
Finn McIntyre:
Ren:
Jonah Steady Lockhart:
Teddy:
Charlie: uncle ?
Sofria Kirk: CIA girl
Maggie: love interest of Charlie
Dario Sava: ... okay fine he was just an awesome baddie
“Rest assured I will not leave your children fatherless. Your wife without a husband.”
“I will kill them too.” And with that Dario slit the man’s throat “Now see if this cousin of his still wants a job. There is an opening”
It got kinda confusing to keep track of them all in who I actually needed to remember and was important.
The writing style
Quick tangent: I absolutely loved the prologue. Wonderful way to begin the book~ great balance of world-building, introducing key characters, with some anticipating foreshadowing
The pacing of this book with building the romance and the danger element was pretty good so it never felt slow
But the dialogue had these huge spaces between them which made the dialogue seem short, awkward, and chunky instead of the desired banter back and forth I think the author wanted to convey
But then...
suddenly a huge event would happen that’s in the middle of a descriptive paragraph and I’d have whiplash of WAIT WHAT JUST HAPPENED
Why was there not a paragraph gap BUT THERE WAS EVERY OTHER PART
Overall, this was a fun suspenseful romance that gave me that telenovela drama. I adored the main characters and the military badass drama provided an engaging setting that had me screaming desperately for a happy ending. But the secondary character overload was frankly overwhelming and unnecessary. For a debut, this was pretty good and the author just needs to make some stylistic changes to keep the dialogue dynamic, and not overwhelm their reader with characters.
August 25, 2020
When Emily Webster was 9-years old, she was abducted and held for months until her rescue. She has no memory of what happened between the moment of her kidnapping and her rescue. And, the rest of the world never learned she was eventually found. It’s been 15 years and she’s now Emma Porter, a completely new identity where’s she’s a reporter for a popular but sketchy outlet owned by a man who spends a lot of energy on conspiracy theories. Her new, high profile assignment is a series of interviews of Nathan Bishop, the CEO of a prominent defense contractor who is best known for his womanizing and daredevil activities. The problem? Nathan grew up with Emily until her abduction and though he was five years older, they were inseparable.
I got hooked from the prologue and everything just got better. Emma’s new life is one that has her partly in a bubble for her protection, both from her own fears and from those who originally took her. I don’t want to share much about those circumstances as the information was a slow reveal that I enjoyed learning as delivered. But my fascination was steeped in the relationship between Emma/Emily and Nathan. She doesn’t reveal herself to him but the connection was hard to ignore. I normally lean more to the suspense but this time the romance captivated me. The mystery and thrills just gave it more flavor.
I almost passed on this book but did myself a big favor by reading the sample first, which had me do an immediate reversal. There’s so much to enjoy about the story and I stayed up late to finish. It’s not without some plot holes in places but not enough to affect my reading pleasure. The foundation was created for future stories as there are a plethora of secondary characters I’m interested in exploring. This is a really good debut novel.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to the author for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
I got hooked from the prologue and everything just got better. Emma’s new life is one that has her partly in a bubble for her protection, both from her own fears and from those who originally took her. I don’t want to share much about those circumstances as the information was a slow reveal that I enjoyed learning as delivered. But my fascination was steeped in the relationship between Emma/Emily and Nathan. She doesn’t reveal herself to him but the connection was hard to ignore. I normally lean more to the suspense but this time the romance captivated me. The mystery and thrills just gave it more flavor.
I almost passed on this book but did myself a big favor by reading the sample first, which had me do an immediate reversal. There’s so much to enjoy about the story and I stayed up late to finish. It’s not without some plot holes in places but not enough to affect my reading pleasure. The foundation was created for future stories as there are a plethora of secondary characters I’m interested in exploring. This is a really good debut novel.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to the author for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
June 19, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up!
The first half of this book felt like purely a romance read and then they reached a happy point and I realized I was only 43% in so I knew something was about to go down and that’s when it switched almost into a thriller read!
I loved the plot and storyline, but I did struggle slightly with the 3rd person POV, constant POV switches, and the sheer amount of characters in the book. I felt like that took away from the main two characters but after getting used to the writing style and getting familiar with the characters, I realized this was also setting up the entire 6 book series!! So I understood that piece of a bit more but the confusion was still present.
I really enjoyed both of the main characters which I usually can’t say so I figured I’d mention it 😂 wasn’t a huge fan of the spice in the book though. It almost felt out of place at times.
Overall though, good interesting read!
The first half of this book felt like purely a romance read and then they reached a happy point and I realized I was only 43% in so I knew something was about to go down and that’s when it switched almost into a thriller read!
I loved the plot and storyline, but I did struggle slightly with the 3rd person POV, constant POV switches, and the sheer amount of characters in the book. I felt like that took away from the main two characters but after getting used to the writing style and getting familiar with the characters, I realized this was also setting up the entire 6 book series!! So I understood that piece of a bit more but the confusion was still present.
I really enjoyed both of the main characters which I usually can’t say so I figured I’d mention it 😂 wasn’t a huge fan of the spice in the book though. It almost felt out of place at times.
Overall though, good interesting read!
February 4, 2021
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I started this series with the second book but I had to come back to read Nathan and Emma aka Emily's story right away. The writing in this series is phenomenal and it's so captivating I didn't want to put the book down for even a second. Every pages leaves a little hint on what's to come and I loved how it constantly had me waiting for more. It was like a rush to flip the page and find out what's going to happen, especially when it came to Emma's secret past.
My favorite thing about this book was getting to see all the secrets play out and come to light. But I also adored the relationship between Emma and Nathan. It was fast paced but with the little hints of them as kids together and how much they felt for one another even then it never felt too fast and the connection between them was evident at every interaction.
Bottom line, this is a brilliant book and if you're not crazy like me and read out of order it's a great start to the series. There are some very interesting characters introduced and there are still so many stories to come from what I can tell.
Copy kindly provided by the author.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I started this series with the second book but I had to come back to read Nathan and Emma aka Emily's story right away. The writing in this series is phenomenal and it's so captivating I didn't want to put the book down for even a second. Every pages leaves a little hint on what's to come and I loved how it constantly had me waiting for more. It was like a rush to flip the page and find out what's going to happen, especially when it came to Emma's secret past.
My favorite thing about this book was getting to see all the secrets play out and come to light. But I also adored the relationship between Emma and Nathan. It was fast paced but with the little hints of them as kids together and how much they felt for one another even then it never felt too fast and the connection between them was evident at every interaction.
Bottom line, this is a brilliant book and if you're not crazy like me and read out of order it's a great start to the series. There are some very interesting characters introduced and there are still so many stories to come from what I can tell.
Copy kindly provided by the author.
January 3, 2025
OMGoodness!
So there were many things that I love about this book, but the detail in regard to the Tech aspects and the covert operations, the danger surrounding all of it and how the best laid plans have a way of literally blowing up in your face; was all executed superbly. This one kept me engaged, confused, unsure about my theories regarding the bad guys and even the "Anti Heroes" protecting us civilians.
I can honestly say I loved and loved to hate every single character in this story. It had my emotions all over the spectrum to the amusement of my family. I for one cannot wait for another dose of the Bishop Security series.
I love the ending and epilogue here too.. It was so beautiful. I would definitely recommend this read.
Now, this one was a dual read & review. He read out loud all the sexy bits too. LOL.
Below is his take on this story.
First I would like to thank the Author, Debbie Baldwin, for penning a great read. It has been a long time since I've been able to enjoy a read of this caliber in this genre. All the things that Nya mentioned above I am in agreement with but what stuck out the most for me was the comradery among the men and their allies. It was refreshing to see such a well-oiled machine in motion but with the relaxed demeanor without all the forced stereotypes to tell their story or just to get a glimpse of their personalities and suspected demons. It flowed well. It just felt natural.
The intense reveals of the search for the Bioweapon and the connection with our Heroine and just the kind of race against the clock type of feel, really made this one an entertaining read for me. I enjoyed reading this one with Nya. It was a nice way to kick back and throw out theories off of one another. To my chagrin, I was wrong a lot.
I look forward to reading the next in this series as well.
-C
So there were many things that I love about this book, but the detail in regard to the Tech aspects and the covert operations, the danger surrounding all of it and how the best laid plans have a way of literally blowing up in your face; was all executed superbly. This one kept me engaged, confused, unsure about my theories regarding the bad guys and even the "Anti Heroes" protecting us civilians.
I can honestly say I loved and loved to hate every single character in this story. It had my emotions all over the spectrum to the amusement of my family. I for one cannot wait for another dose of the Bishop Security series.
I love the ending and epilogue here too.. It was so beautiful. I would definitely recommend this read.
Now, this one was a dual read & review. He read out loud all the sexy bits too. LOL.
Below is his take on this story.
First I would like to thank the Author, Debbie Baldwin, for penning a great read. It has been a long time since I've been able to enjoy a read of this caliber in this genre. All the things that Nya mentioned above I am in agreement with but what stuck out the most for me was the comradery among the men and their allies. It was refreshing to see such a well-oiled machine in motion but with the relaxed demeanor without all the forced stereotypes to tell their story or just to get a glimpse of their personalities and suspected demons. It flowed well. It just felt natural.
The intense reveals of the search for the Bioweapon and the connection with our Heroine and just the kind of race against the clock type of feel, really made this one an entertaining read for me. I enjoyed reading this one with Nya. It was a nice way to kick back and throw out theories off of one another. To my chagrin, I was wrong a lot.
I look forward to reading the next in this series as well.
-C
October 6, 2020
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Loved it! I promised an extra 1/2-Star for the Midsomer Mysteries reference and this book more than earned it. For a first novel there were some problems, but nothing that experience won't help for the next book in the series and nothing that was fatal. A little sentimental and a tad of angst, but the plot was great and the HEA well earned. I look forward to reading the stories of Ren, Finn, Tox, Chat, Twitch and anyone else the pick up along the way to add to Bishop Security.
Emily Webster had a wonderful childhood with a loving, affluent father and the boy next door that just loved his little tag-along neighbor girl. All that came to a abrupt end the day she was kidnaped in a twisted revenge plot. Emily was recovered, but she and her father were forever changed. For the next 15 years she lived life as Emma Porter and never let her guard down. Life for Emma is a cautious one, but her job as a feature reporter is fulfilling. Now she has a chance to write a series of articles about the man who is the embodiment of her girlish fantasies, Nathan Bishop, her childhood neighbor.
Nathan Bishop never forgot Emily and never stopped looking for her. He is the successful CEO of his family's very successful defense contracting company as well as a thrill seeking playboy with the reputation to match. But, some things are not always as they appear. He is so much more that the part he plays for the general public. He is involved with the most sensitive missions the government has and right now he and his team need to find and recover a bioweapon before it can be unleashed on the world.
When Emma and Nathan met. Well, It wasn't exactly what Emma expected. It wasn't what Nathan expected either. It takes some readjustment of expectations, but these two finally start chipping away their respective false fronts to get to the real Emily and the real Nathan and the people they always were and the bond they had that was never broken. 4 1/2-Stars
Loved it! I promised an extra 1/2-Star for the Midsomer Mysteries reference and this book more than earned it. For a first novel there were some problems, but nothing that experience won't help for the next book in the series and nothing that was fatal. A little sentimental and a tad of angst, but the plot was great and the HEA well earned. I look forward to reading the stories of Ren, Finn, Tox, Chat, Twitch and anyone else the pick up along the way to add to Bishop Security.
Emily Webster had a wonderful childhood with a loving, affluent father and the boy next door that just loved his little tag-along neighbor girl. All that came to a abrupt end the day she was kidnaped in a twisted revenge plot. Emily was recovered, but she and her father were forever changed. For the next 15 years she lived life as Emma Porter and never let her guard down. Life for Emma is a cautious one, but her job as a feature reporter is fulfilling. Now she has a chance to write a series of articles about the man who is the embodiment of her girlish fantasies, Nathan Bishop, her childhood neighbor.
Nathan Bishop never forgot Emily and never stopped looking for her. He is the successful CEO of his family's very successful defense contracting company as well as a thrill seeking playboy with the reputation to match. But, some things are not always as they appear. He is so much more that the part he plays for the general public. He is involved with the most sensitive missions the government has and right now he and his team need to find and recover a bioweapon before it can be unleashed on the world.
When Emma and Nathan met. Well, It wasn't exactly what Emma expected. It wasn't what Nathan expected either. It takes some readjustment of expectations, but these two finally start chipping away their respective false fronts to get to the real Emily and the real Nathan and the people they always were and the bond they had that was never broken. 4 1/2-Stars
Currently reading
April 3, 2021I want to start off with a deeply heartfelt thank you to the GR community. Your reviews and ratings have been amazing. As you well know, indie authors work hard to try to get their books seen. I owe Goodreads a huge debt of gratitude for helping me in my effort.
I am a fierce lover of romantic suspense, and I wrote False Front because it was the story that I wanted to read. Emily is a daughter of privilege who was abducted as a child. When the kidnapper remained at large, her father sequestered her and changed her identity. Nathan was Emily's childhood neighbor, indelibly scarred by her disappearance. When their paths cross again, their connection penetrates their carefully constructed facades. I would joke to myself that as a child, Emily "imprinted" on Nathan; neither time nor distance could break that tether. Emily and Nathan are soulmates, but, more importantly, they are equals working together to bring down a vicious arms dealer and finally solve the mystery of Emily's abduction.
False Front is my first novel. They say "write what you know;" I think I modified that a bit to "write what you can research." While the settings of New York City and Nantucket are quite familiar to me, the world of arms dealing, special forces, and espionage were new areas. I owe thanks to my friends in the military and government intelligence for sharing their inside knowledge. All of the historical components associated with World War II and Detachment 731 are factual. As for the arms trade? Well, I'm sure I'm on a no-fly list after some of the online research!
The Bishop Security series continues with Illicit Intent and Dark Depths. The books are standalones but interconnected in the same world. Thank you again for reading, rating, and reviewing False Front. Thank you for "liking" reviews and commenting. Books are nothing without readers!
I am a fierce lover of romantic suspense, and I wrote False Front because it was the story that I wanted to read. Emily is a daughter of privilege who was abducted as a child. When the kidnapper remained at large, her father sequestered her and changed her identity. Nathan was Emily's childhood neighbor, indelibly scarred by her disappearance. When their paths cross again, their connection penetrates their carefully constructed facades. I would joke to myself that as a child, Emily "imprinted" on Nathan; neither time nor distance could break that tether. Emily and Nathan are soulmates, but, more importantly, they are equals working together to bring down a vicious arms dealer and finally solve the mystery of Emily's abduction.
False Front is my first novel. They say "write what you know;" I think I modified that a bit to "write what you can research." While the settings of New York City and Nantucket are quite familiar to me, the world of arms dealing, special forces, and espionage were new areas. I owe thanks to my friends in the military and government intelligence for sharing their inside knowledge. All of the historical components associated with World War II and Detachment 731 are factual. As for the arms trade? Well, I'm sure I'm on a no-fly list after some of the online research!
The Bishop Security series continues with Illicit Intent and Dark Depths. The books are standalones but interconnected in the same world. Thank you again for reading, rating, and reviewing False Front. Thank you for "liking" reviews and commenting. Books are nothing without readers!
December 7, 2020
The plot kept me guessing. I liked both the hero and the heroine. They actually talked about things and discussed their feelings and had a mature adult relationship. It was refreshing. Secrets are told at an appropriate time in the development of the relationship.
There was wooing and dates and hot times between them.
I really enjoyed the romance and the action plot. Too often one or the other suffers but not here they both get good development.
I really wanted to read more books by this author but this is her first book, it's December 2020. I hope she writes many more books, I will read them.
There was wooing and dates and hot times between them.
I really enjoyed the romance and the action plot. Too often one or the other suffers but not here they both get good development.
I really wanted to read more books by this author but this is her first book, it's December 2020. I hope she writes many more books, I will read them.
July 2, 2020
This book was too much for me. There was just so much going on and it became so far fetched that I just couldn't engage with it.
The premise is so mind boggling that it is not a surprise I couldn't keep up. Emily and Nathan grew up together, then due to the actions of her father Emma is kidnapped. She is secretly rescued and takes on the identity of Emma. Nathan and the rest of the world assume she is gone. Skip forward a few years and Emma dodges the bodyguard looking out for her to go out on a date where her drink is spiked. She is rescued by Nathan. Skip forward again. Emma is a journalist and Nathan is the head of a massive corporation and clandestine security company. Nathan is a womanising, self absorbed prat. He asks Emma to do a deep dive interview of him. He knows she is the girl he rescued from the bar but doesn't know she is Emily. She knows that he is the boy she has been in love with since she was a kid but doesn't know he rescued her that night. Confused yet? There is also another kidnapping threat, a weapon of mass destruction and a line of bitchy women who are jealous that Emma is 'different' and throw road blocks in the way of her and Nathan's true love.
For this reader it was all to much. I might have been more interested is the characters were not so unbearable. Emily/Emma goes between wanting to be a serious journalist smart girl, flirting to get her own way, self centred narcissist who knows how pretty she is, and self destructive idiot who laying in bed for 5 days with no food or drink because she had a flash back.
Nathan is a bit of a dick who treats women like they are disposable because he is damaged and brooding. His personality changes on a dime and he has a habit of muttering under his breath shit like 'perfect' which leads Emily/Emma to breathlessly think 'I know he is talking about me'. Nooooooope.
I didn't like this book one bit. I like a little bit of drama and some angst but not like this.
The premise is so mind boggling that it is not a surprise I couldn't keep up. Emily and Nathan grew up together, then due to the actions of her father Emma is kidnapped. She is secretly rescued and takes on the identity of Emma. Nathan and the rest of the world assume she is gone. Skip forward a few years and Emma dodges the bodyguard looking out for her to go out on a date where her drink is spiked. She is rescued by Nathan. Skip forward again. Emma is a journalist and Nathan is the head of a massive corporation and clandestine security company. Nathan is a womanising, self absorbed prat. He asks Emma to do a deep dive interview of him. He knows she is the girl he rescued from the bar but doesn't know she is Emily. She knows that he is the boy she has been in love with since she was a kid but doesn't know he rescued her that night. Confused yet? There is also another kidnapping threat, a weapon of mass destruction and a line of bitchy women who are jealous that Emma is 'different' and throw road blocks in the way of her and Nathan's true love.
For this reader it was all to much. I might have been more interested is the characters were not so unbearable. Emily/Emma goes between wanting to be a serious journalist smart girl, flirting to get her own way, self centred narcissist who knows how pretty she is, and self destructive idiot who laying in bed for 5 days with no food or drink because she had a flash back.
Nathan is a bit of a dick who treats women like they are disposable because he is damaged and brooding. His personality changes on a dime and he has a habit of muttering under his breath shit like 'perfect' which leads Emily/Emma to breathlessly think 'I know he is talking about me'. Nooooooope.
I didn't like this book one bit. I like a little bit of drama and some angst but not like this.
October 29, 2020
Emily Webster was abducted when she was nine years old. Rescued months later, the mysterious man behind the kidnapping was never caught. With her rich father's help, Emily became Emma Porter, a reporter for an online newspaper whose next assignment is a series of interviews with Defense Contractor Nathan Bishop. Nathan is well known in the press as a playboy with a new woman on his arm every night. Emma is nervous about meeting Nathan. As a child, they lived beside each other. He was kind to the little girl who claimed she would marry him one day. Emma worries that he may recognize her and blow her new identity.
This debut novel is a fun romantic suspense story. I absolutely loved Emily and Nathan's growing relationship. The dialogue was realistic and the chemistry between them was intense. Nathan was also keeping a secret. Along with being CEO of a defense company, he runs a group who is involved with the government, trying to recover a lethal bioweapon. I was happy with the way the secrets between Emily and Nathan were uncovered. They actually talked to each other to work out their problems.
The suspense story was a little confusing at first. The story unwrapped in small pieces, so you didn't know what the whole puzzle looked like until later in the story. We got to meet the members of Nathan's team. I'm looking forward to more stories involving Bishop Security. My rating: 4 Stars.
Thanks to the author who provided me with a complimentary copy for a fair and honest review.
This debut novel is a fun romantic suspense story. I absolutely loved Emily and Nathan's growing relationship. The dialogue was realistic and the chemistry between them was intense. Nathan was also keeping a secret. Along with being CEO of a defense company, he runs a group who is involved with the government, trying to recover a lethal bioweapon. I was happy with the way the secrets between Emily and Nathan were uncovered. They actually talked to each other to work out their problems.
The suspense story was a little confusing at first. The story unwrapped in small pieces, so you didn't know what the whole puzzle looked like until later in the story. We got to meet the members of Nathan's team. I'm looking forward to more stories involving Bishop Security. My rating: 4 Stars.
Thanks to the author who provided me with a complimentary copy for a fair and honest review.
January 23, 2021
This was almost a 5 star read but I got distracted 3/4s of the way in. Just too many characters and too much to keep track of so it lost a star.
July 11, 2025
❌ trust me you don’t want to go through this.
April 20, 2023
The writing in this is VERY good! The plot is CHEF’S KISS. I was truly not sure what to expect going into this. I did not expect the plot to be so detailed and thought out, I mean it was SO good. I felt like I was watching a movie while reading this!
I would say this is a romantic suspense, but I would say even with there being a good amount of romance, it is definitely more plot driven, which is great for those who prefer a good plot with their romance reads! 😍
This has the hidden identity trope. Which I feel like I don’t read enough of! It is also childhood friends to lovers, which is a favorite trope of mine.
You go in thinking that the MMC is this cocky, rich playboy, but there are so many more layers and things that you don’t know right away. He was actually so likeable, I understood why the FMC held onto her feelings for him since they were young, even with them losing contact for many years. 🫶🏼
This poor FMC goes through it. But luckily, she isn’t the “poor me” type. She is very much a “I will take care of it, I can protect myself” kind of girlie which I really love. Her trauma made her stronger for sure. 💖
This couple goes through a lot together but I am so happy about that ending!
I would say this is a romantic suspense, but I would say even with there being a good amount of romance, it is definitely more plot driven, which is great for those who prefer a good plot with their romance reads! 😍
This has the hidden identity trope. Which I feel like I don’t read enough of! It is also childhood friends to lovers, which is a favorite trope of mine.
You go in thinking that the MMC is this cocky, rich playboy, but there are so many more layers and things that you don’t know right away. He was actually so likeable, I understood why the FMC held onto her feelings for him since they were young, even with them losing contact for many years. 🫶🏼
This poor FMC goes through it. But luckily, she isn’t the “poor me” type. She is very much a “I will take care of it, I can protect myself” kind of girlie which I really love. Her trauma made her stronger for sure. 💖
This couple goes through a lot together but I am so happy about that ending!
November 20, 2025
Heroine idolized hero when they were children (he was 6 years older so more of she looked up to him and idolized him). Their families were close and well off.
She was kidnapped at around 8 I believe.
She was rescued but no one ever really new, they changed her identity.
Hero continued looking for her for years and stayed in contact with her father, always on her birthday. His birthday was on the same day as hers. The father never let it be know that she was found.
It was about 13 years later she was given a date rape drink and was saved by the hero, but didn't know it was him because of the effects of the drug.
He was drawn to her and for two years he occasionally had his security team check on her.
She is a journalist and is informed one day that she has been given an exclusive interview with the hero, Nathan Bishop. VERY well off, playboy bachelor Nathan Bishop. Emily our heroine never has forgotten Nathan and has kept tabs on him the entire time. She decided to do the interview.
And so begins their love story. Nathan doesn't know she's his Emily but is drawn to her and set up the interview so he can finally meet her.
I loved their story. They were in my opinion soul mates. Yes Nathan was a playboy, but a lot of that was cover for his "other" work that he does undercover.
There is mystery and suspense interwoven into the story; of her abduction as well as military bio weapons of some sort.
Loved the epilogue, very sweet.
She was kidnapped at around 8 I believe.
She was rescued but no one ever really new, they changed her identity.
Hero continued looking for her for years and stayed in contact with her father, always on her birthday. His birthday was on the same day as hers. The father never let it be know that she was found.
It was about 13 years later she was given a date rape drink and was saved by the hero, but didn't know it was him because of the effects of the drug.
He was drawn to her and for two years he occasionally had his security team check on her.
She is a journalist and is informed one day that she has been given an exclusive interview with the hero, Nathan Bishop. VERY well off, playboy bachelor Nathan Bishop. Emily our heroine never has forgotten Nathan and has kept tabs on him the entire time. She decided to do the interview.
And so begins their love story. Nathan doesn't know she's his Emily but is drawn to her and set up the interview so he can finally meet her.
I loved their story. They were in my opinion soul mates. Yes Nathan was a playboy, but a lot of that was cover for his "other" work that he does undercover.
There is mystery and suspense interwoven into the story; of her abduction as well as military bio weapons of some sort.
Loved the epilogue, very sweet.
July 27, 2021
I really loved this! It was a well written romantic suspense book with lots of swoony moments between the MC's and action scenes.
February 19, 2021
3.5/5; 4 stars.
This was a pretty good romantic suspense. The author is new to me and I was pleasantly surprised. I think the characters were a little bit too much like the standard RS characters but I liked them well enough to read the next book in the series.
This was a pretty good romantic suspense. The author is new to me and I was pleasantly surprised. I think the characters were a little bit too much like the standard RS characters but I liked them well enough to read the next book in the series.
May 13, 2020
Hadn't read a good suspenseful romance in years. Frankly, I'd given up on them. False Front cuts through the clutter of same old, same old. The characters are wonderful (and don't we all wish we had 'em as best friends?!) and the story moves and moves and moves at a lightning pace. Was super excited to see this is going to be a series, I'm in for every one of them!!! A delightful escape from current reality... enjoy!
September 29, 2020
Emily Webster was kidnapped as a child and when she was rescued it was never publicized. She became known as the twenty-first century Lindbergh Baby. With her father’s help she is now living as Emma Porter. She works for an online news agency and is given the assignment to interview Nathan Bishop, a womanizing dare-devil who runs his family’s defense contracting company. Emily remembers Nathan as the boy who lived next door to her growing up that she loved. They must now work together to stop an arms dealer with a lethal bioweapon. Will Nathan finding out the truth about Emily destroy everything?
This is an action packed read that moves smoothly and quickly. It is full of great characters that give the story a very authentic feel and gives the characters depth. Each character has his/her own skills and personality that really make them people that I, myself, would enjoy meeting.
Emily’s story is unique in the fact that her rescue was never made public. Her father is a powerful man, but I feel that at some point the truth would have come out. Nathan is a strong man who knows what he wants and gets what he wants. Not in a bad way, just a determined way.
I enjoyed that storyline as well. I liked how the author combined Emily’s abduction years ago with the events going on now in the book. Everything came full circle and no question was left unanswered. From the reason she was abducted the first time to why he’s still looking for her now.
The only downside I found was the romance between Nathan and Emily. It was extremely quick and extremely sexual. I understand that they have known each other since they were kids, but it felt like, for much of the middle of the book, it was just the two of them getting intimate. I’m all for a good romance, but this was a bit much (for me).
I looked forward to future books in the Bishop Security series. As I said, the people on Nathan’s team are great. I’m hoping that future books will give the reader more information on these characters.
(I would like to thank the author for my complimentary copy. This review is my own words and thoughts.)
This is an action packed read that moves smoothly and quickly. It is full of great characters that give the story a very authentic feel and gives the characters depth. Each character has his/her own skills and personality that really make them people that I, myself, would enjoy meeting.
Emily’s story is unique in the fact that her rescue was never made public. Her father is a powerful man, but I feel that at some point the truth would have come out. Nathan is a strong man who knows what he wants and gets what he wants. Not in a bad way, just a determined way.
I enjoyed that storyline as well. I liked how the author combined Emily’s abduction years ago with the events going on now in the book. Everything came full circle and no question was left unanswered. From the reason she was abducted the first time to why he’s still looking for her now.
The only downside I found was the romance between Nathan and Emily. It was extremely quick and extremely sexual. I understand that they have known each other since they were kids, but it felt like, for much of the middle of the book, it was just the two of them getting intimate. I’m all for a good romance, but this was a bit much (for me).
I looked forward to future books in the Bishop Security series. As I said, the people on Nathan’s team are great. I’m hoping that future books will give the reader more information on these characters.
(I would like to thank the author for my complimentary copy. This review is my own words and thoughts.)
September 11, 2025
This follows Emma or should I say Emily, who was kidnapped when she was a child but does not remember anything about it. She was found a couple of months later, but the world was never told . Instead, they reinvented her with a new identity. Now, she is a reporter and gets to interview her childhood crush.
only he doesn't know it's her because he still believes she was never found. He is a completely different person than the sweet boy she once knew. Things take a drastic turn when the man who took her all those years ago resurfaces and isn't done with her.
fav quotes:
"Please tell me it was combat stuff."
"Nope-tights, cape, the whole deal."
"Well, I needed to calm my hard-on down. That did it." "You won't wear a spandex Captain America onesie for me?"
"Emily, for you I would wear nothing but a fig leaf and swing from a vine."
"Mmm."
"And there goes my hard-on again. Come on. Get changed so we can get back to the good stuff."
She looked up at him with a grin, "Your girlfriend is a ninja." "That may be the hottest thing I've ever heard."
"But you... it's like 'love' isn't a big enough word for what I feel. Like they need to invent some new word for it because what I feel for you makes love seem very small."
Emily Webster was an American tragedy; the daughter of one of the richest families in the world, abducted as a child and never found. She was the twenty-first century Lindbergh baby.
Nathan Bishop was a scoundrel. A pig. A shark. A wolf. A fox. A dog. He was the entire zoo.
only he doesn't know it's her because he still believes she was never found. He is a completely different person than the sweet boy she once knew. Things take a drastic turn when the man who took her all those years ago resurfaces and isn't done with her.
fav quotes:
"Please tell me it was combat stuff."
"Nope-tights, cape, the whole deal."
"Well, I needed to calm my hard-on down. That did it." "You won't wear a spandex Captain America onesie for me?"
"Emily, for you I would wear nothing but a fig leaf and swing from a vine."
"Mmm."
"And there goes my hard-on again. Come on. Get changed so we can get back to the good stuff."
She looked up at him with a grin, "Your girlfriend is a ninja." "That may be the hottest thing I've ever heard."
"But you... it's like 'love' isn't a big enough word for what I feel. Like they need to invent some new word for it because what I feel for you makes love seem very small."
Emily Webster was an American tragedy; the daughter of one of the richest families in the world, abducted as a child and never found. She was the twenty-first century Lindbergh baby.
Nathan Bishop was a scoundrel. A pig. A shark. A wolf. A fox. A dog. He was the entire zoo.
August 19, 2023
Y’all, Debbie Baldwin has lured me into my romantic suspense era. I thought I would read a couple chapters before bed, and here I am in the early morning hours having finished it. The suspense plot line was well done, and I appreciated the little clues to help you nail down the identities of key players, like Cerebrus and Herr Dohrmann. The romance was one that you were rooting for the whole time, and my heart broke for Nathan every time Em got taken from him (and she’s a total bada$$, too!) They are a power couple, and with a whole team behind them that I can’t wait to read about in the next books!
Em has hidden from the world after a traumatic event when she was younger, creating a whole new identity. Her boss wants her to interview Nathan Bishop, the Iron Man-esque owner and CEO, and all around play boy. The only problem is that he is a tie to her younger hidden life. Will he see her underneath all the disguises and years that have gone by?
Thank you to Henry Roi PR for the copy to review, all thoughts are my own.
Em has hidden from the world after a traumatic event when she was younger, creating a whole new identity. Her boss wants her to interview Nathan Bishop, the Iron Man-esque owner and CEO, and all around play boy. The only problem is that he is a tie to her younger hidden life. Will he see her underneath all the disguises and years that have gone by?
Thank you to Henry Roi PR for the copy to review, all thoughts are my own.
November 20, 2024
My wife is crazy about this series. So, she pimped these books to me. I read them off of her Kindle one day. This first book really drew me in completely, as well as the 2nd and 3rd book.
I plan to finish this series when I get more time to do so.
This first book was a great read.
I plan to finish this series when I get more time to do so.
This first book was a great read.
June 3, 2022
This is my second Debbie Baldwin novel, and it did not disappoint. I was riveted to my seat, book clutched in my hand, as I feel deep into Em's world. It is a high paced, suspense driven, anxiety heightening read, with a a dash of lust thrown in. Wow, that lust! Baldwin's characters are multi layered, that reveal themselves bit by bit. Making you want to devour the entire book in one sitting, which I did.
Emma Porter has had an intriguing past. Born into one of the richest families makes you unique enough. She was however abducted 15 years ago and held for months. No one knows why or who was behind the abduction. When she was finally rescued, they never released the information that she was found. Making it possible for her father to change her identity and take on a new life. The kidnapper is still at large. Will he target her again? She is tough, no nonsense and she will not let this stop her. She has started her first job as a reporter and her first big break is to interview playboy Nathan Bishop. Unknown to Nate, the two were next door neighbors growing up. He does not know that she is alive and well. There has always been a deep love for Nate, the question is will he know it is her?
I absolutely loved this high suspense romance story between two fantastic, bold characters. You want to know their inner most thoughts and you care what happens to them. Even though it is a fast paced read, the story reveals itself slowly. Making you read faster and faster, until the pages are flying. Thank you to Debbie Baldwin for sending me a copy. The twists and turns, the animated friends, the drama, all meld together for one fantastic read! I am off to check out the second book in this series!
Emma Porter has had an intriguing past. Born into one of the richest families makes you unique enough. She was however abducted 15 years ago and held for months. No one knows why or who was behind the abduction. When she was finally rescued, they never released the information that she was found. Making it possible for her father to change her identity and take on a new life. The kidnapper is still at large. Will he target her again? She is tough, no nonsense and she will not let this stop her. She has started her first job as a reporter and her first big break is to interview playboy Nathan Bishop. Unknown to Nate, the two were next door neighbors growing up. He does not know that she is alive and well. There has always been a deep love for Nate, the question is will he know it is her?
I absolutely loved this high suspense romance story between two fantastic, bold characters. You want to know their inner most thoughts and you care what happens to them. Even though it is a fast paced read, the story reveals itself slowly. Making you read faster and faster, until the pages are flying. Thank you to Debbie Baldwin for sending me a copy. The twists and turns, the animated friends, the drama, all meld together for one fantastic read! I am off to check out the second book in this series!
October 11, 2024
4 ⭐️
This was so good, I was GRIPPED, holding my breath, no idea what to expect, and the plot was so intriguing, trying to piece together what was happening!!
I love a romantic suspense, this was between two people who had fallen out of touch, and by chance end up crossing paths again. They’re both hiding their identities, and I love the hidden identity trope; in Emily/Emma’s case, because of her kidnapping, when she was a child, and Nathan’s was a persona, and his troubling upbringing he experienced; it was just so good!!
Nathan and Emily were the couple, who really had to go through and experience so much trauma, to find their way back to each other, with a guaranteed HEA. I’m very excited and intrigued to continue with the rest of the series!
Tropes
Billionaire romance
Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
Small age gap (5 years)
Hidden identity
Romantic suspense
This was so good, I was GRIPPED, holding my breath, no idea what to expect, and the plot was so intriguing, trying to piece together what was happening!!
I love a romantic suspense, this was between two people who had fallen out of touch, and by chance end up crossing paths again. They’re both hiding their identities, and I love the hidden identity trope; in Emily/Emma’s case, because of her kidnapping, when she was a child, and Nathan’s was a persona, and his troubling upbringing he experienced; it was just so good!!
Nathan and Emily were the couple, who really had to go through and experience so much trauma, to find their way back to each other, with a guaranteed HEA. I’m very excited and intrigued to continue with the rest of the series!
Tropes
Billionaire romance
Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
Small age gap (5 years)
Hidden identity
Romantic suspense
August 26, 2025
4 stars
Tropes : romantic suspense, J/P H, touch her and 💀, second identity (h), past trauma, rich couples, childhood sweetheart, manhoe H x virgin h
Ending : HEA (married with a kid)
Triggers : kidnapping, violence, mention of child abuse
Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Angst : 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
OM/OW drama : none
Intimacy details: virgin h, no condom
Standalone/Series : standalone
Hero : Nathan Hamilton Bishop (28)
Heroine: Emily Webster/ Emma Porter (25)
Tbh I don’t remember much about this but I remember I enjoyed this. The flashbacks when they were kids were cute although unrealistic. The only thing I hate was Nathan was a hoe. I used to be okay with manhoe H but since last year I think I started to build resentment towards manhoes for heros.
Other than that I quite liked it.
Tropes : romantic suspense, J/P H, touch her and 💀, second identity (h), past trauma, rich couples, childhood sweetheart, manhoe H x virgin h
Ending : HEA (married with a kid)
Triggers : kidnapping, violence, mention of child abuse
Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Angst : 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
OM/OW drama : none
Intimacy details: virgin h, no condom
Standalone/Series : standalone
Hero : Nathan Hamilton Bishop (28)
Heroine: Emily Webster/ Emma Porter (25)
Tbh I don’t remember much about this but I remember I enjoyed this. The flashbacks when they were kids were cute although unrealistic. The only thing I hate was Nathan was a hoe. I used to be okay with manhoe H but since last year I think I started to build resentment towards manhoes for heros.
Other than that I quite liked it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2020
Page turner throughout. Loved every minute of this book and fingers crossed for TV series or movie. Congrats DB on this amazing achievement...
August 8, 2022
Title: False Front
Author: Debbie Baldwin
Release Date: April 24th, 2020
Page Count: 338
Start Date: July 30th, 2022
Finish Date: July 31st, 2022
Review:
Story: Emma finds herself getting to interview somebody she once new very well in a previous life. She's not who she once was, but she never stopped caring about him. I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. And I thought that I would enjoy it very much. I went into the story blindly. I do that frequently with books. I did love the cover. It's a gorgeous cover. I would have never known about this book had I not signed up to do a blog tour for the fourth book. I'm so glad I did though. This may very well added to my list of favorite series eventually. I may even choose to reread them eventually.
Characters: Emma was a pretty relatable character. I mean there were parts of her that I will never fully understand. A father who loves and wants to protect her. A wealthy life. I could go on. I think I made my point though. Nathan was an enigma. I really shouldn't have liked him. I did though. I could just tell that the actions he made were for show. He put up a wall to anybody he didn't really know. He's one of my favorite male characters.
Critiques: None that I can think of.
Final Thoughts: This book pulled me in from the very beginning. There were parts of it that I didn't fully get right away. That's mainly because I went into it blindly like I do most books. I'm writing this review after having read all this series. So I can say that they can all be read alone, but I fully recommend reading them all as a series!
Author: Debbie Baldwin
Release Date: April 24th, 2020
Page Count: 338
Start Date: July 30th, 2022
Finish Date: July 31st, 2022
Review:
Story: Emma finds herself getting to interview somebody she once new very well in a previous life. She's not who she once was, but she never stopped caring about him. I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. And I thought that I would enjoy it very much. I went into the story blindly. I do that frequently with books. I did love the cover. It's a gorgeous cover. I would have never known about this book had I not signed up to do a blog tour for the fourth book. I'm so glad I did though. This may very well added to my list of favorite series eventually. I may even choose to reread them eventually.
Characters: Emma was a pretty relatable character. I mean there were parts of her that I will never fully understand. A father who loves and wants to protect her. A wealthy life. I could go on. I think I made my point though. Nathan was an enigma. I really shouldn't have liked him. I did though. I could just tell that the actions he made were for show. He put up a wall to anybody he didn't really know. He's one of my favorite male characters.
Critiques: None that I can think of.
Final Thoughts: This book pulled me in from the very beginning. There were parts of it that I didn't fully get right away. That's mainly because I went into it blindly like I do most books. I'm writing this review after having read all this series. So I can say that they can all be read alone, but I fully recommend reading them all as a series!
June 27, 2020
This book, which I got from Netgalley, earns a solid 4.5 stars, but since that’s not an option, I’m rounding up to 5. I only have two complaints about this book, which I’ll get to in the end. Overall, I thought it was a great book and I loved it. The book was so good that I didn’t want to put it down. In fact, although I was nearing the end, I needed to get some sleep so I stopped reading. I woke up repeatedly, and finally, after only three hours of sleep, I gave up and allowed myself to read the end.
The characters are likable, the plot is riveting, and the pacing and suspense are just about perfect. Details are revealed a little bit at a time, meaning there’s lots of mystery. The villain is appropriately scary, and a criminal mastermind, which would have made his eventual demise unbelievable if not for his sickness.
I really enjoyed Debbie Baldwin’s writing and her sense of humor. She gave her characters some really amusing lines, and Tox was a fun character (almost a caricature, but not quite). While his friends were barely discussing feelings (peripherally, if at all), he exited the room, saying, “I’m free for hair braiding and a tickle fight later, but right now I need to check in with our resident hacker…” Tox is always eating something, a recurring activity whenever he appears in a scene. Later, while asking for details of a story, the author describes him: “Tox was one bag of popcorn away from looking like he was watching a movie.”
Almost as an aside, but more likely as a way to build up a supporting character for a future book, there’s a scene with Finn in which he tells the “bottle blonde” in his bed to get lost. She asks, “What did I ever do to get hooked up with an asshole like you?” His response floored me, “I’m guessing there’s a long list.” The author also takes the time to give the reader a few details about Ren, and after he meets a woman he finds attractive, this was the author’s take on it: “In his mind, a tiny version of him was waving two red semaphore flags and yelling, get out!” I burst out laughing at the image that conjured.
Since the book is told in the third person, the reader knows who the bad guys are, so I don’t consider my following comments spoilers. These are the things that bothered me. Emma/Emily has violet eyes. In the beginning, the reader is told she is wearing blue contact lenses. Nathan shows up at her apartment unexpectedly, shortly after she has gotten out of bed, and there is no mention of her putting in her contact lenses. If she hadn’t, he would have certainly noticed her eyes and recognized her. This seemed like an important thing to overlook.
The other problem came later. As the team is putting together the pieces of the puzzle to figure out who kidnapped Emily when she was a child, her father mentions someone named Cyril. Ren makes a connection to Savo, but I did a search for the name prior to that in the book, and there was nothing to indicate they should have known he was involved yet. The fact that it made me pause to research it pulled me from the story, so even if it wasn’t a mistake, it wasn’t explained clearly enough to slide into the story seamlessly.
As I mentioned, these are relatively minor complaints and the storytelling was so good that they barely require mentioning. However, since they did snag my attention, it seems important to point them out. Either way, I recommend the book and I’d like to read more from this author.
The characters are likable, the plot is riveting, and the pacing and suspense are just about perfect. Details are revealed a little bit at a time, meaning there’s lots of mystery. The villain is appropriately scary, and a criminal mastermind, which would have made his eventual demise unbelievable if not for his sickness.
I really enjoyed Debbie Baldwin’s writing and her sense of humor. She gave her characters some really amusing lines, and Tox was a fun character (almost a caricature, but not quite). While his friends were barely discussing feelings (peripherally, if at all), he exited the room, saying, “I’m free for hair braiding and a tickle fight later, but right now I need to check in with our resident hacker…” Tox is always eating something, a recurring activity whenever he appears in a scene. Later, while asking for details of a story, the author describes him: “Tox was one bag of popcorn away from looking like he was watching a movie.”
Almost as an aside, but more likely as a way to build up a supporting character for a future book, there’s a scene with Finn in which he tells the “bottle blonde” in his bed to get lost. She asks, “What did I ever do to get hooked up with an asshole like you?” His response floored me, “I’m guessing there’s a long list.” The author also takes the time to give the reader a few details about Ren, and after he meets a woman he finds attractive, this was the author’s take on it: “In his mind, a tiny version of him was waving two red semaphore flags and yelling, get out!” I burst out laughing at the image that conjured.
Since the book is told in the third person, the reader knows who the bad guys are, so I don’t consider my following comments spoilers. These are the things that bothered me. Emma/Emily has violet eyes. In the beginning, the reader is told she is wearing blue contact lenses. Nathan shows up at her apartment unexpectedly, shortly after she has gotten out of bed, and there is no mention of her putting in her contact lenses. If she hadn’t, he would have certainly noticed her eyes and recognized her. This seemed like an important thing to overlook.
The other problem came later. As the team is putting together the pieces of the puzzle to figure out who kidnapped Emily when she was a child, her father mentions someone named Cyril. Ren makes a connection to Savo, but I did a search for the name prior to that in the book, and there was nothing to indicate they should have known he was involved yet. The fact that it made me pause to research it pulled me from the story, so even if it wasn’t a mistake, it wasn’t explained clearly enough to slide into the story seamlessly.
As I mentioned, these are relatively minor complaints and the storytelling was so good that they barely require mentioning. However, since they did snag my attention, it seems important to point them out. Either way, I recommend the book and I’d like to read more from this author.
October 16, 2021
Emily Webster was kidnapped at the age of 8. It made worldwide news and was as notorious as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. Though she is rescued a year later, the kidnapper has never been caught. Emily and her father change her identity to Emma Porter and, though she never gets over her fear of small spaces, she learns to take care of herself. It also helps that her millionaire father provides her with a body guard/driver every where she goes. Now an adult, stunningly beautiful Emily/Emma works for an online news magazine and she is assigned the job of interviewing Nathan Bishop (her childhood crush).
Nathan, playboy defense contractor, has traveled the world, becoming a hero who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Well known in society circles he graces the cover of magazines and newspapers, always with a different woman on his arm. Secretly, he is constantly searching for his childhood friend, Emily.
When Nathan and Emily (as Emma) finally meet up the attraction is instantaneous. They quickly become lovers before Emily is kidnapped…twice! Each time Nathan immediately has contacts in place to rescue Emily. But Emily is very resourceful and she can take cars of herself.
I became caught up in this story from the exciting prologue. The action moves quickly, but is periodically interrupted by explicit sex scenes (which is not my cup of tea but a lot of readers like this!) I was a bit overwhelmed at first by the numerous secondary characters with strange nicknames and military-sounding jobs but I eventually got them straight! At times I felt like I was reading the latest Bond thriller!
This series continues with 2 other books (Illicit Attempt and Buried Beneath), which can also be read as stand-alone novels.
My thanks to the author for my gifted copies!
Nathan, playboy defense contractor, has traveled the world, becoming a hero who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Well known in society circles he graces the cover of magazines and newspapers, always with a different woman on his arm. Secretly, he is constantly searching for his childhood friend, Emily.
When Nathan and Emily (as Emma) finally meet up the attraction is instantaneous. They quickly become lovers before Emily is kidnapped…twice! Each time Nathan immediately has contacts in place to rescue Emily. But Emily is very resourceful and she can take cars of herself.
I became caught up in this story from the exciting prologue. The action moves quickly, but is periodically interrupted by explicit sex scenes (which is not my cup of tea but a lot of readers like this!) I was a bit overwhelmed at first by the numerous secondary characters with strange nicknames and military-sounding jobs but I eventually got them straight! At times I felt like I was reading the latest Bond thriller!
This series continues with 2 other books (Illicit Attempt and Buried Beneath), which can also be read as stand-alone novels.
My thanks to the author for my gifted copies!
November 13, 2021
•The book cover will surely make the readers curious and is apt to the story. The title of the book is also very interesting.
• Emma Porter is a successful young woman enjoying a happy life in New York City. She works for an online news organization and is attempting to return to routine. But, as it appears, such is not the case here; something else has occurred that has altered reality and lifted a curtain. She came from a wealthy family, and as a result, her kidnapping as Emily Webster, which caused her early fear and preparation, was buried. Emma was living in a new persona, watchful and detached, thanks to her father’s advice and resources. Nathan Bishop used to live next door to her as a child, shares the same characteristics. He is not what he appears to be; he is known for his womanizing and reckless behavior. But there was a warrior hidden behind the veil. When a fatal bioweapon was about to be sold on US soil, he and his team should do everything they could to prevent it. Nathan and Emma’s paths were destined to cross once more.
• How will they struggle and comprehend the importance of time? Get the solution by purchasing the book right now!!
• The author’s writing is incredibly vivid, and the narrative is quite engaging. The characters are exquisitely developed, and the circumstances are intricately intertwined with them. To reach a bigger audience, the language is basic. Although the story contains some explicit situations, it is enjoyable to read. The drama, twists, and turns, as well as the affection between them, are all wonderfully set up. Give it a shot; you’ll feel the words and the situation.
• Emma Porter is a successful young woman enjoying a happy life in New York City. She works for an online news organization and is attempting to return to routine. But, as it appears, such is not the case here; something else has occurred that has altered reality and lifted a curtain. She came from a wealthy family, and as a result, her kidnapping as Emily Webster, which caused her early fear and preparation, was buried. Emma was living in a new persona, watchful and detached, thanks to her father’s advice and resources. Nathan Bishop used to live next door to her as a child, shares the same characteristics. He is not what he appears to be; he is known for his womanizing and reckless behavior. But there was a warrior hidden behind the veil. When a fatal bioweapon was about to be sold on US soil, he and his team should do everything they could to prevent it. Nathan and Emma’s paths were destined to cross once more.
• How will they struggle and comprehend the importance of time? Get the solution by purchasing the book right now!!
• The author’s writing is incredibly vivid, and the narrative is quite engaging. The characters are exquisitely developed, and the circumstances are intricately intertwined with them. To reach a bigger audience, the language is basic. Although the story contains some explicit situations, it is enjoyable to read. The drama, twists, and turns, as well as the affection between them, are all wonderfully set up. Give it a shot; you’ll feel the words and the situation.
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