Deceptions

Deceptions #1

by Judith Michael

From the husband-and-wife writing team of Judith Michael comes this potboiler which plays on one of the oldest fantasies in the book: What if you not only had a twin, but decided one day to trade places... just for a little while. What begins as a lark for sisters Stephanie and Sabrina quickly turns into so much more in this surprisingly satisfying read in which, perhaps not surprisingly, we are taught to be grateful for what we have for the grass is not always greener on the other side. For most of us, the perhaps unconscious thrill lies in the story of Stephanie, the twin whose life in suburbia has become almost stifling, especially when compared to that of her exotic, exciting twin sister, Lady Sabrina Longworth. Quicker than you can say, "Hey, what if we traded places?" Stephanie is living the high life, while Sabrina is trading cocktail parties for backyard bar-b-ques. This is classic Judith Michael, who for several years stirred the imagination by taking classic cases of "what if" and spun them into fanciful, frothy books. "What if... you won the lottery?" (Pot Of Gold) "What if... you found out that your newly deceased husband had a rich, secret family he never told you about?" (A Ruling Passion) But with Deceptions, the novel that started it all, the authors crafted perhaps their best "what if" scenario by playing on a theme nearly every one of us has pondered at one time or another.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Womens Fiction, Drama

528 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Judith Michael is the pen name of husband/wife team Judith Barnard (b. 1934) and Michael Fain (b. 1937).

Reviews

[Fran P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread
I found my old paperback copy, so I just had to reread this.

I remember reading this over and over again in high school, and even now, this still remains one of my favorite books ever. I love it!

-----
January 27, 2014
This was one of my most-read pocketbooks when I was younger, but I must reread this soon. :)

[Diya✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this first when I was teenager and I glad I get hold of copy and reread it was great and well written. Loved this it was emotional read and I was shedding some tears. Recommend highly!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked this better than I thought I would. This novel was written in 1982 by the husband-and-wife team duly named Judith Michael. Twin sisters raised all over the world with their diplomat father and dutiful wife. Their parents' lifestyle left little time for them, and they became incredibly close, relying on each other for love and help through the ups and downs of childhood. After an escapade that could have had a horrible outcome, they are sent to boarding school in Switzerland. After graduation they head in different directions, one to the Sorbonne, and the other to Bryn Mawr which sends them on a trajectory to opposite lives. 12 years later, they meet up on a trip to China and decide to switch lives for a week and so the deception begins.
Somewhat unbelievable that they are able to step into each other's lives without people thinking something is awry. But the biggest drawback for me, was the too convenient way the authors paved the way for a happy ending for one of them.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could say I had a ball with Judith Michael’s first novel DECEPTIONS (1982, Pocket) but...
https://sleaze-factor.blogspot.com/20...

[Tatrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Sabrina Longworth / Stephanie & GArth Anderson

Sabrina & Stephanie are identical twins who decide to change places for a week so Stephanie - the housewife and mother of two from the midwest - can try London high-society social life and independent life of Sabrina. While trading places, something happens to Stephanie and Sabrina is stuck trying not to hurt Stephanie's family and Garth for whom she's fallen.

[Randy Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my all time favorite novel! #1 and always will be! It is probably the first adult novel I ever reead or darn close to it.

[Hella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek heb ik begin jaren '80 gelezen, in het Nederlands,  en ik werd er zó door gegrepen dat ik, lezend bij de bushalte, gewoon de bus liet wegrijden. Ik was benieuwd of ik het nog steeds zo pakkend zou vinden, en tot op zekere hoogte ja. Ook wel een beetje goedkoopjes hoor, hoog Danielle Steel-gehalte, maar als smulboek toch 4 sterren.
En er is een vervolg op, daar herinnerde ik me nix van. Dat ga ik nu toch ook maar lekker lezen.

[Eric WT · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ☆

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a teenager and I remember I really liked it - decided to read it again. Good to know I haven't changed much! Still loved it. About twins who switch identities - one a London socialite and the other a suburban American wife and mother. Complications ensue. It sounds soapy but really well written and insightful into the internal struggles each faces in their new roles. Now, reading the sequel!

[S. Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this many years ago, so my review is just my general impressions. I truly enjoyed this read, and now that I am older, I think I can relate even more to wanting to trade lives for just a while. I can also relate to getting caught up in a situation and not knowing how to extricate oneself from it for fear of hurting someone else. A good book that I wholeheartedly recommend.

[Jane Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Judith Michael's books and this is one of the best! The believable characters that pull you into the story and don't let you go until you finish the book. I highly recommend this book for a good weekend book.

[Nick Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Improbable (any plot involving identical twins usually is) but engaging soap opera about a beautiful pair of sisters, their lifestyles & lovers, their interest in antiques, and the gullible friends & spouses taken in by their wacky scheme.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I suspect that if I'd read this book when it was first published in 1982 I'd have liked it a bunch more. But, alas, I wasn't old enough to read then, and there's this thing called "reality TV" now, so a lot of the things in here wouldn't be possible any more, and I'm immune to a certain level of Drama. I'm still curious to see what happens in the second book of this duology, though it's not a priority.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched a mini-series starring Stephanie Powers made from this book. I really enjoyed it and finally read the book. Great story and characters!!!

[Vivisection · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Hey lady, you lady
Cursing at your life
You're a discontented mother
And a regimented wife
I 've no doubt
You dream about the things you'll never do
But I wish someone had a talk to me like I wanna talk to you
Ooh, I've been to Georgia and California and anywhere I could run
Took the hand of a preacher man
And we made love in the sun
But I ran out of places and friendly faces
Because I had to be free
I've been to paradise but I've never been to me...
Please lady please lady
Don't just walk away
'Cause I have this need to tell you
Why I'm all alone today
I can see so much of me
Still living in your eyes
Won't you share a part
Of a weary heart that has lived a million lives
Ooh, I've been to Nice and the Isle of Greece
When I sipped champagne on a yacht
I moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo
And showed them what I've got
I've been undressed by kings
And I've seen some things that a woman ain't s'posed to see
I've been to paradise but I've never been to me...
Hey, you know what paradise is?
It's a lie
A fantasy we created about people and places
As we like them to be
But you know what truth is?
It's that little baby you're holding
And it's that man you fought with this morning
The same one you are gonna make love to tonight
That's truth that's love
Sometimes I've been to crying for unborn children
That might have made me complete
But I, I took the sweet life
I never knew I'd be bitter from the sweet
I spent my life exploring
The subtle whoring
That costs too much to be free
Hey lady I've been to paradise
But I've never been to me...
I've been to paradise - never been to me
(I've been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run)
I've been to paradise - never been to me
(I've been to Nice and the isle of Greece
While I sipped champagne on a yacht)
I've been to paradise - never been to me”~Charlene

Also twins, the old switcherooo, 80s consumerism, no fucking only love-making, a Stephanie Powers mini-series, casual racism, stereotypes, white privilege, middle class values.

Unapologetic and I love it!

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is outlandish and so very 1980’s. I found that I didn’t care for any of the characters and the whole premise is hilariously bonkers. However, I guess I found it amusing enough at times to keep reading, so that’s something.

[Kathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a difference 40 years makes!

When I first read this novel as a young woman, it was one of my favorites, and now having reread it, I am not sure why. Although published in 1982, it might have been written in 1952, oe even 1962, with its portrayal of white privilege and the most important attribute a woman could have was physical beauty. (I swear, the book mentioned the beauty of the sisters a MINIMUM of 100 times.) And the arrogance of Sabrina was very hard to take, and the self-centeredness of Stephanie was equally off-putting. (Why would a woman who had a stable and professional husband, a lovely home, and two healthy children turn into a self-centered and ungrateful shrew?)

[fureshiiness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sa wakas sa wakas nahuman ra jd ko aning libroha! whew! sa tinuod simple lang kau ang story dili na kelangan og taas kau na narrative na bore ko sa mga inner monologues ni sabrina. pero bisan natas.an ko kay na lingaw gihapon ko og basa kay drama kau og lab man gd nako c professor garth hehehe. wla kau ko naluoy sa gidangat ni stephanie kay igat jud na bayhana mai ra nawagtang sa buhay nila. pero naglagot ko sa twist in the end tho wla na ko natingala. malas ka steph i hope u realize u lost more than youve gain.

[Francesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Due gemelle si scambiano i ruoli: entrambe avranno ciò che desideravano.
La mia copertina recita: Sesso, suspense e divertimento. Il primo latita, il secondo c'è e il terzo pure.
Curiosità: La principessa Alessandra, nella miniserie tratta dal libro, venne interpretata dalla Lollo nazionale.

[Loretta Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in the 80’s absolutely loved it. I think I read it about 4 times over the years. I still have my original copy and intend reading again for old time sake. One of my favourite books from youth. Sisters and love.

[Anne Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book. Twin sisters change lives for a week that turns into three months. It seemed long, dated, a bit corny, and predictable at times. But I’m hoping that with the sequel being published over ten years later, maybe it will seem more “up to date.”
The author gives a thorough background of Sabrina Longworth and Stephanie Anderson’s lives. They lived in many countries since their father worked for the American Embassy. They both got interested in antiques through their mother. Side note: it was nice reminiscing about how antiques were quite popular back in the day. Today, 2019, antiques still are around of course but certainly not in the way they were in the 70’s and 80’s. Antique shops are not the glamorous shops they once were. Nor are they as popular.
Once the twins go to different colleges, their lives turn separate. Stephanie marries professor Garth Anderson who specializes in gene research. They have two children, Cliff and Penny and live in Evanston, Illinois. Sabrina lives in London, marries Denton Longworth, who was an heir to a fortune, and Sabrina now has the title of Lady. Unfortunately the marriage only lasts three years. So Sabrina opens an antique shop, Ambassadors.
Stephanie lives the life of a suburban housewife, never getting her estate sale business to be successful, and her marriage isn’t doing well.
Sabrina leads a busy social life and busy days redecorating homes and getting Ambassadors off the ground with the right high society people interested in it.
When Stephanie and Sabrina switch their lives, things are going well for the week. Everyone is fooled, even Stephanie’s children and husband. Then Sabrina gets into a bicycle accident and a cast needs to be put on her arm. Stephanie can’t come back and not have a cast so they postpone going back to their own lives. But as more time passes, they both get comfortable. So comfortable that Sabrina is falling in love with the family: the kids and Garth. Garth too is falling back in love with “his wife.”
Stephanie is having a great time with her new social life in London. She’s falling in love with Max Stuyvesant, who happens to be involved in art forgeries. Stephanie is aware of what’s going on from her sister and helps her out with conveniently breaking a crane that was a forgery, sold to a popular client, Olivia Chassen.
Side note: I had to mention this as this part of the story made me decrease my star rating: there was absolutely no need, when Sabrina was talking to Penny’s teacher, to tell the teacher off and tell her that she’s paying her salary. Totally uncalled for in this book and disrespectful to any teacher, even if a teacher has not done the right thing.
So as a twist, Stephanie postpones going home even longer because she is invited to go on a cruise with Max and other guests. The cruise is doomed. The boat explodes from a planted bomb. The bomber was out to get Max. Sabrina of course is devastated for all sorts of reasons: she lost her sister, everyone thinks it’s Sabrina, and how in the world is she going to tell Garth? Well, she’s not because Garth finally finds out she’s really Sabrina and gets so upset he tells her to leave. She heads to London where she planned to go anyway and plans to stay there indefinitely. She soon takes back her life. But both Sabrina and Garth realize in time that they are in love. Garth does the right thing, goes to London, and we are left to believe that they will get back together.

[Sabína · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sabrina a Stephania. Dve navlas rovnaké dvojičky, ktoré sa v osudný deň, na konci ich dovolenky v Číne, rozhodnú vymeniť si svoje životy, aby si ešte týždeň predĺžili únik od problémov, ktoré ich doma čakali. Kým zo Sabriny sa stane Stephania - Američanka s usporiadaným rodinným životom, ktorý však nemusí byť až taký dokonalý, zo Stephanie sa stane bohatá lady a majiteľka starožitníctva v Londýne. Jeden týždeň. Nikto si nič nevšimne a potom sa znovu vymenia. No bude to naozaj tak?


Tak, konečne to mám za sebou. Prekvapilo ma, že kniha bola dráma (aj keď je to spomenuté v anotácii), lebo maminka číta zvyčajne romantiku - áno, je to jej kniha a je staršia než ja (r. vydania 1994, @vydavatelstvo_ikar), no vôbec mi to nevadilo, lebo jedným z mojich tohtoročných knižných záväzkov je aj čítať iné žánre.

Kniha je rozdelená na tri časti - v prvej sa zoznamujeme s dvojičkami, ich detstvom, dospievaním a dospelosťou do bodu, kým sa stretnú v Číne a vymenia si životy. Aj napriek tomu, že mali viac-menej rovnakú výchovu, každá bola iná. To sa neskôr odzrkadlilo aj na Stephaniinej túžbe vymeniť si so Sabrinou na jeden týždeň svoj život.
V druhej časti sledujeme dvojčatá, ako sa zžívajú so svojou novou dočasnou identitou. Zo Stephanie sa stala rozvedená bohatá lady a so Sabriny obyčajná žena s rodinou. Jeden týždeň vydržia v koži tej druhej a potom sa vymenia, akoby sa nič nestalo. Aj sa im to celkom darí až do doby, kým si Sabrina nezlomí zápästie a nie je tak nútená zostať ešte pár týždňov v Stephaniinej koži. Čím dlhšie však trávia svoj čas ako tá druhá, tým ťažšie je priznať si, že sa chcú vrátiť k svojmu pôvodnému životu. A to sa ďalej nabaľuje ako snehová guľa, ktorá sa roztrieštila Stephaniinou smrťou - to som naozaj nečakala a bola som v šoku. Aj napriek tomu, že mi dvojčatá liezli na nervy, keď zabúdali, kým v skutočnosti sú, takýto koniec som si pre Stephaniu, ktorú pochovali ako Lady Sabrinu, nepredstavovala.
V tretej časti sa Sabrina, ktorá stále zastáva miesto Stephanie snaží vyrovnať so smrťou svojej sestry a aj so svojou novou identitou. Lož však bola odhalená a rodina trpí. No dostala (nezaslúžene) happy end.

Na môj vkus bola táto kniha zbytočne dlhá, ale nevadí. Asi to k dráme patrí.

[AR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what to think of this book or its companion. I had the second book sitting in my unread box having read its first chapter when I accidentally found the first one. So it was spoiled a bit.

Probably I learned that nothing is black and white. But in real life, would that deception work... And I think a real person would have been up and honest to family from the beginning.

The books had some filling and we would not have missed much if the thick books were trimmed.
Despite its length and some questioning of the characters' actions by me the books had a grip.

But in the end I was asking 'did anyone think of the children?'. How would they feel if they find out the truth someday? Their mother, father, and aunt are all deceiving them. That is probably why I am not giving more stars.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting concept and I loved this what-if scenario. I have to admit I was more interested in Sabrina's part of the story than Stephanie. But the authors were really good at describing the conflicts and emotions that people go through when a lie takes off and gets bigger and bigger and you lose sight of what the best way to put things right. The writing was good and the characters dynamic, the little side plots and chapters of everyday life really sold this story as engaging and believable (even if never realistic). I think it was also interesting to read the sequel to see how they get out of the hole they have dug. My only complaint is the unequal interest in each part of the story and that it could have been edited down by about 100-150 pages and still been sucessfull.

[ANTC · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This was a fine read; these older books are reliably written better than modern novels. However, this one became way too unbelievable and exhausting near the end. I was ready for the deception to be over - so was the heroine - but the author wasn't, apparently. I mean the twin sister (Stephanie) died and everything, after which Sabrina confessed multiple times that they had switched places, and NO ONE believed her, not even Stephanie's husband! They thought it was the result of some depressive episode...🙄, even though they were simultaneously commenting about how "Stephanie" was acting so much like Sabrina. It didn't make sense. No one caught on, even after the dang confession! Not her parents. Not the husband. Not any friends. Really...?

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out in the early 80's. It was so good. Then when they made the movie about it, even better. I loved Stephanie Powers from Hart to Hart so that was a great fit.

People ask me, "What is the best book you've ever read" or "What is your favorite book". I used to say "A Knight in Shining Armor" by Jude Deveraux. But I re-read it in 2015 and sadly didn't think it was as good as I remembered. I will not be re-reading this one but I have to say this is one of the few books I remember the story and plot from all the books I read during this time. If you get a chance to read this book, I would recommend. I also saw you can watch the movie on Roku. :)

[ANGELIA · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the miniseries based on this (with Stephanie Powers and Barry Bostwick), but now the story makes me feel creepy, as these women were both rapists. Let's be honest: if the book were about twin brothers who traded places, and one brother slept with his sister-in-law (who thought he was her husband) and the other one slept with his brother's mistress (who was unaware as well), most women would be outraged and saying they belonged in jail for rape!

Well, isn't the same true here? Or are we now reversing the double standard?????

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

So pulpy, so 1980s. I picked this up when I was having a Judith-Krantzian craving and it mostly scratched that itch. The main characters are twins, Sabrina and Stephanie, who decide to trade places for a week. Both of the women are flawless, stunningly beautiful Mary Sues, but that's kind of what you expect with this kind of novel. Simultaneously, this novel feels progressive and retro in its gender relationships. Not amazing, but satisfying for what it is. Going to read the sequel.

[Norba'Aiah Noh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still love this book after my fifth reread. The storyline is fabulous. It captivates you from start to finish. I have read it more than 4-5 times but I find myself rereading it again and again. Great for romantics. The sequel is slightly less captivating but still a god read.
Sadly, my copy of Deceptions is gone and I can't get hold of another. I read this time using E-book borrowed from a library. Would love to be able to acquire it, either hard copy or e-book form.

[Christine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book twice. The story is about two women who are identical twins who live very different lives. Unbeknownst to anyone, they decide to trade places for a week so each can have a taste of how the other twin lives. Tragedy strikes and the plot thickens. Don't want to give any spoilers so let me just say each twin finds romance and new perspectives on their current lives. If you like intrigue and romance you will not regret this read! The sequel is just as good.