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Deception
Once Olympia Wingfield had been free to devote all her time to her true the study of ancient legends and long-lost treasure. But now, with three hellion nephews to raise, the absentminded beauty has very little time for research. Which makes it seem all the more serendipitous when a handsome stranger strides into Olympia’s library unannounced and proceeds to set her world to rights… Tall and dark, with long, windswept black hair, Jared Chillhurst is the embodiment of Olympia’s most exotic dreams…a daring pirate, masquerading in teacher’s garb, whose plundering kisses and traveler’s tales quickly win her heart. Yet all too soon innocent Olympia will discover the enigmatic and wickedly sensual Mr. Chillhurst is no lowly tutor but a future earl with a wealth of secrets – the kind that will lead them both on a perilous quest for a hidden fortune and a love worth more than gold.
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First published January 1, 1993
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About the author
Amanda Quick
94 books5,504 followersPseudonym of Jayne Ann Krentz
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 419 reviews
October 5, 2022
A romance with a dash of a mystery written in 1993 has held up well. Enjoyable couple that brings out the best in each other. Some steamy bits but tame by what is written in current novels. Perhaps since it was written 30 years ago it has been done many times since with other books (plus as much as I love Amanda Quick her books do have a similar style) Definitely worth reading and I give it 3.5*
December 26, 2021
3.5 stars
another lovely read from Ms. Amanda Quick.
i read two books so far and have come to notice the ‘formula’ by which she plotted her stories. idk if all her books are going to be similar, but i feel like two books is enough telling. though, something about this one just didnt quite measure up to Ravished. at least not in terms of romance and the suspense.
however, i did really like the background setting/the single parent aspect (the h is in charge of three nephews, and the H is a pirate who, upon meeting the h, decides to pose as a tutor for the kids; hence the title). i thought that the Hs deception was going to lead to drama, but the fact that it didnt was rather puzzling (to me) and disappointing but also a relief??? idk i feel like something was missing.
there was an overuse of the words siren, passion, and (wo)man of the world, which was annoying. on the other hand, i *lowkey* dig the euphemistic sex. 🙈 it was somewhere between poetic, cringey, and OTT. i feel like i’d blush if someone caught me reading it, but what can i say? im into it.
which AQ book should i read next i wonder?
another lovely read from Ms. Amanda Quick.
i read two books so far and have come to notice the ‘formula’ by which she plotted her stories. idk if all her books are going to be similar, but i feel like two books is enough telling. though, something about this one just didnt quite measure up to Ravished. at least not in terms of romance and the suspense.
however, i did really like the background setting/the single parent aspect (the h is in charge of three nephews, and the H is a pirate who, upon meeting the h, decides to pose as a tutor for the kids; hence the title). i thought that the Hs deception was going to lead to drama, but the fact that it didnt was rather puzzling (to me) and disappointing but also a relief??? idk i feel like something was missing.
there was an overuse of the words siren, passion, and (wo)man of the world, which was annoying. on the other hand, i *lowkey* dig the euphemistic sex. 🙈 it was somewhere between poetic, cringey, and OTT. i feel like i’d blush if someone caught me reading it, but what can i say? im into it.
which AQ book should i read next i wonder?
March 14, 2020
For an older historical romance book wrote back in the 1990s, this one was fun to read!
I enjoyed both main characters, Jared Ryder and Olympia Wingfield.
Deception starts off with Olympia's uncle finding a missing diary that will solve the mystery of the hidden Flamecrest treasure.
Jared Ryder, the guardian of the Flamecrest family meets the uncle in a pub and agrees to take the dairy along with merchant supplies to his niece, Olympia Wingfield.
When Jared finally meets Olympia, he not only falls passionately in lust but decides to hide his identity. He is going to become a tutor to her three nephews that are living with her and find out if she can crack the mystery of the hidden Claire Lightbourne diary for his family.
Enter love, intrigue, passion and some funny love scenes.
I think the love scenes were more funny then steamy. The language when they are talking to each other felt very Shakespearean. I'm not sure if that was what Amanda Quick was going for. LOL!
Overall, it was a fun book to read for hidden treasure, everlasting love and some family mischief!
I enjoyed both main characters, Jared Ryder and Olympia Wingfield.
Deception starts off with Olympia's uncle finding a missing diary that will solve the mystery of the hidden Flamecrest treasure.
Jared Ryder, the guardian of the Flamecrest family meets the uncle in a pub and agrees to take the dairy along with merchant supplies to his niece, Olympia Wingfield.
When Jared finally meets Olympia, he not only falls passionately in lust but decides to hide his identity. He is going to become a tutor to her three nephews that are living with her and find out if she can crack the mystery of the hidden Claire Lightbourne diary for his family.
Enter love, intrigue, passion and some funny love scenes.
I think the love scenes were more funny then steamy. The language when they are talking to each other felt very Shakespearean. I'm not sure if that was what Amanda Quick was going for. LOL!
Overall, it was a fun book to read for hidden treasure, everlasting love and some family mischief!
November 3, 2019
"Deception" is the story of Olympia and Jared.
Ah..my heart <3
I cannot explain how GOOD this book was! Engaging mystery mixed with romance, passion and intricately woven plot, this one had a smart and absent minded "spinster" heroine who spent her time studying the study of ancient legends and long-lost treasures in Dorset. She lives there with her three adopted naughty nephews, their adorable mutt and an interfering housekeeper. For years, she has been searching for Lightbourne diary, which is rumored to have clues to a long lost treasure map, and has finally been able to trace it down. However, it arrives safely with Jared Ryder, a charming and enigmatic man, who soon takes over tutoring her hellions and running her household- and soon Olympia realizes that he is the embodiment of her most exotic dreams ... a daring pirate, masquerading in teacher's garb, hiding his Viscount roots beneath.
Lots of laughter, passion, thrilling elements in this one, sprinkled with humor, love and extremely likable characters. We cannot help but root for Jared and Olympia, and enjoy their journey while they come together to unearth a long buried secret. Their lovemaking is oh so scintillating, banter is engaging and yearning for each other is swoon-worthy! Her absent minded quips made me LMAO!
Highly recommended!
Safe
4.5/5
Ah..my heart <3
I cannot explain how GOOD this book was! Engaging mystery mixed with romance, passion and intricately woven plot, this one had a smart and absent minded "spinster" heroine who spent her time studying the study of ancient legends and long-lost treasures in Dorset. She lives there with her three adopted naughty nephews, their adorable mutt and an interfering housekeeper. For years, she has been searching for Lightbourne diary, which is rumored to have clues to a long lost treasure map, and has finally been able to trace it down. However, it arrives safely with Jared Ryder, a charming and enigmatic man, who soon takes over tutoring her hellions and running her household- and soon Olympia realizes that he is the embodiment of her most exotic dreams ... a daring pirate, masquerading in teacher's garb, hiding his Viscount roots beneath.
Lots of laughter, passion, thrilling elements in this one, sprinkled with humor, love and extremely likable characters. We cannot help but root for Jared and Olympia, and enjoy their journey while they come together to unearth a long buried secret. Their lovemaking is oh so scintillating, banter is engaging and yearning for each other is swoon-worthy! Her absent minded quips made me LMAO!
Highly recommended!
Safe
4.5/5
February 16, 2021
This is a book, I would read again. Nice family story with a mystery , romance and 3 little mischief makers. Plenty of humour
April 16, 2021
Olympia and Jared. I really liked how Olympia saw Jared as a passionate guy from the beginning. I also enjoyed Jared seeing Olympia as a siren. I loved the family and how Jared bonded with them--even the housekeeper. Olympia is raising her three nephews and until recently have been passed around and she is giving them a forever home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2022
I discovered the secret, or rather the balance, of enjoying Amanda Quick's works. Wait a few weeks or months in between books and the books are sure going to be enjoyable.
This one was so sweet. The heroine kept surprising me, when I thought her naive she always surprised me with how intelligent she actually is. And the hero was surprisingly sweet. This book has 3 little monsters aka children that made the story even more engaging.
There was mystery, as always in Mrs Quick' stories, but it was more of a treasure hunting than mystery which was much more enjoyable in my opinion.
4.5 stars
This one was so sweet. The heroine kept surprising me, when I thought her naive she always surprised me with how intelligent she actually is. And the hero was surprisingly sweet. This book has 3 little monsters aka children that made the story even more engaging.
There was mystery, as always in Mrs Quick' stories, but it was more of a treasure hunting than mystery which was much more enjoyable in my opinion.
4.5 stars
April 27, 2010
I am a believer that romance novels should NOT be hilarious when the hero and the heroine are finally getting it on. Unless it's a rom-com/chick-lit book.
So imagine my surprise when I start reading this book and so far it's ok. The prose is a little ... high drama for me and the heroine is flightier than a hummingbird on crack, but the plot seems like it may redeem the heroine's character flaws and the hero's brooding ways.
Then I get to the scene where Olympia and Jared kiss and I have to shake my head because it's almost like reading a badly written Shakespeare verse. Nothing screams awkward like hearing the hero refer to his love as a 'siren' for whom 'he would gladly get lost at sea for' and that their romance is 'a journey' that he 'doesn't want to turn away from'.
Really? That's too much talking.
Don't get me wrong I like a little dialogue with my romance/sex/teasing scenes, it builds up the chemistry and the eventual act. What I don't need is amateur poet night at the local drama club.
Now, aside from the laughable dialogue which distracted me from any lovemaking what so ever, the fact the plot didn't really go anywhere was annoying as all get out.
Olympia moves from one library to another while Jared is resolutely not helping her when he really really should be. His family owns the diary that Olympia's uncle found for her and had shipped back to England. Jared was just supposed to make sure that the diary got there safe. BUT his family sort of owns the diary because the author is his great-great grandmother. There is a treasure to be had if they can figure out what the diary says and what the codes mean and hey, it all stems from a fued between the GGG's of the Ryder family and the Yorke family.
Anyhoo, once Jared sees Olympia he realizes that must have her
so he, who is a Viscount with the heart of a merchant, who looks like a pirate (complete with one eye and longish hair) decides to become the tutor of Olympia's three unruly nephews.
Being capable, Jared manages to tame the children, become her financial advisor/manager and woo the shite out of her with his tales of worldly escapes and his mutterings of sweet poetic gobshite.
The ending was an extreme case of the hand of the author where everything is not only tied up neatly but that there are no real villains oh and everyone loves each other and everything is okay again blah blah blah.
The good thing about this was that there were two lesbian relationships and neither were used as fodder for any kind of joke or discrimination. I liked that it was progressive in that sense. It would've been better if the pirate tutor (who can be quite overbearing) and the flighty teacher hadn't been the stars of the show.
Oh, there was also bit of role reversal in which Jared takes care of the details of the house, schedules, kids and money so that Olympia can continue her research and her writing hobby. Again, another point on the progressive scale.
There are certainly some cute and funny moments that were meant to be both funny and cute.
However, all of the good stuff combined doesn't make this book worthy enough to keep. Granted, this book is a little dated - written in 1994 - and I'm sure for the time it was awesome (this was the hardcover debut of Amanda Quick).
Is this book itself awful? No, I suppose it's fun and it does have its moments. It's a quick read and is a good summer vacation read but I don't know. I was expecting more.
So imagine my surprise when I start reading this book and so far it's ok. The prose is a little ... high drama for me and the heroine is flightier than a hummingbird on crack, but the plot seems like it may redeem the heroine's character flaws and the hero's brooding ways.
Then I get to the scene where Olympia and Jared kiss and I have to shake my head because it's almost like reading a badly written Shakespeare verse. Nothing screams awkward like hearing the hero refer to his love as a 'siren' for whom 'he would gladly get lost at sea for' and that their romance is 'a journey' that he 'doesn't want to turn away from'.
Really? That's too much talking.
Don't get me wrong I like a little dialogue with my romance/sex/teasing scenes, it builds up the chemistry and the eventual act. What I don't need is amateur poet night at the local drama club.
Now, aside from the laughable dialogue which distracted me from any lovemaking what so ever, the fact the plot didn't really go anywhere was annoying as all get out.
Olympia moves from one library to another while Jared is resolutely not helping her when he really really should be. His family owns the diary that Olympia's uncle found for her and had shipped back to England. Jared was just supposed to make sure that the diary got there safe. BUT his family sort of owns the diary because the author is his great-great grandmother. There is a treasure to be had if they can figure out what the diary says and what the codes mean and hey, it all stems from a fued between the GGG's of the Ryder family and the Yorke family.
Anyhoo, once Jared sees Olympia he realizes that must have her
so he, who is a Viscount with the heart of a merchant, who looks like a pirate (complete with one eye and longish hair) decides to become the tutor of Olympia's three unruly nephews.
Being capable, Jared manages to tame the children, become her financial advisor/manager and woo the shite out of her with his tales of worldly escapes and his mutterings of sweet poetic gobshite.
The ending was an extreme case of the hand of the author where everything is not only tied up neatly but that there are no real villains oh and everyone loves each other and everything is okay again blah blah blah.
The good thing about this was that there were two lesbian relationships and neither were used as fodder for any kind of joke or discrimination. I liked that it was progressive in that sense. It would've been better if the pirate tutor (who can be quite overbearing) and the flighty teacher hadn't been the stars of the show.
Oh, there was also bit of role reversal in which Jared takes care of the details of the house, schedules, kids and money so that Olympia can continue her research and her writing hobby. Again, another point on the progressive scale.
There are certainly some cute and funny moments that were meant to be both funny and cute.
However, all of the good stuff combined doesn't make this book worthy enough to keep. Granted, this book is a little dated - written in 1994 - and I'm sure for the time it was awesome (this was the hardcover debut of Amanda Quick).
Is this book itself awful? No, I suppose it's fun and it does have its moments. It's a quick read and is a good summer vacation read but I don't know. I was expecting more.
May 10, 2010
Immensely wealthy viscount falls in love with scholarly, absent-minded lady, poses as the tutor of her 3 unruly nephews, and has sex with her, all in the first fifty pages. The rest of the book is a slap-dash whirl of euphemistic sex scenes, non-sensical schemes, and laughable dialog and characterization. The one point in this book's favor is that it has not one, but two lesbian couples, both of whom live perfectly nice lives and are perfectly ordinary, nice people. But don't be drawn in by the promise of a Sapphic regency, as I was! This book is a paint-by-the-numbers job, and not worth opening the front cover.
January 13, 2022
I love Amanda Quick novels and this one was just enjoyable with all it's comical and funny moments. I loved Olympia and her naivete while confessing to be a woman of the world solely through book knowledge. She accepts people for who they are and her acceptance of Jared despite his outer appearances was just lovely. And it didn't hurt that she was a siren in his eyes.
Just a wonderful story with added mischief characters and quick and blossoming love. A fan of narrator Anne Flosnik who did an awesome job of narrating.
5-Stars
Just a wonderful story with added mischief characters and quick and blossoming love. A fan of narrator Anne Flosnik who did an awesome job of narrating.
5-Stars
November 8, 2021
Usually when I get the sense that I’m not going to enjoy the book I just DNF it.
I got this sense from the beginning of this one yet I persevered hoping it will get better but it didn’t.
In my opinion this wasn’t a romance; meaning the relationship between h and H was not driving the plot. MCs had very little chemistry. Maybe the book was trying to be a treasure hunt book without adventure.
And at the same time, there was nothing particularly bad about this. It thought Jared was cool, but not cool enough and Olympia was smart, but not interesting enough.
There was potential to a drama in the deception that’s happening but it got resolved way to easily.
Overall, this book reminds me of a very weak tea with not enough flavor.
I got this sense from the beginning of this one yet I persevered hoping it will get better but it didn’t.
In my opinion this wasn’t a romance; meaning the relationship between h and H was not driving the plot. MCs had very little chemistry. Maybe the book was trying to be a treasure hunt book without adventure.
And at the same time, there was nothing particularly bad about this. It thought Jared was cool, but not cool enough and Olympia was smart, but not interesting enough.
There was potential to a drama in the deception that’s happening but it got resolved way to easily.
Overall, this book reminds me of a very weak tea with not enough flavor.
September 27, 2021
This was a reread of an old beloved novel. I saw a review not long for another Amanda Quick book and I got a case of the nostalgies. I loved many of her books but always had a special fondness for this book.
Jared Ryder is our hero. Though he comes from a long line of pirates and buccaneers and eccentric characters, in order to keep his rather interesting family afloat, he’s had to be the calm and orderly one, the who plans in advance and keeps an orderly life. As the book opens, he’s taken seeking a diary of an ancestor. His father, uncle and cousins have mucked things up looking for it. The search takes him one Olympia Wingfield and he’s gobsmacked by her. She is a spinster in charge of three rather rambunctious nephews and he finagles a way into the household by posing as a tutor sent by her adventuring uncle.
I adore this book and everything about it. Of course Jared is just calm on the outside but once he meets Olympia he is all turbulent waters on the inside. This is a part of his personality he’s not quite sure how to deal with. And Olympia is smitten with him. He lost an eye a while ago saving his cousins and she sees Jared as a pirate who has come to save her and her nephews. They are in awe of this different and rather unique tutor and Jared discovers he rather enjoys his new “position” because in actual fact he is, in fact Viscount Chillhurst.
There is also a mystery. Olympia, who fancies herself a woman of the world did indeed track down the diary and she is now working to find a missing treasure. But are there others after the treasure and what are they willing to do to find it? Ryder, being the rather stern (on the outside at least) has no time for such nonsense but Olympia won’t give it up.
I think Jared and Olympia are my favourite Quick couple though the book isn’t one of the more well know books. Her nephews are ever so much fun and his father and uncle are such likeable rascals
I read this when it first came out and it’s one that’s stayed in my memory. As many books as I’ve read and forgotten over all the years, that makes this one a 5 star in my book – heh, heh.
Jared Ryder is our hero. Though he comes from a long line of pirates and buccaneers and eccentric characters, in order to keep his rather interesting family afloat, he’s had to be the calm and orderly one, the who plans in advance and keeps an orderly life. As the book opens, he’s taken seeking a diary of an ancestor. His father, uncle and cousins have mucked things up looking for it. The search takes him one Olympia Wingfield and he’s gobsmacked by her. She is a spinster in charge of three rather rambunctious nephews and he finagles a way into the household by posing as a tutor sent by her adventuring uncle.
I adore this book and everything about it. Of course Jared is just calm on the outside but once he meets Olympia he is all turbulent waters on the inside. This is a part of his personality he’s not quite sure how to deal with. And Olympia is smitten with him. He lost an eye a while ago saving his cousins and she sees Jared as a pirate who has come to save her and her nephews. They are in awe of this different and rather unique tutor and Jared discovers he rather enjoys his new “position” because in actual fact he is, in fact Viscount Chillhurst.
There is also a mystery. Olympia, who fancies herself a woman of the world did indeed track down the diary and she is now working to find a missing treasure. But are there others after the treasure and what are they willing to do to find it? Ryder, being the rather stern (on the outside at least) has no time for such nonsense but Olympia won’t give it up.
I think Jared and Olympia are my favourite Quick couple though the book isn’t one of the more well know books. Her nephews are ever so much fun and his father and uncle are such likeable rascals
I read this when it first came out and it’s one that’s stayed in my memory. As many books as I’ve read and forgotten over all the years, that makes this one a 5 star in my book – heh, heh.
July 7, 2020
4 stars! Let’s just say that I stayed up until 4 AM finishing this last night, and now I’m half asleep, so please excuse what is sure to be an even worse review than usual. 😘
This book was my first Amanda Quick read and I’m glad I picked it up! I really enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Jared (the hero)is asked by Olympia’s (the heroine) uncle to deliver a shipment of goods to her. Included is a long lost journal that technically belongs in Jared’s family. Since it is written in various languages, he plans to ask Olympia to translate it for him and pay for her services. But when he arrives and sees her, it’s basically love at first sight. Although, thankfully, they don’t start proclaiming love immediately. Jared decides that he needs to figure out a way to stay near her, so he pretends to be a tutor hired by her uncle to take care of her three nephews. What follows is a whole lot of seduction, a very controlling hero, and some random (but not really) kidnapping & murder attempts.
This story is sweet and funny at times, has good pacing with a few interesting mysteries, and is well written. I would definitely recommend it!
Safe :)
This book was my first Amanda Quick read and I’m glad I picked it up! I really enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Jared (the hero)is asked by Olympia’s (the heroine) uncle to deliver a shipment of goods to her. Included is a long lost journal that technically belongs in Jared’s family. Since it is written in various languages, he plans to ask Olympia to translate it for him and pay for her services. But when he arrives and sees her, it’s basically love at first sight. Although, thankfully, they don’t start proclaiming love immediately. Jared decides that he needs to figure out a way to stay near her, so he pretends to be a tutor hired by her uncle to take care of her three nephews. What follows is a whole lot of seduction, a very controlling hero, and some random (but not really) kidnapping & murder attempts.
This story is sweet and funny at times, has good pacing with a few interesting mysteries, and is well written. I would definitely recommend it!
Safe :)
March 23, 2022
Loved it! Ms.Quick really knows how to write a good story (formulaic, yes, but good and a pleasure to read nonetheless). This one reminds me so much of Ravished. So, if you like that one, you'll like this one too.
February 3, 2012
As many know, Quick has a standard formula for her early novels - spunky, intelligent heroine meets dark, brooding man that needs to her "liven him up." The hero also usually has A Past. This book did not deviate from that formula, and while I enjoyed other books that fit this mold (see Ravished and Seduction), I did not care for this one.
First of all, the dialogue is ridiculous. "Sing for me siren," Jared always says when he and Olympia are in intimate situations. I counted Jared's use of "siren" on one page, and it number 15! As one other reviewer stated, you shouldn't laugh when the characters are about to get it on. I did. Numerous times.
Additionally, Olympia drove me bat-shit crazy. Usually Quick's heroines are intelligent, maybe a touch clueless, but not downright dumb. At times Olympia's "distracted air" and Sweet Innocence made her seem like a nitwit. I get it: she loves researching lost treasure or something and thinks she's a "woman of the world." However, does that also mean she must say the most ridiculous things? I had no idea what Jared saw in her. He seems to find her attractive and thinks her disregard of household concerns to be charming. Though, I fail to see how it's "charming" to be unconcerned about finances and the proper way of raising 3 young boys...
Jared Ryder did not appear to be much of a character either. Olympia appreciates his managerial style and thinks he's Super Dreamy, but that's it. And, really, did he have to have a freakin' eye patch?? An EYE PATCH?! If you're going to write a character with an eye patch, at least make it interesting. So rarely did characters mention the eye patch that I started wondering if it was standard attire in 19th century England. Jared also seems blithely unconcerned that he has vision out of only one eye. There is no hint of any struggles he may have had (physically or emotionally) over the loss of his eye. In fact, he single-handedly defeats villains in knife fights with no problem. Having a hero with only one eye could have been fascinating, but instead it seems to have been used as a convenient prop to make characters comment that he looks like a pirate. Granted, I know the focus of the novel was not Jared's struggles with his loss of the eye and it happened an undetermined number of years ago, but it still seemed like a ridiculous choice on Quick's part. (SIDE NOTE: If you want to read an historical romance about a hero who has to overcome physical challenges, try Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros or To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt)
Finally, the mystery was not even done well. The diary was either brought up in a nonchalant manner or in a OMG-we're-in-immediate-danger-and-can't-you-hear-the-dramatic-music-to-signal-something-bad-is-going-to-happen kind of way.
For fans of Quick's standard formula of writing a historical romance there are definitely better options than Deception.
First of all, the dialogue is ridiculous. "Sing for me siren," Jared always says when he and Olympia are in intimate situations. I counted Jared's use of "siren" on one page, and it number 15! As one other reviewer stated, you shouldn't laugh when the characters are about to get it on. I did. Numerous times.
Additionally, Olympia drove me bat-shit crazy. Usually Quick's heroines are intelligent, maybe a touch clueless, but not downright dumb. At times Olympia's "distracted air" and Sweet Innocence made her seem like a nitwit. I get it: she loves researching lost treasure or something and thinks she's a "woman of the world." However, does that also mean she must say the most ridiculous things? I had no idea what Jared saw in her. He seems to find her attractive and thinks her disregard of household concerns to be charming. Though, I fail to see how it's "charming" to be unconcerned about finances and the proper way of raising 3 young boys...
Jared Ryder did not appear to be much of a character either. Olympia appreciates his managerial style and thinks he's Super Dreamy, but that's it. And, really, did he have to have a freakin' eye patch?? An EYE PATCH?! If you're going to write a character with an eye patch, at least make it interesting. So rarely did characters mention the eye patch that I started wondering if it was standard attire in 19th century England. Jared also seems blithely unconcerned that he has vision out of only one eye. There is no hint of any struggles he may have had (physically or emotionally) over the loss of his eye. In fact, he single-handedly defeats villains in knife fights with no problem. Having a hero with only one eye could have been fascinating, but instead it seems to have been used as a convenient prop to make characters comment that he looks like a pirate. Granted, I know the focus of the novel was not Jared's struggles with his loss of the eye and it happened an undetermined number of years ago, but it still seemed like a ridiculous choice on Quick's part. (SIDE NOTE: If you want to read an historical romance about a hero who has to overcome physical challenges, try Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros or To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt)
Finally, the mystery was not even done well. The diary was either brought up in a nonchalant manner or in a OMG-we're-in-immediate-danger-and-can't-you-hear-the-dramatic-music-to-signal-something-bad-is-going-to-happen kind of way.
For fans of Quick's standard formula of writing a historical romance there are definitely better options than Deception.
April 26, 2018
Deception
2 Stars
Amanda Quick is one of my absolute favorite historical romance authors. Unfortunately, this is not a stellar example of her work; in fact, it is exactly the opposite.
While many of Quick's heroines are eccentric bluestockings, Olympia Wingfield is the first whose naiveté reaches a completely new level of idiocy as she has one TSTL moment after another.
The hero, Jared Ryder, has incredible potential as a disfigured and lonely soul in desperate need of love and companionship. Sadly, his lust at first sight obsession with Olympia is incomprehensible given his characterization as a sensible and logical man as opposed to her scatter-brained nature.
The mystery surrounding the diary that contains clues to a missing treasure is intriguing; however, like the romance, it is underdeveloped and there is little to no tension or suspense involved in the Da Vinci Code like search.
In sum, definitely not one of Quick's better efforts. The romance is downright odd with an ill-suited couple, ridiculously worded sex scenes and a convoluted mystery that is resolved easily and unsatisfactorily. Skip this one and read Ravished instead.
2 Stars
Amanda Quick is one of my absolute favorite historical romance authors. Unfortunately, this is not a stellar example of her work; in fact, it is exactly the opposite.
While many of Quick's heroines are eccentric bluestockings, Olympia Wingfield is the first whose naiveté reaches a completely new level of idiocy as she has one TSTL moment after another.
The hero, Jared Ryder, has incredible potential as a disfigured and lonely soul in desperate need of love and companionship. Sadly, his lust at first sight obsession with Olympia is incomprehensible given his characterization as a sensible and logical man as opposed to her scatter-brained nature.
The mystery surrounding the diary that contains clues to a missing treasure is intriguing; however, like the romance, it is underdeveloped and there is little to no tension or suspense involved in the Da Vinci Code like search.
In sum, definitely not one of Quick's better efforts. The romance is downright odd with an ill-suited couple, ridiculously worded sex scenes and a convoluted mystery that is resolved easily and unsatisfactorily. Skip this one and read Ravished instead.
September 17, 2016
Utterly charming. We have a bookish heroine, a dog, three busy boys, and a rakish yet stuff hero.
There are all sorts of hidden gems of delight in this ruckus adventure romance.
Most profoundly, it shows characters who are open minded and good hearted and yet fierce in their love.
There are all sorts of hidden gems of delight in this ruckus adventure romance.
Most profoundly, it shows characters who are open minded and good hearted and yet fierce in their love.
August 31, 2024
3.75 stars
Delightful, but not a new favorite, Deception has the foundation of an adventure-driven historical romance I've come to expect from Amanda Quick, but the final outcome feels a little tame comparing to other titles I picked up prior.
The positives: I really enjoy both the hero and heroine: Jared as a levelheaded, punctual 'pirate' completely turns the stereotype (crass, big emotions) we've come to expect on its head, and the fact he's described to look exactly like a typical pirate adds the additional comical touch. Staying true to Amanda Quick's preference for strong female heroine, Olympia's book-smart more than compensates for her lack of real-life experience, and she's often more than willing to stand her ground rather than becoming frazzled or annoyingly ignorant. I also pick up narrative cues from Mary Poppins (Jared being a tutor to a chaotic household) and The Sound of Music (heroine softening a stoic hero)—which are all inspired reference points I appreciate. Lastly, I was pleasantly shocked by certain 'reveals'—did not expect such subject matter being highlighted with such nonjudgmental attitude from a 90s publication!
The letdown: Amanda Quick historical romances is for me either a spirited romp, or woven with an engaging mystery; while Deception IS centering around treasure hunting, the progression is placid and static (lots of reviewing/decoding paper materials). Even the obstacles encountered throughout are low-stake, and I find the villain reveal to be particularly obvious, and the least interesting out of all the potentials. While I like both Jared and Olympia, their romance lacks spark—it is almost too levelheaded in a story that is already filled with talking and not enough action.
Deception is still plenty readable, as it fulfills my thirst for a decent historical romance. But as far as Amanda Quick's titles go, this one will rank low among others I've read (not by a large margin, I should emphasize). A little more 'domestic' and less adventurous, but the decent premise and a collection of colorful secondary characters (I ship Mrs. Bird and Graves!) still make this one worthwhile overall.
***Historical Hellions Book Club | August 2024 Selection***
Delightful, but not a new favorite, Deception has the foundation of an adventure-driven historical romance I've come to expect from Amanda Quick, but the final outcome feels a little tame comparing to other titles I picked up prior.
The positives: I really enjoy both the hero and heroine: Jared as a levelheaded, punctual 'pirate' completely turns the stereotype (crass, big emotions) we've come to expect on its head, and the fact he's described to look exactly like a typical pirate adds the additional comical touch. Staying true to Amanda Quick's preference for strong female heroine, Olympia's book-smart more than compensates for her lack of real-life experience, and she's often more than willing to stand her ground rather than becoming frazzled or annoyingly ignorant. I also pick up narrative cues from Mary Poppins (Jared being a tutor to a chaotic household) and The Sound of Music (heroine softening a stoic hero)—which are all inspired reference points I appreciate. Lastly, I was pleasantly shocked by certain 'reveals'—did not expect such subject matter being highlighted with such nonjudgmental attitude from a 90s publication!
The letdown: Amanda Quick historical romances is for me either a spirited romp, or woven with an engaging mystery; while Deception IS centering around treasure hunting, the progression is placid and static (lots of reviewing/decoding paper materials). Even the obstacles encountered throughout are low-stake, and I find the villain reveal to be particularly obvious, and the least interesting out of all the potentials. While I like both Jared and Olympia, their romance lacks spark—it is almost too levelheaded in a story that is already filled with talking and not enough action.
Deception is still plenty readable, as it fulfills my thirst for a decent historical romance. But as far as Amanda Quick's titles go, this one will rank low among others I've read (not by a large margin, I should emphasize). A little more 'domestic' and less adventurous, but the decent premise and a collection of colorful secondary characters (I ship Mrs. Bird and Graves!) still make this one worthwhile overall.
***Historical Hellions Book Club | August 2024 Selection***
May 24, 2021
3.5 stars for this 90s trope-fest! Olympia is a young woman who just wants to do her anthropological research in peace. Unfortunately she has a lot of other responsibilities - most pressing, raising her three young nephews while also keeping her household in order.
Luckily for her, her uncle has interviewed and sent her the most competent tutor of all time (and this tutor's also unbelievably sexy and mysterious - he's even got an eyepatch!). But of course, in a book entitled "Deception," we all know everything is not as it seems...
This is a trope-tastic book, combining an absent-minded professor (Olympia) with an incognito aristocrat hero in a fake relationship, plus tons of competency porn. It's also a great read to see how romance has evolved since its publication in 1993!
16-Word Summaries:
Meg: It’s impossible to find good help! New hires always end up being sexy aristocrats in disguise.
Laine: The most honorable pirate poses as a tutor to the sexy-librarian woman holding his family secrets.
www.linktr.ee/plottrysts
Luckily for her, her uncle has interviewed and sent her the most competent tutor of all time (and this tutor's also unbelievably sexy and mysterious - he's even got an eyepatch!). But of course, in a book entitled "Deception," we all know everything is not as it seems...
This is a trope-tastic book, combining an absent-minded professor (Olympia) with an incognito aristocrat hero in a fake relationship, plus tons of competency porn. It's also a great read to see how romance has evolved since its publication in 1993!
16-Word Summaries:
Meg: It’s impossible to find good help! New hires always end up being sexy aristocrats in disguise.
Laine: The most honorable pirate poses as a tutor to the sexy-librarian woman holding his family secrets.
www.linktr.ee/plottrysts
September 5, 2021
Another enjoyable book by Amanda Quick. I loved Jared’s father and uncle. I wish there were more scenes with them. Jared was ok, a little serious, but I loved that Olympia saw more to him than everyone else. I thought Olympia was a great contrast to Jared. She had spunk and was willing to stand up for everyone she loves. Her sense of adventure was just what Jared needed. Of course, the three boys, Olympia’s nephews, were adorable. There were a couple chapters that were slower but overall this was very entertaining.
September 1, 2024
3.5 stars! I’ve read quite a few Amanda Quick historical romances at this point, so while this one wasn’t a favorite for me, it was still a good time!
This one feels very cozy and charming. Olympia is a librarian of sorts, a librarian of her own library that is 🤣, and she also is looking after/the guardian of her 3 nephews. She loves to read and research and one day Jared Ryder pulls up to her house. Jared ends up posing as a tutor for her nephews, but he’s really there to find out what Olympia finds when she decodes a journal that her Uncle sent.
Jared’s family has been searching for the long lost journal for 3 generations and now it’s his turn to take over the search. The diary is said to include the location of long lost treasure that his family desperately wants to get back. Jared is a very sweet and sensible hero! His family actually find him to be dull since he’s in business, while he finds them to lack any common sense. 🤭 Jared does have an eye patch and appears as a pirate but he lets Olympia know he’s honestly nothing like that. I enjoyed the side characters in this one, and while I was wanting more action, I did think the couple was cute. Not a favorite for me, but like I said I’ve read so many other amazing AQ historicals at this point so I did compare.
I was expecting more adventure and treasure-hunting and pirate action in this one, but as the title suggests…it’s all a Deception!
This one feels very cozy and charming. Olympia is a librarian of sorts, a librarian of her own library that is 🤣, and she also is looking after/the guardian of her 3 nephews. She loves to read and research and one day Jared Ryder pulls up to her house. Jared ends up posing as a tutor for her nephews, but he’s really there to find out what Olympia finds when she decodes a journal that her Uncle sent.
Jared’s family has been searching for the long lost journal for 3 generations and now it’s his turn to take over the search. The diary is said to include the location of long lost treasure that his family desperately wants to get back. Jared is a very sweet and sensible hero! His family actually find him to be dull since he’s in business, while he finds them to lack any common sense. 🤭 Jared does have an eye patch and appears as a pirate but he lets Olympia know he’s honestly nothing like that. I enjoyed the side characters in this one, and while I was wanting more action, I did think the couple was cute. Not a favorite for me, but like I said I’ve read so many other amazing AQ historicals at this point so I did compare.
I was expecting more adventure and treasure-hunting and pirate action in this one, but as the title suggests…it’s all a Deception!
October 27, 2022
BOTM for HRBC . I loved it. The h and H were so unusual from the usual aristocrats. The focus of the story was the Lightbourn Diary and finding a lost treasure. For the H it was about finding and conquering his siren and for her it was solving the mystery but along the way she fell for her nephews tutor. Lots of interesting twists and turns in the plot and lust and love. I will read more Amanda Quick books.
November 23, 2023
I really think Tessa Dare fans would like Amanda Quick. There's that level of whimsy in her stories! She's not afraid to be goofy, and the result is pretty charming.
Jared Ryder looks like a pirate, (eyepatch! long hair!), but he's actually the only starchy dude in an unruly aristocratic family. He traces a family heirloom, which is a diary with clues to a hidden treasure, to Olympia's house. Olympia is a bluestocking with the know-how to unlock the mystery of the diary, and Jared intends to pay her for her assistance and be on his way.
All of that flies out the window when he meets Olympia. He's immediately smitten, and has the bizarre idea to pretend to be a tutor to her three wards so he can get close to her. He doesn't even care about the treasure, he just wants to be near Olympia.
I don't think this is quite as good as Ravished but it hits a lot of the same notes.(Bluestocking heroine with 100% faith in her man, goofy joke repetition)
Jared Ryder looks like a pirate, (eyepatch! long hair!), but he's actually the only starchy dude in an unruly aristocratic family. He traces a family heirloom, which is a diary with clues to a hidden treasure, to Olympia's house. Olympia is a bluestocking with the know-how to unlock the mystery of the diary, and Jared intends to pay her for her assistance and be on his way.
All of that flies out the window when he meets Olympia. He's immediately smitten, and has the bizarre idea to pretend to be a tutor to her three wards so he can get close to her. He doesn't even care about the treasure, he just wants to be near Olympia.
I don't think this is quite as good as Ravished but it hits a lot of the same notes.(Bluestocking heroine with 100% faith in her man, goofy joke repetition)
December 1, 2017
Someone needs to give Amanda Quick a thesaurus, so she can figure out other ways to say passion.
July 18, 2024
Suspense-lite, Regency romance from 1993
Olympia Wingfield is a 25-year-old woman, who is mostly content with her spinster state and her quiet, scholarly life in a backwater village in Dorset, England. The only thing she does not have, that would have been very nice to experience, is to be able to afford to travel. She was orphaned at the age of 10 and, after being carelessly shunted from one uncaring relative to another, she ended up with her eccentric Aunt Sophie and her aunt's companion and dearest friend, Ida, whom Olympia soon came to consider her aunt as well. Sophie and Ida lovingly reassured the traumatized young girl that Olympia had a permanent home with them. They had a huge library and imbued Olympia with a love of learning. They also encouraged her to think unconventionally and, as a result, though Olympia has never had a lover, she considers herself a "woman of the world." For the past six months, she has become the guardian of three orphaned young boys who are distant cousins. Ethan and Hugh, who are 8-year-old twins, and 10-year-old Robert were orphaned two years before. Olympia understands perfectly how traumatized they are after spending 18 months being passed from one relative to another, and she is determined to offer them a permanent home as affectionate and nurturing as her aunts provided to her.
Jared Ryder, Viscount Chillhurst, is the 34-year-old heir to an earldom. He is a steady, reliable anomaly in a family overflowing with flamboyantly irresponsible spendthrifts. His great-grandfather, Captain Jack Ryder, was a buccaneer, who acquired a huge fortune and used a large portion of it to buy himself a title, and employed the rest to start a profitable shipping business. Over the subsequent two generations, the prestige of being part of the aristocracy has remained in the Ryder family but, unfortunately, Jared's grandfather and father tore through Captain Jack's assets until, at the point when Jared was 19, there was nothing left except one dilapidated ship. When Jared's mother gifted him with the last item of value within the Ryder family coffers, an extremely expensive heirloom necklace, which was meant to be given to his future bride, Jared pragmatically sold it to be able refurbish that one remaining ship, with enough money left over to purchase exotic products abroad that could be sold for a profit back in England. From that basis, over time, Jared successfully recouped the Ryder wealth, until the family eventually became even better off than under the munificent reign of Captain Jack. But, in a shocking display of narcissistic entitlement, in spite of Jared's amazing, fiscal accomplishments, rather than being grateful to him and treating him with the respect he deserved for being such an extremely generous provider of the needs of everyone in the family, his mother, father and paternal uncle, in particular, but most of his other relatives as well, were constantly bemoaning the fact that Jared seemed to be such a dry stick, rather than an unpredictable powder keg of infantile displays of uncontrolled emotion like themselves.
At the start of this story, Jared has been on a mission in France to track down a missing diary, lost generations ago, which is reputed to contain a map to a treasure that Captain Jack buried in the South Seas on a small island. However, someone else has gotten to the diary ahead of the Ryder family, a woman named Olympia Wingfield. She has located the diary in France and has had her uncle, who spends his life traveling the world, purchase it for her. Jared makes a point to seemingly accidentally encounter the uncle in a grimy little port town in France. When the uncle discovers that Jared is a viscount who is on his way back to England, the uncle asks Jared if he would be willing to deliver to his niece Olympia multiple crates of expensive goods that he has gathered up in his travels to send back to Olympia to sell in England. With a further calculated display, this time of disinterested generosity, Jared agrees. He is well aware that the diary is somewhere in those crates, and his initial plan is to, immediately after meeting Olympia, inform her that the diary rightfully belongs to his family and offer her a massive amount of money to buy it from her. However, from the moment he meets Olympia, he is intensely attracted to her, both emotionally and physically, and he has no desire to do anything but stay in her immediate vicinity for as long as possible. Acting completely out of character, he impulsively introduces himself only as Jared Ryder, omitting his title, and volunteers to act as tutor to the three young hellions in her charge. The name of this novel is based on the fact that his masquerading as a humble, impoverished tutor is a deception.
This Regency romance from 1993 is the eighth one Jayne Ann Krentz wrote after branching off into historical romance (HR) after writing contemporary romance for the previous 14 years, since 1979. It is one of only a relative handful of her HRs that are not outright romantic suspense, in which the FMC and MMC partner together to solve a murder and encounter numerous life-threatening situations. There is, in fact, relatively little danger in this novel. Olympia it's never threatened by a villain herself, and no one is murdered. Most of the focus is on the delightful domestic plot of Jared's taking over Olympia's chaotic household, bringing order and discipline to the children and their huge, untrained dog. I absolutely adored this part of the story, because it is fantasy wish fulfillment for every working mother who has been expected to spend as many hours at her job as her spouse and be almost entirely in charge of managing the household and herding the kids and their pets.
I also enjoyed that there is representation of LGBTQ in that there are two different lesbian couples in this story.
Olympia starts out a bit scatterbrained, but she quickly evolves away from being frustratingly naive into someone intelligent and observant.
The sexual chemistry between Olympia and Jared is very well done, although I did get a bit tired of the pet name, siren, that Jared gives to Olympia. It is repeated so many times during the story that it got really old. And when, while sweet talking Olympia during lovemaking, Jared expands the pet name into an extended metaphor of water, ocean and wind imagery, it was anything but sexy.
One thing that I don't particularly enjoy in historical novels by JAK is that she makes no effort in her Regency novels to ever show the FMC or MMC taking a bath. (In her Victorian novels, during an era where there is indoor plumbing, the MCs do bathe.) I don't expect to see them bathing frequently, but at least one scene in which they bathe would provide the reader with a welcome indication that they don't stink. In addition, nobody ever brushes their teeth in a JAK HR either, though I will admit that I've almost never run into an HR author who includes that welcome bit of proof of basic MC hygiene either.
JAK has a tendency, in most of her earliest HRs, to have the FMC continue to refer to the MMC as, "my lord," and the MMC refer to the FMC as, "madam," after they are sexually intimate, and even after they are married. It is a bit less prevalent in this novel than in most of her HRs, though, thank goodness.
An unusual aspect of this novel, that I appreciated very much, is that JAK clearly states the ages of both MCs, which she all too often neglects to do. Interestingly, Olympia is one of the youngest FMCs that JAK has ever written, and Jared is one of the youngest MMCs. Typically, her FMCs are between 28-31, and her MMCs are between 37-39.
I recently bought this audiobook on sale for only $6.99 through Audible. I had previously read it in an ebook format through the library. The narrator is British voice talent, Anne Fosnik. She does a decent job, but compared to Barbara Rosenblat, who has narrated many of JAK's novels, it is quite a comedown from BR's sheer genius.
The first time I read this book a few years ago, it was a 3-star read for me. This time around, because of the domestic plot, it was more of a 3.5-star read for me, and I'm rounding up my rating to 4 stars.
Olympia Wingfield is a 25-year-old woman, who is mostly content with her spinster state and her quiet, scholarly life in a backwater village in Dorset, England. The only thing she does not have, that would have been very nice to experience, is to be able to afford to travel. She was orphaned at the age of 10 and, after being carelessly shunted from one uncaring relative to another, she ended up with her eccentric Aunt Sophie and her aunt's companion and dearest friend, Ida, whom Olympia soon came to consider her aunt as well. Sophie and Ida lovingly reassured the traumatized young girl that Olympia had a permanent home with them. They had a huge library and imbued Olympia with a love of learning. They also encouraged her to think unconventionally and, as a result, though Olympia has never had a lover, she considers herself a "woman of the world." For the past six months, she has become the guardian of three orphaned young boys who are distant cousins. Ethan and Hugh, who are 8-year-old twins, and 10-year-old Robert were orphaned two years before. Olympia understands perfectly how traumatized they are after spending 18 months being passed from one relative to another, and she is determined to offer them a permanent home as affectionate and nurturing as her aunts provided to her.
Jared Ryder, Viscount Chillhurst, is the 34-year-old heir to an earldom. He is a steady, reliable anomaly in a family overflowing with flamboyantly irresponsible spendthrifts. His great-grandfather, Captain Jack Ryder, was a buccaneer, who acquired a huge fortune and used a large portion of it to buy himself a title, and employed the rest to start a profitable shipping business. Over the subsequent two generations, the prestige of being part of the aristocracy has remained in the Ryder family but, unfortunately, Jared's grandfather and father tore through Captain Jack's assets until, at the point when Jared was 19, there was nothing left except one dilapidated ship. When Jared's mother gifted him with the last item of value within the Ryder family coffers, an extremely expensive heirloom necklace, which was meant to be given to his future bride, Jared pragmatically sold it to be able refurbish that one remaining ship, with enough money left over to purchase exotic products abroad that could be sold for a profit back in England. From that basis, over time, Jared successfully recouped the Ryder wealth, until the family eventually became even better off than under the munificent reign of Captain Jack. But, in a shocking display of narcissistic entitlement, in spite of Jared's amazing, fiscal accomplishments, rather than being grateful to him and treating him with the respect he deserved for being such an extremely generous provider of the needs of everyone in the family, his mother, father and paternal uncle, in particular, but most of his other relatives as well, were constantly bemoaning the fact that Jared seemed to be such a dry stick, rather than an unpredictable powder keg of infantile displays of uncontrolled emotion like themselves.
At the start of this story, Jared has been on a mission in France to track down a missing diary, lost generations ago, which is reputed to contain a map to a treasure that Captain Jack buried in the South Seas on a small island. However, someone else has gotten to the diary ahead of the Ryder family, a woman named Olympia Wingfield. She has located the diary in France and has had her uncle, who spends his life traveling the world, purchase it for her. Jared makes a point to seemingly accidentally encounter the uncle in a grimy little port town in France. When the uncle discovers that Jared is a viscount who is on his way back to England, the uncle asks Jared if he would be willing to deliver to his niece Olympia multiple crates of expensive goods that he has gathered up in his travels to send back to Olympia to sell in England. With a further calculated display, this time of disinterested generosity, Jared agrees. He is well aware that the diary is somewhere in those crates, and his initial plan is to, immediately after meeting Olympia, inform her that the diary rightfully belongs to his family and offer her a massive amount of money to buy it from her. However, from the moment he meets Olympia, he is intensely attracted to her, both emotionally and physically, and he has no desire to do anything but stay in her immediate vicinity for as long as possible. Acting completely out of character, he impulsively introduces himself only as Jared Ryder, omitting his title, and volunteers to act as tutor to the three young hellions in her charge. The name of this novel is based on the fact that his masquerading as a humble, impoverished tutor is a deception.
This Regency romance from 1993 is the eighth one Jayne Ann Krentz wrote after branching off into historical romance (HR) after writing contemporary romance for the previous 14 years, since 1979. It is one of only a relative handful of her HRs that are not outright romantic suspense, in which the FMC and MMC partner together to solve a murder and encounter numerous life-threatening situations. There is, in fact, relatively little danger in this novel. Olympia it's never threatened by a villain herself, and no one is murdered. Most of the focus is on the delightful domestic plot of Jared's taking over Olympia's chaotic household, bringing order and discipline to the children and their huge, untrained dog. I absolutely adored this part of the story, because it is fantasy wish fulfillment for every working mother who has been expected to spend as many hours at her job as her spouse and be almost entirely in charge of managing the household and herding the kids and their pets.
I also enjoyed that there is representation of LGBTQ in that there are two different lesbian couples in this story.
Olympia starts out a bit scatterbrained, but she quickly evolves away from being frustratingly naive into someone intelligent and observant.
The sexual chemistry between Olympia and Jared is very well done, although I did get a bit tired of the pet name, siren, that Jared gives to Olympia. It is repeated so many times during the story that it got really old. And when, while sweet talking Olympia during lovemaking, Jared expands the pet name into an extended metaphor of water, ocean and wind imagery, it was anything but sexy.
One thing that I don't particularly enjoy in historical novels by JAK is that she makes no effort in her Regency novels to ever show the FMC or MMC taking a bath. (In her Victorian novels, during an era where there is indoor plumbing, the MCs do bathe.) I don't expect to see them bathing frequently, but at least one scene in which they bathe would provide the reader with a welcome indication that they don't stink. In addition, nobody ever brushes their teeth in a JAK HR either, though I will admit that I've almost never run into an HR author who includes that welcome bit of proof of basic MC hygiene either.
JAK has a tendency, in most of her earliest HRs, to have the FMC continue to refer to the MMC as, "my lord," and the MMC refer to the FMC as, "madam," after they are sexually intimate, and even after they are married. It is a bit less prevalent in this novel than in most of her HRs, though, thank goodness.
An unusual aspect of this novel, that I appreciated very much, is that JAK clearly states the ages of both MCs, which she all too often neglects to do. Interestingly, Olympia is one of the youngest FMCs that JAK has ever written, and Jared is one of the youngest MMCs. Typically, her FMCs are between 28-31, and her MMCs are between 37-39.
I recently bought this audiobook on sale for only $6.99 through Audible. I had previously read it in an ebook format through the library. The narrator is British voice talent, Anne Fosnik. She does a decent job, but compared to Barbara Rosenblat, who has narrated many of JAK's novels, it is quite a comedown from BR's sheer genius.
The first time I read this book a few years ago, it was a 3-star read for me. This time around, because of the domestic plot, it was more of a 3.5-star read for me, and I'm rounding up my rating to 4 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2020
Anyone have any Amanda Quick favourites to recommend? I started flipping through 5 of her stories before settling on Deception which had an excellent intro in media res.
Truly enjoyed this for this is the ultimate stay-at-home dad fantasy. Jared is a dangerous-looking pirate who pretends to be sent to Olympia on behest of her uncle to be a tutor to 3 orphan nephews of hers. Olympia is caught up in her ancient treasures studies and doesn’t really know too much or care to know too much about practical matters.
Where is the deception?
Jared is not who he says he is...
This was an excellent dynamic that had so many wonderful bits. From Olympia referring to Jared as Mr. Chillhurst when she’s annoyed with him to her decision to accept his offer so that he could continue to be a tutor (so she says to him in a moment of attitude), this is such a wonderful role reversal to the heroine who comes to take charge of the hero’s household and charm his charges and domestic servants to fall in love with her! Here Jared simply walks in one day and takes control of the household, as he points out in one argument.
I was worried sometimes that the mystery would take over the development of the romance but it was evenly balanced.
While the ancient civilizations nerd in me loves how Quick focuses so much on lost treasures as well as the occult in her stories, it’s also such a rosy-tinted portrayal of colonialism and act of cultural appropriation where white people are mining the culture of oppressed peoples for their own entertainment.
Truly enjoyed this for this is the ultimate stay-at-home dad fantasy. Jared is a dangerous-looking pirate who pretends to be sent to Olympia on behest of her uncle to be a tutor to 3 orphan nephews of hers. Olympia is caught up in her ancient treasures studies and doesn’t really know too much or care to know too much about practical matters.
Where is the deception?
Jared is not who he says he is...
This was an excellent dynamic that had so many wonderful bits. From Olympia referring to Jared as Mr. Chillhurst when she’s annoyed with him to her decision to accept his offer so that he could continue to be a tutor (so she says to him in a moment of attitude), this is such a wonderful role reversal to the heroine who comes to take charge of the hero’s household and charm his charges and domestic servants to fall in love with her! Here Jared simply walks in one day and takes control of the household, as he points out in one argument.
I was worried sometimes that the mystery would take over the development of the romance but it was evenly balanced.
While the ancient civilizations nerd in me loves how Quick focuses so much on lost treasures as well as the occult in her stories, it’s also such a rosy-tinted portrayal of colonialism and act of cultural appropriation where white people are mining the culture of oppressed peoples for their own entertainment.
August 16, 2012
This was a real disappointment. I was thrilled to find that Amanda Quick's early work had been made into audiobooks -- but if the rest are like this, I won't bother.
It started out promising: the hero's superpower is that he is super-organized! This is an awesome superpower to have.
But then the heroine is a completely flighty mess, and then the hero starts being stupid and controlling and oh yeah, everything he tells the heroine is a lie (see the title) but when she finds out she isn't upset at all. And then the hero becomes even more control-freak-y and at the end prevents his wife from going off to find the buried treasure from the map she spent the whole book searching for, because he likes his routine, even though she's been making sad faces of "I've always dreamed of traveling to foreign lands!" since page one.
I thoroughly disliked both of them and found myself rooting for the villains. This is not a good sign.
I won't start in on the historical inaccuracies...
It started out promising: the hero's superpower is that he is super-organized! This is an awesome superpower to have.
But then the heroine is a completely flighty mess, and then the hero starts being stupid and controlling and oh yeah, everything he tells the heroine is a lie (see the title) but when she finds out she isn't upset at all. And then the hero becomes even more control-freak-y and at the end prevents his wife from going off to find the buried treasure from the map she spent the whole book searching for, because he likes his routine, even though she's been making sad faces of "I've always dreamed of traveling to foreign lands!" since page one.
I thoroughly disliked both of them and found myself rooting for the villains. This is not a good sign.
I won't start in on the historical inaccuracies...
August 9, 2023
Deception is a delightful romance! The hero is known as a deadly dull, cold fish sort—until he encounters the heroine and passion sparks within him. Suddenly he’s dojnb all sorts of impulsive and out of character things to be close to her.
This is just such a fun, sweet, funny story. The secondary characters add a lot of color and depth to the story without overpowering it or overshadowing the love growing between hero and heroine. And I loved the heroine, she’s like an adorable absent-minded professor
The hero was engaged previously—there was no emotional attachment to her. And he’s never intimate with her, only kisses her once. And she has on page scenes, but there’s a twist in the end which makes it all ok.
Safe. Hero wasn’t a manwhore, mostly celibate. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. No real ow drama, although ow is a secondary character. Small unwanted attention from OM. No cheating or sharing or abuse between MCs. HEA but no epilogue or babies.
This is just such a fun, sweet, funny story. The secondary characters add a lot of color and depth to the story without overpowering it or overshadowing the love growing between hero and heroine. And I loved the heroine, she’s like an adorable absent-minded professor
The hero was engaged previously—there was no emotional attachment to her. And he’s never intimate with her, only kisses her once. And she has on page scenes, but there’s a twist in the end which makes it all ok.
Safe. Hero wasn’t a manwhore, mostly celibate. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. No real ow drama, although ow is a secondary character. Small unwanted attention from OM. No cheating or sharing or abuse between MCs. HEA but no epilogue or babies.
December 13, 2011
Over-heated prose and a campy story line -- both which I can deal with. What I can't deal with is the one-eyed hero. That's right. One eye. Given how much of romance involves "the look in his eyes" -- melting, smoldering, glacial, hawk-like, etc. (all dependent on whether or not he's making love or felling bad guys) -- this presents some challenges. The look in his eye is just not going to cut it. AQ settles for things like the "fierce light in his one-eyed gaze." Enh. I don't know. In a (romance) world of flowing-haired, steely-thewed, god-like stud muffins, you've got to admire her for trying to rock an eye patch. In theory, I'm on board. In practice, if we must have a damaged hero, give him a limp and a childhood trauma.
September 4, 2018
Re-Read December 14, 2017
An oldie but a goodie.
Re-read March 27, 2017
I consider books of this ilk to be one of my "guilty pleasures". It was just as enjoyable as ever.
Re-read August 2018
I read this off and on while I was searching for something good to read.
An oldie but a goodie.
Re-read March 27, 2017
I consider books of this ilk to be one of my "guilty pleasures". It was just as enjoyable as ever.
Re-read August 2018
I read this off and on while I was searching for something good to read.
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