Deception: The act of deceiving someone.That became a pattern in my life. It was the way the chips fell. I’m destined to be that girl that fell for the wrong guy. If he was a liar and a cheat, I found him or he found me. It didn’t really matter how it happened, it just always did.But when I met Jake, I thought he was different. He was just a guy trying to get by, much like me in a sense. He was … in a sense. He was happy with the little things in life…he made me feel safe and settled.
That was until I found out that his name, his life, and the man he pretended to be, were nothing but a fraud. He used me to get the answers he needed, and in the process, he managed to take my last ounce of hope and crush it.
I just wanted him gone. I wanted to forget the times we shared, the laughs we had. I wanted to ignore the fact that he’d so easily found a place in my heart.
Only there was one problem… I wasn’t allowed to forget.
I am reminded daily of him. Each morning, I have no choice but to look into the same, beautiful eyes he possessed. I see his smile, and that same shade of dark melted chocolate hair that at one point, I loved running my fingers through.
Every single day I reminded of the fact that the father of my child is nothing more than a man that truly never existed.
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THE REVIEW FOR THE BOOK: Deception
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
AUTHOR: C.A. Harms
TROPE: dark romance, second chance, secret baby, mafia/gangster romance
TYPE: Standalone
POV: Multiple POV
MY RATING: 5 Stars
This is the story of Blair whose deadbeat drug addicted boyfriend walks out of their life and she’s left to fend for herself. Months later, Blair has a job working at a bar while also harboring a crush on the manager, Jake. The two of them have an intense chemistry and decide to act on it. While Blair thinks that she’s starting off a new relationship with Jake, little does she know that he’s actually trying to get information about her ex who owes his father money. The secrets are revealed and Blair leaves Chicago to move back to Iowa. The two connect a year later when Jake decides to go and find Blaire, only to discover that she has had his baby.
I love a second chance romance. On top of that, this is also a secret baby romance. I thought the chemistry between Jake and Blair was intense. The scenes when they’re flirting while working were some of my favorite. There were some really heartwarming moments in this book. The scene where he meets his child for the first time brought me to tears. It was really heartwarming to see his reaction to not only seeing Blair again but his daughter.
Overall this was a really good book. Quick and easy read that left me feeling happy.
The title is perfect for this book because deception is everywhere you turn. I felt so bad for Blair. The amount of deception at her feet was astounding and she didn’t even know it at times.
Jake’s deception had heroic undertones to it at times. There are a lot of twists and turns. But in the end, Blair and Jake find a way to see through all the lies and just see love.
Love all books by CA Harms. This one is no different
I was blown away by this book. I literally stopped what I was doing and read this book all day and got it done in one day. You are drawn in from the start and man does the author put you through the emotional ringer. I fell in love with Jake from the start. He has bad boy persona with a heart of gold. Blair has had a rough go of it. She has built on that and it made her the strong woman she is now. Amazing book with wonderful characters
Ok, I was pretty impressed with this story. The characters are really awesome and whole of plot was riveting. This is a story of deception and lies, betrayal and danger, and love and forgiveness. There are so many emotions and aspects of this book that kept me engaged with the story.
Jake is definitely a character that I originally disliked, but then the more I read the more I began to empathize with him and what he was going through. And the more that I read the more I began to like him and really want things to work out. But he really has some stuff that he needed to fix before anything else could continue, but he made a complete change in himself and in someone else.
Blair is so totally awesome! She has definitely had some hard knocks and quite a bit of pain that headed her way. But her character persevered and moved on too live her life, even as she battled her own feelings on the way. But forgiveness is divine, even if she doesn’t think she can give it. But what really drew me to her was her strength. She came by that in abundance during this story.
Overall, freaking awesome read! Everyone one of my reader triggers was massively tripped and I completely devoured the story. Definitely two thumbs up and a recommended read for me. Happy reading!
To begin here I am at a lost for words because I was so excited to read this novel by C.A. First, the story line of betrayal, lies and revenge is what pulled me in. Blair meets Jake when she starts working for him after her boyfriend leaves her in a bind. What she doesn’t realize is that Jake isn’t who he says he is. They have a few stolen nights with one another until all his lies come out of the darkness. With her life hanging in a world of fear she leaves to go back home. Jake sets out on revenge against those who hurt him and Blair. When he gets his revenge it’s about 2 year later, he finds Blair to make her his again. Blair isn’t the same girl and Jake isn’t the same guy so, can they find each other in all the betrayal and forgive. The story did pull me in with the blurb but once you get into the story there are just some things missing. It just fell flat, and I so didn’t want that to happen. Blair is a sweet girl with a heart of gold but when she gets betrayed too many times it makes her scared to take risk. Her character background was missing a lot of things and all I could gleam from her was that she loves with her whole heart. Jake background was a beacon of darkness and you could tell why he is who the story betrays him to be. The drama was there, and the suspense was there too. I just wanted more meat to it if that makes sense. It’s a quick read which is probably why some details were left out. I just wanted to more to the story just there was something missing.
Favorite Quote:
I would have waited a lifetime to hear those words, but I’m glad I didn’t have to.
My Review:
While I haven’t read her entire body of work, of those books that I have read I have concluded that C.A. Harms excels in writing highly engaging and poignant NA romances with generous helpings of angst, scorching sensual steam, and irreverent and highly amusing humor. This observation continues forward although her current book was considerably lighter on the humor and heavier on the angst than her more recent offerings. While I often feel exasperated with an over-serving of angst and conflict, I adored Deception anyway, although I seem to be pouting some over her neglect of my appetite for comedic balance; I’m sure she will make it up to me in the near future.
This book is a ming eff because you get to see so many things that are just plain out wrong that all I kept thinking was how is Blair still standing. She has had a rough life going from one bad relationship to another. That is until she meets him Jake. He seems so different from the others. He treats her good and she soons sees that they can have a life together but that is far from the truth because Jake is using her to get the answers he needs. Jake turns out to be a liar and a fraud. So she walks away from him only she will truly never get over him because everytime she looks into the eyes of her beautiful child she sees him she sees Jake all over their child.
Jake is put right smack in the middle of a mess that he has to clean up. Only he never thought he would fall for the person he is trying to take down. Things get wild and crazy and Jake will have to redeem himself in the end but the question remains can he be the man Blair and he child needs or will he be the a$$hole he has been all along?
This is my second C.A Harms ARC and I was so stoked to be given another opportunity to review a new one. I was lured in by the blurb and just had to sign up.
This is an unexpected-second chance romance with a twist—the twist is that it has a dash of crime/action or whatever term it is called. Its not your typical rainbows and unicorns and sugary sweet romance.
The characters are wonderful… I wish there was more reluctance from the female lead and should’ve made the male lead work more for it or made him more jealous or whatever… I love a wee bit of drama, lol. Anyway….
I’m not sure if I could talk more about the point of Deception in the story because I’m wary I’d give away anything… but let me say that I loved the book and there are parts in it that will definitely pull on your heartstrings.
CA Harms has done it again and written a book that will yet again stay with me for some time.
All the characters mingle in some way ; add to the story in their own way….the main characters in this book had me hooked big time!! Blair is twenty-something, young woman who bartends and has this crush on her co-worker and boss “Jake”. Jake isn’t who he claims to be ; he has this hidden agenda to help out his crime family and his job is to spy on Blair to get info on her ex.
Money, drugs and sex never make a good combo. Do not steal from them and don’t think you can get away. They will find you. Blair is just an innocent pawn in the game everyone around her plays. Jake soon falls for her yet knows he will have to betray her. The action, drama, tension, angst, heartache, despair, anger, heartache, twists, turns, passion, heat, forgiveness , healing, chemistry, romance and love make this book one of the best books of 2018. There are a wonderful cast of characters that just have you glued ; the way things happen aren’t what you expect. Jake and Blair are what make this book sizzle and the Feels are amazing!!!
My Rating: 4.7 stars *****
A story of deception, regret, and learning forgiveness.
Blair and Jake’s story is full of deception and regret, but Jake is determined to prove himself worthy. This book is so full of twists and turns. An absolute page-turner. Full of passion and steam, these characters will have you hooked. An absolute beautiful journey of love and forgiveness.
4.5 Stars!
I love reading anything written by C.A Harms, she just knows so well how to immediately pull you in to a story and that’s exactly what she did with Deception. From the start I was rooting for Blair and Jake, they were great characters and you could only hope they could work through what happens and find their way back to each other.
Blair and Jake are good together they have a chemistry that is off the charts but Jake is hiding a big secret from Blair and when she discovers everything about him is a lie and finds herself in danger she leaves everything she knows behind and starts a new life else where. Jake is determined to find her and prove that he can be the man she thought he was, he’s in love with her and will do everything in his power to get her back but Blair has a secret of her own and when Jake discovers it where will that leave them?
Another great read that i would highly recommend.
CA Harms never disappoints. Deception is hands down one of my favorite books from her. It’s beautiful written and the storyline flows amazingly. It’s also out of the box for CA and I love that. Money, drugs, sex totally right up my alley.
Blair and Jakes journey is amazing. The twists and the turns that come at you will have you in the edge of your sets. Jake is the guy from the family everyone knows and fears. Blair is an innocent in everything that happens.
If I could give this book more then 5 stars I would
This book hooked me from the first page! It had a little bit of everything for everybody. There was romance, betrayal, suspense and a child all wrapped up in one nicely done story. There were even a couple of twists in there to keep you interested. This author keeps getting better and better.
Thank you for the privilege of reading this book! Well done
WOW!!
CA Harms is one of my go to authors, but even I’m blown away by this one!
From start to finish this book had me on edge!
I started and finished Deception in one day and I was so sad when it was over!
FIVE HUGE STARS!!
dɪˈsɛpʃ(ə)n, “the act of making someone believe something that is not true.”
That person is Jake, and oh my, he shapes up to be all kinds of exceptionally good and sexy bad boy!
Oxymoron you might say, but I tell you, it is right here between the pages of CA Harm’s new book, Deception. And with a title like that, you know that there has to be a lot of forgiveness involved. Forgetting though? Absolutely not. Jake is one gorgeous tattooed man endeavouring to be the best person he can in spite of his last name, and the quagmire of morally bereft people that are his family.
Despite her upbringing, or perhaps in spite of her upbringing, Blair is an open and honest character who worked a little too hard to hang onto a relationship with a dead-beat that should’ve been kicked to the kerb long ago. When he finally bails, Blair finds herself at the centre of attention, both good and bad. Unfortunately for her, they are two sides of the same family. There is only one option, leave town.
CA Harms’ men in no way rest on their laurels, nor sit back and blame circumstances. If nothing is working for them, they’ll change it and make it work, and, they’ll make it right. I adored Jake that he went so far past his family background, he ended up in the opposite direction!!! Wow.
The secondary characters were absolute keys to the story of Blair and Jake, and it was a bonus to see them end up exactly where I imagined I’d love to see them. Perfection.
I’m unashamedly gushing. CA Harms writes books that can make a realist become a romantic. 5 Stars.
I was lucky enough to read an ARC of another amazing story by CA. I absolutely loved Jake and Blair’s story. I won’t give anything away because you just have to experience it for yourself but I can guarantee you will not be able to put it down once you start it.
I’ll have to admit, going in to this book, based on the blurb, I was had a few pre-conceived notions about where this book was going. I knew, from the blurb, that it was a second chance romance, that the female character was somehow deceived by the male, betrayed by him, and that they had a child together. I had a few thoughts going on in my head. I mean, how many different things could a man do where he hides his identity from the female in question, and she still be willing to forgive him in the end?!? I was totally and completely wrong! What I was thinking was not even close to what actually happened! But by the time I realized what was going on, I was so engrossed in the story, I could not have put it down, if I’d wanted to! This book’s story line was so totally different from anything I’ve read, I couldn’t have predicted what was coming!
Blair has really bad taste in guys. She seems to always be attracted to the bad boys, the ones who are nothing but trouble. She didn’t have a great childhood, isn’t close to her family, and all that she really has is her two best friends. Just when she thinks her luck in life is changing, and she has found someone that may be the one for her, it all falls apart.
Jake isn’t who he says he is. His life…..well, it isn’t good. I can’t say too much without giving anything away, but he knows Blair is a game changer. And he knows he wants her. But he also knows he doesn’t deserve her.
This book is just amazing. I’ve read and loved books by this author before, but this book is on a whole new playing field. I was constantly surprised, kept on the edge of my seat. The chemistry between Jake and Blair was combustible, but their situation seemed so impossible. My emotions were all over the place, but I kept hope for them throughout. This book is a must read, and a new favorite!