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SWEET DECEPTION - Patricia Sargeant Kensington Dafina/Romance June 2009 |
SYNOPSIS: A minister's daughter who harbors a secret identity as a popular erotica author finds passion with a fellow writer, who tempts her to reveal the truth.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE |4+| Ashley Haney
REVIEW: Patricia
Sargeant weaves a tale of love and secrets in the moving novel SWEET
DECEPTION. Joan Brown is living a double life. She is
known in Columbus, Ohio as the plain, dutiful middle daughter of an old
fashioned minister, but to the rest of the world she is the rising erotica
romance author Cleopatra Sinclair. Former lawyer turned NY Times best selling
thriller writer Ronald Montgomery is going through his own issues with love and
lies and finds that he is intrigued with fellow author Cleopatra Sinclair.
Patricia Sargeant shows us how secrets tend to destroy love and that honesty is
really the key in all relationships.
For years Joan has played the typical role of a preacher’s daughter by allowing
her parents to control her every move. She is trying to let the real Joan out by
rebelling and writing erotica under a pen name. As Joan spends more time with
Ron she realizes that she has to live for Joan and not for her parents or how
others may view her. Ron is struggling to deal with the fact that his fiancé
cheated on him with his brother and how his mother kept it from him. He has yet
to deal with feelings of inadequacy that he has faced since childhood. After a
one-night stand with Joan, Ron can’t think of anything but her and how he can
make her an integral part of his life. He accepts a guest lecture position at
Ohio State University to find answers to why Joan seems so important to him.
The supporting characters in this novel play an integral part to the story. As
Joan stands up for what she wants her sisters find the strength to stand up for
themselves. Ron doesn’t understand how his parents make a big deal out of his
brother’s problems but never praise his accomplishments. The dialogue is
constant and keeps the reader engrossed in the story. The setting of the story
begins in Los Angeles. The majority of the story takes place in Columbus, Ohio
which allows you to see how life is for Joan. There is a trip to New York where
the reader gets to experience Ron’s lifestyle.
I would definitely recommend SWEETER DECEPTION.
As we follow Joan and Ron on their journey through love we see how they grow
individually and together as they prepare to spend their lives as one.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 30th May 2009