A Book Obsession..: Early Review: Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong

Early Review: Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong

, by Kt Clapsadl

Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong

Cainsville #3

Olivia Taylor Jones's life has exploded. She's discovered she is not only adopted, but her real parents are convicted serial killers. Fleeing the media frenzy, she took refuge in the oddly secluded town of Cainsville. She has since solved the town's mysteries and finds herself not only the target of its secretive elders but also her stalker ex-fiancé.

Visions continue to haunt her: particularly a little blond girl in a green sundress who insists she has an important message for Olivia, one that may help her balance the light and darkness within herself. Death stalks both Olivia and the two men most important to her, as she desperately searches to understand whether ancient scripts are dictating the triangle that connects them. Will darkness prevail, or does Olivia have the power to prevent a tragic fate?

I'm a huge Kelley Armstrong fan, but this series has been a bit of an up and down for me. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, but the second book just didn't wow me. The lack of answers and forward momentum really slowed things down for me. So, this time around I have to admit I went into the book with just a bit of trepidation, worried about another book without explanations. I shouldn't have worried. After finishing DECEPTIONS, I'm happy to say that I was hooked from the start. Sure there's still a lot of things unanswered but between the things that were revealed and the plot/character momentum those questions didn't seem so important anymore. There just was a certain amount of intensity this time around that put things back on track and now I'm content to sit along for the ride. And a ride it was.

Another thing that made this book more addictive was the stronger prevalence of the love triangle. Sure it was hinted at previously, but it was only that, a hint. Typically I'm not the biggest fan of these as there's always a whole lot of angst involved. But for Olivia, Ricky, and Gabriel, it just somehow works. Perhaps that's because it's all tied into the plotline and secrets behind Cainsville, or perhaps because there's no real jealousy involved. Regardless, I found it interesting and I'm rather anxious to see how everything plays out in that department especially as it intertwines with each of their choices and future. I'm honestly not sure who I'm rooting for, and that's just fine with me.

All in all DECEPTIONS was a very enjoyable installment in the Cainsville series. I know I'll be counting down the days until the next book's release.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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