Deadly Deception

Frankie Douglas has good reason to dislike Lane Hansen. Not only did he shoot her accidentally, he never called or contacted her after a night of steamy passion.  Lane regrets his cowardly behavior six months ago. He hasn’t forgotten his night with Frankie, and believes she might be the woman he wants to spend forever with.  He is the detective on a case of murdered young women in the area, which may be connected to a local adoption agency.  When he needs a fake wife to go undercover as a couple seeking to adopt from the agency, Frankie is the woman he wants, not just because she’s a very good private detective.  It’s also a way to spend time with her and convince her to give him another chance.  Frankie wants to keep things all business, but their mutual attraction hasn’t faded in their time apart.  Juggling their nascent romance with catching a killer will keep them very busy, indeed!

While Lane clearly has feelings for Frankie, they felt more like intense lust than deep, abiding love.  Lane is a jerk initially, but he gradually shows that he does care for Frankie. Readers who enjoy a manly hero with a lot of sex appeal will probably appreciate Lane. Frankie is strong and independent, but also accessible to readers.  The suspense angle was quite disturbing at times, with very ruthless villains.  Deadly Deception actually succeeds better on the suspense angle than the romance, but it is an entertaining read!

Danielle Hill