Dealing in Deception by Samantha Joyce – a Review

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Description:
Veronica Wilde finds that playing make-believe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—especially when it’s keeping her from pursuing the one man who makes her heart go wild.

As an actress-for-hire, Veronica Wilde has made a living out of pretending to be other people. It’s the one thing at which she’s always excelled: taking on someone else’s personality and running with it. So after Elise Jameson, author of the bestselling Viking Moon series, decides she no longer requires Veronica’s services, she needs to find a new gig—and fast.

But when her newest client hires Veronica to help him make his small business look more successful than it actually is, the sparks that fly between them are definitely not part of the act. Suddenly, Veronica finds she’s tired of playing pretend for a living. She’s been acting for so long, she’s blindsided by the one man who sees her for who she really is. And the most terrifying part? She might actually like it.

Review:

Dealing in Deception by Samantha Joyce is the 2^nd novel in her Love in Disguise series.  Even though this book read very well as a standalone, I do recommend that you read the first book in this series, Flirting with Fame.  Veronica Wilde, the bad girl in the first book, becomes the heroine in this one, and surprisingly, Samantha Joyce does pull this off. I could not stand Veronica in the first book, and when I found out she was the lead, I was not sure if I would enjoy this one.  Even if I wanted to smack her a few times early on, Veronica grew on me, and I actually surprised myself by liking and rooting for her.  Veronica is an actress, who helps clients in many facets, such as a pretend girlfriend, business associate with many contacts, or just a pretty date for the rich client.

We meet Baxter (Bax) our hero when he is down on his luck trying to sell his invention of special warming blankets for the homeless.  As his frustration mounts, Bax’s friend ,Scott, convinces him to hire an actress who helped him get his girlfriend back.  When Bax meets Veronica (she does use many names for different clients), he ends up saving her from an accident, but she wasn’t very nice and they both got off on the wrong foot.  They will run into each other again in a bar, and Veronica will offer her services to help Bax meet wealthy contacts of hers, as well as to teach him how to dress and act.

Despite that they are both so different, a slow build romance will begin, with Bax falling for Veronica; but she refuses to allow herself to recognize that Bax is the perfect man for her.  Veronica does come off as spoiled and snobbish, but underneath it all, we learn more about her childhood, family tragedy, and how she had to do everything for herself at very young age.  Together, they will get funding for Bax’s invention, and Bax will become an entrepreneur.  Bax has always helped with the homeless, and Veronica will find herself slowly changing, becoming more caring of those in need.

Their romance heats up, and becomes sizzling; but Veronica’s fears from her childhood days will make her push Bax away.  Will Bax convince Veronica that their love is worth fighting for?  Will Veronica be willing to give up her glitzy, cold life?

It was nice to see Elise and Gavin (heroes of the first book), though it was brief. I did like the addition of some of the homeless people, who both Bax and Veronica helped.  Once again, Samantha Joyce has given us a wonderful story of a couple that are opposites, with some twists, life situations, and romance.  I look forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher