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lyrrael's review against another edition
4.0
Olivia Jones is desperate for the truth. The daughter of convicted serial killers, she has begun to suspect that her parents are innocent of their crimes. But who can she trust, in a world where betrayal and deception hide in every shadow? Liv does have one secret weapon: a mysterious sixth sense that helps her to anticipate danger. The trouble is, this rare power comes with its own risks. There are dark forces that want to exploit Liv's talents - and will stop at nothing to win her to their side. Now Liv must decide, before it's too late. Who does she love? Who is really on her side? And can she save herself without burning down everything that matters most? Okay, so, it’s a guilty pleasure. I love Kelley Armstrong. And really? This isn’t paranormal romance. It’s an interesting mystery and I like.
brokenrecord's review against another edition
5.0
I'M JUST SO INTO THIS SERIES, like, I know that it has its flaws and the actual plot is... I'm not really sure how I feel about it. BUT GABRIEL AND OLIVIA!!!!!!!!! Gabriel killed me in this book,
I know everyone's into the prospect of the potential for Gabriel/Olivia/Ricky in canon, but I'm kind of torn because like, it would be cool since that NEVER happens in romances! But on the other hand... Ricky and Olivia's relationship just doesn't do anything for me. I having nothing against them, I really like Ricky, and if the series ended with them together (or with the three of them together), I wouldn't be upset, but... I just ship Gabriel/Olivia so hard that I can't help but root for them above anything else.
Anyways, I really don't want to have to wait for the next book.
Spoiler
how he's basically admitted to himself that he's into Olivia but would never, ever tell her. He's just so bad at dealing with his emotions and expressing them and I LOVE it. AND OLIVIA REALIZING SHE HAS FEELINGS FOR HIM TOO!!!!!I know everyone's into the prospect of the potential for Gabriel/Olivia/Ricky in canon, but I'm kind of torn because like, it would be cool since that NEVER happens in romances! But on the other hand... Ricky and Olivia's relationship just doesn't do anything for me. I having nothing against them, I really like Ricky, and if the series ended with them together (or with the three of them together), I wouldn't be upset, but... I just ship Gabriel/Olivia so hard that I can't help but root for them above anything else.
Anyways, I really don't want to have to wait for the next book.
breruby's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bookmarked_by_jenn's review against another edition
3.0
The third installment dives deeper into the residents of Cainsville. Liv learns more about her history and her role in what is to come. I liked how some questions were answered, and we finally get to meet her father.
lindakay99's review against another edition
5.0
Umm... Kelley?!?! Cliff hanger. Not nice. I need to know what happens with these three characters. Like, asap!! Loved book 3 of this series. And it has just enough mystery and magic, not too much. I can't wait to read book 4!
maryleong's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5/5) Me, whenever a love triangle rears its head: This could be solved so easily by having a triad
In all seriousness, despite my general reservations about love triangles as a trope, I felt it was handled pretty well in this novel. Having Cainsville's fae elders manipulating our protagonists also adds an intriguing element. In the greater scheme of things, they're all pawns in a game that is far bigger than them, one that they don't yet fully understand.
Several big questions do get answered in this instalment, so if you've been waiting for the truth behind the Larsens' murders, we finally learn what really happened. Overall, not as strong as the previous one (the plotline where Gabriel is falsely accused of murder is a bit thin) but still a highly enjoyable addition to this very addictive series!
In all seriousness, despite my general reservations about love triangles as a trope, I felt it was handled pretty well in this novel. Having Cainsville's fae elders manipulating our protagonists also adds an intriguing element. In the greater scheme of things, they're all pawns in a game that is far bigger than them, one that they don't yet fully understand.
Several big questions do get answered in this instalment, so if you've been waiting for the truth behind the Larsens' murders, we finally learn what really happened. Overall, not as strong as the previous one (the plotline where Gabriel is falsely accused of murder is a bit thin) but still a highly enjoyable addition to this very addictive series!
fredicia's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the other two better. Not that this was a bad book, because I don't think Kelley Armstrong is capable of writing bad books, and if this was standalone novel then yeah, four or maybe five stars. But I liked the other two better and Deceptions has fallen short of the benchmark I have set for this series.
A lot of it is frustration. At some point, I realized that this has become as much of a romance novel as a mystery novel, and as with most paranormal romance novels, the characters fall into the dumbass trap of making dumbass mistakes because of lack of communication. Considering two of the trio (Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky just to clarify) are terribly sensible and cynical this shouldn't be happening. No one likes a love triangle. They are tedious and way to dramatic to read about and now that we have this fated love doom scenario that plays out over and over, but not really and it's just like... what? This, and maybe it is just me, is not what I signed up for. I signed up for badass ass kicking by Olivia and Gabriel, and I was fine with Ricky joining in, but I did not sign up for romantic, "emotionally illiterate" angst. And yeah, I know, a love triangle was pretty much unavoidable and strongly hinted at in the last book, but I was hoping that it would be resolved quickly and efficiently.
I think it's become pretty bad if Ricky, the descendant of some vigilante who rides horses in the dead of the night and drags people to the underworld, is making better decisions that everyone else. His entire personality trope is supposed to be hot temper and passionate ill advised choices at its worst.
Is there character development? Gabriel has issues. That has been established over and over again. He has... a few less issues this time around, so yeah, there's a bit of character development.
What do we learn plot wise in this story? Well, we learn if the Larsens are innocent or guilty. We learn about the fated love triangle of doom. We learn about why everyone is suddenly interested in Olivia.
So, not the best that it could have been.
_____________________________________________________________
A list of things I want:
==> Gabriel and Olivia being badass and taking names. I want them to continue being partners.
==> James to disappear. Preferably forever.
==>Why are there faeries spewing out of the woodwork suddenly like dust bunnies?
==> THIS BOOK TO COME OUT TOMORROW.
Needless to say, some things are more likely to happen than others.
On a side note, I wonder what type of fae blood Olivia has. My (probably incorrect) theory is that she is both Tylwyth Teg and a descendent of the Wild Hunt. Cainsville offspring have addiction issues and a gift for deception, but that doesn't apply to Olivia. She is, however, an adrenaline junkie, which is a reasonable consequence of being a grandchild of somebody that rides around dragging people to the underworld. There's also mentioning of problematic mixed blood in Visions, which could mean fae and human, but it seems more than that.
And she does have all those powers.
A lot of it is frustration. At some point, I realized that this has become as much of a romance novel as a mystery novel, and as with most paranormal romance novels, the characters fall into the dumbass trap of making dumbass mistakes because of lack of communication. Considering two of the trio (Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky just to clarify) are terribly sensible and cynical this shouldn't be happening. No one likes a love triangle. They are tedious and way to dramatic to read about and now that we have this fated love doom scenario that plays out over and over, but not really and it's just like... what? This, and maybe it is just me, is not what I signed up for. I signed up for badass ass kicking by Olivia and Gabriel, and I was fine with Ricky joining in, but I did not sign up for romantic, "emotionally illiterate" angst. And yeah, I know, a love triangle was pretty much unavoidable and strongly hinted at in the last book, but I was hoping that it would be resolved quickly and efficiently.
I think it's become pretty bad if Ricky, the descendant of some vigilante who rides horses in the dead of the night and drags people to the underworld, is making better decisions that everyone else. His entire personality trope is supposed to be hot temper and passionate ill advised choices at its worst.
Is there character development? Gabriel has issues. That has been established over and over again. He has... a few less issues this time around, so yeah, there's a bit of character development.
What do we learn plot wise in this story? Well, we learn if the Larsens are innocent or guilty. We learn about the fated love triangle of doom. We learn about why everyone is suddenly interested in Olivia.
So, not the best that it could have been.
_____________________________________________________________
A list of things I want:
==> Gabriel and Olivia being badass and taking names. I want them to continue being partners.
==> James to disappear. Preferably forever.
==>Why are there faeries spewing out of the woodwork suddenly like dust bunnies?
==> THIS BOOK TO COME OUT TOMORROW.
Needless to say, some things are more likely to happen than others.
On a side note, I wonder what type of fae blood Olivia has. My (probably incorrect) theory is that she is both Tylwyth Teg and a descendent of the Wild Hunt. Cainsville offspring have addiction issues and a gift for deception, but that doesn't apply to Olivia. She is, however, an adrenaline junkie, which is a reasonable consequence of being a grandchild of somebody that rides around dragging people to the underworld. There's also mentioning of problematic mixed blood in Visions, which could mean fae and human, but it seems more than that.
And she does have all those powers.
selisonapi's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. I struggled over this, but the intense focus on the love triangle almost did me in, to the point where I put this down for nearly a full month. Onto the next!