Twisted Deception

Love Can Be Dangerous

Romance - Suspense
352 Pages
Reviewed on 03/18/2018
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous by Isabella is a tale of romance that begins with a deceptively simple premise for a romance that suddenly develops complexities as the story gets involved with murder. Handled with great tonal balance, it’s a story that shimmers with feverish, fatalistic intensity, with themes of murder, identity, and obsession brilliantly introduced into the narrative as well as lesbian relationships. The characters are complex and I found myself following them closely.

Addie Blake and Drake Hogan are girlfriends — in a relationship — but Drake doesn’t see much of Addie, who seems more attached to her job than to her lover, and no matter how irksome this might be for Drake. But Addie will soon have enough of her mechanic girlfriend. Greyson Hollister’s life is built around the success of her company, Integrated Financial. But can she protect her company from the harm that rumor-mongering can cause it? When an attack is orchestrated on Integrated Financial, she will have to deal with one of the most relentless and skilled detectives, Nancy Hill.

I love authors who transform ordinary experiences into strong plot elements and Isabella seems to do it very well. Her writing is crisp and she has this uncanny gift of transporting readers into the very center of the heart of her characters. Stress and anxiety are obvious in the characters and it seems to fuel the tension that moves the story forward. The conflict is beautiful developed and the masterful use of suspense makes it hard for readers to put down Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous.

Sherri Fulmer Moorer

Addie Blake's life wasn't exciting, until the night she returned to the office to pick up a forgotten document and was attacked in the elevator. The attack immediately brings her into a new world, and into closer contact with two people: Greyson Hollister, the powerful "ice queen" owner of her firm, and Detective Nancy Hill, a frustrated member of the recently formed "rape task force" to catch the elusive "Elevator Rapist" terrorizing the town of San Jose, CA. At first, Addie's attack looks like just another case on the trail, except for two differences: she was never raped, and there was another rape at a function in a different part of town just hours after Addie's. When Addie's girlfriend, Drake, immediately reacts with rage and threats of a lawsuit against the company, it further muddies the waters. Was Addie's attack by the same perpetrator, or was it a copycat? Why did Drake abandon her after two years together? Greyson and Nancy are determined to find out. Unfortunately, their methods differ, and they aren't always on the same page.

Twisted Deception by Isabella is a romantic thriller that will lead you down twisted paths, and take you to an ending that you won't expect. I enjoyed this story because it's a different kind of mystery than I normally read. Isabella does a great job of weaving the threads together into a complicated but intriguing story, and the characters are well developed. One thing I liked about Twisted Deception was the intricate plot. The mystery of the “Elevator Rapist” and the tragic consequences of his attacks play out in an interesting way by bringing characters together that might have never met, showing how fate can bring good things from bad situations. This is a great novel for readers who like complex plots and seeing how detectives solve a mystery that seems unsolvable. It's an engrossing tale that delves into the psyche and shows where love can lead and what it can do - for better or for worse. A thrilling read.

Ruffina Oserio

Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous by Isabella is a romance with an unexpected twist, a story that skillfully handles lesbian themes, romance, and murder. The reader is introduced to characters that are complex, each carrying a burden within. Addie and Drake are in a relationship, but things don’t seem to work with Addie’s addiction to work and her girlfriend’s lack of understanding. While Greyson Hollister has fulfilled her ambitions by creating a company for herself, things seem to get out of hand when she discovers that there are people seeking to destroy the reputation of her company. Things escalate with an attack at Integrated Financial, and she will now have to work with Detective Nancy Hill to solve the attack on her company.

Isabella has a keen sense of conflict and she develops it at multiple levels. If you love characters that are driven and tense, then you’ll love this novel. Addie has a very calm demeanor, but beneath her serene surface is emotional turmoil. Greyson is driven by her ambitions, but there is a fear that inhibits her, the fear of waking up one day and finding everything she’s worked for is lost. The pacing is measured, not too fast, and not too slow, a pace that allows readers to savor the beauty of the language and to feel the emotional depth of the story. Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous is a good story, well-plotted, and written in a voice that is as clear as it is confident. It was a delightful read for me.

Romuald Dzemo

Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous by Isabella is a well-plotted and engaging story that skillfully mixes romance with investigation. Readers are presented with a cast of complex characters, each built with deep layers of personality. While enmeshed in her work, can Addie Blake make a relationship work with her straightforward girlfriend, Drake Hogan, and when things turn sour, do they have the courage to still make room for each other? A woman who has worked hard to build a financial empire finds her company threatened by rumor-mongering and, to make matters worse, an attack is committed on her building. Skilled Detective Nancy Hill doesn't seem to know where to go with the investigation.

The writing is gorgeous and I was gripped by the beauty of it. While the characters are well-explored and likeable, it is the depth of Isabella's insightful narrative and her exploration of the emotional climates of her characters that had me rooting for her writing. I love characters with heart that are both fragile and human, and the author of this book has succeeded in creating such characters. The author has the gift of keeping readers engaged through the use of suspense and great storytelling. Readers will love to explore the hearts of the characters and to feel their emotional intensity. The plot is cunningly developed and the author keeps readers guessing throughout the story. Fast-paced and deftly plotted, Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous is a great gift for readers who enjoy same sex relationships and powerful conflicts.

Christian Sia

Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous by Isabella is a suspenseful romance that blends with other genres, including crime, in a seamless manner. Addie Blake is temperamental, a woman who seems to hide the tension that boils inside her behind her busyness with work. Her girlfriend, Drake Hogan, has no choice but to deal with this, but then, there is just so much one can take and then patience wears out. Greyson Hollister built Integrated Financial and it’s a business for which she’d do anything to maintain its high reputation, but what happens when a gossiper sets out to hurt what has taken much of her time and energy? It’s a thing she plans to rectify with determination. And then there is an awful attack on Integrated Financial, and Detective Nancy Hill, a seasoned detective, can’t seem to make any headway in solving the case.

I am not into literature that involves lesbian themes and characters, but I don't regret picking this book because Isabella succeeds in creating characters that are real in a context that brilliantly supports her plot and characters. Here is a passionate and heartrending love story that explores the depth of the characters, and follows a conflict that grows faster and faster into a high-scale drama. The author’s handling of characterization is superb and the plot is surprising complex for a story that seems to have been simply constructed. The suspenseful tone of the narrative will keep readers longing to know what the end will be like as they turn the pages. Twisted Deception: Love Can Be Dangerous is a great success on many counts.