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kelleamy11's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kmthomas06's review
3.0
As with any Quick story, you know what you are getting if you've read any of her works. This is one of the older stories she published and it shows - the relationship is a bit more old-fashioned than she usually writes these days but different enough to keep me entertained.
mastersal's review
1.0
So after being on my TBR for a year and a half I finally decided to give this a go. The classic Amanda Quicks have a special nostalgic place in my heart, I’ve read many of them (including this one but I don't really recall it so I’m considering this a new read) and they follow a predictable, comforting routine. There is a alpha, possessive hero with a naive, younger heroine who is pretty scatterbrained. There hero spends a lot of the discombobulated while falling in love ‘despite his better judgement’ while the heroine is off getting into trouble.
This book follows this outline quite closely but something about it doesn’t work as well. I think it’s the writing. The prose is very purple and the constant metaphors about how Olympia is a “siren” and “did not yet know her own power” grated by the end. If you are rolling your eyes instead of rooting for the couple you know you have a problem.
As an example, when the couple are having sex for the first time there is reference to the “sultry waters of passion ...” - ouch
Despite my love for Ms. Quick’s work, this book didn’t land as well as the beginning. I found the romance largely unconvincing and slightly condescending. I get the charm of having the heroine as scatterbrained but here there is a thread of condescending amusement at Olympia’s naivety. She doesn’t do a very practical job and the hero has to save her time and time again. Yes, it’s the trope but here, the heroine was too lost in her world - she can’t even organize tea for guests or have a conversation with them. She is kind but I can’t see her being responsible enough to take care of her nephews. None of this would have been a problem but there was a sense we were smirking at the heroine instead laughing with her.
Overall, this was one was not one of the best Ms. Quick’s work. The balance is not right - the heroine forgives the hero’s deception too quickly and we never got to see why she was special. I found her to be quite foolish so I was not convinced as to why the hero loved her.
It pains me but I am giving this a one star as the combination of the awkward prose and the annoying plot left not much to be admired in this one. Pass this one and pick up another Amanda Quick instead.
This book follows this outline quite closely but something about it doesn’t work as well. I think it’s the writing. The prose is very purple and the constant metaphors about how Olympia is a “siren” and “did not yet know her own power” grated by the end. If you are rolling your eyes instead of rooting for the couple you know you have a problem.
As an example, when the couple are having sex for the first time there is reference to the “sultry waters of passion ...” - ouch
Despite my love for Ms. Quick’s work, this book didn’t land as well as the beginning. I found the romance largely unconvincing and slightly condescending. I get the charm of having the heroine as scatterbrained but here there is a thread of condescending amusement at Olympia’s naivety. She doesn’t do a very practical job and the hero has to save her time and time again. Yes, it’s the trope but here, the heroine was too lost in her world - she can’t even organize tea for guests or have a conversation with them. She is kind but I can’t see her being responsible enough to take care of her nephews. None of this would have been a problem but there was a sense we were smirking at the heroine instead laughing with her.
Overall, this was one was not one of the best Ms. Quick’s work. The balance is not right - the heroine forgives the hero’s deception too quickly and we never got to see why she was special. I found her to be quite foolish so I was not convinced as to why the hero loved her.
It pains me but I am giving this a one star as the combination of the awkward prose and the annoying plot left not much to be admired in this one. Pass this one and pick up another Amanda Quick instead.
jgirotto's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
a silly goofy fun read - definition of a beach book. loved the main characters and period piece vibes
max_pink's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
Tropes: Bluestocking, Aristocratic Hero, Guardian, Pirates
Content Warning: Attempted SA, Attempted Murder, Child Endangerment
This was so cute! Olympia has recently become the guardian to her three nephews, upending her life and distracting her from her research into legends and lost treasure. But help arrives in the form of Chillhurst, a cool, collected, no-nonsense man (who looks like a pirate, eye patch and all) who delivers her uncle's shipment of goods to the house and becomes her nephew's tutor. Sounds great, except Chillhurst isn't a tutor at all. He's a Viscount, and he shows up to buy a diary containing clues to a long-lost fortune from her. And then he sees her, is immediately down bad, and comes up with the tutor lie to stay around her. But that treasure looms, and nefarious characters hang in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.
This did not quite grab my soul in the way that Ravished did, but I still enjoyed this a lot. The somewhat slower pace was balanced out by incredible humor. Between the prickly housekeeper Mrs. Bird, the three cute but disastrous nephews, and Chillhurst's own meddling family, I cackled at multiple points in this book. There's a lot of fun to be had. And I appreciated Chillhurst both getting celebrated for his cool-headedness and getting to grow into a man who actually can embrace feeling a feeling.
Solid audio narration from Anne Flosnik.
Tropes: Bluestocking, Aristocratic Hero, Guardian, Pirates
Content Warning: Attempted SA, Attempted Murder, Child Endangerment
This was so cute! Olympia has recently become the guardian to her three nephews, upending her life and distracting her from her research into legends and lost treasure. But help arrives in the form of Chillhurst, a cool, collected, no-nonsense man (who looks like a pirate, eye patch and all) who delivers her uncle's shipment of goods to the house and becomes her nephew's tutor. Sounds great, except Chillhurst isn't a tutor at all. He's a Viscount, and he shows up to buy a diary containing clues to a long-lost fortune from her. And then he sees her, is immediately down bad, and comes up with the tutor lie to stay around her. But that treasure looms, and nefarious characters hang in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.
This did not quite grab my soul in the way that Ravished did, but I still enjoyed this a lot. The somewhat slower pace was balanced out by incredible humor. Between the prickly housekeeper Mrs. Bird, the three cute but disastrous nephews, and Chillhurst's own meddling family, I cackled at multiple points in this book. There's a lot of fun to be had. And I appreciated Chillhurst both getting celebrated for his cool-headedness and getting to grow into a man who actually can embrace feeling a feeling.
Solid audio narration from Anne Flosnik.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Violence
fleurette's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
allthebookssheloved's review against another edition
5.0
This will be a gush/rave but I don’t care lol
Dare I say this one was my favorite?
It almost took Ravished out of my “absolute favorite” spot among the collection I’ve come to fondly call The 90s Thirteen, starting from Seduction and ending with Affair.
Olympia, is my ND queen and Jared can do no wrong in my eyes. The nephews are hilarious, Mrs. Bird was hilarious, daddy Magnus and daddy Thaddeus were hilarious. The plot twist (Yorke’s descendants) was fantastic.
This was so fun and I enjoyed every second of it.
Dare I say this one was my favorite?
It almost took Ravished out of my “absolute favorite” spot among the collection I’ve come to fondly call The 90s Thirteen, starting from Seduction and ending with Affair.
Olympia, is my ND queen and Jared can do no wrong in my eyes. The nephews are hilarious, Mrs. Bird was hilarious, daddy Magnus and daddy Thaddeus were hilarious. The plot twist (Yorke’s descendants) was fantastic.
This was so fun and I enjoyed every second of it.
somasunshine's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
I am sad to say that this was very unsatisfactory. Jared and Olympia felt like strangers, I didn't really feel that they were close and I didn't feel their love towards each other. Jared kept Olympia in the dark about a lot of things which was mmyeah, I didn't like that even though I remember similar behaviour in other Amanda Quick books. The others compensated with the witty conversation which this one sadly didn't have!
There's always a mystery in Quick's books and this time it was a treasure hidden by Jared's ancestor and his rival who's descendants are also looking for the treasure. For some reason there was another antagonist who was revealed towards the end and that plot point somehow fit awkwardly into this book.
There's always a mystery in Quick's books and this time it was a treasure hidden by Jared's ancestor and his rival who's descendants are also looking for the treasure. For some reason there was another antagonist who was revealed towards the end and that plot point somehow fit awkwardly into this book.
justinkhchen's review
medium-paced
3.75
Delightful, but not a new favorite, Deception has the foundation of an adventure-driven historical romance I've come to expect from Amanda Quick, but the final outcome feels a little tame comparing to other titles I picked up prior.
The positives: I really enjoy both the hero and heroine: Jared as a levelheaded, punctual 'pirate' completely turns the stereotype (crass, big emotions) we've come to expect on its head, and the fact he's described to look exactly like a typical pirate adds the additional comical touch. Staying true to Amanda Quick's preference for strong female heroine, Olympia's book-smart more than compensates for her lack of real-life experience, and she's often more than willing to stand her ground rather than becoming frazzled or annoyingly ignorant. I also pick up narrative cues from Mary Poppins (Jared being a tutor to a chaotic household) and The Sound of Music (heroine softening a stoic hero)—which are all inspired reference points I appreciate. Lastly, I was pleasantly shocked by certain 'reveals'—did not expect such subject matter being highlighted with such nonjudgmental attitude from a 90s publication!
The letdown: Amanda Quick historical romances is for me either a spirited romp, or woven with an engaging mystery; while Deception IS centering around treasure hunting, the progression is placid and static (lots of reviewing/decoding paper materials). Even the obstacles encountered throughout are low-stake, and I find the villain reveal to be particularly obvious, and the least interesting out of all the potentials. While I like both Jared and Olympia, their romance lacks spark—it is almost too levelheaded in a story that is already filled with talking and not enough action.
Deception is still plenty readable, as it fulfills my thirst for a decent historical romance. But as far as Amanda Quick's titles go, this one will rank low among others I've read (not by a large margin, I should emphasize). A little more 'domestic' and less adventurous, but the decent premise and a collection of colorful secondary characters (I ship Mrs. Bird and Graves!) still make this one worthwhile overall.
***Historical Hellions Book Club | August 2024 Selection***
The positives: I really enjoy both the hero and heroine: Jared as a levelheaded, punctual 'pirate' completely turns the stereotype (crass, big emotions) we've come to expect on its head, and the fact he's described to look exactly like a typical pirate adds the additional comical touch. Staying true to Amanda Quick's preference for strong female heroine, Olympia's book-smart more than compensates for her lack of real-life experience, and she's often more than willing to stand her ground rather than becoming frazzled or annoyingly ignorant. I also pick up narrative cues from Mary Poppins (Jared being a tutor to a chaotic household) and The Sound of Music (heroine softening a stoic hero)—which are all inspired reference points I appreciate. Lastly, I was pleasantly shocked by certain 'reveals'—did not expect such subject matter being highlighted with such nonjudgmental attitude from a 90s publication!
The letdown: Amanda Quick historical romances is for me either a spirited romp, or woven with an engaging mystery; while Deception IS centering around treasure hunting, the progression is placid and static (lots of reviewing/decoding paper materials). Even the obstacles encountered throughout are low-stake, and I find the villain reveal to be particularly obvious, and the least interesting out of all the potentials. While I like both Jared and Olympia, their romance lacks spark—it is almost too levelheaded in a story that is already filled with talking and not enough action.
Deception is still plenty readable, as it fulfills my thirst for a decent historical romance. But as far as Amanda Quick's titles go, this one will rank low among others I've read (not by a large margin, I should emphasize). A little more 'domestic' and less adventurous, but the decent premise and a collection of colorful secondary characters (I ship Mrs. Bird and Graves!) still make this one worthwhile overall.
***Historical Hellions Book Club | August 2024 Selection***
peytonm's review
5.0
If you've ever read an Amanda Quick novel, this has a familiar hero and heroine dynamic: Olympia knows that Jared has a passionate nature and is wonderful while the rest of the world sees him as a coldblooded bore. Olympia is an academic sleuth who is decrypting an old diary with clues to a buried treasure, and Jared, a viscount, poses as a new tutor for her three boys (she adopted them after they'd had been shuffled around the family) in order to get close.
This books gets an extra star for nostalgia because I've been trying to suss it out from the rest of Amanda Quick's historical romances for so long! I remember reading this in high school, and the first scene of the hero saving the heroine from a gross dude in a library is seared into my brain. Also, I totally remember gasping out loud when the lover of his ex-fiance is revealed! Yay I'm so glad I finally got to reread this story!
This books gets an extra star for nostalgia because I've been trying to suss it out from the rest of Amanda Quick's historical romances for so long! I remember reading this in high school, and the first scene of the hero saving the heroine from a gross dude in a library is seared into my brain. Also, I totally remember gasping out loud when the lover of his ex-fiance is revealed! Yay I'm so glad I finally got to reread this story!