Customer Reviews

Dark Deceptions

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nash doesn't fall easily and has only fallen in love with one woman, his partner at A-Tac - Annie. As much as he would like to forget her very existence because of how she hurt him and then simply disappeared. Out of nowhere she reappears and is back to work. They try to extinguish the flame but it only seems to run more wild. Her son was kidnapped by terrorists and the only way they will release him is if a UN ambassador is killed. Even in the face of this disaster, they cannot fight the attraction. Will this help them with the task at hand or will their passion be the death of them?

I liked this book. I thought the writing was fun and the storyline was really good. If you like the combination of thrill, romance, suspense and drama, this is your book.

Quick & Dirty: An intense tale with an equal mix of romance, suspense and rapid-fire action.

Opening Sentence: "So do you think we're ever going to feel like a normal couple?"

The Review:

Nash Brennon leads an elite black-ops team known as American Tactical Intelligence Command (A-Tac). The team is comprised of the best covert agents in the business. They operate under cloak and dagger at an Ivy League university, waiting for the next high-level assignment to show up on their radar. The team is pulled in to stop an assassination attempt on the U. N. Ambassador and unfortunately for Nash, the assassin is someone he knows. Annie Gallagher is an ex-CIA operative with a long history with Nash. Former lovers and partners, their relationship ended on an explosive note when Anne left Nash twisting in the wind mid-op. Anne has surfaced eight years later, blackmailed into assassinating the U.N. Ambassador. Despite Annie's betrayal, Nash is reluctant to believe that Annie would commit treason. When Annie's son is kidnapped, she will stop at nothing to get her son back.

Dark Deceptions is a perfect blend of action, romance, suspense, and danger that will keep readers captivated. Ms. Davis does a wonderful job of keeping the danger intense and weaves an intricate web of betrayal, espionage, and political intrigue. I especially appreciate strong female characters. It was great reading about kick-butt female operatives that had no problem going toe-to-toe with men twice their size. Annie is no mere damsel in distress, proving herself just as capable as Nash. Annie had her flaws, but overall I found her to be a very believable character. Nash on the other hand was a bit disappointing at times. I expected him to be more Alpha, but he is surprisingly agreeable. Nash is more of the cool, calm and collected variety. After certain events unfold and new things are brought to light, Nash's acceptance was immediate. This was a bit predictable, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story. Annie and Nash have an undeniable chemistry, but they oftentimes couldn't see past their disagreements. It's an understatement to say that their relationship suffered from lack of communication and trust, which is odd given the business they're in. Great secondary characters and complex villains make Dark Deceptions a thrilling read.

Overall, Dark Deceptions is worth reading. Ms. Davis delivers a fast-paced, action-packed thrill-ride that will leave your pulse-pounding and your heart skipping a beat. Full of suspense, twists and turns, Dark Deceptions is a strong addition to the genre.

A-Tac Series
1. Dark Deceptions
2. Dangerous Desires (07/2010)
3. Desperate Deeds (08/2010)

Notable Scene:

As if he'd heard her, Drake bent down, and Annie closed an eye as she gently squeezed the trigger, the motion at once intimate and deadly, everything coming back to her with one fluid motion. She was a trained killer and nothing-not her life in Creede, not her absence from the Company, not even her love for her son-could change that fact.

Using the scope, she ascertained that the man was indeed down. Nash and Drake had already pulled his body deeper into the shadows. She struggled for breath, the past and present coming together in nightmarish fashion. Angrily, she pushed away her rioting emotions. There was no time for introspection. Her son's life and quite possibly Nash and Drake's depended on her ability to keep a cool head.

FTC Advisory: Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of Dark Deceptions . No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don't receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.

DARK DECEPTIONS by Dee Davis is a delightful entertaining Romantic suspense.This is the first in the A-TAC series. It has suspense, adventure, sensuality, romance, action, and a twist of fate. It is well written with depth and detail. The characters are strong, with secrets that can either pull together or destroy their them. When the past comes back to try to destroy Annie, she must confide in a past love, Nash. The A-TAC team which Nash is a member of, decide to help her to save her son. The secrets from the past finally come out. The enemy has a personal stake in destroying Annie.The secondary characters are just as amazing and strong as the main characters.
I hope some of them will appear in other books. This is an action packed, page turning story. It will keep you interested from the first page until the very last. I would highly recommend, especially if you enjoy Navy Seal stories you will enjoy the A-TAC story. This is a keeper. This book was received for review and you can find details at [...]

Nash Brennon and Annie Gallagher were partners and lovers once upon a time. But Annie betrayed Nash, leaving him to die and vanishing without a trace, taking with her a secret she would keep to herself. Eight years later, Annie is back, bringing with her a whole slue of problems. She is a possible traitor to her country, and on a personal mission of her own. Her son has been kidnapped by terrorists and they want her to kill a U.N. ambassador or they will kill her son.

After receiving a tip, Nash and his A-TAC team are sent to find out who is planning an assassination attempt on the U.N. ambassador and stop it. He is shocked to find out it's the woman he has not been able to forget for the past eight years. When Annie confides in Nash, he finds himself conflicted between his duty and the woman he once loved.

Dark Deceptions is the first installment in the A-TAC series. It's an exciting, fast paced romantic suspense filled with action and adventure. Annie and Nash heat up the pages and keep the story moving with their hot romantic chemistry and their journey through love, betrayal and forgiveness. The secondary characters are strong and likeable, supporting the story well and I look forward seeing a few of them in future installments. Even if political terrorism and espionage is not your usual choice of subject matter in romantic fiction, you will want to give Dark Deceptions a try as Dee Davis has written an exciting, romantic and sensual love story.

Overall Rating: 4.90 // Action: 5 / Emotion: 4.75 / Romance: 4 / Sensuous: 4.25 / Suspense: 5 // Humor: 0 / Tears: 1

"Dark Deceptions" is the first installment in Dee Davis's new six-book series: 'The A-Tac Series.' This book will appeal to readers who like any or all of three story line scenarios.

One: Romantic Suspense readers will be thrilled by the heated re-attraction and spicy love scenes between the hero and heroine as "Dark Deceptions" takes Nash Brennon and Annie Gallagher through twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the entire book.

Two: Military Special Ops readers will like the fact that not only are Nash and Annie former CIA operatives, but the book is peppered with a team of Special Ops operatives who add a lot of interest and depth to the story. It is particularly fascinating how Davis gives each operative a field of expertise not only in the military realm of their lives, but also as top-notch professors at Sunderland College, New York.

Three: Those readers who enjoy the romance scenario of "heroine runs away to have hero's child in secret" will also enjoy this book. While Nash and Annie are entertaining readers with pages full of action and adventure, they also have to resolve issues of betrayal and find resolution regarding their child, Adam.

A more detailed, spoiler-ridden synopsis/review of "Dark Deceptions" appears at [...].

This is the first novel I have read from Dee Davis. After the last few books I read which were mediocre, I have really enjoyed Dark Deceptions. The book is fast paced and a good plot. I do agree with other readers that the attraction between the main characters is a little weak and the sizzle is a little low. However, it has been a fun read and I am ready to start the next adventure.

There is a price to be paid for everything in life. We accept this; usually do not like it but little can be done but deal with it. For former CIA operative Annie Gallagher the price she paid was to have her son way too high for any woman or mother but no amount is too great to keep her son safe.

Annie has been retired from the spy game for over 8 years but is suddenly thrust back in when her son is kidnapped and the kidnapper wants her former sharp shooting skills to be used to murder a diplomat. Annie has no idea who this mysterious voice on the phone holding her son is but she has no choice and puts the plan into action. Annie never expects to run into her former partner Nash Brennon the one man she was partnered with during her CIA days, performed missions with, loved and lost. Nash is now part of the elite American Tactical Intelligence Command (A-Tac) group where he has been since he and Annie unceremoniously parted ways many years ago. He thought she deserted him to die alone on their last mission while in fact the truth is nothing like the story he believes but will he listen when she tries to tell him she saved him she did not desert him.

But Nash does not believe Annie to be a traitor and even though he is not fully read into the story of what she is up to once A-Tac catches up with her nothing will keep Nash for being fully reunited with Annie. Time, pain and memories may be good and bad for them but the passion and lust they felt from day one is still there.

However the mission has to come first and that is rescuing her son and now Annie is part of the team that is about to set the wheels in motion to make that happen. No one knows who the mysterious person on the phone making demands is but the most elite team in the country will figure that out, get Adam back and sort out the details of what is really going on between Annie and Nash physically, emotionally and professionally.

Everything turns on a dime when the rescue is a success but the assassination is still accomplished and everyone thinks that Annie really is a traitor. But it may turn out that the past is coming back to haunt them and the man they both trusted with their lives could be the real problem as none of his stories suddenly add up and the part he played in keeping them apart starts to unravel. For Annie and Nash the price they paid cost them everything and now they need to see if they can recover from the years of damage done to their hearts and souls once all the facts are revealed.

These characters, both the primary and secondary are amazing, colorful and believable which is key to a great story. Dee Davis sets the story up fast, keeps the flow of information understandable and never lets you believe for one minute that this is not something happening somewhere on this planet. A good story teller knows the readers and how to write to please and Ms. Davis has done all that and more with this book.

Mary Gramlich is The Reading Reviewer located [...]

This is a page-turner that is difficult to put down, as the story twists and turns. The background of the college and the team of agents is interesting. Add high definition to the story with excellent characterization, dialogue and interaction. There is plenty of edgy tension both in the action scenes and between the characters. This will leave the reader anticipating their next move. Initially as I read, I felt the story to be rather clichéd - I soon changed my mind. The author's imagination and writing talent proved how wrong I was. I highly recommend this start to what will I suspect a fabulous series. - Abi

Author Dee Davis has a BA in Political Science and History, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. During a ten-year career in public relations, she spent three years on the public speaking circuit, edited two newsletters, wrote three award winning public service announcements, did television and radio commercials, starred in the Seven Year Itch, taught college classes, lobbied both the Texas State Legislature and the US Congress, and served as the director of two associations. She's won the Booksellers Best, Golden Leaf, Texas Gold and Prism awards, and been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Holt and two RT Reviewers Choice Awards. To date, she has sold eighteen books and three novellas in contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time travel romance including: Set-Up in Soho, A Match Made in Manhattan, Midnight Rain, Dancing in the Dark, Chain Reaction, Exposure, Enigma, After Twilight, and Just breathe. She's lived in Austria and traveled in Europe extensively, and although she now lives in New York, she still considers Texas home.

A-Tac covert operations expert Nash Brennon has spent the last eight years trying to forget Annie Gallagher. Once his field partner and love of his life, she left him to die and then vanished without a trace. Except now, Annie's returned, claiming her son has been kidnapped and the ransom is for her to assassinate a UN ambassador. The political terrorists connections run deep, and it appears as if this series of events is personal. As an enemy of the past emerges to haunt Nash and Annie, they must hash through the lies to work together once again, or the cost is their lives.

This is Book One in the A-Tac series, which is an elite CIA unit masquerading as faculty at an Ivy League college. Dangerous Desires and Desperate Deeds to follow.
I have not had the pleasure of reading any of Dee Davis' contemporaries, but she sure knows how to nail a romantic suspense. Packed full of tension, action, and romance, this book is a page-turner from beginning to end. As realistic as fiction can get, the author has a great understanding for conflict and human nature, which make the characters believable, relatable, and dimensional. The secondary characters, which I'm sure we'll see throughout the series, were funny and lovable. Vivid imagery added nicely to the setting, drawing you in. Dee Davis is most definitely an author I'd check out again!

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer

I am not sure how a book with assassination attempts, explosions, cliff climbing, secrets from the past, betrayals, and more explosions could be dull, but that's how this one felt to me. The characters were flat, not engaging - it felt like they were going through the motions instead of having real feelings. The characters also came off as kind of incompetent - it's realistic that they make mistakes and misjudgments, but on the other hand, they are supposed to be elite and in this genre a little over the top-ness actually works better.