Deceived [Paperback]

Bertrice Small (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999

Set against the rich tropical beauty of a Caribbean island and the splendor of 17th-century England, "Deceived" promises another spellbinding tale of intrigue, suspense, and everlasting love written in Small's steamy, inimitable fashion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A veteran author of panting heavy-petters, Small (Darling Jasmine, etc.) tells a tale of two stepsisters with the same first name and very different attitudes toward men and sex during the reign of George III. Charlotte Aurora Kimberly and Charlotte Calandra Kimberly swap fates: when Aurora discovers that her late father arranged for her to be married on her 17th birthday to Valerian Hawkesworth, Duke of Farminster, she sends socially ambitious Calandra in her place. All seems well as young Calandra sails with her dashing groom from the Kimberlys' plantation on St. Timothy for England. But when, months later, Aurora visits the motherland to choose a suitable mate of her own, it becomes apparent that something in the Hawkesworth marriage is amiss?and that Calandra has none of her virgin stepsister's "ardent bent." Aurora becomes engaged to Hawkesworth's rival cousin, but the duke can't hide his attraction to her. When an unwanted pregnancy conveniently claims Calandra's life, Hawkesworth swears he will claim the woman who is his by destiny. The tale shuttles between the West Indies and the court of the young George III, but turgid sex, not well-rendered setting, remains its primary passion.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Appalled to discover that she is expected to marry an English duke she has never met, free-spirited West Indian heiress Aurora Kimberly trades places with her social-climbing stepsister?and ends up in love with the same man she "gave away." A take-charge hero, a heroine who eventually discovers what she really wants, and a cast of interesting but stereotypical characters add to this bawdy Georgian story that will be read more for its colorful period descriptions and bold, earthy sensuality than for the complexity of its plot or the sophistication of its writing. Small (The Love Slave, Ballantine, 1995) is a well-known writer of sexually explicit historicals in the sweet/ savage tradition and her fans will demand this. Small lives in Southold, New York.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 351 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821761129
• ISBN-13: 978-0821761120
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,075,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bertrice Small is a New York Times bestselling author with more than 34 novels in print. She lives in the oldest English-speaking town in New York state. Her website is bertricesmall.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, Deceive me... please!, May 30, 2000

By 

Amanda Purol "Artrus" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deceived (Paperback)

I suppose there's always a difference in tastes... and I guess that I'll be the first to give this book a good review. I'd mentioned before that Hellion was my favorite Bertrice Small book... well, this one ranks right up there with it. I know the reviews haven't been so fantastic thus far but I quite enjoyed this book. The characters of Aurora and Valerian were absolutely magnetic. I liked Aurora's boyishness and thought it was rather interesting that though she -was- rather hoydenish, she didn't deny her femininity and was passionate enough to be dubbed an 'eager virgin.' Valerian I liked because though he almost hated Callandra, he wasn't unfaithful... well, except maybe in his head... and truthfully, what man can honestly say that he's never fantasized about someone else? It only added to the realism of his personality. Valarian knew what he wanted and wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers... he felt the passion sizzling and wasn't about to relinquish control of that feeling by letting Aurora go. He defied society and the conventions therein and took what he wanted. ...There was also the added comedy tossed in by the characters of St. John and Trahern... two of London's finest idiots. All in all... this is an enjoyable book... so don't be 'deceived' by the other reviews here. The best you can do is to read the book for yourself.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, January 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Deceived (Paperback)

This is the first book I've read by Beatrice Small and I couldn't put it down. The "shock" value kept me entralled! Ms. Small is very explicit and I found such to be refreshing! Most historical romance books are filled with "fairy-tale" stories with men and women who once they meet, never look at another person or make mistakes. Ms. Small's characters are definitely not perfect and I like this extra touch!! I am now on a mission to search out and buy all other books by this author!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book!, May 26, 2000

By 

J. Austin "jodylync" (Dublin, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deceived (Paperback)

I am stunned by the reviews. I really enjoyed this book as it was a departure from her Scottish / English books from early centuries. It was also a slight deviation from her boy-loses-girl-to-handsome-stranger-in-a-far-off-land plot. The boy didn't have the girl till much later. Callie and Aurora switching places promised to be a lively telling. Callie let her sudden entrance into English society go to her head. Not even the logic of her sensible stepsister could bring her to heel. I was amazed that once Callie was out of the picture, that Valerian moved so quickly. I truly enjoyed the humor towards the end of the story when they played their "little trick" with Trehern. I hope other Bertrice Small fans who were not happy with this book, gives it another try.