Deception (Haunting Emma, #1)

May 26, 2012 Audrey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Suspenseful, adorable, and creepy. Deception is the perfect novel for anyone with a fascination in the paranormal. In this book, a young woman named Emma Vaile experiences something otherworldy. Ever since "The Incident," she's been seeing things not a lot of people can. Is that's not enough to handle, her parents go missing and she gets shipped off to Massachusetts to live with Bennett, a family friend. Here, she learns the truth. She is a ghostkeeper. Not just any ghostkeeper. Emma has the abi...more

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Mar 18, 2012 J.Elle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brace yourselves. I was off work for the entire month of July and I read 30 books. Yes, 30. I thank the swimming lessons that I signed my son up for because he was so worn out after them that he took very long naps. It's becoming clear to me that I need to start jotting down my thoughts about books as I read them so that I don't read 30 in a month without doing one review and then must try and think back 30 days and 30 books ago. However, I will do my best. Without further ado, July Book #1: Hig...more

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May 26, 2010 The BookWhisperer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: series

Modern Young Adult Ghost story that will keep the reader guessing through the entire story. Emma is a very likable character that is about to discover she has abilities beyond her wildest imagination. She soon finds herself amidst a world where she is not only gifted, but hunted for her powers that sets her apart from all the others. [return][return]Deception is set in a very intriguing world where Ghostkeepers are constantly at work to keep the balance between the living and the dead. This allo...more Modern Young Adult Ghost story that will keep the reader guessing through the entire story. Emma is a very likable character that is about to discover she has abilities beyond her wildest imagination. She soon finds herself amidst a world where she is not only gifted, but hunted for her powers that sets her apart from all the others. [return][return]Deception is set in a very intriguing world where Ghostkeepers are constantly at work to keep the balance between the living and the dead. This allowing for an abundance of exciting characters that may not all be living. Nichols world is one where no one should be taken at for granted, and very few can be trusted. As a ghost story I did not feel the scary and spooky nature that typically accompanies this type of story. I find Deception to be intriguing and genuinely great story writing. Lee Nichols proves to be a talented author that will hold the readers attention to the very last word, and will control your thought beyond the last page. With her twists and turns you will find yourself done before you know it. [return][return]This was not only an awesome story, but an amazing love story all wrapped up into one. Emma and Bennett seem to carry a love that have struggled through time. Even with the immediate addition of feelings from Emma; Nichols recovers quickly and builds the relationship to its height in this story. I found this love to be mostly an unspoken attraction, but the emotion and attraction is undeniable. I love a story that can give you butterflies, and make even the reader fall in love. [return][return]The ending to this novel was drastic and unexpected; leaving me only to wonder how this author will be able to surpass herself in the next novel. It is difficult to create a story that totally changes after the climax, and that is the only way I can explain this novel. It was like a whole new story after Emma� s battle. Nichols also throws an extra twist at the very end of this novel that will cause the reader to question everything that the story has built. Don� t read this book looking for a quick and easy read; the story will demand your attention and focus. With so much detail packed into 304 pages; I can only guess what Emma� s second novel will bring. [return][return]Lastly, as in my tradition I like to talk a little about the cover. I love a book with a mystery cover. This is a cover that once you have the read the story the cover makes complete sense. While this book is no totally confusing, it did pack some mystery in the pages that I find to be a great addition to the cover. Unfortunately, after having read the book the character on the cover is not what my imagination had set for Emma. Though, as I am sure many other book lovers can testify that before even turning the first page this is an attractive cover that many love. [return](less)

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Nov 24, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

When her parents leave her to go on a mysterious vacation, Emma finds herself alone in San Francisco. Unable to reach her big brother, Max, she starts to worry about her family. Instead of finding freedom from being on her own, she finds loneliness and betrayal.

After being ratted out to Child Protective Services, Max's ex-friend and Emma's crush, Bennett Stern, shows up claiming to be her guardian. Whisked away to Boston, she finds herself enrolled in Thatc...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, arc, from-publishers, ya-paranormal-romance

3.5 Stars: I was looking forward to starting this series as soon as I heard about it, so I was more than excited when it arrived in my mailbox last week. This book actually really surprised me because Nichols delivers an exciting ghost story that left me wanting more. It’s definitely a great way to kick off a new series.

When Emma Vaile’s parents go on a business trip, Emma does what any other normal teenage girl does when their parents leave them at home alone; she throws a party. What Emma does...more 3.5 Stars: I was looking forward to starting this series as soon as I heard about it, so I was more than excited when it arrived in my mailbox last week. This book actually really surprised me because Nichols delivers an exciting ghost story that left me wanting more. It’s definitely a great way to kick off a new series.

When Emma Vaile’s parents go on a business trip, Emma does what any other normal teenage girl does when their parents leave them at home alone; she throws a party. What Emma doesn’t expect is for the police to turn up and try to send her to a half-way house because she hasn’t had any communication with her parents for a few weeks. When her brother’s best friend Bennett turns up to save her, he makes Emma move to New England. It is there she finds out she’s a ghost keeper, someone who can see and communicate with Ghosts. As Emma goes on a whirlwind journey trying to find out about her new powers and also crushing on Bennett hard, she finds out danger a waits for her and she is in the middle of it all.

Most of you know, I’ve tend to struggle with Ghost stories other than the odd few but this book has left me with a little bit of hope that Ghosts are just as good any other supernatural creatures. Deception is full of adventure, action, mystery and even has some very creepy scenes. I honestly don’t scare very easily and even though I wasn’t REALLY that scared reading this, it still left me with a teeny tiny scared feeling because Nichols descriptions are so imaginable and believable. It honestly gave me the chills in some scenes.

The characters are amazing! Emma is such a fun, lovable and quirky person. She has a fantastic personality and I loved the relationships she develops with all the other ghosts in the house. I also really loved her human friends too; Coby of course being my favourite but then Harry came in at a close second. I loved his sense of humour and literally had me laughing out loud. I have to say I’m a little disappointed where the author took Coby’s character. It’s a shame and I’m still trying to figure why it had to happen but I’m interested to see where it leads.

Now even though I enjoyed the overall story, the reason I rated it 3.5 is because you all know I’m a romance girl and there was only a little bit of a romance between Bennett and Emma. I honestly found it quiet hard to believe where their love came from. I felt there wasn’t much interaction between the two characters on the romance side and when something did finally happen, they were suddenly declaring their undying love for one another. To me, it just felt very rushed. Maybe the author intended it this way but I felt Nichols struggled capture their relationship and for that reason, I didn’t connect with them as much as I would have liked.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and I’ll look forward to seeing where the author now takes this series.
(less)

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Feb 02, 2011 Looksie (At Looksie Lovitz: Books and Wits Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-recommend

At first, I didn't want to read this book because the cover seemed very Middle Grade-ish. Yeah, this is one of those occasions where I wish I had not judged the cover. I was hooked by page one. The story is short but to the point. No filler. Every page had something that had my mind trying to work out the mysteries and romance.

Emma is left home alone by her parents but they seem to have gone missing. Girl is on her own until Bennett comes to the rescue. Bennett used to be a friend of Emma's brot...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, bloomsbury, ya-kids-teen, paranormal, mc-girl

Pretty good. I liked the concept of ghost-keepers, and the New England scenery was so gorgeously detailed... I could totally imagine being at Thatcher Academy. Deception is one of those stories where I found myself really liking the premise, liking the author's creativity, but wanting to smack the main character. Seriously. Emma was not my favorite person. But I did like Anatole and Celeste.
Soo...pretty good. I received a copy from Bloomsbury, which was super cool. This wasn't a book that I wou...more

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May 10, 2011 Penny rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sorry Kristi, I want to like this book as much as you, but I just can't. The last 70 pages or so make me want to ultimate punch baby dolphins or club baby seals. For the record, I did like the first three-quarters of this book.

Full review will be posted soon.

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Mar 09, 2011 Reading Vacation's Mom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

REVIEW

Deception is a story of survival. Emma finds herself abandoned. Her parents never return from a business trip, her best friend ignores her, Social Services are called, and she is shipped off to New England to live with a guardian. I loved how the suspense grew as Emma navigated through these events.

Deception is also a story of love. Emma’s guardian is a hot guy named Bennett. There is an attraction between these two, but they struggle with those emotions. Should Emma pursue romance with he...more

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May 12, 2013 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I haven't read a novel with ghosts in it since R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series, and that was, of course, back in elementary school. I never thought that I would fall in love with a teen series involved with ghosts now that I'm older.

I picked up this book mostly because the first few pages pulled me in. And then I was completely sucked into the storyline.

Looking back, I'm surprised that I wasn't creeped out by all the ghost appearances in this novel. I actually genuinely LIKED the friendly presenc...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Lauren Fox rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly, it was good, but not great. It just seemed like something was missing and the twists and turns didn't always add up. Kind of like the author thought, oh needs to be more confusing so I can stretch this out into a series. But I really some of the characters. But those were hit or miss too. I like Emma and Harry's witty banter and flirting. I felt that none of the other characters had much depth to them. Honestly, as far as a love story goes, it sucked. I wasn't invested in Bennett at al...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Madi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a girl named Emma Vaile whose parents, brother, best friend, and long time family friend/babysitting all up and abandon her in her home in San Francisco. Naturally, Emma throws a party, gets caught, and thrown in a halfway house for half a second before Bennett Stern swoops in and announces that not only is he her new guardian, but that she's coming to live at his museum-house on the other side of the country. For there, she's thrown into a private school, left in the big mans...more This book is about a girl named Emma Vaile whose parents, brother, best friend, and long time family friend/babysitting all up and abandon her in her home in San Francisco. Naturally, Emma throws a party, gets caught, and thrown in a halfway house for half a second before Bennett Stern swoops in and announces that not only is he her new guardian, but that she's coming to live at his museum-house on the other side of the country. For there, she's thrown into a private school, left in the big mansion with a phantom staff, and struggling with wicked sense of deja vu....

Kayso....

The story was entertaining enough but can we just be realistic for a second? Nothing about the set up makes sense at all.

1) Really? Your parents aren't horrid parents? They just left you with a flaky babysitter, a credit card, and ONE message saying that they'd be home soon? ESPECIALLY with this so called "Curlicue Killer" on the loose, his last victim being ONE freaking block away from your house! Give me a break.

2) So, you're hung up on this Bennett character and totally and unabashedly in love with him though you've only met him that once a bijillion years ago when he stayed with your family for TEN days?? Gag me.

3) This Bennett person is claiming to be your new guardian, you KNOW the papers are falsified, but you can't be bothered to demand where your parents are, who sent him, or even how he, a twenty year old college kid, is going to take care of you, because you're too busy making GOOGLY EYES?! Shoot me.

4) You're just going to go with him to Boston? AREN'T YOU THE ONE THAT JUST SAID HIS GUARDIANSHIP PAPERS WERE FAKE?????????? Why are you trusting this guy! I don't care how hot he is!

Man, you know what? I can't even go on with this. None, literally none, of the characters had any substance or personality. The ghostkeeper storyline is good enough, but to see that, you have to REALLY look past the unbelievably dumb premise and just... dispel the idiocy.

I don't understand why this book has such high ratings, to be honest.

***edit***

I ALMOST FORGOT! Why, oh why is this girl walking around in a slutty schoolgirl outfit for half the freaking book? The point of that tidbit waaas?? *ears grows ten times larger to hear explanation*

And also, where, Lord, is the background. They reference all these things with "The Incident" and Max and Abby and whatever, but have you ever heard of SHOWING NOT TELLING??! I have literally no idea what any of Emma's family is like, but obviously the relationship isn't that good between any of them or the story would have, dare I say it, DEPTH. All I know, is that if I'd spent the past ten years around my parents' employee and second mom, it'd be pretty devastating for her to just up and quit right when you need her most. And better to the point, if I'm away from my mom for TWO nights, most times, I'm going a bit crazy with worry for her and longing. That's WHILE I'm texting her and checking in every five seconds. This kid doesn't give two foxes' ankles about the wellbeing of her family!(less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Tanya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Its one of the best paranormal books I've ever read!

Honestly, I am not a huge fan of supernatural scares, family secrets, and what not...but seriously speaking this book will not let you put it down - ultimate page turner!

The spine - chilling page turner starts out when Emma Vaile's parents leave on a mysterious business trip -- the perfect excuse for Emma to rebel - throw some parties, get a tattoo or just maybe a belly piercing, and simply just enjoy the first few weeks of junior year.
The...more Its one of the best paranormal books I've ever read!

Honestly, I am not a huge fan of supernatural scares, family secrets, and what not...but seriously speaking this book will not let you put it down - ultimate page turner!

The spine - chilling page turner starts out when Emma Vaile's parents leave on a mysterious business trip -- the perfect excuse for Emma to rebel - throw some parties, get a tattoo or just maybe a belly piercing, and simply just enjoy the first few weeks of junior year.
The trouble starts when the cops crash her party, and she then finds herself in the hands of a new guardian...her college-age knight in J.Crew armor, Bennett Stern. With him, she leads herself to his museum like mansion in New England, Massachusetts. After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular legacy crowd but can't seem to put the pieces together with the strange visions that haunt her throughout the day. And to add a lil sugar to her problem, she has memories of Thatcher she can't possibly explain, can she?
Emma doesn't trust anyone anymore...maybe Bennett. But how innocent can a college-age knight in J.Crew be? We all have secrets...and Emma's shining is about to reveal a ghostly secret - one thats the last piece to her haunting visions' puzzle AND make Emma fear for her life.

Its a bit creepy, and its got twists n turns at every corner, but its nearly impossible to not fall in love with Deception...oh and the gorgeous guys it keeps within itself [;
Its got all the elements to a perfect supernatural scare - secrets, betrayal, friendship, courage, and along with the normal girl problems dealing with the boys (love) [:
It certainly isn't like vampire diaries or twilight with the vamps who watch you at night or anything, but it sure as a secret society and ghosts. You don't know who to trust...but you will enjoy the ride.

Deception is only the ghostly beginning, and gladly there's a second book to the Haunting Emma series - Betrayal...I CANNOT wait to read it!

If you love supernatural scares, deep family secrets waiting to be revealed, and forbidden love, you are going to love Deception! You can take my word for it! [:(less)

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May 31, 2012 Ivonne Guevara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Me encanto el libro, debo decir que me llamaba mucho la atencion la sinopsis y pues no pude evitar leerlo, nos adentramos al mundo de los fantasmas pero no como lo hemos visto antes, estos van mucho mas alla y sobre todo con muchos Ghostkeeper alrededor, la autora nos envuelve en la historia desde el comienzo sin saber muy bien que esperar y sobre quien confiar, poco a poco vamos conociendo a los personajes, odiando a unos, amando a otros y dudando de muchos más por esa razon es imposible detene...more Me encanto el libro, debo decir que me llamaba mucho la atencion la sinopsis y pues no pude evitar leerlo, nos adentramos al mundo de los fantasmas pero no como lo hemos visto antes, estos van mucho mas alla y sobre todo con muchos Ghostkeeper alrededor, la autora nos envuelve en la historia desde el comienzo sin saber muy bien que esperar y sobre quien confiar, poco a poco vamos conociendo a los personajes, odiando a unos, amando a otros y dudando de muchos más por esa razon es imposible detenerse.
Emma, es una chica que lo tiene todo, se preocupa por los demas (aunque sean fantasmas) y esta dispuesta a hacer y proteger lo que ella crea necesario, sus padres han desaparecido misteriosamente y con sus nuevos "amigos" trata de salir adelante pero todo se le viene abajo por la traicion de Nicole, aqui es donde entre Bennet, el todavía no me termina de convencer aunque Emma este enamorada de él, es misterioso, arisco, casi no pasa tiempo en la casa y esconde demasiadas cosas, engaña a Emma y todavia quiere que ella confie en él, pues en verdad tengo mis dudas.
Tambien esta Coby, es todo lo que una chica puede querer, atento, se preocupa por uno, amigable, sincero y amigo pero como muchas veces pasa uno no puede mandar al corazon.
Los secretos alrededor de Emma cada vez son mas grandes y al sus padres tratar de protegerla tal vez hicieron cosas que no debieron, se encierra un gran misterio que todavia es dificil conocer lo bueno es que hay muchas fantasmas alrededor que pueden ayudarla pero las cosas pueden salirse de control cuando uno menos lo espera y las tragedias y accidentes son innevitables.
Cada uno de los Ghostkeeper tiene un poder o don especial y con los diferentes fantasmas que hay alrededor podemos conocer un poco mas de historia, con lo que paso en el pasado y quizas encontrar un punto en comun en que quiere ahora el Neos pero lo principal es como luchar contra él.
Cuando tu mundo se viene abajo y descubres cosas de ti que jamas pensarias que pudieran pasarte en quien confiarias? confiarias ciegamente en tu corazon? o en la razon? Muchas secretos enlazan esta historia y este es solo el comienzo... Solo queda esperar y descubrir quien tiene la razon pero sobretodo en luchar por lo que uno quiere y en lo que uno cree...(less)

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May 21, 2012 Kristin Lundgren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ya-paranormal

This light YA book is the first in a series of at least 3. Personally I think they could have been made into one larger book, but I guess they like to keep the teen books shorter at times. Series are big. This was a nice entry into the paranormal world, since it involved the ability to see ghosts, but also manipulate them, although Emma, the main character, doesn't know this. All she knows is that one day her parents, who away on a trip, can't be reached and she is taken by her "guardian," a guy...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Emma saw ‘imaginary people’ from the time she was very young – until one day one of them tastes her blood – and she’s sent off to the mental hospital by her parents. Years later, her antiquities dealer parents go on a business trip, disappear, and she is left alone not knowing who to turn to anymore.

Bennett Stern shows up with guardianship paperwork after Emma is picked up by Child Protective Services. She goes off to Massachusetts with Bennett and comes to realize that all of the imaginary peop...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Rebecca Alora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, books-read-in-2012, favorite-series

Okay...where do I begin on what is quite possibly my favorite paranormal read of the year so far?

I literally read this book and dreamed about it. Then, still having the flu, woke up and proceeded to read the other two in the series in one day. that is how invested I was in this series.

First of all I loved the characters. Every one of them grew to have their own MO and their own personality. I was absolutely astonished by the author's depiction of Emma. She wasn't a Barbie Doll, not in the sense...more Okay...where do I begin on what is quite possibly my favorite paranormal read of the year so far?

I literally read this book and dreamed about it. Then, still having the flu, woke up and proceeded to read the other two in the series in one day. that is how invested I was in this series.

First of all I loved the characters. Every one of them grew to have their own MO and their own personality. I was absolutely astonished by the author's depiction of Emma. She wasn't a Barbie Doll, not in the sense of her beauty. She doesn't have long luxurious hair or the perfect body or the most amazing clothes. She's a normal teenager with some not so normal abilities and surroundings. I think that a lot of paranormal novels that I have read in the past have jaded me in this sense. I loved that Emma wasn't the bombshell, but her best friends were. And guess what? She didn't feel inferior because of it! This girl has her head on straight about seventy-seven percent of the time and gets that life is about more than just her. Yeah she got upset and whined a bit, but she's a teenager! A good majority of the teenagers I've ever known have been exactly like that, except more so in the sense that they thought life was all about them and they whined every time something happened. Emma was likeable, relatable, and you empathized with her! It was absolutely brilliant.

The romance was kind of interesting. I loved both ends of it, from Bennett's general bipolar personality regarding Emma to the absolute lack of a real love triangle involving Emma. Emma is clearly head over heels for Bennett from the very beginning. And that twist at the end! I saw it coming just because of the simple fact that, well, I read all the summaries for the books. It made for a good plot twist regarding their relationship.

And as for the plot of the book, this book brought so much more to the table. It took such an interesting twist on things. I don't think I've ever read a book about "ghostkeeping" and I loved that. In a book world full of the paranormal standards it's refreshing to see something new. And the twists!!! Even when I thought I saw them coming, I absolutely didn't. Sometimes the twists even punched me in the face! It's absolutely insane how gorgeous this book was.

Also, the heroine does not choose the pretty boy to fall for. Sure, the boy she chooses is pretty, but he's not the epitome of it and it was nice to see her pick something to her own taste instead of the bombshell hearthrob of everyone else's taste!

Another thing that was fabulous about this book was that the characters had more problems than just the supernatural kind. There were characters that escaped from religious cults, characters with addictions, and characters that were in love with their best friend.

All in all this was a great start to an utterly fantastic series.(less)

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Jan 17, 2012 Lisa (Badass Bookie) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Short Story? – A very filling read! Nichols has written a wicked novel with everything from forbidden romance to murder mysteries! With a ghostly twist, Nichols has developed a very interesting plot filled with adventure and action. Very well developed character with good depth and personality, it’s one for all the enjoy!

The Long Story? – It was one of those books that you read and enjoy but it doesn’t really sway one way or another. An inbetweener, the books you read and enjoy but can’t re...more The Short Story? – A very filling read! Nichols has written a wicked novel with everything from forbidden romance to murder mysteries! With a ghostly twist, Nichols has developed a very interesting plot filled with adventure and action. Very well developed character with good depth and personality, it’s one for all the enjoy!

The Long Story? – It was one of those books that you read and enjoy but it doesn’t really sway one way or another. An inbetweener, the books you read and enjoy but can’t really work out why you enjoyed it. Nichols has written a very filling story, the plot is very solid. It’s got a little bit of everything, romance, action, mystery, suspense and adventure. The writing flows and its very nicely paced, comfortable read - a novel that you can easily lose yourself in! Very original, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything novel about Ghostkeepers. One definitely for the paranormal YA readers who enjoy and it’s just a great novel that’s going to leave you feeling very satisfied!

The things about the characters that really stood out to me was their backgrounds. Nichols has developed further on her characters, not only giving them a personality and a “life” but a history as well. There is history about their heritage and also personal history like what event shaped them to be who they are. It’s really quite an excellent characterization effort! Emma was a very “human” character, she had her flaws and her insecurities and that really stood out to me. You have characters who are just perfect in everyway and they’re nice but they’re not relatable. Bennett was cute, he had his moments but he made a good impression! I also loved the romance build-up, thank God for no insta-love! Keen to see where it leads in Betrayal!

In a nutshell, I can’t *really* explain why I loved this novel but I did. It’s just one of those feel-good reads that you can rest kick-up your feet and know you’re going to enjoy! Great plot, fantastic writing, amazing characterization – don’t pass up on Deception because it’s really worth your time and money :) Thumbs up!(less)

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Dec 14, 2011 Liyana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first time I came by DECEPTION in Borders, I wasn't sure whether to get it. The plot seemed interesting, with elements from other books that I liked: private school; relocation; family mystery; ghosts; murder; a paranormal setting; teen slang*.

The cover itself was gorgeous, and as I debated, I chose not to get it because (and while this seems silly) one sentence put me off: "Emma's knight in J. Crew armor". It made the story seem juvenile and teeny, and I was looking for something that actua...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Reading Teen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The thing that I really enjoyed about this book was Emma. She was so funny! Don't get me wrong, there were times when her boy-craziness really made me want to scream, "Take it down a notch, chick!" But mostly, I found her just adorable and laughably snarky. She reminded me of Frankie, and Evie, and Sophie, all those girls that I wish I could be friends with!

Deception was a mix of ghost-story, mystery, thriller, comedy, and romance. The lore that Lee Nichols created was incredibly fascinating, an...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Posted on K-Books
http://k-booksxo.blogspot.com/2011/08...

First of all I just want to say a big thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy of this book. I was really excited to receive this as I thought it sounded amazing and couldn't wait to get started.

There's only been one series about ghosts that I have read about this so I couldn't wait to start this one and find another ghost story I could get obsessed about. I loved this book, I think it was absolutely amazing.

Emma's parents myst...more Posted on K-Books
http://k-booksxo.blogspot.com/2011/08...

First of all I just want to say a big thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy of this book. I was really excited to receive this as I thought it sounded amazing and couldn't wait to get started.

There's only been one series about ghosts that I have read about this so I couldn't wait to start this one and find another ghost story I could get obsessed about. I loved this book, I think it was absolutely amazing.

Emma's parents mysteriously disappear so she it suddenly moved to New England and forced to start a new life at a new school. Suddenly she starts seeing people no one else can and she doesn't know who to turn to. Then she confides in her new guardian, who she has the serious hots for, Bennett and discovers she's not the only one who sees them. Emma suddenly discovers she has been lied to by her whole family, she is a ghostkeeper, someone who can see the dead and also have a power, but Emma is different, she's more powerful than any other ghostkeeper. Can she find a way to control her powers before putting people in danger?

I really loved this book, I thought the storyline was incredible and exciting and I was really hooked right from the beginning. There wasn't a lot of romance in this book which I was a little disappointed about but I think the storyline was so strong that the romance wasn't really needed in order for the story to be enjoyed. I was completely engaged by the storyline and I was on the edge of my seat all the way through wondering what was going to happen next. This book introduced you to the characters and the writing style really sucks you in and makes you feel so much for the characters so now I can't wait to find out what's going to happen with the characters and the storyline. I liked that romance started to come into the book at the end so I can't wait to read book 2 in this series. There is a lot of promise for this storyline and I'm really excited to have another ghost series that I am addicted to. I am so happy and grateful that Bloomsbury also sent me book 2 in the Haunting Emma series as I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next.

A great start to an addictive new series.(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

Probably 2.5 stars. I didn't love it, but was entertained.

What I liked -
The New England setting
Especially the fall. The fictitious Echo Point reminds me a lot of Marblehead, minus the weird pond with the water-boarding witch chair. The location made me happy that I live here.

Emma
I liked her chatty inner dialogue – and outer dialogue too. I enjoyed that I never knew what she was going to say, and she actually had me laughing out loud at several points.

Things that bothered me -
Emma’s abandonm...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Kristy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-think-you-should-read-this

First off, I HATE this cover! It almost made me not read this story, I know don't judge a book by its cover right??!?! Then I noticed that #1 in the title... and thought "oh no, not another series book".
Well, my instincts were wrong on this one. I loved this. I was so interested in the story. I loved the character and the ending was genius. I want #2 NOW!

Brief summary.... slight spoilers

Emma is not like other girls. She can summon ghosts and communicate with them and now she can dispell them. S...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Dark Readers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ghosts, Ghosts and more Ghosts. Deception is an amazing haunting tale of a girl discovering what she really is. I haven't read a book about ghosts in a while and Deception has reminded me of how much I love them. This romantic heart felt tale has made me swoon with each chapter.

I love the characters. My favourite ghosts are Celeste, Nicholas and Anatole these amazing loveable ghosts in this novel are beautifully written, Bennett the gorgeous lead guy that Lee Nichols has created. He is such a aw...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-5-stars

Plot: 5 Stars
The idea ghostkeeping was a very interesting and unique addition to the paranormal young adult genre. I really enjoyed that each ghostkeeper had a different skill. Too often when dealing with paranormal novels, the characters with powers always have very strong and wide-ranging powers. It was nice to see that most ghostkeepers could only possess one skill when dealing with ghosts. The events leading up to Emma ending up in Bennett's are quite surprising, and there were definitely so...more Plot: 5 Stars
The idea ghostkeeping was a very interesting and unique addition to the paranormal young adult genre. I really enjoyed that each ghostkeeper had a different skill. Too often when dealing with paranormal novels, the characters with powers always have very strong and wide-ranging powers. It was nice to see that most ghostkeepers could only possess one skill when dealing with ghosts. The events leading up to Emma ending up in Bennett's are quite surprising, and there were definitely some curve balls that I didn't see coming.

Pace: 5 Stars
This was a fast-paced novel that I just couldn't put down. I really enjoyed the novel being narrated by Emma. I don't think it would've been quite as enjoyable from third person, because you really got to know Emma and get into her head. Although there were many things going on outside of school, Emma continued going through the motions with classes. I always enjoy when an author remembers the little things and doesn't throw things like school out the window just because the paranormal aspect takes a hold of the plot.

Characters: 4 Stars
I was a bit skeptical of Emma in the beginning. She came off a bit shallow in the beginning, but I quickly warmed up to her as the story progressed. I hope future books deal a little more with her past because I felt there was a lot of unanswered questions from her childhood. Bennett was a great character, if a bit mysterious with his constantly disappearing to take care of things. The friends Emma made at Thatcher Academy were very interesting, without being cliched.

Cover: 4 Stars
This is one of those awesome covers that includes so many correct details from the story, that you can't help but notice. The cover model matches the description of Emma much better than many covers, and it even includes her mother's jade necklace. The mansion in the background depicts the museum she was living in with Bennett quite well. Even the smoke like image on the cover could be the shadows that plague Emma, since shadows wouldn't show up as well. All in all, this was a great cover.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment. (less)

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Jun 13, 2011 Alexandria Cintron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Emma Vaile’s parents go on a strange business trip, that’s when all of Emma’s wishes seem to have come true, so she thinks. She can finally get a tattoo, piercings, have a wild teen party and just enjoy her first few weeks of junior year. But once her family doesn’t answer her phone calls and her “baby-sitter” seems to quit, Emma is all alone, that’s all she ever wanted anyway. But as a 16 year old it’s tough to hang with friends, go to school, and take care of her family’s business of own...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Sarah Evans rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: washyarg

A solid entry into the paranormal romance genre with ghostly mysteries, hidden talents, and forbidden love. When Emma Vaile’s parents don’t return from a typical business trip for their San Francisco antique shop, she decides to stick it out on her own, getting herself to high school and running the shop. A mysterious new classmate convinces her to have a party which quickly gets busted, resulting in the sudden appearance of college age Bennett Stern, a former friend of her older brother’s and h...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Jackie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: supernatural, romance, mystery, magic, ghost, adventure, action

Deception ..

I'm having a second thought before I read this book. The book's summary is, to be honest, quiet intriguing yet, a little bit too' unoriginal, but I was wrong, on the latter part anyway.

So, all-in-all, the story line is pretty much OK. It was definitely unusual, and as far as I'm concerned, it's my first time to be able to read with such. But unfortunately, no matter how much I want to like this novel, its seems impossible. We just didn't CLICKED!.

Emma is definitely a strong heroine....more

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Mar 26, 2011 Sophie Riggsby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dont-tell-others-youre-my-fave

* * published on Mundie Moms - March 27, 2011* *

A few days ago, I was in one of those moods, where I was re-ordering the TBR pile on my nightstand (okay, and around it as well) and I picked up Lee Nichols’ DECEPTION. I remembered that a few of my friends, who are never wrong, recommended it to me and I thought hey, I might as well read it.

HA. Might as well read it? Let’s just say that I read it in a day, mostly thanks to my 5-year-old daughter who woke me up at 2:30 a.m. to tell me that there a...more * * published on Mundie Moms - March 27, 2011* *

A few days ago, I was in one of those moods, where I was re-ordering the TBR pile on my nightstand (okay, and around it as well) and I picked up Lee Nichols’ DECEPTION. I remembered that a few of my friends, who are never wrong, recommended it to me and I thought hey, I might as well read it.

HA. Might as well read it? Let’s just say that I read it in a day, mostly thanks to my 5-year-old daughter who woke me up at 2:30 a.m. to tell me that there are ghosts in her room. I immediately thought – where’s Bennett? So wide awake at that early hour, I picked up my half-finished book and didn’t stop reading it until I was done. I then promptly pulled up the Barnes & Noble app on my phone and reserved the sequel, BETRAYAL, at my local store. Listen, don’t judge me. It’s that good. Here’s why.

The story really starts when Emma gets whisked away to an exclusive private school by her preppy and not-that-much-older guardian, Bennett. Plausible? Perhaps. But here’s where Lee’s writing takes off. You see, it’s the lore. Lee’s world-building is so believable. The fact that Emma sees ghosts is something I completely bought into (no wonder my kid is having nightmares, right?). And placing the school in Massachusetts which has a history of witchcraft made the world even more concrete. Now imagine people with special powers who can communicate or command ghosts. See? You’re there with me. And all I can tell you is that Lee’s world gets richer and more detailed with every page as you discover, through Emma’s eyes, what it truly means to be a ghostkeeper.

In just about every review, I get asked, but what about romance (I really do pay attention to the comments section in my reviews)? And boy oh boy, does Lee know how to write romance (a certain dance on page 90 made my heart lose its rhythm for a few seconds). In fact, she brings a plausible Love Triangle into the story. On the one hand there’s Bennett, Emma’s older brother’s ghostkeeper friend. He’s someone she’s known for a while but he tends to ignore her and treat her like a younger sister. On the other hand, there’s Coby, the perfect boy on campus. But is he too perfect? And all along, you can’t help feeling that this is only the start and things are going to get way more complicated. And without any spoilers, I can safely tell you, there will be surprises. A quick aside to say if you adore snarky dialogue and banter, you will laugh your way through Emma’s and her friends’ exchanges. Their dialogues in Latin left me smirking.

Don’t let this book sit on your TBR pile, MMs, pick it up now. You will find yourself enjoying Lee’s funny, helpful, troublesome and yes, menacing ghosts. You will be surprised by the turns in the plot and you will be absolutely delighted by the romantic moments. It’s a witty, dark and well thought out story. Now excuse me, I’m half way through BETRAYAL and I need to know what happens next. I have a feeling that, once again, I’ll be reading late into the night.
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Mar 19, 2011 Kavanand rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emma Vaile is 17 and on her own. Her parents left for a business trip and seem to have dropped off the face of the Earth, her brother is also MIA, and her best friend won’t speak to her. And as if these things weren’t bad enough, she’s being bothered by some creepy visions. She tries to make some new friends at school, but one of them betrays her and she nearly ends up the custody of child services. Then her brother’s friend, Bennett, shows up to save her and promptly moves her across the countr...more Emma Vaile is 17 and on her own. Her parents left for a business trip and seem to have dropped off the face of the Earth, her brother is also MIA, and her best friend won’t speak to her. And as if these things weren’t bad enough, she’s being bothered by some creepy visions. She tries to make some new friends at school, but one of them betrays her and she nearly ends up the custody of child services. Then her brother’s friend, Bennett, shows up to save her and promptly moves her across the country to his home in Massachusetts.

Emma’s had a mad crush on Bennett ever since her brother brought him home from couple a couple of years earlier, but Bennett isn’t being particularly charming at the moment. He’s standoffish and dismissive. He enrolls her in a snooty private school, and she seems to be seeing people who aren’t there, which doesn’t exactly help her to fit it.

Emma is an entertaining character. Even though she spends a lot of the book confused and scared, she never loses her sense of humor. The mystery is skillfully plotted, and the slow revelations of who Emma is and what she’s seeing are well done. It was definitely a page-turner. Emma has two potential romances. She continues to crush on the seemingly unattainable Bennett, while her very sweet classmate Coby begins to pursue her, leaving her a bit confused.

Deception provides just the right mix of suspense, chills, mystery, romance, family drama, and humor. Some parts of the mystery are revealed, but the author keeps plenty in reserve for the next book. There are some tantalizing hints of what’s to come, and although the book doesn’t quite end on a cliffhanger, there’s a revelation at the end that made me want to grab the next book right away.

One minor complaint I have is about the cover. I’m to rather silly looking YA covers, but I don’t think this one does a very good job of selling the book. It feels a bit too Nancy Drew and doesn’t really convey the creepiness of the paranormal aspects of the book.
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Deception (Haunting Emma #1)

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