Not What She Seems

May 06, 2013 Jessica Bowers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not What She Seems
By Victorine E. Lieske

This exciting story of a woman on the run from her terrible abusive past will have you on the edge of your seat. Emily Grant and her four year old son, Connor, are trying their best to keep the past behind them. She is currently on the run until she meets a wonderful, handsome, caring, man named Ethan, actually the billionaire Steven Ashton, and she begins to fall in love. When she realizes who he really is she devises a plan to get money from him so she...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Tonya rated it 2 of 5 stars

What I liked about the story:

1) The whodunit surprise at the end.

What I didn't like about the story:

1) The love story was stilted and cold. I didn't feel any love between Steven and Emily at all.

2) There were too many suspects/plot twists/crimes going on at the same time. Multiple murders, bribery, illegitimate children, domestic disputes...the list can go on and on. You don't have to add everything to have an interesting story.

3) Connor was not believable at all. He didn't act like a 4 year o...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Dave rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I have read on Victorine Lieske's success as an indie author on Kindleboards, and saw her mentioned in the NY Times top 100, so I was very curious. I like mysteries, but the combination with romance did not appeal that much, to be honest.

The romance part fitted seamlessly into a tight, well-crafted plot, however, and added depth to the main characters, Steven and Emily. The mystery element was executed extremely well. At one point there was not one character in the novel I did not suspect. And I...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

So, I got really into this book from the very first page. Immediately I was curious about Emily and what was going on with her and Richard and how her little boy Conner fit into everything. Each page kept me on edge, anxiously wondering what was going to happen next. I felt like there were too many twists and turns toward the end and I really hated how it ended with Emily just falling asleep.

I really wanted more details about her and Steven and where there relationship was headed after they fou...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Celia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: celia-can-read

Storyline:
Victorine truly has a victory with this sweet romance/suspense story!
It started off really well and grabbed my attention right away; at times it was difficult to put down and I nearly missed my stop a couple of times on the way to work. (This would have definitely been no bueno because I am not a morning person and having to do any extra walking in the morning is not my idea of fun!)
The story is easy to follow, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. At the end,...more Storyline:
Victorine truly has a victory with this sweet romance/suspense story!
It started off really well and grabbed my attention right away; at times it was difficult to put down and I nearly missed my stop a couple of times on the way to work. (This would have definitely been no bueno because I am not a morning person and having to do any extra walking in the morning is not my idea of fun!)
The story is easy to follow, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. At the end, it’s obvious what is really going on and, like any movie where the audience is supposed to figure it our before the main characters, you want to shake them and tell them what’s happening!
The ending was very nicely done and didn’t leave you wondering what happened to this or that character. Except, well, I wish it would have maybe been a tad bit longer just so that we could see how the wedding went.
Grammar/Spelling:
I noticed some minor grammatical errors and formatting issues. Though, I feel that neither of these took away from the overall enjoyment of Emily and Steven’s story. I have a feeling that the formatting issues are mainly due the literal format of the Kindle itself.
Character Development:
The characters were very well-developed, likeable and definitely relatable. They all seem like people I have known throughout my life. (Well, I haven’t known that many billionaires, but I can at least say I’ve known some decent folks like Steven.)
Emily is a beautiful, sincere woman and has done everything she could to keep her son safe. Richard also has moments of likeability and even seems to care a great deal for Emily. I also loved Rose’s attempts at match-making and her love for her stubborn husband is sweet; as is his mother’s interest in his love life and general happiness.
Writing Style:
I did have some issues with the lengths of the sentences. I understand that a short, choppy sentence is necessary and, at times, truly helps emphasize the urgency of certain aspects of the characters’ situations and story. But, I felt that there were many occasions when the sentences could have been combined for a much smoother reading experience.
Also, there were a few instances when it seemed as if the narrative leaned more towards a running inner-monologue. I thought that the differences in Steven’s outlook on the situation and Emily’s take on the same situation were executed wonderfully. I just felt, at times, that it was difficult to understand whose perception we were reading.
Continuance:
I did not notice any issues with continuity.
Overall Rating: 4+
Overall, I loved the story of two people running from either their past or daily life, only to have both of their lives coming screeching to the forefront of everyone’s life. I would give this book a solid 4.5 star rating and recommend it to anyone. I know exactly was Victorine meant by a “sweet romance” and hope that this genre really takes off!
(less)

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Sep 02, 2010 Patricia A. Woodburn rated it 5 of 5 stars

An Excellent Beginning
Emily believes that she killed her husband, William. Steven Ashton, a billionaire, tries to escape from his high society life by travelling incognito to Nebraska. Emily and her son, Connor live with Richard, an obnoxious High school friend who controls Emily with the belief that she is wanted for murder.

Richard cooks up a plan for Emily to gouge money from Steven Ashton, now called Ethan. Emily half heartedly complies with this, but feels guilty.

Ethan and Emily start to d...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Alice Yeh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hide-and-read-reviews

I chose this novel after seeing a great number of Ms. Lieske’s posts on Kindleboards. The summary sounded interesting, so I figured, “Oh, why not? It’s only $2.99.” For the price, it was certainly a bargain, and hundreds of sales and positive reviews don’t lie, right? Right.

I’ll start off with the good. The storyline was interesting, keeping the reader in a constant “whodunnit” frame of mind. Every suspect had a reasonable motive, and all of it tied together rather nicely in the end.

Now, for the...more I chose this novel after seeing a great number of Ms. Lieske’s posts on Kindleboards. The summary sounded interesting, so I figured, “Oh, why not? It’s only $2.99.” For the price, it was certainly a bargain, and hundreds of sales and positive reviews don’t lie, right? Right.

I’ll start off with the good. The storyline was interesting, keeping the reader in a constant “whodunnit” frame of mind. Every suspect had a reasonable motive, and all of it tied together rather nicely in the end.

Now, for the less appealing part of review-writing. In general, I’m able to appreciate shorter sentences. Few people can imitate Charles Dickens today and get away with it in that respect. With that being said, the language was occasionally choppy, which would have been really distracting were I not so drawn into the plot. There were also a couple of instances were a bit more variety would have been nice, such as scenes where “said” or “asked” was used first in one line, then again in the next…but this is nitpicking.

I was very interested in the heroine and what became of her. Overall, however, a lot of the emotions felt forced. The groundwork was there, but a few more chapters scattered throughout the novel would have developed the relationships and connections and character backgrounds a bit more. For instance, the interaction between Steven and Emily wasn’t sufficient for me to believe in their feelings for each other. Motives were also being thrown in left and right without giving a reader the time really to absorb it all and weave it into his own mental construct of the complicated web of intrigue. In short, the fast-pacing of the story came at the cost of credibility. There were minor editing errors, but they weren’t egregious enough to give me pause. I think I’ll dub them “reasonable.”

Something to note about the Kindle file is that the formatting left something to be desired. It was difficult to detect scene changes, chapter headings were formatted exactly like the text and were thus hard to notice if you’re trying to flip back and look at something, and none of the rows of asterisks were centered. I would have loved a table of contents, too. Ebook formatting is a nightmare, though, and has nothing to do with the author’s ability to write, so this comment has zero bearing on the overall review.

Overall, I did enjoy this story. I did. I just wish that there had been more of it to flesh things out.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads

Is Emily Grant an innocent young mother, or is she a hard-boiled killer? Billionaire Stephen Ashton must decide before it's too late.

Okay, let's be honest. The book is a quick, easy read and not a deep, philosophical tome. A beach book for certain. And as a fan of Patricia MacDonald and LifeTime Movie Network romantic thrillers, I adore these kinds of books (just like I adore all other 'bad for you' things: M&M's, movie popcorn, sweet iced tea...you get the idea.) But while Lieske's book cer...more Is Emily Grant an innocent young mother, or is she a hard-boiled killer? Billionaire Stephen Ashton must decide before it's too late.

Okay, let's be honest. The book is a quick, easy read and not a deep, philosophical tome. A beach book for certain. And as a fan of Patricia MacDonald and LifeTime Movie Network romantic thrillers, I adore these kinds of books (just like I adore all other 'bad for you' things: M&M's, movie popcorn, sweet iced tea...you get the idea.) But while Lieske's book certainly fits the romantic thriller genre, there are a few things that spoil it.

The best thing about Not What She Seems (other than the gorgeous cover) is the plot. The story moves fluidly and quickly. It keeps the reader guessing until the final page. It also plays out very satisfactorily. I actually found the book quite gripping and read it in under two days (which is a *huge* accomplishment for a slow reader like myself). The story might not be entirely fresh, but it is well constructed. I also like the multiple points-of-view. Lieske should be applauded for her adept plot structure.

What I didn't like, however, was the writing itself. The dialogue was terribly stilted, and there were a lot of passive sentence structures (Mrs. Smith saw this... Mr. Jones felt like this...). Unfortunately, that style of writing will encumber even the best of plots. Also, the four-year-old boy in the book was perfectly behaved. In fact, he was so perfect he was basically a robot. Tell him to go to bed, and he immediately complied. Ask him to trust this stranger, and he did so without question. He was more like a picture of a boy than a real kid. Finally, the other characters were very cardboard as well. Like I said, this book wasn't meant to be the Great American Novel, but I needed more depth in the characters.

Because this is Lieske's first book, it isn't a surprise that her writing isn't perfect, but she has a terrific start here in this novel. I would definitely try her books again. Not What She Seems is a fun, quick read and perfect for a summertime reading list.(less)

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Jan 08, 2011 Vicki Keire rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's been quite a long time since I read something in this genre, and I was happy that when I did, it was with a good read like this one. I'd call this a sweet romantic suspense. The writing was excellent. Ms. Lieske kept up a fast pace that didn't drag or get boring or, alternately, go so fast as to lose the reader. Her writing was lean but descriptive- no long, flowery, unnecessary expostions here. Her dialogue was believable, as were her characters. In fact, I developed quite a fondness for s...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Roy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Lieske's suspense/romance "Not What She Seems" lives up to the title, in that I was expecting more of a suspense/thriller, but ended up with a sort of light paced romance novel, instead.

Which might not be a bad thing, if that's what you're looking for, but romance wasn't on my mind.

I did enjoy that there were some elements of mystery involved (who killed her husband? What's the secret everyone is so touchy about? Is the friend everything he seems to be?), but, by the end of the novel, I found...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Craig Hansen rated it 5 of 5 stars

NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS by Victorine Leiske is a stunning debut novel. Although categorized generally under romantic suspense, this is no Harlequin or Silhouette romance, and although the book will appeal to women, it’s not exactly “chick lit,” either, because anyone who enjoys a good edge-of-your-seat thriller will find this novel appealing.

Personally, I’m a fan of suspense authors; it’s one of my favorite genres. I like some of Thomas Harris’ pre-HANNIBAL novels, I’ve enjoyed most of what James Pat...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not What She Seems starts out with billionaire Steven Ashton trying to get away from the stresses of his life and business for a while, and finding some peace in a small town in Nebraska. He meets a young woman and her four year old son, and soon gets wrapped up in their life and trying to help them. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know that she is wanted for questioning in a murder and is thought to be a con woman. Events spiral out of control and Steven is torn between trying to help her and not kno...more

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May 19, 2013 Kevin Bowser rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, first of all, I am really glad I read the book before I read the reviews of the book. If I had read the reviews first, I am ight have skipped this little gem.

Come on. Be honest. Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to be a gazillionaire and try to imagine what their life must be like? Maybe I am the only person who has (although I doubt it.)

This story is about a young billionaire, Steven Ashton, who becomes disenchanted with his life. He becomes tired of the lifestyle and the w...more

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Mar 09, 2012 02malloryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do you like mystery, murder, suspense, and a plot that keeps you guessing? Then this is a great book for you. Not what she seems is full of all those things and more like backstabbing friends, over protective mothers, and a love story that continues throughout the book. Something that I really liked was how the book kept me guessing the whole time! It wasn’t until the last couple pages that I realized who the murder was. Another thing that I liked was how the book gave just the right amount of...more Do you like mystery, murder, suspense, and a plot that keeps you guessing? Then this is a great book for you. Not what she seems is full of all those things and more like backstabbing friends, over protective mothers, and a love story that continues throughout the book. Something that I really liked was how the book kept me guessing the whole time! It wasn’t until the last couple pages that I realized who the murder was. Another thing that I liked was how the book gave just the right amount of detail and feeling. Something that I didn’t like was how at parts the book felt like it was dragging on. Other than that, this was an amazing book.
How this book kept me guessing me amazing! Every time I thought I knew who did what and why they did it, the book showed me things that made it so it couldn’t be who I thought it was. In the book a man named William was murdered, by who they don’t know. The police think that it was Emily, his wife, so she runs off with an old friend of hers. She knows that she needs to get away from him, or he might hurt her and her son. So she decides to try to get money from a man that she agrees to go out with only to get money from him. Well she starts liking him, and he likes her. His name is Steven Ashton, a millionaire from the city. He is in disguise so he won’t be recognized. He is trying to get away from his high life for a while. He eventually finds out the truth about her, and she finds out the truth about him. They both love each other, but they will not admit it. Steven spends the entire book trying to prove Emily innocent. While doing this we meet many other characters, and that is what the book is about. The suspense level almost never goes down. I thought it might be the man Emily ran away with, then I thought it was Williams best friend, then I thought it was Williams’s old girlfriend. The book kept me guessing the whole way through. At the very end, the book finally revealed who was the true murderer. One reason this book kept my guessing might have been that it was really good at describing things.
This book was really good at describing things, but only things that were important, you might need to know later, and it wasn’t terrible long or extensive. It just gave you the information you needed, and I love books that do that. It also had lots of emotion in it. Whenever it would talk about William’s murder, you knew how the characters were feeling. When it said things about William being abusive you could feel how Emily felt. This book was good at describing things, and it would give you just enough description to give you the information you needed.
This book was pretty good at keeping my entertained most of the time. However, there was some parts where I was wondering when it was going to pick up. Parts like when Emily and Steven first met, or the funeral scene could have been at a faster pace. Even though there were parts that I thought could have been picked up a little bit, overall it was a wonderful book.
This book has so many things that people love. Murder, mischief, lies, backstabbers, overprotective mothers, and an unexpected twist at the very end are things that happen throughout the book. It could have gone at a faster pace in some parts, but it kept me guessing most of the time and had the perfect amount of description. That is very hard to find. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a really quick and easy read. (less)

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Jan 15, 2011 Elizabeth Svigar Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I found myself thinking about it between reads, wondering what was going to happen, suspecting different people of different actions and motivations, and dying (ha!) to get to the end to find out. This lovely romantic suspense novel begins with us meeting Steven Ashton, a lonely, good-looking billionaire. Then we are introduced to an interesting cast of characters… and a somewhat unsolved murder, though Lieske crafts well to that also.

Plot: A cat-and-mouse-and-cat-and...more I really enjoyed this book. I found myself thinking about it between reads, wondering what was going to happen, suspecting different people of different actions and motivations, and dying (ha!) to get to the end to find out. This lovely romantic suspense novel begins with us meeting Steven Ashton, a lonely, good-looking billionaire. Then we are introduced to an interesting cast of characters… and a somewhat unsolved murder, though Lieske crafts well to that also.

Plot: A cat-and-mouse-and-cat-and-mouse-and-dog story…Lots of people with a various motivations to do some pretty wild stuff, with romance to make it come alive. Like I said, it was most engrossing, and though at times I was irritated with the characters’ emotional blindness. Anyway, I find myself struggling a bit to write this review and not reveal too much of the story so as to disappoint readers, so let’s say that it’s fast-paced, keeps you guessing, and surprises you at the end. Maybe a little too much surprise at the end, but you will not see the end coming. In fact, I was happily heading up one road, convinced I had figured it all out, only to find I was wrong, wrong, wrong. A good suspense novel should do that, and Not What She Seems delivers.

Setting: Various places in the US. Scenes are well done, well crafted, believable, real. I had a good sense of the hotel, the small town, the big city. I would have liked to have seen more use of smell, but other than that it was quite descriptive.

Characters: Well developed and interesting. Steven Ashton was my favorite, probably because he’s the strongest character both in terms of personality and in the amount of time we spend with him. He’s immensely likable. Emily is a bit weak for my taste, and I would have liked to have seen her rescue herself a few more times than she did. But all of the characters’ emotions felt very real to me, and I felt like I knew them personally.

Style: Very nice. Fast-paced, quick, fun read. The end is a little too quick – I would have liked a bit more at that point, but it’s possible I merely enjoyed the book so much that I was disappointed to have to say goodbye to the characters. A minor typo caught my eye, but there were few of those.

Overall Impression: Four and a half stars. An excellent read,particularly on a cold, snowy day during which you want to relax with a fun, engrossing read. Not What She Seems isn’t trying to make some grand statement about the world, and it doesn’t have to. It just pulls you in until the last breathtaking scene.(less)

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Aug 21, 2012 Sherry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steven Ashton is a Billionaire and Bored. He hasn't found a woman to share his life with. Most woman cant see past the dollar signs. He leaves one day to get away from all the craziness of life. He wants to find a simpler time . Then on his journey he meets Emily. Emily is single mom with an adorable little boy Conner. Emily is on the run. She has a past that she is trying not to think about and a bleak future ahead with a man she thought was her protector. She has to get away from Richard, he h...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Contemporary romantic suspense is probably my favorite type of book, but only if the plot is complex and unpredictable, and the tension is balanced with some lighter scenes and/or humorous moments. Victorine Lieske’s "Not What She Seems" gets high marks from me in both of these categories.

Now, for about the first quarter of the book, I was not impressed. There were only a few important characters, and I thought I had the whole plotline figured out lickety-split. I was wrong. At about that point,...more Contemporary romantic suspense is probably my favorite type of book, but only if the plot is complex and unpredictable, and the tension is balanced with some lighter scenes and/or humorous moments. Victorine Lieske’s "Not What She Seems" gets high marks from me in both of these categories.

Now, for about the first quarter of the book, I was not impressed. There were only a few important characters, and I thought I had the whole plotline figured out lickety-split. I was wrong. At about that point, the story underwent the proverbial “plot thickening”, like a well-made holiday gravy. Many more locations, characters, and twists and turns began to unfold, and the initially simple plot turned into a roller coaster ride with no easy exit (I actually read everything beyond the first chapter in one 24 hour span). A plethora of potential suspects presented themselves, all with reasonable motives and opportunity, such that I was reminded of a lively round of “Clue”, where everyone from Miss Scarlett to Colonel Mustard was looking good for the deed.

With all of those characters and locations, however, I would have liked to have seen a little more development of personalities, interrelationships, and time spent on setting. But I may be alone in this; many readers prefer the fast-paced, plot-focused novel and find the other elements merely a slow down.

As this is an indie published work, I was prepared for formatting and technical difficulties in this book, but instead, it was as free of those problems as any traditionally published novel I’ve seen. I only spotted two or three spelling/grammatical errors (and they were hard to spot!), and I found NO point-of-view slips (my personal pet peeve). There were a couple of minor plot elements that struck me oddly, and I found the action at the climax scene at Vincent’s house a little confusing, but these were minor flaws that didn’t detract from the overall effect.

Finally, as mentioned, I appreciated Ms. Lieske’s moments of humor that broke up the otherwise breakneck pace. She made me laugh out loud more than once, notably at the “Spiderman sheets” comment. If you are a reader who enjoys steady action, a complex plot that keeps you guessing, and prefer to go easy on the life histories and weather reports, your money will be well-spent on Victorine Lieske’s "Not What She Seems".(less)

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Dec 19, 2010 Patricia Rockwell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not sure what to label this book--a romance, a mystery, or what. There is certainly a heart-warming romance between a very likeable and deserving heroine--Emily--and her prince charming protector Steven. There is also mystery--as the title implies. Did Emily kill her former husband or not? Some of the characters suggest she did--others suggest she didn't. Add to the mix, Emily's precocious young son Conner and you have all the elements for a super exciting read. Emily and Conner are in jeopardy...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Kayla Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've got to admit, I'm a sucker for romance. Love stories, chick flicks, basically anything that includes chemistry between a man and a woman and you've got me hook line and sinker. I think that's partly the reason why I picked up this book in the first place, but it was the crime/mystery that kept me reading. I don't have much criticism but if I have to say anything, it would be that usually I enjoy a couple of plot twists towards the end to keep me on my seat but this novel had ALOT, dare I sa...more

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Mar 01, 2012 bookwrite1 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Steven is a famously wealthy man who has a holiday planned, away from his rich trappings. He soon becomes attracted to Emily, a young woman with a child, who appears to like him despite having no idea who he is.
The quiet beginning holds interest through character interaction as Steven reaches the town of Huntington where a couple called Rose and Frank make him feel very welcome.
Steven meets Emily again and gradually comes to have romantic feelings for her, but as time unfolds he finds there is m...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Rebeca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: free-kindle-ebooks, awesome-lead-characters, contemporary

This book's ending passed by quickly and was rushed. It was cute, but too rapid (still talking about the end). There was definitely a shocker about William's real murderer (I was surprised), but the idea of having the book revolve around a murder case and have the killer not be any of the professional investigator's/ police's suspects is too cliched. Not What She Seems had a delicately unique and exciting writing format, plot, and plot devices. I loved Lieske's word choices and contexts (e.g. d...more

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May 12, 2011 Cathy Speight rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-edited book. I was avidly page-turning by page 2 – always a good sign. The main ingredients of this book are the usual essential, good-looking, rich bachelor and the beautiful, but baggage-laden girl. They are poles apart, how will they ever get it together? And that of course is what has you hooked – but throw in the elements of a who-did-do-it-really thriller and you are gripped by a book you cannot put down. The author keeps you guessing, right till the very end...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This is definitely a suspenseful book that had me turning pages and increased my heart rate more than once. It isn't perfect, but I don't think that fact prevents it from being an entertaining read. One of my main issues with the book is that the 4 year-old boy, Connor, was not completely believable to me (currently having a 4 year-old boy myself I feel qualifies me slightly). There is so much going on around this kid and so many conversations that happen in his presence that directly involve hi...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic_suspense

Not What She Seems is a very deftly woven suspense romance. Victorine Lieske does a great job of drawing you in and keeping you guessing. The plot twists were all fantastic and kept me guessing and the final reveal totally took me by surprise. The only two areas where I would "ding" the book:
1) There were a couple of places where the dialog was stiff. Overall, the dialog was great, but a couple of lines were overly formal.
2) The ending was a bit anti-climactic. Right when you got the big reveal...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Kechelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-and-reviewed

Goodness, it’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a book. So a sincere apology there to anyone who reads these.

Victorine E. Lieske was born 1972 in Nebraska. Victorine has written one novel so far, let’s hope there are many more to come!

I won Not What She Seems through Good Reads, much to my delight. When the book arrived I was reading Echoes by Jackie Hyman, oh how I wish I’d put that book down and read Not What She Seems sooner.

Billionaire Steve Ashton takes a vacation to escape the pressu...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good suspense book. Many times I thought I had it figured out, but I didn't at all. (I was close!) There could have been more character development, and when the main guy started falling in love with the girl, I wasn't feeling it at all. Usually by then, I'm like, "yes!" but it didn't hit me like that. I was more, "Really? Why?" Not that I disliked the main character. She wasn't my favorite. But, I just wondered what he saw in her, because I didn't feel like...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Karen Fowler rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a fast-paced, quick read that will keep you up past your bed time if you're not careful. There is an underlying romance, but I didn't find that aspect as captivating as I'd normally like- but perhaps that fault is mine ( I'm used to fiction that's a little more PG-13) but while I wished there had been a little more depth in the relationship, the rest of the novel was very well plotted. Part thriller, part mystery, this book succeeds in melding genres with finesse. The characters are...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Cindy Meilink rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not What She Seems is a story about a woman and her child on the run trying to escape her past. Lucky girl is befriended by an eligible bachelor billionaire, Steven Ashton, who, it so happens is not only rich, but good looking as well.

The secret she hides about a murdered husband leads them both into some rather dangerous situations, but it does end with a "happily ever after" feeling.

Although it was an interesting storyline and the author was able to completely surprise me on the "who did it?"...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Jenny Gottlieb rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apart from a murder/suspense plot that actually worked for me, the rest of this book was totally contrived. A chance meeting between a BILLionaire and a woman on the run. He complains that women only want him for his money. When he sees the same woman a few weeks later, several states away, he THINKS NOTHING OF IT. Uh, hello!!?? How exactly was she able to follow him across several states and guess his EXACT location? The ridiculous "love story" plays out from there. The only surprise in this bo...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Adam Graham rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun little read due to the fact we're dealing with a billionaire hero and a heroine wanted for murder. It has a certain fairty tale charm to it. There are a few places it could be tightened up. There were probably technically too many point of view characters. And it has to be said the characters are somewhat stereotypical and thin.

That said, what Lieske wrote was the type of book people like to read, no matter how well-worn the characters are. It's not an instant classic, but it's not a compl...more

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BBCode	[url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/8665548-not-what-she-seems?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360571640l/8665548.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/8665548-not-what-she-seems?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Not What She Seems by Victorine E. Lieske[/url]

Not What She Seems

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