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An Affair of... #2
An Affair of Deceit
Diligent attorney Abigail Mason doesn't have a lot of time--not for the father, a legendary spymaster, who abandoned her years ago, and not for the charming CIA agent who's suddenly asking questions about his whereabouts. But her interest is definitely piqued--just what has her father done to find himself in the agency's crosshairs?
A trained psychologist, Agent James Riley doesn't need his degree to figure out that the persistent, sexy Abigail will be a problem? both for his investigation and his heart. And while he needs her cooperation, he's not ready for the hands-on, dangerous role she insists on taking in the search for her father.
As the two uncover startling truths about a secretive past, can Riley shield the woman he's come to love from a madman who wants her to pay for the sins of her father?
This pulse-pounding sequel to An Affair of Vengeance tests the strength of love against the crippling power of lies.
A trained psychologist, Agent James Riley doesn't need his degree to figure out that the persistent, sexy Abigail will be a problem? both for his investigation and his heart. And while he needs her cooperation, he's not ready for the hands-on, dangerous role she insists on taking in the search for her father.
As the two uncover startling truths about a secretive past, can Riley shield the woman he's come to love from a madman who wants her to pay for the sins of her father?
This pulse-pounding sequel to An Affair of Vengeance tests the strength of love against the crippling power of lies.
244 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2013
23 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 4, 2013
This is the first of Jamie Michele's books I have read and it certainly wont be the last. This is a top notch thriller which could hold it's own in the genre. Abigail Mason's father has gone missing, which is a bit of a surprise to her. This is because, as far as she is concerned, he has been missing for 20 years. Now he has completely dropped off the radar and the CIA are looking for him. In comes Agent James Riley who is tasked with finding him. As this is a romantic suspense it will not come as a surprise to learn that the pair have an increasing attraction to each other. This, however, fits in well and the two stories work together. There are thrills and spills aplenty and the action takes place worldwide. The author demonstrates a good knowledge of the locations and describes them well. There is definitely tension and suspense in this book and some things I just did not see coming. An explosive finish adds to the overall enjoyment of the book.
The only thing I would say that in this book there are a couple of sections of adult content that you need to be aware of. otherwise an excellent book which I would highly recommend.
The only thing I would say that in this book there are a couple of sections of adult content that you need to be aware of. otherwise an excellent book which I would highly recommend.
March 30, 2013
Jamie Michele's second novel, "An Affair of Deceit" (Montlake Romance 2013) is as much thriller as a romance novel--and that's a compliment. In fact, she does such a good job of weaving the two genres together, you will consider it pretty close to real-life.
Let me provide some backstory. After two decades, Abigail Mason no longer hopes her father will return to the daughter he abandoned. She has become a top-notch criminal attorney and uses whatever anger she holds against the man she barely remembers against opposing lawyers. She would have left life to follow that path--hard-working, focused, few if any friends--except for the arrival of (here's the romance part) tall dark and handsome CIA agent James Riley. From their first encounter, in true romance fashion, she feels an unusual tingle of emotion, one which she resolutely ignores because it is not on her agenda. Events intervene and she finds herself chasing the shadows of her past side-by-side with this man she can't quite ignore, right up to the dramatic life-threatening ending (which, of course, includes a harrowing rescue).
Michele is a good writer. The plot is well-paced and keeps me interested without the constant intrusive references to love and lust found in most romance novels. The characters are well-drawn, though a bit flat. Abigail is logical to a fault, not unlike Temperance Brennan in Bones, but Michele does get a bit carried away with the caricature of Ice Princess Abigail who imposes her will on everyone--including the CIA (really? Would they buckle to her forceful approach?). Abigail isn't particularly likable, always thinking of herself, her approach, with little consideration for others.
James is drawn as her exact opposite--charming, warm, empathetic (with unruly, sandy hair, a crooked smile, and slightly wrinkled suit). He's almost bumbling, despite being described as brilliant, as he constantly is out-thought by the untrained civilian Abigail. The latter pushes credibility. I kept waiting to hear that she was undercover, but instead, the author vaguely explained it by saying Abigail had been on the CIA 'recruit' list since high school because of these very traits.
Despite the occasional over-review of information we the reader already know (Michele has some trust issues with her audience), this is a good book from a new author. I look forward to her future stories.
Let me provide some backstory. After two decades, Abigail Mason no longer hopes her father will return to the daughter he abandoned. She has become a top-notch criminal attorney and uses whatever anger she holds against the man she barely remembers against opposing lawyers. She would have left life to follow that path--hard-working, focused, few if any friends--except for the arrival of (here's the romance part) tall dark and handsome CIA agent James Riley. From their first encounter, in true romance fashion, she feels an unusual tingle of emotion, one which she resolutely ignores because it is not on her agenda. Events intervene and she finds herself chasing the shadows of her past side-by-side with this man she can't quite ignore, right up to the dramatic life-threatening ending (which, of course, includes a harrowing rescue).
Michele is a good writer. The plot is well-paced and keeps me interested without the constant intrusive references to love and lust found in most romance novels. The characters are well-drawn, though a bit flat. Abigail is logical to a fault, not unlike Temperance Brennan in Bones, but Michele does get a bit carried away with the caricature of Ice Princess Abigail who imposes her will on everyone--including the CIA (really? Would they buckle to her forceful approach?). Abigail isn't particularly likable, always thinking of herself, her approach, with little consideration for others.
James is drawn as her exact opposite--charming, warm, empathetic (with unruly, sandy hair, a crooked smile, and slightly wrinkled suit). He's almost bumbling, despite being described as brilliant, as he constantly is out-thought by the untrained civilian Abigail. The latter pushes credibility. I kept waiting to hear that she was undercover, but instead, the author vaguely explained it by saying Abigail had been on the CIA 'recruit' list since high school because of these very traits.
Despite the occasional over-review of information we the reader already know (Michele has some trust issues with her audience), this is a good book from a new author. I look forward to her future stories.
July 13, 2013
Even though reading the first book, An Affair of Vengeance isn't 100% necessary, I highly recommend it. You see, in the first book the two main characters are trying to take down this kingpin weapons dealer. In this book, we meet Abigale who's father is the spymaster for one of the agents from the previous book. Apparently, he and the kingpin, Kral, have gone missing along with all the missiles. So there is a lot of reference to the first book, and even though the author does a good job of filling you in, it's still nice to have known everything that took place prior.
Even though we know of agent Mason before going into this book, we really don't know him as a person. Since Abigale hasn't seen her father in over 20 years when her and her mother moved to America, she doesn't really know anything about him. So as the book progresses the readers, as well as Abigale, learn a little more about who Mason is. You start guessing whether he is in on the whole thing or a hostage.
I enjoyed the mystery behind the story but I also enjoyed the characters as well. Every character plays a role in this and is sort of like a puzzle piece. After finishing the book, you think back to all the interactions with the other characters and it makes sense.
My only complaint about this story is that there is a lot of rehashing of previous events during conversations. In the beginning, James and his superior go over all the details from the mission that took place when Mason and Kral went missing. That was fine since for readers who may have forgotten what took place in the previous book are caught up to speed. However, there were lengthy discussions about events that were already discussed or took place in this book and it happened more than once. Aside from these hiccups, the story progresses smoothly and you're never left bored. There is always something taking place.
If you are a fan of spy type romances, than this is a great series to pick up.
Favorite quote...
"Man, for being a psychologist, you sure are shit at reading women."
Even though we know of agent Mason before going into this book, we really don't know him as a person. Since Abigale hasn't seen her father in over 20 years when her and her mother moved to America, she doesn't really know anything about him. So as the book progresses the readers, as well as Abigale, learn a little more about who Mason is. You start guessing whether he is in on the whole thing or a hostage.
I enjoyed the mystery behind the story but I also enjoyed the characters as well. Every character plays a role in this and is sort of like a puzzle piece. After finishing the book, you think back to all the interactions with the other characters and it makes sense.
My only complaint about this story is that there is a lot of rehashing of previous events during conversations. In the beginning, James and his superior go over all the details from the mission that took place when Mason and Kral went missing. That was fine since for readers who may have forgotten what took place in the previous book are caught up to speed. However, there were lengthy discussions about events that were already discussed or took place in this book and it happened more than once. Aside from these hiccups, the story progresses smoothly and you're never left bored. There is always something taking place.
If you are a fan of spy type romances, than this is a great series to pick up.
Favorite quote...
"Man, for being a psychologist, you sure are shit at reading women."
April 26, 2013
Abigail Mason is a driven lawyer who keeps her emotions well buried. She is still mourning her father's abandonment of her and her mother and self-identifying her feelings for her father as both anger and indifference. While she and her Chinese mother have made new lives for themselves in the USA, they are estranged.
When charismatic CIA agent James Riley comes to see Abigail, she finds that she isn't as over her father's abandonment as she had thought. James tells her that her father has recently disappeared in Europe and was possibly kidnapped by gun running loony Lukas Kral. While Abigail professes not to care about her father, she still wants some sort of closure and wants to know why he abandoned her. She decides to investigate herself.
She and James meet up again in Europe and combine their investigations. Each is fascinated with the other but, while James is more open in his feelings, both of them have hidden secrets.
There were a vast number of coincidences in this story. James' and Abigail's parents knew each other when they were children. Both were raised by their mothers after James' father's death and Abigail's father's disappearance. Both have mothers who know a lot more than they are willing to tell their now grown children about the past.
Abigail was a hard character for me to understand in this story. She was so closed off emotionally that I didn't really connect with her. James was apparently much more open, cheerful, and optimistic but he still had a lot of hidden depths.
There was something about this story that kept me from really engaging in it. I can't identify what is was though. The writing was nicely descriptive and flowed well but somehow I just wasn't swept into the story. While there was nothing wrong with the book, it just wasn't the book for me.
When charismatic CIA agent James Riley comes to see Abigail, she finds that she isn't as over her father's abandonment as she had thought. James tells her that her father has recently disappeared in Europe and was possibly kidnapped by gun running loony Lukas Kral. While Abigail professes not to care about her father, she still wants some sort of closure and wants to know why he abandoned her. She decides to investigate herself.
She and James meet up again in Europe and combine their investigations. Each is fascinated with the other but, while James is more open in his feelings, both of them have hidden secrets.
There were a vast number of coincidences in this story. James' and Abigail's parents knew each other when they were children. Both were raised by their mothers after James' father's death and Abigail's father's disappearance. Both have mothers who know a lot more than they are willing to tell their now grown children about the past.
Abigail was a hard character for me to understand in this story. She was so closed off emotionally that I didn't really connect with her. James was apparently much more open, cheerful, and optimistic but he still had a lot of hidden depths.
There was something about this story that kept me from really engaging in it. I can't identify what is was though. The writing was nicely descriptive and flowed well but somehow I just wasn't swept into the story. While there was nothing wrong with the book, it just wasn't the book for me.
January 5, 2014
“An Affair of Deceit” by Jamie Michele started out with a bang. I could not keep up with all the twists and turns of this spy thriller. Anything that seemed normal wasn’t. The relationships among the characters, main and supporting, were very surprising.
Abigail Mason had not heard from her father since she was a tiny girl. The fact that a government agency was now looking for him and thought that she would have any information was ludicrous to her. Her feigned indifference gave way to undaunted curiosity as she struggled to find the link to her father on her own. James Riley, PhD, was not about to let her spy on her own. The connection between the two made no sense for most of the novel. This was a surprisingly good thriller. Just when I thought I didn’t want to read more, another sentence brought me back. Read this to the end. It is a really good novel.
I was sent a free print copy of this book by Night Owl Reviews in return for my honest assessment of the book.
You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-9l
Abigail Mason had not heard from her father since she was a tiny girl. The fact that a government agency was now looking for him and thought that she would have any information was ludicrous to her. Her feigned indifference gave way to undaunted curiosity as she struggled to find the link to her father on her own. James Riley, PhD, was not about to let her spy on her own. The connection between the two made no sense for most of the novel. This was a surprisingly good thriller. Just when I thought I didn’t want to read more, another sentence brought me back. Read this to the end. It is a really good novel.
I was sent a free print copy of this book by Night Owl Reviews in return for my honest assessment of the book.
You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-9l
Want to read
January 30, 2016This is a sequel to An Affair of Vengeance and starts a few days after the events of that book. It isn't necessary to read that book first to understand what is going on this in this book. In this book Peter(?) Mason is missing after everything that happened in An Affair of Vengeance and Riley and Abigail (Mason's daughter) are looking for him. Mason is the handler of Evangeline, the heroine in the previous book
June 17, 2013
A good mix of romance and thriller. Abigail resents her father for deserting her and her mother but still wants to know why. In comes James Ryan, CIA to try and find her father who may have been abducted. The past meets the presents. Ryan's parents and Abigail's were once very close. The connection is made very smoothly and a wonderful romantic ending eventually comes about
June 17, 2013
This was a great suspense and thriller book. When Abigail has not seen father in years and then she has the need to find him when he goes missing.
Dr. James Riley is looking for Abigail's dad but didn't expect to be looking for him with Abigail. As they look more secrets about there childhood and both of there dads come out.
Great book and a must read! :)
Dr. James Riley is looking for Abigail's dad but didn't expect to be looking for him with Abigail. As they look more secrets about there childhood and both of there dads come out.
Great book and a must read! :)
February 18, 2014
Kept me interested to the end, brought up many emotions and feelings for me and the characters.
it has the thrills and excitement of a transporting good novel. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good read.
it has the thrills and excitement of a transporting good novel. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good read.
Read
December 28, 2014Awesome, keep as o n the edge of your seat, all with great sex too
Intrigue, sex, and great writing. I now need to see what else this author
Has written , great style and imagination.
Intrigue, sex, and great writing. I now need to see what else this author
Has written , great style and imagination.
May 19, 2014
Good book
Good book hard to put down. I enjoyed it. would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of story.
Good book hard to put down. I enjoyed it. would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of story.
January 23, 2016
This book was just bad.
December 10, 2014
This was a pleasant surprise. It was actually pretty good.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews