An Artful Deception

by Karen Cogan

Lady Katharine is trapped between two impossible choices. Either she will marry the cousin she despises, or marry Philip, to whom she was pledged in childhood. The prospect of staying at her family estate with her uncle and cousin is so unfavorable that she chooses Philip to avoid an immediate attachment to her cousin. Suddenly, the accidental deaths of her traveling companions offer her the chance she has awaited. With no one left alive to vouch for her identity, she hatches a brilliant plan to exchange identities with her lady's maid, who was killed in the accident. But when the impersonation fools Philip, formerly her betrothed, she learns that it might have been a terrible mistake. Lady Katherine soon finds herself like a spider caught in her own web. When she is discovered in her lie, she must confess all, with disastrous results that leave her to wonder if she'll ever regain Philip's trust.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Ebooks

216 pages, Hardcover

First published August 10, 2008

About the author

A native of Houston, TX, Karen spent her early years enjoying life along the Gulf Coast. After high school, she attended Texas A&M as well as the University of Houston where she obtained a
B.S. in early childhood education. She has written numerous articles and stories, books for children and novels for adults. She particularly enjoys writing contemporary and historical romance.
She now lives in the Southwest with her family and assorted pets. For more information go to https://www.amazon.com/Karen-Cogan/e/... or https://www.facebook.com/karencoganfa....

Reviews

[NaDell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tricky plot when what the main character thinks will happen isn't quite what she expects. She tells one lie that explodes into a whole bundle of lies that are awfully hard to untangle, especially without family members on her side. Really well written plot and characters make this book fun to read and very suspenseful!

[Wealhtheow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lady Katherine is stuck with a terrible choice: she must marry either her odious cousin or a man who tormented her as a child. When there's a tragic carriage accident, Katherine seizes the opportunity and pretends to be her maid instead. But though this frees her from an unwanted marriage, it also means she must act as a servant. Katherine soon finds that life as a maid is far from easy, and even worse, that she may never be able to regain her true identity. Of course, it all ends happily.

I really liked Katherine's travails as a member of the lower classes, but the author seems to get bored with it (and the entire story) fairly quickly. If the story, and Katherine's romance, had been given a bit more time to develop, I would have liked this a great deal. As it was, it was an enjoyable way to while away an hour or two, but nothing more.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Either Lady Katherine must marry her odious cousin or a young man she has not seen since childhood and of whom she has no fond memories. When an opportunity for a third option arises, she takes it and the lies begin to build.

As a maid, Katherine was awful. Somehow, Lady Charlesworth finds her amusing and keeps her on. I did like that Katherine's lies are revealed and then she is in more trouble than before. Although I cannot say she grows much as a character, her journey was interesting.

This was a quick read with a predictable ending, but there were some twists along the way I didn't expect.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I would recommend to readers looking for something quick and simple.

[Janese · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical romance set back in the time of Lords and Ladys. It was an easy,quick, read. If you are looking for one that really sucks you in this isn't that one but it is a fun read.

[Danica is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It's an easy read, and definitely entertaining.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute fun read!

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, would have liked to seen more passion - not sex.

[Farnoush Bikdeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant quick read. Not a great work of litterateur but nice for reading at poolside, especially if you enjoy romance.