Deceptive Innocence by Kyra Davis

Narrated by Gabra Zackman

Deceptive Innocence was originally published in three novella-length installments. Earlier this year, they were combined into one volume. I was really pleased to see that Audible, Inc. chose to record the compilation, as I’m a huge fan of books based around revenge, but not such a fan of novellas.

Our heroine calls herself Bell. We don’t know her age, although I would guess, based on things mentioned in the story, that she’s no older than twenty-two. She purposely keeps most things in her life a secret, for Bell has a plan, and, in order to pull it off, every secret must remain hidden.

When Bell was ten, her mother was convicted of murder. Initially, Bell believed the police and basically disowned her mother. When her mother commits suicide while still in prison, Bell began to rethink the events that led up to the murder, and ended up deciding that her mother was set up by the powerful Gable family. Now, she’s ready to get her revenge. Her plan is solid. She has her story straight. All she needs to do is seduce her way into the bed of Lander, the youngest Gable son.

Lander and Bell have a lot in common. They are both incredibly goal-oriented and secretive. Their passions run high, and, once Bell begins spending time with him on a regular basis, the lines begin to blur. Is Lander really her enemy? How can she be so attracted to a man who helped send her mother to prison? Will she be able to carry out her plan, even if it means betraying the man she is quickly beginning to have feelings for?

Narrator Gabra Zackman did a fabulous job bringing the story to life. She has a very distinct voice, low and breathy. At first, I worried that the breathiness would make her male characters sound too effeminate, but I need not have worried. Ms. Zackman was able to make both Lander and his older brother sound very masculine. Lander was given a deep voice with a hint of something that reminded me of a purr, while Travis spoke in a manner that made it clear how much of a villain he was.

It was sometimes difficult to separate Ms. Zackman’s depiction of Bell from the general narrative. However, this didn’t turn out to be nearly as much of a problem as I originally feared. The story is told in first person, exclusively from Bell’s point of view. So, in essence, Ms. Zackman’s narrative became the voice of Bell.

This is one of the hottest books I’ve listened to in some time. Bell and Lander have a lot of sex, and Ms. Davis doesn’t always use pretty words when writing about it. Ms. Zackman made the sexual tension practically sizzle. The breathiness I mentioned earlier was quite an asset. I could tell just how into each other these two were.

Is Lander our hero? Well, that’s a complicated question, one not even Bell can answer until the book is nearly over. It’s obvious that Bell is falling for Lander, but we don’t know how he feels about her. The book is based on lies layered a mile high. Finding the truth was part of the fun of listening.

Be warned! Deceptive Innocence ends on a definite cliffhanger. My first thought upon reaching the end was “I need a sequel”. Hopefully, Ms. Davis will deliver one soon, and, if Audible chooses to record it, I hope the talented Gabra Zackman will be chosen to narrate.

Shannon

Narration:  A-

Book Content:  A

Steam Factor:  For your burning ears only

Violence:  Domestic, fighting

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Audible, Inc.

Deceptive Innocence was provided to AudioGals by Audible, Inc. for review.