Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Red Deception by J.C. Murtagh




Judith Timbolt lives a life of poverty and servitude until the day she finds a new beginning in the hands of the deceased, Lady Lora Noire. Donning her red cloak and identity, Judith embarks on a fairytale life she could only dream of. When she steals the heart of the powerful Baron Blacwin, her dreams become a reality.

Will Judith's fairytale unravel or will she be able to uphold her falsehood under the cloak of deception she has weaved?


A romantic novella, this was a quick, pretty fun read.
The best thing about the book is that the writing is fresh. It is not slow or dull, instead grabbing and keeping the reader’s attention from the beginning. The romantic scenes are handled nicely, with just the right amount of tension. Judith, the protagonist, is interesting to follow on her struggles, although I would have liked to have read a bit more of her internal fights, especially when it related to leaving her son behind. She seemed to do it without too much trouble, which, despite whatever domestic situation she was going through, should have caused her more pain than it did.

The main issue I had with the book was its length. I feel like there is a much bigger story hiding in this novella. Judith’s actions are too rash, too quick, confusing the reader and making her less believable as a person. I would have loved to have read more about Judith’s day to day life with Garreth and his family, and then the contrasting version when she stays with the Baron. Their relationship, as well, would have benefitted from a fleshed out novel.

All in all, it was still a fun read which I can recommend to any of you who’d like something quick to read.










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