Guest Review by Debbie Lynne Costello of Laurie Alice Eakes's A Necessary Deception

Review of Laurie Alice Eakes's

A Necessary Deception

(Revell, 2011)

By Debbie Lynne Costello

The year is 1812. England and France are at war. Lady Lydia Gale is a young confident widow of a military man. In order to honor her dead husband’s wishes, Lady Lydia arranges parole for a French prisoner. Believing she will never see the man again, she feels she has fulfilled her duty and heads to her family’s home to help her ailing mother with her youngest sister, Honore’s, entrée into London Society and her other sister Cassandra’s wedding.

Before she makes it to London she is interrupted walking her cat at night by a man of mystery who keeps his identity hidden other than a name. He claims she is a traitor and has freed a French Prisoner and he has proof. He blackmails her into playing a dangerous game.

As if Lydia’s troubles aren’t enough the French prisoner she helped obtain parole, Christien de Meuse, shows up in her home wanting entrance into society. Lady Lydia finds herself having to make hard decisions to keep her family safe from harm and ruin.

As Lady Lydia is pulled deeper into the intrigue of spies, her two younger sisters are forever causing her trouble. But they aren’t the only troubling things in her life, Christien de Meuse has worked his way into her heart, but the question is can she trust him?

I love Laurie Alice Eakes’ unique ability to sweep you away into another world. Every historical aspect of her stories read true to time. You can be sure she’s done all of her homework. As she takes you from Dartmoor Prison, to Society in London, to balls and masquerades you can taste a bit of England history.

 I love her characters. It doesn’t matter if it is the hero, heroine, parents, sisters or one of the much lesser characters in the story, you will always find them well thought out and developed. You won’t find a cardboard character in one of Laurie Alice books. When you finish the book you’ll feel you are saying good-bye to an old friend.

Her ability to start a story out and hook you from page one and continue to keep you glued to the pages as you flip them frantically to find out what happens next is a true art. I can’t wait to read her upcoming Regency, Flight of Fancy due out October of 2012 in which Cassandra pursues her interest in balloon flight, her fiancé gets entangled with the Luddites, and they both pay what might be too high a price for their intemperate behavior.

Laurie Alice's books can be found on Amazon, as well as on Christian Book Distributors, and other book stores.

 Bio: Debbie Lynne Costello's tagline is Southern-Kissed Historical Romance. She is a member of ACFW and  HisWriters and writes Christian historical romance. She chairs the CROWN promotional group and is a member of HEWN which promotes Christian historical fiction in European settings. Debbie Lynne lives in South Carolina with her family. Debbie Lynne is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can learn more about her at her websites www.debbielynnecostello.com and www.theswordandspirit.blogspot.com.  Debbie Lynne also is co-hostess of www.fictionaddictionfix.blogspot.com.

GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of Laurie Alice Eakes’s books, choice of format.