Fatal Deception
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4.2 • 13 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
April Hunt "will keep you on the edge of your seat" with this heart-pounding romantic suspense novel of a military man and the one woman he can't resist (Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author).
Roman Steele learned a hard lesson about trusting others. While serving his country, he put his faith in the wrong person and lost a leg for his loyalty. So far, civilian life suits him -- as long as he doesn't have to deal with anyone. But when he's called in to investigate a break-in at a high-security lab, he finds himself butting heads with the lead virologist, a woman as infuriating as she is beautiful.
When criminals break into Isabel Santiago's lab and steal a deadly virus, she's desperate to find the culprits before they turn her research into a weapon. But first, she must put her trust in the brooding security expert who sees danger around every corner. As she and Roman race to track down the culprits, these two unlikely partners find there's more at stake for them than they ever imagined possible -- but only if they stop the enemy in time.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The prescient third romantic suspense novel in Hunt's action-packed Steele Ops series (after Lethal Redemption) focuses on a deadly virus with the potential to circle the globe. Dr. Isabel Santiago, one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases, hires the Steele Ops security team to investigate after a sample of a dangerous virus disappears from her lab. When the terrorists who stole the virus begin to test ways of transmitting it, Isabel and the Steele Ops team, including Isabel's strong, tortured love interest, Roman Steele, are forced into the field to prevent a pandemic. Though Isabel advocates social distancing, she and Roman still find moments to get super close and even meet each other's families. The plot is gripping, but Hunt relies on some frustrating contrivances to create suspense, as when smart, savvy Isabel breaks character to wander off alone and naively follow a stranger after Roman advises her to make sure a member of his team is always with her. Coronavirus will color the reception of this novel and may turn off readers looking for escape, but Hunt's talent is clear and readers will be pleased to note that there are plenty more Steele brothers and associates to match up in future installments.
Customer Reviews
Seductive and captivating romance
FATAL DECEPTION is the third instalment in April Hunt’s contemporary, adult STEEL OPS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the team at Steele Ops, owned and operated by the Steele Siblings. This is thirty-two year old, US war veteran Roman Steele, and thirty-one year old, doctor and virologist Dr. Isabel Santiago’s story line. FATAL DECEPTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Isabel and Roman) FATAL DECEPTION follows in the aftermath of a break-in and theft at the Tru Tech Lab. The FC-5 virus was stolen, and with it the possibility of biological warfare with the potential to wipe out millions of people. As the primary researcher at Tru Tech Lab, thirty-one year old, doctor/virologist Dr. Isabel Santiago finds herself on the defensive when the team at Steele Ops but most especially Roman Steele, lay blame for the theft at our heroine’s feet. A mysterious outbreak of potential cases of FC-5 has been reported in a small village in Alaska, and the team at Steele Ops along with Isabel Santiago fly out to uncover the truth, and in doing so track down the people responsible for the deadly theft. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Isabel and Roman, and the potential fall-out as Roman struggles with demons from the past, and the virus is about to get up close and personal with the team of investigators.
Isabel Santiago finds herself the target of the people responsible for the theft of FC-5 but our heroine, along with the team at Steele Ops are in the dark as to the who, what and why of the attacks on Isabel Santiago. Roman Steele continues to struggle in the aftermath of the war that changed the direction of his life but his struggle comes home when he finds himself falling for a woman who knows about loss as much as our hero.
The relationship between Roman and Isabel begins acrimoniously as Roman’s attitude and alpha-behavior directed towards our story line heroine. The team at Steele Ops suspects there is a sexual attraction between Isabel and Roman but Roman refuses to give in or admit he may be falling in love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are reintroduced to Steele Ops team: former Army Ranger Knox Steele and girlfriend Zoey Wright, retired Navy man Liam Steele , retired Marine Ryder Steele; FBI profiler Grace Steele and US Army Ranger / police officer Cade Wright; Hunter ‘Tank’ Dawson; former Marine sniper Jaz Curva; along with their mother Cindy Steele; Isabel’s grandfather Carlos Santiago; doctoral student Maddy Calhoun, and Isabel’s mentor Anthony ‘Tony’ Winter. The requisite evil has many faces.
FATAL DECEPTION is a story of betrayal and vengeance; power and control; secrets, lies, desperation and love. The premise is intriguing and suspenseful; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are energetic, charismatic and colorful.