The Fine Art of Deception was a lively, paranormal romance novel. I enjoyed the concept of “past lives” that was within the plot, and the fact that the two main characters were psychic was also intriguing. While most of the story is set in the present, we also get to dabble in the past and see who Blake and Addie once were.

Addie, our main protagonist, has allowed her bad experiences from her previous relationship to keep her from falling in love and also has trouble fully accepting the psychic abilities she has been given. Throughout the novel, readers will see Addie’s definite growth into a more confident person, and her eventual coming to terms with her abilities and start to use them as a powerful asset.

I thought the romance between Blake and Addie was sweet, even though they seemed to fall for each other instantly without knowing each other for very long. Usually I don’t like “insta-love” in novels”, but this couple’s relationship made sense since they already have a established “connection”.

I also enjoyed the thriller aspect of the novel in which Addie goes to work for a art business, in order to find out what really happened to her grandfather. Otto hides his dark secrets and dirty dealings from the public, and it’s up to Blake and Addie to catch him in the act. The story ends at a good point and leaves loose ends leaving you wonder where the story will take off in the next novel. ( )

I don't know where to begin with this book, as I enjoyed it so much I was completely overwhelmed. In the midst of reading a ton of books, I picked this one up and thought I'd read the first chapter just to get a feel for the story. About half the book later, I finally looked up and realized I'd read for about an hour and a half. This story is simply amazing and once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. I absolutely loved the author's writing style and the main character. The story just pulled me right in and the setting and premise were ones that I really enjoyed, namely, the art world and the supernatural world. Alyssa Richards excels at plotting, pacing, characterizations, setting and dialogue. Everything just came together in a seamlessly wonderful reading experience that I would recommend to anyone who loves these types of books. It's unique in its genre and the storytelling is absolutely perfect. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series and anything else this author writes. ( )

The Fine Art of Deception is a paranormal story about Adeline, or Addie, who has the ability to read objects and 'see' their history. This makes her perfect for the job of art evaluator. She gets a job at her family's old firm and is drawn into a plot involving forgeries, murder, and the stolen art from the famous Gardner heist. Addie is also haunted by her past lives with her soul mate, Jack, and by real ghosts.
Blake is an art gallery owner who is secretly working with the FBI to catch the thieves and uses Addie to help him in his quest.
I don't want to give too much away although some of the plot points remain unresolved for the next book in the series to solve. I found the beginning of the story slow and Addie kind of whiney, but I persevered and found that the book got much better though there were still too many plot holes to make this much of a mystery.
I didn't understand what the ghosts had to do with the story. They could have been left out, especially Frank, as they didn't really add to the story. I also didn't understand why Addie had been out of work and not having sex for seven years (since her fiance cheated on her). Maybe a couple of years, but she needed to get over it. Of course, she's apparently wealthy since there is detailed descriptions of her designer clothes, etc., but considering her angst over her last job, I would have thought she would have worked harder to find a new job before seven years went by.
Of course, when she and Blake finally get together, the sex is explosive. There is one more 'twist' before the end where Blake decides he knows what's better for Addie, but otherwise the story was fairly predictable. Still, the writing was good and I enjoyed the descriptions of the art world enough that I grabbed the second book. I received a copy of this book for an honest review. ( )

Adeline Montgomery and Blake Greenwood come from families with paranormal abilities. Addie can touch an item and get visuals that link to the creator, owner or what happened surrounding the item. Blake is a pusher able to influence those around him. They both seem to be able to “feel” the supernatural and experience ghosts to varying degrees. And, they have experienced lifetimes together in the past.

In this book Addie finds a job in the business that her grandfather helped establish. Both her father and grandfather disappeared mysteriously at some point in the past – perhaps related to the business. Otto Albrecht, a rather shady character, now owns the business and utilizes it for his nefarious purposes.

Told in first person from Addie’s viewpoint the story tells of good and evil and has paranormal aspects, suspense, ghosts, romance, intrigue and more. I want to know more about the families of Adeline and Blake and wonder if they will get their happily ever after in this lifetime or just a happy for now.

Thank you to the author for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ( )