Review: Desire and Deception by Sharon Buchbinder

Desire and Deception by Sharon Buchbinder

Publisher: Red Sage Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Pampered princess and daughter of a Mexican crime boss, Isabel (Izzy) Ramirez is a newly appointed assistant professor working toward tenure and promotion. Driven by voracious desires, including ambition for advancement in the legitimate world and lust for her boy toy, Izzy’s house of cards is threatened when the department chair confronts her about a major transgression. Izzy’s take no prisoners approach means she makes sure her boss can never expose her deceptions.

Graduate assistant and guy-on-the-side, Sean Richards wants Izzy to leave her sleazy husband. If she would only get away from that crook, he’s convinced that he can bring out the better woman who exists beneath Izzy’s tough sex siren exterior. He adores his hot blooded Latina and will do her bidding--up to a point. Despite the mind blowing sex, he can’t and won’t murder for her.

As Izzy’s nosy parker friend and colleague doggedly follows an obscure trail of clues about the department chair’s death, Izzy is forced to choose between reverting to the ways of her unredeemable father--or becoming the extraordinary woman she sees in Sean’s loving eyes.


Monica's Review

When I read the blurb for this story, I was taken by it. I wanted to know what path Isabel “Izzy” would take, the path of what her father wanted or become the good girl that was truly deep inside of her, buried in all the turmoil that she had been though in her younger years.

This story had a couple of different paths it was heading towards that kept me intrigued about who was Izzy and what was she capable of when she would go into her deranged tantrums. First when I came across her character she seemed like a sex vixen just wanting to empower her husband and her lover, Sean. Then you read more about Izzy and it seems that you just want to slap the crap out of her and yell at her to control herself. With her thoughts and actions you can basically come to the conclusion that she had a horrible childhood but that should not give her cause or actions she has done. Sean just might have just the right touch or words to make Izzy see that she can change her way of life and they could have a happily ever after together. He really tries to make Izzy understand that murder, and violence is not everything and that he truly loves her and will not leave her. At one point of the story I actually smiled with her action that gave me hope that maybe Izzy was not so bad after all.

Then you meet her friend Sarah and her troubles with wanting a family that have you guessing how she fits into the storyline. Yes, Sarah goes through a traumatic experience in Florida but she becomes obsessed with the situation and this might cause havoc in her marriage. Sarah needs to be careful and watch what she is doing and whom she is confiding in because people are not what they seem. Sarah gives people the benefit of the doubt but later in the story this might come back to bit her in the rear. Sarah has had the perfect life but there are two exceptions but even with that she was able to overcome her hurdles. Sarah truly has a generous heart that seems to be able to empower everyone around her even her husband. Sarah went through hell and back in trying to find out who murdered her boss but at what cost. This is not the only problem surrounding Sarah and her husband but something from the past comes back to haunt them and will really test their marriage.

This book started with a murder but the true storyline started with the investigation of her murder. With that investigation, it also led to other discoveries that I would have never guessed that these situations would have been explored in this story. It really took me by surprise. I highly recommend this book to any reader that enjoys reading a book mystery/suspenseful book.  Believe me, the ending will leave you speechless!

4 Tea Cups!