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Deadly Illusion: A Suspenseful Standalone (Secrets and the City Book 1) by [Kathy Lockheart]

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Kathy Lockheart

Deadly Illusion: A Suspenseful Standalone (Secrets and the City Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Kathy Lockheart (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 5,060 ratings

Book 1 of 4: Secrets and the City

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AN AMAZON TOP 25 BESTSELLER!

I was able to hide the bruises from everyone... until an MMA fighter came along. Now he'll die to protect me. Maybe even kill... He insists I stay with him for protection, but Damian is keeping his own dark secrets and warns me that anyone who gets close to him will be in danger…

Worse, my assailant is determined to finish what he started.

And now, my life, along with the lives of everyone I love…

… is in peril.

Can Damian and I survive and get our happily ever after?

Or will this fairy tale end in murder?

You’ll love this dangerous romance (standalone with no cliffhanger) because it will take you on an emotional rollercoaster involving dark secrets, deception, and murder, keeping you glued to the pages with heart-pounding suspense and blow-your-mind twists…

Book 1 of 4

Secrets and the City
Print length

358 pages
Language

English
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Publication date

December 10, 2021
File size

3099 KB
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Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

“When you find something to live for, you start to think that getting hit in the head on a regular basis isn’t such a good idea.”
Highlighted by 634 Kindle readers
“People don’t realize that there’s a good side to physical pain. It’s all your brain can focus on, and you get to escape the hell on earth that’s your mind for a little while.”
Highlighted by 546 Kindle readers
If I wanted a happy life, I was going to have to roll up my sleeves and build it myself.
Highlighted by 500 Kindle readers

From the Publisher

Deadly Illusion Kathy Lockheart Romantic Suspense Novel

"Where'd you get the bruise?" Damian demanded.

"I fell," I lied.

"Bull."

Damian's scrutiny was unyielding.

"Looks like someone grabbed you. Violently."

"What? No, it doesn't."

Damian clenched his fists. "If I ever see that piece of **** again, he'll get the beating of his life."

You'll love Deadly Illusion if you love:

Touch-her-and-perish vibes
Heroine in danger
Sports/new adult romance
A tear-jerker
Forced proximity⁣⁣
Romance with intense suspense
Secrets and dark pasts
Anti-hero book boyfriends

Editorial Reviews

Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This is the best book of the year for me! It's so well written - you can feel all the emotions like you're the one going through it all." ~ Katherine, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "From the first sentence to the very end this book holds you captive." ~ Paulette Alphas Review, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Deliciously dark and dangerous." ~ Alex Joyce, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I am at a loss for words to describe how truly incredible this book was! The writing, the characters, the story, every part of this book was perfect. ...makes you feel so many emotions...you are on the edge of your seat the entire time." ~ Kayla, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I believe this to be a novel that no one should dismiss as just another romance novel. It is so much more than that. I was on the edge of my seat the entire read and got teary eyed near the end." Katy the Sleepy Reader, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "...a story with countless twists and turns I didn't see coming. I couldn't put this book down!" ~ Sharon, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I could not put this book down and can't recommend it enough!" ~ Amy, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This book was full of suspense, intrigue, mystery , drama, and plot twist that keep you glued to the pages of the story as it unfolded. Great characters, brilliant storyline and easy to read." Elisha, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I would give this story ten whole stars if I could... Itcaptured me right from the first page, till the last (I was up all night reading)...This was a fairytale where there was a prince and a damsel in distress. However, the damsel did not wait for the prince to rescue her at any given time. This was a perfect modern day fairytale... I felt like I was right beside the characters as they went through love, loss, grief and everything in between. This is a novel you surely must not miss... I think everyone should read Deadly Illusion just to experience the emotions, the love and the eye-opening message that it has to offer. This is the kind of fairytale that would change our lives." ~Bhargavee, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "... as much heart pounding suspense and steamy romance that you could ask for. Once I picked it up, it was very difficult to put down as the plot and characters really suck you in and keep you hanging on for the next page." Alyssa, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I was absorbed in this story immediately. I enjoyed it at every turn." ~ Kristin, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This is a well written book with strong characters and an emotional story line. The author does a fantastic job building the story and pulled me in with all the heartbreak and suspense as well as the strong chemistry and romance. She had me glued to the pages with all the drama and tragedy as she moves the story fluidly with her beautifully painted scenes. Loved and recommend this book." ~ Brenda, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "The book had me in a roller coaster the entire time. Couldn't put it down. I was so absorbed by the story, and by Jenna and Damian. The fact that sensitive matters were put into words had me with my heart crying, 'cause I felt everything: the heartbreak, the sadness and all that suspense. And of course, the steaminess.I love it when books have this hold on me until the very end." ~ Catalina, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "An emotional heartbreaking book with such a powerful plot that I was left reeling when I finished it... A read that truly touched my heart and broke it but mended it in equal amounts." ~ Lauren, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"This was such a powerful and emotional story. I couldn't put it down from the very beginning to the end. An exceptional story that everyone should read." ~ Maggie, Goodreads review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Very powerful read that really pulls out all your emotions to the surface. Love and pain goes hand in hand. A must read, it's that good." ~ S I, Goodreads review

From the Author

❤️ SHORT EXCERPT © Kathy Lockheart. All rights reserved. ❤️

"Where'd you get the bruise?" Damian demanded.

I swallowed. "I fell," I lied.

"Bull." Damian's scrutiny was unyielding. "Looks like someone grabbed you. Violently."

"What? No, it doesn't."

Damian clenched his fists. "If I ever see that piece of **** again, he'll get the beating of his life."

❤️❤️❤️ LONG EXCERPT © Kathy Lockheart. All rights reserved. ❤️❤️❤️

I pointed my stick at his chest, noticing it no longer had blood splatter on it.

"For God's sake, Jenna! Is that really necessary?"

I clutched my weapon tighter.

Damian let out a frustrated sigh. "After what you saw, you really think a stick would stop me?"

"Yeah," I lied.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it by now."

"Comforting."

"You know I'd never hurt you."

"No, I don't. I don't know anything about you." And I didn't trust my judgment. It'd been wrong before...

Damian rubbed his ribs. Evidently, I'd gotten in some good swings. I shouldn't have felt a rush of triumph.

"Leave," I insisted.

He looked at me sharply. "You can't be serious."

"I'm deadly serious."

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm trying to be patient here, Jenna, but it's been a long night. You're wet and cold, and you need to come back to the truck before you get hypothermia."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not," I said, raising the stick when he reached for me.

"I'm not leaving you alone out here, Jenna, so cut it out!" He reached for me again, so I swung, but he dodged it and glowered at me.

How frustrating it must be to be so strong and yet powerless to move one small girl.

Damian looked up at the sky, then back at me. "Come back to the building, out of the rain."

"No."

"My truck, then. Lock me out if you want, but come out of the woods. It's not safe."

"No."

He scanned my body with a tightened jaw, clearly contemplating just throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me out.

"Don't even think about it," I warned. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I'm not leaving you alone out here," Damian said, irritated. The massive chunk of muscles took another step toward me.

I raised my bat.

"You go," Damian pointed behind him. "I'll stay, for God's sake."

"You might follow me."

"For the love of..." Damian's chest swelled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Why do you have to make this so difficult?"

"Because I don't know who you are!"

He held the back of his neck. "What do I have to do to get you to leave?"

Nothing. There was nothing Damian could do to convince me to leave with him. Not tonight, not ever.

This whole time he'd been hiding who he really was.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08XWLR74R
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 10, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3099 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 358 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1955017026

Best Sellers Rank: #581 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #5 in Mystery & Suspense (Kindle Store)
- #5 in Action & Adventure Romance (Kindle Store)
- #14 in Suspense (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 5,060 ratings

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About the author

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Kathy Lockheart

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Kathy Lockheart is an International and Amazon Top 25 Bestselling Author of Romance with intense suspense. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes that include dark romance antiheroes, enemies to lovers alpha tropes, and forbidden romance angst. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

Join her VIP Team and you’ll be the first to know when a new release is available and when there are specials or giveaways!

Website ➜ www.KathyLockheart.com

TikTok ➜ @kathylockheart_author

Facebook group ➜ KathyLockheartsSweethearts

Join Kathy’s VIP Team ➜ https://kathylockheart.com/join-my-vip-team/

Goodreads➜ http://bit.ly/LockheartGoodreads

Facebook➜ http://bit.ly/LockheartFB

Instagram➜ https://www.instagram.com/kathy_lockheart/

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

5,060 global ratings

5 star		56%
4 star		24%
3 star		14%
2 star		5%
1 star		2%

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Amazon Customer

I loved most of it

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 18, 2023

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I absolutely loved this book except for one part. This one part just completely ruined this book for me. I actually was thinking this was one of the best books I had read so far this year until this part happened and it completely ruined the book for me. I almost didn't finish the book but thought I should see how it ends even though it made me so upset and mad. So if you decide to read this book beware you will probably get upset during this book if you have any type of a heart and feelings.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

WOW!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 27, 2023

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I have to say.. this book is very emotional. It hits issues very close to home for me. If you have triggers with domestic abuse. Read with caution. Half way I cried a lot on and off, but the book definitely has its happy ending despite the trauma and loss leading up to the end. These situations definitely don’t alway turn out w a HEA in real life.
First time I’ve read from this Author.
I have to say to the Author.. you really put it bluntly. You didn’t hold anything back. Which made it even more emotional and real. As this is what happens more than people realize. Maybe this book will give those who need it the courage to do what they need to do, to get themselves out of danger and to the safety they most definitely deserve❤️.

2 people found this helpful

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Jessica

Good book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 23, 2023

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Such a great story. I couldn't stop reading it and the characters were so easy to like and fall for. Some parts drug on a little to much. But a great book in all together.

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R.A

Jeeze, what an emotional roller-coaster

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 8, 2023

Verified Purchase

For the first time in a long time, i cried while reading. I'm not going to spoil anything, but if you want to read this one, be ready to cry your eyes out. It's an amazing story, and well written. I could feel her emotions, jenna, as she battled against herself and her ability to "fix" him. Just be prepared and go in with an open mind. I had to stop a couple of times while reading just to really take in the story before going on. It's an amazing story of love, perseverance, and knowing your worth. Read it, you will not be disappointed. On to the next one !!

3 people found this helpful

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M Haywwod

I didn’t put it down until I finished it!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 28, 2023

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A very gripping story with crazy unexpected turns. I was pulled in from the start never expecting where it was all leading. I felt frustration and fear and she’d tears but the ending is pure hope and belief in true love and soulmates.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book was so fantastic! I read it for free with my kindle unlimited, but because it was so good I bought paperbacks and sent it to some friends so they could read it and talk about it with me. I feel like I need therapy after finishing it. Lol i stayed up several nights until I finished it. Who needs sleep when you can stay up with a great book?? Great characters, fantastic storyline, and some steam!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 3, 2023

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I don't write very many reviews. Mostly because I Have a hard time putting Into to words and to want to say. So I want to say thank you for writing this book. For bringing to light more on what it !looks like to be in a abusive relationship. People who have never been in one always say why didn't they just leave .
So Thank you

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 1, 2023

Verified Purchase

Being a victim of domestic violence myself this book hit home. My only disappointment in the book was her brother's death. Now I realize that in some books the death of a character serves a purpose but my opinion the death of this character didn't really serve a purpose. The main character has already gone through so much and just when they're getting ready to win against her abuser he is able achieve his goal and take one more thing from her before he dies himself.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Sam Webb

Suspense at its best

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 1, 2022

Verified Purchase

This one comes with some serious TW. Please take a look before you read.

The blurb drew me into this. “She was able to hide the bruises from everyone.. until the MMA fighter cane along. Now he’ll die to protect her”.
And the authors insta page. I love reels that are snippets and leave me wanting more 👀 go check them out!

Jenna moves & finds a seemingly awesome guy whilst rescuing a dog from an alleyway. Their relationship is all sunshine & rainbows - until it isnt. (This is where TW kick in - spoiler. Sorry)

Damien runs Sticks & Stones Gym. The building down from Jennas workplace. They meet at her bosses request of ‘team building’. Damien is an instant love character. We get drawn to him knowing hes the ‘good guy’.

Circumstances put Jenna and Damien together again and he takes it upon himself to be her protector. But he has his own secrets and painful history. The suspense in this is great, the spice was good. Im gonna go back to those TWs again though because they are big and are throughout this whole story. Do I recommend this? Yes!! It actually made me think of another really well known book and personally I rated this one higher, it kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat with its suspense. I HAD to keep turning those pages. Towards the end the heartbreak we experience I hadnt expected because ive never come across it actually written before (I love me a HEA) the events that follow for a short time I didnt love (my only down to this) but feel kinda had to happen for our HEA.

Kathys books can be read as standalones (to my understanding) but are interconnected too. This was a first for me from this Author. Id happily read more.

2 people found this helpful

Catherine Gardner

Didn't enjoy this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 15, 2022

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This was an awful story about finding your dream man only to be verbally and physically abused by him. I want to be taken up and out of the real world when I read so I didn't enjoy it at all. I only realised at the end if the story that it was written by the author to bring into focus abuse in relationships and that the writer herself had the same experience. Had I known this I probably wouldn't have bought the book and not because I want to Bury my head in the sand but I was looking for light romantic reading.

3 people found this helpful

Rebecca Murphy

Well written and eye opening

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 15, 2022

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This book was a little different to the light-hearted romances I've been reading recently but I quickly got sucked in to the story and couldn't wait to find out how it ended. The romance was definitely of the slow burn kind but it never dragged and felt natural between Jenna and Damian.
What I found most interesting about this book was the description of how domestic abuse can start and how someone can go from being convinced that an incident of violence is the end of a relationship, to justifying why they stay with their abuser. I have read books before which feature victims of abuse but it is usually already established before we meet the characters so this was an eye-opening viewpoint.
There was certainly a great deal of tragedy in this book (I won't spoil anything but there was an unexpected scene towards the end which had me tearing up) but it did have a happy ending. I will be definitely be checking out more of this author's work.

One person found this helpful

Louise Maryanne Monaghan

Wow

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 18, 2023

Verified Purchase

I was riveted every step of the way so im going to keep it short and sweet and leave it there, unlike any other review I give. Beware though, it is sad and I hate to admit that I cried but there you have it. Infact no, I'm not going to leave it there because it's important to lament what the author did here, usually when someone is a bad person in a book, there's a feeling the characters have and they're telling us subconsciously somethings not right and it can make the story predictable, I've read stories that have DV in them before but off the bat they're a bad guy, in this story, that's not the case, we see the good, we see the emotion, and we see the love that was there beforehand making it somewhat easier to understand how some people can and will hold out hope that it will change or help can be gotten. And I appreciate that because even though logically we know how abusers can be, everyone is different and sometimes unfortunately, even the good ones succumb to their circumstances so much that there's no longer good left, it made me see a different perspective and I definitely want to read another book like this

Lizzie

Disturbing and well written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 9, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is quite a disturbing story that highlights the spiral that a victim finds themselves in with a clever, manipulative person who twists and invents in the name of their own issues and inadequacies.
Jenna falls for perfection, Colton, a handsome, charismatic man who suddenly surprises Jenna. In the meantime she meets Damian, a troubled man who she finds attractive but she's committed to Colton. Then things go awry
This is a well written story that when reading, I was thinking stupid decision Jenna! There's a lot to unpack in the story with strong main and supporting characters and unexpected twists and turns.
It's well written and edited. Be aware though of the authors earnings about content

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"Where'd you get the bruise?" Damian demanded.

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Kathy Lockheart

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