Her plots are like rich desserts — sinfully delicious and hard to pass up.

An impecunious nanny worms her way into the Duke of Portsmouth's household in order to spy for a nasty group of Bonapartists who are holding her father prisoner. Evangeline de Beauchamp is impersonating an experienced widow as well, and it isn't long before the Duke suspects something, particularly when he catches her sneaking in and out of the caves near his private beach. It also isn't long before he, and every other man she meets, has fallen in lust with her. The gothic overtones, which include a dark castle, blackmail, a witch, and dangerous characters in the background, are well drawn and a lot of fun, but all of the panting sex as well as the Duke's breast fixation really get in the way. When the Duke and Evangeline finally consummate their relationship, the gasping and panting go on for nearly half a cassette. Denica Fairman is a good reader and maintains a smooth pace throughout. It is easy to differentiate the characters, and the various French and English accents do not distract, except for the Duke's mistress, who sounds like Baby Spice. Coulter is familiar to all library patrons as a prolific romance writer. This is not her best work, and the references to crossover characters and events from The Offer (Audio Reviews, LJ 11/15/98) may confuse some listeners. The Deception is a secondary choice for public libraries with popular audiobook collections.--Barbara Perkins, Irving P.L. Syst., TX Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

"Catherine Coulter delivers...straightforward, fast-paced romance." —Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Catherine Coulter is excellent at portraying the romantic tension between her hero's and heroines." —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel