I absolutely loved the first two books of Roseanna White’s The Imposters series, and Yates has been a favorite character since the very beginning, so I was super excited for book 3, knowing he would be the leading man! While I really enjoyed reading his happy ending, this book was a lot more intense than I was expecting, so I want to start my review with a content warning that this book is much more intense than the previous ones and deals with topics like child abuse, human trafficking, and rape. They are handled with care, but I’m glad I read the book before my daughters so that, if they choose to read it, I am ready to help them process it.

If you haven’t yet read book 1, A Beautiful Disguise, you can see my review of it here. And book 2, A Noble Scheme, also did not disappoint! My review of it is here. And now, on to the conclusion of the series, An Honorable Deception.

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An Honorable Deception by Roseanna White

Here’s the synopsis from Amazon:

In the trying art of balancing investigations and love, a detective must determine his priorities when faced with dangerous circumstances that could threaten everything he holds dear.

As the leader of the Imposters, an elite private investigative firm, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon something much more dangerous.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects her longtime friends hold more secrets than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the esteemed Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. While she is happy for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her.

And the one thing bringing laughter back into her life—her friendship with Yates—lands her squarely on the disagreeable side of her best friend: his sister.

Tormented by a past she doesn’t dare voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the dark side of society, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble … even as they fight to hold fast to their own honor.

Mommynificent’s Review

I have enjoyed this series about The Imposters so much and was so excited to get to Yates’ story! I also really liked both of the female main characters that made up a sort of love triangle in this one. Both of them were very likeable and had compelling back stories, and I found myself rooting for each one of them to find their voice and grow as a person regardless of who ended up with Yates. I also really enjoyed the mystery element of this story. I was very invested and cheering hard for them to be able to save Alethia’s former nanny. I was pleased by the ending and felt satisfied for all the characters involved, but I won’t give away any more that that.

I do want to add a caution that this book was much darker than this author’s other books and deals with much seedier subjects and characters than her usual fare, including human trafficking, sexual abuse, and pedophilia. This is the first book of Mrs. White’s that I have some hesitation about letting my daughters read, and I may have my youngest teen hold off on it for a few years. The book is not in any way inappropriate or in poor taste; it just deals with some horrible realities. I do recommend that moms pre-read this one, even if your children have already read others from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a member of the author’s launch team.