A Necessary Deception by Laurie Alice Eakes ~ review

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Revell (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800734661
• ISBN-13: 978-0800734664

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.

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About the book:

When young widow Lady Lydia Gale helps a French prisoner obtain parole, she never dreamed he would turn up in her parlor. But just as the London Season is getting under way, there he is, along with a few other questionable personages. While she should be focused on helping her headstrong younger sister prepare for her entré into London society, Lady Gale finds herself preoccupied with the mysterious Frenchman. Is he a spy or a suitor? Can she trust him? Or is she putting her family in danger?

Readers will enjoy being drawn into this world of elegance and intrigue, balls and masquerades. Author Laurie Alice Eakes whisks readers through the drawing rooms of London amid the sound of rustling gowns on this exciting quest to let the past stay in the past and let love guide the future.


My take on this book:
This book opens in March 1812 in England. Lady Lydia Gale has been a widower for three  years but she never forgot the last letter she received from her husband telling her about the Frenchman who had helped him. So when the Frenchman winds up in an English prison Lydia helps him attain parole, thinking she will never see him again, but instead she finds herself drawn into something that puts her family in danger. Can she figure out who the enemy is?


"A Necessary Deception" is the first book in The Daughters of Bainbridge House series. The main story of Lydia was quite interesting. She was someone who seemed to carry alot of guilt and blame from her unhappy marriage. She was a strong independent person who wanted to be in control of her own life.I thought Lydia's sisters Honore and Cassandra really made for a well rounded cast of characters, and actually I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see whose story we get next.


While I am a huge fan of historical fiction, I rarely read anything from the Regency period so I was pleasantly surprised by this book. From the suspense, mystery,intrigue,and romance the author weaves a story that easily captured my attention. The one negative thing for me in this novel was that at times the characters spoke French which left me guessing at what they were saying. Otherwise an enjoyable story with an underlying inspirational message woven in that left me anxious to read the next book in the series.


Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group