Reviewed by Dan

TITLE:    Defined by Deceit

AUTHOR:     A.E.Via

PUBLISHER:  Via Star Wings Books

LENGTH:     237 Pages

BLURB:

Life isn’t always fair, and that’s something that Llewellyn Gardner knows about first hand. His life was on the fast track until one night of extreme passion changed everything. Now eight years later, he’s still living with the aftershocks of that night. Everywhere he turns or runs, there’s another reminder. What the hell do you do when you try to drown your demons only to find out they can swim?

Shane Smith, Jr. owner of Smith Construction, could see the emotional turmoil within his new employee — it’s why he hired him. There was something about the gorgeous, misunderstood man with the overly expressive eyes that came to their small town with a past no one was willing to overlook. Shane could see the good in Llewellyn, and those eyes of his were a clear window to his soul. Shane wasn’t going to let the man live a future of solitude because his past had been plagued with deceit.

Llewellyn wasn’t sure what to think about Shane. After years of protecting himself from being tricked twice, he was now faced with worry again. What would happen to him if Shane didn’t believe his truth, and walked away? Llewellyn wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive being left alone. Again.

REVIEW:

I’ve got to say that A.E. Via never fails to satisfy. I’ve yet to read one of her books that didn’t leave me with a huge book hangover. “Defined by Deceit” is a prime example. I started it last night at 11PM, figuring I’d read a chapter and turn out the light. Oh no….I read until after 2AM when I finally forced myself to put it down. Then I was back up first thing this morning finishing it. I loved it.

When we first meet Llewellyn Gardner, he is an eighteen year old high school student, with a football scholarship as well as an architectural scholarship. He also has a hot boyfriend who he has been dating for several years. Life is good, and the future is bright. But life can change in an instant. When his seventeen year old boyfriend Moss’ parents find them in bed, things go to hell fast. Moss’ father is the town mayor, and no one is listening to Llew.

Bad things happen to innocent people, we hear it all the time, but then we move on to the next subject and forget about it. Ms. Via forces us inside that sort of real life story and shows us what really happens when bad things happen to innocent people.  Lots of bad things happen to Llew along the way, but luckily when Llew gets to his lowest point and his bed sheets and a beam are looking like his only option, an unlikely hero shows up in the form of Ace.  Too often in real life there isn’t a hero there.   I was intrigued by the character of Ace and his “connections”.  I’m thinking there is a great standalone story there for future telling as well!

Years later, when Llew comes home to the company he and his brother own and that his brother Leslie has kept going while he was away, people remember the story of what Llew did to the mayor’s son.   Almost overnight, customers start cancelling their accounts with Leslie and to save the company Llew is basically driven out of his hometown.  Leslie doesn’t want him to go, but Llew knows if he is around Leslie’s company will fail, so Llew decides to relocate to Henderson, North Carolina and start a new life.

Bad things continue to happen to Llew though when word of his background hits the streets in Henderson even before he is off the bus.  When certain facts are left out, like Moss’ and Llew’s ages at the time of the incident and everyone thinks he “likes” little boys, will he be able to live in this town?  Especially when the news hits most of the town at the end of a town meeting through the mouth of a spiteful woman with half the facts?  Will people get to know the real Llew? What about Shane, the man known as Smith Jr.?  He meets and then hires Llew without knowing Llew’s past, and there is a spark of interest between them….will he be able to look past the news he hears in the meeting? Will there ever be happiness for Llew again?

Ms. Via is an expert in developing full bodied characters. I feel like I know the characters in this book. She instilled such anger in me at Moss that I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room!  And through it all there was Llew, I just love Llew.

I could go on all day, and put lots of detail into this review, but it would all be spoilers and I’m not that sort of reviewer.  Read this book. You will thank me later. I can’t recommend it any higher. Love me some A.E.Via!

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon

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