Genre: Contemporary Romance

Description:
Beyond Love Lies Deceit- A Standalone Dark Romance/Romantic Suspense Novel 
Revenge: 
the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury 
or wrong suffered at their hands. 

Revenge is not the answer. 
There is no peace in vengeance. 
These are the things my mother taught me as a child. 
I must learn to forgive and through that forgiveness will find the means to let go. 
I used to believe she was right. 
I used to believe a lot of things... 
That was before the careless acts of one person ripped my entire family apart. 

I swore one day he would pay. 
One day he would understand what it felt like to lose everything. 
One day… 
And now that time has finally come. 

But just when I think I understand the rules, the game changes... 

I wasn't looking for love in my pursuit of revenge. 
It was the last thing I expected or even wanted for that matter. 
But it happened just the same. 

Now I'm trapped. 
Trapped within the lies I have created. 
Trapped in a game that I'm not sure I can win. 

I thought I knew the players. 
I was wrong... 

Now my very life hangs in the balance and there's only one person that can help me. 
But first he has to learn the truth about who I really am... 

My name is Samantha Cole and this is my story... 

Beyond Love Lies Deceit is a standalone romantic suspense novel. 
Due to the mature content in this book, it is NOT recommended for readers under the age of 18. 

My Review:
I was really excited to read this book. I've read some of Melissa's early books and enjoyed them. I am a big fan of dark romance. 

I was very disappointed. 

I will admit I am judging this book a little harshly because the author is proclaimed "best-selling author" and because she has numerous published works under her belt. And because disappointment is a bitter pill.

The book started out slow, with everything laid out on the table in the first chapter. Why is Samantha / Allie angry, who Ryan and Luke are; there is no mystery here.

We meet Luke; he seems nice but pretty boring. Then Ryan is introduced. He actually seems a little more interesting, but so far all three characters are so static I don't know if I can continue reading. But I do, because I'm not a quitter. And I really enjoy Melissa's books. Normally.

More time is spent focusing on the fake relationship between Ryan, her enemy (although I never really get the feeling of hate from Samantha) and Samantha. Luke is kind of a side character that Samantha feels deeply for after a very short time of working for him, but we as readers never get to see the relationship develop AT ALL, and it feels completely forced. The only tension in the book is wondering whether she's going to keep pursing this only somewhat believable scheme for revenge, or actually get on with her life and pursue the supposed relationship she has with Luke (which I also did not find very believable).

The last few chapters were slightly more entertaining, although we go from boring and vanilla to some descriptive violence. But again, Ryan still comes out the more interesting character in the whole book, even though he's pretty run-of-the mill psychotic. 

As a final note, I am not very critical about errors because I know it is tough AND expensive to produce a polished work; however, there were enough obvious and consistent errors in this book that I feel compelled to draw attention to them.

Overall, I was really disappointed in this book and if you're looking for a dark romance, keep looking. If you want a light romance, check out some of Melissa's earlier books, which I found much more entertaining and fit her style better than this attempt at going to the dark side.

Want to check it out for yourself? You can buy the book on Amazon or read more reviews.

Genre: YA Science Fiction / Dystopian

Description:
When Iolani Bearse was five years old, she lost her father to war. When she was nine, her mother died in a freak car accident. When Lani was fourteen, eerie green lights invaded, tearing her from the only home she had left. 

Living as a runaway, dragging a horse and her cousin Eleanor across the countryside, Lani must learn to survive. Now Lani is the only person between the horrible, greedy lights and the last bit of family she has left. Her own heart is barely beating, but powerful memories pull her to Malcolm St. John. She fights what she feels, buried deep within her shattered soul. 

Malcolm St. John always held his feelings in, especially about Iolani. So when she shows up on his doorstep, desperate and determined, Mal must decide if the wild tales she spins are the fragments of insanity or the last hope for a dying nation. This Lani is different from the child he knew. Something is coming for her, for him, and will not be stopped 

If the cousins and Malcolm can’t escape the grasping hunters who hound them, the future of a broken America will be destroyed. Everything Lani has ever loved will burn with them. Somehow, she must find a path through friendship and loyalty to save them all.

My Review
I'll admit I was a little hesitant at first to jump into this book, mainly because I wasn't sure how the flies played a role and it seemed a little strange. But the reviews I read were good, so I bought the book and gave it a try. I was not at all disappointed. The author weaves a very believable, entertaining story.

The heroine, Lani, is a fifteen year-old girl dealing with a lot of pain at the loss of her parents, and some strange happenings at her grandparent's farm that make her the target of their anger and mistrust.  As the story unfolds from here, we see these same strange happenings are occurring in other places. Lani must protect the family she has left as she journeys to find the one person she trusts, a childhood friend, Malcolm.

The author does an excellent job connecting emotionally; I could feel Lani's pain as she deals with death and other horrors. The reader can relate to her struggle to save her cousin and to survive in a changing world. Each character is well-developed, and the even the role the flies play is absolutely fascinating and quite believable.

My only criticism is that a few spots are slightly unbelievable in how the characters act, and I personally was caught off-guard by the ending. I think I would have preferred the book to end the chapter before. However, the author's talent in crafting an entertaining and highly imaginative tale makes it easy to forgive any small issues with the story. I was kept wondering what was going to happen next throughout the entire book, and found the final reveal to be quite satisfying.

Overall, this is a well-written, entertaining story for anyone who likes YA apocalyptic stories. I would certainly recommend you give this author a try.

Give this book a try, or read the reviews on Amazon.