Review: Loving Lies (Dangerous Desires #1) by Tina Donahue

Print Length: 228 pages

Publisher: Lyrical Press (February 16, 2016)

From Goodreads.com: Deception knows no limits. Passion knows no bounds.

When she is kidnapped, Senorita Isabella knows the men have been sent by her uncle in a murderous attempt to control her family’s fortune. But when she is rescued by a dashing and mysterious warrior, Isabella can’t imagine why a stranger would risk his life for her—until she discovers her rescuer believes she’s someone else…

Fernando de Zayas loves nothing more than the cry of battle. Defying death is his way of life. But when he discovers his betrothed has been kidnapped, he rushes to her aid—never suspecting that spirited beauty would soothe his warrior heart…

With her uncle’s minions close on their heels, Isabella finds herself drawing closer to Fernando. But as the desire between them builds, her secret could keep them apart forever…

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This story was not one of my favorites. However, I think it would appeal to a lot of people - and I believe more people will enjoy it than not. But then - I'm getting ahead of myself. 

Story wise, there is nothing really wrong with the setting or the author's story-telling. She provides a wonderfully written story that draws the reader in from the very start. Time seems to fly by as you immerse yourself in the world that she has created and the plight of the characters. 

However, for me at least, the main characters were deeply annoying. I felt nothing for either of them. Fernando thinks himself "Lord and Master" and while that may be true for the time period, the way he was presented made him seem more an arrogant jerk than someone anyone could fall in love with. For over half of the story, I found myself wishing he would either shut up, or that Isabella would bash his head in with a heavy rock. Not that she was any better. While I completely understand her reasoning behind lying to him to begin with - she had ample opportunities afterwards to tell the truth, and yet she didn't because she feared his reactions. It made their entire part in the story seem shallow and immature. 

Then there was the overused sexual encounters between the pair. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means a prude of any sort, but there were times when the sex not only seemed to overpower the rest of the story, but it just went on and on in some parts. Yes, they are attracted to one another, yes they have a passion for one another, but I do not need to read in detail about them having sex repeatedly the same night. It got to the point where I found myself skipping those scenes entirely because I felt as though they were taking too much away from the main story. 

All of those things considered however, I still strongly believe that what I did not like about this story, someone else will love. And I would recommend it to people who enjoy a different sort of story-line, and who enjoys gratuitous sexual content with their historical novels. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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Loving Lies (Dangerous Desires #1) is available from Amazon.com