BLOG TOUR: Love, Lies, & Deception by L.P. Dover

Today we're spotlighting L.P. Dover's LOVE, LIES, and DECEPTION. This awesome short marks L.P.'s NA Contemporary debut. And we're excited to be part of the blog tour. I really enjoyed the story, as you'll see by my review below, and I hope that you do too.
Thank you to L.P. for gifting me the ARC for my enthusiastic and honest review. And to Jaime and Kim of Bawaka's Book Fair for hosting and having us on the tour. You ladies are great!

We hope you enjoy L.P.'s LLD excerpt and the review! Remember to add the book to your Goodreads and Amazon lists. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!!! ~Shell

What do you do when the one person you thought you knew turns out to be the one you knew the least?

Twenty-three year old Marissa Chase, and soon to be college graduate, has everything going for her: wonderful friends, a lucrative degree, and a chance to explore the world. What made it even better – or so she thought – was when her path crossed with the alluring Alec Holden. Unable to stay away from him, Marissa experiences a love like no other, and falls into his world of passion and intrigue. However, things begin to shift when this path takes a deadly turn.

Her trust is put to the test when hidden dangers unfold before her, revealing secrets that have been buried for years. Secrets that were meant to stay hidden. Murder, lies, and betrayal … will Marissa figure it all out in time and escape with her life intact, or will she be too late and fall into the trap of deception?

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Taking a deep breath, I turned around to face him with his hands still holding onto my arms. “Are you asking me on another date?” I asked, teasing him. 

He smirked, a slow tilting of his lip that had me aching to bite it. “That’s up to you if that’s what you want to call it,” he murmured heatedly.

“What if I do want to call it that?” I asked boldly.

Alec pinned me up against the counter and placed his arms on both sides of me, locking me in to the confines of his body. His piercing blue gaze held me captive, and I was drowning, struggling to breathe as he moved closer.

Bending low, he continued his torturous teasing by breathing across my neck. My eyes fluttered closed as his lips connected with the tender flesh at my collarbone. I shivered as the chill bumps fanned across my skin and made me weak. His voice in my ear immediately counteracted the chills. “If you want to call this dating, then I think that usually requires a little bit of touching, does it not?”

My breathing accelerated as Alec’s body grew flush with mine, leaning dangerously against me. He tilted my head back slightly so I had to look into his face. Slowly, I placed my hands on his hips, and instead of touching the waist of his jeans I was met with the bare skin of his body where his shirt had lifted up.

Holy shit, his skin felt hot! I could feel the ridges on his sides where they disappeared beneath his jeans, and I wanted nothing more than to trail my tongue down the contours of his muscles.

With hooded eyes, and a raspy, breathless voice, I replied, “I’m sure it’s customary to withstand some touching, but not too much since I don’t know you very well.” I said it, but my body didn’t really mean it, and he could tell I was lying to myself.

Slowly, he brought his hand to my face and trailed one of his long, lithe fingers over my cheek and down my neck. “Like this,” he insisted, swirling his finger around my neck. “Is this the kind of touching we’re allowed to do?” Chill bumps exploded across my skin, making me shiver.

“Yes,” I breathed, relishing in the feel of his touch. “Just like that.”

Closing my eyes, I sighed as he trailed his finger further down, stopping at my navel. The heat of his breath fanned across my face as I felt him dipping lower. I didn’t dare open my eyes and risk breaking the connection, but I wanted to see the heat in his gaze. Ever so slowly, his mouth connected with mine, soft and confident. He lingered for a moment, not moving, just his lips touched lightly to mine.

I wanted more … a lot more.

L.P. Dover lives in the beautiful state of North Carolina with her husband and two wonderful daughters.  She’s an avid reader that loves her collection of books. Writing has always been her passion and she’s delighted to share it with the world.  L.P. Dover spent several years in college starting out with a major in Psychology and then switching to dental.  She worked in the dental field for eight years and then decided to stay home with her two beautiful girls.

Her works consist of the Forever Fae series, and the Second Chances series. She’s really excited to be able to experience writing in the different genres.  Her reading used to consist of nothing but suspense thrillers, but now she can't get away from the paranormal/fantasy books.  Now that she has started on her passion and began writing, you will not see her go anywhere without a notebook, pen, and her secret energy builder … chocolate.

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Email: lpdover@authorlpdoverbooks.com

Twitter: @LPDover

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 Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Where do I begin? This story was so much more than I expected and it is quite aptly named. From the get-go, L.P. had me tangled in her clever web and never let loose. She captured me with lovable and intriguing characters. More than one immensely swoon-worthy male (can't go wrong there). An incredible setting. A crazy intense storyline. And probably one of the biggest twists I've ever read. I'm not kidding. I never guessed the ending. Oh, I had my suspicions and speculations. And I was SO wrong. The level of deceit was unimaginable and absurdly brilliant.
That's not all there was to LL&D. Not by a long shot. There were solid and enviable friendships. Passionate love affairs. Budding relationships... and many plans for the future. The day to day living amongst this close knit group of friends was fun and exciting. The banter playful and endearing. One couldn't ask for more reliable, giving, and loving companions. From afar it seems like a perfect life. And looks can be... you know the line.
The driving force of the story is the increased intensity and boldness of Marissa's perceived stalker. Things keep happening that can't be explained. Her friends fear for her safety and their livelihood. And her male counterparts are concerned over her growing attraction to Alec, the hunk downstairs. But when Marissa gives in to her attraction to Alec, sees his possessive and obsessive side, she can't help but wonder if her trust in him is misguided.
I can't give anything away, but I fell hard and fast for Alec. He's my new book boyfriend. It was easy to see why Marissa was so drawn to him. He was gorgeous, strong, charismatic. And a mean cook. But as their passion heightens, so does the danger. Tensions rise between best friends and lovers. The ties of loyalty, trust and faith are blurred. And Marissa finds herself in the middle of a very deadly game of cat and mouse.
Love Lies and Deception kept me enraptured and on the edge of my seat. I wanted nothing more than for Marissa and Alec's relationship to blossom, despite Marissa's apprehension. Her doubts and plans to move upon graduation plagued us both. I wanted Alec to be a good guy. I wanted her friends to accept and embrace him. And the threats to cease. Did my wishes come true?
Well, I didn't find out until the very end. Where upon I was shocked... dumbfounded and blown away. This whole story blew me away. I wasted no time messaging L.P.- professing my love and demanding... yes, I demanded she continue with these captivating characters. And in that, my friends, I may indeed get my wish. *Fingers firmly crossed*
I've said it a few times... I've read some HOT and AMAZING New Adult contemporaries this year, and I swear each one is better than the last. LL&D is just a short story but it's every bit as strong, compelling and entertaining and fulfilling as a full sized novel. L.P. packs a punch in under two hundred pages. My recommendation? Grab it up as soon as you can. It's a scorcher and an absolute must read.