Review: Not perfect, but still an enjoyable fairy tale
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 5, 2012
Judith lives a hard, abusive life.  When retrieving water at a nearby stream, she discovers the dead Lady Lora Noire who is betrothed to the scary Baron Blacwin.  Seizing the opportunity to create a new life for herself, she exchanges her clothes and cloak for the dead woman and impersonates her.  She never expected to actually like the dour Baron.  Will she continue to mislead the Baron or will she return to her old life of poverty?I'm a sucker for fairy tales and Red Deception fits the bill!Judith's life is horrible on every scale, but it wasn't always the case.  She has a loving husband and a son.  Unfortunately, she and her husband lost their home and moved in with her in-laws who are degrading and controlling.  I adored Judith's bravery and gumption to take an opportunity when presented to her, even if there is no way she can pull off the farce.Baron Balcwin has a bad reputation.  He's wealthy, but scary.  Luckily, Judith isn't deterred.  I liked how he immediately saw something special in Judith, even if I found their relationship progressed laughably fast.This short story is lightning fast!  Although the love story was incredibly quick, all of the other details about Judith's life were presented in enough detail to really get a feel for her every day life.  I wish there was more time to spend on the Baron's character, allowing him to grow and become more multi-dimensional.Red Deception is a fairy tale with a gritty side.  Judith's life is difficult and the Baron is a bit scary, but the relationship is real, even with the identification swaps.  For readers that love a good fairy tale or historical romance, Red Deception is your way to go.BookingIt Grade:  B+