Deadly Illusion

A Suspenseful Standalone (Secrets and the City, Book 1)

De: Kathy Lockheart

Narrado por: Sarah Puckett, Michael Norman Johnson

AN AMAZON TOP 25 BESTSELLER!

I was able to hide the bruises from everyone... until an MMA fighter came along. Now he'll die to protect me. Maybe even kill... He insists I stay with him for protection, but Damian is keeping his own dark secrets and warns me that anyone who gets close to him will be in danger…Worse, my assailant is determined to finish what he started.

And now, my life, along with the lives of everyone I love…… is in peril.

Can Damian and I survive and get our happily ever after?

Or will this fairy tale end in murder?

*STANDALONE, no cliffhanger

©2021 Kathy Lockheart (P)2025 KATHY LOCKHEART

Slow burn romantic suspense!

This friends to lovers, forbidden, second chance, slow burn, emotional romantic suspense was really well done. The author gives up the perspective of a domestic abuse survivor in a respective, realistic manner.

These characters were flawed, tortured, and human. Jenna and Damian had an intense, effortless connection and I really liked how their relationship developed. The plot was really good and I did not expect the plot twist.

Even though the book was written only from Jenna's POV, I really enjoyed the duet narration by Sarah Puckett and Michael Norman Johnson and felt it really added to the experience of the audiobook.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A heavy but good read

The narrators Sarah Puckett and Michael Norman Johnson rocked their performance in Deadly Illusions. Please check the trigger warnings when listening to/reading this book, especially if you are sensitive to DV. When Jenna met Colton she thought she thought their relationship was perfect, until it wasn’. The moment he put his hands on her, she was put in a tailspin. Why would he do this? He said sorry. No one can know. It won’t happen again. Listening to Jenna’s whole story and the twists and scary turns had me on the edge. When her acquaintance, Damian helped her when her brother was injured, she looked at him and the safety he represented more closely. Colton was hella toxic and any kindness from random men given to Jenna would set him off. This story was heavy, tense, sad, frustrating but still hopeful.

Emotional Rollercoaster

I love this book. The duet narration was excellent . I absolutely recommend people listen to this book

Emotional Read

Deadly Illusion by Kathy Lockheart is an emotional read with themes of domestic abuse, resilience, and unexpected love. The story follows Jenna, a woman trapped in an abusive relationship, whose life takes a turn when she meets Damian, an MMA fighter with his own dark past. As Jenna’s abuser becomes more dangerous, putting not only her but also those she loves at risk, Damian steps in to protect her, offering her strength and support, even as he battles his own demons.

Lockheart portrays the complexities of abusive relationships in a way that feels both raw and heart-wrenching. Toward the end, a shocking twist adds a tragic element to the story. While the turn of events is unexpected and dramatic, it still captures the harsh realities of domestic violence and its devastating consequences. This story is not only an emotional read, but also sheds light on the impact of abuse and the immense strength it takes to break free.

Sarah Puckett and Michael Norman Johnson deliver a fantastic audiobook performance, bringing all the characters to life. Their narration captures Jenna and Damian’s struggles, making the tension, fear, and resilience feel even more real.

This was good but

For me personally, the heart break was gut wrenching in this one. Maybe I’m more sensitive or something but very few books make me actually cry or make me remember my own grief/trauma. Which is awesome for an author to be able to too, but it made me feel too much 🥲
Still recommend it, it’s just one I won’t be replaying often.

Surprising

I did not see the plot going where it went! I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the book and the message the author was trying to send. I enjoyed the realism of the book. Very well written.

Emotional, heart-wrenching read!

Deadly Illusion, an Audiobook by Kathy Lockheart, is the intensely emotional, frightening, devastating story of Damian and Jenna. She’s fearful of her ex…and when Damian helps her out of a situation, things get even more intense. The feelings and genuineness of this story made it that much more emotional and heartbreaking. The writing is beautiful, emotional, and thought-provoking. I absolutely loved this story!!

This Audiobook was narrated by Sarah Puckett and Michael Noman Johnson, who were perfect for portraying these characters. They were sensitive to the topic, when needed, and also emotionally loving, caring, and devoted when needed. I loved the care and sensitivity of the writer in bringing this story to life. Though parts were heartbreaking, the issues are genuine and intensely frightening. Thanks for bringing us this story!!! I especially loved The Inspiration at the end of the book. Thank you!

Wonderful writing

I really enjoyed this author’s writing style—it was engaging and well-crafted—but overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I tend to avoid stories with heavy on-page domestic abuse, and this one leaned into that theme more than I was comfortable with. That being said, I appreciated the way the author handled the main character’s journey and how they ultimately overcame the situation. The resilience and strength woven into the plot were definitely highlights, even though the subject matter was tough to read at times.

What did work for me was the mystery/thriller element that ran through the story. It added an intriguing layer that kept me invested, even when the themes weren’t quite my preference. If you enjoy books that tackle darker, more intense topics while delivering a gripping mystery, this one might be right up your alley. While it wasn’t the perfect fit for me, I can absolutely see it resonating with readers who appreciate these kinds of stories.

IF YOU ONLY KNOW!

A hold your breath kinda audiobook especially towards the end, it will definitely leave you caught up in your thoughts and emotions, it’s a story with an outcome you’d never expected.. but most importantly I think it’s a mix of fiction mingling with a little reality.

Narrator: Sarah Puckett and Michael Norman Johnson
These two narrators who are new to me gave an excellent performance in this book!
They made the story so much more compelling upon till the very end.
They gave this book and its characters so much life with their talented storytelling!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fatal attraction with a twist.
2.5🌶️🌶️ this is an high angst story
🎧🎙️9..Great storytelling by these two narrators who kept me interested to the end !


A tale about a woman who thought she was in love with a man who would eventually rip her world apart… and a then meeting another who would die to protect her if even from herself.

This girl seriously thought she could save her psycho boyfriend unbeknownst with her love… but she ended up endangering not only herself but those she loves…this guy is erratic and dangerous and clearly in the “no one else will have her”mode.
Even Damian the big bad MMA fighter is in peril as this monster continues to rage.

Can she truly find any type peace or happiness away from this toxic Ex or will she have to sacrifice everything and everyone she loves including Damian ?.

+++++++++++🩵🖤🤍🩵++++++++++++

Deadly Illusion
It was written in such a way that I never saw what was coming, the author new to me made a fan out of me with this suspenseful story with low spice I might add, but definitely a good read.
Couple with narration done Duet style and how well the narrators executed it made it definitely a good one, although I would have loved it as a multi cast I however still enjoyed this audiobook to the bittersweet end.
Well done author Kathy Locheart and narrators
Sarah Puckett and Michael Norman Johnson
It was Amazingly good.

Definitely recommend listening to this one if you love intrigue and suspense, but be sure to check Trigger Warning ‼️ as there maybe contents that’s not to your liking.

Listen if you love 🎧📖
🔪Suspense Romance
🥊MMA Fighter
🖤Friends To Lovers
🩵Strong FMC
🤍Forbidden Romance
🖤Protective Sibling
🩵Protective MMC
🖤Dark Romance
🩵Duet Narration
🖤Slow Burn
🤍Second Chance
🩵Slow Burn
🖤HEA
🤍Domestic Violence Rep.

Be sure to add this to your TBL and enjoy this ver suspenseful heartbreaking story.

Special thanks to Valentine_pr for this intriguing ALC !
And thank you for reading my views and ratings, hope to catch you on the next one 💋

@Georgious_eleanorpb🦋

I really enjoyed this audiobook

Kathy Lockheart delivered a well thought out, complex story of how your perception of true love can quickly turn sour and the difficulty navigating the aftermath. It also touched on growing up in broken homes, childhood illness, death of loved ones and grief.

We all dream of finding the perfect love, having the relationship of your dreams and living happily ever after. We don’t often expect that it will be us who becomes a victim of Domestic Violence. I thought the author did a great job of exploring the complex feelings associated with being a victim. There is a reason why people get trapped in these cycles and this book captured it. The guilt, the love bombing, the gaslighting. It’s such a complex situation and time for victims who are often manipulated by their partners while trying to navigate their own feelings and hiding it from friends and family.

This book had lots of twists and turns which kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I definitely did not expect the turns it took around the end.

Though the story is written from Jenna’s POV only, the audiobook features a duet narration which I think was a really great addition to the story. It really helped bring the story to life having a narrator for both the male and female characters. I’m really hoping the rest of the books in this series come out soon on audio.