An Honorable Deception – The Imposters: Book Three

Roseanna M. White’s captivating Imposters trilogy concludes with its final installment, An Honorable Deception. From the moment we met Yates in A Beautiful Disguise, his youthful energy and relentless pursuit of justice made him one of the most compelling characters in the series. It was finally his turn to step into the spotlight—which he’s been ready for since the beginning.

Synopsis

In the trying art of balancing investigations and love, a detective must determine his priorities when faced with dangerous circumstances that could threaten everything he holds dear.

As the leader of the Imposters, an elite private investigative firm, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon something much more dangerous.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects her longtime friends hold more secrets than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the esteemed Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. While she is happy for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her.

And the one thing bringing laughter back into her life—her friendship with Yates—lands her squarely on the disagreeable side of her best friend: his sister.

Tormented by a past she doesn’t dare voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the dark side of society, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble … even as they fight to hold fast to their own honor.

“All too often they uncovered ugly truths, secrets that showed humanity for the fallen race they were. But sometimes . . . sometimes they helped piece the broken bits back together.” ~Roseanna M. White

An Honorable Deception was more emotionally intense than I anticipated. The story tackled heavier themes than the previous installments, and while readers know the Imposters often face grim realities, this case was more sinister. Though Roseanna M. White approached these complex subjects with care and sensitivity, bringing light to the darkness, a content warning might have been helpful.

“But sheltering us from the world doesn’t spare our eyes from seeing evil, Papa—it spares evil from the light that would reveal it. It provides the cover it seeks. It’s only when we tear down those walls and look at the truth straight on that we can hope to change things.” ~Roseanna M. White

The leading ladies, Alethia and Lavinia, were gripping characters. Both bore the weight of their traumatic pasts with strength and grace, and their journeys toward healing were a highlight of the novel. Their friendship and love triangle with Yates felt authentic, unfolding without malice or rivalry, and instead explored love, courage, and the vulnerability of risking one’s heart.

“We all let fears, even borrowed fears, hold us back from time to time. But that doesn’t mean we can’t break free.” ~Roseanna M. White

While Lady Alethia’s storyline drove the investigation, I found her point of view less necessary. Alongside Lavinia’s perspective, it often drew attention away from Yates, whose centrality in this story felt diminished. After two books of watching him yearn to take the lead, I expected him to fully command the narrative. Unfortunately, his scenes often left me wishing for the confident presence we’d glimpsed earlier in the series.

“‘Yates.’ Now he knew why he’d reacted as he had when she said his name. Because she said it like it meant more. She said it like it meant mine. And that’s exactly what he’d always been.” ~ Roseanna M. White

The Imposters’ dynamic also shifted in this final installment. While themes of faith, love, and purpose remained strong, the camaraderie and spark during the Imposters’ other investigations were less prominent as their lives understandably shifted toward their growing families.

Roseanna M. White’s ability to weave faith into her storytelling truly shone in An Honorable Deception. Throughout the novel, each protagonist sought healing and clarity, but they didn’t find these in one another. Instead, they sought the Lord, and His glory shone brightly. Their reliance on God brought hope to the narrative and encouraged readers to rely on their Savior as they persevere through trials.

“Her value wasn’t in whose daughter she was, or whose friend, or in what human loved her. Whether her neighbors and peers respected her or not wasn’t the crux of the matter. Her value was in being a child of God—and pleasing Him in her actions was what she must seek above all.” ~ Roseanna M. White

Though it didn’t reach the heights of its predecessors, An Honorable Deception was a poignant and well-crafted story. The special cameos at the end were a delightful bonus for longtime fans of White’s work, tying this trilogy into her broader universe. I’m grateful for the journey Roseanna M. White took us on with this series, and I am excited to see what she releases next!

*Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a pre-release copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.*

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My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Positive content: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Godly content: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Language:
Sexual content: ⭐️⭐️
Violence: ⭐️
Age: 15+