FRAUD by R.C. Stephens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

I have a lot of thoughts on Fraud, some of them hard to expand on without spoiling the book for the reader so I would ask you to read my review with that in mind. I’ve read RC Stephens before and have enjoyed those books so I was very interested in reading Fraud after I read the blurb. My thought process was relatively easy when I was offered the chance at this one: RC Stephens? Yes Please! Forbidden Romance?! Sign me up!!! I put very little thought into it. And I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would struggle to review something written by this particular author.

As a blogger I read a variety of tropes and love different things about each of them. One of the best parts of blogging is I don’t get stuck in a rut with subgenres. One of the things that I hate about blogging is struggling with a review—whether it’s because I didn’t have the words to express how much I loved it or whether I didn’t enjoy the book for a number of reasons—my review matters. They can hurt the authors business and other readers will base their decision to read a book based on what I have to say. That’s a big responsibility and one I don’t take lightly. Therefore, when I was coming to terms with how I was going to rate and review Fraud, I seriously struggled with what I wanted to say. It’s not my job to tear down an author or their work, but it is my responsibility to review it honestly and fairly. So, this is my honest review of Fraud…

I have enjoyed many of RC Stephen’s books yet Fraud is not my favorite book she’s written. For a number of reasons, this particular story fell short for me. Without spoiling the book, I am very limited in what I can tell you about why it fell short, however a big reason was that Fraud wasn’t a traditional romance. The book almost completely lacked romance… and I don’t mean just sex. The romance that the author is attempting to write, that of Natalia and Hayes, is really nonexistent until the last 15 percent of the book. And then it was not the focus either. They are friends, the attraction exists and that is the end of it. The real story stems around a woman working tirelessly to repair her broken marriage. Therefore, categorically this book was not a romance, nor was it particularly suspenseful as the blurb would indicate. I struggled with the progression of the story and the pace as well as they seemed really drawn out. Fraud is written in dual POV and this was what saved the book for me in a lot of ways. Essentially by allowing me to understand the characters mindsets I became invested in their happiness and that made all the difference in the world. I loved Hayes—how strong he was and the depth of his feelings for Natalia. But just as importantly, that he was willing to just be her friend because that’s what she needed. Conversely, I did not connect with Natalie. I understood Natalia’s reasons for holding on so tightly to her marriage and they were admirable. I just needed more from her character and ultimately, I felt like strength can be shown in more than just riding through the rough times with the hope for happiness. I needed her to show her character’s strengthen sooner. In terms of the plot twist, I can say nothing without giving it away to the reader, and I do not want to ruin what many will enjoy. However, I wish they had been addressed differently and with more layering throughout the story. Overall Fraud is an enjoyable read. And with some tweaking, I would have been able to review it higher than four-stars.

Release Links (KINDLE UNLIMITED):

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Amazon AU