Book: Deceiving Their Minds by Laiken Rhodes
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4/5
ARC REVIEW
Deceiving Their Minds by @authorlaikenrhodes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¾ (3.75/5)
If you love dark secret societies, clandestine meetings, and riddles wrapped in mysteries wrapped in enigmas, this book is going to hook you. Set in the coastal town of Alabastor Cove, nothing is quite what it seems, and that tension carries through every page.
The POV shifts between Audrey, Aleksander, and a mysterious figure known as The Shadow. All of them are unreliable narrators who speak and think in riddles, which makes for a deeply immersive (and sometimes chaotic) reading experience. By the end of the book, I had more questions than I did when I began—but in a way that kept me intrigued.
The author’s note is a must-read, as it really helps set expectations. This is the first of four books, and it very much feels like it. We’re dropped into the middle of a larger mystery with only glimpses of the past, and it ends on a cliffhanger (which I am very proud of myself for figuring out beforehand). The HEA is clearly a long game here, so be prepared to suffer alongside these characters. And definitely check your trigger warnings.
I was immediately sucked into the intrigue of the Ludi. The fast-paced trials keep things moving, and the stakes feel high—some might even say life-or-death. I was constantly trying to piece together who the behind-the-scenes players were—The Shadow, The Hellhound, The Sun, and the Rose—and second-guessing myself at every turn. I’m still not convinced my final guesses are right.
Audrey is a strong black cat FMC—guarded, sharp, and far more calculating than she appears. The dynamic between her and Aleksander leans into that hate-to-love tension and hints at a tragic backstory that I need to know more about. They’re both morally grey, and I found myself constantly questioning their true motivations.
Fair warning: keep the family tree at the front of the book handy. There are a lot of characters, and with shifting identities, people returning from the dead, and secret babies, it can get overwhelming fast.
My favorite character so far is Cameron, Aleksander’s best friend. He brings much-needed comic relief, and I’m really hoping we get more of his backstory—and maybe even his POV—in future books.
I will most likely be picking up the next book in the series—I’m definitely curious enough to keep going for answers.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC!
For fans of:
🖤 Dark Secret Society | 🕶️ Hidden Identities | 👑 Billionaires & Heirs | 😤 Hate to Love | 🖤 Morally Grey Heroes | 🏠 Forced Proximity | 🐈⬛ Black Cat FMC