Not What She Seems by Victorine E. Lieske

Not What She Seems Reviews

• 
  T.K.

  I love a good romantic suspense, and this was a great one! I love that Lieske takes no short cuts with her characters; they all seem like real and very complex people. The plot builds into an absolute nail-biter, and the ending does not disappoint. :) 4.5 stars
• 
  Erin

  I love a good mystery/romance, but this didn't fit that bill for me, sorry.
  
  The love portion of the story just didn't feel right to me. The relationship & character feelings, just weren't developed well or as strongly as it maybe should have been...
  
  I'm all for multiple POV's, but there comes a point when they just confuse or detract from the story. I think both of those were a result if the various POV's in this story. They seemed to be fragmented and not always entirely necessary - the vantage provided could have been delivered by another method via one of the main characters. It was just a bit too convoluted for my taste and preference.
  
  These are just a few things that bothered me about the story/characters/actions... Sharing a few:
  
  1) Steven is a smart guy... He's an entrepreneur... I got the impression that his businesses centered around technology, communications, video games, etc... He's very aware of the need for security, given his upbringing and current financial standings and public interest. Yet, he chose to leave all of hisbelongings (including his laptop) in NE and not return for them? His apartment was broken into by the leading lady's stalker/captor and his computer was found in the vacated apartment. Evidently, the laptop was either left on when abandoned or simply not password protected... Really? And his email accounts (at the very least) had the auto password enabled, allowing the bad guy to keep dibs on Emily and Steven. Really? Wow...
  
  2) So, there's a bad guy stalking you. You know he's coming for you. Your billionaire friend with no fringe benefits tells you to grab your son and run outside, go to the car - hurry, hurry, hurry! You knwo that time is of the essence and you must leave ASAP because you fear your friend/captor/stalker guy. So, what do you do? Grab your son and tell him to go potty first, then you'll give him a glass of water after he's done going potty. Hmmm... yeah...
  3) You return to the town where everyone but one person, a man, hates you. You're kind wary of everyone in general, some more than others. You get a funny feeling about the one man who seems to want to spend more time with you than not, figuring he's enamored with you or flirting with you. Now, you get word that a friend's husband has passed away unexpectedly, and you contemplate going to the funeral but decide you can't because your son might not behave right and you don't want him experiencing a funeral at 4yrs old. You love your son more than life itself & have never left his side for an extended amount of time. You had contacts in the little town where the funeral is and even someone who used to watch your son while you worked. Surely you could contact her and see if she could watch your son during the funeral. That would be logical. Instead, what do you do? You have the guy you haven't seen in 5 years, who was best friends with your dead husband, who you have been staying with for maybe a day (since your stalker tried to kidnap you at your hotel) convince you to go alone to the funeral and leave him in charge with the care of your son. Really?
• 
  Alice Yeh

  I chose this novel after seeing a great number of Ms. Lieske’s posts on Kindleboards. The summary sounded interesting, so I figured, “Oh, why not? It’s only $2.99.” For the price, it was certainly a bargain, and hundreds of sales and positive reviews don’t lie, right? Right.
  
  I’ll start off with the good. The storyline was interesting, keeping the reader in a constant “whodunnit” frame of mind. Every suspect had a reasonable motive, and all of it tied together rather nicely in the end.
  
  Now, for the less appealing part of review-writing. In general, I’m able to appreciate shorter sentences. Few people can imitate Charles Dickens today and get away with it in that respect. With that being said, the language was occasionally choppy, which would have been really distracting were I not so drawn into the plot. There were also a couple of instances were a bit more variety would have been nice, such as scenes where “said” or “asked” was used first in one line, then again in the next…but this is nitpicking.
  
  I was very interested in the heroine and what became of her. Overall, however, a lot of the emotions felt forced. The groundwork was there, but a few more chapters scattered throughout the novel would have developed the relationships and connections and character backgrounds a bit more. For instance, the interaction between Steven and Emily wasn’t sufficient for me to believe in their feelings for each other. Motives were also being thrown in left and right without giving a reader the time really to absorb it all and weave it into his own mental construct of the complicated web of intrigue. In short, the fast-pacing of the story came at the cost of credibility. There were minor editing errors, but they weren’t egregious enough to give me pause. I think I’ll dub them “reasonable.”
  
  Something to note about the Kindle file is that the formatting left something to be desired. It was difficult to detect scene changes, chapter headings were formatted exactly like the text and were thus hard to notice if you’re trying to flip back and look at something, and none of the rows of asterisks were centered. I would have loved a table of contents, too. Ebook formatting is a nightmare, though, and has nothing to do with the author’s ability to write, so this comment has zero bearing on the overall review.
  
  Overall, I did enjoy this story. I did. I just wish that there had been more of it to flesh things out.
• 
  Julie

  Not What She Seems starts out with billionaire Steven Ashton trying to get away from the stresses of his life and business for a while, and finding some peace in a small town in Nebraska. He meets a young woman and her four year old son, and soon gets wrapped up in their life and trying to help them. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know that she is wanted for questioning in a murder and is thought to be a con woman. Events spiral out of control and Steven is torn between trying to help her and not knowing if he can really trust her.
  
  Ms. Lieske writes a compelling mystery with a surprising twist at the end, and while the writing was choppy in a few places, I was on the edge of my seat and read this book in one sitting because I HAD to know who the villain was and it was driving me crazy that the one I thought was it really wasn’t. This is my first time reading this author and I will definitely pick up something from her again.
  
  
• 
  Jason

  I can't claim to be an expert on romantic suspense, because I've really never read one before, but I picked this one up and I'm very glad I did. I think it says something about the book's broad appeal that even a reader like myself could find it enjoyable. The dynamic between Steven and Emily drew me in immediately. Their interactions did have a coy, clever quality to them that both highlighted their own personalities and made them mesh.
  
  The title of this book could've just as easily been "Not What He Seems." Steven Ashton's character provides great fodder for guys to relate to. He's got a sense of humor, but he's got strong values too. He's not buried under his wealth, but he isn't afraid to use it. Overall, it's a fun read. The story has plenty of interesting tangles to pull you along. Don't be afraid of this one, guys.
• 
  Mags

  First time I have read book by this author , an interesting twist and romance too.
• 
  Celia

  Storyline:
  Victorine truly has a victory with this sweet romance/suspense story!
  It started off really well and grabbed my attention right away; at times it was difficult to put down and I nearly missed my stop a couple of times on the way to work. (This would have definitely been no bueno because I am not a morning person and having to do any extra walking in the morning is not my idea of fun!)
  The story is easy to follow, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. At the end, it’s obvious what is really going on and, like any movie where the audience is supposed to figure it our before the main characters, you want to shake them and tell them what’s happening!
  The ending was very nicely done and didn’t leave you wondering what happened to this or that character. Except, well, I wish it would have maybe been a tad bit longer just so that we could see how the wedding went.
  Grammar/Spelling:
  I noticed some minor grammatical errors and formatting issues. Though, I feel that neither of these took away from the overall enjoyment of Emily and Steven’s story. I have a feeling that the formatting issues are mainly due the literal format of the Kindle itself.
  Character Development:
  The characters were very well-developed, likeable and definitely relatable. They all seem like people I have known throughout my life. (Well, I haven’t known that many billionaires, but I can at least say I’ve known some decent folks like Steven.)
  Emily is a beautiful, sincere woman and has done everything she could to keep her son safe. Richard also has moments of likeability and even seems to care a great deal for Emily. I also loved Rose’s attempts at match-making and her love for her stubborn husband is sweet; as is his mother’s interest in his love life and general happiness.
  Writing Style:
  I did have some issues with the lengths of the sentences. I understand that a short, choppy sentence is necessary and, at times, truly helps emphasize the urgency of certain aspects of the characters’ situations and story. But, I felt that there were many occasions when the sentences could have been combined for a much smoother reading experience.
  Also, there were a few instances when it seemed as if the narrative leaned more towards a running inner-monologue. I thought that the differences in Steven’s outlook on the situation and Emily’s take on the same situation were executed wonderfully. I just felt, at times, that it was difficult to understand whose perception we were reading.
  Continuance:
  I did not notice any issues with continuity.
  Overall Rating: 4+
  Overall, I loved the story of two people running from either their past or daily life, only to have both of their lives coming screeching to the forefront of everyone’s life. I would give this book a solid 4.5 star rating and recommend it to anyone. I know exactly was Victorine meant by a “sweet romance” and hope that this genre really takes off!
  
• 
  Vicki Keire

  It's been quite a long time since I read something in this genre, and I was happy that when I did, it was with a good read like this one. I'd call this a sweet romantic suspense. The writing was excellent. Ms. Lieske kept up a fast pace that didn't drag or get boring or, alternately, go so fast as to lose the reader. Her writing was lean but descriptive- no long, flowery, unnecessary expostions here. Her dialogue was believable, as were her characters. In fact, I developed quite a fondness for several of them. The male protagonist, Steven, was particularly interesting. He's the kind of guy who has everything, and it's really easy for characters like that to come off as flat and unbelievable, but Steven was actually my favorite one. Ms. Lieske does a great job with the supporting characters, too. Rose was one of my particular favorites. She really captured the feel and rhythms of small town life, and just when I thought I had figured out who'd done it, there was some twist that made me have to guess again. I didn't relate to the female lead character all that well. She was well written, and sweet and all that; I just had a hard time feeling sympathy for her. I know she went through a lot, but it was hard for me to like a character who was so passive about what she had been through. I know these aren't real people, but if they were, I hope she gets counseling! And that's actually a point in Ms. Lieske's favor- I really did think about these characters long enough after I put the book down to imagine what their lives would be like afterward. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, romance, women's fiction, suspense, or thrillers.
• 
  Patricia A. Woodburn

  An Excellent Beginning
  Emily believes that she killed her husband, William. Steven Ashton, a billionaire, tries to escape from his high society life by travelling incognito to Nebraska. Emily and her son, Connor live with Richard, an obnoxious High school friend who controls Emily with the belief that she is wanted for murder.
  
  Richard cooks up a plan for Emily to gouge money from Steven Ashton, now called Ethan. Emily half heartedly complies with this, but feels guilty.
  
  Ethan and Emily start to date. Connor is always present, but they do manage to snatch a few romantic moments together.
  
  I cannot reveal too much of the story. Author, Victorine Lieske, smoothly provides several well thought out suspects for William's murder as well as solid eplanations for everything that happens. The story did have many twists and turns leading to a surprise ending.
  
  The plot for the novel was carefully constructed with a satisfactory climax leaving no loose ends. I felt this was a very strong beginning for a first time author, and am waiting, with impatience, for the next novel. I think this author demonstrates a lot of potential
• 
  Imogen Rose

  An enjoyable read. Not What She Seems tells the story of Emily, a small-town girl on the run (I won’t give away any spoilers) with her son and best friend from high school. It tells the story of Steven, a high-profile New Yorker who, after an accidental encounter with her, becomes entangled in her complicated life. This was a sweet, romantic tale. The story line was fairly predictable, but captivating. The Kindle version was well formatted.
• 
  Donna

  Suspenseful
  
  I felt like I was watching a Perry Mason unfold! So deadly and creepy! Who dun it? Too many possibilities!
• 
  Craig Hansen

  NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS by Victorine Leiske is a stunning debut novel. Although categorized generally under romantic suspense, this is no Harlequin or Silhouette romance, and although the book will appeal to women, it’s not exactly “chick lit,” either, because anyone who enjoys a good edge-of-your-seat thriller will find this novel appealing.
  
  Personally, I’m a fan of suspense authors; it’s one of my favorite genres. I like some of Thomas Harris’ pre-HANNIBAL novels, I’ve enjoyed most of what James Patterson serves up ever since I discovered his novel KISS THE GIRLS, and there are several others whose names don’t leap to mind as quickly.
  
  Yet that doesn’t mean I’m an easy mark for suspense novels. Harris’ work went off the rails with HANNIBAL and HANNIBAL RISING. And James Patterson can get a bit stale at times. I even used to read John Saul many years ago; I enjoyed SUFFER THE CHILDREN, WHEN THE WIND BLOWS and COMES THE BLIND FURY until I realized he was basically writing the same book over and over again.
  
  Of those three, the only one I still read is Patterson, and it’s been a while since any of his novels seemed genuinely fresh to me. But I’m hooked on Alex Cross and, to a lesser degree, the Women’s Murder Club, so what is a person to do?
  
  As I was searching for solid suspense authors on Kindle, the name of one Kindle author kept coming up over and over again in various forums. Victorine Leiske. So I decided to pick it up for $2.99 (at the time… it’s now discounted to $0.99) and give it a shot.
  
  NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS has all the elements one might expect from a romantic suspense novel. An idealized male hero; a female heroine who is sympathetic but not entirely un-suspicious; and a full cast of characters who add texture and depth to the tale being told.
  
  The novel centers around Steve Ashton, a self-made billionaire of the digital age who might remind folks of a good-looking, younger Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or even videogame designer Brian Wood, who recently sacrificed his own life in a tragic auto accident in order to save the life of his pregnant wife by turning his car at the last second so that an oncoming car would side-impact his vehicle on his side, sparing his wife.
  
  Whoever Steve Ashton makes you think of, this is one billionaire who seems a bit too good to be true. Younger than most, harder-working than many, and of course, in PRINCE AND THE PAUPER fashion, a bit bored with fame and luxury and itching to get out there and “live unrecognized among the common folks.”
  
  Ashton’s ennui is brought about by the fact that he’s so famous, all anyone sees when they meet him is his money and no one seems to like him for who he is as a person. And of course, like all heroes, he’s actually a good person buried under all that success and money and fame.
  
  On his way into hiding, he bumps into Emily Grant, a harried single mom who is on the run from a dark past filled with shame and secrets. Initially they share a spark, a moment, but then go their separate ways only to meet up again later on, in the same town Ashton was headed to. Could Steve finally have met someone who doesn’t recognize him and whose interest might therefore be genuine? Can Emily have any hope to escape her past?
  
  Well, that’s what the novel is there to tell you, folks. I’m not reviewing this book to spoil the story, but to give you just a taste of the concept. What I really want to talk about is whether I liked NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS or not.
  
  And I liked it. A lot.
  
  In fact, although I was originally going to write that NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS ranks as the best novel I’ve read on Kindle so far, that’s too faint a praise for the book, considering I’ve only owned a Kindle ofr about six or seven weeks and have read only a handful of novels on it.
  
  I was also considering writing that NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS is the best suspense novel I’ve read in “a mighty long time.” At least several years.
  
  I even considered saying it was the “best first-novel I’ve ever read by any author.”
  
  But as I thought over all the novels I’ve read in the past decade or so, I realized something startling. I haven’t enjoyed a novel, with so few reservations and so few “well buts” as qualifiers, no matter what genre it is a part of.
  
  And I’ve read a lot of books, folks, by some mighty fine authors in the past ten years. Not just Patterson and Harris, but Stephen King, L.J. Sellers, John Irving, Charlaine Harris, Victoria Laurie, Terry Brooks, Seth Grahame-Smith, Bret Easton Ellis, and a whole lot more than I’m going to rack my brain trying to remember.
  
  NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS, however, impressed me more than any novel I’ve read – any novel at all – in at least the past ten years. Bar none.
  One element I appreciated is how carefully plotted NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS is. The novel has many twists and turns, and some of the red-herring suspects are completely convincing… until they’re cleared by further revelations. And once the truth is finally known near the end of the book, Leiske pulls off a pleasantly surprising culprit, despite the apt warning telegraphed by the book’s title.
  
  Another appealing aspect is the balance Leiske brings to all her characters, even the dangerous and initially unlikeable ones. They all have empathetic elements to them and reasonable motivations for who they are and how they behave … eventually. Once the truth for each character is known, at any rate.
  
  While her characters act in broad strokes at times, what is especially appealing about Leiske’s novel is that none of them are taken too far over the top; they’re not Hollywood caricatures if action heroes or villains, but believably frail even while acting bravely.
  
  And in a nice parental note, I can’t recall any objectionable language in NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS, and there’s no lurid sexual elements that would make the book rated M for mature or whatnot. Although written for grown-ups, it’s a book that can be read safely by teens and perhaps even younger, depending on a parent’s sensitivity to mild violence – though nothing beyond what is understandable, given the genre of the book.
  
  Leiske also clearly didn’t rush the novel; even minor supporting characters have story arcs that see their way to a resolution, even late in the novel when the action picks up and most authors would push their subplots to the side. As a result of this careful attention to her supporting cast, as well as her major players, NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS maintains the impression of a genuine slice of life tale, rather than an over-the-top action story calculated to maximize the action sequences and special effects budget that Hollywood seems to seek out.
  
  As tightly edited as any traditionally-published novel I’ve ever read, Victorine Leiske’s novel reads quickly thanks to her smooth prose style, and the 67,000 words it is told in leave the reader ready for more. Not necessarily more of Steve Ashton and Emily Grant, mind you, as their story is resolved by the end of the book; but more from Leiske herself, who is working on her second novel.
  
  My hope is that Leiske takes her time and doesn’t rush her next book to market; after such an impressive debut, it would be a shame if she bowed to pressure and put out her next novel before it was as smooth and seamless as her debut. It’s a misstep that befalls many writers, the “sophomore jinx,” but hopefully it will not apply in Leiske’s case.
• 
  Vikki Vaught

  My Musings
  
  Hmm, this one is hard to rate. I liked the characters individually but there wasn't enough development of their love story. I'm not a huge fan of insta-love so that added to my problem regarding their romance. The story moved along so the pacing was alright. The action was okay but the build up was better than the actual climax. Would I another book this author. Probably. Now the narration may have had an influence on my rating. He was not the best. At times, his reading was mechanical and choppy. I would not listen to him again. Happy reading 📚and listening!
• 
  Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review

  Excellent read. This is a clean suspenseful romance with lots of twists and turns. Great characters and well worth the read.
• 
  Dave

  I have read on Victorine Lieske's success as an indie author on Kindleboards, and saw her mentioned in the NY Times top 100, so I was very curious. I like mysteries, but the combination with romance did not appeal that much, to be honest.
  
  The romance part fitted seamlessly into a tight, well-crafted plot, however, and added depth to the main characters, Steven and Emily. The mystery element was executed extremely well. At one point there was not one character in the novel I did not suspect. And I still was surprised at the end. The writing is crisp and has a nice rhythm to it, not too fast, but certainly not too slow. All these components added up to a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and found hard to put down, and that to me sums up a good book.
  
  Sure, there are some minor issues to find. The characters could have been developed a bit more, perhaps. Especially Steven could have used a more pronounced flaw in character. But if you look for a mystery that keeps you engaged and entertained, and makes you turn the pages (or press the "next page" button on the Kindle), Not What She Seems is value for your money. I hope there will be a sequel soon.
  
  Finally, for those readers who do not like graphic violence and language, Lieske kept the novel very clean. I would not mind to give this book to my 14 year old niece. Unfortunately too few books pass such a test, nowadays.
• 
  comfort

  Unfortunately the audio probably skewed My take on this book. It seemed to be a cross between computer generated voice and quite a nice voice, maybe it is something to do with the production.
  
  Anyhow the story was quite good a murder mystery involving a squillionaire (incognito), a waitress and her creepy "boyfriend".
  
  But all is not what it seems. Poor girl waitress, recognises squillionaire (who is having a little holiday away from the spotlight) and attempts to fleece him out of some money so she can get away from the controlling "boyfriend" and take her kid into hiding.
  
  There are quite a few twists and turns throughout the later part of the book and it was a suprise up until the last few pages who the killer was, so well done.
  
  I just wish the was a way of fixing the audio.
  
  Book is recommended but may be the dead tree version or ebook.
• 
  Mandi

  I loved this book. It kept me on my toes and wondering "who really did it". If you like a good love story and mystery, this is the perfect book to read.
• 
  Elizabeth S

  Today is 2021. Back in 2010 when this book was written, it probably was a good thriller. Today, it is sadly lacking. Some of it was tech that didn't exist or wasn't prevalent back then, like smart phones and texting and online newspaper archives. I can handle that.
  
  The real problem is the mindset of back in the day. Characters search the internet to look someone up, find one article that gives some hints, and then doesn't check any other hits. High powered executive leaves his laptop lying around without a password. Unremembered passwords are not reset, they are sent PLAIN TEXT by email.
• 
  Ggany

  This book read well except for the ending. It was very bland and after all Emily and Steven had been through, I fell the ending should have had more of a bang rather than the exchange of "I love yous".This had already been established. A better ending would have included a wedding and possibly a pregnancy with the entire family, including Rose at a holiday celebration. As this is the third book by this author that I have read, I will probably read another but hopefully with a more exciting ending.
• 
  Nancy Joseph Petermann

  I really enjoyed this book. Once I got a few chapters into the book, I couldn't put it down. It has a good story line, and it kept me interested all the way through. You will have "ah-ha" moments as you move along in the story line. While I did figure out a few things about three quarters of the way through the book, I had not figured out what totally happened until the final chapter. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good murder/love story.
• 
  Frances Hoelsema

  This story was well-written and was very enjoyable to read. I like that it was clean! The romance aspect of the book was something I didn't get into...just didn't feel it. I also found some details at the end a bit confusing so I had to reread, but nothing was really too difficult. And though some parts were predictable, you really never know the true suspect until the very end. I liked that!
• 
  Anita

  It's not my typical read, mystery and romance, but I enjoyed it. It was an easy read. The characters are a little thin, but likeable. I found myself happy at the end. The author has lots of books, so I might read another one to cleanse my palate between nonfiction history and political books I normally read.
• 
  Cassi

  3 Stars
  
  I loved The Married Series by Victorine, so I thought I would give this one a try.
  It was a bad book, but it was one of the best books.
  I like to storyline just felt she was all over the place in some parts. She did shock me with the ending, I didnt see that coming.
• 
  Sian davies

  I finished this book in just over a hour but I have to be honest it was sheer willpower that had me finishing it. The concept of the story could have been so good but I just felt that everything was just too rushed thus giving the impression everything was just too corny.
• 
  Catherine Coe

  Poor writing
  
  The writing was poor, the plot simplistic, and there were too many elements that stretched beyond belief. The characters were flat and unbelievable. The ending was rushed, with the not very exciting climax and denouement lasting maybe 3 pages.
• 
  Jan

  An EXCELLENT Whodonit!
  
  This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! Well written and entertaining, a tale chocked full of suspense, and adventure, with a love story added to the mix, this book is certain to please!
• 
  Tamera Westhoff

  Clean Suspense
  
  Woah! Totally not what I was expecting! I knew there would be a little mystery, but I wasn't expecting to be on the edge of my seat! I was totally surprised by the identities of the bad guys/girls! Wow! There was a lot going on!
• 
  Susi Benson

  A very good read!!!
  
  I’ve been called away from this book many times, too many times, to make me happy. Each time I came back within five words I was right back into the story. This book has adventure, twists, love, and a little bit of fear. a great read I loved it!