Deceiving Their Minds - Laiken Rhodes

This is such an amazing story. Not gonna lie, the beginning had me feeling a little lost. Laiken drops you in as our MFC receives her invitation to the trials, and I had no clue what that meant, who The Shadow was, or even who I was supposed to trust. It honestly threw me for a minute. But that actually ended up working so well and completely pulled me in. As the story unfolds, you get these little nuggets of information at just the right moments, and suddenly things start clicking into place in a really satisfying way.

Audrey is such a schemer in the best sense. She’s always thinking ten steps ahead, constantly processing what people are saying and already planning for what comes next. Watching her take in all that information and put it in her puzzle felt so intentional and smart. Her friend group adds so much to that dynamic too. Their conversations bring clarity when you need it, but also a bit of humor that helps break up some of the heavier moments.

Aleks… is completely gone for Audrey, and it’s obvious from the moment he’s introduced. You can tell there is a history between them that we only get pieces of, and while I was able to connect some dots, there’s still a lot left unanswered, which just made me more invested. But one thing is clear: these two are everything to each other - especially if their spicy scenes have anything to say about it. His friends are fiercely loyal to him, and I love how that loyalty naturally extends to Audrey. And Cam… just a total love button.

The trials are where things really shift. The first couple had me thinking, okay… this isn’t too bad. But that feeling does not last. They get progressively worse, and by the time you hit the later ones, it’s intense in a way that had me holding my breath more than once. Everything escalates into something darker, deeper, and honestly kind of mind-blowing. I’m equal parts intrigued, overwhelmed, and completely invested… and I already know I’m going to need the rest of this series. I received. This as an ARC and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

You're my home, Lenochka, my dream. Just please, promise you'll always come back to me.