Award-winning Regency novelist draws readers into a world of elegance and intrigue in this exciting story set in London.

The agents of the renowned Investigative Collection Unit have to be the biggest, baddest, and brightest to take on missions no one else would dare. It doesn’t hurt that they’re also the sexiest. But in a shadowy world where reality means living on the razor’s edge of deception, few survive with their hearts intact . . . ICU intel expert Monty Buchannan’s idea of fun is creating software—not roughing it in a cabin off the grid in Alaska. But his team forced him to unplug when his intense need to be in control put a mission at risk. Being alone isn’t a problem; most people make him uncomfortable. But there’s something about the woman he finds floundering in a frozen stream that warms his ice-cold heart . . . Taylor Moore was once a spoiled socialite famous for her tabloid-worthy exploits, until she broke out from under wealthy father’s thumb. Now she’s the self-made CEO of an online matchmaking service—and on the run from Russian mobsters who’ve hijacked her website. But when she’s suddenly plucked from a river by a half-naked mountain man, trust will become a matter of survival. And desire just might break down the defenses that have kept them both playing it far too safe for far too long . . . “Lucy Farago has an eye for detail, a heart for romance, and a voice as layered as her plot and characters!” --Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

A year and a half after the horrific Masonville High mass shooting, Owen is determined to uncover why the Creepers have converged on his land and the school--a necessary step toward his ultimate mission to drive evil forces out of Masonville.

From New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Best-selling author, Georgia Cates, comes a steamy Mafia romance series. I’ve watched him from afar for years. And he has no idea. I take joy in that. Through my observations, I’ve learned what makes this charming villain tick. Whisky. Power. Beautiful women. And Sex. Lots of it. Sometimes you must get into bed with the enemy for the greater good. And that’s what I’ll do; it’s all part of making Sinclair Breckenridge fall in love with me so I can penetrate his inner circle. There’s hell to pay. I’m a dark horse. The perfect storm. I am Bleu MacAllister. And I’m coming for him. ––––– About A Necessary Sin–– Heat level 5/5 Cheating: None Tropes and Themes: • Organized Crime • Enemies-to-Lovers • Playboy • Hero with Accent (Scottish) • Family Saga/Band of Brothers • Revenge • Redemption • Damaged Alpha Hero • Damaged Heroine • Dark Secret/Disguise/Secret Identity

"I speak the truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare...."-- Montaigne "All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness.'" -- Tennessee Williams Truth and deception--like good and evil--have long been viewed as diametrically opposed and unreconcilable. Yet, few people can honestly claim they never lie. In fact, deception is practiced habitually in day-to-day life--from the polite compliment that doesn't accurately relay one's true feelings, to self-deception about one's own motivations. What fuels the need for people to intricately construct lies and illusions about their own lives? If deceptions are unconscious, does it mean that we are not responsible for their consequences? Why does self-deception or the need for illusion make us feel uncomfortable? Taking into account the sheer ubiquity and ordinariness of deception, this interdisciplinary work moves away from the cut-and-dried notion of duplicity as evil and illuminates the ways in which deception can also be understood as a adaptive response to the demands of living with others. The book articulates the boundaries between unethical and adaptive deception demonstrating how some lies serve socially approved goals, while others provoke distrust and condemnation. Throughout, the volume focuses on the range of emotions--from feelings of shame, fear, or envy, to those of concern and compassion--that motivate our desire to deceive ourselves and others. Providing an interdisciplinary exploration of the widespread phenomenon of lying and deception, this volume promotes a more fully integrated understanding of how people function in their everyday lives. Case illustrations, humor and wit, concrete examples, and even a mock television sitcom script bring the ideas to life for clinical practitioners, behavioral scientists, and philosophers, and for students in these realms.

Self-deception poses longstanding and fascinating paradoxes. Philosophers have questioned whether, and how, self-deception is even possible; evolutionary theorists have debated whether it is adaptive. For Sigmund Freud self-deception was a fundamental key to understanding the unconscious, and from The Bible to The Great Gatsby literature abounds with characters renowned for their self-deception. But what exactly is self-deception? Why is it so puzzling? How is it performed? And is it harmful? In this thorough and clearly written introduction to the philosophy and psychology of self-deception, Eric Funkhouser examines and assesses these questions and more: Clarification of the conceptual background and "Basic problem" of self-deception, including Freud and Davidson and the important debate between intentionalists and motivationalists Deflationary accounts that appeal to cognitive and motivational biases, with emphasis on how motives and emotions drive self-deception Intentional self-deception and the "divided mind," including the role of the unconscious in recent psychological research Challenges that self-deception poses for philosophy of mind and psychology, especially for our understanding of intention, belief, and deception Biology and moral psychology of self-deception: Is self-deception functional or beneficial? Are the self-deceived to be held accountable? Combining philosophical analysis with the latest psychological research, and including features such as chapter summaries, annotated recommended reading and a glossary, Self-Deception is an excellent resource for students of philosophy of mind and psychology, moral psychology and ethics, as well as those in related fields such as psychology and cognitive science.

Throughout his writings, and particularly in Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, Kant alludes to the idea that evil is connected to self-deceit, and while numerous commentators regard this as a highly attractive thesis, none have seriously explored it. Laura Papish's Kant on Evil, Self-Deception, and Moral Reform addresses this crucial element of Kant's ethical theory. Working with both Kant's core texts on ethics and materials less often cited within scholarship on Kant's practical philosophy (such as Kant's logic lectures), Papish explores the cognitive dimensions of Kant's accounts of evil and moral reform while engaging the most influential -- and often scathing -- of Kant's critics. Her book asks what self-deception is for Kant, why and how it is connected to evil, and how we achieve the self-knowledge that should take the place of self-deceit. She offers novel defenses of Kant's widely dismissed claims that evil is motivated by self-love and that an evil is rooted universally in human nature, and she develops original arguments concerning how social institutions and interpersonal relationships facilitate, for Kant, the self-knowledge that is essential to moral reform. In developing and defending Kant's understanding of evil, moral reform, and their cognitive underpinnings, Papish not only makes an important contribution to Kant scholarship. Kant on Evil, Self-Deception, and Moral Reform also reveals how much contemporary moral philosophers, philosophers of religion, and general readers interested in the phenomenon of evil stand to gain by taking seriously Kant's views.

The understanding of early deception is important for both theoretical and practical purposes. Children's deceptive behaviors provide a window into their models and theories of mind. On a practical level, childhood deception poses challenges for the legal system as well as parents and schools. In this volume, contributors from diverse areas of psychology -- social, cognitive, and developmental -- as well as philosophy and law examine the determinants of deception among preschoolers. In addition to a wealth of new empirical findings dealing with gender, motivation, and context in children's use of deception, evidence is provided for recursivity of awareness in children as young as three years of age. With chapters and commentaries written by leading scholars in the United States, England, and Australia, this book reflects a growing concern with ecological validity in developmental studies and may prompt rethinking of traditional models of mind based exclusively on data from laboratory experiments.

This volume presents a conceptualization of the phenomena of lying and deception, manifested in some well-known constructions like spin, hype, doublespeak, equivocation, and contextomy (quoting out of context). With chapters from leading-edge researchers offering innovative perspectives, this volume will appeal to scholars, researchers, and advanced/graduate students in communication, media, and psychology.

Will he save me or break me? Vin Cortland is the crowned prince of Deception High. He is beloved by his subjects and ruthless with his enemies. We used to be friends, once. Not anymore. It's no secret that he hates me, but only the two of us will ever know why. And the guilt of what I've done makes me hate myself more than he ever could. Except love and hate are two sides of the same coin and both will make you burn. Then he comes to me with a proposition: one fake marriage in exchange for enough money to finally escape this town and leave the past behind me. The offer is hard to refuse and Vin is used to getting what he wants. I want to know why me, but I won't ask for his secrets when it means revealing my own. He is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. My savior and my destruction. It's a deal with the devil. I'll let him take my hand in marriage. The only question is whether or not he also gets my soul.