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  Honest Illusions\
 The daughter of a world-renowned magician, Roxy Nouvelle has inherited her father’s talents—and his penchant for jewel thievery. Into this colorful world comes Luke Callahan, an escape artist who captures her heart—and keeps secrets that could shatter all her illusions…

Andrea

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Honest Illusions

This is one of my all-time favorite books. Probably tied as my most favorite with Catherine Anderson's  Phantom Waltz . There's just something about this story that completely captures me. I've read it like four or five times now and it never gets dull.    Honest Illusions  is another of Roberts' "time progression" stories in that it moves through different periods of the characters' lives instead of only being set in the present. The book starts off in the now with a short prologue where the hero, Luke Callahan, returns to the heroine, Roxanne Nouvelle, after disappearing for five years. Then it shifts to the past.  At 12 years old, Luke was an abused runaway who was picking pockets at a traveling carnival when he meets up with magician Max Nouvelle and his 8 year old daughter Roxy (along with others of Max and Roxy's "family"). Max sees a lot of himself in Luke and convinces the wary boy to stick with them, earning money for work. After a while, Max begins to teach Luke, an apt pupil, the art of illusion and magic.  Over the years, Luke becomes one of the family. The book progresses through various periods, going through important events that build the characters to what they are - one of the most important being Luke discovering that Max is more than a magician. He's a master thief who steals from those who can afford to lose it. It isn't long before Luke (and later Roxy) learn the art of burglary as well.   Through it all, there was a connection between Luke and Roxy that became more as they grew older. But Luke never acted on his feelings. Roxy was like a sister to him...at least he tried to tell himself that. At 21, though, Roxy decides to push the issue and seduces Luke, who finally gives in. The love between them quickly blossoms and Luke is poised to propose when a ghost from his past rears its head. Circumstances force Luke to leave Roxy without a word, until five years later when he's ready to take back his life, and Roxy, and get vengeance on the man determined to destroy him and the Nouvelles.  Whenever I reread this book, it never fails to make me smile and sigh. It's a wonderful romance. There's something very sensual and sexy about it with the magic, the cat burglary. And Luke is just yummy.  I love the time progression aspect of the story. It gives you a real solid sense of the characters - who they are, how they got that way, what they want, etc. And it establishes a really great connection between Luke and Roxy. You get to see every shift and change in their relationship - from "sibling" rivalry, to grudging acceptance, to protectiveness, to growing love. It just makes the relationship between them so full-bodied and real and you really connect with them as characters and lovers.  But a word of warning, though - a large majority of this book is the time progression. Other than the prologue, the "present" part of the story doesn't start until like page 350. So there's a lot of the past and them growing up. Which might not appeal to everyone.  I loved the storyline as well. A family of magicians who moonlight as world class burglars. It's just very sexy and Roberts wrote it wonderfully. I love how she resolved the part with the antagonist in the end. That was fantastic. Nothing like a bad guy getting exactly what's coming to him!  The bottomline for me on this book is that I loved every single aspect and don't have a single criticism or "wish the author had done this or that" complaint. The story just worked in every way for me. I like to go back and read it once in a while, especially when I'm feeling the need to read something I know I'll enjoy greatly.

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