Spoiler Alert: What did you think of the ending of Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper?

[Gift Omolade]

The ending was rushed a bit. I felt like one or two chapters to tie together some loose ens, especially to show how the Westerkeamps ended up would have made for a memorable ending.

[Christina Shupe]

It needed an epilogue!

I agree!

In the end, it left me wondering what happened to her friend Trisha, did she die or recover? It would also be nice to see what happened with Vanessa, Berry, and the baby. I was left with a lot of questions and didn't feel satisfied.

[Loretta Morris 1]

Hi! I thought the ending was good, but I would have preferred an epilogue. I wonder what happened to the child's health. However, I hope for book II. I enjoyed the book! I wanted to give my review, but the assignment was cancelled before I could get the chance by the review team. Not sure what happened.

[Loretta Morris 1]

Hi! I thought the ending was good, but I would have preferred an epilogue. I wonder what happened to the child's health. However, I hope for book II. I enjoyed the book! I wanted to give my review, but the assignment was cancelled before I could get the chance by the review team. Not sure what happened.

[London Baum]

I really liked it BUT I wanted a little more. Hearing the doctor tell Tod father BOTH parents would have to carry the trait and the implication of that, I want more answers. I want to know what Vanessa decides to do now that Barry’s found her and the truth about Tod will somewhat come out. What happens to her now that she’s likely to be exposed as a liar and for deceiving people for years.

[Mellisa Hornes]

I did not like the ending at all. I was anticipating the ending only to be left with more unresolved answers. I wished the ending was not that rushed.

[Esther-David]

I felt that the ending was rushed. I also did not like how Vanessa went back with Barry. It was disappointing to see she never stopped liking Barry even though he was cruel to her at the beginning of the book. I was also shocked with Vanessa and Trisha getting into a car accident. The accident not being an accident at all, but a plan to hurt the girls by Vanessa's husband!

I agree. Too many things happened at the end all too suddenly. Barry and Vanessa didn't have a healthy relationship. Barry sexually assaulted her, and Vanessa wasn't honest with him. It is concerning that the author portrayed it as romantic at the end.

[Gena Smith 77]

I am hoping that the rushed ending is an opening for a part 2. If not, the book needed an epilog. There was so much left open with the husband and father-in-law, Trisha, and the baby. There needed to be more of a wrap up to the whole story. I do not mind that she went back to Barry as that is where her heart belonged and that is what her fortune showed, but the reader needs more of an explanation as to what happens to all the main players in the deceit.

[Tessa Stewart]

I personally did not like the fact that she went back to Barry, I felt it took us through a journey that ended up not being necessary because she just went back to where she started in the end. It also promoted the stereotypical Male-Savior trope. That she needed a man in her life to be better than she already was. I feel if some sort of moral were introduced that would allow her mental clarity then it would allow for a more fulfilling read that takes the readers mind on a linear journey instead of one that is cyclical.

I completely agree. I really didn't like that the narrative kept reiterating that they loved each other because we barely see them be a couple and most of their scenes when they are alone are mostly sexual. There is a two-year time skip between prom and the start of college. Then another two years time skip between the start of college and Barry's mother's death. Shortly after that, Vanessa finds out he's been cheating on her, at the very least emotionally, with Michelle. I really disliked that the narrative never truly showed Vanessa processing his betrayal and that she seemed to stay in a very adolescent form of love. She may "love" him and he may "love" her, but most of the few scenes between the two of them involve him pressuring her to do sexual acts with him or him lying to her about something, typically by withholding information that would upset her.

I feel that Vanessa hasn't grown up since she left university and, in my opinion, her going back to Barry at the end, and that being the ending itself, epitomised that perfectly.

[Tessa Stewart]

I really liked it BUT I wanted a little more. Hearing the doctor tell Tod father BOTH parents would have to carry the trait and the implication of that, I want more answers. I want to know what Vanessa decides to do now that Barry’s found her and the truth about Tod will somewhat come out. What happens to her now that she’s likely to be exposed as a liar and for deceiving people for years.

I agree! That aspect of the plot needed to be resolved better, especially since the Von Westerkamps are so extraordinarily rich. They could easily bribe their way out of a conviction or prison with the ending in the state that it is in. The fact that Tod also has the trait got completely skipped over, which was hilarious to me. It was a good way to show how the racism of the Von Westerkamps only applies to those they see as "outsiders" and, because Tod is Alex's son, Tod is one of them, so their bigotry does not apply to him in the same way that it does to Vanessa.

[Tessa Stewart]

I felt that the ending was rushed. I also did not like how Vanessa went back with Barry. It was disappointing to see she never stopped liking Barry even though he was cruel to her at the beginning of the book. I was also shocked with Vanessa and Trisha getting into a car accident. The accident not being an accident at all, but a plan to hurt the girls by Vanessa's husband!

I agree. Too many things happened at the end all too suddenly. Barry and Vanessa didn't have a healthy relationship. Barry sexually assaulted her, and Vanessa wasn't honest with him. It is concerning that the author portrayed it as romantic at the end.

I agree partly with you. Barry lied, cheated on Vanessa, and sexually assaulted her after the dinner with his parents. I think Vanessa withholding the knowledge of the abortion is justified because it is her healthcare and her choice, even though it is his baby too. I was very annoyed by the narrative's insistence that Barry is Vanessa's eternal love because their relationship was portrayed in only a handful of scenes and in most of them Barry is mistreating Vanessa!

Likewise, I felt the ending was too abrupt of a pivot. The story went from a mystery/romance thriller, with no stakes because the blurb spoiled everything, to a detective plot that had a really obvious outcome.

[Esther-David]

I agree partly with you. Barry lied, cheated on Vanessa, and sexually assaulted her after the dinner with his parents. I think Vanessa withholding the knowledge of the abortion is justified because it is her healthcare and her choice, even though it is his baby too. I was very annoyed by the narrative's insistence that Barry is Vanessa's eternal love because their relationship was portrayed in only a handful of scenes and in most of them Barry is mistreating Vanessa!

Likewise, I felt the ending was too abrupt of a pivot. The story went from a mystery/romance thriller, with no stakes because the blurb spoiled everything, to a detective plot that had a really obvious outcome.

Thanks for sharing. You make a good point about Vanessa. I suppose she wasn't obligated to tell Barry about her choices. I was annoyed too. I sincerely hope the author doesn't think sexual assault should be present in healthy, Godly relationships.

You make a good point about the genre shift I was struggling to put into words. I felt like the part with the car accident was remarkably cheesy. I liked the buildup leading up to it and the crisis where Vanessa's real identity was revealed.

[Brayan Uribe]

The ending felt rushed and left many things up in the air (What happened to Trish???) For how long the book was the author didn't really developed anything.

[Tessa Stewart]

I agree partly with you. Barry lied, cheated on Vanessa, and sexually assaulted her after the dinner with his parents. I think Vanessa withholding the knowledge of the abortion is justified because it is her healthcare and her choice, even though it is his baby too. I was very annoyed by the narrative's insistence that Barry is Vanessa's eternal love because their relationship was portrayed in only a handful of scenes and in most of them Barry is mistreating Vanessa!

Likewise, I felt the ending was too abrupt of a pivot. The story went from a mystery/romance thriller, with no stakes because the blurb spoiled everything, to a detective plot that had a really obvious outcome.

Thanks for sharing. You make a good point about Vanessa. I suppose she wasn't obligated to tell Barry about her choices. I was annoyed too. I sincerely hope the author doesn't think sexual assault should be present in healthy, Godly relationships.

You make a good point about the genre shift I was struggling to put into words. I felt like the part with the car accident was remarkably cheesy. I liked the buildup leading up to it and the crisis where Vanessa's real identity was revealed.

Thank you for your very eloquent reply! I agree with you about the car accident. I did feel nervous and worried about the car accident but that was more from my own experiences than the writing itself. I think the set up of the accident was shaky because Trisha would be a lot more suspicious of a man tinkering with her car, especially considering how independent and street-smart she is. Likewise, I thought the reveal of Vanessa's heritage was one of the best written parts of the book. It was nice to have an answer about her heritage, rather than leaving it as an unresolved mystery of the book.

[Elizabeth Janoski]

The ending was very up in the air. She hadn't escaped from her husband. She needed to find a way to divorce him.