Deceptive Calm Audiobook By Patricia Skipper cover art

Deceptive Calm

 Preview
Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Deceptive Calm

By: Patricia Skipper
Narrated by: Tanya Reuter
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Against the turbulent backdrop of declared martial law in South Carolina, a stunning light-skinned beauty, Vanessa, lives in a Catholic orphanage for Blacks. After a series of racial traumas, Vanessa obtains the birth certificate of a deceased white baby and uses this document to assume the child's identity. She moves to California and enrolls at UC Berkeley under her newly acquired name.

Vanessa marries into one of California's wealthiest families. Her charmed life abruptly ends eighteen months after the birth of her first child who is diagnosed with sickle cell trait. Discovering that the woman he married is Black, as is his toddler son, Vanessa's ruthless husband plots his revenge but they both survive. The police investigation that follows seems pretty clear-cut until a curious, young detective uncovers some clues to her private life where nothing is as it appears. The aftermath of the discovery brings down a pillar of San Francisco society.

©2023 Patricia Skipper (P)2024 Patricia Skipper Crime Thrillers Drama & Plays Fantasy Thriller & Suspense Heartfelt
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup
All stars
Most relevant  
I love the whole book, from the beginning to the end . This book told the story of the time when there was a racial profile in the south. it talked about the KKK trying to stop a school bus fill of kids. It talked about a black surgeon who had to do important surgery on a white girl. Vanessa and Barry was in love with each other when they were young. Over the course of years, each person life changed but in the end they found each other again.

Barry and Vanessa

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story just didn't involve any strong emotions in me. It was a cool story but rather bland.

Nothing really stood out.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I dislike this book. I found the book Deceptive Calm redundant. Although there were characters in this story of the struggles with discrimination it felt more as though I was having a history lesson.

History lesson

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really loved this book. The main character was a favorite. Her story was full of love, sadness and adventure. A must read for women

A southern childhood sweetheart

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Deceptive Calm started out a bit slow for my taste. it was a fairly decent read, however I could have done without all of the unnecessary cursing and soft porn. I believe the overly descriptive nature of the sex scenes was more graffic than it needed to be. Most of all I was very disappointed with the end of the story. The fact that the end seems to suggest Barry was going to be with Vanessa in any capacity was stupid and unrealistic. Definitely not what I would consider a proper ending.

Decent Read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
THE BOOK IS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY IN INTEREST OF GENRE'S. I ENJOYED THE STORYLINE AND ERA OF TIME OF THE BOOK. HOWEVER, THE NARRATOR DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN CAPTURING THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK. THE AUTHOR WROTE A GREAT BOOK, I TRULY ENJOY A LOVE STORY WITH A HAPPY ENDING, I WILL BE PURCHASING A HARDCOPY OF THE BOOK TO ADD TO MY LIBRARY

THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME ORDERING AN AUDIBLE BOOK AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ORDERING MORE,

OVERVIEW OF BOOK

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper is a powerful and emotional story of resilience. It follows Vanessa, a light-skinned Black woman, as she navigates nearly 40 years of challenges in a society shaped by racism, sexism, and inequality. Set in post-martial-law South Carolina, Vanessa’s journey highlights the struggles of women who face discrimination on multiple fronts. Yet, beneath her calm and composed exterior lies a fierce and determined heart.

One of the most striking parts of the story is when Vanessa gets a chance to completely reinvent herself. With the birth certificate of a deceased White baby, she creates a new identity and steps into a life of new challenges and opportunities. This pivotal moment shows her strength and her willingness to redefine her future despite the weight of her past.

Patricia Skipper’s storytelling is heartfelt and clear, making the emotional struggles and societal pressures feel very real. The book also celebrates Vanessa’s determination, her relationships, and her personal growth, showing how the people and places in her life shape her.

While the pacing can feel uneven at times, and the open-ended conclusion leaves some questions unanswered, the story’s focus on Vanessa’s resilience and strength is deeply inspiring. Deceptive Calm is a thought-provoking and moving read, especially for women who may see pieces of their own experiences reflected in Vanessa’s story.

A striking story that delivers a powerful dose of reality

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Deceptive Calm is a heart-wrenching, uplifting, and provocative story that explores the emotional rollercoaster of life. From the beginning, it felt as if the story jumped straight into the middle of something, creating an immediate sense of intrigue. The protagonist experiences every imaginable emotion—love, disappointment, heartbreak, joy, and ecstasy—which makes her journey incredibly relatable and intense.

The central theme of the story focuses on the different types of people who come into our lives, each with their own purpose. Some people build us up, others love us, some challenge us, and some break us down. The way the author explores this idea adds layers to the story, showing the complexity of relationships and human connections.

At times, I found myself completely captivated by the drama unfolding in the book. There were days when I couldn't put it down, eager to know what would happen next. However, there were also moments when the emotional weight of the story became overwhelming, and I had to take breaks to process everything. This emotional push and pull made for a very engaging, though at times taxing, reading experience.

Despite its many strengths, I did find that the pacing in the beginning was a bit confusing. The first two chapters were especially difficult to follow, and I had to reread them multiple times to catch up with the story. While this did slow me down initially, once I found my footing, the book flowed more smoothly.

One of the aspects I appreciated most was how the author depicted life from a pure, almost innocent perspective. The protagonist’s experiences often teach her hard lessons, and her journey toward understanding who people really are, beyond their masks, felt poignant. It's a reminder that we often don't understand certain aspects of life until we are taught or experience them ourselves.

However, there were some aspects of the characters and their relationships that left me questioning their motivations. For example, the protagonist’s love interests, Barry and later her husband, came across as overly aggressive, which sometimes made the protagonist seem unsure of herself. She often seemed to flock to people who showed her interest, rather than sticking to her own principles, which was a bit frustrating.

It’s an emotionally powerful read, full of drama and real-life lessons. The story would likely translate well into a TV show, as it has the perfect mix of emotional intensity and intrigue. While there were some minor pacing issues and moments of confusion, the story's depth and emotional journey make it worth the read.

It’s an emotionally powerful read!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listening to Deceptive Calm was like watching a slow, chilling unraveling of power cloaked in respectability. Vanessa Vaughn’s story—navigating her hidden racial identity, a corrupt system, and the venom of the Von Westerkamps—was gripping from the start. What stood out wasn’t just her fight for survival, but how every institution meant to protect her instead turned against her. The book brilliantly exposes how privilege manipulates truth, twisting hospitals, police, and media into silent weapons. Vanessa felt incredibly real—flawed, brave, and deeply human. Even when her inner struggles repeated a bit, they never overshadowed the emotional weight of the plot. This audiobook didn’t just entertain me—it unsettled me in the best way. Absolutely a five-star listen.

Systemic Evil, Personal Strength

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Deceptive Calm by Skipper Penny is a very unique drama filled novel. The way the author takes you through the lives of the characters, gives you a very indepth view of who they are and how they function. The first few chapters allow you to connect with them and the trials they go through in their personal lives and give a proper precurser to their personalities.

The author takes you through a time in American history where you can imagine the fear and hope that black people had during Civil rights. There are many racial slurs used to depict this. It also helps you empathize with the struggle of what it was to want to be who you are, but not be able to due to the prejudices of that time.

The author gave the main characters a sisterly feel but made sure they had extremely separate identiites. I felt the author provided two points of view to allow the reader to choose whom you could relate to more. The book also allowed you to envision the pros and cons of each character as well. Not making either character more likeable than the other by having them both go through conflicting and controversial storms in their lives.

The book says it's romance. I don't see romance. I see more of trauma. I think this book should have a trigger warning for Spousal SA and coercion. However, this trigger warning did not affect my opinion of the book. It actually did the opposite and engulfed me to feel something different and want to read more to get to the end.

I give this book a 3.5. I purchased the book on amazon audible and did not enjoy the narrator. But the book is so well written that I continued to listen. There was no inflection or feeling in the narrators voice so it took away from the suspence and emotion readers should be feeling. I also felt that while the ending was beautiful it was too abrupt and anticlimactic. I would have continued to listen to more had there been more.

I love the book, hate the narrator

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews