Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What initially drew you to this title and did it meet your expectations?

2. Which romantic interest did you root for, and why?

3. What do you think will happen in the city of Venda now that Lia and Rafe are both captured?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Did any of the characters remind you of someone you know in your own life? Explain the connection you found.

2. When you think of humanity’s story, how do you hope to contribute to it, and how are you influenced by the lives of those who came before you?

3. What is your idea of genuine love? Can genuine love ever be found when two people are deceiving each other?

4. What do you have faith in, and what keeps that faith going for you?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Is a future world in which people revert to medieval practices possible? How might this story or its characters have been different if it were set in the Middle Ages rather than a distant future?

2. Is The Kiss of Deception relatable in spite of not taking place in our modern world? What parallels do you see to contemporary life?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Where does the narrative plant seeds and foreshadow the plot twist of Kaden being the assassin?

2. Describe a scene where language and sentence structure reveal a character’s emotions. How does the diction accomplish this?

3. How does Pearson build tension through her narrative structure?

4. In the novel, neither the reader nor heroine knows Kaden and Rafe’s true identities. What effect does this create? How would the novel read differently if the reader—but not Lia—knew? Would anything be lost or gained?

5. How does Pearson show Kaden’s humanity? How does she prevent him from being a hero or villain?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If this novel were turned into a theatrical play and you were cast in a role, whom would you play? Would you feature musical numbers? Props?

2. If a new character were added to this series, who would they be? What conflicts would they present, and how would they grow?

3. Design your own kavah, either on paper or on your hand, and explain your design choice.