4-4.5 stars 
 Illusion is the first in a new trilogy by J.S. Cooper. Stranded on a deserted island with a man she has never met, Bianca London isn't sure what to believe or who to trust. As events unfold, Bianca becomes more confused about what is going on and who she can trust. But even as she questions her connection with Jakob, she begins to give in to the attraction she feels growing between them. 
 I had nearly as many questions rolling around in my head at the end of the book as I did at the beginning. So much of what is going on in Bianca's life at the time of her kidnapping was alarming and cloaked in secrets that even as she begins to sort pieces of the puzzle, I had a hard time trusting the answers she found. 
 Trust is at the center of this book. Who do you trust and how do you know you can trust them. Bianca is warned early on not to trust anyone until they give her a reason, and as she puts her trust in various other people, I couldn't help but think they hadn't earned that trust yet. For attempting to sleuth her way to answers, Bianca was too naive and trusting to really find the answers to what she was seeking. 
 She is stuck on the island with Jakob, a man she ran into once at a coffee shop shortly before her kidnapping. He is bossy, and knows his survival tactics. But every so often, Bianca gets a feeling from him that he is hiding something. 
 They are also surprised by the arrival of Steve to the island. He arrives limping and confused as to how he come to be on the island after falling asleep on the beach at his resort. He too doesn't always seem to be forthcoming with Bianca, but he is also adamant that she not listen to anything Jakob says, a statement that is echoed by Jakob, though Jakob says they can't trust Steve. 
 At times, this felt like the riddle about being in a room with a person who lies all the time and one who never lies and not knowing who is who. Or rather, knowing that everyone is lying and having to sort out what the truths is behind all the lies. And the answers are not entirely clear yet. 
 I had a couple points where I wasn't sure I was going to finish reading. Not because I didn't enjoy the overall premise, or the characters, but because I was so confused and couldn't trust anything, that I wasn't sure I could keep going. But getting to the end, I know I will be waiting for Disillusioned in the Spring. There are still so many questions to answer that I have to know what's going on. 
 I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. This review is also posted at Reviews by Tammy and Kim.