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34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Zoe's Too Strong For Five Stars, July 7, 2009
This review is from: Don't Tempt Me (Mass Market Paperback)
This is an excellent romance, a good solid read with an interesting story. The focus of the book is Lucien. In his own words, he's lost everyone he ever loved. So Don't Tempt Me is really the story of his emotional recovery, how he emerges from the shell he's locked himself into and regains control of his life. He does this with an uninhibited free spirit, in the form of Zoe. The pacing is good, the 'danger' setup not really needed but well placed as a pressure point to force Lucien's emotional development, the details are the sort Chase is known for. She sets the times with well placed references and beautiful descriptions that feel natural, not like a list of research details.
What holds me back from perfection was actually Zoe. She's a well characterized heroine, she's consistent in her inner thoughts, her motivations, her thought process - you feel like you know her and she is different than those surrounding her. She's plausible for her backstory, she's what Lucien needs to drive his story forward. The problem is Zoe's backstory itself. To me, it set up for a very dark tale. Because her experience (having been kidnapped for 12 years) is so recent, I expected a great deal more to play out with her family and within herself. Zoe reads like she came back two years ago, maybe even five, and has readjusted with her family and culture. She hits the ground running, without the disorientation or emotional upheaval that a 12 year abduction would seem to warrant. She does have some emotional highs and lows, but they're muted and controlled against the scope of what she went through. Additionally there is a toss away character in the beginning - the person that brings her home - who is never heard from again. What was his motivation? How was he involved? What are her feelings about it? This book would be much stronger if events began with Zoe's escape and followed her home in her shoes, through her eyes. Because the book is about Lucien and his eyes tell the story, her experience seems off, too easily resolved and processed. Zoe's tale is too big to be a sideline to Lucien's. She understands so simply and without undue grief why her family acts the way they do - which hits the only false note.
It's hard to explain without spoilers or recapping plot points. As a romance from Lucien's point of view, this is a great one. Loretta Chase is one of the absolute best. I just wish I could lift Zoe out of the book and give her room to breathe in her own story. Or have her experiences occur to her at a greater distance of time than they did. It distracted me, wondering why there was so little fallout from her storm, why she was so easily his umbrella.
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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Very Tempting Read (A- Grade), June 30, 2009
This review is from: Don't Tempt Me (Mass Market Paperback)
Lucien de Grey, the Duke of Marchmont has an interesting history with Lord Lexham's daughter, Zoe Octavia. When a ten-year-old Lucien lost his parents, his father's best friend, who happened to be Lexham, took him and his brother Gerard into his home. Lucian and Gerard were quite welcomed into the Lexham brood. But the child who makes the most impression on Lucian, is five-year-old Zoe Octavia. Zoe was there always annoying Lucien and getting into trouble. She had a bad habit of running away and not doing what she is told. And because of that unfortunate trait, Zoe Octavia goes missing for years. When she was twelve, her parents take her on a tour of the eastern Mediterranean. It is public knowledge that Zoe bolted from her parents and was kidnapped, lost forever, never to be found again. Lexham spent years trying to find his youngest daughter, but failed. Lucian grew up, trying to forget the young girl that found her way into his heart. Twelve years later, Zoe Octavia is found and Lucien's life will change in so many ways.
The Lexham family, especially that of her sisters, don't know what to make of this young woman who was held captive and part of the harem in the palace of Yusri Pasha. Zoe was able to escape and now her parents have welcomed her back with open arms. But in the eyes of society, Zoe is ruined. They need to hire a tutor to teach her the ways of British society. And that is where Lucien comes in. Lucien has no choice but to accept because he owes Lexham so much. He will help Zoe find a husband and teach her the acceptable ways of a proper British lady.
Zoe Octavia knows how to navigate her way around people, especially Lucien. She wouldn't mind marrying him. She tells him of her skills at lovemaking and is very knowledgeable about the ways between a man and a woman. Everyone around her seems shocked by her blatant words. Lucien is at his wits end because Zoe constantly does what she wants to do without any concern for her safety and well being. She refuses to listen to him and tries to handle him. He will not be handled by some blonde goddess whose kisses are sweet and is willing to enjoy more pleasures in parks and secluded carriages with him.
Zoe wants Lucien and she definitely knows he wants her. She will try her best to tempt the man who always held her heart, waiting for her to return to him.
Loretta Chase is a master storyteller and she has done it again with Don't Tempt Me. Her words and characters are amazing to read. This is one historical romance you will not want to miss especially with Zoe Octavia, who has one of the best names for a heroine I have read in years. It is great to watch Lucien, who is so set in his ways, become so topsy turvy because of Zoe. Lucien walks through life bored that is until Zoe comes along and makes him feel again.
The way Zoe and Lucien interact is oh, so good. It was so fun to watch Lucien become jealous because Zoe's father thinks she should meet more single men. Lucian can't stand it and decides to claim her in one hot and scorching love scene in a carriage.
Zoe Octavia is a character you will not soon forget and Don't Tempt Me is one of my favorite historicals I have read this year. Don't miss out on this wonderful book. It is a very tempting read.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Spunky American Author Overcomes Impossible Odds and Writes Another Winner, June 30, 2009
This review is from: Don't Tempt Me (Mass Market Paperback)
Oh, that Loretta Chase! She did it again! May the Gods bless her for giving us another wonderfully delightful story. I swear she does dialogue better than any other romance writer out there. Don't you just love it when a book makes you laugh out loud (and I mean with the author, not at the author)? Don't you just love it when you really feel like the hero and the heroine are meant to be together?
The previous review sums up the plot very well; poor Zoe Octavia was abducted at 12 years old and spent the next dozen years learning the ways of the harem into which she was sold. With her gone, poor Lucien de Grey has lost everyone who ever really mattered to him and becomes that stereotypical cold, bored, haughty handsome Duke that all the ladies love. When Zoe returns to England Lucien agrees to help her family launch her back into society. No easy feat considering she knows much more about erotic tricks and sensual arts than she does about how to carry on proper conversations in English drawing rooms. So Lucien has his work cut out for him, and sets about in earnest to do what he has promised. And Zoe sets about in earnest to restore her good name and not shame her family. But neither of them counts on the delicious chemistry between them getting so out of hand, so often, and well...
This book has a number of things going for it. To begin with, there can't be enough said about how much fun it is to see two characters with such zingy chemistry. Love that. Also, for all that they can behave irrationally when their hormones are pumping through them- it's believable irrationality. Neither of them does the stupid insipid stuff, no grand misunderstandings that could have been cleared up in one quick conversation but neither hero nor heroine are clever enough to have. No, no, none of that in a Loretta Chase novel (thank you very much, Ms. Chase). Also, the characters' actions keep things interesting. Their choices and their maturity made me care about what happens to them. I liked these two. I enjoyed their background stories and the way they grew and came to care for one another.
Was it a perfect book? No. Was it my favorite Chase book? No (Lord Perfect and Mr. Impossible take those honors). I would have liked to see a little more at the end. Why do romance novels frequently end in what feels like such an abrupt manner? What this is is simply another super fun and engaging book from an author who is such a refreshing find amidst a sea of dud writers. Can't wait (but will clearly have to) for the next one! Maybe something with that enigmatic Lord Winterton?
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