Into Temptation (The Spoils of Time) [Paperback]

Penny Vincenzi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003 | Series: The Spoils of Time

The Lytton family past is full of secrets, and only Lady Celia knows them all. There's her daughter Adele's difficult, dark past; the dreadful cruelty of a truth her son Kit had to confront; even the shadows of Celia's own life, and that of Barty Miller, whom she rescued from the slums in babyhood and who now owns more than half of the Lytton publishing house. Some secrets are more dangerous than others, some shared with Celia's family, some entirely her own. And all absolutely safe in her keeping. Until something happens that threatens to reveal them all ...INTO TEMPTATION is a magnificent drama that captures the spirit of an age and tells the gripping story of the Lytton family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The third in the Lytton family trilogy (Something Dangerous; No Angel) takes the patrician English clan—and all its jockeying for power, money and approval—into the second half of the 20th century. Set in London and New York, the novel opens in 1953 with the Lyttons in an uproar, as matriarch Celia drops two bombshells: she's leaving Lytton's, the family publishing house she has run for decades, and marrying sportsman Lord "Bunny" Arden. (Her husband Oliver died only a year earlier.) Baffled, her children contemplate how these changes will affect their careers and inheritances. Meanwhile, the narrative turns to Barty Miller, Celia's adopted daughter, who runs Lytton's New York and controls the majority share of the house thanks to her first husband's wealth, and Barty's headstrong daughter, Jenna. Barty also marries again, to Charlie Patterson, a smooth operator of relatively modest means who turns out not to be all that he appears to be. As this page-turner nears its conclusion, the Lytton family fortunes come under threat from the resentful Charlie. Will Barty and Jenna manage to preserve the Lytton legacy? Period color, deliciously shocking revelations and showy characterizations heighten this romance, which should be one of the summer's guilty pleasures. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Third in a dense, all-consuming trilogy, the latest in the Lytton family saga continues the legacy of social arrogance and single-minded ambition of publishing scion Celia Lytton (No Angel, 2003). In this episode, third-generation Lyttons compete with their forebears in an effort to wrest control of both the New York and London branches of the publishing business while falling inconveniently in love and attempting to hide their own ugly schemes. This is rich people behaving badly--and Barbara Taylor Bradford fans, along with those who enjoy the bootstraps-to-riches stories of Belva Plain--will be entranced. Jump into the trilogy anywhere and be transported into a high society of bygone times, peopled with the dysfunctional, self--serving players of an addictive soap opera. Aside from the occasional moment of confusion when sorting out the bewildering transcontinental appearances of the large cast of characters, readers will find themselves unable to resist being led Into Temptation. Come September, expect to see this hefty tome wherever they go, sneaking a read and hoping they haven't seen the last of the Lyttons. Jennifer Baker
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 896 pages
• Publisher: Orion Paperbacks (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752849557
• ISBN-13: 978-0752849553
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,488,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Great, March 27, 2005

By 

J. Jamison (New Albany, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Into Temptation (The Spoils of Time) (Paperback)

I picked up a copy of "No Angel" just because I liked the cover, and it looked interesting. I had no idea I was starting off on a journey that would encompass my reading time for so long. I didn't know I was starting on a trilogy. When I finished "No Angel" I knew I had to find out the rest of the story, so I read "Something Dangerous" and finally "Into Temptation." This is one of the most interesting stories a reader could ask for-- it moves quickly, very readable, never a dull moment. If you don't read the books in order, the story doesn't make as much sense--- you would have too many unanswered questions, although tantalizing hints are given. I would have been a bit confused and would not have enjoyed "Into Temptation" as much.

Since reading "Into Temptation" I have obtained all the rest of Penny Vincenzi's books, and am looking forward to lots of good reading time.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant Surprise, March 4, 2005

By 

Bookworm "Beckie" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into Temptation (The Spoils of Time) (Paperback)

I purchased No Angel on impulse, being unfamiliar with both Ms. Vincenzi or her work. I was very pleasantly surprised and entertained,and became quickly engrossed with the saga of the Lytton family. Upon completion of No Angel, I was thrilled when I discovered No Angel was part one of a triology. Something Dangerous was a continuation of reading pleasure. I am awaitng the shipment of Into Temptation and feel that the experience has been somewhat addictive. Being an avid reader, I am also surprised that Ms. Vincenzi's triology has not achieved a higher sales rating.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Trilogy, January 25, 2005

By 

A. Tingley (Illinois) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Into Temptation (The Spoils of Time) (Paperback)

I took a chance and read the first book in the trilogy, No Angel, and fell in love with the story line and with Ms. Vincenzi's writing and characters. I have now finished the trilogy with this book and feel privileged to have read the three books and for getting to know the characters. Enriching, rewarding, and hard to put down; Penny Vincenzi is a charming, witty, fabulous author!!!