Customer Reviews

The Lady Is Tempted

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes, this lady is VERY satisfied with this newest offering from Cathy Maxwell.

There had to be something better in life than being forced into marrying another man whom she didn't love. Deborah Percival had done that once already, for the sake of her step-mother and half-sisters. In order to save them all she had been married to a man 37 years her senior and now her life was being planned again to marry her off to Parson Ames and step-mother his six horrendous children. Not again! She would be off to London to help out her other sister.

Along the way, providence stepped in in the form of washed out bridge forcing her to take a room for the night. The other boarder in the house was the newly betrothed, Earl of Burnell, Anthony Aldercy. He was everything she dreamed of and before the night was over the most electrifying attraction between the two of them would result in the most tempting offer Deborah would ever receive. Would she accept...well of course, how else could we have this wonderful regency romance!

One thing, you can always expect from Cathy Maxwell is a deeply satisfying romance and that is exactly what you get from the Lady is Tempted. While I usually expect more humor from Ms. Maxwell - the lack of it was more than made up for in the deeply satisfying love scenes. Great writing one always expects from Ms. Maxwell.

This is my first Cathy Maxwell book & I wasn't disppointed. I do have mixed feelings about it though. It was a very sweet, if somewhat heart-wrenching romance - which I almost always love (as long as it's not totally depressing). However, most of the secondary characters were real jerks; Tony & Deborah were the only ones I could really enjoy & admire. I had to raise my eyebrows a bit about how quickly the very moral, very responsible Deborah allowed herself to fall into bed with Tony - BUT given what her life had been for 27 yrs AND what the rest of it may turn out to be, I didn't fault her! lol (A girl HAS to have a little fun in life! lol)
The storyline did keep moving & didn't allow me to grow bored with them "looking into each others eyes & thinking this & that", which I never enjoy. However, I was more than a bit disappointed that while Tony fully expected Deborah to understand that he had to act with honor, he didn't think that she had to. That really bothered me. But, in the end, he did accept her decision gracefully & support her in it. All in all, it was a very enjoyable, satifying love story. CM did an excellent job of making me actually feel the love between the two. I will be trying another CM book.

This book is great, I picked it up and rarely but it down for two and half days. I was cheering on deborah and tony from the moment they came in to contact with each other in the story. I was amazed at how real the charatcers felt, and how well the story fell into place; I was disappointed when I finished the book I wanted more. I have been reading historical romances for 15 years now, and Cathy Maxwell has reminded why I love them so much.

This book is by far the best book I have read in a very long time. From the instant the main characters met, I was hooked and felt the connection with them. Cathy Maxwell successfully draws you right into this story so you feel every bit of excitement, pain, happiness and distress that these characters feel. I loved the fact that this book was not about two people denying their attraction and feelings for eachother...instead, their relationship was intense, honest, open and very sexy. The storyline was so different from anything I've read before and kept moving so I was never bored. This is a very enjoyable book to read and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to escape into a unique story.

I'm disappointed that I finished this book, and can only hope my next read is half as good!

From birth Deborah Percival was trained to do what others desired of her not what she wanted from life. At seventeen, Deborah's father died leaving her, her two half-sisters and her stepmother in financial straits. To help her siblings, Deborah acquiesces and marries a man almost sixty years old. This enables her half sisters to wed the husbands they wanted to marry. When Deborah becomes a widow, her family pressures her to remarry a widower with six children. Displaying rare spunk, Deborah refuses and journeys to London to stay with one of her half-sisters.

Earl Anthony Aldercy has worked hard to recover the family fortune that his late father lost gambling. However, his intense efforts cannot overcome his family reputation for scandals. To help erase some of that taint, he agrees to marry a respectable lady.

On her way to London, torrential rain forces Deborah to take lodging at the home of Miss Chalmers whose other guest is Tony. Tony and Deborah soon share a bed and begin to fall in love. However, since he is betrothed and cannot deal with any scandal their relationship appears short-lived.

THE LADY IS TEMPTED is a character-driven Regency romance starring two wonderful protagonists though the audience will wonder why Deborah waited so long before showing her independence. The fabulous story line provides fans with a delightful tale focusing on Tony struggling between his heart and his obsession to avoid shame. Cathy Maxwell furbishes an engaging romance that unabashedly highlights the love between two people.

Harriet Klausner

I have read quite a few books by Cathy Maxwell this past year. She was a new author I found and I took a chance on some of her stories. I have read "Treasured Vows", "Falling in Love Again", "The Price of Indiscretion" (all three not bad - average), "You and No Other" (pretty good) and "Because of You" and now "The Lady is Tempted" (the last two being excellent!).

I'm always excited when I stumble upon an author I like. I have read thousands of romance novels since the mid 80's when I was in high school and then stopped the last few years as I got bored. All the stories seemed the same. I was fortunate to find some great authors this past year and started reading again. A good story makes me dream, wish for more and even inspires me to be better. So...a good romance with interesting characters, detailed story lines and a smashing ending are more than just words in a book for me. They are inspiration.

SO...after reading "The Lady is Tempted" I was smiling and pleased again at the experience. If you are a true historical romance reader and love a strong leading lady and a strong yet, kind leading man - this will be a great book for you. Our heroine Deborah is a gal we can all relate to and you will root her on! She begins the book as a widowed woman of 27 in a small, rural English village where everyone knows everything about you. Her family and the leading townsfolk have run Deborah's life for her and made her decisions (sad to say). Many women of this time held similar lives - woman were not open minded, strong and determined back then as they are in today's world. Many families dictated what would happen in a girl's life and poor Deb was no different. Deborah takes the leap to true womanhood and independence by leaving to go help her sister, brother-in-law and new baby in the city of London for a short while to get away.

It is during this trip to town that Deborah becomes a new woman -the woman she was destined to be. How you ask? Why she simply takes shelter in a local cottage run by a woman named Marmy and as Deborah is taking off her hat and gloves to warm in the library near a fire, she comes face to face with her other half - Anthony Aldercy, the Earl of Burnell. The other half she didn't know existed, could only dream about and now she has to find courage within herself to take what she wants in life and not wait for crumbs to be left to her.

The beauty of this book is that for once, our hero, Anthony, feels exactly the same. And he tells her this instead of playing games and being coy. He lived a similar life to Deborah's so, they have much in common. Two people doing the right things for everyone but, themselves. For a few shorts days as the storm rages on...the two find the strength to act on their impulses and please themselves which in turn pleases the other. Of course, once the storm ends, reality returns and they have to deal with what the world expects of them as well.

You do wish Tony had the courage earlier in the book to take scandal head on instead of trying to avoid it for so long. Good comes from those who do as their heart dictates not just what is in their head and Tony finds this out in his own time. But...the author does give you alot of back ground about his upbringing, his parents and family to understand fully why he became the man he was. Tony didn't rush out on impulse or constantly thrwart society's rules...he knew the damage that could be done if you did this. His family experienced it first hand so, his caution was understandable.

Other reviewers wisely commented on how irritating Deb's sisters and husbands could be. They often took advantage of her kindness and even when they treated her poorly - she often took the beating with little comment. At points that frustrated me too as we all wanted her to stomp, shout and put them in their place and possibly leave but...that wouldn't be a story would it? I think the author showed this side to Deb as she was a woman who would do for others even what they might not do for her. She was truely silent, strong and good - regardless of how nasty those around her could be. Why? Because her kind always trumps the bad ones if given time. Perhaps the author wanted us to see real people and real families. You can't always challenge everyone and everything - it just isn't possible. Sometimes you have to take people - especially family - with a grain of salt and your eyes wide open. That includes still keeping them in the family circle even with all their flaws. We get to see that Deb and Tony's goodness ends up rubbing off on others. It's win-win for all in the end as hopefully their positive ways will make her siblings and their husbands better people in time and have less selfish ways. We even get proof of this later in the book.

This book is deep, detailed and very heart warming. You know with a romance the ending will be good but, you'll have to buy this one to find out how Tony over-comes a contract to marry another man's daughter, how he helps out her family, how he finds out who his real father is, how he finds the courage to make Deb his own and how Deb finds the courage to leave her old town and become the woman she is destined to be - a wife, a lover and mother. Plus...she does stand up to others as she gains her confidence. She finds out who she is by the end of the book and at that point...nothing can stand in her way.

I'm sad to see Deb and Tony's story end as I really liked these characters and the hurdles they had to face to become who they were truly meant to be. The love scenes were simple and tastefully written. The characters were all well rounded and interesting. The beginning, middle and end of the book was powerful and detailed and never lost steam.

Do pick up this book and try this author if you have not. Especially "Because of You" and "The Lady is Tempted" - they are both first class reads. Be tempted yourself. Enjoy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I instantly connected with both Deborah and Tony -- both very likable characters who deserved each other. I especially enjoyed Maxwell's character development, in that she shared the thought processes of Deb and Tony as their relationship blossomed and evolved.

Many times you read these historical fiction novels with the male lead as a rake, rogue, or hellion, who is a lothario with a legion of women in their past. I liked reading this historical novel showing that there were men during this time who valued relationships and wouldn't give up on someone they cared for.

I recommend this book, and look forward to reading more of Cathy Maxwell's book!

I gave this book four stars because I actually liked it a lot, but I think Deb needed to stand up for herself. I really disliked her sisters AND their husbands. I couldn't believe the way she let them treat her. I guess it took away from the story a little for me. She runs to everyone's aid and they treat her poorly and she doesn't even seem to notice. She took care of them all and raised them all and now they treat her like a they don't care at all.

The romance between Deb and Tony is actually very good...hence my rating of 4 stars. It is interesting and although this is my first Cathy Maxwell book it won't be my last!

Cathy Maxwell just get's better and better. I always know that when I pick up one of her books, I am bound to enjoy it. And the new one is no exception. It is a worthwile read. The only thing I found odd with the book was that in one scene at vaux hall Deb meets an old family friend of her mother's and he asks her to visit him and she says she will, and then he and his wife are never mentioned again. I kept thinking when will he spring back up in the book - it seemed like the scene was going to lead somewhere and didn't. I wonder if it originally did and was edited out. Oh well, it was just something that stuck with me. If you like Cathy Maxwell this is a MUST READ.

I normally do not write reviews, especially bad ones. However, I feel as if I would be doing all readers a grave injustice if I didn't tell you to beware this book. To begin with, the characters are the most annoying two people I have ever had the misfortune to read about.It is no wonder they ended up together because I'm sure no one else would have them. Both characters are constantly being put down and stepped on, in Deborah's case by the people she is closest to. Still this isn't what makes them so annoying. Both, Deborah and Tony, never defend themselves. They smile and act as if it is their due to take care of the world and then have the world spit in their face; although Deborah is far more guilty of this than Tony. Also, the two magically fall in love at first sight and we are supposed to believe that having felt this "magic" and seeing Tony's face that Deborah decides to let go of 27 years of morals to fall into bed with a man she doesn't know. Then there are the other characters. Whereas Deborah and Tony are annoying, the other characters are rude and appallingly mean-spirited. They are hateful, and never even get there just desserts. Just when you think they will finally be put in their place Deborah and Tony accept their criticisms and go on, making themselves miserable. I have to say that this is the first book I have ever read in which I found that I would rather the two leads had died than ended up together in the end. I know what you are thinking, It's cruel of me to say this, but it is truly the worst writing I have had the misfortune of owning and I know I for one will never read it again.