17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Strangely Passionless, January 20, 2009
This review is from: Mortal Temptations (Mass Market Paperback)
James spins a good story, but I think the romance falls flat. Patricia is boring despite her steamy predilections. Nico and Andreas are fairly interesting cursed demi-gods, but they don't seem far outside the standard paranormal-hero mold. (EXCEPT, of course, in their willingness to share Patricia. And have sex with each other. AND engage in a comforting threesome with some were-tiger friend of theirs, also a guy.)
Yes, the main characters indulge in unusual yet oddly mechanical kinkiness. But their wild sex does not equal characterization, and it doesn't really generate emotional connection between the patricipants.
Except maybe the men. Only they seemed intimate on a more than physical level.
I also found Andreas and Rebecca more interesting than Patricia and Nico. In my humble opinion, Nico was a bit emo, whereas Andreas had a believably animal point of view. Very intriguing. Becky the hardworking grad student is not your typical romance heroine , unlike gorgeous Patricia, who owns an antique business. Wish I'd seen more of Andreas and his Becky! Authors, beware the dangers of the secondary couple!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another great erotic romance from Allyson James, January 6, 2009
This review is from: Mortal Temptations (Mass Market Paperback)
Two hunky demi-gods. One vengeful goddess. One major curse.
Patricia's quiet little existence as an antiquities dealer was shattered when the sexy winged man literally fell into her life. Finding Nico on the floor of her shop with a broken wing might have sent her over the deep end if it were not for her own psychic ability.
Before long, the curse plaguing Nico binds them together, at least temporarily. It seems that he has been cursed to an eternal existence as a love slave, and for the time being at least, he is all Patricia's. Not only that, the deal seems to come with some pretty exotic fringe benefits in the form of his equally handsome best friend, Andreas.
Good-hearted Patricia wants more than a short fling, however. She wants forever with Nico and is determined to help the two hapless demi-gods break the curse that Hera cast over them, no matter what it takes to do it. No small feat, considering Hera and her minions are bound and determined to prevent that from happening.
When I see the name Allyson James on the cover of a book, I know it is a story I want to read - I don't even need to see the synopsis for the story. This author hasn't disappointed me yet, continuing to deliver creative tales that excite my imagination and stir my heart.
To say that Ms. James has a knack for paranormal romance would be an understatement. No matter how fantastical the plot, she makes the stories come alive on the pages. In MORTAL TEMPTATIONS, she builds the story from the roots of ancient mythology - something which is always a draw for me.
This is definitely a romance, but we enjoy two different, yet connected, love stories in one great book. Our primary couple is Nico and Patricia, and the secondary romance is between their friends Andreas and Rebecca.
Nico and Andreas are both demi-gods and have been friends since their youth. They were cursed together and so have been tied together for an eternity. Although they have very different personalities, their deep friendship makes that binding a blessing for them. They might suffer, but they have always had each other for comfort.
These men have lived for centuries experiencing constantly transient relationships, with only each other as constants in their immortal lives to lessen the oppressive loneliness.
Patricia and Rebecca are bright spots in the men's bleak existence, and Nico and Andreas are determined to enjoy it for as long as it lasts, never allowing themselves to hope this time might be different. Of course, this never daunts our intrepid modern heroines, who are relentless in their goal to free the men they are falling for.
In the end, our couples find their happy endings, in very different ways. One truth remains for each man, however: love is its own reward.
MORTAL TEMPATIONS is a beautiful erotic romance that exemplifies once again the power love has to conquer all obstacles.
**4.5 Bookmarks, Courtesy of Wild on Books**
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