11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Perfect, but good., July 17, 2004
This review is from: The Perfect Temptation (Mass Market Paperback)
I'd never read Leslie LaFoy before this, and I have to say that I'm really impressed with what I saw. I'm actively seeking out some of her older titles, and the excerpt for her next book also looks promising.
Alexandra "Alex" Radford is an Englishwoman who was born and raised in England. In her mid-twenties, she finds herself on English soil in the position of tutor to the heir of the raja in whose court she was raised for most of her life. Because the young heir is suddenly without bodyguards (one dead, one brain-damaged), Alexandra (who also doubles as a dealer in Indian silver and other goods) turns to a highly recommended private investigator to help her find replacements for the lost bodyguards.
John Aiden Terrell has been trying very hard to lose himself in a bottle over the last year. Upset over the loss of his lady love, for which he blames himself, Aiden (as he's mostly called) isn't happy when his old friend Barrett Stanbridge pulls him out of the gutter and forces him to clean himself up to be of help with Stanbridge's private investigation firm. Not sure what he thinks of Alex, Aiden is more than a little miffed when he's assigned to handle her bodyguard needs.
This story goes along much like you'd expect it to. Aiden moves in with Alex and her young charge, and the sexual tension between them builds. Neither is really looking for a happily ever after, and I revel in stories where the protagonists are totally unprepared for total commitment. This is where I really appreciate the rich storytelling style of the author. She takes a story that shouldn't really have many surprises and digs deep enough into it to make it seem new and engaging.
Alex is such a beautiful character. She's English, but she's also very much Indian. Her interesting combination of Western and Indian philosophies is so well done. Beyond just being a slightly exotic heroine for an English historical romance, she's also an embraceable character. She's flawed, but she doesn't have intelligence problems and she doesn't seem to have trouble making the best of bad situations.
I like Aiden, but not nearly as well as Alex; his hang-ups end up feeling a little false, given his otherwise astute nature. Not saying that his character is a disaster, just that he isn't a stand-out hero--although the final scenes help to up his "yum" factor.
I enjoyed "The Perfect Temptation", and was somewhat perplexed when what I'd first loved about it started to become a problem. The intensity of Ms. LaFoy's style starts to become a little heavy toward the middle of the book. It's hard to explain how it happened, I just felt that things started to get thick and more difficult to wade through. Toward the end I was happy with the way things were moving again, and it's hard to say why I was having trouble turning the pages toward the middle, because I don't feel like it was the story itself. This might be one of those times when it's just a matter of something not working for me personally, because I can't really put my finger on what about the writing quit working.
All in all, I think "The Perfect Temptation" is worth a peek--especially if you haven't read Ms. LaFoy before, because she seems to be an under appreciated talent to me. I give this book three stars: it seemed to drag in the middle for me and the hero wasn't all that great, but I really feel that the bulk of my problems may have been matters of taste rather than actual issues with quality.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, September 24, 2004
This review is from: The Perfect Temptation (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm a gut instinct type of buyer. If I'm not purchasing an auto-buy author or an author recommended to me, I depend on my gut instinct to sniff out a book that will knock my socks off. And The Perfect Temptation was it.
I'd never read a book by Leslie LaFoy before, but I felt compelled to purchase this book even though the blurb doesn't describe what you will get when you read this book.
LaFoy's style is so different from what you normally get from historical romances that it took me a while to get the rhythm. But when I did, I fell in love with this book.
TPT is completely character driven. There may be twists and turns in the plot, but they are all steered by the characters. What I admire and love about this book is how woven it is. LaFoy doesn't throw Aidan and Alex's secrets, desires and background at the reader in one dose; I needed to read each line very carefully in order to glean what made these two tick. Every bit of dialogue meant something, everything they did meant something and it forced my mind to pay attention to this book and not wander for fear of missing something vital to understanding Aidan and Alex.
Another bonus, was how sensual this book was beneath the tension of their situation. Aidan and Alex came across as two somewhat adjusted, mature adults who, while they acknowledged their sexual attraction, they didn't allow it to cloud their judgement toward each other. Therefore, when they finally consumated their love, it was a relief and they earned it.
And before you think this book is heavy, it isn't. Beside the tension and the sexual tension were some very humorous moments.
The book ended great as well. While Aidan and Alex recognized why they couldn't be together, they didn't accept it and took their destiny into their own hands, ending this book on a somewhat triumphant and wonderful note.
If you are looking for a deep, intricate and "different" historical romance than the norm, The Perfect Temptation is the book for you.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "Perfect" Summer Chik Lit, July 22, 2004
This review is from: The Perfect Temptation (Mass Market Paperback)
I stopped at Walgreen's to buy gum before hopping a plane to L.A. and this little number caught my eye. By the time I got to LAX I was praying for flight delays! A yummy hero, an exotic heroine and a world populated with interesting characters, smart conversation and "jeez, I should have seen that coming" plot turns had me turning pages 'til the wee hours. Ms. LaFoy's books are always clever and fun and The Perfect Temptation made even airport security tolerable. ....can hardly wait for the #3 in this Perfect Trilogy.
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