The Price of Temptation [Paperback]

M.J. Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2005

Stephen Clair, the notorious Earl of St. Joseph, has a lover he can’t afford, a social calendar that’s out of control and a libido that rules his life. If he can’t get control of all of them, he will fall into financial ruin. Could the youthful, handsome and dependable Jamie Riley be the solution to his problems? Jamie Riley has a secret that keeps him from accepting the sexual advances of his employer, Stephen Clair, and a past he would like to leave behind. But Stephen is a man who knows how to awaken a passion that Jamie has been trying to suppress, and carries a price that Jamie would rather not pay. But it isn’t easy to ignore passion, especially when it’s so temptingly close. Julian Jeffries, lover to Stephen Clair, has found a way of living the high life without lifting a finger. It isn’t until Julian notices that Stephen has been spending time with his latest employee, Jamie Riley, that he begins to worry about losing everything he’d schemed to have. Now Julian needs to find a way of getting rid of Jamie without raising suspicion. And, as Julian knows, the best way to do that is to dig into Jamie’s past and find something to use against him.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Pearson’s charming, easygoing novel...is a well-crafted model of the genre...a breezy and solidly satisfying read. -- Richard Labonté - Books to Watch Out For

[The Price of Temptation] is a lighthearted and fun guilty-pleasure type read. -- Bay Windows

About the Author

M.J. Pearson’s meandering career path has included stints dispatching taxis in Vermont, making pizza in Santa Fe, digging Roman ruins in Israel and studying nationalism in Scotland. Currently residing in Indianapolis, M.J. is hard at work on a new romance novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Seventh Window Publications (September 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971708932
• ISBN-13: 978-0971708938
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #911,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MJ Pearson's meandering career path has included stints dispatching taxis in Vermont, making pizza in Santa Fe, digging Roman ruins in Israel and studying nationalism in Scotland. Currently residing in Indianapolis, MJ is hard at work on a new romance novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Romance, February 20, 2006

By 

Maries "Maries" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Price of Temptation (Paperback)

Although the cover of the book is so cheesy you won't be able to take it out in public, the story is well-written and tasteful.

This book is a classic romance, with the standard formula found in most romance novels; the only difference being that the characters are gay. Stephen St. Clair is a classic romance hero - hot, irreverant, a little tormented. He has inherited his recently departed brother's title and fortune, and is quickly squandering it. Like a true romantic, he drowns his grief for his brother and nephews in alcohol, gambling and a shallow actor whom he keeps as a kind of male mistress. His love interest, Jamie, arrives to work in his household as an innocent country boy and soon falls in love with Stephen. The two spend most of book trying to admit they're in love. Of course, only after Jamie is nearly killed do they finally realize their feelings and live happily ever after.

The plot and dialog are such that Jamie could easily have been a female character and said and done most of the same things. Same for Stephen's male "mistress." Everything about the novel is pretty typical for a historical romance. I actually wished that Jamie had been more of a masculine character. Casting a male in the part of the heroine without really changing anything else about the character left the whole story feeling a little off. It wasn't quite believable.

I also wish there had been more eroticism in the book. Once past the awful picture on the cover, there is barely any mention of sex except for a few rather chaste kisses and a brief consummation at the end of the book.

Nevertheless, the book is an entertaining read and well-written enough to recommend to fans of gay romance.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very close to good, June 25, 2006

By 

Ashes "slash fiction reader" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Price of Temptation (Paperback)

All told, I really enjoyed this novel. Though, the cover makes me laugh and shake my head--what were they thinking? The pose itself is lovely and in /that/ I understand what they were going for. But, holy hell, what exactly does that man have down his pants because it's more than what /should/ be there.

Okay, now that I have that out of the way: The book. It's your classic romance novel, but with two men and, frankly, I adored that. I love romantic, well-written gay fiction and this book pushed all my buttons in that regard. It had some writing issues, but I found myself fairly forgiving of them since the characters were very delightful.

I understand the author has another book in the works and I look forward to it and will likely buy it as well. That said, I hope some of the sloppiness of the writing might be cleaned up for that. For example, this book begins in limited third-person point of view, but within a handful of chapters, the head-hopping begins and is rampant by the end of the book. The author would be better served to keep individual sections within one point of view as, otherwise, it smacks of amateur writing. Secondly, many word choices and turns of phrase were too modern for the setting. While I appreciate the more modern narrative style, that doesn't mean the dialogue and narrative shouldn't reflect the times. The only solid example I can draw off the top of my head is that the household is lit by candles, yet a touch between the protagonists is referred to as "electric." A small thing, to be sure, but enough to pull me out of the story.

I'm hopeful that the second effort will be a tighter one and, as I've already confessed, I have great love for this exact sort of fiction, so I've given the author the benefit of the doubt.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delicious romp!, October 28, 2005

By 

Skittish "Lighten Up, Francis." (Gotham, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Price of Temptation (Paperback)

This was a rollicking good ride! A delightful balance of romance, comedy of manners, intrigue, and, well, smut! It had the feel of a victorian melodrama where you wanted to cheer the heroes and hiss at the villains. Yet as much as I loved the protagonists, the supporting cast is equally deserving of kudos (particularly Charles-- I wish I had him for *my* valet!). All the characters were well-developed (particularly considering that this is a relatively short book). I would love to see the further adventures of these characters down the road. If you're in the mood for a totally indulgent, "guilty pleasure" sort of book, look no further!