Customer Reviews

Lost in Temptation (Signet Eclipse)

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The women of the Chase family are known for their sweets, and the recipes and associated legends add an extra bit of flavor (sorry about that!) to this entertaining Regency romance.

Duty is Alexandra's middle name. As the oldest sister, she's always done what was expected, and always put her family first. She's been in love with Tristan since she was a young girl, but knew he wasn't meant for her and that he was expected to marry well. She's on the verge of doing so when Tristan shows up, with a title and a scandal, and her duty is still clear, but it's suddenly much more difficult to resign herself.

These star-crossed lovers are engaging, sympathetic characters, as are the rest of the Chase family. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.

Lost in Temptation brings together two of my favorite things- Regency Era romance and Lauren Royal. Her novels are always thoroughly steeped in research, travel, realistic historical settings and lovable, believable characters, all spiced with humor and steamy romance. If it sounds like I'm stuck in the kitchen, wait till you read about the sweet and savory concoctions her characters dish up (all recipes available on her website)! Lost in Temptation is no exception to her proven recipe for the best romance read you've ever had. Be sure to check out her Jewel trilogy and Flower trilogy as well, and you'll be hooked!

Setting - Cainewood Castle, England - 1815 --- Lady Alexandra Chase the eldest of three sisters, had missed several ton seasons due to the passing of so many members of their family. With the mourning periods finally over, it was now her duty to marry and her brother Griffin, the current marquess of Cainewood, was doing all in his power to bring suitable suitors to her attention. As teatime approached, Alexandra entered the drawing room expecting to see the Lord Shelton, the chosen suitor but was shocked when the man speaking to her brother was none other than Mr. Tristan Nesbitt - her brother's long time best friend and her secret love. For the last six years, Alexandra had put away her feelings for Tristan knowing a marriage could never be condoned between the daughter of a marquess and a common man. Therefore, she was more than thrilled to learn that Tristan had inherited and was now a marquess himself.

Always proper, Alexandra was expected to marry the suitor her brother had selected for her, and up until she saw Tristan she'd had every intention of doing so. Discovering that Tristan was now a marquess she knew that there could be no impediments and all her dreams could come true. Seven years of longing just washed away, for from the moment she saw the dear face that had been imprinted on her heart and mind for so many years - she knew there was only one man she would ever marry and that was Tristan. All other suitors paled in significance until her brother dashed her hopes by forbidding a marriage to his friend.

Unfortunately, a horrible scandal was attached to the title Tristan had inherited, and though he'd longed for Alexandra as well, fate still seemed to conspire against him - he knew, even with the title that he could never hope to marry Alexandra - never hope to love or have it returned. Fate however, and an uncontrollable penchant for sleepwalking would cause another scandal as well as a test of faith and selfless love before Tristan and Alexandra would finally find the future they both desired and both be lost to temptation.

*** This was an amazing love story and a veritable sensual feast for the most romantic connoisseurs of historical romances. Alexandra was always the perfectly dutiful young woman, sister, and friend who always did the right thing. Knowing full well that her choice could ruin her beloved sister's prospects as well as her own ruin, or the chance to be with Tristan - she followed her heart. Alexandra was convinced that she would be able to solve the mystery concerning his uncle's death and lay to rest the scandal attached to Tristan. Complete with a wonderful cast of colorful and intriguing secondary characters and a marvelous plot the pace was never slow or boring. Most importantly the romance between the two protagonists was absolutely divine with a sensual play as delicious as the recipes for sweets! Historical romance enthusiasts should simply adore the tidbits of history and others will simply be enthralled with the interesting malady concerning the hero that make this a deeply satisfying and original read. -- Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

The thing I love most about Lauren's characters is that they seem like regular people, people from a different time period, but real individuals with falts and not some over done stereotypical hero and heroine. Tristan and Alexandra from Lost in Temptation are just another fine example.

Alexandra is a girl who lives in a society that choses her path in life,and she has followed that path until a return visit from Tristan, her first real taste of love, interupts all her fine plans.

Tristan had left England as an overgrown boy running from his problems and returns as a man trying to pull his life back together. He's full of honor, loyalty, and attractive as hell. When he meets Alexandra again, sparks fly...and everything heats up, not just the kitchen.

Alexandra is a beautifully created character for this delightful story of true love. Who hasn't heard that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach? Well in this series the sisters definately believe.

Alexandra has loved Tristan from the first time she saw him when she was eight. He was a friend of her brother, Griffin, and from day one she was in love. But when TRistan returns from overseeing a plantation in Jamaica for his uncle, things heat up!

Scandal revolves around Tristan. He was accused of murdering his uncle for the title and money. He has been hurt before by women, but he has always longed for Alexandra. The gentleman inside him has always said no, she was his best fiend's sister and now he had scandal attached to his name. He was no good for such a wonderful woman.

Alexandra, however, doesn't agree. So what does she do? She does what every woman in love would do. She sets out to clear his name and get her man.

This is a truly wonderful read. Lauren Royal makes you fall in love with the characters. Her writing is beautiful and fun. This is the first book in the "Sweet Temptations" trilogy. So be sure to grab this one and wait for the next. You won't be sorry.

Crystal

What a fantastic discovery this book was! I don't even remember what made me buy it. The author was new to me. The story seemed like another cute regency... But what an enjoyable read this turned out to be! I am so happy I took a chance and found another great author! I read this book in one sitting and smiled the whole time. Witty writing, gripping story, and real characters (these are the 3 most important components for me in a book) made Lost In Temptation a special reading experience for me. It is rare to find characters that are believable and positive and very refreshing. I did not want the book to end. Everything was just perfect, which is also very rare, to find a book with nothing annoying or contrived. The whole thing worked and flowed beautifully. A perfect book in this genre. I am really glad this author has a long back list - more fun for me! Thank you Ms. Royal for a fantastic read!

I eventually finished this book, but I didn't have any urgent desire to find out what happened next as I do in really good romances. Overall it mildly entertaining, but although it was the first of an apparent trilogy, I probably won't make any effort to seek out the next two sisters' stories.

The characters were flat. I found that descriptions of their personalities seemed rather repetitive and "forced." For example, it is brought up over and over how the heroine is very traditional but this alone hardly makes for an interesting character and doesn't contribute much to the story. I never developed a good sense of who the heroine was outside of a couple traits which were mentioned repeatedly, and frankly these traits made her more boring than compelling.

I don't want to ruin the story for any potential readers, but one aspect of the hero's "personality," was just plain ridiculous. I normally can tolerate a lot of semi-unrealistic aspects in romance plots, but this almost made me groan out loud when I figured out where the author was going with it.

The hero's scandal referred to in the book description was not convincing. It eventually turned into a mystery that the heroine became obsessed with solving, but it wasn't at all compelling enough to drive the story. The way in which the hero and heroine responded to the scandal should have been admirable but instead seemed artificial. No real suspsense was ever created either in the "mystery" or the "romance" aspect of the story.

Also, I was initially drawn to the book because I thought the heronine's family legacy of "magical" desserts would tie into the story. The picture on the cover and the descritpion on the back of the book are misleading. Yes, each chapter begins with a dessert recipe, and that dessert is served somehow in the chapter, but it served NO use to furthering the plot. Basically the heroine's family is known for always having a dessert but the author didn't give it enough attention to make it the center of the story in some way. Instead it seemed to just be stuck into each chapter for no apparent reason. I understand the author was trying to be unique and appeal to those of us with a sweet tooth, but she either needed to emphasize it enough to make it a significant aspect of the story, or lessen the focus in order to develop more important things (like the supposed mystery).

Basically it seemed as though the author tried to cram in a tale about childhood sweethearts, a murder mystery, a recipe book and the beginning of a secondary romance into one novel, but was largely unsuccessful. The result was rather underdeveloped plot that was neither compelling or cohesive. I know others liked this book very much, but I cannot find much to recommend it.

The only praise I have for this author is her emphasis on historical accuracy. I greatly appreciated the "author's note" in the back which both helped explain aspects of the plot, and also made for some good history trivia. I only wish that such attention to historical detail could be paired with a better romance.

They first met when Alexandra was eight years old when her brother brought him home from school. Over the next seven years, Griffin Chase came home with his friend Tristan Nesbitt to the delight of Alexandra. When she turned fifteen, Tristan informed her that his Uncle Harold is sending him to Jamaica to oversee the property he owns there. Alexandra is heartbroken as she knows he is the man she loves, but being perfectly behaved, too young and treated as Tristan's younger sibling she says nothing.

In 1815 Tristan returns to England as a Marquess where Griffin asks for help to revive the family vineyards as he has done with his own. Alexandra, who never made a match during her seasons due to family deaths, realizes her teenage puppy love remains fully intact as an adult. However, Tristan has no plans to marry anyone; Griffin has selected Lord Shelton for his sister; and Alexandra remains a compliant model of behavior. The paragon concludes that she must break the codes of ethics to gain Tristan's attention as a husband and lover not a brother, but he insists never his bride though she has owned his heart when he was just a Mr.

LORD TEMPTATION is a wonderful Regency romance starring two likable lead protagonists whose love for one another has been kept secret until the second time around. Griffin wants Alexandra as his wife, but when she was too young he was too common and now that he has a title his scandal makes him unsuitable for her. Though typical of the sub-genre, fans will enjoy Alexandra's chase after the man she loves.

Harriet Klausner

Lauren Royal's novel Lost in Temptation has its moments. Some of them are terrific with beautiful love scenes and inspiring actions and other scenes not so much because characters acted selfishly or less than heroic.

The heroine of this novel, Alexandra Chase has loved Tristan Nesbitt, since she was a girl. She is only fifteen when Tristan sails away to manage his uncle's Jamaican Plantation. He returns some six years later and inherits a title when his uncle dies under what members of the ton believe to be suspicious circumstances. Tristan is suspected of poisoning his uncle.

Alexandra's older brother, Griffin, has also inherited and he is desperate for his friend Tristan's help. Griffin is having difficulty with his grape vines and irrigation system and Tristan is adept at agricultural techniques. This requires Tristan to reside with the Chase family for a spell and reunites Tristan and Alexandra.

Alexandra is thrilled to see Tristan again and she knows this is the man for her, she has not forgotten her school girl crush. Her problem is Tristan is highly unsuitable due to the scandal surrounding his uncle's death. Alexandra is pretty docile when it comes to obeying her brother who likes Tristan as a friend but not as a suitor for his sister. Tristan truly admires Alexandra but knows he is unacceptable and try as he might he just has a really hard time staying away from Alexandra.

I tended to like Alexandra but there were times she just did not act very heroic. For instance when her distant cousin comes to the estate and takes a liking to her brother, Alexandra, says he would never be interested in her because of the close blood ties they have and they might have a child like their cousin Edmond who she describes as a monster. He was non-verbal, and only three before he died. Really a better word could have been used to describe this poor little boy. Alexandra also has a hard time sticking up for Tristan. She claims she must marry well for her sisters so she must rebuff Tristan, yet she claims to be his friend.

What redeems this novel is the second half of the story. Here Alexandra matures when circumstances force her to become a stronger and better person. She is unrelenting when it comes to defending Tristan. She is brave and fearless and very likable, in a word she is heroic. A reader cannot help but admire her persistence and loyalty.

I liked Tristan almost from the beginning of this novel. He is smart, caring and above all selfless. He wants the very best for Alexandra even if it means he must let her go.

Overall I am giving this novel four stars. The latter half of this novel is so sweet and passionate that it more than makes up for some of the missteps of the first half. The heroine transforms into a stalwart lady and the hero's devotion is noteworthy.

I unfortunately just got done reading this novel by Lauren Royal - Lost in Temptation. As my heading notes...nothing tempting here.

I was very disappointed in this book and was hoping for much better. I am a big fan of historical romances but, this one was a major let down.

The main character Alexandra was a bore! She and her two sisters were empty, silly gals who seemed to only care about cooking deserts, playing house, planning balls and changing their clothes all day long. She was a dull, uninspiring and boring heroine I'm sad to say. The hero Tristan was not bad - good looking and climbing his way up in the world by working hard but, he too wasn't a go get-em, assertive, take it like it is king of guy. He was a bit dull and wishy washy too. He didn't even stand up to the world when accused of killing his uncle - what guy goes into hiding instead of clearing his name???

Their love story was not believable either.

The author noted in the early parts of the book that Tristan moved away to work his uncle's plantation in Jamaica and he thought about the two lost loves he had - both women whom he wanted but, didn't want him (not enough money, power or title to hold them). Yet...he supposedly carried this long term infatuation for Alexandra even when little. This didn't make sense...he carried a torch for her now and then yet, he had other desirable women he had been with and wanted to marry? This never seemed to make sense in the book.

In turn, Alex supposedly loved him forever yet never fought for him or really acted on her hearts desire - she did what society told her to. When Alex saw him she wanted him and when he was gone...he was pretty much forgotten when she got busy elsewhere. This was strange. For such passion to matter - it needed to burn and grow - this didn't. They didn't even really get together until he was sleep walking, that's when they got intimate - for Pete's sake...they can't even hook up without him or her being in a dream world.

This story line, characters and final plot simply didn't work for me. I skipped through the last ¼ of the book as I was bored by it all. This relationship wasn't a winner. I am pressed to even give it two stars.

I think the author has talent - this story line simply didn't work as a solid and memorable one. Don't let the title fool you...you'll only get lost in boredom...not in temptation.