Customer Reviews

Tempted

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Anne and James have what by all definitions is a good marriage. James and Alex have been best friends since boyhood. But Alex and Anne have never met due to a falling out that the men had in college and the fact that Alex has live overseas all these years. Anne is not familiar with all the elements that make up James and Alex's friendship and it's a mystery she has never cared to explore. Then Alex phones and James invites him to stay for the summer.

Alex takes Anne's breath away with his looks and wins her over with his personality. What starts as an easy friendship between Anne and Alex, turns into an innocent flirtation, then more. Then one night the three of them decide to take their relationship to the next level and give into the sexual tension that has been filling the air. The three of them take each other to bed, one night then turns into one summer.

A normally monogamous couple, Anne and James choose to give into their desires for a summer of sex. They choose to let fantasy become reality. But what is supposed to be a summer of mindless passion, no strings attached, gets complicated as emotions and hearts become involved and feelings change.

I liked Anne, James and Alex, I liked them separately and I liked the three of them together. I like Anne and James. I liked Anne and Alex. But I hated James and Alex. When it was just the two of them they reverted to adolescent behavior I couldn't stand. They were two different people together and though they enjoyed each other's company it was easy to see no one else would. I guess that's the whole point; how we are different things to different people, multifaceted creatures. The other point would be the fact that there is no such thing as 'no strings attached.'

Okay, I admit I was expecting just a bit of mindless porn on paper, of the highest quality of course, but I am really surprised at the depth of emotions that this book covered. It explores, confronts and dissects relationships between lovers, spouses, friends, sisters, in-laws and parents; the threads that create and make up relationships, their strengths and their fragilities.

This is a highly erotic and sensual tale. When these three people go to bed they worship every inch of each other's bodies and thoroughly. It's bold, graphic, explicit and delicious, but never tasteless. It's not for everyone, that's for sure, but had it not been for the ending, one I completely disagreed with, this well written tale would have easily been a 5 star book; I loved every page of it.

Cherise Everhard, April 2008

Early in Tempted, while making love with her husband, the heroine, Anne, marvels how he touches her in just the right way. Of course, he has it easy. "...I usually wanted what he wanted me to want," she explains.

The degree to which this is true - how much Anne is willing to buy into her husband's choices for her - forms the main conflict in this involving and steamy romantic novel.

Anne's capacity to accept her husband's desires, as well as her own, are tested when he introduces her to his long-missing boyhood friend, Alex. From the first time she hears her husband, James, on the phone with Alex, Anne is suspicious of their relationship. There's an intimacy there, an undercurrent of shared secrets, a flirtatiousness, maybe a submissiveness....she can't put her finger on it, but something isn't right.

When Anne finally meets the mysterious Alex, her curiosity and concern are quickly intermingled with attraction and desire. Alex is one fine man: charming, handsome and, as the Aussies say, dead-sexy. .

Soon, it becomes clear that James wants Alex involved with their marriage in a manner that would surely get them on the Jerry Springer Show, should they decide to take their arrangement public. But why? What happened between Alex and James all those years ago?

Moreover, what does Anne want now? A chance to be serviced by two eager lovers? Alex all to herself? Her life with James back to the way it was? Or something else?

(And don't the two names - Alex and Anne - sound as if they belong together? Or is the assonance merely reflective of James's desire to replace Alex with the next-best thing? Hmmmmm....)

As a gay man, I was concerned about Tempted. The set-up - happy marriage is threatened and perhaps destroyed by scheming homo homewrecker - sounded as if it could quickly turn ugly. But other reviews here on Amazon convinced me to take a chance.

I'm glad I did. Hart is too smart to make the gay guy the bad guy. In fact, he's not even gay - Alex appears to be the most easy-going and matter-of-fact bisexual you'll ever meet in print (if you don't count Madonna's picture book "Sex," that is). For Alex, playing both sides of the fence is natural and great fun. You go, Alex.

James, on the other hand...well, you'll have to read the book to find out what his motivations are.

But, mostly, this is Anne's story, and Hart does a lovely job of showing us her conflicting desires. Hart also maintains the suspense...there's a lot you don't know about everyone's backgrounds and motivations until late in the book. Up until the end, you're not even sure who will up wind up with whom. Oh you may guess, and you may be right, but you won't be sure.

There are also some interesting subplots involving Anne's family, and there are heroes and villains who get what they deserve.

Throughout this book, I was reminded of a line from Stephen Sondheim's great musical reworking of classic fairy tales, "Into the Woods." At one point, Cinderella, who is (ahem) tempted by the dashing Prince, is asked if she wants the life of a princess or not. "But how," Cinderella sings , "can you know what you want/Till you get what you want/And you see if you like it?"

By the end of the book, Anne gets what she wants. But will she like it? Would you?

One last thing I want to point out is how effectively Hart uses humor to dial down what otherwise might have been the overblown drama of Anne's dilemmas.

Especially funny are Anne's frustrations with her three challenging sisters, siblings who know how to push each other's buttons, and who often delight in doing so. Their comic, slangy conversations are great fun to read, and they serve as a reminder that Anne's life (like ours!) is defined by more than just her relationships with men.

This is a book for grown-ups. The reader who doesn't mind - or who loves - explicit scenes will be well rewarded by this examination of where an unconventional relationship can take us. Hart deserves much credit for sharing her characters' journeys without judging them.

Scott Sherman, First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery

Anne has always felt like she has be the perfect sister, daughter, and wife. With a sexy and attentive husband and a beautiful house on the lake, she should be happy, but something is off. A phone call from her husband's best friend Alex brings him into their home and lives, and Anne is worried about her growing attraction to the man that her husband's family hates, and who had a falling out with her husband that they won't discuss (and only patched up a decade later when she extended the olive branch and invited Alex to their wedding). Alex could not be more different than her husband James, but as she spends more time with Alex, feelings she's not ready to deal with emerge, and she's drawn to understanding the tumultuous past these men share. When the two become a threesome, their lives will be inexplicably altered forever, as they test the boundaries of their marriage.

Hart once again pushes the envelope; as always with a Hart novel, the reader gets an intriguing plot with the steam. With her portrayal of the tortured Anne, Hart perfectly captures the spirit of a woman who's not sure she belives in a happily ever after and not sure if she wants to have a family due to the turmoil she grew up around. She has to contend with a lot including an alcoholic father, a mother who doesn't know how to follow through, three sisters with their own myriad of problems, and an interfering mother-in-law. She provides each with a distinct personality and voice, and has the reader on a roller coaster ride to see where Anne's indecision will take her. It's a well written erotic novel with a plot (eroplotica), but I was a little disappointed with the ending. My favorite novel by Hart is still "Broken," which turned her into an automatic buy for me! She simply cannot write quickly enough!

I had really high hopes for this book. I have read three books by this author, and the first I enjoyed, but the second was a huge disappointment. This was worse than the second one if that is even possible. I won't waste everyone's time with a synopsis of the book, since it has been done so often, but instead share what I couldn't stomach about it. A) This story is beyond depressing. Anne is afraid of the water after a near drowning, she miscarried as a teenager, her father is an alcoholic who has come close to delivering blows, her mother is an enabler failing to see the problems, and sister Patricia is an enabler married to a gambling addict. Sadly there are more, but you get the idea. B) Alex and James have an unhealthy relationship. While there are many moments I wondered about both of their sexual preferences, both were explained. The way James changed when Alex arrived was disturbing, and the deal they made about Anne was appalling. They have a bad influence on each other acting literally like they were 15. C) The menage was barely interesting. Sure the words were there, but not written well at all. The rules in place about what Alex and Anne could do together were ridiculous - why bother? D) Anne wasn't going to leave James, but yet she felt that Alex knew her better than James did even after all the years they were married. She also made comments about how she was attracted to Alex like she has never been to James. I am sure he will appreciate being second choice for the rest of his life. E) Finally, Anne's choice in how to say goodbye to Alex made for the worst part of the book. This is my last book by this author.

Unlike many of the other reviewers, I did NOT find this book realistic at all. It was barely even entertaining. It is extremely frustrating and unrealistic that the main character in this book doesn't even seem to care that her husband may be gay.? She won't even ask him. JUST ASK HIM. Problem solved. The lack of communication in this relationship is just unbearable to be a part of! All in all I just found the book too ridiculous to enjoy. Now, Megan Hart's "Dirty", GREAT BOOK.

Having read both "Dirty" and "Broken", I was awaiting this release with great anticipation. The heroines in the other books were both very sympathetic. They each struggled to maintain a strong facade while their insides were a broken mess.

I never felt for this female lead. She had tragedies in her life but unlike the other two, she was weak all the way around and seemed to me to be more of a whiner than someone who fought tooth and nail to make it through each and every day.

I'm glad to see that others greatly disliked the ending. I thought it was just me. But after spending a Saturday reading this book in its entirety, it ended up being chucked across the room because I was so dissatisfied with the ending.

Saying that, I'm still looking forward to her next book and hope that Ms. Hart is able to recapture the magic which made me adore both "Broken" and "Dirty".

Anne had everything a woman could possibly want--a home on the lake and a handsome husband who she loves dearly and who loves her. Unfortunately, Anne has always felt she has to be perfect. Of course, this could be due to her past. As the eldest of four girls, Anne always took care of everything and everyone, including her alcoholic father. The summer Anne was ten, her mother left with her baby sister, Claire, to take care of an ailing aunt. It was the summer Anne almost drowned and she's avoided the water ever since. With her father being an alcoholic, it's not surprising Anne will not drink.

Everything changes for Anne this summer because her husband's best friend, Alex, is coming to stay with him. Seems James and Alex had a falling out and haven't spoken since until Anne invited Alex to their wedding. This was when the two men starting communicating again. Now Alex is selling his company in Singapore and coming home. He has more than enough money to take the summer off and has plans to spend it with his old friend, James. The first thing Anne notices when Alex arrives is how differently her husband behaves. The fact Alex is the exact opposite of her husband in looks, but just as attractive as James, doesn't exactly make Anne feel very comfortable when she finds herself attracted to Alex. And eventually, this attraction leads to a ménage a trois between Anne, Alex and James.

Just how will this facet to their relationship affect Anne's marriage? Will Anne be able to let Alex go when the summer ends? Will her marriage survive?

TEMPTED is a fantastic story of the complexities of relationships. Author Megan Hart once again proves her talent with this newest offering. Not only do we have the issues of her marriage, but Anne is also dealing with her difficult mother-in-law, alcoholic father and all the problems her sisters face. And, as always, Anne has the image of being perfect and the one who handles everything and does it well. This is a story of self-growth as Anne must come to terms with all the relationships in her life and must learn to give up the ideal of being perfect. This is one you don't want to miss.

I loved this book; and simply could not put it down. I read the book in one reading staying up until 4:00 am to finish it. It's not typical erotica - it is so much more. I appreciate a book that can illustrate the complexities of life, love, and relationships and challenges you to evaluate your own relationships in life and why you make the decisions you make.

some have mentioned the ending is unsatisfactory. The problem really is that these readers don't want to face the fact that often life is unsatisfactory and there isn't always an easy answer, or neat wrap-up to lifes trials and tribulations. There is not always a happily ever after ending in life; so why shouldn't a book mirror reality? This book illustrates the complexities of relationships and the unforseen consequences of the decisions that we make. It's messy and it's painful and there are no clear cut answers to the dilemma that these three characters find themselves in. There was just no way for everyone to be happy at the end of this story. In fact, no one was happy. There were no winners. Both a long term friendship and a marriage were irreparably damaged by the consequences of the decisions these three people made. As the story unfolds, we see how other relationships in these characters pasts have affected how they currently view and handle relationships. We understand why they make the decisions they make in the end, and we sympathise and ache for each one of them. This book is master storytelling at its best! If you want a clean, neat, happily ever after book, read Cinderella.

I picked up this book to read for one reason. The cover art told me that there was a dirty story within the pages and the blurb promised it. But I finished the book for an entirely different reason.

Tempted is so unlike any book I've ever read before. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but now I'm hesitant to read "Stranger" because I fear it will leave that same melancholy feeling in my heart.

I'll be honest and say I bought the book because I thought it was just an erotic romance where everyone got their happy ending by the last page. But it's anything but that. Tempted is not a romance. It's erotic, but it's not romantic. And depending on your POV, I'm not sure the ending is happy at all.

But the story was real. Friends with benefits, menages...they all end with someone wanting more than they can have. I liked that Hart didn't try to sugarcoat how those situations end. Love triangles have sharp corners that pierce your heart and leave you to bleed to death.

I didn't cry from reading this novel, but I do feel empty. How do I explain it...like I've been teased and teased and finally it's obvious that I'm never getting what I want. How can Anne ever be happy? She will settle but there will always be that unspoken word between her and James. Alex.

You can't love someone and finally let them go without losing some part of yourself in the process. You can pretend you are OK and eventually you'll believe it...but you never are.

You can't tell me that Anne and James or Alex all lived happily ever after. That just didn't feel possible to me at the ending point. They just learned to live with their misery. I believe this novel depressed me more than anything.

But I kept turning the page. Page after page. It compelled me so much that I finished it within two days. I've never read a book like this one before. And though it leaves me feeling that emptiness of my own life at it's final page...I feel content at the same time. It's a very odd feeling.

Anne Kinney loves her husband, James, and for all intents and purposes everything appears perfect. Yet after seven years of marriage she still can't believe that life with him is real. Yes, she answers to his last name, wears his ring, cleans his house, and makes his dinner, and while during these inane tasks her marriage feels as real as ever, she still has her doubts.

Growing up, Anne's mother was never openly loving while her father submerged himself nightly in an alcoholic haze. Sometimes he threatened suicide by locking himself alone with a gun, crying in his quest to end things

Anne's three younger sisters have issues of their own. Patricia's marriage is on the rocks with her husband committing financial infidelity. Mary is a closet lesbian while Claire, if she were being paid for her services, could be called a whore.

Enter Alex Kennedy, James' long lost best friend. After spending the last several years in Singapore, Alex is invited by James to spend the summer months with him and Anne. A wealthy, self-made man, Alex is an enigma to Anne upon his arrival. Gorgeous and dripping with charm, Anne doesn't quite know how to feel about his presence in her home. Firstly, James acts differently. Already described as a flitting butterfly, bouncing from one focus to another, Alex has his complete and nearly undivided attention. Secondly, there is alcohol. Given Anne's past, she understandably has an aversion to alcohol and its effects. She doesn't say no to its consumption nor its presence in her home but she's irritated and quiet when James has been consuming. With Alex there, James seems to be drinking more. And thirdly, Alex is slowly seducing Anne with her husband's approval.

There is a turning point the book that really struck me. Just before Anne agrees to have sex with James and Alex, she says to herself that a simple no would have saved them all a lot of heartache but the temptation of having the two beautiful men is just too hard to resist. Thus Anne dives head first into what turns out to be a very complicated relationship.

Anne loves James, and she often monologues to herself as though trying to remind and ingrain that fact into her heart, yet the unthinkable but inevitable happens. Anne falls in love with Alex. He gets her, not only her heart but her body as well, and as no man has ever gotten her before, even James. And although she has her husband's permission to have sex with his best friend, she does not have permission to fall in love and the guilt weighs heavily on her.

There is no sex scene like the Megan Hart sex scene. It feels so realistic and true to life. Sex is messy, even more so with a third addition. It's not perfectly choreographed like the movies but its still beautiful and pleasurable. Anne's thoughts and feelings are truly human. And while other reviews pointed out the tragedy and grimness of the novel, I found that what Hart was portraying was life, not fantasy. She exams the effects of a married couple inviting a third to their bed and how even with the best intentions, hearts get broken.

Anne, so outwardly perfect in the beginning, sheds her image of perfection and shows the world who she really is at her core. Secrets are uncovered. Hearts are broken. And I was on pins and needles, wondering what Anne's last move would be. Would she leave James and her perfect life to be with Alex? Alex, who makes her feel so different, so unencumbered with the trials and tribulations of family and history. Or would she stay with James and work on their marriage that while good was never truly strong? Could Anne stop trying to please everyone and finally stand up for herself and what she wants?

'Tempted' is life and what life would be like if there was suddenly three instead of one. I only had one problem with the story and unfortunately if I told, it would be a major spoiler but suffice it to say I didn't like the ending. I respected Anne's decision and it concurred with my moral values but I didn't like the way she handled it. In that regards, I though there was a major conversation that happened between Anne and James that was not written into the story and I think that I as a reader would have better understood how Anne came to the decision and did what she did with Alex. For that I have to rate the book 4 stars.