Customer Reviews

Tempting

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I had just finished reading Patricia Cabot's wonderful "Educating Caroline" when I began "Tempting" - another story about a self-made man from the slums of London. But whereas (Caroline's) Braden's poor upbringing helped to mold his character, Simon's has made him bitter, ruthless, ambitious. But in Simon's defense, he has a lot to be bitter about. He has never recovered from his inability to provide for his family after the death of his father or to protect his sister from being gang-raped before his eyes at the age of 15. When Simon's mother remarries and the family's fortunes improve slightly, he takes off, determined to no longer be that helpless, pathetic boy and sets about becoming a man and accumulating wealth.

Years later, now wealthy and hungry for political power, he has taken on the role of Vice Commissioner in Victoria's London. One night he raids a brothel and in the attic, finds a young girl locked in. For some reason, she affects him and rather than toss her in jail, takes her home then enrolls her in a finishing school in order to tranform her into a lady and better her lot in life.

Simon took some time to warm up to. He's cool, aloof, self-contained and alone. He is focused on running for a seat in Parliament and needs no distractions or scandal. But Christine's beauty and background threaten just that. The last thing he needs is for it to come out that the girl he is passing off as his cousin was found in a brothel! But Simon can't seem to do without her presence no matter how inapropriate. He needs and wants her around and pulls her out of finishing school to teach her himself (!). She's fresh, open, sweet and she makes him smile. Though he is attracted to her, there can be nothing between them. He needs a biddable, political wife not a free spirit like Christine, unashamed of her humble dairymaid background. And Christine has skeletons of her own and when her past comes back to haunt her, real trouble arises.

Simon was so conflicted and, deep down, so full of self-doubt, so unable to recognize his need for love and companionship that you just wanted to cry. And Christine was willing to give him all that he needed if only he would ask. If only he would accept her for herself - who she really is and not what he tries to turn her into.

A great read!

TEMPTING starts off strong with a tragic and violent prologue that sets that stage and make-up of the main character, Simon Belleville. As a young boy he witnesses a violent act upon his sister, and feeling helpless and the cause for the tragedy, closes him off to others. His pursuits turn to making himself a self-made man in English society.
As the newly appointed head of Queen Victoria's Morality & Vice Commission, Simon Belleville finds himself breaking up a brothel where he discovers Christine in an attic. Not sure why, he takes the lovely young "prostitute" to his home instead of to Newgate Gaol. As an aspiring Member of Parliament, the very last thing Simon needs is a scandal so he introduces her as his cousin. However, he has anything but cousinly feelings towards the intriguing young girl.

Christine is also no stranger to hardship and tragedy. Bullied by her cousin who she believes she has killed, she finds herself alone, hungry, and in a brothel. Simon changes all that, as her "dark angel" and places in his old mistress's school to develop a refined woman.

Hope Tarr weaves a tale of two people searching for themselves and for each other. The mixture of violence, which is not graphically portrayed, and the nature of the gentle tale are an unusual mix. It could almost be characterized as an innocent and sweet romance without these dark undercurrents running throughout the book. I would have liked to see Ms. Tarr develop these dark themes more, and not hesitate to show the reader the brutalism endured by the main characters. I believe it would have helped strengthen the storyline of the book.

TEMPTING is an original and enjoyable read from the talented Ms. Tarr. There is an earthy realism to her writing style; her characters are portrayed as real people with flaws, both physical and mental. Don't miss this special read!

Simon Belleville, head of Her Majesty's Morality and Vice Commission, is supposed to be taking prostitutes to prison, not to finishing school. Yet one look at Christine Tremayne and Simon's entire world tilts on its axis. Desperate to escape the brothel in which Simon finds her, Christine grabs at the chance to improve her station, thereby enabling her to support her family back home. But will Simon's feelings for Christine destroy his dream of holding a seat in Parliament? Will Christine's past ruin her one chance at true love?

Hope Tarr writes a Pygmalion tale layered with a fast plot, multi-faceted characters and charming wit. The full gamut of emotions-from guilt and rage, to joy and love-will be found between the pages of this book. Christine will surprise you, and Simon torment you. You'll laugh, you'll cheer, you'll cry. Truly an enjoyable read. -- Kris at Author, Author!

Simon Belleville is a self-made man with a haunted past. Because his father was disinherited for marrying outside his class and religion, Simon and his sister Rebecca grow up in the stews of London. When young Simon fails to protect Rebecca against a vicious attack, he vows to become rich and powerful and never be vulnerable again. Soon after, Simon stows away on a ship bound for India.

Almost twenty years later, Simon Belleville is now a man of property and experience. Returning from India with a fortune, Simon has doubled it many times over and has become a legend, attracting the notice of several politicians. Ironically, Simon is made head of Her Majesty's Morality and Vice Commission, charged with closing down the brothels populating his old childhood haunts. He is finally on the cusp of achieving his latest goal -- a seat in the House of Commons. However, his best laid plans are thrown into chaos when he discovers a young woman locked in the attic of a brothel. Drawn by her vulnerability, Simon breaks the rules and takes the woman home.

Christine Tremayne had been trapped in a nightmare. The daughter of a dairy farmer, she gathered her younger siblings and escaped the clutches of her evil cousin after her father's death. Desperate for funds to send to her siblings, Christine went to London to look for work only to be tricked and locked in a brothel. Rescued and sent to a finishing school by her mysterious benefactor, Christine finds herself in danger once again. In danger of losing her heart.

Rich in detail and atmosphere, TEMPTING plunges the reader back to Victorian London. While the story is layered with the politics and class issues of the day, the core centers around its primary characters. Christine is a simple girl who knows that she can never be with Simon because that would put his political aspirations at risk. Simon is a man torn between what he secretly desires, the weight of his heritage and the culmination of his lifelong goals. Additional subplots, including one that provides a glimpse into the life of Jews during this era, add texture and depth to this tale.

Poignant on many levels, Ms. Tarr has written a story which should please even the most jaded reader's palate.

TheSchemer

In London in 1867, Simon Belleville is somewhat of an enigma, a truly self-made man, and no one acquainted with him would guess at his auspicious origins. Only in his mid-thirties, he gained his fortune through hard work and clever investments, a far cry from his poverty-stricken childhood.

Heading up Her Majestys Morality and Vice Commission, he leads a raid on Madame LeBows brothel, where he discovers an abused woman in the attic. Feeling compassion for the slight young girl, Christine Tremayne, he takes her into his home. As the compassion turns to attraction, Simon begs his friend Margot to take Christine into her school for young ladies, as she may be a hindrance to his political career.

But as the months pass at the girls' school, and Christine, the dairymaid, has a slow metamorphosis into Christine, the lady, she gains the attraction of a suitor who does not see her as marriage material. Posing as his cousin, Christine journeys with Simon to his country estate where he assumes the role of tutor. As his political aspirations war with his thawing heart, Simon must make some life altering decisions with regards to his feelings for Christine.

Ms. Tarrs credible historical research lends an air of believability to this read thereby making the characters come to life. Steering away from the formulaic rake of a hero, this author has shown her hero with a very different, vulnerable side, that he has hidden to the world. For a love story as magical as it is moving, Ms. Tarrs latest is hopefully, a portent of her novels to come.

Another GREAT book by Hope Tarr!! I've just finished Tempting, and loved it. What wonderful--and unusual--characters. And I have to admit I loved the fact that the heroine did not just accept the hero's, "oh, okay, I guess I love you" attitude--where many an author would have ended the story--and made him WORK FOR IT.

Simon Bellville knows poverty first hand having grown up in the worst possible place. Though almost two decades have passed, Simon remains haunted by his failure to protect his sister from the rape that destroyed her mental state and eradicated her smile. By 1867, Simon had become legendary in London for making a fortune, but remains obsessed with that crime that changed his life. He now runs Her Majesty's Morality and Vice Commission as his means of attaining atonement for his one defeat of failing to keep his sibling safe.

Simon invades a brothel only to find the seemingly innocent Christine Tremain incarcerated in the attic. Instead of sending her to Newgate as he knows he should, Simon enrolls her in school. Soon Simon finds he must choose between his growing attraction and apparent love for Christine and his efforts to join Parliament. She is just the type of scandal that could end his political career before it begins.

Though in many ways TEMPTING is a typical early Victorian romance, what makes this novel stand out among the ton of historicals is the underlying morality theme. The story line cleverly provides an ethics message that "to thine own self be true" as the values the characters contain make the key cast members seem genuine. The era with the changing of Parliament and the prime cast feel real so that the audience will have quite a good time with this tale and hope that Ms. Tarr rapidly provides another strong story such as this one.

Harriet Klausner

Temping by Hope Tarr, is a decent book, but it seem that Ms. Tarr really did not give that reader any fresh material. You had the young innocent girl, the hadsome rich man, a older woman who is able to turn the young innocent into a lady in under three months and of course the evil cousin. This is a story that has been told many times before.
This book could have been alot better if Ms. Tarr had done more with the plot.

favorite scene with christine-
protecting rebecca from the enemy.

simon-
his heart to heart with his grandfather.

together-
refusing his proposal.