Customer Reviews

Tempting Evil (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 3) (Riley Jenson Guardian)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As much as I disliked Kissing Sin, I liked Tempting Evil. Maybe because there is more substance and action in this book. Riley, almost a full guardian, is placed as the sexual entertainment and fighter (among other women) at Deshon Starr's estate - He is the kingpin of the great crime cartel that is responsible for the breeding labs and the experimental cloning.
Riley's psychic powers are growing, as is her strength. This assignment will prove her mettle as a guardian. Although reluctant, she is determined to stop Starr's cartel, and if possible stop Starr.
The action is nonstop and the story progresses Riley and her guardianship.
Quinn the ancient vampire and Kellen, the alpha werewolf, vie for Riley's heart. Neither will step aside for the other. Both are very strong characters. There is a lot of sex (willing and not) in this book - moreso than the other books.
I will be reading the next Riley Jenson book. She has strengthened and is a fuller character. Although she still is on the finding her were soulmate jag. - I think that Quinn may have a different plan, and that's what makes it interesting.
Tempting Evil is a good read, and the series is back on track.

*** Back cover synopsis ***
In a world of sorcery and seduction, the nights bring out the beautiful, the damned, and the desired. Here, Riley Jenson is on her own--half werewolf, half vampire, working for an organization created to police the supernatural races. Trusting her superiors and lovers barely more than she trusts her worst enemies, Riley plays by her own set of rules. Her latest mission: to enter the heavily guarded pleasure palace of a criminal named Deshon Starr a madman-scientist who's been messing around in the gene pool for decades.
With two sexy men--a cool, seductive vampire and an irresistibly hot wolf--vying for her attention, Riley must keep focused. Because saving the world from Deshon Starr will mean saving herself--from the trap that's closing in around her...

*** Review (without spoilers ^_^) ***
Being injected with a drug that has excessive alterations, it's actually increasing Riley's psychic skills. Therefore to keep her body-changes monitored, Jack has recruited her as a guardian for the Directorate - through great-unwillingness on Riley's part though. The story starts off with Riley having her guardian training lessons, but her mind wasn't really into it because she was anticipating for a hot night out with the sexy alpha werewolf, Kellen. But her dreams went down the drain after a tough day with training and came home to two "entertaining" sexy males - Kellen and Quinn - striving for companionship over her and bristling with malice at one another.
Under certain circumstances, Riley was forced to put Kellen on hiatus due to Directorate work - and Quinn on hold due to anger and betrayal and went undercover with a new disguise to investigate the head leader, Deshon Starr, who controls the genetic cloning scheme. Once she enters the lure of her enemies, she found herself in a place where her every breath and action was monitored. With no one to trust and danger lurking at every corner, who could guess how Riley was able to solve the mystery behind the evil danger?

*** Personal opinion ***
In the first two previous books, I find the sex scenes to be too overwhelming and more than a bit unnecessary to the point that it seems to overcast the whole plot of the story. Riley's promiscuous attitude annoyed me to the point that I didn't really enjoy reading about her that much that I developed a liking to the other characters instead. To me, Rhoan, Liander, and Quinn are much more enjoyable to read about rather than Riley herself.
Surprisingly, in this installment, I started taking more notice to Riley's true character simply because I find the plot to be interesting and intensive. Her smart-mouth and likeable bitchy attitude actually made me develop a liking to her and sometimes has me laughing as well.
Even though this book contains more sex scenes because, Riley is placed undercover as woman fighter/entertainer at Starr's crime cartel, the plot itself and Quinn and Riley's relationship had me reading on.
Like the two previous book, I mostly find the fighting scenes to be very dull. Riley's fighting moves insinuate no alternations. They just stand from: "throwing myself to the side... bending down and lashing out with one foot..." you can actually see these same repetitions from the first two books as well as in all the fighting scenes that occur. I can understand, writing these scenes can be hard but Arthur should at least make an attempt to use more creative words to make the scenes less deadly.

I can't quite put my finger on what makes me enjoy the series more than many other 5+ book urban fantasy series out there, but there is something good at work here. I enjoyed Tempting Evil immensely, and I'm glad I read it. This novel picks up right where the last one left off. Riley is training to be a guardian (whether she likes it or not) so that she can infiltrate the lair of the man behind the labs and killings mentioned in the previous novels. The action and suspense don't let up the entire way through the novel. Characters will surprise you, irritate you, and some will make you smile. Riley is a tough girl, yet she gets hurt, she is not successful at everything she does, and she doesn't like killing. What is great about her character is that none of her weaknesses hold her back. Her dislike of killing is understandable, but does not hinder her in completing her missions. Yes, she does have sex with multiple people, but it doesn't make her any less of a person. Riley is a wolf and she will continue to look for her true mate, which she believes must be a wolf as well. Quinn doesn't seem to agree with that, but gets a tad closer to accepting her for what she is. I don't find her slutty or reprehensible at all. I like that she has convictions and sticks to them. Each novel in this series presents a complete story with closure, but it has that little bit at the end to keep you going. I applaud the author for having an enjoyable and complete plot in each novel. This series is definitely worth your time. Don't get stuck on Full Moon Rising, keep going, you'll be glad you did.

This book sucked the big cheese. I'm am in no way a prude but it's a little hard to take your heroine seriously when she is running around naked the ENTIRE book. How awkward. Esp. when she's constantly fighting gladiator style. The whole time I thought; "well, I guess it's a good thing she doesn't have balls or a hairy ass crack."

**SPOILERS**


Let's see... Riley is raped, beaten, abused, oh yeah & the best yet....going to have naked mud wrestling as an "arena whore" for her arch nemesis. And not only barely bats an eye after all of this, but is actually looking forward to the wrestling! Que the eye rolls.

Yeah, yeah, we get it, she is a werewolf & they "need" to have sex all the time in order practically survive. But the author does such an incredibly lame job trying to justify this fact to her audience (well me anyway) that I wonder if she is actually trying to convince herself most of all. It comes off as forced, gratuitous & extremely laughable.

I actually can't believe people give LKH crap & not this series. At least LKH integrated Anita having the ardeur 10 books in. In this series - Arthur clubs you over the head with the same exact justification in each book (I'm talking line verbatim here), just so she can write lame sex scenes.

And yes - the sex scenes suck. They are super short, all the EXACT same. The man is always too excited at 1st so takes her quick, no foreplay, then he's in her "deep" & "fierce" & that's that. Big deal. This series is Anita Blake's very poor cousin by comparison.

In a particularly mind boggling moment - Riley has infiltrated her enemy's compound & after a good day of fighting & some consensually boring yet brutal sex w/one of the men WHO, in the previous book raped her for 8 days straight while she was unconscious, she decides it's not enough so seeks out one of her current shape shifting lovers who happens to be a "stallion", literally. Yup...that's right.

He also has infiltrated the compound, thank god b'c he misses Riley & she him, so they get to have sex on the down low in the stables. Despite the fact that the place is supposed to be fort knox, but anywhoo - werewolves need sex so can't put a good woman down.

!!!!...Seriously!! Why is this series popular? That whole setup is actually offensive! Arthur completely glossed over the fact that Riley WILLINGLY had sex with a man who raped her for 8 days straight! WTF kind of message is that??

And just to take the absurdity a step further - while having sex, Riley's other possessive vampire lover, Quinn, manages to infiltrate (surprise!) the compound as well & willingly watches while Stallion boy (Kade) spitefully takes Riley AGAIN (b'c once is never enough for these horny shifters) while she's in the process of having a rather large relationship convo with Quinn.

And she lets Kade b'c she is annoyed at Quinn. Now imagine that..... Quinn & Riley are having a huge relationship talk while she is all naked, sweaty, sexed up & Kade is taking her from behind while said conversation is still continuing! Not only is this stupid but enhances the whole "whore" concept which Arthur is trying to have us not buy into. Go figure.

It gets better too...Quinn manages to actually freeze Kade while he is inside her (umm..is that tacky?) & proceeds to have spiritual, metaphysical sex with Riley to let her know that he is not giving up on her. This, in spite of the fact that he thinks werewolves are all "whores" & too free sexually. Ummm....note to Quinn, you're not wrong.

Riley is written about as deep as the shallow end of the kiddie pool & as cavernous as a mayo jar.

I read the series this far b'c I was engaged with the genetic cloning subplot, which this book wrapped up quickly & insufficiently. And based on my review you'd think I put the series down but I didn't.

I seem to be a glutton for bad writing punishment. What kept me going was that Quinn seems to be an homage to LKH's Richard and I was really curious to see how far Arthur took it. Thankfully - her books are so vapid, you can skim most of it without wasting too many precious minutes of life.

I gave up the series after book 6. Everything was the same, same, same.

This book had me going in every single direction. Just when I thought I was getting a handle on all the interesting creatures swirling around, next comes out a creature with spikes on his unit. Wow, what an imagination. And the things this creature does. Made me clinch up as I was reading about the "ring" scene. If you have a week stomach, you may want to avoid this book. Its raunchy but wonderful.

The Riley Jenson series takes you on a roller coaster like adventure. It's easy to get into and before you know it, you've finished the book and can't wait to start the next.

I found this novel to be very captivating.

Book 3 was filled with suspense and danger. Riley is on a mission that will alter her life forever.

Deshon Starr is evil at it worst, a monster, a madman with money and no conscience is a deadly mix.

Riley, Rhoan, Kade and Quinn take on the biggest batch of misfits and do not walk away unscathed.

Riley going in undercover as a main attraction in Starr's psychotic world, where a death match is the entertainment and cheers are given to the bloodiest of inhuman acts as supernaturals fight against those created in a lab, with mixed DNA and follow only one command "to kill or be killed."

Thrilling book to add to the series!

I had great expectations for this book and all were fulfilled! I had read book 1 of the series and enjoyed it enough to get the second book. Loved the world building and the character development that each book brings. She, Riley Jensen, is a strong female werewolf/vamp mix.. but not superwoman type of heroine. As the world building explains, werewolfs have a very different attitude about sex. Many, or one lover, are the norm. *SPOILER* This one has alot of action, plot twists, sex and pretty major surprises all having to do with Riley's lovers and someones plan to genetically produce a perfect assassin army. Her boss is still trying to talk her into being a "Guardian" (supernatural cop) like her twin brother Rhoan, who just happens to be gay. One vamp she meets, Quinn, is old and very powerful....whoa, he is hot!

The Directorate has finally convinced Riley to join and become a fully fledged agent and with that send her straight into the Lions den. She is sent into a fight compound, which is run by the psycho Starr, who enjoys watching people suffer and die for his entertainment. Meanwhile she has to deal with a wolf and vampire who want her, then again do they? This is a more laid back approach to the supernatural genre and with less emphasis on the nedroom scenes than Hamilton or Ward, but it is still a great read

Some have said that this book was when Riley's story started to pick up, I say, this is when Keri flicked the switch into overdrive. This book was sizzling sauciness at it's best!