Customer Reviews

Too Great a Temptation

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The Ton thinks that wealthy Damian Westmore is a wastrel, labeling him "The Duke of Rogues". However though he enjoys females, he is on a mission of vengeance. Pirates killed his younger brother Adam at sea so he plans to even the score. For two years he learned what he could about sailing until by 1821 in New York he feels ready to act on his hard earned knowledge and find the culprit.

Damian becomes the navigator of the Bonny Meg, a pirate vessel captained by the Hawkins brothers. Also on board is Mirabelle Hawkins, sister to the vessel's leaders. As Damian and Mirabelle fall in love to the dismay of both of them, he finds circumstantial evidence that his employers, his beloved's siblings, killed his brother.

TOO GREAT A TEMPTATION is a superb Regency romance due a strong story line enhanced by a several fathoms deep cast and the predominantly oceanic setting (readers will feel the motions of the waves). The lead couple is a typical era star-crossed pairing, but the rowdy support crew especially her brothers bring out Damian's dilemma often in a comedic way. Sub-genre fans who have not discovered Alexandra Benedict (see A FORBIDDEN LOVE) are missing out on a top new talent; worth the sea cruise.

Harriet Klausner

Mirabelle is having a tough time becoming a pirate. After the death of her father, her brothers take it upon themselves to be her guardians. To their way of thinking, this involves leaving her living alone on family-owned land while they sail the seas as pirates.

After her first lonely spell, Mirabelle stows aboard their ship where she is not caught for two weeks. As her brothers attempt to get her safely back home, she does her best to get them to notice she is seaworthy. Her biggest obstacle comes in the form of Damien.

Poor Damien. Growing up he was never allowed to see his mother or brother,though they lived in the same home. As the eldest,his father saw fit to raise him alone and in the image of himself. By the age of thirteen, he was having sex, gambling, drinking, and smoking. His reputation around the town was that of a user and abuser. To make matters worse, he was a wealthy duke. After the death of his fater, Damien sunk so low that he still cannot reach out to his mother. His only ray of hope lies with his brother Adam. After Adam is brutally slain, Damien puts his way of life behind him in search of revenge.

Once fortune and fate place Damien on the same ship as Mirabelle, the sexual tension immediately begins. Mirabelle is instantly pulled to Damien, but knows she must stay far away if she is to prove she is worthy of being a pirate and not a distraction to men.

Damien knows if he is to keep his cover as a seaman, he must stay away from Mirabelle. Revenge is worth more than a roll in the hay.

So the battle begins.

Though this was a well-told and exciting story, I must confess I was a bit disappointed. Too much graphic sex and too little romance left me feeling empty. However, the author has a wonderful way of writing that really kept me interested. I look forward to reading her future books to see her grow.

Armchair Interviews says: Heed the reviewer's specific warning relative to appropriateness of book.

Great plot with 2 very interesting and endearing main characters. And, to top it all off there are plentiful sensual love scenes. This book is a vast improvement from her previous book. Hope the next one's just as great as this one.

Nobleman Damien Westmore is quite the charming rogue, so charming that he has led an indulgent life surrounded by beauties and gamesters at White's and he sees no reason to end to his wastrel life style. His brother Adam, on the other hand, is honorable and has saved Damien from all kinds of scrapes, he is in essence the good son. Damien is shaken out of his hedonistic life when his brother and his wife perish in a ship attacked by pirates. Damien learns that his brother had cut short his honeymoon at the bequest of his mother to save him yet again from his debauching ways. Riddled with guilt Damien makes a vow to hunt down the pirates that attacked his brother's vessel.

For two years Damien sails the seas to look for the pirate ship. While in New York he rescues a young man and to save his own skin joins the young man and his brothers on their family ship heading to England. He has no idea he is sailing with pirates. Aboard ship is a beautiful but very willful woman, sister to the brothers who sail the ship, Mirabelle.

Mirabelle is a feisty one, absolutely determined to be a pirate like her brothers. Her rantings about how she deserves to be aboard got a little old after a while. Mirabelle is attracted to Damien, who has not revealed that he is a Duke. Mirabelle and Damien squabble continuously for the first part of the novel. He is imperious and she is defensive. They are also combustible physically, but it isn't until the end of the novel that they experience real emotions toward each other.

This novel moves along at a steady pace but there were some inconsistencies with both leads. Mirabelle fluctuates too much between intense anger and total trust in Damien. For his part Damien is stubborn to the point of sacrificing his future for revenge. What does work very well in this novel are the little plot twists. I won't give them away but they did have me surprised. Overall an okay novel but Ms. Benedict's follow-up novel, Too Dangerous to Desire is even better.

The message of his brother's death changed Damian Westmore's life, the "Duke of Rogues", from one moment to the other. He vows to find the pirates who killed him and nothing and no one will stop his quest for revenge. A twist of fate brings him contact with Mirabelle and her brothers and he joins their crew. What he doesn't know is that this crew is responsible for the attack on his brother's ship. The situation gets even more complicated when the sparks are flying between Mirabelle and Damian. The attraction between them is undeniable, but will they have a chance to be together?

TOO GREAT A TEMPTATION is a really fantastic book. The book kept this reviewer captivated from the first moment on. The characters were really fascinating and unique. Damian is a tortured hero, who completely changed his life from the moment he heard of his brother's death. Mirabelle is a tough heroine who tries her best to proof her brothers that she is a worthy member of the crew. By the way, her brothers play an important part in the story and they are all very interesting characters and this reviewer really hopes that they will get their own stories.

The book is so fascinating because you never knew what will happen next. There is more than just one surprise waiting on the reader. So get your own copy of this book and make place on your keeper shelf!

TOO GREAT A TEMPTATION was this reviewer's first book by Ms. Benedict and definitely not the last, because she is the new addition to her auto-buy list.

[...]

This book is a fun read! Not the greatest story telling of all times, but definitely worth catching.

Being raised without love; introduced to all manner of vices during adolescence; Damian Westmore lived life for pleasure and was dubbed "The Duke of Rogues". Caring only for his younger brother Adam, the shock of hearing of his death at the hands of pirates devastated Damian who took to the sea vowing to destroy the ones responsible. Rescued from imprisonment two years later Damian joined the crew of a ship sailing back to England never realizing that the `crew' were the pirates he'd spent the last two years seeking, or that it included a beautiful woman who would totally beguile him.

Mirabelle Hawkins dreamed of becoming a pirate and sailing the seas with her brothers all her life. After stowing away on their last voyage she had one chance to prove her worth and hold her own. Unfortunately, the enigmatic new navigator Damian was a distraction that was wreaking havoc with both her hormones and resolve. Conversely, Damian was finding it equally hard to remain aloof when it came to keeping his mind and his hands off the stunning siren even with her four brothers on the same ship. In exacting his revenge against her brothers Damian knew there could be no future for such an ill-fated romance and in keeping his oath would lose the woman he desired above all others.

*** TOO GREAT A TEMPTATION is a non-stop action, thoroughly exciting, and exhilarating read by a newer author whose vibrant stories are certain to make lovers of this pirate / regency era genre sit up and take notice. With a deft hand the author paints a deeply moving characterization of the horror of a childhood that shaped Damian's life giving remarkable insight as to his motivations for justice and retribution. Likewise, the same care and detail was given in character building as to what shaped Mirabelle's motivation in wanting the freedom of a pirate's life. The romance was hot and the descriptions of some passionate encounters were sensually stimulating and in my opinion very well done. A lighter touch was added with the antics of Mirabelle's four brothers that evoked some laugh out loud moments along with Mirabelle's good friend Henrietta, whom I would love to see have her very own story proving herself more than ready for a romance of her own. On the whole, I thought this an extremely well plotted story with a twist ending I was secretly hoping for, yet still managing to amaze me when it took off in a shocking direction I had not anticipated. Those looking for a well developed storyline from a vibrantly fresh new voice should definitely take a good look at this new talent!

Marilyn Rondeau, for CK2S Kwips and Kritiques