Customer Reviews

Too Tempting to Touch

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

 

 

One incident changes Ellen Drakes life she knows the danger of scandal and has vowed to live her life scandal free. She is now a companion for Rebecca attending balls and soir?es not being a part of society but not fitting in with the hired help. She is at just such a function when she is trapped in a room where a seduction begins to take place. She makes her presence known and is shocked to find Rebecca's betrothed one of the participates. Alex Marshall is as handsome as sin and a temptation Ellen soon can't ignore despite her best efforts to keep her distance. What started out as a way of keeping Alex monogamous ends up tormenting her. His kisses make her long for things that aren't hers to have...or can she have a happy ending?

Alex is shocked when Ellen tells him she wants him to give up his rakish ways for Rebecca is fianc?e. Rebecca doesn't fire his passion like Ellen does with a simple kiss. It's not long before Ellen and Alex are caught in a compromising position and things change. Alex saves Ellen when she needs him most but will he be able to save the fledgling relationship that has been slowly growing?

Ms. Holts latest romance is peppered with several secondary characters who play key parts in the romance between Alex and Ellen...almost to the point of crowding the romance out. This romance is sensual...almost erotic in nature but Alex and even Ellen are difficult characters to care about at turns. Alex is almost too arrogant and I would have liked to have seen the conflict that kept them apart curtailed a bit...without giving away details the ending saves this read. This is not her strongest effort but at the same time it's not one I'd go out of my way to avoid either.

I've read and loved every Cheryl Holt book published. I couldn't wait for this book to come out and bought it immediately. Don't waste your time - it's a huge disappointment. The characters are shallow and unlikeable. Their behavior is completely inconsistant. Alex tries to bed every female possible early in the book then suddenly is ok with a relationship, marriage and potentially children. Ellen is supposed to have extremely high morales and focuses on keeping her reputation 'above reproach' yet she has nightly trists with Alex when she is just down the hall from his fiancee who is her friend? The supporting characters aren't much better - most of their behavior is incestuous and downright disturbing.

Stick with the previous Cheryl Holt books - much more entertaining! This one's a dud.

A huge disappointment. I have read several of Ms. Holt's books... this one isn't worth picking-up. There is very little "romantic" about a woman being raped by her drunken husband on her wedding night. The protagonists spent most of the story yelling at each other, and the same conversation was held by more than one couple in the story. Other than their looks, there is little to recommend the main characters. Since all the characters are related, I must only conclude that this was one heck of a dysfunctional family!!

The book is too tempting to throw away.

I was so excited about this book coming out that I haunted the book store till it got there. I even got my husband to watch the baby to give me some quiet. I have loved every one of Ms. Holt's books but this one was disappointing. I loved the story line all the way up to when Ellen gave in to sex with Alex. She went from a strong character to a weak non-sympathic characther in one action. And the ending was horrible. It felt like she just decided to end the book. All I can say is I hope the next one is much better!

Ellen is Rebecca's companion, hired by Lydia, Rebecca's sister, who is a sour and mean-hearted woman. Alex, Rebecca's betrothed, is a rake who intends to have as many women as he can before his marriage. Ellen is peacefully entertaining herself when Alex stumbles into the library with a woman, intending on having a tryst with her. Ellen stops him and informs him that if he does not stop his philandering she will tell Rebecca. Ellen assumes she has the upper hand until one night Alex turns the tables and gives her a small taste of passion.

Alex intends to show Ellen what passion felt like, but instead he creates a monstrous desire for her. Along with their forbidden desires, Ellen's brother, James, and Alex's brother, Nicholas, are up to no good. And then there's Lydia, who is determined to see everyone else as miserable as she is.

Just when Alex thinks he has everything he wants, Ellen attempts to leave. When they find themselves in a compromising position, everything changes. Because of their stubborn pride Alex and Julia are even more at odds now. But when Julia's life is threatened Alex saves her, however saving their relationship may prove even more difficult.

Too Tempted To Touch is an emotional and erotic story. I could feel the jealousy, desire, love or angst that the characters felt. I was very engrossed in each character's plight. Although Too Tempting To Touch is an interesting story and I really liked Alex and Ellen, I felt that all of the conflict that grew between them was unnecessarily long. However, the ending is witty and heart-warming and it had me smiling and rooting for them to put their differences aside. Fans of Cheryl Holt will really Too Tempted To Touch.


Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

There is so much and so little to say about this book. Mostly the characters, all of them were really either nasty, selfish, stupid, and all unappealing. That says a lot for me. I am actually surprised I kept reading. I expect so much more from a Cheryl Holt book - what has happened - I have not liked any of her recent books.

This was not horrible - it was to a degree intersting but the people were just not worth caring about!

Holt's effort gets off to a decent start. She creates the standard rakish male who seeks out frequent, short-term liasions and the standard virginal spinster who is repressing her inner seductress. The major weakness of the book starts about half-way through. There are too many storylines and too many secondary characters who seem almost peripherally related to the plot (the second son's want-to-be mistress is particularly irrelevent). Like many romance novels, there is a misunderstanding that keeps the couple from being together, but this is very poorly portrayed by Holt. It was unclear exaxtly what the hero/heroine' motivation was in staying apart. Very Confusing! My recommendation: spend you money elsewhere. You will reach the end of this book feeling a little confused and disappointed.

It was entertaining but I thought she had too many "secondary characters" in this one. I didn't see a point to having "Suzette" and her sister around. Otherwise, I liked the storyline itself. Up until the end I was wondering how it would turn out because the story was not resolved until the last couple of pages. I would have liked something more to have happened to "Lydia" other than her getting her way. I loved how Alex told her she had no idea what it meant to be celibate and kissed her to show her what it meant. I could just feel the sparks flying. Overall, an good read, just wished she would have curtailed some of the other characters.

The story is so well written you will not be able to close the book until you finish. Highy recommend.
Loved the heroine too

I agree that this one is a dud. I couldn't finish it. The characters were flat and unlikeable.
For a great Cheryl Holt read, her earlier books are much better.