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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 Klovers - Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques, March 25, 2008
Born into poverty, Simon Quinn has made his way in this world with his fists and his considerable charm. Those talents made him the perfect undercover agent for England, hence his recruitment into the covert organization.
But Simon tires of living the life of a spy, and finds he is ready to retire. He has just one last mission before he is free of his commitments - trade his captive, the French spy Lysette Rousseau, to their French adversaries in exchange for the lives of his men.
But his superiors want to know why the French are agreeable to such an uneven trade, and they assign him one more mission - to watch the mysterious Lysette and ferret out her secrets.
But something is different about Lysette... Simon has never been attracted to her - until now. Instead of cold and dangerous, this woman is sweet and beguiling. It is almost as if they were two completely different women...
From the moment Sylvia Day first introduced the character of Simon Quinn in Passion for the Game, I have wanted to know more about this wickedly intriguing man! Bless Sylvia Day's historical loving little heart (that's a good `bless your heart', not the bad kind - lol), she did not keep us waiting too very long for Simon's story, and when she finally delivered the goods, the resulting tale was well worth the wait.
Indeed, I completely understand now why this book was delayed until after A Passion For Him. Simon and Lysette play such an integral part in that story, and it really sets both the stage and the mood very effectively for Don't Tempt Me. Even so, readers new to these books should have no trouble at all jumping right in with Don't Tempt Me without reading the previous books in Sylvia Day's Georgian Series.
Simon is everything I expected and more. His devil-may-care attitude is a carefully crafted façade that masks the deeper, caring man underneath - something a man in his profession dare not let surface lest it and those he cares for be used against him. But Simon does indeed care, and when he loves someone, it is deeply and with complete loyalty. He evidences this again and again by way he works tirelessly to save his men and of course, by the way he protects the woman he loves and her family.
Notice I said `woman' and not `Lysette'? *grin* You see, Lysette has a sister no one in her current life knows about. It is her identical twin Lynette that so effortlessly bewitches Simon, leaving him completely perplexed at his previous lack of feeling for this woman - until he discovers that they are two separate women. No spoiler here, this tidbit is present in the blurb for the book. The way this little truth unfolds in the book, however, is absolutely delicious, making for some very intense scenes between Simon and Lynette.
Ms. Day carefully balances several sub-plots with the major storyline of Simon and Lynette's romance. Not only do we enjoy their love story, but we are afforded glimpses of the twins' parents past courtship as well as their current romance. In addition, we meet the man who is destined to sweep the reserved Lysette off her feet, breaking through the hard shell that has protected her for so long.
Through all of that, the author keeps us guessing with several suspenses, a few betrayals, and more intrigue than I would have thought possible in one story. In the hands of a less talented author, such a busy plot may have become difficult to follow, but Sylvia Day handles it with aplomb, delivering a story that grips the reader at page one and refuses to let them go until the very end.
What about the love scenes, you might ask? Sylvia Day can usually be relied on for extremely passionate erotic love scenes, and Don't Tempt Me certainly doesn't disappoint in this department! Keep a cold glass of ice water handy when you read this - you may need to use it to splash yourself with when things heat up!
Connected Stories:
Ask For It
Passion for the Game
A Passion for Him
Don't Tempt Me
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliantly written!, April 13, 2008
DON'T TEMPT ME is the story of Simon and Lynette, two young lovers whose passion knows no bounds. They both realize that because of differences in their backgrounds and social status they cannot plan for a future together, but even more important at present is simply staying alive.
Simon Quinn is not a man to be ignored. Lynette Rousseau can attest to this as the two exchange heated glances across a crowded ballroom floor. Lynette knows Simon's reputation of being a relentlessly seductive rake, but there is some confusion between the two when, during their first conversation, Simon calls Lynette by the name of her identical twin sister, Lysette. As the relationship between the two escalates from that of mere acquaintances to lovers, not only does their passion increase to an incendiary level, but Lynette's curiosity about her twin makes her determined to learn her whereabouts. What Lynette doesn't realize is that the search to learn her sister's secrets has put her in grave danger as well.
Simon understands the danger and while his intention is to keep Lynette safe while discovering the strange truths behind her sister's situation, he knows that the evil putting Lynette and her family in peril won't risk discovery before eliminating the beautiful young sisters.
The heat between Simon and Lynette smolders on the pages. Their attraction, seemingly doomed from the beginning, is made of the strongest, sweetest emotions mixed with the steamiest passions. The history of and relationships between secondary characters are brilliantly told at the beginning, shedding light on the back story and giving readers the bonus of an additional story.
I remember the first review I did for then-new author Sylvia Day several years ago; I compared her style to that of veteran historical author Nicole Jordan. No comparisons are necessary these days. Ms. Day has come into her own as a masterful storyteller whose historicals are repeatedly guaranteed to become reader favorites. I highly recommend DON'T TEMPT ME for all historical fans.
So, what do you think? I think it's time for anyone who hasn't read Sylvia's work to check her out; if you have read her, you won't want to miss this one!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
From J. Kaye's Book Blog, June 13, 2008
By looking at the cover, I thought it would have been a modern day novel. It's not. The opening says "Paris, France 1780", making this a historical romance. Although I love the cover, I just don't feel it matches with the story.
A major complaint was the names of the twins, Lysette and Lynette. For the life of me, I couldn't keep them straight. Also the story opened with promise, but soon the intensity fizzled out. It lacked the emotional drive that I've come to expect from romance novels.
As I am typing this, I am trying to figure out why I stayed with the book. I think it was the mystery of the twin that kept me going. I wanted to know what happened to her. Who was behind all of it?
All-in-all, it was a pretty good read. I think I expected more than the novel could give; therefore, I was a little disappointed.
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