TO TASTE TEMPTATION

Author: Elizabeth Hoyt ISBN: 9780446406918 5/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: GRAND CENTRAL
Time Period: Georgian - 1764 London

The ton loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they're giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. What the ton doesn't know, though, is that Samuel is in Londonbecause of this massacre. He believes his regiment was given up to the enemy and won't rest until he finds the traitor. Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated with Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother. Samuel suspects that the person responsible for her brother's death is Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, a family friend since childhood—and Emeline's fiancé. Despite Emeline's belief in Vale's innocence and her refusal to break off her betrothal, she and Samuel begin a passionate affair. But can their relationship survive the fallout from Samuel's investigation?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

When I heard Elizabeth Hoyt was starting a new series, I was excited. I had heard how much people enjoyed her Prince series, and I wanted to get in on the ground floor, so to speak, for her new series. Unfortunately, TO TASTE TEMPTATION didn't live up to my expectations. I found the book extremely slow to get into—so much so that I found it very easy to put down for long lengths of time. Although picking it back up became a chore, Hoyt was able to save the story from the depths of boringness in the last quarter of the book where the action finally picks up. Unfortunately, I had been so bored by the back and forth between Sam, Emeline and the need for Sam to avenge the death of his best friend, not to mention the tale of the Four Soldiers which is interspersed between Sam and Emeline's drama, that I didn't really care anymore.

Though I was completely underwhelmed by TO TASTE TEMPTATION, I enjoy Hoyt's writing as her alter ego Julia Harper, and on the strength of her work as Harper I will probably continue to read her work as Hoyt. I just hope the rest of the books in the series don't take as long to get to the good stuff that this one did!

Jilian Vallade