DON'T TEMPT ME

Author: Loretta Chase ISBN: 9780061632662 7/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: Regency London, 1818

Spunky English girl overcomes impossible odds and outsmarts heathen villains. That’s the headline when Zoe Lexham returns to England. After twelve years in the exotic east, she’s shockingly adept in the sensual arts. She knows everything a young lady shouldn’t and nothing she ought to know. She’s a walking scandal, with no hope of a future... unless someone can civilize her. Lucien de Grey, the Duke of Marchmont, is no knight in shining armor. He’s sarcastic, cynical, easily bored, and dangerous to women. He charms, seduces, and leaves them—with parting gifts of expensive jewelry to dry their tears. But good looks and charm, combined with money and rank, make him welcome everywhere. The most popular bachelor in the Beau Monde can easily save Zoe’s risqué reputation . . . if the wayward beauty doesn’t lead him into temptation, and a passion that could ruin them both.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

For years I had heard about how great Loretta Chase’s books were, but at the time, I wasn’t reading historicals so I had never tried one. Then, once I started reading historicals, I read MISS WONDERFUL—and it was wonderful!! I knew I had to read more of Ms. Chase’s work, so I jumped at the chance to review her latest. I’m happy to report that DON'T TEMPT ME didn’t disappoint.

I really enjoyed that Zoe and Lucien had essentially grown up together and that after losing much of his own family, she was the one person that he still cared very deeply for. I love Ms. Chase’s ability to blend humor with sincere emotion. I’m not the type to cry at books—and I didn’t here—but it was close at times! What surprised me the most about DON'T TEMPT ME, was how much story Ms. Chase was able to pack into the book without it being several hundred pages and without the story dragging at times. We really get to see the span of the relationship; the book doesn’t end at the marriage, like usual.

If all of Ms. Chase’s books are as enjoyable as DON'T TEMPT ME, I’ll have lots to look forward to between her backlist and any new releases.

Jilian Vallade