4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Good Read, May 16 2003
This review is from: Tempting (Paperback)
TEMPTING starts off strong with a tragic and violent prologue that sets that stage and make-up of the main character, Simon Belleville. As a young boy he witnesses a violent act upon his sister, and feeling helpless and the cause for the tragedy, closes him off to others. His pursuits turn to making himself a self-made man in English society.
As the newly appointed head of Queen Victoria's Morality & Vice Commission, Simon Belleville finds himself breaking up a brothel where he discovers Christine in an attic. Not sure why, he takes the lovely young "prostitute" to his home instead of to Newgate Gaol. As an aspiring Member of Parliament, the very last thing Simon needs is a scandal so he introduces her as his cousin. However, he has anything but cousinly feelings towards the intriguing young girl.
Christine is also no stranger to hardship and tragedy. Bullied by her cousin who she believes she has killed, she finds herself alone, hungry, and in a brothel. Simon changes all that, as her "dark angel" and places in his old mistress's school to develop a refined woman.
Hope Tarr weaves a tale of two people searching for themselves and for each other. The mixture of violence, which is not graphically portrayed, and the nature of the gentle tale are an unusual mix. It could almost be characterized as an innocent and sweet romance without these dark undercurrents running throughout the book. I would have liked to see Ms. Tarr develop these dark themes more, and not hesitate to show the reader the brutalism endured by the main characters. I believe it would have helped strengthen the storyline of the book.
TEMPTING is an original and enjoyable read from the talented Ms. Tarr. There is an earthy realism to her writing style; her characters are portrayed as real people with flaws, both physical and mental. Don't miss this special read!
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Cute, but..., Feb 23 2003
This review is from: Tempting (Paperback)
Temping by Hope Tarr, is a decent book, but it seem that Ms. Tarr really did not give that reader any fresh material. You had the young innocent girl, the hadsome rich man, a older woman who is able to turn the young innocent into a lady in under three months and of course the evil cousin. This is a story that has been told many times before.
This book could have been alot better if Ms. Tarr had done more with the plot.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
TEMPTING-Simon and Christine-SPOILERS, Dec 21 2002
This review is from: Tempting (Paperback)
favorite scene with christine-
protecting rebecca from the enemy.
simon-
his heart to heart with his grandfather.
together-
refusing his proposal.
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