Customer Reviews

Don't Tempt Me

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of course when you are talking about the three St. Claire books by Julie Ortolon, it's hard to pick just one. I think (personally) I did like "DON'T TEMPT ME" the most, because Adrian St. Claire is one hot man! And the Heroine, Jackie is a perfect match for him.

Ms. Ortolon has woven the perfect romance with some fascinating folklore. I have no idea if Lafitte's treasure is real or not - - but Julie has made it so "real" in her writing that I'm ready to get my diving certification and go a-hunting!

The characters, Adrian and Jackie have some terrific by-play. I absolutely loved Jackie's come-backs to Adrian's teasing. There are parts that will make you laugh out loud!

And lets not forget the romance! Ahh--mazing! This is one sexy book when it comes down to the hero and heroine finally getting "together!" Ms. Ortolon should have issued fans with that brownie recipe! It's Hot!

Get the whole set of three....read them all! You'll love 'em!

I've enjoyed all of Ms Ortolon's books and was really looking forward to this one, but I find myself disappointed. If you read the first two books, FALLING FOR YOU and LEAD ME ON, you're familiar with the St Claire siblings and their (haunted) Pearl Island Inn. Oldest Adrian is the chef at the inn and Jackie Taylor captains her own ship for pleasure cruises. Adrian and his sisters approach Jackie about doing a monthly cruise to their inn - both would profit from such a partnership. But Jackie is initially reluctant because of her past and her father who was a swindler, a ciminal and plunderer of sunken ships. She's especially reluctant when they tell her they want to excavate the shipwreck in their cove to locate an artifact based on a letter Jackie inherited (she's descended from Captain Jack). Jackie is worried that her tainted past will again resurface and that the taint will spread to the St Claires thus threatening their budding partnership. And she can't afford that on two fronts: she needs the money desperately and she has come to really adore the St Claire family. She longs for a family to love and support her but her doubts hold her back. Even when Adrian makes it clear that he's interested in her - and not in a business sort of way!

But I have to say, I was never quite sure what attracted Adrian to Jackie in the first place or why he put up with so much emotional angst from her. I found it difficult to like Jackie very much eventhough I understood her remorse for her past life with her irresponsible father and absent mother and her pessimism that life was bound to always throw her hard knocks, but come on, Adrian offered her the best of life and time and again, she rejected it! And I could have done with a little less time spent on the ghosts of Marguerite and Jack and the excavation of Jack's ship - I found myself doing a lot of skimming around those sections.

So what did I like? Adrian is sweet and sexy and I enjoyed his character. I also liked the celebrity that unexpectedly comes his way and the complications that created. And of course, there's that nice St Claire family dynamic that worked so well in all three of these stories. I'm not sure, though that this one stands on it's own. It may be best to read all three to fully follow some of the Marguerite/Jack stuff. But then again, she did spend a lot of time rehashing their story which, again, I skimmed over. Anyway, an okay read with a few problems and a really sexy leading man. She's starting a new trilogy of stories that will debut in Summer 2005.

Julie Ortolon's unique plots and the way that she brings her characters to life. She has a way of giving the reader just the right amount of romance, comedy, real-life characters and **cough** sexy love scenes.

Julie Ortolon concludes the Pearl Island trilogy with a wonderful book, Don't Tempt Me.

Adrian St. Clair is the chef at the families B & B on Pearl Island. His family has decided to search for a missing heirloom off their home. But he needs the help of Jack Kingsley great granddaughter, Jackie Taylor. Jackie has a letter that will help the St.Clairs wish to hunt for the heirloom. But Jackie has very personal reasons for avoiding the limelight that this treasure hunt will bring.

Adrian is the type of man Jackie tries to avoid. With his devastating good looks, charming personality he is making her want for things she has never had. Jackie finally agrees to help but only if her and Adrian keep it friends only. That theory doesn't last long for either of them. Adrian latterly charms the clothes off Jackie and for once she decides to go with the flow. Neither is planning for the feelings that they have for each other.

When Jackie's past comes back to haunt her, it takes all of Adrian's will and charm to get her to fight for them.

Adrian and Jackie have such amazing chemistry and passion. They both have issues to deal with and its riveting watching them work thru them as a couple. You will love them all the more.

This is my favorite book out of the trilogy. Adrian and Jackie just touched a special place in my heart.

I just finished reading Don't Tempt Me and it has shot Julie Ortolon to the top of my list of favorite contemporary romance authors. The book did a good job of incorporating all of the characters from her previous books in the Pearl Island series and at the same time developing the love story between Adrian and Jackie very well. Each book in the series is different from each other and the ending leaves you wanting more. I would recommend reading each book in order to enjoy Don't Tempt Me to its fullest.

The chemistry between Jackie and Adrian is incredible, the love scenes are great, and the ending is really sweet. The book had a little bit of history, magic, and a realistic look into what comes with sudden, unexpected fame.

Now I have to wait impatiently for Julie Ortolon's next book!

Another reviewer described DON'T TEMPT ME as the weakest link in the St. Clair trilogy. I must concur. I thought FALLING FOR YOU about Aurora was pretty good and LEAD ME ON about Allison was okay, but this one (which is about Adrian and Jackie) just could not hold my interest. I ended up scanning through to get to the end. If you must have this book to complete the set, okay; but otherwise, don't bother.

This is a good book, but after reading its predecessors, I found it predictable and somewhat disappointing.

The book reprises the St. Clair family of Galveston Bay and their new Pearl Island Inn Bed and Breakfast, as initiated by youngest sister Rory in the romantic novel Falling for You and realized in companion book Lead Me On, featuring middle sister Allison. This latest installment highlights the romantic adventures of brother Adrian, who's somewhat short-sightedly ignoring his genuine if infatuated feelings for Jackie, a quick young sprite helping the St. Clair siblings realize a family dream of recovering some family heirlooms from a shipwreck at the bottom of the bay.

Somehow, Adrian seems somewhat foolish in this missive. He's a grown man who helped raise his sisters, yet he's curiously relationship-phobic, as is Jackie. How different a story this wouuld be had Adrian been willing to offer Jackie commitment and permanence right off the bat, thereby forcing her to confront her own insecurities and retain focus as the story's major, dynamic character. However, Ortolon tries to make all characters all things, and somehow, the book lacks the sparkle, romance, and charm of the prequels.

Jackie's own storyline, involving her ne'er-do-well father and "mother-lite" also take predictable turns; Ortolon might be stronger in the areas of character development than plot, but this time, the plot's simplicity (and by that I don't mean "straightforward") is rather puzzling.

Don't get me wrong... I'm glad I bought it, and I have enjoyed reading it, but in the context of its own series, I find this book the weakest link.

After his two sisters failed to persuade cruise ship owner Jackie Taylor to partner with them on a treasure hunt, Chef Adrian St. Claire travels to Corpus Christie to try in person. He needs the letter she owns in which her ancestor mentions "Lafitte's Treasure" so that he can get the Texas Historical Commission to sanction a scavenger hunt. Jackie tells Adrian that the treasure is a worthless powderhorn, but he insists George Washington once owned it. He further explains that his family B&B on Pearl Island will benefit from the find and she can make money sailing her cruise ship to and from the island. Jackie agrees because she needs the cash, but also wants to read the diary that his ancestor kept that includes her relationship with Jackie's kin.

As Jackie and Adrian work together they fall in love. However, she trusts no one except a close friend First Mate Tiberius who is more like an uncle. She knows that a highly regarded hunk like Adrian is out of reach for the daughter of a scavenger con artist.

The third St. Claire tale is a fun contemporary romance with a pinch of the paranormal and a slice of history. The tale entertains readers with a hero who knows what he wants and a heroine who believes he too above her and too easy with the women. The returns of the stars from the previous novels (see FALLING FOR YOU and LEAN ON ME) augment Adrian's tale of love just as he did when his siblings starred in their novels. Though the likeable Jackie protests too much, Julie Ortolon scribes a delightful end to a fine trilogy.

Harriet Klausner