My husband James. The house on the lake. My life. Our perfect life. And then Alex came to visit.
The first time I saw my husband’s best friend, I didn’t like him. Didn’t like how James changed when he was around, didn’t like how his penetrating eyes followed me everywhere.
But that didn’t stop me from wanting him. And surprisingly, James didn’t seem to mind.
It was meant to be fun. Something the three of us shared for those hot summer weeks Alex stayed with us. Nobody was supposed to fall in or out of love.
I didn’t need another man, not even one who oozed sex like honey and knew all the secrets I didn’t know, the secrets my husband hadn’t shared. After all, we had a perfect life. I loved my husband.
But I wasn’t the only one.
~~
When you can't even figure out what label to use on a review it's probably a clue that the review itself isn't going to be any easier. I can't say that Tempted is erotica. It's a novel with parts that are erotic and sexy but that's not what made the story work - and definitely not what has me vaguely uneasy today. Tempted is a hard one to read; the emotions of each character are complicated, messy, and without clear cut solutions, as real emotions often are. I partly define romances by the HEA I'm guaranteed at the end and instead of finishing things off with that uplifting turn, after reaching the end of this one I kind of felt lost.
It's written incredibly well and thus when Hart writes Anne as confused or disheartened I felt that with her. Bringing Alex into her marriage with James, even if it just turns out to be for a Summer, wasn't an easy decision and things weren't left the same afterward. I didn't get an easy resolution out of anything. Maybe it was worse because my own family is crazy and broken in its own way, but I felt so angry at points when reading this novel; angry at Anne's family for using her to fix the broken pieces and angry at Anne for letting them.
I don't think I have a grade for this one, because while I didn't end it feeling happy and satisfied I recognize that it's not written to leave me with that feeling. It made me think and while I don't want every 'fun' book I pick up to do that, I don't regret this one.
Overall Feeling - ?
Series - 1) Tempted 2) Naked
