Tempting

Rating:
Summary: No real feeling
Review: I'm a fan new to Susan Johnson -- I loved the Kuzan series; "Golden Paradise", and some of her novellas. I was looking forward to reading this story because it was set in 1890's England (a favorite time period of mine) and because it seemed to borrow its story from the true-life history of Daisy, Princess of Pless, an Englishwoman who married a German Prince in the same time frame.

Well, enough of that. What I felt about this book was that it was all so terribly RUSHED. Christina, who has been virtuous for 12 years despite a cheating, uncaring husband, falls immediately into lust/love with Max, during a house party. And Max, lover extraordinare, the one who can't be caught, is just as "immediate" in his newfound love/lust for Christina. It would have been a much better story if they fell SLOOOWLY into love. I felt that Christina's leap from repressed wife to lusty girlfriend happened WAY too fast, and Max's reformation from sleep-around rake to Christina's one & only was also unbelievably quick. Frankly, the constant sex scenes got a bit tiresome. The characters became two partners in a sex show instead of two people in love.

The whole thing just slides into melodrama with Christina's husband imprisoning her and almost poisoning her after he discovers her affair with Max.

I didn't end up keeping this particular Susan Johnson book, but still have hopes of her writing something better than this.


Rating:
Summary: A steaming, izzling , spicey, and hot work of erotica
Review: In 1892 England, Princess Christina Gray is angry with her spouse Prince Hans of the Germanic principality of Selisia for his blatant love affair. When visiting American Max Falconer, Lord Vale asks Christina to go horseback riding, she accepts, mostly out of anger with her philandering husband.

However, to her shock, Max and Christine make love. They soon disappear from sight by hiding at his English estate for two weeks of sex and love. When they finally return to London, an outraged Hans threatens Christine using their two boys as a blackmailing weapon to make her tow the mark. Hans and Christine return to Selisia with Max, in love with her, following them. Max worries about her safety even as he knows that she will never leave Hans without her two beloved children.

Multiple award winner and best selling author Susan Johnson shows why many readers consider her the "queen of erotic romance" with TEMPTING, a novel that requires asbestos gloves. The story line is loaded with two types of action: sexual and adventurous. Though Hans appears more like a nineteenth century villainous Grinch, Christina is a wonderful caring heroine and Max cuts quite the figure as a scrumptious hunk. The excessive use of profanity will turn off some readers, but those fans of the triple XXX ultra torrid tale will gain much pleasure (in a wide sense) from Ms. Johnson's latest treasure.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A sad state of affairs
Review: It breaks my heart to see a writer as talented as Susan Johnson mistaking pornography for women's erotica. Having chararacters repeatedly use the "F" word and the "C" word as she has done in TEMPTED and in her last few books is hardly erotic, unless you're a 14-year-old boy. Women's erotica has the potential to be a delicious sub-genre within the romance genre with heroines experiencing explosive love scenes and exploring various forbidden fantasies, such as the captive fantasy. The whole point of women's erotica is that it's sexual fantasy as WOMEN long to read about it, not as some pale and sordid reflection of the male fantasy typified in your average men's magazine. I can only hope Ms. Johnson returns to the type of storytelling she does best--well-written stories about relationships where the two protagonists are capable of tenderness as well as lust.

Rating:
Summary: Lust with no Foundation of Love!
Review: Susan Johnson's Braddock-Black Series is by far one of my favorite Historical Romance Books; and up until two years ago, I could hardly wait for a Susan Johnson novel to be published and available for purchase.

However, though slightly similar to the Braddock-Black novel, 'Forbidden', (and it is really too slight to mention), 'Tempting' tremendously pales by comparison. The poignancy and action falls extremely short of what I once considered Susan Johnson's extraordinary talent and skill as an author. 'Tempting', reads as though the author has lost heart in her writing.

Those with whom have never read a Susan Johnson novel may, (and I stress the word, 'may') probably find 'Tempting' entertaining, especially if they enjoy erotic romance. Although older fans who thought of Susan Johnson as one of the most extraordinary Historical Romance Writer's today would be disappointed!

As usual the erotic scenes are graphic, prolifically well done. However, not enough substance was weave to convince the reader the hero and heroine are in love. What usually draws upon the erotic scenes beautifully and unforgettably tying everything together is the poignancy and action pack story line in a Susan Johnson Book.

'Tempting', had hardly any of these qualities, compared to the Braddock-Black Series! Disappointment also comes with the antagonist and/or villain with whom needs much more depth to be convincing.

In general, 'Tempting' is merely a book of lust, without much emotion to cement anything more.

Rating:
Summary: Not Tempted
Review: Susan Johnson�s Braddock-Black Series is by far one of my favorite Historical Romance Books; and up until two years ago, I could hardly wait for a Susan Johnson novel to be published and available for purchase.

However, though slightly similar to the Braddock-Black novel, �Forbidden�, (and it is really too slight to mention), �Tempting� tremendously pales by comparison. The poignancy and action falls extremely short of what I once considered Susan Johnson�s extraordinary talent and skill as an author. �Tempting�, reads as though the author has lost heart in her writing.

Those with whom have never read a Susan Johnson novel may, (and I stress the word, �may�) probably find �Tempting� entertaining, especially if they enjoy erotic romance. Although older fans who thought of Susan Johnson as one of the most extraordinary Historical Romance Writer�s today would be disappointed!

As usual the erotic scenes are graphic, prolifically well done. However, not enough substance was weave to convince the reader the hero and heroine are in love. What usually draws upon the erotic scenes beautifully and unforgettably tying everything together is the poignancy and action pack story line in a Susan Johnson Book.

�Tempting�, had hardly any of these qualities, compared to the Braddock-Black Series! Disappointment also comes with the antagonist and/or villain with whom needs much more depth to be convincing.

In general, �Tempting� is merely a book of lust, without much emotion to cement anything more.

Rating:
Summary: Love...not..
Review: This is a love story? .... It is an erotic tale of a man, Max, obsessed with a married princess, Christina. .... Max, English born, American bred, is typical of the authors other male heros from previous books. Lots of sex is all he wants and hey, .... But Max was creepy with his obsesion with Christina. Not romantic. .... Again, Max wants Christina, she is married, ... is about all about them having sex and Max trying to work it so Christina can divorce her husband. ....

Rating:
Summary: Boring sex story.
Review: This is one boring sex story.I agree with one reviewer that this book is all about sex. I found it gross that when Christa walked in on her friend and Max having sex together, her friend offered to share him with her. What followed is one sex scene after the other that are so boring and seem like quickies. Max's obbsession with Christa is weird and all he cared about is how to get the husband out of the way so they can continue having sex, i guess. Ms Johnson suggests that it's OK to commit adultery if your husband is also commiting adultery. I didn't even believe that Max and Christa love each other. They have great sex but I don't think i'll call it love. This book is also overpriced... Don't waste your money.

Rating:
Summary: All sex, just sex, no story
Review: This one just didn't have what it takes for me.... I didn't get the feeling of romance, & with a couple light examples of erotica, I didn't find that either. It was just sex.... sex... and more sex. Christina basically decided to get back at her husband for his infidelity & grabbed the first man available (Max), they had sex immediately & 4 or 5 more times in a row, decided they were in love..... & it went on from there. Now don't get me wrong - I do enjoy a hot romance & I also enjoy erotica; I just found extremely little of either in this book.... just lots & lots of sex. I had a problem with a couple of the decisions Christina & Max made also.... I can't really say without spoiling the story... just suffice to say - the decisions were totally unacceptable for that era.... & if Christina's husband was the jerk he was portrayed to be, he'd have really hurt her over it. Also, the way it worked out for them in the end was just way to convenient to be believed. I gave it 2 stars because I have read worse - I just expected more out of SJ.

Rating:
Summary: Not much romance or erotica....
Review: This one just didn't have what it takes for me.... I didn't get the feeling of romance, & with a couple light examples of erotica, I didn't find that either. It was just sex.... sex... and more sex. Christina basically decided to get back at her husband for his infidelity & grabbed the first man available (Max), they had sex immediately & 4 or 5 more times in a row, decided they were in love..... & it went on from there. Now don't get me wrong - I do enjoy a hot romance & I also enjoy erotica; I just found extremely little of either in this book.... just lots & lots of sex. I had a problem with a couple of the decisions Christina & Max made also.... I can't really say without spoiling the story... just suffice to say - the decisions were totally unacceptable for that era.... & if Christina's husband was the jerk he was portrayed to be, he'd have really hurt her over it. Also, the way it worked out for them in the end was just way to convenient to be believed. I gave it 2 stars because I have read worse - I just expected more out of SJ.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Using a nineteenth century backdrop, Susan Johnson's latest erotic effort pairs an unhappily married princess with a wealthy American bachelor. Tempting is, without a doubt, one of her best works to date.

English-born Christina Grey, the beautiful Princess of Zeiss, was married off at seventeen to a German prince. At such a tender age she had thought her husband dashing and charming, unaware of what a monster -- not to mention adulterer -- he would turn out to be. Nevertheless, Christina learns to endure Hans over the years, taking solace in being a mother to their two sons. Unlike her philandering royal husband, she doesn't care very much for sex and therefore has no desire to take a lover. Until, that is, she meets Max.

English born and American bred Max Falconer, the new Marquis of Vale, is looking for a bit of fun at the country party he is attending. Never married and not particularly inclined to take himself off the bachelor market, he is shaken by the depth of his feelings concerning Christina. When Max had befriended the beautiful, lonely princess he hadn't anticipated falling in love with her. But now that he has he will stop at nothing to make her belong to him.

Susan Johnson fans are accustomed to her philandering-until-he-meets-the-heroine heroes. In her past few books they have also become accustomed to male protagonists that don't stray at all once they fall for the females in question. None of her fans, however, are accustomed to a hero like Max. This is a man so besotted with his heroine that he doesn't even think about straying, let alone actually do it. Max's love for Christina borders on the obsessive...a fact some readers might find unnerving but I found endearing.

Another strong attribute for Tempting lies in the friendship and mutual respect that the protagonists feel for each other. It is common in erotic literature to find a bonding of the flesh (else it wouldn't be erotic!), but not necessarily a bonding of the hearts. As the reader you have no doubts that Max and Christina are in love, and better yet, you've been given enough depth into their characters to understand why.

What brings this book into four heart range for me, however, is the well developed and at times quite suspenseful plot. Christina is not a free woman. Max wants to be with her forever. In order to come together and stay that way the heroine must go through some pretty heady stuff. I found that once I reached the last half of the book I simply couldn't put it down.

The only complaint I have with the novel as a whole is that during the book's first half the sex scenes began to drag a bit. If one is going to read back to back lovemaking escapades it helps the pacing tremendously if there is a tad bit more variety than what Tempting offers. Conversely, however, I didn't find this to be the case later on as Johnson delves into everything from light bondage to the we-could-be-caught-at-any-moment-so-let's-make-this-count scenario.

Overall, Tempting is a great erotic read. Don't miss this one!