This reminded me of the books I devoured in the 80's when pirates were all the rage, with a few notable alterations. This tale did not feature 'the rape you until you love it/him ~hero~' that was all the rage back then, nor is the hero in anyway a bad man. If you want to shake things up and root for a 'good guy' for once? William Langley may be just the hero for you. Not perfect by any means, Langley is much more of a white hat than I expected. The secondary characters are fully realized and even the children- many an author's downfall, are just charming enough. They don't overtake the story, but do have personalities of their own. I once again find myself in the position of "discovering" an author through net galley with previous books patiently waiting for me on the shelves of the book store. Best of all, the Donovan series seemed to be just what one of my patrons needed this afternoon. I positively adore matchmaking, at least when it comes to matching readers and books, so that was a highlight of my afternoon! Fans of white hats, sea-faring adventure, historical romance, or heroines with hard-earned trust issues will likely enjoy this one. Pleasures of a Tempted Lady is the third novel in Jennifer Haymore's Donovan Sisters series (and there were some novellas inbetween novels as well), so maybe I shouldn't have started the series at the end. However, have no worries, Pleasures of a Tempted Lady can be read as a standalone since there will be short recaps of all the previous characters and couples and you'll be told of what happened to them and what they have been up to since their book, so you won't feel lost.The Donovan Sisters series is about the five Donovan sisters: Serena and Meg, Olivia, Phoebe and Jessica. Pleasures of a Tempted Lady is the story of Meg (and Jessica) as all the other sisters have already found their happiness in previous books.Even though I like reading series in order when I read the blurb of Pleasures of a Tempted Lady I knew I wanted to read it: long lost lovers, sailing through the seas, pirates and thrilling action, I was up for it!The story was nice, progressing at a good pace, and I liked both the hero and heroine, though of course it was the hero, Will who really stood out for me. He was wonderful: he carried a torch for Meg, the woman he fell in love with and wanted to marry for more than eight years and mourned her since he learned she presumably died at sea. I loved Will's honour and integrity and how deep his respect ran for Meg:He stared at her thigh for a long moment, his gaze raw with hunger, then he slowly dragged his head up to look at her. She saw something else in his eyes, however, something deeper than hunger. Pain. Her fingers loosened, and her skirt fell to the floor. Her heart swelled in her chest, on the verge of breaking apart. “What’s wrong?” Her voice was a croaking whisper. “I want you . . . God.” He pushed a harsh hand through his hair. “But not like this.” He took a deep breath, and when she was silent, he continued, “I’ve told you before— I don’t want a liaison. I want something more. I want a partnership. A wife. Someone who will offer me her love and trust without boundaries or conditions.” She stared at him, her eyes burning. “I can’t accept a partner who doesn’t look at me as I look at her. Who won’t trust me, share her deepest thoughts and fears with me, and who won’t turn to me first when something is wrong.” He shook his head. “I cannot—I won’t—do it.”We learn about a past mistake of his, but I have to say I was even a bit glad to discover he had some skeleton in his closet otherwise he would have been way too perfect. I loved how he viewed Meg as his equal, a partner and did not want a wife to be his chattel:“I don’t want to rule your life, Meg,” he said soberly. “I just want to be a part of it.”Although the writing flew smoothly I believe the story could have done with stricter editing. In scenes we were often told of the innermost thoughts of several characters (not just the hero and heroine, but all the sisters and their husbands) giving the reader a more nuanced understanding of the scene but also making the narrative more fractured as it became unclear whose POV we were witnessing. Also, every time a character entered the scene we were given a short rundown of their bio and what happened to them in the previous books. As Pleasures of a Tempted Lady was my introduction to the series I was glad for these recaps, but if I had followed the series from its beginning the frequent reminders would have frustrated me.Verdict: Pleasures of a Tempted Lady was an enjoyable read. The writing was smooth and captivating, but as I have already mentioned, Pleasures of a Tempted Lady was not only Meg and Will's story but part of a family saga, where we not only learn about what the previous couples have been up to, but also read and witness how Jessica finds love. I would have preferred it if Jessica had her own novel/novella and Pleasures of a Tempted Lady were reserved to Meg and Will, but I'm sure seasoned fans of the series will enjoy revisiting the characters they grew to love in previous books. Plot: 7/10Characters: 8/10Writing: 8/10Ending: 7/10Cover: 6/10 - I'm not a fan of the orange-y cover..Overall I give it 3.5 stars!
Do You like book Confessions D'une Femme Séduite (2013)?
how can you be found in the Irish sea twice? story crossed from improbable to unbelievable.
—jonhyg
It was boring. Could not get past the first few chapters so I just gave up.
—jimolin998
Surprisingly decent! I look forward to reading more from this author.
—jconville1
