Wednesday, November 9, 2011

[NOR Review]: "Temptress in Training"

Temptress in Training by Susan Gee Heino
PUBLISHER: Berkley (July 5, 2011)
GENRE: Historical Romance
Summary (Amazon.com)
A handsome earl and a beautiful seamstress are looking for answers. Both are willing to do what it takes to get them-even if it requires a little seduction. After the Earl of Lindley's search for the double agent who killed his family leads him to Miss Darshaw, he decides bedding her is the best way to get some answers...




Where to Buy*: Amazon | Kindle | B and N | NOOK
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site | Excerpt




My Review:

Temptress in Training sounded like it had all the makings for a wonderful historical romance—wit and humor, love and adventure, intrigue and mystery. What more could a reader possible want? After reading it, I have to be honest: this reader was still left wanting more, specifically more romance, more of a connection with the characters. The rest of the story was done well enough, though there were parts that were a bit bumpy. Heino has a good hand at being able to weave wit and humor into her story, and I had very little complaints there.



The web that Heino weaved around the characters and storyline was so complex that I do not know that I have it completely figured out, even now. Just when you think you know who everyone is and what part they play in the overall scheme of things, Heino throws another curve in the road, throwing you off yet again. However, while trying to make everything so complicated and steeped in mystery, I felt like a few of the characters and their stories were pushed out of the way entirely, turning a character that had the potential to be a lead into nothing but a wisp of a memory long before the end of the book. Perhaps this was somehow intentional—I cannot say.



3 Stars! For a lite mystery thrill, this is the novel to pick up, and one that I'm sure many readers will enjoy. However, if you, like me, have come to expect more from your romance novels (perhaps the quintessential “happily ever after” and all that leads up to it), then I would still encourage you to try this book. But be warned: though there may be more than a few scenes with sex in it, none of them were, at least to me, true love scenes between the hero and heroine. I'm not opposed to spicy or fast lovin' in my romance novels; however, I do still expect to find the romance in the books first and foremost, and in Temptress in Training, I simply could not find said emotion. I will still keep my eyes out for future books by this great author, as I am sure that just because I found one to be less than satisfactory does not meant that I shall find all of her work that way!




~~~
Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this book for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
~~~ 


Note: This is a book I read earlier this year, but never posted the review here on the blog after it went up on NOR.


Enjoy!



 

Until Next Time,
Photobucket

*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

No comments :