Temptation

by Jude Deveraux

Book Overview

JUDE DEVERAUX'S BLOCKBUSTER BESTSELLER AT A NEW LOW PRICE!TEMPTATIONRead by Alison Fraser A woman ahead of her time, Temperance O'Neil is happily married to her work -- helping single mothers on the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671002031
• ISBN13: 9780671002039
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Story With Twists To Surprise You

I disagree with the reviews that give this book a low rating. Honor is the word that I choose to use in reference to the behavior of both James and Temperence. She sacrificed her homeland for family loyalty to her mother by going to Scotland. Then she once again gave over to being unselfish to go to the "castle" to work as housekeeper. She did what she had to do to try to regain her own life. While she had her career on hold, she worked to make the world a better place, in particular for the oppressed women. She brought joy and dignity to the people who had lacked anything fun in their lives. At the end of the story, she had to choose whether to allow others to continue to control her path in life or follow her heart. I really liked this whole story and highly recommend it. No book Jude Deveraux has written has yet to disappoint me.

*Stop whatever you're doing and get this book!*

Oh my goodness! _Temptation_ just proved to me why I love romance! I've been going through my reading life finding books that were stale and uninteresting, but this one reminded me why I love books so much and spend almost all of my time reading them. If you have read a book lately that you only liked a little, _Temptation_ is just the thing you need to put some zing back into your life. Please, just read it!Temperance O'Neil is a women's rights worker in 1909. Although it is stated often, there is some doubt in the reader's mind that Temperance actually does anything other then smile for the cameras and make speeches. Anyway, this particular night is the night that her mother will be coming home after a long vacation, and Temperance can't wait to tell her everything. As she arives home and bursts through the door, Temperance gets an unexpected surprise. In other words, she finds her mother in the arms of a stranger, and they're kissing in the front hall.Mrs. O'Neil explains to Temperance that while she was in the Highlands, she met and married this man who is Angus McCairn. Now, Angus is a chauvanist pig (or at least he seems this way) and he is horrified that Temperance is helping other women out there to become independant. He insists that she come back with him and her mother to Scotland. When Temperance refuses, Angus resorts to blackmail. If Temperance doesn't come with them, she will be cut off without a cent. Because all of Temperance's deeds are funded by her inheritance left behind by her dead father and she has no other source of income, Temperance has no choice but to accept. But this doesn't mean that she has to do it willingly.In Scotland, Temperance is a woman with a mission-- she must drive Angus crazy. And that she does. Angus decides that this cannot go on much longer, and he decides to make a deal with Temperance. If she goes out to the wilderness, acts as the housekeeper for his nephew James, and finds him a bride, Angus will let Temperance go back to New York and he will even give her an allowence.Well, Temperance has no choice but to go, and go she does. James is the laird of the clan McCaird, but the estate is in a shambles and Temperance finds out one rainy night (this is after she walked ten miles in a thunderstorm to get to the house). The house is covered in a foot of dust and there is no furniture anywhere. Temperance knows that if she is ever going to get a sane woman into the house and make her think about becoming mistress of the house that it will have to be cleaned. So clean it she does, all the while learning the fascinating history of the place. It seems that the happy family was torn apart a few generations ago by a maniac spender and a hopeless gambler. But, Temperance slowly bring happiness and cleanliness back into the house and she and James fall in love. But, there is a secret in the family history, and it has the power to destroy even the strongest of loves. Will James and Tempera

Jude's Temptation is Irresistible!

Booklist is quoted as saying Jude's latest "Temptation" is "typically formulaic but nonetheless satisfying story..." When I read "typically formulaic," I worried it really meant, "boring." After reading Temptation, I think a more apt description would have been --classic Jude Devereaux! Her latest novel is a wonderful, rich historical romance that is sure to please. Her characters walk out of the book and in to your head. I wanted to kick Agnus, shake hands with Temperance, and jump James (what woman wouldn't want to?). Like many others, I'm enjoying the latest outpouring of romantic suspense novels. However, it seems like that's all the popular authors are writing these days. I enjoy reading them, but I also like having a romance to turn to that's not filled with twisted minds, blood, horror, and hate. Personally, I'm glad there are still talented and popular authors willing to write the classic romance. Thank you Jude for your latest "temptation!"

Even Without the Montgomerys and the Taggerts...

...we are very happy to have Jude Devearux back with another great wonderful book. Ms. Deveraux cut back on her writing schedule in order to spend more time with her new son. I wish her every happiness, even though I have missed seeing as much of her wonderful books of late. Apparently, Ms. Deveraux has decided to not include the wonderful Montgomery/Taggert family in her sagas. They were the people who she built all her novels around until a couple of years ago. I kept waiting and hoping she would spring them out at the last minute or we would at least see a Montgomery across a crowded room. Who knows, maybe Agnes was a Taggert... anyway, on to the story. Temperance was a woman with a cause and purpose. To help women in need get away from their worthless husbands and build new lives for themselves. She was a woman in 1909 who had built her own independant life after her father died. Imagine Temperance's surprise when her mother comes back from holiday with a real Scotsman in tow, Angus, who says she is to become a dutiful daughter and go live in the highlands. Temperance is a bit long in the tooth, but perhaps he can pursuade some man to marry her so she can take her proper place in society and do the only thing a well-brought up woman is supposed to do-marry and have children and be happy with her lot in life.Temperance is understandably very annoyed with the high-handed attitudes of her new papa and sets out to get her own way in the end. Go she must to Scotland, after all, she doesn't have her own money. But Temperance manages to make Angus eat his words about what a dutiful daughter should be. After several months of her dutiful daughter routine drives him close to the brink of sanity, Angus decides to pack her off to his nephew's house to become his housekeeper and find him a bride. And here is where the fun begins.Temperance must learn some lessons of living she did not get in New York salvaging women's lives. Temperance thinks she knows everything about what happens between men and women. A woman must stand firm and resist a man's foolish ways. But Temperance has never met a man like James. Read this book if you are a fan of Jude Deveraux's works over the years. Read this book if you are a lover of romances and have yet to discover Jude Deveraux's wonderful sense of humor and of the absurd. Then go back and read all of Ms. Deveraux's other wonderful books-for the first or fiftieth time.

She is the grand dame of romance

When her father died fifteen years ago, then teenager Temperance O'Neil learned how society mistreated women due to their codependency on men. Now in 1909, Temperance has become a major figure in the women's rights movement. However, her life changes when her mother marries Scotsman Angus McCairn. Her stepfather demands Temperance accompanies them back to Edinburgh until he finds her a husband. Angus forces Temperance's agreement by threatening to cut off her funds and tossing her out of her home.Six months later, Angus understands what his wife meant by watching out for an agreeable Temperance, who has caused trouble in the Highlands. He offers her a deal. If she can find his nephew a wife while acting as a housekeeper to the barbaric James, Angus will support her return across the Atlantic. As she tries to teach the beast how to cherish a woman, Temperance and James fall in love. However, she ultimately realizes he will never want a wife, especially a modern day woman like Temperance.TEMPTATION is an exciting historical romance that centers on the early twentieth century women's rights movement. The story line is filled with excitement, action, and insight into the plight of females. Temperance is a fine lead player and James acts more like an injured beast. The support cast augments the tale by vividly bringing to life the role of men and women in the United States in 1909. Jude Deveraux provides sub-genre fans with a non-stop thrillerHarriet Klausner