From a corner dais, a pianist and violinist doggedly plowed through a Mozart sonata. The music came from a different world, a cleaner, purer world untainted by animal carnality. A world the Earl of Erith would never again inhabit. He shook off the bleak self-reflection and turned to the man beside him. Every man here, including his companion, focused on the slender woman coiled with studied nonchalance upon the chaise longue. Late afternoon sun flooded her in soft gold and played across her loosely bound tumble of tawny hair.
In the clear light, her vivid red dress was like a sudden flame. The effect was worthy of the Theatre Royal. One glance and the blood in his veins hummed a deep, dark song of desire and his skin prickled with the compulsion to make her his. And she achieved this remarkable effect from half a room away.
Tempt The Devil – Anna Campbell
Of course, this was no ordinary courtesan. The Earl of Erith only bought the best. Even by his exacting standards, this particular cyprian was a prime article. Two extraordinary women had set London on its ear in the last ten years. One, Soraya, cool, dark, mysterious as moonlight, had recently married the Duke of Kylemore, igniting the scandal of the decade.
Lord, but she was a long Meg. A sheath of crimson velvet displayed her lean body to dramatic advantage. Where the Tyrolean beauty offered soft, yielding curves, this woman was all spare elegance. Gretchen had been dewy with youth. This woman must verge on thirty. By that age, most bits of muslin frayed at the edges. But this bird of paradise continued her unchallenged reign over the male half of the ton. Her longevity as the most sought-after courtesan in London made her yet more intriguing. His gaze slid up to her face. Like her body, it was unexpected.
Her jaw was square, almost masculine. Her nose was a trifle too long, her cheekbones too high. From where he stood in the gilt-framed doorway, it was impossible to tell the color of her eyes but they were large and brilliant and set at a slant. It might be too large.
But who would complain? No man could look at those succulent lips without wanting them on his body. Undoubtedly, she had… something.
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He offers Olivia a deal with the devil: But Olivia must be careful, for Julian has a secret of his own: Mass Market Paperback , pages. London, England , United Kingdom. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Tempt the Devil , please sign up. Lists with This Book. I stayed up until 3: It was just that good.
Certainly not a book that is light and fluffy, but so excellent that you feel as though you have eating a ten course meal instead of a sweet, tasty cupcake. Erith is not what I would call a nice guy. He's selfish and blunt and doesn't work too hard to observe social niceties. He lives for his own desires, and goes where he wants to go, always drifting, and leaving nothing behind that he regrets despite the many mistress I stayed up until 3: He lives for his own desires, and goes where he wants to go, always drifting, and leaving nothing behind that he regrets despite the many mistresses that he's cast aside.
He's abandoned his children, out of grief when his wife died, but abandoned all the same for sixteen plus years. He's had more mistresses than he could count, and he doesn't have honorable intentions towards our heroine, Olivia. The interesting thing is that his behavior is consider more socially acceptable than Olivia. It's one of the hypocritical aspects of society that never fails to irritate me. A woman is no good when she is forced to take lovers to support herself. Yet a man can have as many lovers as he wants and no one blinks an eye, as long as he's semi-discreet and doesn't marry a woman who has a past.
I must admit it took me a long time to warm up to Erith. I felt he was a selfish man who didn't really understand what loving was, or he forgot when he lost his wife at a young age. He thought that his desire to give Olivia pleasure and trinkets was a act of generosity to be thanked for. He doesn't understand that his actions could make things even worse for Olivia when he decides he's had his fill of her. On the other hand, I loved Olivia from the beginning. I find it heartbreaking that a woman would have to sell her body for a living.
The thought of it just sticks in my craw. But I would never hold that against a woman. Olivia was a strong, capable, likable person. She hated men, and she had a lot of reason to hate men. Yet you never get the impression that she's deliberately cruel or even thoughtless. What was done to her was pretty lousy, and it was done by a person who should have taken care of her and cherished her. And even Erith, who declared his love, had to almost lose her to do the right thing by her. That's why I just about washed my hands of him. But the truth is, we don't really get to choose who we love.
We are ordained by fate to love people, more than we want to. That's what happens to Olivia and Erith. He didn't want to fall in love again after his wife died. He just wanted to exhaust his obsession and lust for Olivia, who he hears is the greatest courtesan of all time and who he must have because of her reputation, but he does end up falling for her. And that's not the end of his journey, for this man has to learn that love is about giving up one's self and putting another person's needs first.
That's what true love is. It's not just giving when it's easy or when it costs little. Love is giving up things that a person considers most important for the person who is loved. Dark and compelling, this is a book that isn't a fun read. But it's a wonderful story that will stay on the mind, challenge the reader to explore different kinds of characters whose motivations aren't pure or demure, and don't exist in the pretty ballrooms and sitting rooms of a Jane Austen novel.
These characters live on the fringe of that same society, where the light is dimmer, and their choices are drearier. Perhaps Olivia could have been Emma, or Elinore, or Jane, or Lizzy, yet she doesn't get to live in protected circumstances or genteel poverty. Instead she's a woman who received a very poor hand of cards to play, and did the best she could under the circumstances.
And Erith is no Darcy or Captain Brandon. But still, I am glad that Ms. Campbell told us their story. Mar 16, Eastofoz rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Readers who like a darker romance with excellent writing. This story has everything I love in a romance novel: Anna Campbell is a genius with her eerie yet refreshing prose.
She leads her life on her terms garnering as much financial wealth along the way to make her as independent as possible. Oh you don't cross this guy unscathed! The story is always changing and the emotional turmoil that the two face heightens as the novel progresses. Campbell is the anti-Quinn. She has this way of putting words together that makes the darkness of the novel seep right into you so you shudder when the hero is absolutely heinous to the heroine and you wonder how in the world he can be redeemed with her not losing face and surprisingly she never does.
She writes with uncommon language and impressive precision in her sentences that is never stale. As for the ending, it's "interesting", "different". View all 23 comments. Jun 23, Rane rated it really liked it Shelves: As the wagers are set, a battle of wills between Olivia and Julian flare up with sexual tension with the winner taking all or nothing. Anna Campbell stories always fulfills my love for the darker side of romance, Tempt the Devil is no exception as I got caught up quickly in story.
Julian came across as a prime Alpha Male throwing his weight around, thinking only of himself and hiding behind his grief of the lost of his young wife. Julian sees the error of his ways early on, not only with the way he treated Olivia but with his own life and the way he avoided his own children. It was a blow to his male pride when he finds out Olivia was faking the act, which forces a wager between the two.
Julian kept pushing her and although I can understand where he was coming from, instead of being kind and coaching the pain forward, he forces the issues. I never doubted the love between the two as they heal each other and pour their hearts out, it made you feel for both of them and understand where they came from. It was also cute to revisit Kylemore and Soraya and seeing their love staying strong. View all 32 comments. I am not sure who I disliked more while reading this book: Julian, Olivia, or myself. I like Ms Anna Campbell's writing.
I like that she is focused in her stories, not so many secondary characters to fill the pages. I think her writing smart and storytelling intense.
Tempt the Devil
I appreciate that her stories have a darker edge. Her stories read well. The only thing that I cannot really relate to is how sexual her books usually turn out to be. The characters in her books usually find love through sex. The sen I am not sure who I disliked more while reading this book: The sentiment that "if w shave great sex we are meant to be. And it is a prominent theme for her.
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But like when I read Gaelen Foley's The Duke , which has almost the same plot, I have trouble liking the story and the characters. A young woman Olivia, 31 , raped by an evil man when she was 14, turned courtesan. Naturally she hated her "career", men in general and the sexual act. She met Julian somewhere close to 40 , who became her protector and fell in love with him. Guy was of nobility and couldn't marry her. She was disappointed and left him. He came around with a marriage proposal. And if you have read The Duke by Gaelen Foley, you should see the similarity And of course, lots of sex scenes in this book, here and there, all very hot because if it isn't hot enough they couldn't be together you know.
This plot almost never goes down well with me. With combined with a courtesan theme, it almost always means a woman's sexual awakening because God forbid if women enjoy sex with men they do not love. I mean not that I disagree with any of the assumptions usually made in such books. I am not rooting for sex for the sake of the act, nor am I saying that women or men should have sex to liberate themselves.
I mean, sex is sex, a part of life and I see little point of making a fuss about it. When a book makes it a BIG deal, and often in such stories, the main driver for the relationship, I feel very disconnected to the lead characters and their passions. I don't know where to begin with my problems with Julian and Olivia.
I sympathize with both characters and actually like them. I think the characterization of Julian successful, even though a lot of readers seem to think him a jerk. I don't see him in that light at all. He is high-handed, yes, jaded, aristocratic, full of himself, he is all that.
But I think Campbell made him a likable hero by making him grieve for his dead wife. He was capable of love, at one point in life. So I could see how he would fall in love again with Olivia. I also think, that Olivia is a woman that demands respect. It is hard to pity her, because she held herself with pride. You have to respect her for that. And really, what she did does not define her. This was evident in the book. So I don't have problems with the characters themselves. Their actions, however, raised my eyebrows, especially in the second half.
So Julian realized he loved Olivia and wanted to keep her forever. He asked her to stay with him, as his mistress in Vienna. But all blew up in his face when his 18 year old daughter visited Olivia to separate her father from Olivia's dirty ways. Julian exploded seeing his daughter with Olivia because his precious pure daughter should not be anywhere close to a dirty whore like Olivia.
And his language was more vulgar than my description. My eyebrows went to the ceiling when I read that scene. I was warned, granted, but man, that had to hurt. Very unsporting of Julian. Julian's "transgression" prompted Olivia's ending the relationship by issuing an ultimatum.
She would only stay if Julian married her. I do not have problems with her "wish". But I have a problem with the way she asked for it. There, that is the problem. She asked for it. See here, I honestly do not know how a man of Julian's station could marry Olivia without destroying his children's future, both were unmarried.
Julian's station be damned, he was getting Olivia and if that means he would be shunned by society, so be it. But marrying Olivia would almost certainly mean Julian's daughter would never ever make a good match. I mean, writing about courtesans is cool and all, but I really see a practical problem here.
I think Olivia was right to leave. It was the dignified thing to do. But see, this is my reasoning: She made that a choice for Julian. I think that weakened her negotiation position. If you are in the wanting position, beggars cannot be choosers. And why would you be a beggar if you could be the chooser? Choose to go, do not give Julian a choice to marry you or not marry you.
If he could not come to that decision himself, he does not deserve you. To issue an ultimatum like Olivia did was to put herself out there for Julian to either accept or reject. If you don't I will go. There is no other word for it. The only permissible answer is "You do your own thinking in your own time and here is where I must leave you. It almost always spells disaster for me. The courtesan always ends up wanting, waiting for a marriage proposal. She leaves but only after the man says he would not marry her. All in all, my 2 stars rating has a lot to do with my personal preferences, little to do with the book.
The book is written well and characters are well defined. It could be a rather emotional read if one responds to such stimuli. This is just not my thing and I shall learn to stay from courtesans and sex-driven stories. View all 6 comments. Mar 25, Kathrynn rated it liked it Shelves: Tempt the Devil is the sequel to Claiming the Courtesan , but the characters in the latter book play an extremely minor role in this one.
They are mentioned once, then they have a small scene near the end. While I feel the books are related they are not--necessarily--a series and do not need to be read in order. Having said that, I enjoyed how Tempt the Devil started out. Unique plot with a notorious "rake" Julian and Earl openly bargaining for the attention and body of Olivia, a well-known and Tempt the Devil is the sequel to Claiming the Courtesan , but the characters in the latter book play an extremely minor role in this one.
Unique plot with a notorious "rake" Julian and Earl openly bargaining for the attention and body of Olivia, a well-known and sought after courtesan. Olivia was 31 and men vied for her attention. She created such an air of mystery about herself and had "rules" about her encounters that men fell at her feet in an effort to get her to select them as a "keeper. When she got tired of a "keeper," she moved on. But she had secrets. Shameful secrets that led her into the life of a whore.
And her mission was not what men thought Julian learned her secrets and together they began building a relationship. Sex was always the focal point; although, in the beginning they also talked, but their sexual encounters were all the time and got old. Halfway through the book, I needed something else to happen.
And I got irritated at how the dialogue was continually interrupted with lengthy sometimes multiple paragraphs of narration. It was fine in the beginning, getting the internal thoughts of the characters, etc, but it stayed that way through the entire book and, for me, ruined some of the momentum when some serious dialogue was going on. Sometimes, so much narration went on between a question and an answer, I forgot what the question was. At one point, I began reading the dialogue then went back to read what the author was writing between the lines. Often, some of the narration was recapping previous events or thoughts repeated.
I desperately needed something ELSE to happen in this book. Both characters were very likable, imo. Both had the standard troubled past and regrets to work through. I didn't buy that Julian fell in love with Olivia so fast--was shocked when he said he loved her so early in the book. For me, it conflicted with the way his character was set-up. Thought more time would be devoted to him clearing up his past mistakes and he caved too early in the book. Then the focus remained on Olivia and Julian and sex.
Pages and pages of sex scenes It was evident the author broke out the thesaurus--regularly. While I think expanding my vocabulary is a good thing, jerking me out of the story to ponder the meaning of words may not be so good on the flow of reading a novel for entertainment, imho. A time-frame in the ending came late into the conversation and was buried in narration. I thought, come on, tell me how much time elapsed. Finally, that was provided. What got my attention to read this book was the cover View all 9 comments. Nov 24, Cheryl rated it really liked it Shelves: It's been a long time since I've read an Anna Campbell book and I have my friend Kelly to thank for recommending this one!
It had the perfect blend of steam and emotion, without being heart-wrenching or smutty! Was my copy missing a chapter or did everyone else's copy just end suddenly? I wish it had a more solid ending, rather than ending on the assumption that she said "yes"! View all 7 comments. Feb 12, Gilgamesha rated it it was ok.
The scene where he walks in to see his mistress and daughter together Apr 06, Mary - Buried Under Romance rated it it was amazing. What a deep, moving story! Time to finish my Anna Campbell marathon Oct 18, Katie babs rated it really liked it. With Tempt the Devil, Campbell has written two characters who are on equal footing, perhaps not in society eyes, but when it comes to the bedroom, both her characters fight over the right to be on top.
Tempt th With Tempt the Devil, Campbell has written two characters who are on equal footing, perhaps not in society eyes, but when it comes to the bedroom, both her characters fight over the right to be on top. Tempt the Devil is about forgiveness, trust and most importantly acceptance. If you are in the mood for a luscious and emotional read, Tempt the Devil is the book for you Julian Southwood, Earl of Erith, has come back from Vienna to London, England for the marriage of his eighteen year old daughter.
Julian has never gotten over the death of his young wife who he loved with such fervor, and because of that he does not have any relationship to speak of with both his daughter and son. Julian is also a man with intense sexual needs, and has the need for a mistress for the few months he will be residing in London.
Olivia uses men for security and the money they bring to her. She allows Erith to be her protector for the moment, because she thinks she will be able to handle him, like all the other men that paid for the honor of bedding her. Erith thinks he will be able to break down her defenses to the point she will be craving his touch.
Olivia is quite the skilled actress, especially in bed, and can give Erith what he needs even though she may not respond to his touch the way he expects her to. Olivia lays down some ground rules between them, such as no kissing and having as much freedom as she desires. Erith wants things his way and will not stop till Olivia is a pile of lust around him. These two play an interesting cat and mouse game both in and out of the bedroom.
Soon Erith is beyond obsessed with Olivia and wants not only her body, but her heart also. Olivia will not give into Erith because of her horrible past where another man ruined her for all other men, as well as a respectable life.
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The poor woman has never enjoyed sex and has emotionally blocked her mind and body from any pleasure she can received from a man. Erith decides he will be the man to break down these walls, and will make her come to the realization that she can let herself go with him. Anna Campbell sure does write some of the most emotional and angst filled romances, and Tempt the Devil is no exception. The road to happiness between Julian and Olivia is a very long and hard one. Olivia fights tooth and nail against all that Erith is offering her.
She is one of the most tortured heroines I have read this year, and at times, the way she and Julian interact with one another makes for some heavy and dark reading. Julian is a character full of faults, which he realizes quite quickly due to his relationship with Olivia. He wants Olivia to confront her own issues and use him as support so they can have something worth while together. Olivia wants everything from Julian and that means marriage. The scene where his daughter goes to confront Olivia, and where Julian finds them talking together will make most readers angry because of the way Julian acts.
And those who enjoy a good groveling scene, there is a nice one that Anna has written with Julian because of his fear of losing Olivia. I would have to say that third time is a charm for Anna. Tempt the Devil was a very enjoyable read.
Tempt The Devil
He was so dumbfounded, and because of that, he had to work for her heart. And when Olivia finally allowed herself to free and open with Julian, it is well worth it. Control is Olivia Raines' favorite word and, as it happens, it's also to be the Earl of Erith, Julian Southwood's favorite. So as you can imagine the power struggle in this book is smoking hot and the stakes continue to escalate with every passing encounter. I enjoyed this book immensely, but I have a complaint about the ending being a little too convenient. It's weird that I don't feel the same way about the way Claiming the Courtesan , but it could have been done differently.
May 04, Abby rated it it was ok Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.