The Tempted

"The Tempted" is the second novel in a trilogy that takes place in Eden, Mississippi where Naomi Cross gives birth to twins on a night where two hurricanes hit and nearly destroyed the town. Sadly, one of the girls, Sela, dies at birth, and the other, Sadie, is kidnapped five years later.This novel centers around the search for Tess Campbell's daughter, Emily, who was kidnapped on the anniversary of Sadie's disappearance and from the same playground. The police have had no luck finding Emily, so she calls on a former lover, Jared Spencer, to help her search.While Tess and Jared unravel the mystery surrounding her daughter's disappearance, they start to fall for each other again. Their romance is in full bloom when they find Emily. What they also find is evidence that Naomi Cross' daughter Sela did not die at birth, but rather was born healthy and given to another woman.The ending of "The Tempted" leads us right into the final novel in this trilogy, "The Forgiven."This Harlequin Intrigue novel has it all, lots of suspense, plot twists and a believable romance.A Harlequin Dreamers review by Tiffany Ann.

The Eden's Children miniseries improves in Book Two, "The Tempted," the best book author Amanda Stevens has produced in well over a year. It's been a month since Tess Campbell's five-year-old daughter disappeared (in book one "The Innocent"). The police are ready to give up, the volunteers are going home, but Tess refuses to quit. Needing money to continue the search, she goes to the only man she can think of, Jared Spencer. Their relationship ended on bad terms six years ago. Can she keep the secret of the past from him while trusting him to help her?All the elements for a great Intrigue are here. A highly emotional story, a good mystery with plenty of possibilities and hissable villains. Although the plot is undeniably melodramatic, it contributes to the emotional tone, pulling the reader in and keeping them turning the pages at a frantic pace. Stevens has also covered this ground before, in books like "A Man of Secrets" and "Someone's Baby." Evil rich people. Sibling rivalry. But it works. Her story is also one where the suspense plot is a perfect match for the romance. Unlike book one, where it was difficult to believe the characters were falling in love in the middle of those circumstances, "The Tempted" does what the best Intrigues do, using the suspense plot to pull her characters and heighten the emotions between them. Both the high stakes and the unresolved feelings in their past make it easy to understand why they would be experiencing these emotions and falling back in love at such a difficult time. The unrequited love theme and the odds the characters face give the hero and heroine strong rooting interest and will make the reader as involved in their story as they are.Although the heroine makes many questionable choices and too often is just plain irrational, the hero is (fortunately) patient enough to deal with her, at least making them a good match. Stevens does an exceptional job making us believe these two are meant to be together. This is also another very strong mystery. The surprise ending leads straight into the next book, and will have readers eagerly reaching for their copy of "The Forgiven." "The Tempted" shouldn't be missed.

Amanda Stevens does it again with THE TEMPTED -- her books CAN NOT be put down once you start them. I love her heroines especially--they're always smart women who work their own way out of trouble without needing to be rescued. And her heros...they're the kind of men you wish you knew, but would be afraid of if you did. Mysterious AND sexy. Love 'em and love Ms. Stevens books too. All the books in this trilogy are keepers for sure.