Review and Giveaway: Surrender to Temptation

Surrender to Temptation (Complete Series) by Lauren Jameson

Publication Date: 04/01/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Erotic Contemporary
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451466675
ISBN-13: 978-0451466679

(Received for an honest review from Signet Eclipse)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Lauren Jameson on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Excerpt from, Surrender to Temptation, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

In this stunning romance, Lauren Jameson presents a story of unexpected desire in which two strangers play a dangerous game in the quest for incredible pleasure. But winning comes with a price....

After walking in on her boyfriend with another woman, Devon Reid decides to seek solace in the small California town she’s often visited on vacation. Instead, she finds herself consumed by a mysterious man who sets her ablaze with one simple look.

Devon has always been the good girl, but Zach’s touch turns her into something primal, especially when he persuades her to give up control to him. But while Zach can make her burn, he seduces Devon one moment and turns her away the next.

When Devon starts her new job at Phyrefly Aviation, she learns that Zach is actually founder and CEO of the massive corporation. And while Devon knows she should keep things between them strictly professional, his overwhelming magnetism makes it impossible to stay away....  

Thoughts:

Lauren Jameson's Surrender to Temptation series was originally formatted as a six part novella serial. Now it has been redone and formed into one novel under the original series title. Readers who are familiar with the series will enjoy reading it again all at one time and those who are just being introduced to it don't have to wait to get to the good stuff. The series focuses on Devon, a young woman who is looking for change in her life and Zach, a man who is a true enigma.  Jameson has a trademark wit and does a fantastic job with dialogue and romantic banter. Her steamy sex scenes and light BDSM materiel gives this book heat and eroticism that just won't quit. 

What I liked: 

I loved the way this book was put together. I have read other books by Jameson, including Breathe, which was an excellent book. But I didn't know that she had done the Surrender to temptation in a serialized form. I don't always enjoy novella's because I don't think the author has enough time to truly develop the characters and situations. I like them when they are a part of bigger series or something like that, because I already have the background I need to fill in the blanks that the page constraints leave. Putting all six parts of this series in one book was genius. I think it really allows the reader to get the full scope of what the author was thinking and feeling as she wrote Devon and Zach's story. 

Devon was a great lead character. She was sensitive and somewhat naive. She had a sweetness about her, a type of innocence. Readers quickly pick up on her issues. She is self-conscious and shy. But when she finds that her boyfriend has been cheating she isn't afraid to take a stand and find the change that she needs in her life. I loved watching her bloom and become the woman she truly wanted to be. She gave herself a fresh start. I think I wanted a little more for her than what I thought Zach was giving her for much of the book. I realized he had his reasons, but they weren't quite enough for me to warrant his actions.

Zach was a character I wanted to like, but I couldn't quite make it. There were parts of his character that were intriguing and he definitely had it going on in the erotic portions of the book, but it just wasn't enough. I liked the corporate bad boy attitude. The dominance he showed in every area of his life and his passion. But he was wishy-washy when it came to Devon. he would draw her in like a moth to flame and then sabotage his own happy ending. Each section or part of the book was a cycle with Zach. He would bring Devon in close and then step back. One step forward, two steps back. I felt like I was being pulled right along with her and I couldn't help but wish he would just jump in with both feet or run for cover. It was exhausting at times.

That's not to say that I didn't understand what the author was trying to do here. Zach had this ultimate secret that he couldn't share with Devon until the very end and that secret was what kept him putting her at arms length. But the passion inside of him, kept wanting to go back and pull her closer. He was very conflicted and when it all comes out, it just wasn't that extreme. I don't know what I was expecting. It was interesting for sure, but again not enough to make me feel like he treated Devon with respect or with love.

The sex was hot, they don't call it erotica for nothing. Jameson really excels at that part of the book. She knows how to set the scene and pull the reader in. Her language isn't overly graphic nor does it make the reader feel like they are in a smut film, but it gets the motor running and the emotions revving. She uses some light BDSM, from spanking to tying and that sort of thing. Nothing that will shock the reader, though it might enlighten them. Zach's form of control was more of trust than anything else. He wanted Devon to believe he would take her to edge but never let her fall off. That was quite intriguing. Loved the scene on the car. Readers might need a cold drink for that one.

What I didn't like:

I can sum it up by saying I didn't like Zach or the push and pull relationship he created with Devon. I liked them together and I understood why they needed to be apart to provide conflict for the book. Once or twice would have been fine, but there was a bit of overkill with this one. And it came across as self-serving and disrespectful to Devon. She was a sweetheart. She deserved a little better. 

Bottom Line:

This is an extremely hard fought HEA. These two characters fight it tooth and nail. I liked Devon, had issues with Zach, but found their bedroom and beyond scenes very sensual and passionate. So there were good parts and bad. Take it with a grain of salt and see what you think.

Surrender to Temptation is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 3 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Lauren Jameson is a writer, yoga newbie, knitting aficionado and animal lover who lives in the shadows of the great Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. The author of the contemporary erotic novels Blush and Breathe, she has also published with Avon and Harlequin as Lauren Hawkeye.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Surrender to Temptation by Lauren Jameson.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
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~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, May 13th.

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