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Welcome to Temptation (Dempseys #1)

by Jennifer Crusie (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 16,643 ratings · 654 reviews

Sophie came to Temptation, a small town in Ohio, to help her sister make a movie. Now she's making trouble for the town council, love with the mayor and lemonade for a murderer.

Welcome to Temptation

Population 2158.

And falling.

Paperback, 433 pages

Published 2001 by Pan (first published 1996)

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Aug 09, 2008 Jenger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: someone looking for a guilty pleasure

Shelves: books-i-own

Just from the title you can probably guess this is what I call a "smut novel". Honestly, I would really rate it as a 4.5. It is a true guilty pleasure, at least for me. Embarrassing to say, I've read it three times, each time straight through. I'm not a huge fan of these types of books but Jennifer Crusie did it right with this one. The quirky characters are engaging, the steamy scenes aren't gratuitous, overly graphic, or repetitive, and the storyline isn't just a contrived venue for the author...more

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Sep 20, 2009 Barbara M. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites

5 Stars...

Thanks Tammy! This is the second book you've recommended to me and it was as great as the last!

FANFREAKINTASTIC!

The chemistry, the suspense, the fun and the not at all what you expected ending is what makes this book a total keeper. But I have to warn you...it'll drag you in before you know it and every chore you had planned to do will be thrown by the wayside...Enjoy!!!

11 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2007 Nicole P rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really really liked this book. I have two regrets about this book though, #1 it was written by the same author as the last book that I read, Faking It. I bought them at the same time but I should have read them in reverse order. They are not a series persay, but they had several common characters. The timeline of this book was about 2 years prior to the other book. I could still follow both books very well, it just would made more sense had I known.
The second regret was that once I finished t...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2005, jennifer-crusie, sexy, romance

Sophie and Amy Dempsey get a job filming a movie in Temptation. As they drive into town they get in a car accident and that starts rumors that the ladies are in town to make a porno. (Obviously Temptation is suffering from Small-town-idis.) The town gets up in arms and goes to the hunky Mayor Phin Tucker to pass an anti-porn law. Of course he has to investigate....

I really like the Jennifer Crusie books and would recommend them to any friend who likes a romance novel.

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Mar 12, 2012 Joanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE, this was so much fun! (and just the kind of thing I needed after a day's worth of lugging case files around because clearly a witty romance novel is as exciting as it gets in joannaland.)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This week I read a couple of decorating books (I will post about them at a later date) and Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. I want to apologize up front because I still have a few things missing from my blogger account, and I thought my first review was better. It is too late for me to write a better post, unfortunately.

At first, I was turned-off by the subject matter and the language (lots of "f" bombs). The story is about an actress who returns to her hometown of Temptation, Ohio to f...more This week I read a couple of decorating books (I will post about them at a later date) and Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. I want to apologize up front because I still have a few things missing from my blogger account, and I thought my first review was better. It is too late for me to write a better post, unfortunately.

At first, I was turned-off by the subject matter and the language (lots of "f" bombs). The story is about an actress who returns to her hometown of Temptation, Ohio to film a movie she wants to use as an audition tape. She hires the team of sisters who shot her wedding (Sophie and Amy Dempsey) to film the movie. The Dempsey sisters come from a long line of conmen. The books is full of con rules that they follow in order to manipulate their marks. Sophie also inserts movie quotes into conversations when she's nervous. Phineus Tucker, the mayor of Temptation, is as handsome as a Greek god. He makes Sophie very nervous.

The plot thickens as it becomes evident that Clea the actress wants to shoot not only an audition video, but she wants to also shoot a soft porn movie. Will the fine people of Temptation stand for the corruption of their town, a town where "We believe in family values" is their motto? Amy is complicating things even further as she is secretly shooting a documentary on Clea's homecoming. Then there are a couple of murder mysteries thrown into the mix. Eventually, Clea's estranged husband, famed Cincinnati news anchor Zane Black, tries to put an end to the film's production and Clea's comeback as an actress. Davy Dempsey, the sisters' brother, shows-up and instantly hates Mayor Tucker and his involvement with Sophie.

Although Temptation is tiny, it is chock-full of depraved and over the top characters: gossipmongers, blackmailers, murderers, pornographers, liars, adulterers, cheaters, conmen, and pool sharks. This is not a group in which you want to be the center of attention, and Phin and Sophie are definitely the center of attention. The more involved they become with each other, the worse the other characters behave...kind of like the domino effect. Plus, someone wants Sophie dead, and there are at least three attempts on her life.

As Sophie tries to defend her sister and brother, she lies and becomes an accessory to a crime. Phin's daughter shows-up on Sophie's doorstep and proceeds to give her a test which determines Sophie's motherhood abilities. Phin did not plan on this little complication, and Dillie instantly loves Sophie. But the matriarch of the Tucker family, Liz, will not hear of her son cavorting with pornographers, especially with the mayoral election only six months away. Everyone in Temptation, even the newcomers, value their families and will do anything to protect them. However, their definition of family values is not the same as the rest of the world.

The book starts out slowly, but as the plot thickens it is very entertaining, especially the murder mystery part of the plot. I just don't like bad language, and although the content was more PG-13 in spite of the title and topic, I like love stories that are more romance and less obsession.
(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Jami rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish, dont-bother, i-prefer-romance-in-romance-novels, i-slept-through-it

So to begin I have to say that I fell into the same trap as many others did in that I read "Bet Me" first, my first ever Crusie book actually and adored it. I practically sprinted to the library and got every Crusie book they had and schlepped the entire armful out to the car with barely contained glee. Glee I tell you.

My next read was "Agnes and the Hitman" which was cute and occasionally funny but whereas I loved "Bet Me" I only liked "Agnes." Undaunted, though, because "Agnes" is a collaborat...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

As I've come to expect, Crusie turns out another romance that may not be great literature, but is a near perfect example of the genre.

Sophie and Phin are a great pairing, with both chemistry and a lot of humor. The supporting cast is entertaining, even if some of the Crusie archetypes show up yet again. (The lead man does not have an older brother this time, but as always, his mother's an ice queen.) We've got another plot moppet in the form of Phin's daughter, but she's cute enough and not over...more As I've come to expect, Crusie turns out another romance that may not be great literature, but is a near perfect example of the genre.

Sophie and Phin are a great pairing, with both chemistry and a lot of humor. The supporting cast is entertaining, even if some of the Crusie archetypes show up yet again. (The lead man does not have an older brother this time, but as always, his mother's an ice queen.) We've got another plot moppet in the form of Phin's daughter, but she's cute enough and not overused enough to be endearing rather than annoying. And while I was never particularly interested in the B couple, the unexpected C couple involving the porn magnate was surprisingly sweet.

The murder is very much one of those "anyone could have done it" kinds of things, and plays out with suitable chaos. One of the things that I really appreciate about Crusie, though, is that she doesn't drag things out by having people be stupid. When problems could easily be solved by two people having a thirty second conversation, she doesn't come up with stupid reasons why they don't have it. Instead, they sit down, have the conversation, and then she builds interesting plot twists out of the ramifications.

So when, say, A tells B that C doesn't want to ever speak to B again, instead of having B and C pine for each other for half a book, they pine for half a chapter. Then C asks B why he isn't talking to her, B explains, and C gets pissed at A. Which is actually way more interesting than the standard "oh woe why won't he talk to me he must hate me therefore I should respect his wishes and needlessly avoid him in increasingly convoluted ways" thing that gets really old. Her characters are smart, they share information when appropriate, and so you do a lot less yelling at the book, saying "Just talk to each other for 30 seconds! God!"

So: sensible characters, entertaining courtship, liberally sprinkled humor, reasonably hot sex scenes, satisfying comeuppance, believable happily-ever-after. Pretty much everything you could want in a romance.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, audio

Classic Crusie. Aasne Vigesaa good narrator.

Good reads:
Sophie Dempsey is content living a quiet life filming wedding videos until an assignment brings her to Temptation, Ohio. From the moment she drive into town, she gets a bad feeling; Sophie is from the wrong side of the tracks and everything in Temptation is a little too right. And when she has a run-in with the town's unnervingly sexy mayor, Phineas Tucker, making a little movie turns out to be more than a little dangerous.

Yield to oncoming...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Lydia Laceby rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

Jennifer Crusie has large following with many published novels and I thought we’d give her a try after having read some great reviews but unfortunately I was disappointed with this book. It didn’t meet my expectations given many of the reviews I read, but it could be that I just wasn’t as interested in this style of story.

I started to enjoy the book more towards the end, but felt getting there was hard work, which is not what I look for in a novel. I wasn’t su...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Jayne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(From my book blog)

I haven’t been fair to contemporary romance. It is part of an irrational fear that it will either turn out to be low-grade chick lit like the vile Shopaholic novels or, on the other end, Private Parts. I think a good, solid contemporary is much more of a challenge, given that you don’t already have the pulls of vampires or ball gowns or werewolves or princes. And seriously, just because I’m female does not mean every book has to be about shopping and makeovers. They can’t all...more (From my book blog)

I haven’t been fair to contemporary romance. It is part of an irrational fear that it will either turn out to be low-grade chick lit like the vile Shopaholic novels or, on the other end, Private Parts. I think a good, solid contemporary is much more of a challenge, given that you don’t already have the pulls of vampires or ball gowns or werewolves or princes. And seriously, just because I’m female does not mean every book has to be about shopping and makeovers. They can’t all be Cinderella stories.

That said, if you’re looking for a great book that does not involve historical dress porn or sexy supernatural alpha males, look no further than Jennifer Crusie. (That’s CruSIE, not Cruise, as I called her for I don’t want to admit how long.)

Welcome to Temptation is my second Crusie, after the wonderful Bet Me. Sophie Dempsey and her sister Amy are wedding videographers looking to make it big (well, Amy is), and they head to Temptation, Ohio to film the aging-but-still-hot starlet Clea Whipple. There’s a water tower that looks like a wang, a superhot mayor, a pr0n producer, and the Dempseys come from a long line of con artists. That is really all you need to know.

…

Okay, if you want to know more: Jennifer Crusie is great at writing sexy dudes, but IMO, where she really excels is with the secondary characters. The highlight of Welcome to Temptation was, for me, the townspeople, all of whom were hilarious but still completely three-dimensional. Crusie never has to restort to stock characters, and even the total tools have moments where your heart just breaks for them. She even masters those tricky Cute Characters: there’s a kid, who’s precocious without being obnoxious, and a dog. And seriously - when an author can pull of either of these without being saccharine (if your kid has a cutesy lisp, step away from the keyboard), I’m sold. Even the villains, like the hero’s ice queen mother, have ~*~layers~*~.

The one person who did not immediately charm me was Sophie. I found her grating and unpleasant for the first third or so of the book, but after a while, I started to see WHY her issues made her that way. And seriously, Sophie’s got a LOT of shit. I mean, she was dating her therapist. However, despite that poor choice, she did not suffer from the dreaded Too Stupid To Live (TSTL) Syndrome. In fact, there are not many stupid characters in Welcome to Temptation, which is a delight. Even the sexy secretary is not stupid. THREE DIMENSIONS, Y’ALL.

The only complaint that I have is that Welcome to Temptation has a LOT of characters and scenes that are a bit too reminiscent of Bet Me. Both have the cute-but-not-annoying kid, both have the newfound animal friend, the domineering mother, neither heroine is comfortable going for what she wants, and in both cases a lead has a therapist ex. It works, but it’s a tiny bit distracting. It’s like how “Born This Way” sounds like “Express Yourself”. If you like one, you’ll like the other, and it’s not like they’re EXACTLY the same, but they’re similar enough I sort of wonder if Jennifer Crusie has like, a cosmic grab-bag of great characters and plot devices.

In short, Welcome to Temptation was a fast and funny read. I was reading it on the treadmill just this morning (do not try this at home) and I lol’ed. Like, I really laughed out loud in the middle of a run (although it was more of a sweaty squealchy noise - you know what, you probably don’t need details) and I’m sure the rest of the gym thought I was nuts. WORTH IT.

Jennifer Crusie: Proof that you can have an exciting and well-written story even if there are no gargoyles or elaborate Victorian wardrobes. (less)

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Jun 20, 2012 Francy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Da http://leggerefantastico.blogspot.com
Benvenuti a Temptation. E' il cartello che le sorelle Dempsey si trovano di fronte, quando giungono in macchina nel paesino che le ospiterà per le riprese di un lungometraggio dedicato ad una star holliwoodiana ormai in declino. La vamp statuaria Clea, diva sull' orlo del dimenticatoio nonchè ex cognata delle Dempsey. L' arrivo a Temptation crea un certo clamore, per non dire subbuglio, tra gli abitanti del piccolo paesino dell' Ohio. Soprattutto, le ripre...more Da http://leggerefantastico.blogspot.com
Benvenuti a Temptation. E' il cartello che le sorelle Dempsey si trovano di fronte, quando giungono in macchina nel paesino che le ospiterà per le riprese di un lungometraggio dedicato ad una star holliwoodiana ormai in declino. La vamp statuaria Clea, diva sull' orlo del dimenticatoio nonchè ex cognata delle Dempsey. L' arrivo a Temptation crea un certo clamore, per non dire subbuglio, tra gli abitanti del piccolo paesino dell' Ohio. Soprattutto, le riprese del film, considerate in un certo qual modo pornografiche, creeranno diverbi e pettegolezzi nella giunta comunale, pettegolezzi alimentati da Stephen Garvey, storico avversario dell' attuale sindaco di Temptation, Phin Tucker. Da diverse generazioni, i Tucker ricoprono la carica di sindaco. Non fa eccezione il giovane Phin, seppur lungamente esausto e stremato dai continui disaccordi e divergenze con il resto del consiglio. Non bastasse il suo estenuante lavoro da sindaco, per Phin avere una madre esasperante ed impicciona, non migliora certamente la situazione. Una figlia estremamente furba di soli nove anni poi, e un passato tuttaltro che tranquillo, non è il massimo che un uomo possa sperare di avere.
Suo malgrado, ora deve anche interessarsi alle riprese di questo chiacchierato film, così decide di far visita alla casa di Clea e conoscere le due nuove, discusse sorelle, entrate nel favoloso mondo di Temptation e già sulla bocca di tutti.
Phin non sa però, che l' incontro con Sophie Dempsey, provocherà in lui un' attrazione così forte da scombussolare il suo cuore e la sua relazione amorosa darà adito a nuovi e peccaminosi pettegolezzi.
Sophie Dempsey, è arrivata a Temptation con l' intenzione di girare un film con la sorella Amy e poi tornarsene alla sua poco appagante e lineare esistenza a Cincinnati. Fidanzata da due anni con uno psicoterapeuta, Sophie sente di non riuscire a godersi appieno la propria vita. Al contrario, la relazione di coppia con Brandon non è di certo delle più fantasiose e il fidanzato tende piuttosto spesso a psicanalizzare il modo d' essere e i gesti della donna.
Quando sulla propria strada incrocia lo sguardo del bel sindaco, per Sophie non c'è modo di fuggire via. La relazione, basata inizialmente sul sesso, si trasforma ben presto in qualcosa di più importante, ostacolata tuttavia da parecchie persone, chi per gelosia chi per protezione e chi per vendetta. E per Sophie la permanenza a Temptation non sarà per nulla semplice, perseguitata oltretutto da qualcuno pronto persino ad ucciderla.

Temptation è il secondo libro che leggo dell' autrice di romanzi rosa Jennifer Crusie. Il primo letto la scorsa estate, Una Scommessa per Amore, mi aveva fatto sognare e divertire non poco. Tra l' altro ero rimasta piacevolmente colpita dallo stile fresco e spumeggiante dell' autrice. Per questo romanzo, Jennifer Crusie non si smentisce e continua a stupire per l' ironia e il tratto brioso e leggero con cui forgia le proprie opere.
Tuttavia ho faticato a seguire per filo e per segno i numerosi personaggi comparsi nelle prime pagine del romanzo, il che ha creato non poca confusione in un primo momento. Quando si riesce a memorizzare i nomi e dare una giusta collocazione ai diversi personaggi, la storia scorre fluidamente donando al lettore diverse ore di divertimento e leggerezza. Costituito prettamente da dialoghi serrati, talvolta surreali, Temptation ha una trama non troppo articolata, ma è fornito di protagonisti interessanti e ben congeniati.
Sophie è la protagonista principale, insieme al sindaco Phin Tucker. La loro relazione, basata inizialmente su scene piccanti e molto sesso, troverà successivamente una base più importante, seppure ostacolata da diverse persone, tra tutte la madre di Phin, invadente ed oltremodo protettiva nei confronti del figlio. Molto dolce e spigliata è la figlia di lui, Dillie, alla spudorata ricerca di una madre (quella vera morta quando lei era neonata) ed estremamente furba ed intelligente.
Non si può comunque non menzionare anche l' ex diva holliwoodiana e tutto il seguito di ammiratori che l' accompagnano durante le riprese. E senza tralasciare i co-protagonisti della storia, Amy e Davy, rispettivamente sorella e fratello di Sophie (Davy sarà il protagonista del prossimo romanzo dedicato ai Dempsey).
Ad arracchire il tutto si aggiungerà un cadavere e una frotta innumerevole di sospettati. Qualcuno, tra le altre cose, sta cercando di uccidere la bella Sophie e da tranquillo paesino, Temptation si rivelerà una vivace cittadina in cui si intrecceranno panico, gelosie, nuovi amori e losche trame di vendetta, affrontati ciò nonostante con estrema ironia e vivacità.
Jennifer Cruise è stata capace di costruire una piccola cittadina, Temptation, con sfaccettature ironiche e divertenti, e donandole l' aspetto di un tipico paesino da sit-com americano dove tutti conoscono tutti e tutti sanno di tutti, con abitanti particolarmente brillanti.
Temptation è una lettura deliziosa, capace di intrattenere con il suo fresco umorismo e soddisfare con il suo lato romantico.(less)

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Feb 12, 2012 Meredith rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, romance

I'm one of the four people in the world who hate this book. Here's why.

Admittedly, there's a lot to like about this book. The Julie and the Bear story, the dog, the dialogue, some of the time, and some other stuff, I guess, but I get so hung up on the stuff I hate about this book I can't seem to remember any other good stuff.

Let's break down my issues, shall we?

1. Phineas Tucker, for one. Sophie describes him as a townie, but I'd go further and describe him as an a**hole preppie. He is, not to...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Saly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

JC books are quirky & have an assortment of characters and this is no less. The heroine & her younger sister come into town to shoot a video with a dubious star, it is a change for them since they always shoot weddings & their welcome is marred by an accident with a stuffy old man & his wife and the heroine who knows small towns & comes from a family of cons knows that things will not be great for them ahead.
The hero is a mayor only because it is a family legacy but is thorou...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, audiobook, audible-purchase-2009-to-2011

Bought on Audible
Rating 3.5

What I Loved: Sophie/Amy/Davey! Anytime two or more of the siblings were together it was fun, heart-warming, and always a surprise. I laughed, got sad, and got my heart strings pulled at many times. I also loved the character of Rachel and her quest to get out of Temptation. She reminded me a lot of most of the small town gals I know---they want out and don't want to look back. Her journey and quest to get out of town was surprising and fun. I adored all the Princess B...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: light-comedic-romance, non-series-stand-alone-novels

~* 4.5 Stars *~
Sophie Dempsey is the black sheep of her family. In other words, she's generally honest and law-abiding; a straight arrow among a long line of con artists, swindlers, and crooks. She and her younger sister Amy, the former juvenile delinquent, have arrived in the small town of Temptation, Ohio to film a short movie audition tape for a former Temptation resident and Hollywood one-hit wonder, but it doesn't take long for her to sense that the supposedly simple assignment in the bucol...more ~* 4.5 Stars *~
Sophie Dempsey is the black sheep of her family. In other words, she's generally honest and law-abiding; a straight arrow among a long line of con artists, swindlers, and crooks. She and her younger sister Amy, the former juvenile delinquent, have arrived in the small town of Temptation, Ohio to film a short movie audition tape for a former Temptation resident and Hollywood one-hit wonder, but it doesn't take long for her to sense that the supposedly simple assignment in the bucolic town isn't going to be quite as painless...or law-abiding as she'd hoped. When the gorgeous mayor Phin shows up to question them about the film's intentions, her fears are confirmed.

Phin Tucker comes from a long line of city mayors, and after his father's death while in office, he fell right into line, though his idea of a good day is just being left in peace to run his bookstore and play pool. But Tuckers don't loose, so when the city council starts to blow up about a possible porn film being made in Temptation, Phin and the town sheriff Wes drive out to the film site to take a look around. He wasn't expecting Sophie Dempsey. She's uptight, vicious-tongued, devil's candy. And man, does he want some of that candy.

Giving in to his sweet tooth, though, stirs up all sorts of insanity in town, and suddenly a calm, easy life is full of accusations, controversy, attempted murder, sex, and death. Life in Temptation has never been so complicated. Or so damn hot.

I really enjoyed this sexy little romance. I'm a Jennifer Crusie fan, but I only stumbled upon her books within the last year or two, and some of her earlier books are a bit too dated for me. Despite being over a decade old, however, Welcome to Temptation wasn't likewise afflicted. Instead, it instantly rocketed to top position among my favorite Crusie books, with a fun blend of quirky small-town craziness, tons of weirdly wonderful characters, and a bunch of smoking sexuality.

The story is a total romp; a little wicked with a lot of humor, and both Sophie and Phin are completely likable. In fact, I liked Sophie even more than I liked Phin, and I very rarely feel that way about female protagonists. The way she stood up for herself, the way she took care of her siblings, and the way she didn't allow a shady past and a childhood trauma turn her bitter were all very appealing. That she was cautious and had some hangups, was believable. That she was willing to embrace...um...lets call them new experiences...was heartening, a little endearing, and funny. And I thought she acted with honor in situations that made being honorable a struggle.

There were also plenty of solid, three dimensional secondary and ancillary characters in Welcome to Temptation who I liked and loathed as intended. I adored Phin's precocious daughter Dillie; she stole every single one of her too-few scenes. The low-key Wes and the protective reprobate Davy were also favorites. They all filled out a plot that had a surprisingly robust depth with an impressive number of plot threads. Between the porn, the cheating spouses, the political maneuverings, the family tensions, the dead guy, the murder attempts, and of course, the romance, just about everything but the kitchen sink was tossed in and woven together in a surprisingly cohesive tale that was saucy and sexy.

I had some problems with a few aspects of the conclusion, not the least of which was the completely unsatisfying consequences for a character who deserved serious jail time...and a prescription for strong anti-psychotics. And though they were ancillary characters, the relationship between Rachel and Leo hit my ick meter and I never quite got over feeling Rachel's desperation was largely unattractive and her behavior off-putting. That was disappointing, because I liked her input in various parts of the book. Fortunately, the few issues I had were a relatively minor piece of the whole.

Welcome to Temptation was a great way to spend some time. There were so many strong points and good things in this light, entertaining story, and it has stood up well in the eleven or so years since it was written. Lots of fun times can be had in Temptation, OH, if you're looking for some sinfully delicious brain candy. And don't forget to stop and gawk at the water tower, either.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another. (less)

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Mar 07, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book #27 of 2011

I really liked this book. A lot. And that sort of surprised me, although I'm not sure why exactly...

I'm a little bit in love with Phin. I think part of his appeal is that he's just so REAL and confident. I mean, I love me some good paranormal alpha hero, but there's something appealing about a guy who is just as good for his woman but who could also be someone you could REALLY meet. And hasn't had hundreds of years to get it right.

If I have one complaint about the book it's that...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Jesse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I'm not usually a fan of romance novels in any form but this one has substance.
There's a little bit of everything rolled into this one. A small mid- American town that likes to keep things quiet gets a visit from two female filmographers looking to break into the Hollywood scene. The hardened single Sophie has to keep her filming sidekick, and brother in check while there project turns into a risque venture. As with any small town the locals are not as peaceful or innocent as they first appear....more

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Dec 30, 2010 Tenaysia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5/5

I absolutely love this book! To be more specific, think of it like this: Have you ever read a book where you ended up so emotionally invested to the point where you're not sure you can read another book by the author? Particularly because you want to semi-wallow in that fantasy world she or he created in a finite amount of bound pages. If you get it, that's how I feel about this book and Jennifer Crusie.

All of the characters were real, some more endearing than others, but nevertheless, I w...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Shxrxn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anytime anybody in a movie says, ‘What could go wrong?’ something goes wrong.
- Sophie
My mama warned me about guys like you.
- Sophie
Welcome to Temptation.
- Phin
One night. I, of course, thought it was going to be forever.
- Clea
My first lesson was not to believe anything a guy tells you when he wants it.
- Clea
You’re never really over it. You just learn to live with it.
- Clea
Don’t you wish you knew then what you know now? Don’t you wish you could go back and fix it?
- Sophie
And for whatever I did in...more

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Mar 12, 2010 BarkLessWagMore rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, romance

Everyone loves this book but if I'm going to be honest I have to admit that it was a real struggle for me to finish. If I hadn't been having it read to me via audiobook, I don't think I would have stuck it out.

Until now I've enjoyed all of the Crusie books I've read but this one just didn't resonate with me. It's about a pair of sisters who visit the town of Temptation to shoot a documentary style movie featuring a fading movie star (at least that's what I got out of it). The sisters have alway...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Laurie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, favorites, hot-romances

A town with a name like Temptation is bound to be a hotbed of trouble, and Jennifer Crusie knows the perfect way to expose it.

Welcome to Temptation is a deliciously titillating and outlandish mix of scandal, gossip, and small-town politics. Crusie throws in some really hot sex and a dead body or two just for fun, then pits a family of Temptation bluebloods against a family of outsiders whose heritage includes generations of con artists.

When Sophie Dempsey and her sister Amy head to the small tow...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Add this to my list of favorite Jennifer Crusie books. I haven't read one of her books yet I didn't thoroughly enjoy, but I was really able to sink my teeth into Welcome to Temptation. The characters were fabulous! Sophie Dempsey was just so likable. In a family of con artists she is the rock holding everyone together, pulling her siblings out of their messes and always trying to do the right thing. Yet, somehow, trouble still seems to find her. And Phineus Tucker, Mr. Mayor. Yum! The man sounds...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Quinn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, library-book, chick-lit, aar-top-100-2007, aar-top-100-2010

3.5 stars

I have been sitting here for 5 minutes staring at the screen, not sure where to go with this rating. I think that's because I am still confused about what this book actually was.

I started reading expecting a contemporary romance. I think what I ended up with was something closer to chick-lit. To hedge my bets I have shelved it under both.

Wedding videographers Sophie Dempsey and her sister Amy arrive in small-town Temptation, Ohio, to shoot an audition tape for their brother's ex.

Sophie...more

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May 02, 2012 Mor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

E’ un romanzo sicuramente da leggere; l’ambientazione, i temi e i protagonisti sono assolutamente particolari e insoliti.

Siamo a Temptation, una piccola cittadina americana; la mentalità è quella che è, e il pettegolezzo, così come la dubbia moralità dei cittadini e la chiusura mentale, regnano sovrani.

A sconvolgere il precario equilibrio di Tempatation è l’arrivo, diciamo un po’ rocambolesco, di due sorelle, Sophie e Amy e di un’attrice, Clea....attrice per modo di dire poiché ha fatto solo un...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Anyta Sunday rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have mixed feelings about this book. Sometimes I wanted to rate it a 2 and other times a 5. I'm settling at 3.5. (***There may be very, very light spoilers ahead--mostly opinion, though***)

Starting with the really good: This was funky, quirky and cooly bizarre at times. I loved that it had more than the main romance going on, that the world of the book is well developed that we get other sub-plots happening. It really adds to the intrigue, and I think this was to the story's merit. I really lo...more

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May 10, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really didn't care for this book, and reading it actually wants me to change "Getting Rid of Bradley" to more stars. Perhaps because the first Crusie I read was "Bet Me", so everything pales in comparison. I really did love "Bet Met".

My main problem with this book was that there were very few characters whom I actually liked. Maybe it's more honest to say that my hatred for the heroine's sister tainted the entire book for me. Though I really didn't care that much about the heroine, either. I...more I really didn't care for this book, and reading it actually wants me to change "Getting Rid of Bradley" to more stars. Perhaps because the first Crusie I read was "Bet Me", so everything pales in comparison. I really did love "Bet Met".

My main problem with this book was that there were very few characters whom I actually liked. Maybe it's more honest to say that my hatred for the heroine's sister tainted the entire book for me. Though I really didn't care that much about the heroine, either. I actually had to put down the books after scenes with the sister and mentally bitch-slap her. Up until the end of the book where the heroine all of a sudden grows a backbone, she lets her family walk all over her. I know this is a personal thing, but I just can't stand the whole "playing the martyr" troupe. Makes me want to quit reading.

I seem to like the hero more than a lot of reviews I've read for this book, but you can't tell me that his daughter is the most important thing to him, and then have him practically abandon her to his fridged, bitchy mother so he can go play pool, drink at the bar, and bang the new girl every night. I realize a single parent needs a break, but he never seems to actually be a parent. Does not compute. Added to that, there were portions of the plot line that just didn't do it for me, either. Primarily, the whole porn movie filming. It was a plot line that caused half the characters to lie to the other half. Most significantly, the heroine lies to the hero about making porn, writes their personal sexcapades into the script, almost single-handedly brings down his political career, and turns the town against him; she then throws a hissy fit when he has the nerve to get mad about it, and the he ends up thanking her? Yeah, didn't work for me. The heroine finally standing up to her spoiled bitch of a little sister and the hero finally standing to his conniving bitch of a mother were slightly redeeming moments, but, for me, were drowned up by the rest of the book - in a bad way.

Overall, I was quite disappointed in this book. That being said, I'll likely pick up more Crusie books in the future - as long as I can borrow them from the library. (less)

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Jul 21, 2011 Sophie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish

I probably should have realized when the acknowledgements page included the author's thanks to someone for teaching her how to make pornography, that this was not going to be my kind of book. And indeed, I hated it from the first page and abandoned it after twenty. I especially disliked the main characters and their smugly superior attitude (i.e., the author's attitude) toward the residents of the small town they were visiting. Seriously, aren't you supposed to grow out of that épater les bourge...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Nan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, romance, audio

There are some things in life that are guaranteed. The end of the semester is always a good day. (yay!) Taxes will always irritate a large portion of the population. Detroit will always have attitude (if nothing else). And I will always enjoy a Jennifer Crusie novel.

I listened to this title as an audiobook and enjoyed it immensely. It was my companion as I drove to and from the D for the last two weeks of classes, and I don't think I've ever blushed so much while driving. :-)

This is the story of...more There are some things in life that are guaranteed. The end of the semester is always a good day. (yay!) Taxes will always irritate a large portion of the population. Detroit will always have attitude (if nothing else). And I will always enjoy a Jennifer Crusie novel.

I listened to this title as an audiobook and enjoyed it immensely. It was my companion as I drove to and from the D for the last two weeks of classes, and I don't think I've ever blushed so much while driving. :-)

This is the story of Sophie Dempsey and her little sister Amy. The two sisters have come to Temptation, Ohio, to film an audition clip for their acquaintance Clea. The sisters normally film weddings, but Amy is ambitious and sees this as her opportunity to break into something better as they help Cleo restart her film career. Neither of them realize that Clea had done porn before her marriage and this audition tape is an attempt to reopen that part of her life. Their very arrival in town creates problems. As Amy films the drive into the city, Sophie gets into an accident with Stephen and Virginia Garvey--two upstanding members of the town council.

Phin Tucker is the local mayor, and he's caught in a reelection fight against that same Stephen Garvey. Phin's family has held the office for years, and he doesn't want it all that much. But he doesn't want Garvey to have it either, and when Garvey tries to use the "film people" as a wedge issue in the election, Phin realizes that he has to know what's happening at Clea's farm.

Sophie has spent her youth traveling all throughout the country; she comes from a family of confidence men (& women), and she's innately suspicious of "town boys." With is fourth generation mayoral office, Phin is the definition of a town boy. He, in turn, is wary of her. His father had warned him long ago about women he called the Devil's Candy, and Phin can recognize that Sophie is a danger to him and his way of life.

Their wariness is not enough to keep them apart, but their attraction may not be enough to keep them together, either. As the filming continues, and the election nears, the town will throw every obstacle possible in their way. They can only have a future together if they fight for it--but they're not used to fighting for themselves. Are they up to the challenge?

Oh, and who is the murderer terrorizing the town?

(OK, I admit it, that last line is not fair. But there is a murder, and it's important, and I don't want to tell you any more. So deal.)(less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Jodie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: douchebags

I tried to like this book I really did. Alas it failed for me, the male lead is too smarmy plus there is a part in the book when I realised that he had sex with two different women without changing the sheets in between and the female lead did not seem to mind at all - ewww that was the point where I just started to give up. The dialogue was a bit try hard and did not ring true. The male lead also has a daughter but does not seem to do a whole lot of parenting and he lives with his mother, works...more

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About Jennifer Crusie

Jenny Crusie is the NYT bestselling author of twenty some novels and lots of other stuff. Her latest novel, Maybe This Time, hit shelves in August, 2010.

Jenny lives on the Ohio River where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.

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Trivia About Temptation

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Quotes from Welcome to Temptation

“You want sensitive and understanding, stick with the therapist.You want great,
headbanging sex, get off the fucking phone and come with me.” — 113 people liked it

“That's a movie quote, right? You know, if you do that with books, people think you're intelligent."
Sophie lowered her chin. "If this is your pathetic attempt to seduce me again, you're falling miserably."
"I don't seduce woman." Phin shoved back his chair and stood up. "They fall into my open arms."
"Clumsy of them.” — 44 people liked it

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Welcome to Temptation (Dempseys #1)

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