To Taste Temptation (Legend of the Four Soldiers, #1)

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To Taste Temptation (Legend of the Four Soldiers #1)

by Elizabeth Hoyt (Goodreads Author)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 2,756 ratings · 223 reviews

The ton loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they're giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. What the ton doesn't know, though, is that Samuel is in London because of this massacre....more

ebook, 362 pages

Published May 1st 2008 by Forever (first published 2008)

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Apr 30, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: queuemyreview, 2008-reads

I think we all enjoy reminiscing on fairy tales from our youth. The downtrodden heroine saved by what turns out to be a handsome prince. At least, those are the fairy tales of my youth before the era of political correctness. I even remember when either Cinderella or Snow White was re-released by Disney in the 80’s and women’s groups were encouraging mothers with daughters to boycott the film because it taught girls to “wait for a man to rescue them”. Uh… hello? IT’S A FAIRY TALE! Anyway, that’s...more I think we all enjoy reminiscing on fairy tales from our youth. The downtrodden heroine saved by what turns out to be a handsome prince. At least, those are the fairy tales of my youth before the era of political correctness. I even remember when either Cinderella or Snow White was re-released by Disney in the 80’s and women’s groups were encouraging mothers with daughters to boycott the film because it taught girls to “wait for a man to rescue them”. Uh… hello? IT’S A FAIRY TALE! Anyway, that’s part of what was enjoyable about Elizabeth Hoyt’s books is her inclusion of a fairy tale within the story and somewhat mirroring plot lines. She continues this tradition with her new series, The Legend of the Four Soldiers and this first novel, “To Taste Temptation.”

Our first fairy tale soldier is Iron Heart, mirrored by our book hero Samuel Hartley. He’s a wealthy, successful, rakish, and “uncivilized” businessman from the Colonies who isn’t ashamed of his humble beginnings. His backwoods background enabled him to act as a scout for the British in the French and Indian War, and it was there he served with our heroine’s brother. He’s come to England ostensibly on business, but in reality to identify the villain who betrayed their Regiment which resulted in a massacre that very few survived.

Samuel finagles an introduction to our heroine, Lady Emeline Gordon, whose brother was one of the officers killed in the massacre. She also serves as a chaperone for young ladies navigating the ton. Samuel has brought his sister, Rebecca with him and soon maneuvers Emeline into acting as her chaperone. He’s also soon maneuvering Emeline into a shockingly passionate affaire.

Emeline is the picture of titled British sophistication. She’s also been deeply affected by the death of her much-loved husband, brother, and father in short succession. This has left her with an ageing Aunt, a young son, and all the cares and burdens associated with acting as head of the family. She’s lost the ability to trust, is frightened to love, and is perfectly willing to settle for a secure marriage without passion…until Samuel. He’s wrong for her in every way, and she’s everything he is not. So why, oh why, is he the only one who sees her as she truly is? Who understands her? Who can pull these confusing, exasperating, exciting emotions from her so easily? Is she willing to give up her life in the ton?

Each chapter of the book begins with a snippet from the story of Iron Heart and the progress of the mystery and the relationship between our lead characters seems to in some way echo our fairy tale. It’s a story within a story within a story. There’s a truly American budding romance between two secondary characters and I think I caught a glimpse of one, if not two, of our future soldiers. I’ll be waiting for their stories too.

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Feb 25, 2010 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dreamy-heroes, favorites, hr-georgian-regency, own, across-the-tracks, 1st-in-series, my-5-star-romances

The first in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series and my first book by Elizabeth Hoyt. I'm not sure why I avoided her. I saw her on many favorite lists and recommendations but I'd been "burnt" before, trying books that didn't appeal to me. But this one was a winner and keeper for me. This one has an "across the tracks" theme/plot to it. Beautiful young lady of the ton meets the rugged backwoodsman from the colonies. I loved the characters and the flow and will be continuously looking for more...more

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May 22, 2011 ~Megan~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency, scarred-tortured-hero

This book is really 3.5 stars from me. I loved Samuel and Rebecca, the Colonial brother and sister so out of place among the ton, but I really strongly disliked Emeline, the heroine of this novel. She was so prickly and cold, I don't know how Sam fell in love with her. I wish we could've seen more about Rebecca and O'Hare! I liked the fairy tale inside the story....can't wait for Jasper's tale!

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Dec 28, 2009 CJ - Secret Charm rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-for-women, historical-fiction, romantic-mystery

I really wish I could rate this book higher than 3 but for some reason the book as a whole fulfilled my need for a romance novel but somehow fell a little flat. Maybe it had something to do with the main characters and the overall shrewness of Emeline (the main character), the boorishness of Sam (the hero) and the weakness of the supporting characters. I felt that they could have been fleshed out a little bit more.

However, despite it all, it served its purpose and it was enjoyable enough to cont...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Robin (RBBR) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-elizabeth-hoyt, favorites, four-soldiers-quartet

I recently finished all four books in this series. First off I have to say I like it when authors have a little something extra at the beginning of each chapter but I find it annoying. In the case of Four Soldiers I have all four books in my possession so I read the Four Soldier parts from all four books then went back to Book 1 and read the story.

The Heroine is Lady Emmeline Gordon who is a widow and the Sister of Reynaud St. Aubyn who served with the Hero. The Hero is Samuel Hartley who is wh...more I recently finished all four books in this series. First off I have to say I like it when authors have a little something extra at the beginning of each chapter but I find it annoying. In the case of Four Soldiers I have all four books in my possession so I read the Four Soldier parts from all four books then went back to Book 1 and read the story.

The Heroine is Lady Emmeline Gordon who is a widow and the Sister of Reynaud St. Aubyn who served with the Hero. The Hero is Samuel Hartley who is what can be considered Country. He is an American and during one of the wars the English fought in America he was a tracker for one of the British Regiments. (view spoiler)

Samuel is somewhat of an oddity in English society since he dresses something akin to Davy Crockett and wears moccasins. He is in England not only for personal business but business- business as well. He engineers it so that he is renting a house next door to Emmeline so that he can hopefully gain some information that may help him. Traveling with him is his sister Rebecca who "needs assistance" in learning proper etiquette. Emmeline is considered to be an expert on the subject and Samuel arranges for her to help his sister. (view spoiler)

Tante Christelle who is the Grandmother of Emmeline and Daniel who is Emmeline's son are in addition to the one's already mentioned favorite characters. Both characters are wiser and more competent then people give them credit for and some of their dialog is quite humorous. (less)

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Jun 08, 2010 Jill Dunlop rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, rt-2009

To Taste Temptation is the first book in Elizabeth Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers Series. To learn a little more about this series visit my Series Sunday [a href="http://romancerookie.blogspot.com/200...:]. Samuel Hartly has made a name for himself by expanding his Uncle's trade business in Boston. He travels to London in the hopes of securing an exclusive partnership with a new pottery company founded by none other than Mr. Wedgwood. Secretly there is another purpose to Samuel's visit to Lo...more To Taste Temptation is the first book in Elizabeth Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers Series. To learn a little more about this series visit my Series Sunday [a href="http://romancerookie.blogspot.com/200...:]. Samuel Hartly has made a name for himself by expanding his Uncle's trade business in Boston. He travels to London in the hopes of securing an exclusive partnership with a new pottery company founded by none other than Mr. Wedgwood. Secretly there is another purpose to Samuel's visit to London. He hopes to find the traitor that caused the slaughter at the battle of Spinners Fall during the French and Indian War. Samuel was a soldier that fought in that battle, which haunts him to this day. In London, he moves in next door to the widowed sister of one of his fallen comrades, Lady Emeline Gordon. Under the pretext of needing Emeline's help to instruct his sister in the proper ways of comportment, he insinuates himself into London Society where he can fox out the traitor.

To Taste Temptation is a story about opposites attracting. Emeline and Samuel are about as different as the come. Emeline is from the upper crust of London Society, was married to an Earl. She at all times expects herself and others to act with the utmost decorum and propriety. She is flabbergasted and annoyed by Samuel the first time she meets him. She thinks him an uncouth barbarian who can barely contain his baser animal urges. Samuel goes out of his way to not conform to society's wishes. He could care less what anyone thinks of him. He feels a man is defined by what he accomplishes, not by how he dresses.

I hate to admit it, but I did not like Emeline. At first I could accept the way she acted, always arguing with Samuel - snipping and griping at him. As the story continued though, I was hoping to see more growth of her character. She had some issues that kept her from allowing people to get close to her - thus her prickly disposition, but towards the end I was hoping for some likability. I never got it. Samuel, on the other hand, was attracted to her sharp edges and that was the biggest reason for him to pursue her. He liked sparing with her and because of it Emeline felt she could be herself. So, in that aspect I felt the attraction was believable.

I really did like that Hoyt did not gloss over the atrocities of war and how they can affect men differently. She explored Samuel's emotional recovery after the effects of the war. This gave quite a bit of depth to Samuel. I would have liked to have seen more of this with Emeline's character. It's possible I would have been more sympathetic to her. Which brings me to the ending. It was rushed. Everything seemed to get wrapped up all to quickly. Emeline who had been so standoffish the whole book finally gets some clarity in the last few pages. It was all to pat for my tastes.(less)

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Nov 07, 2008 Ladiibbug rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

#1 Legend of the Four Soldiers series

3.5 stars

This was an okay read for me. I must admit it did not captivate and excite me like EH's Prince trilogy books.

I liked that our hero, Samuel Hartley is not English, but an American colonial visiting England. I liked also the time period difference from most historical romances I've been reading -- this is set in 1764, the pre-American Revolution period. I was not/am not familiar with the war the book talks about - the Colonialists & English fightin...more

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Sep 09, 2008 Mia Marlowe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all romance readers

Elizabeth Hoyt's To Taste Temptation has caught me in her web. Her characters aren't the usual suspects. Her heroine is a titled English widow, her hero a colonial from Boston on the trail of the man who betrayed his regiment to the Wyandots and the French.

Ms. Hoyt has mastered the art of repressed passion. Her characters are so acutely aware of each other, even when they'd only shared one kiss, she had me squirming in my seat.
The love scenes are remarkable and her characters are so achingly hum...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Ilze rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: elizabeth-hoyt, older-heroine

Really liked both the hero and heroine, and the love scenes are absolutely scorching. Great dialogue and excellent characterization of all the main characters in the book. For the first half of the book the attraction between the H/h didn't *feel* very strong to me, but after the first love scene that was not a difficulty any more ;-) Also glad to have read this one because it gives a lot of background for the other 3 books in this series, which I'm reading next (can't wait for Munroe's story).

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Jan 03, 2009 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Elizabeth Hoyt's romance novels totter on the edge of the typical romance novel and erotic novel.

This is the start of her new series about four soldiers who have survived a dreadful massacre during the French and Indian Wars. Several years later, Samuel Hartley comes to England to find other survivors and find who may have betrayed the group leaving the survivors to be brutally tortured before they were rescued.

The heroine, Emeline, is the sister of one of the soldiers who died in the same mass...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Estela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

TO TASTE TEMPTATION is a very strong start to ELIZABETH HOYT'S Legend of the Fall series. It was an enjoyable read from start to finish!! It's a nail biter trying to figure out who betrayed the soldiers in the Spinner's Falls massacre.... and I have no doubt EH will keep us in suspense until the 4th book in the series.

The very sophisticated Lady Emeline and the dashing self-made American, Samuel Hartley, were such wonderful characters and a yummy match. I loved how Sam had so much fun ruffling E...more

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Jun 29, 2012 HÜLYA YILMAZ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Legend of the Four Soldiers

1. To Taste Temptation (2008) Günahkar Aşık
2. To Seduce a Sinner (2008) (Bana Aşkını Söyle)
3. To Beguile a Beast (2009)
4. To Desire a Devil (2009)

Dört kitaplık bir serinin ilk kitabı..Çok severek okudum Şimdiye kadar yazarın okuduğum kitaplarının hepsini beğenerek okudum..Günahkar Aşıkda da kural bozulmadı çünkü bu kitabıda çok beğendim..Yazarın belli bir standardı var asla altına düşmüyor..Günahkar Aşık da çeviri mükemmel derecede akıyor idi..Söylememe gerek varmı tab...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Dayatara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the 2nd book I've read by Elizabeth Hoyt. I enjoyed Raven Prince very much and haven't been able to find the sequels in any book stores in my area, so I decided to start this series.

Emiline came off as very uppity and snotty. I didn't like her at all and that's what ruined the book for me. Because she was such a snob, I found myself imaginging her owning slaves when her and Samuel moved to America, and I imagined she'd treat them like crap. That has absolutely nothing to do with the stor...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-5-stars

Okay - I devoured the Prince series by Elizabeth Hoyt. These were my first by her and highly recommended. So, I naturally assumed the same quality would be available in her subsequent books - so far, I've been proven wrong.

To taste temptation was okay. It lost my interest about half to 2/3 of the way through, but I kept reading thinking it would get better. It didn't. If a book loses my interest I will lay it down. Sometimes, it could be my mood, I'll pick it up later [glad I did] to start over...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

TO TASTE TEMPTATION is a more conventional romance novel from Elizabeth Hoyt than any installment in the Prince series, but it still wins with it's compelling, fully rounded characters and beautiful style.

Samuel Hartley is literally and metaphorically a hunter: patient, clever, and relentless. He plays a cat and mouse game with the heroine, Emeline Gordon - he enjoys the chase and her resistance only eggs him on further. This is a metaphor that Hoyt draws upon repeatedly - Samuel is always the...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Meg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

Frankly, I had a hard time finishing this particular romance. It might have something to do with the time period - Georgians are hot right now, but I don't yet know the history as well as I'd like. It could have been the importance of the US and Americans in the story line - if I wanted to read an American historical, I'd read an American historical. Or maybe it was high expectations - if you haven't read Hoyt's Prince trilogy, you should. Now. Perhaps it was simply a matter of reading it at the...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To Taste Temptation is the first of four brand new books by Elizabeth Hoyt in her new series The Legend of the Four Soldiers. Each soldier was returning from war. When they got to a four way crossroads, each one decided to go their own way. This is Iron Heart’s story.

Samuel Hartley and his sister, Rebecca has recently arrived in London, where they will be staying for a few months. Their next door neighbor is Lady Emeline Gordon. When Emeline first meets Samuel, she is appalled by him. What type...more

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Jun 27, 2008 AzuresHeart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Georgian Era fans, American Colonies

I like Elizabeth Hoyt with her fairy tale through out the book. It gives it a sense of connection with a far away time. I liked this book with its connection to the Colonies. I still read mostly all Regency/Georgian novels but I liked that she threaded in the historical aspect from the new colonies in America. I didn't believe the attraction between the characters at first but knew that it was slowly building. Great start to a new series. Looking forward to the next one soon!

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May 22, 2012 Juliet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, hot

I'm in the midst of this, and it's a bit dreary to be honest. There are moments where the love story is moving, but the subject matter of soldiers returned home from war and still haunted by the experience is really depressing and not what I want from a HR novel.

Ok, I've finished it.

There are a lot of good things about this, but there are equally as many bad things. The first half of the book is DEADLY DULL. Samuel Hartley's search for the traitor in the Spinner's Falls massacre is just not exci...more I'm in the midst of this, and it's a bit dreary to be honest. There are moments where the love story is moving, but the subject matter of soldiers returned home from war and still haunted by the experience is really depressing and not what I want from a HR novel.

Ok, I've finished it.

There are a lot of good things about this, but there are equally as many bad things. The first half of the book is DEADLY DULL. Samuel Hartley's search for the traitor in the Spinner's Falls massacre is just not exciting reading. I did feel bad for him, but I could not get into the revenge plot. How could anyone? I hate to be so insensitive, but post traumatic stress does not make for a romantic story.

Samuel Hartley and his moccasins, I did like. I kept picturing a hot version of Last of the Mohicans Daniel Day Lewis, which actually fits right into this plot. (has to be hotter because Daniel Day Lewis is not exactly a sex god, even though he is an amazing actor.) I love that his manners are terrible and he doesn't give a fuck, and I love the nasty sexy things he said. The sex scenes in this are hot, if you can get through the dull first half of the book.

Lady Emeline: I fucking HATE her. HATE HATE HATE. What a goddamn stupid bitch. I hate how stuck she is her stupid class snobbery and I hate that she just led on both Samuel and Jasper. Why the hell couldn't she explain herself? I hated her through the entire book. She kind of redeems herself at the end, but not enough.

An interesting thing about Elizabeth Hoyt's writing is that it is not really trashy, for HR. Her plots are kind of... more. One thing I really love about the books that I've read of hers so far, is that her male lead characters are atypical and not all huge, brawny, alpha-male types. They are what I call Ugly-Sexy. Ugly-Sexy guys just have that something, separate from physical good looks. Her heroines are usually flawed as well, but more in their personalities than looks.
Although I hated Emeline in this, the match between Samuel and Emeline feels Right for some reason.
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Jul 03, 2011 Carrie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, mystery, read-2011, american-historical, romance-lovers-book-club

Reading for Romance Lovers Book Club July 2011 meeting. Tagged with "American historical" due to the main character (raised in American frontier) and the story behind the mystery, ie The Massacre at Spinner Falls that takes place during the French and Indian War.

3.5*
The time period of this book is Georgian, as it takes place in 1764. The setting is England, but since the story revolves around the French and Indian War and has an American hero, the book has a distinctly "American" feel as well.

Th...more

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Jun 24, 2009 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To Taste Temptation was delicious, to say the least. I loved Ms. Hoyt's use of the fairy tale interspersed with the story - you knew where it was headed, and looked at the next chapter either trembling in fear or shaking with joy. Or both!

Sam is savage in his manners (mostly), American (gasp!), but of course Emeline can't resist him! He's too yummy! And he speaks to her like he actually cares what he has to say (what, you mean women have thoughts? fears? emotions?). The last romance I read, A Su...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Manuela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: storico

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. La Hoyt continua a piacermi molto.
Sempre di grande impatto la favola con cui introduce ogni capitolo, la trovo qualcosa di originale e piacevole, ma anche il romanzo si legge con coinvolgimento ed emozione.
La storia è ben costruita, la passione che nasce tra i due protagonisti viene sviluppata con cura e maestria, e, nonostante la prima vera scena hot sia molto avanti nel romanzo, l'ho trovato comunque un libro all'altezza della collana.
La caratterizzazione di Samuel è davvero ottima: molto car...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Sabrina (Soter) Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Adesso, seduto accanto al suo camino spento, ne era consapevole. Lei sarebbe stata con lui per sempre.E Sam sapeva che quando il suo tempo sulla terra fosse giunto al termine, il suo ultimo pensiero sarebbe stato per lei."

"Lasciati amare" è il primo romanzo della serie della Leggenda dei quattro soldati di cui ho letto il secondo, dedicato a Vale e Melisandre (che non mi era piaciuto) e il quarto e ultimo dedicato al fratello di Emaline, Reynaud e a Beatrice (che invece mi era piaciuto molto!)....more "Adesso, seduto accanto al suo camino spento, ne era consapevole. Lei sarebbe stata con lui per sempre.E Sam sapeva che quando il suo tempo sulla terra fosse giunto al termine, il suo ultimo pensiero sarebbe stato per lei."

"Lasciati amare" è il primo romanzo della serie della Leggenda dei quattro soldati di cui ho letto il secondo, dedicato a Vale e Melisandre (che non mi era piaciuto) e il quarto e ultimo dedicato al fratello di Emaline, Reynaud e a Beatrice (che invece mi era piaciuto molto!). Leggendo la storia di Sam e Emaline, che avevo incontrato già sposati e con prole nell'ultimo libro, ho avuto l'opportunità di sapere com'è iniziata la caccia al traditore, i retroscena tra Vale ed Emaline (grandi amici fin dall'infanzia e brevemente fidanzati, ma solo per convenienza), il rapporto tra Reynaud e la sorella visti dalla prospettiva di quest'ultima e com'è iniziata la fiaba che ci accompagna in ogni libro. Sam è cresciuto nelle colonie, luogo considerato dai londinesi grezzo e selvaggio e in effetti Sam è cresciuto nelle foreste americane, imparando a seguire le tracce, abilità che ha poi sfruttato in guerra. La folla di Londra, il fetore delle sue strade e la rigida e raffinata nobiltà non fanno per lui e gli danno un senso di claustrofobia che riporta a galla i terribili ricordi di guerra. Sam è introverso e riflessivo ma molto intuitivo, un personaggio interessante e affascinante. Emaline è più "comune" come protagonista, vedova raffinata ed elegante che sotto sotto cela un carattere fin troppo deciso e "mascolino" per l'alta società. Ha paura di amare Sam perchè potrebbe perderlo come è già accaduto con l'amato marito (argomento poco sviscerato), il fratello e il padre; inoltre la distanza che li separa culturalmente le sembra un ostacolo insormontabile e, come spesso succede, fa la parte della codarda finché vede la morte in faccia e allora capisce che con l'amore anche un trasferimento in America alla fin fine non è poi impossibile XD Ora mi manca solo il terzo libro per concludere questa altalenante quadrilogia ma continuo a preferire altre serie della Hoyt XD(less)

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Apr 24, 2013 Sara ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, audiobook, historical, romance, regency-georgian, england

*Once you get over the narrator's voice... I'm not sure how to describe it, except it's too smooth. Aaaaaaall her wooooooords are looooooong and draaaaaawwwn oooouuuuuuut. And I would have connected all those words together, but then it would have been too hard to read. And don't get me started on words that end in "a" or "er"... They go on for miles! Umbrellaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Theataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuur (her). Drives me freaking crazy. I hope that's not the way she talks...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

This is a book that, much as I'd like to give a thoughtful review on, I know I won't be able to quite manage it. The fundamental issue is that I enjoyed reading this book, even though there was quite a bit I didn't like. I liked Samuel quite a lot. I particularly enjoyed his sister. I thought it set up the plot and the mystery of the series rather well. I didn't like Emeline as much, and I thought her relationship with Samuel felt a little rushed. The fact that he was American makes him less of...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Ana Luisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Desde o momento em que li a sinopse deste livro que fiquei curiosa acerca da sua historia e devo confessar que fiquei muito contente por me aperceber que estava certa em relação aos meus pensamentos. A forma como Elizabeth Hoyt combina toda a formalidade da sociedade Londrina durante o séc. XVIII com um ambiente de sedução completamente delicioso deixou-me rendida à sua escrita. Sem contar, claro, com a fábula do “Coração de Ferro”, que apenas vem completar toda a história.
Este é um fantástico r...more Desde o momento em que li a sinopse deste livro que fiquei curiosa acerca da sua historia e devo confessar que fiquei muito contente por me aperceber que estava certa em relação aos meus pensamentos. A forma como Elizabeth Hoyt combina toda a formalidade da sociedade Londrina durante o séc. XVIII com um ambiente de sedução completamente delicioso deixou-me rendida à sua escrita. Sem contar, claro, com a fábula do “Coração de Ferro”, que apenas vem completar toda a história.
Este é um fantástico romance que nos introduz na saga “A Lenda dos Quatro Soldados” e que acredito que deixará os seus leitores rendidos às suas palavras. Este primeiro volume fala-nos de Samuel Hartley, um colono do novo mundo e antigo soldado que ainda vive com o pesadelo que da guerra e que matou todos os seus amigos e camaradas. Vive também com o objectivo de descobrir quem foi o traidor que entregou todo o seu regimento aos Índios, que os chacinaram numa terrível emboscada. Foram poucos os que sobreviveram, uns por cobardia, outros pela coragem e força de viver.
Um dos que não conseguiu sobreviver foi o comandante Reynaud St. Aubyn, irmão da protagonista desta história, Lady Emeline Gordon. Samuel era tudo o que a sociedade onde Emeline pertencia abominava, apesar de rico, bem-sucedido e charmoso, não tinha quaisquer maneiras, era rude e as suas origens eram simples, sem qualquer ascendente nobre. Apesar das diferenças que havia entre eles, a atracção que houve desde o primeiro momento foi mais forte e Emeline, que sempre se comportou como uma senhora viu-se num caminho de sensações perigosas que poderiam destruir a sua prezada reputação.
É no meio de todo este clima se sedução que vemos a acção progredir através de personagens como o Lorde Vale, noivo de Emeline,o seu filho Daniel, a sua melhor amiga Melisande, tante Cristelle e Rebecca, irmã de Samuel. Gostei bastante de conhecer mais um pouco das regras de etiqueta que se praticavam, mas tive pena de não podermos saber mais um pouco acerca dos sentimentos que envolviam Rebecca e o jovem criado Gil O’Hare. Por ultimo, apenas quero acrescentar que irei aguardar ansiosa pelo próximo livro desta saga e também dar os parabéns à editora Quinta Essência, pela maravilhosa capa deste livro. Os livros não devem ser julgados pelas suas capas, mas infelizmente a primeira coisa que nos cativa é a capa.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Elphaba J rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Estrelas (3.5)
A guerra talha um homem da mesma forma que a elite molda uma mulher.
Retalhados por diferentes tipos de dor, que se une por um princípio comum, a morte, o nosso díspar casal de protagonistas irá ter pela frente a mais árdua das batalhas, a absolvição do seu coração.

O Sabor da Tentação é um delicioso romance histórico, repleto de pormenores de época e com duas personagens principais detalhadamente trabalhadas. Oferecendo um pouco de volúpia, assim como um mistério que se vai adensand...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Makenzie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, 2013-challenge-reads, 2013-read, historical-romance, romance, rt-book-lovers-convention

I listened to this book and really enjoyed it, though I will admit that initially, I was a bit confused with the fairy tale being told at the beginning of each chapter. It just took me a bit to catch on since I was listening to the book and couldn't see what Hoyt was doing.

I understand how some people had issues with Emeline, and while she did annoy me at times, I can't fault her for being a product of her times. How could she agree to marry a man who has rank and money when she was in love with...more

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Sep 03, 2012 →kelly♥[: rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, historical-romance

My Rating: 3.0

I wasn't sure what to expect of Elizabeth Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers series after reading her Princes trilogy. Would To Taste Temptation be as disappointing as The Serpent Prince or would it rock like The Raven Prince? After reading it, all I could say was that the book was just okay. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't particularly memorable either.

I disliked Emeline's attitude towards Samuel in To Taste Temptation. Just because Sam doesn't know how to act well in London soci...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

Well, this was an interesting story of an independent widow Emeline with a son being requested to help her neighbor's sister come out to society. The neighbor, an unconventional American, Samuel who wears mocassins is searching for the murder of his army troop, including the deceased brother of Emeline. Samuel brings out the passionate nature of Emeline demanding she accept him as himself and damn society! She keeps a side of the story of Samuel's sister falling in love with the butler which cou...more

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About Elizabeth Hoyt

Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband.

More about Elizabeth Hoyt...

Books by Elizabeth Hoyt

To Beguile a Beast (Legend of the Four Soldiers, #3)

To Seduce a Sinner (Legend of the Four Soldiers, #2)

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Quotes from To Taste Temptation

“There are no heroes on the battlefield, my lady; there are only survivors.” — 19 people liked it

“Rebecca held her head high and swanned across the hallway, but as she neared the footman, she could see quite plainly that his gaze was not where it should be. She stopped dead and slapped her hands over her bosom.

"Its too low, isn't it? I knew I shouldn't have listened to that maid. She might not mind her boobies hanging out for all to see, but i just can't-" Her brain suddenly caught up with her mouth. She removed her hands from her bosom and slapped them over her awful, awful, awful mouth.” — 6 people liked it

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To Taste Temptation (Legend of the Four Soldiers #1)

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