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Welcome to Temptation
(Dempseys #1)
by
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
...more
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Paperback, 416 pages
Published
July 11th 2004
by St. Martin's Paperbacks
(first published March 2000)
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Denise
I just finished Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Cruise. It was also a great book!!!
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Welcome to Temptation (Dempseys, #1)
I'm on a major "light and fluffy" kick right now. Just complete reading hedonism. It goes well with the rest of my hedonism. I think I might go read at this place:
That's some good marketing there.
So, I've heard about Jennifer Crusie forever, but never read any of her books. Now, I wonder why. The sarcasm is strong in this one. I approve.
This is the hero, Phin, talking to the heroine, Sophie:
"...he's just protective," Sophie said. "He thinks all guys are only after one thing."
"He's right," Ph ...more
That's some good marketing there.
So, I've heard about Jennifer Crusie forever, but never read any of her books. Now, I wonder why. The sarcasm is strong in this one. I approve.
This is the hero, Phin, talking to the heroine, Sophie:
"...he's just protective," Sophie said. "He thinks all guys are only after one thing."
"He's right," Ph ...more
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
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
5 Stars!! My kind of crazy!
Welcome to Temptation, home of the flesh colored,
Meet Sophie Dempsey, film maker, nervous Nelly, surrogate mother to her sister and brother, and sexually unfulfilled .
Meet Mayor Phineas Tucker, bookstore owner, town-hottie, single dad, and all too willing sexual fantasy fulfill-er !!
The documentary Sophie and her sister are filming i ...more
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
The second regret was that once I finished t ...more
Jan 04, 2020
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-romance
2.5★
I was away on a yacht for my holiday break (thanks to some very kind friends). My friends/family were reading Agatha Christie & Georgette Heyer
Far better choices.
Let me explain. I have read & enjoyed some of Crusie's romances in the past when she was a fresh, funny, new voice in romance. I may still find some of her work amusing. But this one (which has won a lot of awards) hasn't aged well.
Our Hero has unusual definitions of what constitutes sex and consent when the woman is drunk. In fact ...more
I was away on a yacht for my holiday break (thanks to some very kind friends). My friends/family were reading Agatha Christie & Georgette Heyer
Far better choices.
Let me explain. I have read & enjoyed some of Crusie's romances in the past when she was a fresh, funny, new voice in romance. I may still find some of her work amusing. But this one (which has won a lot of awards) hasn't aged well.
Our Hero has unusual definitions of what constitutes sex and consent when the woman is drunk. In fact ...more
Dec 13, 2015
Melissa (Mel’s Bookshelf)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks
Welcome to Temptation was SO MUCH FUN! Romance is one of my guilty pleasures to read... Predominantly a thriller fan at heart, I still admittedly LOVE a good romance novel. This one was just great! Totally over the top and corny, but such good escapism!
Sophie and her sister Amy travel to the small town of Temptation to film a movie for a hollywood star Clea, who grew up there. On the way they crash into another car, and that is the beginning of their troubles. There is way too much to go into in ...more
Sophie and her sister Amy travel to the small town of Temptation to film a movie for a hollywood star Clea, who grew up there. On the way they crash into another car, and that is the beginning of their troubles. There is way too much to go into in ...more
As in this painting, the temptations of the small Midwestern town conveniently named Temptation were not apparent to me. That's ok; one thing I appreciate about Crusie is how she creates characters who are attractive to and romantic with one another specifically, as individuals, rather than being idealized in generically sexy ways. I was willing to buy that this mayor jerk (despite encumbering bitch mother and precocious daughter) and this rotting, ill-decorated house in this boring, oppressivel ...more
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
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
Aug 09, 2008
Jenger
rated it
it was amazing
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
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!!!
...more
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!!!
...more
Another great book by this talented author! I am loving the way JC writes: lots of witty one liners, quick comebacks and subtlety. You'd think most books were good on the subtle aspects of things the author wants you to pick up on, but no. JC writes subtlety so well that I NOTICED. And I love that. I loved Bet Me, and I loved this.
I'm a bit of a sucker for small town romance, it's always so sweet and atmospheric. This book was no different. I loved Sophie! She was a little anal at first but real ...more
I'm a bit of a sucker for small town romance, it's always so sweet and atmospheric. This book was no different. I loved Sophie! She was a little anal at first but real ...more
Review to come.
23 March 2015: $3.99 on Kindle
Review cross-posted from here
I've read this book many times over the years. It's not my favorite by Crusie (that would be Bet Me), but it is one that I come back to frequently.
I've said recently that I don't think "humourous" books are for me, and I still think that's true because I stumble over most of them, but the humour in this one works for me. It's a little bit more subtle and doesn't feel forced (unlike some others I've read).
But it's the dyna ...more
23 March 2015: $3.99 on Kindle
Review cross-posted from here
I've read this book many times over the years. It's not my favorite by Crusie (that would be Bet Me), but it is one that I come back to frequently.
I've said recently that I don't think "humourous" books are for me, and I still think that's true because I stumble over most of them, but the humour in this one works for me. It's a little bit more subtle and doesn't feel forced (unlike some others I've read).
But it's the dyna ...more
Once I realized this wasn't a romance novel, I settled in and had a good time. This is a stylized look at small town life with a central romance and a murder thrown in for good measure. It is a cross between Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Call Me Irresistible and the movie Hot Fuzz. SEP's romance hero is a small town mayor as is the hero of this story. Hot Fuzz is about murders and mayhem in an English village that just wants to keep its title of most scenic/beautiful.
The hero comes from a family of ...more
The hero comes from a family of ...more
I was on a reading cruise for Crusie’s books, but after this one, I think I’ll change author for a long time.
The narrative thread of this book is a porn movie. No kidding. I mean, can you go any less romantic than this?
Minus 2 Stars.
The love story between the two protagonist is more a physical story where they say “F-word me” to each other most of the time, which leads to many cheap scenes I could have lived better without. It wasn’t very romantic, maybe more real? Could be, but I don’t think so ...more
The narrative thread of this book is a porn movie. No kidding. I mean, can you go any less romantic than this?
Minus 2 Stars.
The love story between the two protagonist is more a physical story where they say “F-word me” to each other most of the time, which leads to many cheap scenes I could have lived better without. It wasn’t very romantic, maybe more real? Could be, but I don’t think so ...more
3.5 stars. This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Cruise, and it was pretty good. There were a few things I didn't like, though.
First, it didn't start off very strong and I had a hard time getting into it. Once I got into it I really liked it, but the first few chapters were a struggle for me.
Second, the whole book seemed dated because Sophie kept referring to herself as an Outsider and Phin as a Town Boy. It had the distinct smell of an eighties movie starring Molly Ringwald. That is no ...more
First, it didn't start off very strong and I had a hard time getting into it. Once I got into it I really liked it, but the first few chapters were a struggle for me.
Second, the whole book seemed dated because Sophie kept referring to herself as an Outsider and Phin as a Town Boy. It had the distinct smell of an eighties movie starring Molly Ringwald. That is no ...more
Okay, short review as that seems to be all I'm capable of, lately. This is my first from this author and what a ride! The main characters were simply fantastic and the supporting cast were great as well. Welcome to Temptation has a light, easy style that conveys a story that is really quite complex--which turns out to be a fantastic way to convey a complex character-driven story if you can pull it off. And Crusie pulls it off very well indeed. I loved Sophie and Phin was a great match for her an
...more
Apr 26, 2015
Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Great story !! Welcome to Temptation Had both,an excellent murder mystery plot line and well constructed characters....Definatly wasn't predictable :) Loved it ! Wish there had been an epilogue after the ending though,felt a bit incomplete.
...more
An understated, snarky, sneak-up-on-you kind of love story that I thoroughly enjoyed. This book felt so matter-of-fact. It didn't feel like a romance for much of the book. And then it did.
Phin the Bear meets Sophie the pornographer. Their love is a reluctant one... I loved his lackadaisical attitude and her vulnerability hidden under thorns. Excellent supporting characters. A mystery. Everything for which I could ask.
Jennifer Crusie is finding a place in my heart.
...more
Phin the Bear meets Sophie the pornographer. Their love is a reluctant one... I loved his lackadaisical attitude and her vulnerability hidden under thorns. Excellent supporting characters. A mystery. Everything for which I could ask.
Jennifer Crusie is finding a place in my heart.
...more
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
Well, despite some really over the top characters and incidents this was pretty funny and a satisfying (if odd) romance.
Well, despite some really over the top characters and incidents this was pretty funny and a satisfying (if odd) 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
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
Feb 11, 2019
Amber’s reading
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-romance,
meh
Welcome to Temptation is a nice, safe PG rated romance. I love the writing style, small town setting, and lighthearted plot. The type of story you’d feel comfortable recommending to your niece or grandmother. But for my personal taste, it felt too watered down. I got a little bored and didn’t feel invested in the characters or plot.
This is my 1st book by Jennifer Crusie, and even though I’m giving this book a 3, I’m going to try her again. I checked this book out from my library as part of a co ...more
This is my 1st book by Jennifer Crusie, and even though I’m giving this book a 3, I’m going to try her again. I checked this book out from my library as part of a co ...more
So many players, so many games. It was kind of difficult to keep up with all the characters and families and motives!
As for the story, it was enjoyable; however, I wouldn't say it's going to be particularly memorable. The author set this up to be a series, but I don't think I'm invested in any of the characters enough to continue with it. (But I've been proven wrong before!) ...more
As for the story, it was enjoyable; however, I wouldn't say it's going to be particularly memorable. The author set this up to be a series, but I don't think I'm invested in any of the characters enough to continue with it. (But I've been proven wrong before!) ...more
I realize that this book is very popular and well received by a great many. That however, is not enough to make me recommend this book. I am not critical by nature, (see my other reviews), but I do like to "call a spade a spade"!
This is a story about the town of Temptation, it's citizens, and a family who comes to film a "movie". Phin is the mayor and Sophie is the traveling film maker.
This book contains crass humor, foul language, and very little romance. For me this makes for a very disappoi ...more
This is a story about the town of Temptation, it's citizens, and a family who comes to film a "movie". Phin is the mayor and Sophie is the traveling film maker.
This book contains crass humor, foul language, and very little romance. For me this makes for a very disappoi ...more
Feb 03, 2013
Lady Heather
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
contemporary romance, romance, chick-lit, humor
This is the only the second book I've read by Jennifer Crusie, and I gotta tell ya.. so far she's SOLD my on her story-telling and writing!
Her Characters are colorful and interesting, and the situations they find themselves in are funny and almost surreal, but surprisingly believable (that's how good the writing is).
Just finished the book, gotta get my review sorted out in my head.
Review to come :) ...more
A great re-read, and even better the second time around. :-)
WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE, this was so much fun!
4 stars for the book. 1 star for the audiobook narrator. It’s a lovely developing romance.
The first time I read it I thought it was great and laughed a lot. I reread the paperback in 2015 and found it to be more average the second time through. The middle felt slow, but the ending was great. In 2017 I listened to the audiobook. The middle wasn’t as slow when listening to the audiobook.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Aasne Vigesaa (AV) was not good. It was hard for me to get into the story. I had to keep remi ...more
The first time I read it I thought it was great and laughed a lot. I reread the paperback in 2015 and found it to be more average the second time through. The middle felt slow, but the ending was great. In 2017 I listened to the audiobook. The middle wasn’t as slow when listening to the audiobook.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Aasne Vigesaa (AV) was not good. It was hard for me to get into the story. I had to keep remi ...more
I absolutely loved this book. I can't even adequately explain why. I loved the entire Dempsey family. Davy especially, who gets his own story later.
Like the other books I've read by JC, there were slightly imbalanced villains who try but fail to sabotage the H/H relationship. This time, it was actually kind of acceptable. The small town drama with its politics was endearing and the comedy was definitely well executed. Sophie and Phin's interactions were witty and hot. The pool game and their fi ...more
Like the other books I've read by JC, there were slightly imbalanced villains who try but fail to sabotage the H/H relationship. This time, it was actually kind of acceptable. The small town drama with its politics was endearing and the comedy was definitely well executed. Sophie and Phin's interactions were witty and hot. The pool game and their fi ...more
Of course I re-read this while on vacation for a week and of course it’s still the best. Honestly, Phin. My kingdom for the guy who reads.
- - -
January 2018 review:
- - -
January 2018 review:
When Crusie goes bent— and by that I mean, when Crusie writes the Dempseys— it’s my new favorite thing. I would not be surprised if by this time next year it’s on my “always reading” shelf beside Split Images and Tishomingo and Lou Berney. The overlap of crime fic and oddball locales and the unconventional love story is my thing.
“We di...more
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.
I really like the Jennifer Crusie books and would recommend them to any friend who likes a romance novel.
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“You want sensitive and understanding, stick with the therapist.You want great,
headbanging sex, get off the fucking phone and come with me.”
—
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headbanging sex, get off the fucking phone and come with me.”
“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.”
—
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More quotes…
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.”
