Monday, November 16

Review: Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

Today’s buddy reviewed book is Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas. Yes, there’s been a lot of reviews around, so what we’ll say probably won’t be new... but the delivery will be different since today is a ménage-à-trois buddy review :) So who’s buddy reviewing it with me? Ames and our dear friend, Isabel.

Tempt Me at Twilight was easy to choose for buddy reviewing, because I knew Ames and I would read it and relatively soon after its release date. Around the time we were ready to start buddy reviewing it, Isabel was also done reading it, so we invited her to join us :D


Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas
published by St.Martin’s Press in September 2009

Poppy Hathaway loves her unconventional family, though she longs for normalcy. Then fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal-only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust. Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy-except to open his heart. All his life, he has held the world at arm''s length...but the sharp, beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. Still, as desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. Now if Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul, once and for all...
Genre: Historical romance
Series: The Hathaways, Book #3

Nath: So ladies, what did you think of Tempt Me at Twilight?

I really liked Harry and Poppy and thought they were great characters! It made me enjoy the book.

I have to admit, I don’t really remember Poppy from the previous books ^_^; At first, I thought this was Beatrix book and Poppy was Beatrix! I mean, you remember Beatrix because of her antics, Win because she was so weak and Amelia, just because... but Poppy seems to have slipped under the radar, so it was nice to get her story... and I really liked Harry. I enjoyed his ruthlessness :)

Isabel: Ok, I had a hard time getting into the book at first. Of course I started it when I was very busy, so that probably played a part in it. Anyway, for the most part, I enjoyed it.

I’m not sure if I like what Harry did to win Poppy. That was pretty ruthless. But you always hear about the woman trapping the man, it was kind of nice to see the man trapping the woman. Ha ha. But I thought Poppy fell in love too soon with Harry. She claims she loved Michael yet she quickly got over him. Maybe she didn’t love him like she thought.

I didn’t like Michael though. Too much of a daddy’s boy. I’m glad that didn’t work.

Ames: Harry - I loved his ruthlessness. I thought he was spot on about Michael (who WAS a total daddy's boy) and took what he wanted. Because if Michael truly had wanted Poppy, he would have had her.

Nath: I agree with Ames, if Michael really wanted Poppy and had guts, he would have defied his father. You don't get the girl if you're a coward. Personally, I think Michael would have been too weak to handle Poppy and her family… and LOL, Izzy, men try to trap heroines all the time, but it’s all the disgusting, fortune-hunter, non-hero material ones!

What makes me like Harry's ruthlessness so much, it’s that it was an integral part of his personality and he didn’t make excuses for it. He even acknowledged that part of him.

Isabel: I liked Harry, don’t get me wrong. I like how went after what he wanted, I just don’t like how he did things with Poppy. I’m sure he could have compromised her without having to expose Michael and Poppy’s relationship to the dad.

Nath: I think it goes with the ruthlessness really. Easiest way to win is to strike your opponent's weakness. I didn't think it was underhand, I actually thought it was clever :P

Ames: Now Poppy and Harry. I really enjoyed these two. You can see how Poppy made Harry think and see her as being different from other women of his acquaintance. And Harry totally shook things up for Poppy. She wanted her safe, respectable man (which annoyed me about her - quit judging your family woman!) and instead she got someone who could truly challenge her - and he got the same thing. And I like how possessive Harry was over Poppy. Like how he wanted her to have nothing to do with Michael.

And yeah, Poppy annoyed me though in her thoughts towards her family. Heck, they sounded like fun!

Isabel: I can understand Poppy though with her family. Cause as a teenager, I remember being embarrassed of my family. Now it’s like nothing. If you don’t like my family whatever.

Ames: I think Poppy annoyed me just because for myself, I don't care what people think and I couldn't like a character that was like that. It was just my own internal stuff. I would have liked her to have been a stronger character I guess.

Nath: Hmmm, at least Poppy still loved her family. She wasn’t ashamed of them or anything, she just wanted quiet. That’s how I saw it.

Harry and Poppy were definitively the strength of this book and I enjoyed it; however,I didn't LOVE the book. There are some few things that bothered me.

I thought Ms Kleypas had a great story and the book had great potential... but in the end, she didn't go deep enough and Tempted Me at Twilight ended up being very superficial or very close to the surface. A lot of things were glossed over... For example, Poppy accepting Harry –they just gave her a sob story about his past and everything was okay, she was ready to accept him.

Also, the mystery at the end was totally useless and we could have done without it.

Ames: I agree Nath, that the mystery bit at the end was useless, and until you mentioned it, I had forgotten about it.

Isabel: I think if Lisa Kleypas wanted to throw a wrench in the marriage after they came back from Hampshire, I think it should have been something involving Michael. I don’t know what but I did like the bit with Harry being kidnapped. Although I was impressed with how Leo found where Harry was hidden.

Nath: You’re right Isabel. If the mystery had more to do with the story at hand, it would have been more interesting instead of being superfluous. LOL, I’m trying to imagine Michael kidnapping Harry, but at the same time, I’m thinking he’d never had the guts! :P

Isabel: That’s true, Michael never would have kidnapped Harry. But I’m sure he could have cause trouble somehow. But then he was drinking a lot and alcohol sometimes makes you do things you normally wouldn’t. I agree, if Michael really loved Poppy, he would’ve fought for her.

Ames: Oh, there is another thing I want to add - the hotel employees. I thought they were cute and there was a funny scene when they were using vegetables as metaphors for making love. So someone asked if something was wrong with Harry's carrot and how come Poppy and Harry weren't making salad together. I thought that was cute.

"What gives you the impression that he has not yet, er...sampled the watercress?"

"Watercress?" Jake repeated incredulously.

"Cresson." Broussard gave him a superior look. "A metaphor. And much nicer than the metaphors you English use for the same thing."

"I never use metaphors," Jake muttered.

"Bien sur, you have no imagination." The chef turned back to the housekeeper. "Why is there doubt about the relations between Monsieur and Madame Rutledge?"

"The sheets," she said succinctly.

Jake nearly choked on his pastry. "You have the housemaids spying on them?" he asked around a mouthful of custard and cream.

"Not at all," the housekeeper said defensively. "It's only that we have vigilant maids who tell me everything. And even if they didn't, one hardly needs great powers of observation to see that they do not behave like a married couple."

The chef looked deeply concerned. "You think there's a problem with his carrot?"

"Watercress, carrot - is everything food to you?" Jake demanded.

The chef shrugged. "Oui."

"Well," Jake said testily, "there is a string of Rutledge's past mistressed who would undoubtedly testify there is nothing wrong with his carrot."

"Alors, he is a virile man...she is a beautiful woman..why are they not making salad together?"

Isabel
: Oh yeah!! I thought the vegetable metaphors were funny too. I liked Jack Valentine. I wonder if he’ll get his own book someday.

Ames: He was an interesting character, that's for sure.

Nath: That was one of the best scene in the book, LOL. Wished we’d have seen more of them.

As for Jack Valentine, perhaps he’s Beatrix’ beau?

Hey, what did you think of Ms Marks and Harry being siblings? Really. Sigh, it sounds like a repeat of Merripen and Cam which is extremely annoying in my opinion. I was really looking forward to their book, but not anymore.

Isabel: Leo and Miss Marks. I’m wondering what happened between the two of them. I wonder if they succumbed to temptation and that’s why he left. I can’t wait to read his book.

Ames: Hey nath, why would it bother you that Miss Marks and Harry were half-siblings? Just because it was done with Cam and Merripen?

Ok, I have to be honest here: I am not looking forward to Leo and Miss Marks' books. I'm all about Beatrix at this point. I cannot wait to see what kind of man will fall for lovely Beatrix. And yeah I love her character because of the animals. LOL

Nath: Well for one, yes, because it was done with Cam and Merripen. It’s simply too much of a coincidence for me to take it. One set of lost siblings, okay… but two? Also, we all know Ms Marks is going to end up with Leo and this sibling relationships and all the foreshadowings in the book clearly hint at a bigger "mystery" about Miss Marks’ identity. I don't know, why couldn't she just be uptight by nature and not by circumstances?

So yes, now, I’m with you Ames and eagerly awaiting for Beatrix book! She's an interesting character. Her family finds her exasperating with her pets, but the girl is smart and has her own personality and can really think for herself. She's actually very wise in her own way.

Tempt Me at Twilight is a B for me. I enjoyed it, but I think it could have been more, especially with good characters such as Harry and Poppy.

Ames: Tempt Me at Twilight is a B for me too.

Isabel: I'd say the same, a B.

6 comments:

Hilcia said...

Great review! I'm with Ames on loving Harry's ruthlessness, he kept me reading this book. :) I see we all had some of the same likes & disappointments in the book as well.

I'm definitely not panting for Leo & Ms. Marks book either, although this book made me very curious about Beatrix. She's the one that piqued my interest as well. We seem to be on the same page. :)

nath said...

Hilcia - I'm glad we are not the only ones feeling this way about the book :D It's always nice to see others share your opinion.

I think that Ms Kleypas worked too hard to set up Leo and Ms Marks' story. She has given too much away already :(

Jill D. said...

Great Review ladies!

At first, I thought the mystery was going to be a way for Harry to rescue Poppy, but I like that Kleypas turned things around and had Poppy rescue Harry.

I just love Kleypas. I can't seem to get enough of her heroes, LOL!

Leslie said...

I skimmed again. *sigh* My TBR pile is getting out of control.

I'm with Nath in not remembering who Poppy was. Beatrix is the one with the animals right? Poppy is the... yeah, I don't remember. :)

nath said...

Jill - Thanks Jill :)

Well looking at the mystery that way, yes, it was nice that Harry got rescued. but still, I could have done without LOL :)

Leslie - Oups, forgot to put up a warning ^_^;

Yeah, Beatrix is the one with animals... and Poppy is the one btw Winnifred and Beatrix. That tells you a lot, right? LOL :P

Anonymous said...

Somehow this book just did not feel like a Hathaway book to me and some of the details from the first two Hathaway books just did not add up. For example Poppy was supposed too be a late riser but in Tempt Me she says she likes to wake at dawn?! Also what was the point of Merripen becoming a viscount and heir to an earldom if it wasn't even mentioned in this book?

Overall, I had some issues with this book. I felt the story was rushed and it was disappointing that the scenes with Win and Merripen were not more detailed. Cam and Amelia get so much mention in EVERY book! Enough already. We want to hear about the other characters we love. It is a SERIES after all.