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mvbookreviewer's review
4.0
Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss is the 3rd book in Maya Banks’ Pregnancy & Passion series. Though I missed out on book 1, I definitely became intrigued with the series after reading book 2, Wanted by Her Lost Love which turned out to be a great read.
Devon Carter has always been ambitious. Though he finds everything wrong with the deal that William Copeland forces on him, Devon goes along with the plan and dines and woos William’s only daughter Ashley Copeland, all the while beguiled by her innocence and drawn towards her in a manner that is altogether foreign for someone like Devon.
For Ashley, who is blissfully unaware of the machinations behind Devon’s courting, she is head over heels in love for the very first time in her life. Agreeing to marry the man she loves because deep in her heart Ashley believes that beneath that reserved exterior of Devon’s lies a heart that loves her as much as she loves him, Ashley never foresees the ultimate betrayal waiting for her on the very night that her honeymoon is to begin.
Devon is devastated when his wife discovers the truth behind their marriage, and though he would rather cut off a body part of his than hurt Ashley, out comes the accusations that hurts Ashley just that much more. But Ashley is a determined woman who embarks on a mission to win the love of her husband even if it means turning her back on who she is deep inside, until the charade becomes too much and so comes her breaking point when everything becomes just too much.
Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss started out on a very slow note. But from the moment Devon and Ashley says their ‘I Do’s”, Maya brings in the angst and the overload of emotion that holds on to you until you see Devon and Ashley to their happily ever after.
Ashley is the type of heroine that we come across very rarely in romance novels oft late, a time when authors strive to go for the type of heroines who are independent and on a self-proclaimed war to prove themselves to be as competent as the opposite sex. Ashley is the sweet and sunny type of heroine who just makes you smile whenever she comes into the story. Her naivety is not surprising given the fact that she has led a sheltered life, loved for who she is by everyone that surrounds her. But being rejected for who she is by the only man she has fallen in love with leaves its own mark on her and Ashley gives everything she has to make her marriage to Devon work.
Devon is a hero who is a bit bewildered in the face of chaotic emotions. He is all about control and whenever Ashley is around, control of his emotions and surroundings is the furthest thing that he is capable of. Devon remains clueless even when he begins to lose the woman that at first drew him to her, the woman whose exuberant nature he starts to miss even though he doesn’t know what it is that he actually craves for. Devon is a lost soul who only begins to find his way towards the woman who makes him feel on top of the world a trifle bit too late, and from then on Devon does the grovelling bit like everything else he does, with dedication and utter focus, his sole aim to win back his wife and never ever let her go.
From reading this review one might think that Devon is a heartless SOB, but far from it. Devon is a character you fall in love because of those little things through which he shows his caring and love towards his wife even when he is not ready to show or acknowledge the depth of his feelings towards her. He might want to bury his head in the sand and forget the roller coaster ride his emotions take whenever he sees abject hurt on Ashley’s face, but he hurts right along and wants nothing more than to erase all her sorrows and see a smile upon her face. For those reasons alone, Devon is a character worth giving over your heart to and I found myself doing just that before half way through the story.
A wonderful addition to the Pregnancy and Passion series, Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss is a novel recommended for those who love quick, short and sweet reads with a lot of angst and toe curling passion in the mix. Cannot wait for Cam’s story to come out as he sounds exactly like my type of hero.
Rating=4/5
Quotes included below the review!
Devon Carter has always been ambitious. Though he finds everything wrong with the deal that William Copeland forces on him, Devon goes along with the plan and dines and woos William’s only daughter Ashley Copeland, all the while beguiled by her innocence and drawn towards her in a manner that is altogether foreign for someone like Devon.
For Ashley, who is blissfully unaware of the machinations behind Devon’s courting, she is head over heels in love for the very first time in her life. Agreeing to marry the man she loves because deep in her heart Ashley believes that beneath that reserved exterior of Devon’s lies a heart that loves her as much as she loves him, Ashley never foresees the ultimate betrayal waiting for her on the very night that her honeymoon is to begin.
Devon is devastated when his wife discovers the truth behind their marriage, and though he would rather cut off a body part of his than hurt Ashley, out comes the accusations that hurts Ashley just that much more. But Ashley is a determined woman who embarks on a mission to win the love of her husband even if it means turning her back on who she is deep inside, until the charade becomes too much and so comes her breaking point when everything becomes just too much.
Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss started out on a very slow note. But from the moment Devon and Ashley says their ‘I Do’s”, Maya brings in the angst and the overload of emotion that holds on to you until you see Devon and Ashley to their happily ever after.
Ashley is the type of heroine that we come across very rarely in romance novels oft late, a time when authors strive to go for the type of heroines who are independent and on a self-proclaimed war to prove themselves to be as competent as the opposite sex. Ashley is the sweet and sunny type of heroine who just makes you smile whenever she comes into the story. Her naivety is not surprising given the fact that she has led a sheltered life, loved for who she is by everyone that surrounds her. But being rejected for who she is by the only man she has fallen in love with leaves its own mark on her and Ashley gives everything she has to make her marriage to Devon work.
Devon is a hero who is a bit bewildered in the face of chaotic emotions. He is all about control and whenever Ashley is around, control of his emotions and surroundings is the furthest thing that he is capable of. Devon remains clueless even when he begins to lose the woman that at first drew him to her, the woman whose exuberant nature he starts to miss even though he doesn’t know what it is that he actually craves for. Devon is a lost soul who only begins to find his way towards the woman who makes him feel on top of the world a trifle bit too late, and from then on Devon does the grovelling bit like everything else he does, with dedication and utter focus, his sole aim to win back his wife and never ever let her go.
From reading this review one might think that Devon is a heartless SOB, but far from it. Devon is a character you fall in love because of those little things through which he shows his caring and love towards his wife even when he is not ready to show or acknowledge the depth of his feelings towards her. He might want to bury his head in the sand and forget the roller coaster ride his emotions take whenever he sees abject hurt on Ashley’s face, but he hurts right along and wants nothing more than to erase all her sorrows and see a smile upon her face. For those reasons alone, Devon is a character worth giving over your heart to and I found myself doing just that before half way through the story.
A wonderful addition to the Pregnancy and Passion series, Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss is a novel recommended for those who love quick, short and sweet reads with a lot of angst and toe curling passion in the mix. Cannot wait for Cam’s story to come out as he sounds exactly like my type of hero.
Rating=4/5
Quotes included below the review!
rellimreads's review
3.0
Note: This is book 3 in Maya Bank’s Pregnancy & Passion series. (The titles were shortened at one point for a print/ebook rerelease). While each book covers the entire arc for a single couple - references to events are made as the series goes on that makes these best listened to in order.
This is probably my favorite of the series, I felt like this one was significantly less repetitive than the other ones which helps. Devon agrees to marry Ashley as part of merger with her father's company. While Devon disagrees with Copeland's demands and believes that Ashley deserves to know - he still goes along with it when Copeland insists. Banks' attempts at making Ashley a free spirit and individual personality too often cross over to painting her as annoyingly ignorant and helpless.
Ashley's attempts at transforming herself into someone Devon could truly love turn her unrecognizable by family and friends. I do feel that Devon did a better job of recognizing his mistakes, but the ending was again abruptly "all is better now!".
Narration:
I liked Harry Berkeley's narration again.
This is probably my favorite of the series, I felt like this one was significantly less repetitive than the other ones which helps. Devon agrees to marry Ashley as part of merger with her father's company. While Devon disagrees with Copeland's demands and believes that Ashley deserves to know - he still goes along with it when Copeland insists. Banks' attempts at making Ashley a free spirit and individual personality too often cross over to painting her as annoyingly ignorant and helpless.
Ashley's attempts at transforming herself into someone Devon could truly love turn her unrecognizable by family and friends. I do feel that Devon did a better job of recognizing his mistakes, but the ending was again abruptly "all is better now!".
Narration:
I liked Harry Berkeley's narration again.
gypsybaby75's review
2.0
Ashley Copeland is a sweet, naïve, uh….virgin even though she is well past the age of twenty one. Devon Carter is a hard nosed business man who is in need of a certain business deal to turn in his favor.
Ashley’s father strikes a deal with Devon, marry his innocent daughter or he will not get what he wants. How can Devon say no? At first Devon is thrown off guard by Ashley’s flighty, vivacious personality, he is just not used to happy go lucky people who see everything optimistically. But little by little Ashley gets under his skin in a good way, pretty soon he can’t imagine life without her.
But you know, that’s when Ashley finds out that the Devon that she fell in love with just married her so he could win a deal. Hurt, confused, and pregnant Ashley confronts both Devon and her father. Can Ashley still live with a man that does not love her? Can Devon find it in his heart to make room for Ashley and his baby?
I found Tempted by her Innocent Kiss to be a quick read. And thank God for that. Maya Banks could Not have written this book and yet her name is on the cover.
Is that too harsh?
I think the main problem for me with this book was Ashley and her naïve, innocent ways. For the most part in this day and age everyone is experienced even if they are still a virgin and still protected by family. Shoot, take me for example. I didn’t have sex until I was twenty-seven and that was mainly because I was strictly protected while growing up but I still knew the in’s and out’s (pardon the pun) of sexual encounters. And everything that came along with that, I had sexually experienced friends after all who were not shy about voicing what they learned…and how.
Granted, this is my first contemporary I have read by Banks. Fresh off reading the McCabe Trilogy I was anticipating some sexual tension at least. I know contemporary and historical have different levels but I didn’t get anything from Tempted.
Ashley’s father strikes a deal with Devon, marry his innocent daughter or he will not get what he wants. How can Devon say no? At first Devon is thrown off guard by Ashley’s flighty, vivacious personality, he is just not used to happy go lucky people who see everything optimistically. But little by little Ashley gets under his skin in a good way, pretty soon he can’t imagine life without her.
But you know, that’s when Ashley finds out that the Devon that she fell in love with just married her so he could win a deal. Hurt, confused, and pregnant Ashley confronts both Devon and her father. Can Ashley still live with a man that does not love her? Can Devon find it in his heart to make room for Ashley and his baby?
I found Tempted by her Innocent Kiss to be a quick read. And thank God for that. Maya Banks could Not have written this book and yet her name is on the cover.
Is that too harsh?
I think the main problem for me with this book was Ashley and her naïve, innocent ways. For the most part in this day and age everyone is experienced even if they are still a virgin and still protected by family. Shoot, take me for example. I didn’t have sex until I was twenty-seven and that was mainly because I was strictly protected while growing up but I still knew the in’s and out’s (pardon the pun) of sexual encounters. And everything that came along with that, I had sexually experienced friends after all who were not shy about voicing what they learned…and how.
Granted, this is my first contemporary I have read by Banks. Fresh off reading the McCabe Trilogy I was anticipating some sexual tension at least. I know contemporary and historical have different levels but I didn’t get anything from Tempted.
bayou99's review
4.0
I was surprised how much I liked this. Devon was a bit clueless, but Ashley was sweet and I thought her actions were right on target. She's young and outgoing and her first response is to try to be more what she thought Devon wanted, but it just wasn't her. It even made me tear up a bit.
izmc's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Lolololol
emilyhei's review
5.0
"I can confess proudly, I cried both tears of sadness and happiness, you become really attached to Ashley."
Full review on Cataromance.com
http://cataromance.com/2012/03/review-tempted-by-her-innocent-kiss-by-maya-banks/
Full review on Cataromance.com
http://cataromance.com/2012/03/review-tempted-by-her-innocent-kiss-by-maya-banks/