If He’s Tempted by Hannah Howell

Lady Olympia Wherlocke has the gift of foresight. When Lady Agatha Mallam asks Olympia to locate her brother so he can rescue her from an arranged marriage, she knows exactly where to find Lord Brant Mallam, Earl of Fieldgate. What happens next is something she never envisioned…

Since his betrothed died, Lord Brant Mallam has drowned his sorrow with wine and women. His dissolute ways have only emboldened his calculating mother. But with the help of the enchanting Olympia, he concocts a daring plan to end his mother’s devious designs for his sister. While each step in their bold scheme works to perfection, the sins of the past could unravel a growing desire that neither Olympia or Brant can control… (from GoodReads)

If He’s Tempted by Hannah Howell (Zebra an imprint of Kensington, 978-1-4201-1880-3, Mass-Market Paperback $7.99, 347 pages, purchased copy)

My Thoughts:

This is one of those books that I preferred to sip rather than devoured. I didn’t mind putting it aside when more interesting books caught my eye—and they did, frequently—, which you can tell by the fact that I started this book during the first week of May and finished it at the end of September. It had sat on my nightstand with the bookmarker stuck in between pages 58 and 59 for so long I am surpassed that it didn’t grow roots.

If He’s Tempted reads like a Regency romance. Think Georgette Heyer only not as engaging, a bit dryer, with characters that you don’t really care about, and whole flock of by-blows cropping up whilst the hero—who is an earl—is perpetual afraid of his mother.

I just couldn’t connect with this book. Maybe I would have been more eager to finish this book had I read the previous books in the Wherlockes series, although with the author’s writing style of telling the readers rather than inviting them into the story, the repetitiveness, and lack-luster characters I doubt that reading the other books would have helped.

I will admit it: I purchased the book because of the cover. It has this nice little paranormal look to it, one would almost expect this to be a vampire book by the looks of it, and while the heroine does have a paranormal gift, it was rarely used.

Overall, I had to force myself to finish this book. Every time I read it, I fell asleep, so I suppose if I had insomnia this would be the perfect book. I guess this book wasn’t my cuppa tea, perhaps it will be yours.

 

Reviewed by Angela Simmons