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Stanton Family #4

A Lesson in Temptation

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Adam Harkness pulled himself out of poverty to become one of the world's most respected Finance professors, but at the cost of his personal life. When a well-meaning friend gifts him with a dance course, Adam decides to attend one class out of courtesy, but no more than that. He has work to do, after all - or at least, that's what he tells himself.After being bullied in high school, Julie Stanton took refuge in her studies. But now that her hard work has paid off and Julie has found success in her job, it's time to focus on finding the same happiness in the rest of her life.When Adam walks into the same tango class that Julie signed up for, she recognizes him immediately as the professor whom she had a crush on in college. Both Adam and Julie have proven themselves to be excellent scholars. But when the attraction between them turns into something more, will they be able to open their hearts and learn a new lesson - how to love.Each book in the Stanton Family series is a standalone, full-length novella that can be enjoyed out of order. Series #1 Falling for the CEOBook #2 One Night in SantiagoBook #3 Healing Her HeartBook #4 A Lesson in Temptation

116 pages, ebook

First published July 14, 2014

11 people are currently reading
449 people want to read

About the author

Audra North

38 books296 followers
Audra North is a contemporary romance author of more than twenty romances, including the Stanton Family series from Entangled Publishing, the Hard Driving series from St. Martin’s Press, and the Pushing the Boundaries series from Samhain Publishing. She is the owner and publisher of Pink Kayak Press, which focuses on the publication of diverse romance works. Winter Rain, a Pink Kayak Press anthology, won a gold medal in the 2015 Independent Publisher Awards.

Audra enjoys speaking to writing groups and at industry conferences. She is also an avid jogger and loves running marathons. She has three children and lives with her family outside of Boston.

For more about Audra, and to sign up for her newsletter, visit audranorth.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Claire.
2,325 reviews738 followers
July 7, 2014
4 - "So should I call you Professor Hotness now?" Stars!

Adam Harkness and Julie Stanton have history together, after being the TA in one of Julie’s finance classes in college and almost kissing her, Adam never expected to see her again.



Life for Adam is one long round of work, work, work, and as such when gifted a package of dance lessons from a couple of concerned friends in the hope he will get out and live a little, he is less than thrilled to be giving up his time for what he considers is a total waste of his time. That is until he walks in and see’s Julie, all grown up and now not off-limits...

She’s a distraction. Not to mention vibrant, and beautiful, and fun. Everything he wasn’t.



I loved Julie, she was a fighter and even though had suffered a few knockbacks in her past she wasn’t afraid to put herself out there for Adam, even if it meant getting hurt.

She’d though about him for years. Wanted him for years.



Sexy Professor Harkness was an absolute treat too, nifty with his feet on the floor, dirty with his everything between the sheets and sweetly vulnerable the rest of the time.

”How do you make me forget about all the things hanging over my head?”



Audra North’s Stanton Family Novella Series, is fast becoming one of my favorites, although short the stories are well developed and easy to lose yourself in for an hour or two. I would love to see a full length romance novel from this author at some point in the future; I love her writing and would like to spend more than a couple of hours enjoying the pleasure of reading her words.

ARC supplied via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
Profile Image for Karla.
987 reviews1,109 followers
August 2, 2014

4 Stars! From the vertical tango to the horizontal tango, this was a fun, flirty, sexy novella.

I was charmed by Adam's quirkiness, and amused by his dogged determination to put his career goals before his own needs and pleasure, and not to enjoy life. Julie was the complete opposite and was hell-bent on living life to the fullest. Their mutual attraction started years ago when neither of them was in the position to act on it, but now Julie had the opportunity to set things in motion and she was ready to take on the challenge. Adam didn’t stand a chance!

“When we move, we must lead—and follow—with the center of our body,” Ivana told the class, pointing to a place just beneath her breasts and gliding backward. “If your center does not come first, you will find it difficult to dance tango. That means straight backs, don’t let your arms flop all about, and don’t tiptoe around and lose your balance. Now, all of you, face your partner, and walk toward each other with your center leading. When you reach each other, walk backward to your starting place. With intention!”

Christ. First he was paired with the sexiest woman he’d ever known, and now he had to walk toward her with intention. If he intended anything more toward her, he’d be thrusting into her by the end of the class. Couldn’t he walk toward her with a vague interest instead?


Lots of sizzle and sexual innuendos! Julie and Adam tangoed their way from the dance floor to the bedroom and this enjoyable journey was filled with light-hearted moments, intense passion and witty dialogue. For a novella it was nearly a complete package, but it lacked a little in the end and while it was sweet, it was very abrupt! However, I enjoyed the Audra North’s writing and storytelling so much, that I want read the entire Stanton Family Novella series.

*A copy of the book was provided by Entangled: Edge in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for MBR.
1,395 reviews363 followers
July 13, 2014
A Lesson in Temptation is my first Audra North and I have a feeling its not going to be my last. This woman can write the heck out of a novella, delivering an emotional and scorching read that is so very worth your time. It’s not the cover alone that is out of this world sexy when it comes to A Lesson in Temptation, what lies inside is mind numbingly so!

A Lesson in Temptation is part of the Stanton Family series. With two full length novels and one novella already published in the series, A Lesson in Temptation reads just fine as a standalone and tells the story of Julie Stanton and Adam Harkness. Adam is highly ambitious, studious and doesn’t have time for distractions like falling in love. Having led a life that had been nearly at the edge of being poverty stricken had made Adam a stickler for hard work and even with a PhD under his belt with an impressive position as a Professor at the Colombia University, Adam still feels the need to push himself to achieve more.

When a friend offers a place at a dance class “Tango for Beginners” as a gift, Adam shows up more out of respect for the friend than anything else. He has no plans whatsoever of returning for a second class. But the moment he walks in and lays eyes on Julie, his intentions seems to crawl out the nearest window. Julie had been the one time he had nearly succumbed to temptation and the one who had got away of sorts.

For Julie, seeing “Adam Hotness” walk into the classroom had made her realize that when it comes to Adam, the attraction that had sizzled through her is very much alive even three years after. The Adam that takes her in his arms looks even more tense and distant than he had been back then and it makes Julie practically itch to make him loosen up just a little. What follows as a reluctant Adam finally gives in is as delicious as the glossy cover itself!

What made A Lesson in Temptation stand out is the fact that Audra managed to deliver an emotionally well rounded story in just a mere 100 plus pages. Adam’s ambitions, his fears and struggles comes out perfectly making him a mix of delicious contradictions; the studious and serious side of him that wars with the sexy, sinful and playful side. His ambition to overachieve is such that it blinds him to the best thing that happens to his life and this fact gave the story that bit of angst that made the novella that much more endearing.

Julie comes off as this bright and sunny personality when compared to Adam and the fact that Adam totally misreads Julie’s character gave a few surprises about Julie to the reader as well. Julie’s philosophy in life is simple.. Try and be happy as much as possible. And given her past, I admired Julie quite much on the point of her being able to move beyond all that and simply just have a positive attitude towards life.

If you want a short read that would give you an emotionally satisfying story with a hotter than sin hero whose reluctant attraction to the heroine makes things that much more fiery, then this is the read for you!

Most definitely recommended!

Rating = 4/5

Caliber SEAL: GREAT READ


For more reviews & quotes, visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
Profile Image for Ana.
210 reviews38 followers
December 29, 2014
The novella "A Lesson in Temptation", is the fourth story in the Stanton Family series. I read and enjoyed two of the previous stories found this one to be funniest.

Adam Harkness’s unshakable drive and insane work-ethic has landed him a coveted tenure-track position as Finance professor at Columbia. While a professorship gives him some measure of security, he is not about to let up and risk losing it all. Feeling the pressure to finish his book, he doesn’t want to slack off even for a night, but find himself under an obligation to attend a dance-class gifted to him by his colleague and mentor Naomi. Stressed and tense he walks into class and spots a familiar face across the room.

Ever since she put her horrible high school years behind her, Julie Stanton has been determined to make sure she enjoys living life, making the effort to make time for fun and play despite her demanding career. Feeling her work-life balance has dangerous skewed toward too-much work, she has signed up for a Tango class as treat/commitment to herself to get out and enjoy life.

Julie and Adam are both thrilled and mortified when they run into each other at class because a few years before Adam had been a TA for one of Julie's classes, and while they had both felt sparks , neither acted on them. Now, years later, they find themselves attempting to learn the most seductive of dances, while hiding their attraction. Despite his fears and reservations Julie entices Adam to embark on fling that will affect their lives in ways they both underestimate.

I thought this novella with incredibly funny with great banter, and even slapstick, but with a real sweet core. Adam is incredibly risk averse and shies away from his feelings from Julie, while at the same time failing to see the seriousness of her feelings or value what she brings to his life. There is great groveling and the resolution was sweet and perfect.

A review copy of "A Lesson in Temptation" was provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.
Profile Image for Nicola.
1,390 reviews287 followers
July 3, 2014
Audra North has placed herself firmly on my autobuy list. This lady can write a novella. From the opening page A Lesson In Temptation grabbed and with every element I love to find in a full length novel, albeit condensed, and I had the most pleasurable lunch-hour.

Finance Professor Adam Harkness isn't known as Prof Hotness for nothing. Sexy, witty and intelligent he is somewhat of a workaholic. When his friends sign him up on a 6 week dance course he's partnered with Julie Stanton, ex-student. She wanted him then, she wants him now and their lessons prove that the Tango is sexy. Upright or horizontal...

description

Sexy and sizzling, Adam and Julie had a perfect chemistry; he brooding and serious with a dirty thought process against her young confident and fun nature. All I will say is that their like-minded intelligence brings some very sexy action.

So if a short, sensual and very sexy read with wit and a bit of tension and angst thrown in is what you crave, then this is the book. I could have happily read a full length book on these characters, but in fairness, it didn't need to be any more than it was.

Copy received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for an honest & unbiased opinion
Profile Image for Emily (Mrs B's Books).
1,731 reviews83 followers
August 9, 2015
**My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This was a very fast paced novella that spanned a period of 5-6 weeks and Tango classes.

A former student and her TA find themselves in a Tango class for two very separate reasons, however the attraction they had a few years ago is still very much there.

Both have their reasons as to why they work so hard, but whilst he excludes the fun, she is determined and works hard to make sure that she has some.

It's a sweet and fun and enjoyable read that seems to finish very quickly.
Profile Image for Becky.
3,445 reviews142 followers
July 17, 2014
I was about a quarter of the way into this one when I clicked over to Amazon (darn you, one click!) and bought the other three titles in the series. Fifteen minutes after finishing this one, I started on Healing Her Heart. No doubt the other two will follow soon (what? They're novellas. I can squeeze them in somewhere!)

Some of my favorite parts of this one were the times we were inside poor Adam's head. He tried so hard to stay focused on his goals and keep Julie out of his mind. Fortunately for us--and Julie--it didn't work.

This one had me laughing out loud at the dinner table--it's their dance instructor, giving them one of their first directions in the first class period and Adam's response:

"Now, all of you, face your partner, and walk toward each other with your center leading. When you reach each other, walk backward to your starting place. With intention!”

Christ. First he was paired with the sexiest woman he’d ever known, and now he had to walk toward her with intention. If he intended anything more toward her, he’d be thrusting into her by the end of the class. Couldn’t he walk toward her with a vague interest instead?


Here's a little later in the same lesson:

Dancing while trying to suppress an erection was about as fun as it sounded.

They were still walking together, all the couples moving in a big circle. He had one hand just along Julie’s rib cage, and the other was pressed against her palm. His mind would not let go of that image of her open and ready—for him, and the contact was killing him. This close, he could see how perfect her skin was, and she smelled so good—

“Oops!” Another couple bumped into him from behind. He tripped forward into Julie. For a brief moment, they were pressed full-body against each other, breasts to chest, hip to hip, and…his cock almost jumped with relief at the feel of being pushed against her sweet, soft heat.

“Oh!” Her eyes flew wide and he jumped away, bringing them both to a full stop while the offending couple danced around them, completely unaware of the awkwardness that they’d left behind.

Just act like nothing happened.

He nearly laughed out loud. Julie Stanton had just felt his erection and his advice to himself was to feign ignorance? Moments like these made him question how he’d ever won that Fulbright Scholarship.


See? Poor Adam. And poor Julie, because she's only got a little over a hundred pages to convince this guy that he does, indeed need to loosen up--at least enough to let her in.

Fortunately for them both, she manages it nicely.

A Lesson in Temptation is a short, steamy read with laugh-out-loud moments. You don't have to have read the others in the series to enjoy it, but after this one you'll definitely want to. ;)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Dana.
595 reviews16 followers
September 9, 2014
Professor Adam Harkness (Hotness) is given the gift of tango lessons. Something which he deems a waste of time, time in which he could be working on either grading papers, or writing his own book so he can be published and get tenure at Columbia University. Julie Stanton walks into her first tango lesson alone, ignoring all of the work that she has to do, but is committed to keeping her promise to herself of allowing time for her to live her life and just have fun. When Adam walks into Julie's class, memories of their first meeting years back come to light. Adam was Julie's TA in college, and one afternoon, they got a little too close while he was explaining a lesson. Nothing happened, and both brushed it off and forgot about it. Except, that neither one of them did. When Julie and Adam are paired as dance partners, Adam is reluctant to warn Julie that even though this is a six week class, he will only be attending the first one. Until the night ends, and Adam realizes he wants more.
Julie agrees to keep their blossoming relationship as a kind of sex without strings deal, until Julie starts falling back in love with her Professor Hotness.
When Julie starts making plans for after the dance classes end, Adam freaks out, and cuts all ties. Julie accuses him of being afraid of living and leaves.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this novella. It is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. While the author gave the reader background knowledge on her characters, it wasn't until the end of the story that Julie and Adam learned about each other, and what they learned was why they were both so driven. Adam is working so hard so he can send money back to his mother and sisters in North Dakota after their father made some bad investments with the family farm and then passed away. Julie is escaping the girls who used to bully her mercilessly back in high school. It was so bad that she had to change schools just to finish. She vowed to never let anyone take her self-esteem away from her, and even if it hurts, to try and live the life she wants, which means to put herself out there and do. Which is great advice for all of us who have been bullied in the past. Don't let the bitches get us down.
My only complaint, and it's silly, is that the author, in describing Julie's eyes, compared them to brand new pennies. Which, I immediately thought of as copper eyes, and how creepy. I'm hoping she meant shiny and bright. But that was just my pet peeve! Otherwise, this was a sweet, romantic story.
Profile Image for Katie_la_geek.
823 reviews108 followers
September 9, 2014


For this review and more visit my blog


To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from A Lesson in Temptation. Lately a lot of the short romances I have read have been disappointing so I was unfairly expecting this to be as well. Short romances are hard to get right because they essentially rely on one thing, chemistry. You can have a perfectly written novella with well-rounded characters and an engaging storyline but if there is no chemistry in the romance then the novella is going to fall flat on its face. A Lesson in Temptation wasn’t perfect I had issues with it but the one thing it had in spades was chemistry which meant that in the end I actually quite enjoyed it.

Audra North has created a nice little story with A Lesson in Temptation and for me it ticked a lot of the boxes. I quite liked her writing style, it is easy and enjoyable. This isn’t literary fiction by any means but there is enough description and world building to give this book some depth. The storyline was sweet, it was about two people who struggle socially coming together and that really worked for me. There was no over confidence, no swagger. It was awkward and uncomfortable and nice.

The characters were also great especially Julie. She wears her heart on her sleeve and goes for what she wants even though she is afraid and knows she might get hurt. I quite admire that courage and wish more romance female characters had it. I struggled a little more with Adam. I liked him but at times thought he was the most boring man ever (which was kinda the point but still). I was put off by his arguments for why he had to work all the time and never have fun. They didn’t really make sense and it was all a little wishy-washy. But as the story moved on and the romance developed he grew on me.

The romance itself was the star of this book. As I already mentioned the chemistry was great but it was more than that. The characters fit together so well, they were good for each other and belonged together.

A Lesson in Temptation was a really nice surprise for me. it had everything I like to see in a romance book. If you are a fan of the genre then I advise you to check this out, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.



The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for LJT.
1,259 reviews2 followers
June 26, 2016
I can always turn to author Audra North when I am looking for a quick, hot read. Her novellas never fail to disappoint and A Lesson in Temptation is a welcome addition to her series, The Stanton Family. Due to the restrictiveness of a short narrative, Ms. North is always able to sustain an entertaining plot, along with characters that are well developed.

Adam Harkness, or should I say Adam Hotness, has worked very hard to achieve a place on Columbia University's faculty. He has given up all of his free time, which includes some much needed fun, for the sake of finishing his publication and supporting his family back home in North Dakota. To force Adam to loosen up and have some fun, his good friends gave him a gift of tango lessons.

In order to save herself from the bullies in high school, Julie Stanton threw herself into her studies. A little more than a few years later, she graduated from Columbia with the highest honors and is now a senior analyst with a prestigious firm in New York City. Making friends and social connections has always been difficult for Julie, yet she puts herself out there time and time again.

Adam and Julie met in college, when Adam was a TA in one of Julie's classes. Their chemistry was magnetic back then and now it is even more so, when they find each other in the same dance class.

I liked this book and the entire Stanton Family series thus far. Ms. North is a talented storyteller and her characters are always well-defined, likeable and real. I appreciated how the personal details of both Adam's and Julie's past were discovered and slowly unraveled. The more time they spent together, the more they realized a fling was not in the cards. Overall, a sexy, fast-paced, enjoyable read with a hot cover.

Complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Lola.
2,009 reviews278 followers
June 30, 2014
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

Wow this author really knows how to write novella's! Usually novella's are a bit of struggle for me, while I love how they can add to a series, I often find novella's too short or rushed. Well Audra North her novella's are nothing like that.

As soon as I picked up this book I didn't want to stop reading. The two main characters intrigued me and I liked how they coinidently met again and how that added fuel to their attraction again. While at first it sounds like the focus is mostly on the lust, there is a lot of love and depth to this story as well. Julia and Adam really get to know each other and they where so good together. Although there where some momentswhere I just wanted to shake some sense into Adam.

Even while it is a short story I still got a good idea of who the characters are and why they are the way they are. There is some background and some information about their current jobs and why they work there. I liked getting to know them and the romance was hot and well done.

I can't wait to read Audra North her other novella's in this series as well (this is the second book I read in this series) and this series certainly helped changed my opinion of novella's. There where some small references in this book to other books in this series, although I didn't got all of those as I haven't read all the other books yet.

To conclude: I really enjoyed A Lesson in Temptation and once I started reading I didn't want to stop. Audra North writes awesome novella's, they aren't rushed at all and there's a surprising amount of depth in the story. I liked both character and they where so good together.
Profile Image for Tali.
470 reviews4 followers
August 31, 2014
A free copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Lesson in Temptation is the story of Adam Harkness, a busy and highly-stressed finance professor, who reluctantly attends a series of tango lessons after he is bought them as a gift. While attending the first lesson he sees Julie Stanton, a student whom he was once attracted to but did nothing about, as he was her TA at the time.
This novella is a nice, quick read that's fairly fast-paced and so made for a nice break to read. I thought Adam and Julie had good chemistry between them, and liked that Julie wasn't a wilting wallflower, as the women often are in similar stories, and actually went for what she wanted (Adam). I also loved the fact that she had a tough time growing up and that although in Adam's eyes she's a very positive character, North has her admit that it actually takes a lot of effort for people to be happy all the time and to put themselves out there. It made the character more true to life and thus more relatable when reading the story.
I have to admit that I did get a little confused halfway through the story when one of Adam's colleagues warns him about Julie's determination, as I couldn't quite work out what the problem was or if it was even a problem at all. It never really seemed to crop up as a issue in the rest of the story so I didn't know why that conversation was included. I also thought that at times Adam was quite a boring hero, but I suppose in some ways that that was the point of the story, having him loosen up later on.
A good, quick read for the summer with a promising romance. 4 stars.
Profile Image for Jackie.
Author 9 books159 followers
April 7, 2015
A meet-cute and a second-chance story, all rolled into one brief novella. Julie Stanton had a major crush on the TA in her college Finance class, and she'd thought they'd even been on the verge of kissing once. But Adam Harkness pulled away, and Julie hasn't seen him since. Not until she decides she's been working too hard and signs up for a tango class to get a bit of fun back in her life, and discovers Professor Hotness is a student, too.

Unlike Julie, Adam would never have signed up for a dance class on his own. Not because he hates dancing, but because as a tenure-track Columbia professor, he just has too much damned work to take the time out for frivolous things like tangoing. But the head of his department, who thinks he's working too hard (? Not very likely, at least from my experiences in academia), gives the lessons to him as a gift. Tempted just to show up once and ditch it, Adam's plan changes once he and Julie are put together as partners for the six-week class.

Dancing leads to kissing leads to a no-strings affair, or at least that's what Adam thought. Julie, though, had other ideas.

This Entangled novella series features storylines with one argument between couples, an argument that is pretty easily overcome to reach the necessary happy ending. North's writing is great, though, and so are her characters. Would like something with a little more meat on its bones than what she does in this series.
Profile Image for Steph.
694 reviews14 followers
July 13, 2014
3.5 stars

Adam and Julie had an instant attraction back when Julie was a college student, Adam the TA in her class...but they denied the attraction due to their circumstances. Now, several years later when they come face to face again in a beginners Tango class and partner up, the attraction is impossible to deny. But both are workaholics now and must decide if their blooming passion is just a fling or something so much more.

I know a lot of people loved this short novella, but it was just ok for me. It is a super short fast read so there isn't a lot of character development and I thought the sex scenes were just ok...I expect a little more heat from these types of books.

My thoughts:

Quick hook or slow starter? 3.5 (It never really hooked me but the fast pace kept me reading)
Character development: 3
Level of Romance between characters: 3.5
Passion/Heat level: 4 (chemistry is undeniable but the sex scenes were just ok IMO)
Angst/Heartbreak: 3 (this is such a short book, no real time to develop angst in this one)
Cliffhanger?: Nope, all wrapped up in the end.

Overall, it wasn't my favorite but a lot of other people love this one so don't let the opinions of little old me keep you from giving it a shot.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Sapphyria  .
2,272 reviews58 followers
May 31, 2016
What happens when Adam Harkness, a college TA-turned-Professor, comes face-to-face with his former student, Julie Stanton? They dance!!

Adam was given the gift of ballroom dancing lessons from his boss. Not one to take time away from his career, he decides to show up for one class and then call it a day. That is, until a breathtaking beauty from his past enters the room. The chemistry between Adam and Julie is undeniable from the start. The second she enters the dance class the room erupts in electricity. Yet, Adam is still unsure about allowing anymore interruptions to come into his life. He's been so focused on his career that he's forgotten how to have fun. Enter Julie Stanton. She also has a great career but is more social and does her best to draw Adam out of his routine.

The author did a great job making the scenes in A Lesson in Temptation very realistic and believable. I enjoyed the plot and the reuniting of two people who were in no position to start a romance at the time being brought back together. The idea behind a dance class was unique and I enjoyed how Adam was able to look beyond his career and see that there is more to life.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher at no cost, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Maria Rose.
2,637 reviews277 followers
April 1, 2015
This is the story of Julie and Adam. They met when Adam was the teaching assistant for a finance course Julie was taking. Feelings between the two were buried until now, 3 years later and after Julie has graduated, when they encounter each other at a dance course. Can they finally open up to each other?

What a fun and entertaining read this was! The two characters involved are so different and yet both very likeable. Adam is staid, reserved, and regretting this dance class before it even starts - until he sees Julie and remembered passions come to the surface. His total focus on his career is waylaid by Julie and her determination to show him the fun he's been missing. Julie is fun, flirty, and determined to enjoy her life. Seeing Adam again and getting the chance to really know him only reinforces her attraction to him. The sexual chemistry between them is strong from the very beginning and the love scenes between them are steamy and well written. As their weekly dance classes progress, so does their relationship and the reader can't help but enjoy the changes Julie brings to Adam's life. The overall tone of the story is lighthearted and fun and adds another great chapter to the Stanton Family stories. 4 stars!
Profile Image for Angie.
2,367 reviews251 followers
December 15, 2014
A Lesson in Temptation is the best of the series, so I'm sad to see it end! Adam recently finished his doctorate, is now working as a professor, and writing a book. He has no time for fun, so the free dance lessons he received as a gift are quite the inconvenience. But the gifter is convinced that he needs to relax. Then he meets Julie...again. He TA'd for her class a few years ago, and the attraction is still there, although no longer forbidden. Adam isn't a man to take risks though, he just wants to focus on his career, and a relationship would only get in the way. Although sex after class wouldn't hurt, right?

I loved this one! It always nice to see stuffy characters finally let loose, and Adam was wound up super tight! Julie is more carefree and fun, but she's serious about her career too. She just doesn't want life to pass her by, including a possible relationship with Adam. The tango class setting was a lot of fun, and reminded me a lot of The Wedding Planner, especially when they start bickering! There was a lot of tension and a ton of chemistry between Adam and Julie, and their story was a delight to read!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Profile Image for Lee.
382 reviews32 followers
July 21, 2014
What a fun, sexy little read for my introduction to Audra North. This engaging novella managed to span a number of weeks in the telling of Julie and Adam's budding romance and I thought the story was well paced and well balanced. The characters had a sizzling chemistry between them and I enjoyed the dual point of views. Being inside their heads was fun and entertaining.

Adam was such a workaholic that he never allowed himself the time to relax, his mind always on his career, putting of the fun side of life until he had fulfilled his obligations. Julie, on the other hand, had learned some tough lessons in her school years and vowed to find the fun in life. When their two paths crossed after an encounter 3 years earlier, Julie is determined to see where her instincts would take her. Julie had her work cut out for her to get Adam to loosen up and stop overthinking their relationship, and i really liked the way it played out. I really enjoyed both of these characters.

I could have read full novel on this couple and I will definitely be going back to read about the other couples in this series.

copy kindly provided by Netgalley and the publisher/author
Profile Image for Riki.
598 reviews41 followers
July 14, 2014
Audra North can write a novella! Woo, boy- this was a good one! I loved how both lead characters came from a place of hurt and overcame their circumstances through hard work and determination to make something better for themselves. Considering the constraints of writing a novella, these characters are extremely well developed and interesting people.

Adam and Julie have a brief history with an almost-kiss, but their chemistry upon meeting again is undeniable. Adam’s reluctance to fall for Julie gave the story nice tension, and starting with a slow burn and some gentle flirting, things really heat up for them in the bedroom. It’s a fun romance with some deeper connections, and man, is it ever hot.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. It is well paced and steamy, with heart in all the right places. I haven’t read Audra North’s other Stanton Family Novellas, but I’ll definitely be heading over to check them out. If you’re looking for a quick read with all of the drama and substance of a full-length novel, check out A Lesson in Temptation. (Bonus- it’s only $0.99 on Amazon!)
Profile Image for JG.
1,494 reviews59 followers
December 15, 2014
A short story guaranteed to keep your romantic heart aflutter while revving up the heat level, A Lesson in Temptation, might give the impression that tango lessons are the way to keep the fires stoked and alive but for Adam and Julie the tango in the bedroom was the one that kept the flames burning. After three years Julie and Adam meet again, this time on equal footing or in this case beginner's class in tango. He was her TA before and her biggest crush, Julie meeting Professor Hotness signals a possible second chance at a missed romance. Adam's biggest temptation was Julie but nothing's change with his goals in life, in fact it seems to have gotten bigger with more chances at failure if he doesn't keep on track. But tango lessons with Julie makes him realize that life can only get better even with distractions. Excellently written, short but sweet with an almost erotic sensuality to it, A Lesson in Temptation is one enjoyable read.

*ARC provided for an honest review*
Profile Image for Samantha.
2,696 reviews21 followers
March 2, 2015
Fun and living life to the fullest and one time student Julie runs into Professor Hotness, once TA having no fun career driven Adam after a few years and an awkward moment have passed at Tango lessons.

It was a cute story of how a missed opportunity happened because of overthinking and second chance to get it right.

Adam has always been focused on his studies and eventually his career. After how he grew up, there just wasn't an option, he did not want to be in that position again. For Julie her high school years determined how she would be. Yes there is a time to be serious and knuckle down, but there is also enjoying life and having fun to make it all worth while.

The chemistry is off the charts between the two and it was fun to read while Julie pushes Adam out of his comfort zone. Can something that started out as a fling turn into more?
Profile Image for She Hearts Books.
2,113 reviews73 followers
July 17, 2014
Adam is a tightly wound professor that has no idea how to relax and have fun. His friends decide to gift him with dance lessons. Imagine his surprise when he arrives to discover that a former student he was attracted to is also taking the class and he ends up partnered with her.

Julie has been so caught up in working too much that she hadn't had much time for letting loose, so she decided to take dance lessons. She couldn't believe it when Professor Hotness walked through the door and back into her life. Now she just had to figure out how to get him into bed.

I loved that Julie pursued Adam and he just didn't know what to do about her. She kept him off balance. I had to laugh at the phone call with her BFF sharing the news "You'll never guess..." This was a sweet and sexy story.

I give A Lesson in Temptation 3 hearts!
Profile Image for Lori.
72 reviews
August 31, 2016
This review first appeared on my blog http://loriscreativity.blogspot.com/2... .

Would I recommend it?

Of course, I really enjoyed 'A Lesson In Temptation', I'd been in a reading rut for the past few weeks, and now I think I'm reading to get back in the habit of reading daily. If you're looking for a well written, quick read, with well-developed characters, then this is the book for you! On the other hand, if you're not a fan of romance, sex, or cursing, you probably don't wanna read this book because it contains a lot of that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for giving me the opportunity to discover a great author, and possibly a new love for novella's!
Profile Image for Jina.
501 reviews5 followers
July 11, 2014
* I will try not to include spoilers.

A Lesson In Temptation by Audra North

Adam Harkness a focused workaholic was given a gift certificate for Tango lessons.When he walks into the classroom he sees Julie Stanton, a woman from his past. He was the TA in the class she was in, more than three years ago. She was the only student he was drawn to.

Julie Stanton a driven career woman who is determined to enjoy life, never thought she would see Adam (Professor Hotness) in Tango for Beginners.

When the two become dance partners they learn more then just how to Tango.

I enjoyed this story. It was a quick read that held my interest from beginning to end.

* Feel free to check out my blog:

http://wicked-blogs.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Rhiannon Overby.
785 reviews22 followers
July 18, 2014
While this novella is part of a series, it also works as a stand alone.

Adam is a workaholic that won't anything interfere with his plans, including Julie the woman that he's wanted for years. When the two are brought together during a tango class, the sparks and sexual tension start to fly.

A lesson in Temptation is a short easy to read novella, that is HOT from the start; full of sexual tension and vivid imagery. The POV in this story is switched between Julie and Adam at just the right places, which makes the story flow quite easily. The only draw back for me was Adams character and her laser focus on the "plan"; there were so many times that I just wanted to jump through the book and shake him.

*I received a ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion*
Profile Image for Kassiah.
803 reviews83 followers
June 21, 2016
4 stars.

This review also appears on Pretty Sassy Cool.

I liked this one even more than Healing Her Heart. This is a super quick read, too, with characters you'll be rooting for. Adam has been all about his career. When he goes to take dance lessons, he runs into his old student, Julie. He thought she was hot when he was her TA and he couldn't do anything about it. He can do something now...

This was a fast, sexy read. There's a little more story here than in the previous novellas in this series, and I loved it even more for that. If you're looking for a sweet read with characters you'll like and fun, sexy times, grab A Lesson in Temptation.
Profile Image for Alex (HEABookNerd).
2,462 reviews
August 7, 2021
Not a bad finish to the Stanton Family, but much like the first one, it doesn’t really offer anything that I haven’t read a hundred times. A quick and easy read but nothing special.

I liked Julie and her passion for life. She wasn’t afraid to go out there and try new things and to make herself vulnerable. She was a mature young woman who really had her life together. The romance isn’t too bad and I enjoyed the spice the tango lessons added, though I would have loved more from the lessons, page space is limited in a novella so you can only have so much. There wasn’t anything that made this novella stand out from everything else out there. It was pretty predictable and standard for a fling to love romance.
Profile Image for Janet.
1,543 reviews14 followers
July 23, 2014
This was a short read that really brought the heat. Sparks fly between the lead couple from the very first pages, and their relationship escalates quickly. Erotica in novella format sometimes suffers from a lack of balance between characters, story and sex - that was not the case here. This is number 4 in the Stanton series, and though it could stand alone, do yourself the favor of reading the series. Ms. North creates very multi-faceted characters, her storyline, as always, was complete and included important back story, and her hot, steamy sex scenes actually moved the story along.
*I received my copy from NetGalley,com in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Maria .
2,492 reviews23 followers
July 20, 2014
This story of Adam and Julie, I thoroughly enjoyed. Adam, has had no personal life because has been too busy because instead he has worked very hard in his life to be one of the most respected finance professor in the world.

I love the fact that he received a gift of tango lessons from a friend and decides to attend at least one class so that he does not hurt anyones feelings. Little did he know.

Julie Stanton signs up for tango lessons. Little did she know she would come across the college professor she used to have a crush on. He is partnered with her for these tango lessons.
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews41 followers
July 10, 2014
A fun sexy read that was completely entertaining and reminds us to enjoy life. Julie has learned from her past how important it is to step back and enjoy a bit of life. Adam believes the only way to get ahead and have the security he desperately craves is to stay focused with no distractions. He finds that hard to do with Julie around though. I highly recommend this one as well as the other Stanton Novellas. Great reads, well written with great characters.
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