Tempest in Eden

by Sandra Brown

Opposites attract when a nude art model sets out to seduce a conservative minister who disapproves of her profession but can't seem to resist her.Renowned artist's model Shay Morrison thinks nothing of exposing her body to inspire great works of art. But hidden inside her, where no one can see, is the pain of a failed marriage. Then, while visiting a weekend cabin, she accidentally walks in on Ian Douglas as he steps out of the shower. Every gorgeous bit of him is immediately apparent -- as is his disapproval of Shay. What isn't so obvious is his Ian is a minister in a straitlaced community. Challenged and hurt, Shay decides to seduce him. But waiting for her are the traps of her own weaknesses and the potent force of attraction . . . as a woman with a troubled past tries to understand a man different from anyone she has known before, and new feelings rise from her heart

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Harlequin, Chick Lit

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1983

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[*TANYA* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dare I say this is probably one of Sandra's worst books ever!!! Shay was one of the most infuriating, immature book characters, I could not stand her!!!!

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesefest. Wonder does she feel embarrassed with her earlier books!

[Vintage · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sandra Brown needs to stick to murder, rape and sexual abuse because her icky early romances are eye searingly damaging.

The heroine is a "free" spirit that is irrepressible and irresistible...or at least she thinks she is. This was written before the term "manic pixie girl" came out, but this free spirit is the MPG's predecessor just broken out of the 1970s male chauvinist pig Brut era.


People use the more politically correct and boring patriarchy now, but back then was male chauvinist pig and usually with a hairy chest.


She's also a model that occasionally models in the nude but only for real artists nothing smutty so hurray for a little slut shaming after all. I really wanted someone to pull out a trucking calendar and have her be Miss July, but I DNF'd and doubt it would have happened anyway. Anyhoo, she's essentially the female equivalent of a Rico Suave Greek tycoon who just knows he's irresistible to women. When she meets the H as he gets out of the shower, she's infuriated he wasn't attracted to her and that he felt remotely uncomfortable having an imperfect stranger see him nude. She feels bad for a minute when she finds out he's a minister then sets her priorities straight and feels he knowingly duped her by climbing out of the shower nude and wet instead of with robes and a collar on. That's not really an exxageration either. She sets out to seduce him just to prove a point.

I finally had to DNF shortly after when her mother asks her if she's wearing a bra (of course not...see free spirit) and then....I have to write it...says her dewdrops are showing.

Dewdrops. Finally a term that puts pillow friend in the backseat as worst term EVER.

Dated role reversal romance: heroine is the smarmy seducer; hero is the uptight moral minister damsel.

[Ренета Кирова · Rating 3 out of 5]

Романтична история с ретро звучене. Навярно през 80-те години, когато е написана книгата, взаимоотношенията са били такива. Хареса ми най-вече началото на книгата, когато Ян и Шей се запознаха. Двамата са пълна противоположност. Ян е пастор, а Шей – актов модел на художници, която не се срамува от тялото си. Как може да се съвмести религиозния морал с тази професия, още повече когато има предразсъдъци? Двамата трябваше да се преборят с това, за да бъдат заедно. Диалозите бяха леки и неангажиращи, без задълбочаване. Самата книжка се чете бързо и няма много задълбаване в характерите на героите. Четивото е непретенциозно.

[Joyceee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant and heart-stopping turn of events. I really loved the story, especially the conflict between Shay and Ian's religious belief. It only reflects that a person can change in any ways and ready to give up everything just to make his/her partner happy even if those special things would mean so much.
Acceptance, sacrifice, humility, love, and putting God first in your life will be the perfect formula for a long and lasting relationship with the one you really love no matter how long or how fast things can be.

I don't care how/what other people's view about Sandra Brown's work. But I am definitely a fan of hers and love every romantic novels that she had written.

[MBR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tempest in Eden is one of those books that I have missed out on in my quest to read all the titles by Sandra Brown. This one came to my notice I think through Amazon that does a wonderful job out of emptying my credit card every month by suggesting books that I definitely MUST have, most of which I never end up reading due to time constraints.

Tempest in Eden tells the story of Shay Morrison, whose mother recently gets remarried. Meeting her stepbrother turns out to be one hell of an encounter, when she sees the man in the shower, completely naked, spellbinding Shay by the complete and utter deliciousness of his physique.

From the moment Shay and Ian meet, it’s a clash of wills between the model that poses nude, someone who has no qualms about showing off parts of her body and Ian who is a Minister, who has devoted his life to serving God. Shay turns into a completely different person around Ian, her need to move past the indifference he shows towards her body and attempts to bring him to heel making her more frustrated and prone to childish tantrums than she believes herself possible.

Tempest in Eden throws the hero and heroine into an intriguing scenario. A clash of wills as well as a clash of beliefs takes place. Shay is quick to anger, because she always ends up being defensive about her life and the career she has chosen. Her defensiveness and the walls she has built around her heart also stems from her past marriage, a marriage that had left its emotional mark on her.

I loved Ian as a hero. He is gentle in his soul, understanding even when Shay tests his patience every now and again with her temper and physically a demanding lover who cannot get enough of the woman who holds him enslaved. I cannot say that I fell in love with Shay. There were times when I felt like shaking some sense into her and then there was the latter part of the story where she grew up and made me fall for her character, just a little.

This might not be the best of Sandra’s work, but her talent nevertheless shines through in this short novel. A bit flowery in prose for my tastes perhaps, but the one thing that has held constant in her past novels, something that I miss in her present ones is that Sandra always manages to capture in her novels the essence of a wildly hedonistic sexual attraction that practically robs two people of their very breath in their desire to consume one another. And that is an emotion that is rarely captured in novels of today.

Recommended for fans of Sandra Brown.

Rating = 3.5/5

For more reviews & quotes, visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com

[Debby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read 30 pages or so of this book and I already can’t stand the h. She really gets on my nerves.

She goes to meet the new husband of her mother and his son (the H) for the first time. When her mother says that she can see her daughter’s nipples under that shirt and she asks her daughter to wear a bra under her shirt before dinner, she asks her mother if her mother is embarassed of her. She’s so annoying.

What makes it worse, at least for me, is that she is a nude model. And not only that, she hardly knows the H (only for a few hours), she knows he is a pastor/minister and she keeps flaunting her breasts and even talks to him about her breasts.

He is a widower and she is divorced. That first day she tells the H that she is beautiful and that her body is perfectly proportioned.

*Update after wrestling through 70 pages of this book:

She is so desperate for attention from the H that the next day she leaves her panties in the bathroom she shares with him and she shows him her nude photos. She steps into his bed naked while he is sleeping.

Ughh. This h is the worst h ever. 🤮

DNF. She’s a desperate, attention seeking idiot. It’s unbearable.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I know a lot of people didn't because the romance and marriage happen pretty quick, but that wasn't the point of this story. Yes, it was quick, but the struggle was in the post-marriage relationship. How could she handle being a pastor's wife? Would it work between them? I really enjoyed how Ms. Brown portrayed his life as a pastor, and the tension that escalated between them. It was a nice little book, and the ending was quite good. All in all, a pleasant and unique read.

[Bona Caballero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta es otra de esas novelitas genéricas que publicó Sandra Brown en los años ochenta. La sacó en diciembre de 1983 en la línea Second Chance, la n.º 164.
Shay Morrison siempre ha tenido mucho desparpajo, trabajando como modelo de desnudos artísticos. Cuando conoce a Ian Douglas, tan estirado y pudibundo, no puede evitar tentarle, aunque después de un matrimonio fracasado, ella no se vea en otra relación. Es un poco enemies to lovers, y también opuestos que se atraen. Porque… ¿no lo he dicho? Él es pastor protestante, y de una parroquia algo conservadora.
Me gustó las veces que la he leído. Para mí que pasa el corte, es de las que se pueden leer,… siempre que tengas presente que salió hace casi cuarenta años.
Crítica más amplia, en mi blog.

[Rbeey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Date: 10/28/2008

"Food for the Romantic Gods
Eureka!
This true Romantic has found the mother load..It's food for the Romantic Gods!
QUESTION: what's more precious than all the Gold in Fort Knoxs' ...?!
ANSWER: a True to life love story, that you can sink your teeth into & enjoy each delectable,delicious tasty morsel bite...yummieee!
Tempest in Eden by Sandra Brown is a gold mine of love you'll forever cherish.

Wow talk about SIN-suality at it's best, I like the Hero (Ian)truly his character spoke volumes oppose to the person he is and was. Especially,when you think of the old adage NEVER JUDGE A BOOK By it's Cover! Can you say HOTTIE...a lover likes to no other...pleazze to me it was even a bigger turn on that he was a man of the cloth so to speak(teehee!)Nor did it take away from the story that the setting was of a another time or age...heyyy that made it all the Better for this Romantic!

What a guy!!! I must admit the beginning of the story did throw me for a loop but this READ is a keepsake. I love how Ms. Brown handle the two lovers head on, in this love story...I'm sooo glad she didn't choke-up or shy away from telling it like it is!
Superbly &wonderful was this classy story told.

Most of all Ms. Brown was True to the feelings of how a man &woman should feel regardless of religion or back ground., with matters of true love are in the mix. I got such a FEEL GOOD feeling ,when Shay...(I love that name!) found herself and grew. You go girl...NOW...that's what I'm talking about...yesss!
I read this Love story twice,and I promise you it wont be my last !!!
THANKS Ms. Brown for the sweet & tasty lovely treat for it fed my fires,passions & desires most complete!"

[kimberly_rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm vaguely offended by this book... (but mollified by the ending and a few redeeming scenes). Was it Shay's objectification of herself? Was it the emphasis on looks for both the man and woman? Was it the over-the-top perfectly loving community in which the annoying minister lived and worked? Was it the way I didn't believe in their love?

But I still liked this story; I read it voraciously, because, despite not liking either MCs, it was written with a 'I gotta see where this FuckedUpCheeze goes!' style. And the perfect(ly annoying) man did sincerely apologize in the end for an asshat move. And the heroine did mature a bit (but was still dangerously dependent on another for her life-enjoyment).

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites. A divorced wild child meets a widowed minister. This is further complicated by the fact that the minister’s widowed father is married to the wild child’s widowed mother. It’s a story of how relationships can sometimes be strengthened by opposites.

[Tiny Shen 沈帝妮 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tempest in Eden ~ Sandra Brown 🌟🌟

Shay Morrison mengunjungi Ibunya yang baru menikah lagi dan berkenalan dgn ayah tirinya. Selain itu, Ayah tiri Shay juga mengundang putranya berkunjung, Ian Douglas.

Dalam akhir pekan bersama ini Shay ingin menarik perhatian Ian. Dan mencoba mengganggu Ian dgn profesinya. Ian adalah Pendeta dan Shay adalah model telanjang.

Setelah akhir pekan berakhir, Ian akhirnya mencari Shay. Tapi sifat Shay ini bener-bener kekanakan. Ian saja berharap bisa menjalin hubungan dgn Shay hanya saja Shay masih ingin tarik ulur. Selalu berprasangka buruk juga. Padahal Ian sudah siap menerima Shay apa adanya, Shay tidak siap dan tidak mau berkompromi. 🙄

Yah meski happy ending entah kenapa bacaan ini tidak meninggalkan kesan yang positif bagi saya.

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although forewarned about the time period that this book is set in, I found the morals of the time refreshing rather than limiting. Still, Ms. Brown manages to get in far too many sex scenes until I came to the conclusion the book was more about sex than love. Shay is very immature and into manipulation. I didn't like her from the get-go. The premise of having a free spirit attempt to mesh with the life of a minister, who comes across as somewhat conventional, was the ony interesting part of the book. Too bad it took second place to the rest.

[thevibe300 · Rating 1 out of 5]

decenii de literatura feminista nu o sa ma mai spele de pacatul de a fi citit aceasta … doamne fereste nu credeam ca sandra e asa conservatoare

[Leslie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am about halfway through this book and if it were any longer than it is I would just give it up. As it is, the only reason I am continuing to read it is that I don’t think it is fair to give a negative review on a book I have not finished. At this point, one star would be generous.

The book begins with me hating the heroine. Shay walks in on her new step-brother, naked, coming out of the shower. She feels totally comfortable with this and stares at him and then taunts him for being so self-conscious. Really, must we always begin these books with one of the leads being a complete caricature? It turns out she is a nude model and he is a minister. Their parents have just married and they are to spend the weekend together. She spends the weekend as a spoiled child trying to use her body to entice him to cave to his male impulses. She brings in her portfolio of nude photos and taunts him to view it. When he admires the artists and not her body, she gets drunk and climbs into bed nude with him. I believe she is supposed to be in her 30s. Right. Oh, but the author does make a point to say she is not loose, and that she has not been physically involved with anyone since her failed marriage. Well this makes her behavior okay then…NOT.

After all of this, she gets offended that he asked her mother about her. This book is getting harder and harder to stick with. We all know they will end up together, so I imagine the author will give her some redeeming qualities, just none that I have noticed so far. I am having a difficult time waiting for these qualities to show themselves. The h & h are attracted to each other. It isn’t getting better. They have now gone out on a date. She runs into a sleezy photographer that she had turned down for a ‘modeling’ job. She leaves the date, and melodramatically thinks, “no doubt he now saw her as an instrument of the devil.” Uck.

We are nearing the end of the book. The minister is counseling one of his parishioners late into the night and she interrupts him with an emergency message, a note that says she is waiting in bed for him. Later they quarrel and he tells her how serious the man’s issues were. Her response is that she needs him too and his wife should come first. He says, “No, God comes first.” She bursts into tears and locks herself into the bathroom. Really? She marries a minister and this response shocks her? Of course they make up, but…

Okay, I have finished the book. This is the best thing I can say in this review.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shay's mother marries Ian's father. They meet in the bathroom as Ian is stepping out of the shower. Shay is a nude model while Ian is a minister. She teases, taunts, and tempts him tenaciously. He keeps showing his ministerial side and proving Shay right. Eventually he acknowledges his feelings for Shay, and they begin seeing each other. When emotions are about to explode one night, Ian asks Shay to marry him. While life is good for a while, Shay takes a job and Ian blows up. Will they make their way back to each other or go their separate ways?

I enjoyed this story. Shay just keeps on getting under Ian's skin as he does hers. It was delightful to watch their differences make them more attracted to each other. Shay had her doubts about the two of them together, but it works until she takes the job. I understood Shay's reaction. They never talked about her job before they married. Ian was judgmental towards her job and, as a result, her. Shay is a good, generous person. She sees needs and finds ways to meet those needs. She does it without Ian telling her this is what a minister's wife does. She is spot on and able to step in when Ian is not there. I liked her a lot. Ian needed his behind kicked once or twice.

This book was written in 1983 when romances were getting hotter. The love scenes did not end at the bedroom door but instead went into the bedroom. The language was getting away from euphemisms. This is a book that goes from the tame stories of the early 1970's and back to the more realistic books of today. This is part of the history of the changes of romance novels. The story is as contemporary as anything today, but it shows the evolution of romance novels. A choice read!

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while, I like to pick a book from my older purchases that I have not yet listened to. Sandra Brown is always a favorite listen of mine, and this book was just what I was looking for. Shay and Ian are introduced for the first time when Shay goes home to meet her new stepfather. Ian is her stepbrother, and immediately you can feel that tension between them. When it comes to light that Ian is a minister and Shay is a nude model, the tension becomes thicker, but is it sexual tension or disapproval? These two dance around each other and all you can do is smile as you listen to it. I love how Sandra Brown can take the characters like Shay and Ian, and show growth, maturity and acceptance as the book goes on. With circumstances like these two have, and such different lives, it was interesting how things finally come together. Slightly dated in storyline, it still is entertaining. With a narrator like Renee Raudman at the mic, you know you are in for a pleasurable listen.

[Jacqueline J]

the premise was interesting but right off the bat the heroine lacked the courage of her convictions. She was all embarrassed about being racy and saucy as soon as she found out he was a minister. If you're comfortable with who you are then you would be comfortable no matter who you were speaking to.

[Angela Ormson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book

I have always loved this book since I first read it nearly ten years ago. It had gotten lost when I moved so I searched tirelessly to find it again. Shay and Ian's love story is so captivating because there is such a realistic tone to it between both of them being so headstrong and learning to bend and compromise. I highly recommend it.

[Lucy Eleazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might be kind of stereotyped but I truly enjoyed it. Perfect development of the characters as they meet each other, different as hell and finally change their principles and beliefs to conform to each other, convinced by the deeper power of love.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good purse book. Easy enough to pick up and put down. Very quick read.

[Rochelle Lockyer nesbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

ehh. it's what i expected. NOT one of the good suspense/thriller romance typical of Sandra Brown.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm past the sappy romantic age! I'll stick to S. Brown's suspense books.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters

Love the characters of this book. So different in their beliefs but can still co exist in a relationship. Loved it.

[Sue Perkinson Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, loved the characters

[NaNa Shenelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

What are you doing stepbro? A book on how to tease. There was so much possibility for this book but it continuously failed to deliver. I was physically rolling my eyes in annoyance. I appreciate the disclosure in the beginning of the book because it allowed me to prep myself for what I was about to read. I think that it’s pretty interesting to be the early works of someone and it reads as an early work. I’m excited to see how the author grew with her story telling and ideas in her newer works.

The book did really good at making the reader want more. Making them a little eager to know how the story would progress. However, towards the end it increasingly got predictable and the last bit of the book was more of fluff.

As for the rating I give it less than three stars because I will not be reading it again or recommending to someone. Sadly it’s going to my dust collector pile.

[JillyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and could only remember a few details. I actually thought it was a HP book so I posted in that forum and someone was able to tell me right away based on my description.

This was a 5 in my memory and a 3 after reading again. So, I think 4 is a good score.

In my memory, the heroine was more “innocent”. After reading it now, I see that the heroine can be a little irritating and very immature for a woman who is in her late 20’s or maybe 30. The things she did to get a “rise” out of the hero were at times inexcusable. With that being said, I still enjoyed the angst throughout the story and the tension between the two. The heroine ended up being a better person in the end as well.

[Latonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opposites Can Attract

If I went by the reviews I would have missed out on this hidden gem. Shay and Ian had a huge dislike for one another which was interesting to see them go back and forth. At first I didn’t see how a nude model and a minister could work out but it did. It was nice to see Shay go from being a spoiled brat to a mature woman with Ian. Her free spirit helped loosen him up. They truly complement each other. It was a unique love story I’ve never come across before. I rented this book from my library and I’m going to purchase it. It’s one of my favorites from Sandra Brown and see myself reading this occasionally. I liked this from beginning until end and it gets 5 stars from me.

[Janet Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This romance novel is okay, but the characters are a little wimpy. I'm not saying this because the male protagonist is a minister.
Ian Douglas is also a prude because Shay Morrison is an artists' model. Yes, she frequently poses in the nude, but it is business-only for her.
Once he overcomes his bias in favor of love, the story is pretty good. I find Sandra Brown's early "romance only" books to be a bit simplistic.
Nevertheless, I have yet to pass up one of her books, as she is a very good writer. And, as this story proves, she doesn't shun controversial issues