What do you think?
Rate this book
Clemens Sisters #4
Temptation
A deliciously steamy novel from one of the hottest stars in historical erotica, Leda Swann’s Temptation continues the sensuous saga of the Clemens family, whose boudoir exploits were previously recounted in Mistress, Captive, and The Price of Desire. An author who continues to enjoy serious buzz on the popular Ellora’s Cave, Swann once again takes romance to blistering new heights in this titillating tale of a proper miss whose “pen pal” correspondences with a sexy soldier get progressively more explicit, leading them both into shocking and scandalous Temptation.
267 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2009
4 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Leda Swann
27 books40 followersLeda Swann is the writing duet of Cathy and Brent. We write out of our home overlooking the sea in peaceful New Zealand. When not writing we have busy lives bringing up four children and enjoying an adventurous outdoor life that ranges from the mountains to the sea.
We often get asked how our name Leda Swann came about. When we decided to write an erotic romance together we wanted a sexy name. We discussed how the Greek gods made for themselves a pretty good time of things, so a name from Greek mythology would be good. In any case, the word erotic comes from the Greek 'erotikos' and 'eros', meaning sexual love. We just needed to find a name that was more or less easily pronounceable. The tale of Leda and the Swan came to mind, and so Leda Swann was born.
We often get asked how our name Leda Swann came about. When we decided to write an erotic romance together we wanted a sexy name. We discussed how the Greek gods made for themselves a pretty good time of things, so a name from Greek mythology would be good. In any case, the word erotic comes from the Greek 'erotikos' and 'eros', meaning sexual love. We just needed to find a name that was more or less easily pronounceable. The tale of Leda and the Swan came to mind, and so Leda Swann was born.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 22, 2022
This book is a good erotica (way better than the previous book I read in the series, 'Mistress'). The plotline is somewhat believable, and I like the author's writing style. It has one main couple, Beatrice and Captain Percival, and two other minor couples. Everyone gets their sexy times and happily ever after. What more do you ask from erotica?
April 30, 2015
Eh, whatever. The plot was silly & much of the dialogue bordered on awful. But for all the doofy convos & clunky, cheesy sex (that voyeuristic carriage driver was especially ridiculous), Temptation is by far the best of the three Swann novels I've tried. This one, at least, had a trio of couples that were slightly interesting (though predictable) & a developmental arc that wasn't repeatedly bludgeoned with the stupid stick. Compared to the nonsensical rubbish of Captive & the repetitive hyper-horndog buffoonery of Mistress, Temptation is positively Dickensian.
I don't recommend it, but I've read worse...so I'll round up to a 3. (Hey, at least it made me laugh. Surely that's worth the extra star? :P)
I don't recommend it, but I've read worse...so I'll round up to a 3. (Hey, at least it made me laugh. Surely that's worth the extra star? :P)
Read
November 28, 2022big ol' MEH
December 16, 2009
Beatrice Clemens loves working as a nurse in London, England where she is respected and loved by her patients. She considers herself to be a pragmatist, a woman who doesn’t have her head up in the clouds, and believes a marriage of convenience will be the best thing. The man she sets her sights on is Dr. Hyde, the recent addition to the hospital Beatrice works at. She doesn’t have any tender feelings for the doctor, even though her best friend Lenora seems to care more for the doctor than Beatrice does. But if Dr. Hyde does ask her for her hand, she will accept his proposal.
While Beatrice has little free time, she makes sure to write letters to her younger brother, Teddy, who is a solider in South Africa on the Boer War front. Teddy is friends with another lonely solider, a Captain Percival Carterton, who also longs for letters from a pretty girl. Beatrice and Percival begin a correspondence and after months, both have become more than pen pals. Percival has fallen in love with Beatrice through her letters and when he returns to England, he will ask Beatrice to marry him.
When Percival is hurt during a battle and loses contact with Beatrice, she begins to second guess her feelings for this man who writes such passionate yet naughty letters. She will no longer write to him, especially after Dr. Hyde proposes marriage to her. Now Beatrice is so confused because Percival has awakened deep desires with in her. And when Percival shows up on her front steps and wants to also marry her, she must make a hard decision that will affect her future. Percival won’t let Beatrice go without a fight and will use everything in his power to make her see that she belongs to him and no other man.
Leda Swann is known for writing very erotic and passionate tales and with Temptation she builds upon these lusty feelings Beatrice and Percival have for one another through the written word. Some readers may find it a bit unbelievable that two people can come to care and long for one another without ever meeting, but this is a fantasy after all and you do root for Percival to win Beatrice because these two are very endearing and overall wonderful people.
There is really no reason for Beatrice to reject Percival even though she does every chance she can get. Percival is very skilled at showing Beatrice that his passion for her is very real and those scenes excite and are everything you would expect in an erotic romance such as this. Beatrice may act prim and proper, but the moment she is in Percival’s arms, she becomes very wanton and exactly what Percival wants. Watching Beatrice succumb to Percival is the reason to read Temptation.
Temptation is a short and fast read where a man and woman’s passions for one another brings to light that love and desire are just as important as having a stable future in the arms of the one you can find true happiness with.
While Beatrice has little free time, she makes sure to write letters to her younger brother, Teddy, who is a solider in South Africa on the Boer War front. Teddy is friends with another lonely solider, a Captain Percival Carterton, who also longs for letters from a pretty girl. Beatrice and Percival begin a correspondence and after months, both have become more than pen pals. Percival has fallen in love with Beatrice through her letters and when he returns to England, he will ask Beatrice to marry him.
When Percival is hurt during a battle and loses contact with Beatrice, she begins to second guess her feelings for this man who writes such passionate yet naughty letters. She will no longer write to him, especially after Dr. Hyde proposes marriage to her. Now Beatrice is so confused because Percival has awakened deep desires with in her. And when Percival shows up on her front steps and wants to also marry her, she must make a hard decision that will affect her future. Percival won’t let Beatrice go without a fight and will use everything in his power to make her see that she belongs to him and no other man.
Leda Swann is known for writing very erotic and passionate tales and with Temptation she builds upon these lusty feelings Beatrice and Percival have for one another through the written word. Some readers may find it a bit unbelievable that two people can come to care and long for one another without ever meeting, but this is a fantasy after all and you do root for Percival to win Beatrice because these two are very endearing and overall wonderful people.
There is really no reason for Beatrice to reject Percival even though she does every chance she can get. Percival is very skilled at showing Beatrice that his passion for her is very real and those scenes excite and are everything you would expect in an erotic romance such as this. Beatrice may act prim and proper, but the moment she is in Percival’s arms, she becomes very wanton and exactly what Percival wants. Watching Beatrice succumb to Percival is the reason to read Temptation.
Temptation is a short and fast read where a man and woman’s passions for one another brings to light that love and desire are just as important as having a stable future in the arms of the one you can find true happiness with.
November 8, 2019
The first half was fun and threw me right into the fantasy. The sex scenes were hot but the second half got a bit ridiculous. I kept reading and enjoyed the ride but the fact that realism was thrown to the wind kind of knocked it down a star. The other two pointless B-plots also kicked it down a star. BUT, it's a quick read and has enough hotness to redeem it.
June 17, 2024
Like it!
Epistolary. Forced proximity. Soldier &Nurse. +2 secondary couples.
Epistolary. Forced proximity. Soldier &Nurse. +2 secondary couples.
December 24, 2022
overtones of imperialism
March 23, 2024
some spoilers follow:
(1) fun that the pen name is Leda Swann, when in greek mythology Zeus seduces the lovely Leda by taking the guise of a swan.
(2) furious with Carterton for bullying Beatrice and only deciding to listen to her AFTER he ruins her. once he's stripped all of her protections away, THEN he decides maybe they aren't the right match for each other.
(3) some lovely atmosphere. i especially liked how it began as an episotlary novel. i did wonder if the first part could have been completely epistolary—with things hinted at, upping the tension, much like the beginning of laura kinsale's amazing my sweet folly.
(4) the Sexualitiez went from 0 to 11 in a blink of an eye. that felt jarring instead of hot. i would have liked to see percy's letters more subtly introduce his passion. in Teh Reel World do we think it would have been the thing for him to start talking sex with an unknown lady right off the bat? without her COMPLETELY freaking out? hmmm. i'm not saying it COULDN'T happen, but i think it would have been EXCEEDINGLY RARE, so i wish the author had worked on that transition a little better. also, he suddenly and completely falls in love with her after one innocuous letter, which made things feel . . . forced, like the author had decided where the major plot beats had to happen but didn't do the work to convince us we'd gotten there organically. but so much of the atmosphere was just beautiful that this major mistep felt like a missed opportunity instead of garbage.
(5) i liked the idea of having other couples come together on the side to augment the story, but it felt too convenient/insta-lovey. what could have enriched the novel was too cheaply slapped on.
still, this is a good read, but with many problems.
(1) fun that the pen name is Leda Swann, when in greek mythology Zeus seduces the lovely Leda by taking the guise of a swan.
(2) furious with Carterton for bullying Beatrice and only deciding to listen to her AFTER he ruins her. once he's stripped all of her protections away, THEN he decides maybe they aren't the right match for each other.
(3) some lovely atmosphere. i especially liked how it began as an episotlary novel. i did wonder if the first part could have been completely epistolary—with things hinted at, upping the tension, much like the beginning of laura kinsale's amazing my sweet folly.
(4) the Sexualitiez went from 0 to 11 in a blink of an eye. that felt jarring instead of hot. i would have liked to see percy's letters more subtly introduce his passion. in Teh Reel World do we think it would have been the thing for him to start talking sex with an unknown lady right off the bat? without her COMPLETELY freaking out? hmmm. i'm not saying it COULDN'T happen, but i think it would have been EXCEEDINGLY RARE, so i wish the author had worked on that transition a little better. also, he suddenly and completely falls in love with her after one innocuous letter, which made things feel . . . forced, like the author had decided where the major plot beats had to happen but didn't do the work to convince us we'd gotten there organically. but so much of the atmosphere was just beautiful that this major mistep felt like a missed opportunity instead of garbage.
(5) i liked the idea of having other couples come together on the side to augment the story, but it felt too convenient/insta-lovey. what could have enriched the novel was too cheaply slapped on.
still, this is a good read, but with many problems.
March 11, 2010
I really enjoyed the dialogue and male character in this novel. However like the preious book in this series, I found the female lead to be a bit bipolar-very fractured and peevish 95% of the time and wholly unbelievable as she was offered everything she could want on a platter, only to play the DO I or DONT I Game...I wanted to smack her several times. Disappointing because the book had much promise. As I said I enjoyed the dialogue and the interesting premise. However, I like stronger female leads; truly strong from their core, not silly ninnies.
January 17, 2016
I'm giving this four stars because the characters and plot were very well done. A young nurse in Regency England writes to a soldier stationed in South Africa during the Boer War. At first very innocent and then the letters get really steamy; the man falls in love and seeks her out in London when he returns from the war. Reading the letters was fun- other nurses/friends also get into it by writing to other soldiers as well. There's a lot of sex- but something was lacking on that front- foreplay to be honest. I guess the letters were the foreplay.
August 4, 2011
Beatrice, Caroline's sister from the Price of Desire, intends to wed a stodgy doctor, then begins writing baudy letters to her brother Teddy's soldier friend Percy, never expecting him to actually show up. She isn't as full a character as CAroline was, nor is Percy as convincing as Caroline's Dominic. The resloution wasn't convincing to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 3, 2013Worst book ever. I can't even believe I thought it sounded good it seemed slapped together, Ill plotted and crude. I threw the book away couldn't get it gone fast enough, thank god it was only a dollar.
April 1, 2012
I love epistolary books but this one left me disinterested. Though it was well-written I felt that the characters lacked tension between each other.
April 9, 2012
This book was boring and very drawn out. Like reading a soap opera, You know could miss a week and still know what was going on. Well you could skip pages in this not miss anything.
January 8, 2017
what was this i don't even know
March 11, 2012
I liked it:)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews