Tempt Me If You Can

Sinclair Brothers #2

by Janet Chapman

In the heartwarming yet sizzling sequel to The Man Must Marry, Ben Sinclair falls for the one woman he had never expected to love—and learns about the son he never knew he had.

He'll play by her rules until she falls for him...hook, line and sinker.

When an anonymous letter stuns shipping magnate and confirmed bachelor Ben Sinclair with the news that he has a teenage son, he's determined to make good on the past. But Emma Sands doesn't trust him.

The beautiful, fiery blonde has raised her nephew in the peaceful woods of Maine since he was five, and just because fifteen-year-old Michael is the spitting image of his tall, handsome father doesn't give Ben the right to march in and change their lives forever. Or so she thinks, until his return mysteriously unearths a dangerous small-town secret.

With Michael's help, Ben will do whatever it takes to prove to fiercely independent Emma that he can be the fearless protector she never knew she wanted... and the passionate lover she always thought she could resist.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks

342 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 2010

About the author

January 22, 1956 – October 28, 2017

Hey guys its Jessica. Sorry I’ve been MIA for so long. I apologize for the long overdue wait for Janet’s next book. You’ve all been very patient and loyal fans that she loves. She has been working on this book over the last year and a half while dealing with her battle with cancer. It saddens me to say that she peacefully lost this battle this past weekend while her family was by her side. I apologize if this feels sudden, she was a very private person even to her family. And she truly thought of all of you as her family. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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

Janet Chapman is the author of twenty-two contemporary and magical romance novels, all of which are set in her beautiful state of Maine. She lives in a cozy log home on a beautiful lake with her husband, surrounded by an eclectic assortment of wildlife that she finds both entertaining and inspiring. Probably best known for her Highlander Series (a saga of twelfth century warriors rebuilding their clans in modern-day Maine that now spans three generations), Janet also has two spin-off magical series (Midnight Bay & Spellbound Falls) and several contemporary family series set on the coast and in the mountains. With over three million books printed in six languages, her stories regularly appear on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller’s lists.

When she’s not writing (well, when she should to be writing but isn’t), Janet and her husband are traveling the state in their camper throughout all four seasons; hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and generally rubbing elbows with Mother Nature while always keeping an eye out for colorful new characters—human and beast—to put in her stories.

author's obituary

Reviews

[BookLover · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Try as I might, I can't read your mind. But I do know mine. You belong to me, Emma Sands, just as much as Mike does."

I originally read this early last year and I found the re-read delightful. I seem to be drawn to the comfort of re-reading my favourites lately, despite the HUGE pile of new books in my to-read pile. I am a BIG fan of Janet Chapman. She is one of my favourite authors and I love diving into her make-believe worlds.

Tempt Me If You Can is the second book in the Sinclair Brothers trilogy. In this book, we reconnected with perpetual bachelor Ben Sinclair, who had just found out he had a 15 year old son that had been kept from him. He set off to Maine to try to build a relationship with his son, Michael. There, he encountered Michael’s aunt, Emma Sands and life got even more complicated.

“Is that a piece of moss I see sticking to your shirt?" the boy asked.
Emma gasped so hard, she started coughing.”

I loved Ben, Emma and Michael. They made such a great team, despite all of the secrets and misgivings. I found Emma’s way with Michael to be so endearing, even more so given Michael’s fierce protection of his aunt. Michael’s matchmaking skills though not at all subtle, were hilarious.

“Ben sighed in relief. "It would help if you would at least give me a hint. Who's the guy she's suppose to be in love with?"
"You haven't figured it out yet?" Mike narrowed his eyes, making them barely visible inside all the swelling. "Exactly what happened when you found her in the woods?"
"I'll write you a letter explaining what happened and leave it in my will."
"You tried to seduce her, didn't you?"
"Goddammit! Your aunt tried to knock my head off. I couldn't get close enough to seduce her!”

Emma’s lackluster attempts to fend off Ben’s advances were comical. She didn’t really put up much of a fight, but I loved all of her reactions to Ben as he lost his patience while she continually put herself in harm’s way while danger loomed.

“Beaker growled low in his throat, and Emma instantly warmed to the dog.
Without even thinking, she patted his head to let him know she approved of his courage. Even if she had fangs the size of Beaker's, Emma wasn't sure she would have the nerve to growl at Ben.
Clearly startled, Ben looked at Atwood. "He can't growl at me," he told his "secretary."
Atwood smiled. "He just did.”

I think I will probably have to dive right into book three, Jesse’s book, which happens to my favourite of the three Sinclair brothers.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me Janet Chapman is an auto buy author. Not because she's all that but because I know I will come away with a good, solid, satisfying read.

Tempt Me If You Can is just that kind of read. Its the second in the Sinclair Brothers series and is the story of Ben and Emma. Years ago Ben came to a small logging town in Maine to aid environmentalists who were attempting to keep loggers from clear cutting old growth forests. While he was there he had a short lived romance with Kelly. Fast forward 15 years later....Ben receives a letter stating that he has a 15 year old son named Michael and isn't time he came and met him?

Ben is floored. He never knew Kelly was pregnant and he certainly never knew he had a son! Determined to get to the bottom of what's going on, he heads to Maine only to find that Michael has been raised by his aunt Emma for the last 10 years and Kelly is nowhere to be found - by anyone.

Emma has raised Michael since he was 5. Well, really even before that because Kelly was never really a mother to Michael. She's had him in her care since she was 19 years old and is in essence, Michael's mother. While she never told Ben that Michael existed, she also never disparaged him to his father and made sure he knew who he was and where he came from. Her view was that when Michael was old enough to make a decision of his own, he could seek him out. (This is probably the only major gripe I have about the storyline. I cannot see keeping a good person from their child.)

This is a smart, sexy, emotional read that is very satisfying. The relationship between Ben and Michael is both parent/child and man-to-man. Michael is an old soul and while he may be only 15, his maturity level is way beyond that, thanks in part to his upbringing by Emma. There is never any drama between the two but there are definitely a few teary moments for the reader as Michael and Ben bond. Michael has an unusual yet extremely loving relationship with his Aunt Emma, or Nemmy as he calls her. Watching Emma go through the emotions when she thinks she is "losing" Michael is heart rending. As for Ben and Emma, the romance is slow to start but ignites with a passion when lit. Ben is definitely an alpha male but he's not a chest beater and his attempts to be dominant over a strong willed Emma are somewhat comic yet touching.

Throw in a one-antlered lovestruck Moose, a protective German Shepherd and a town full of colorful characters and you come away with a very nice afternoon read.

A-/B+

[Aarann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I've re-read several times now and is a bit of a go-to for me.

Ben Sinclair has found out he has a 15 year old son. It's not quite a secret baby plot, since the mother is the sister of Emma, our heroine, but... yeah... it's pretty much a secret baby plot.

Surprisingly though? Not much angst to it. Emma's sister told Ben to eff off when he asked her to marry him, then never bothered to mention the baby. Ben is pissed, but knows it wasn't ultimately Emma's responsibility to track him down, especially since she was maybe-kinda-almost-sorta under the impression her sister had told him and he had run anyway (the book kinda waffles on this -- in the end, I just went with it).

Anyway, so Ben immediately goes to see his son in the most ridiculous Clark Kent disguise ever. Of course both Emma and Michael (the son) see right through his amazing disguise of... beard and go along with his charade for a while. It doesn't take Ben long to figure out that not only does he want his son, he wants the aunt too (duh, cuz it's a romance) and he goes all caveman, but in a high powered businessman vs. country-girl-Emma-could-definitely-kick-your-butt kinda way. It's all very sappy, featuring an alpha male, a woman who believes she's losing the nephew she thinks of as a son, and one of those obnoxiously well-behaved insanely intelligent plot moppets serving as a 15 year old -- although I have to admit, I've seen far worse cases of plot-moppetry in Romancelandia than Michael. At least he's not totally perfect.

Mid-way through the book there's a light bit of suspense that really felt out of place and shoehorned in. Maybe if the author had included hints of it from the beginning, but I'm honesty not positive she planned it, or if she did, couldn't figure out a way to put it in earlier so it didn't feel so sudden.

I didn't find this quite as compelling as I did in the past, but I've also begun to fall away from romances a bit in the last year or so. But I still enjoyed the crap out of it and it's still a go-to when I haven't read it in ages and need a comfort read.

[미셸 (Undeniably Book Nerdy) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tempt Me If You Can is the second book in the Sinclair Brothers series by Janet Chapman. I didn't read the first book and there is not need because but this book is a standalone. This book tells the story of wealthy businessman Ben Sinclair who received a letter from an anonymous source saying that he fathered a son fifteen years ago. So, after doing some investigating and finding out the letter speaks the truth, he left New York for Maine. There, meets his son Michael and Emma Sands who was sister to the mother of his child who had mysteriously disappeared.

My favorite scenes in this book are ones with Ben and Michael, his son. I really enjoyed reading those scenes and I thought they were really sweet. However, the pacing of the book was really choppy and the telling not so smooth--least of all the build up of Emma and Ben's relationship. They went from hating each other to trying to get along for the sake of Michael and suddenly Ben wants to marry her. I just didn't feel that gradual change of feelings between the two. The one sex scene they had felt tacked on for the sake of having a sex scene in the book and it was lukewarm at best. I also didn't like how Ben manhandled Emma in the beginning--for that matter Emma got hurt a lot in this book. From being attacked by a violent suitor to plane crashes to being chased through the woods by the villain--this lady suffered but then again I thought she's on the verge of being TSTL. I could keep going on of things I didn't enjoy so much but suffice to say there were too many things going on (especially that mystery that suddenly popped up about two thirds into the book) that bordered on in the absurd with choppy scenes and a hero and a heroine I didn't really feel a connection with.

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars for me. This is the second of the Sinclair books and the second I've read. I thought the role Ben played running his company was certainly underplayed but liked the interaction between Ben and Emma. And of course Mike was uber-cool. Since I like hiking and camping, many of the settings appealed to me as well.

You don't need to read the first book but they are loosely related.

[Cruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was fun. Light angst. Light suspense. But all fun. Happy people who like their lives and are willing to join them together.

[Phoenix77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever received a notification from the library that a book you had on hold came in but you cannot remember when you requested the damn thing?

For the life of me I don't know how this book came up on my radar or why I was interested in reading it at that time. Since my choices were borrow it or pay a fee to the library I grabbed it figuring it was worth a shot.

We've got a fake-Alpha hero (bossy and possessive with nothing to really back up either behavior), a horribly weak "strong" heroine and a whole lot of things happening to these two that seems to come out of the blue but suddenly mean EVERYTHING to the characters. To make matters worse for a book less than 8-years old it's horribly dated. Most of the Hero's behavior boarders on harassing and he practically bullied the heroine into marrying him.

Someone remind me next time to think before making a request at the library!

[NatalyaVqs · Rating 3 out of 5]

89/234 Enjoyed Mike's character of an old man teenager and the outdoorsy vibe. Romantic plot seemed to have resolved itself pretty quickly so no reason to stick around past a third

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the Sinclair brother series I found is much better than the first. When Ben Sinclair, CEO of Tidewater Shipping receives an unsigned letter stating that he had a 15 year old son living in Medicine Gore and it was high time he met him.

After investigators proved it was true, Ben arranged to go "in disguise" to check out his son (who he didn't know he had) and his Aunt Emma who had basically raised him as his mother Kelly disappeared 10 years ago. Emma runs Medicine Creek Camps, a hunting and wildness recreation spot for tourists.

Although Ben wants revenge for loosing out on the first 15 years of his son's life, he finds that is much harder to do. Emma has provided Michael with as much love and support as if she was her own. She has even put her life on hold in order to raise him, and Ben has to admit, she has done one heck of a job.

Emma and Michael recognize Ben right away, but play along with his charade as he slowly finds his way into their life. Emma is afraid he will take Michael away, but Michael has stated clearly that his aunt will remain a very important part of his life.

Ben's past catches up with him (15 years ago in Medicine Gore he was protesting logging practices) and he learns that not only do the locals feel he left a pregnant teen aged girl, but he also broke a dam causing a huge landslide that killed Kelly and Emma's father.

The story comes together as we see Ben working at becoming a true father to Michael, figuring out the town mystery as to what happened all those years ago and how to win the trust and love of independent Emma.

[Caitlin Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author for me, and I'm so happy I randomly picked this book off the shelf at the library! I ran the gamut of emotions in this book, and I honestly think that's a sign of true talent in an author. I cried in parts, laughed in some, and bit my nails in suspense at others. The characters were so strong and well written, and I absolutely fell in love with the little family they became.

The mystery wasn't too hard to figure out, even for me, and it was definitely secondary to the romance. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this book, and will definitely be reading more from her!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

FYI this book is easily read without reading the first in the series. This book I really really liked. It was good, much better than the first because this had some suspense. There's supposed to be a bit of a mystery that involves some coordinates, but that's no mystery that a 5-year-old couldn't figure out from the get-go. But there's still suspense anyway, and I really like the characters. I wonder if #3 brother Jesse will get a book??

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Ms. Chapman's books but this one just didn't do it for me. I'm not loving Ben Sinclair - he's a bit of a pushy jerk. And Emma Sands is rather independent and successfully doing her own thing until Ben arrives. Then she allows him to dictate what she can and can't do with her business. It just seem like someone with her personality would stand for. Though I loved Michael.

[Jonetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't as charming as the first in the series, The Man Must Marry. It was a bit of a stretch to believe Ben's sudden change of heart regarding Emma's decision to keep a huge secret from him. And, his lifestyle changes made no sense at all.

This book has a weak premise but is entertaining.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, this is a wonderful book about adventure, independence, lost family and love. Emma Sands has been raising her nephew since he was five years old and he has reached the age of fourteen but his mind is so much older. They have had a relationship of mother and son with Emma teaching him everything she knows about hunting, fishing and flying. She knew who his father was and she told Michael about him but she never wrote him thinking he had abandoned both her sister and his son. One day Ben Sinclair showed up under an assumed name trying to find out about a note he had been sent telling him about his son. This is an amazing story of learning to accept and learning to forgive. Great read.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempt Me If You Can is Book Two in the Sinclair Brothers trilogy. This one stars Ben Sinclair who finds out he has a 15-year-old son that he never knew about. Determined to get to know Michael and to find out what happened to Michael's mother, he heads off to Maine where he meets Michael’s aunt, Emma Sands, and sparks begin to fly. Facing danger and several surprises, Ben, Emma, and Michael must deal with these issues before they can reach their HEA together. Another great romance by Janet Chapman.

[Jennifer Gottschalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and easy to read, I enjoyed this novel despite it being extremely predictable. The central female character was both capable and tough which was a pleasant change from other offerings in the genre.

The pace was quite slow but this did not spoil the reading experience.

As is so often the case, this one was fun in the moment but will, no doubt be quickly forgotten.

Actual rating is 3.5 stars rounded up.

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben returns to Maine after he finds out he has a teenage son. His son is being raised by his Aunt. Emma crushed on Ben long ago and is now afraid he will take his son away from her. All that and drama with loggers versus Environmentalists and their clashes and the mystery.

[Sonya Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspensful

Love story, check! Great character development, check! Passion, check! It's really a 4.5 due to a little too much internal dialog and character POV change from one paragraph to the next. Glad for the HEA.

[Shani · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4*

[Sandra Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, I really like books by this author.

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
That feels right. Would’ve loved a little more of characters hashing things out. But otherwise still the magic that Chapman produces.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jennifer Prescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read from paper at original publish date. I greatly enjoy this author, and this book is another example of her ability to write very relatable and enjoyable stories.

[Klára · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Emma, Michael and Ben were great combo together and it was fun and easy reading.

[Shannon Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another repeat read. I love Mrs Chapman's writing style. I pray she is resting in peace. I will continue to re-read all her books.

[Nibrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and quirky romance. Lots of wilderness, lots of enemies.

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very confusing. The POVs kept changing mid chapter but it wasn’t always clear. Loved Pitiful and Beaker and I liked the idea of the story. Just wasn’t for me.

[Nora Griswold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. She lived him since she was a child. He was accused of something he didn’t do 16 years ago. There is a madman afoot. Thank heavens for nosey neighbors.

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tempt me if you can ของเจเ้น็ต แชปแมน

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่สองในชุดพี่น้องตระกูลซินแคลร์ เรื่องราวของพี่น้องสามคน ทายาทตระกูลบริษัทเดินเรือผู้ร่ำรวย แต่แสนจะติดดิน

เล่มนี้เป็นเรื่องราวของน้องชายคนกลาง เบน ซินแคลร์ที่ต้องได้รับความตกใจที่สุดในชีวิตเมื่อเขาได้รับจดหมายจากคนไม่ทราบชื่อ แจ้งข่าวการเป็นพ่อคนของเขา มันไม่ใช่สิ่งที่เพิ่งเกิดขึ้น เพราะไมเคิล แซนด์เด็กชายที่ถูกอ้างว่าเป็นลูกชายของเขามีอายุถึงสิบห้าปีแล้ว และตอนนี้อยู่ในความปกครองของเอ็มม่า ผู้เป็นน้า หลังจากเคลลี่ มารดาของเขาหนีจากไปเมื่อสิบปีก่อน

เบนซึ่งไม่ได้จากกันด้วยดีกับชาวเมืองเมดิซีน กอร์ เพราะตอนนั้นเขาในวัยสิบเก้าปีเดินทางไปเป็นหนึ่งในกลุ่มอนุรักษ์สิ่งแวดล้อม แล้วทำการประท้วงการสร้างเขื่อน ได้ตกเป็นผู้ต้องหาสำคั��ในการระเบิดเขื่อนที่ถูกสร้างทิ้งและทำให้พ่อของเคลลี่ และเอ็มม่า แซนด์เสียชีวิต ความเข้าใจผิดในอดีตทำให้เบนตัดสินใจเดินทางกลับไปที่เมืองนี้ โดยใช้นามแฝง

เขาจองเคบินที่เอ็มม่า แซนด์เป็นเจ้าของ เพื่อหวังตีสนิทกับไมเคิล แต่เมื่อมาถึงวันแรก เบนก็ถูกเข้าใจผิดจากคนในท้องถิ่นว่าเป็นพวกนักอนุรักษ์ธรรมชาติที่เดินทางมาเพื่อประท้วงการตัดไม้ในป่า จนทำ��ห้ถูกซ้อมจนสะบักสะบอม ก่อนที่เอ็มม่าซึ่งออกมาตามหาแขกที่หายตัวไปของเธอมาพบเขา

และเธอก็รู้ในทันทีว่าเขาไม่ใช่ทอม เจนกิ้นส์อย่างที่อ้าง เพราะเธอจำเบนได้ ตั้งแต่สมัยที่เขาควงกับพี่สาว แต่กระนั้นเอ็มม่าก็ไม่ออกอาการว่าเธอรู้ความจริง ส่วนหนึ่งเพราะเอ็มม่าเองก็ทำใจเอาไว้แล้วว่า ยังไงเธอก็จะต้องเสียหลานชายอันเป็นที่รักให้กับผู้เป็นพ่อของเขา เพื่ออนาคตของไมเิคิลเอง

อาการบาดเจ็บของเบนทำให้เขามีโอกาสได้ใกล้ชิดกับสองน้าหลานตระกูลแซนด์มากขึ้น ทำให้เขารู้ว่า เอ็มม่าทำหน้าที่แทนผู้เป็นแม่ของไมเคิลได้เป็นอย่างดี และลูกชายของเขาเป็นชายหนุ่มที่ทุกคนต้องภาคภูมิใจ และรวมถึงตัวเขาด้วย

สิ่งที่เบนไม่คาดคิดก็คือ เขาจะตกหลุมเสน่ห์ของหญิงสาวในตระกูลแซนด์อีกคน และมันไม่ใช่เป็นความหลงใหลของวัยรุ่นอย่างที่เขามีกับเคลลี่ในวัยสิบเก้าปี แต่เป็นความรักที่ตรึงใจอย่างทีชายหนุ่มในวัยสามสิบสี่ปีอย่างเขาไม่เคยคิดว่าจะได้สัมผัสในชีวิต

หนังสือเรื่องเล่มนี้เปิดเรื่องได้น่าอ่านมาก ๆ ถึงจะใช้พล็อตแนวน้ำเน่าราวกับเป็นฮาร์ลิควินเพรสเซ่นก็ตาม ปกติแม็กซ์ไม่ชอบเรื่องแนวที่พระเอกมีความสัมพันธ์กับทั้งพี่และน้อง เพราะมันดูเหมือนพระยาเทครัวยังไงยังงั้น แต่ในเรื่องนี้เขียนได้ค่อนข้างดี และยอมรับได้ค่ะ โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งเรื่องนี้ไม่ได้เอาเคลลี่ ตัวพี่สาวมาเป็นประเด็น หรือนางอิจฉา นั่นเพราะเคลลี่เองก็ไม่ได้รับเบน ตอนที่คบกัน ก็เพียงเพื่อประชดแฟนหนุ่มของเธอ

ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างเบน และเอ็มม่าก็เขียนได้ดีค่ะ เราไม่รู้สึกว่าเอ็มม่าเป็นตัวเลือกที่สองของเบน ความรักของทั้งคู่ก่อตัวขึ้น เริ่มต้นจากความรักที่ต่างมีให้กับไมเคิล ก่อนที่จะเริ่มพัฒนาขึ้น จนเมื่อถึงฉากที่มีการสารภาพรัก มันก็ไม่ใช่ความน่าแปลกใจอีกต่อไปแล้ว

อย่างไรก็ตาม แม็กซ์ไม่รู้ว่าเป็นเพราะช่วงเปิดเรื่อง (ราวหนึ่งร้อยหน้าแรก) ทำได้ดีมาก ๆ รึเปล่านะคะ เราเลยรู้สึกว่าช่วงกลางเรื่อง มันดูอืด ๆ ไปสักหน่อย ไม่ถึงกับน่าเบื่อ แต่ไม่น่าติดตามอ่านเหมือนช่วงแรกที่เรารู้สึก ทุกอย่างดีขึ้นตอนท้ายเรื่องค่ะ

และขอบอกหน่อยเถอะว่า แม็กซ์กรี๊ดสลบกับคาแร็คเตอร์ของไมเคิล แซนด์มาก ช่างเป็นตัวละครที่น่าสนใจอย่างยิ่ง แม้เราจะคงต้องบอกว่า คงไม่มีเด็กชายวัยสิบห้าปีที่ไหนมีลักษณะเหมือนไมเคิลแน่ ๆ (โดยเฉพาะเด็กฝรั่ง) แต่ไมเคิลเท่ห์มาก และไม่ได้เป็นความเท่ห์ในลักษณะของความฮ็อตอะไรหรอกนะคะ แต่เป็นความเป็นผู้ใหญ่ และแสนสุขุมของเขา (เราถึงบอกไงคะว่า เราไม่คิดว่าจะมีเด็กอายุสิบห้าที่ไหนเป็นอย่างเขา)

เอ็มม่าบอกกับเบนว่า ไมเคิลคือคนที่เกิดจากวิญญาณอันเก่าแก่ และนั่นทำให้เขามีความเป็นผู้ใหญ่มากกว่าเด็กในวัยเดียวกัน ลักษณะนี้ทำให้เราชอบมาก ๆ เพราะเจเน็ตเขียนได้ลงตัวระหว่างความรับผิดชอบที่ไมเคิลรู้สึก กับความเป็นเด็กที่หลายครั้งโผล่ออกมา

โดยรวมเป็นเรื่องที่อ่านสนุกไม่ผิดหวังค่ะ แต่อาจเพราะมันตามหลังหนังสือเรื่อง The Man Must Marry ที่เราชอบมาก ๆ ก็เลยอดไม่ได้ที่จะเอาไปเปรียบเทียบกัน

คะแนนที่ 70

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tempt Me If You Can is the second book in Janet Chapman’s series about the Sinclair family. I don’t know how many books she plans to have as she only has one brother left but with her highlander series she ended up moving on to the children of the highlanders so the series could go for a while. I vaguely recall reading The Man Must Marry, which was book one, but didn’t really recall any of the details until pretty far into this novel when the plot of the last one was mentioned. Not having read the first book won’t hamper your enjoyment of this one, but I do wish she had reviewed the last one a bit sooner because I spent a lot of time trying to remember what happened in the last one.

In this book Benjamin Sinclair gets a mysterious letter telling him he has a fifteen year old son he has never met and knew nothing about. He hires a private detective and discovers that the claim in the letter is true. He travels from New York to Maine to get to know his son in disguise and discovers that the town still blames him for an explosion that occurred and killed a man, his son’s grandfather, when he was in town with an environmental group. During the course of getting to know his son and the aunt who is raising him, as his mother disappeared ten years ago and has not been heard from since, he finds himself being drawn to Emma who has been raising his son Michael since she was 19 or 20 years old. Along with the romance between these two there are also a couple of mysteries. What happened to Kelly and why has she never contacted her sister or her son? Who blew up the dam that killed Kelly and Emma's father? What are the strange coordinates found in one man's room for? By the end of the novel these things are resolved.

I enjoyed this book. Janet Chapman is a resident of Maine and each of her books that I have read have been set there. She makes it sound like such a beautiful place. Each time I read one I am left thinking it would be a nice place to visit. The state is very large and not very populated and has both coasts and beaches and large forests and mountains. Lately it seems I’ve read quite a few books set in Maine, maybe the universe is trying to tell me something! I received this book as part of Pocket Books Blog tours for review purposes.