Grace) (Under Mr. Nolan's Bed) - Boxed Set (Temptation

Selena Kitt is a very good writer and this trilogy is no exception. What two girls find under Mr. Nolan's Bed leads to their sexual awakening and that, in turn, leads to the unraveling of a tangled web of deception that includes their parents, a priest and a whole area of he Catholic Church. The action center is near Detroit, allowing the use of some real life characters such as Mayor Cobo and others along with an excellent depiction of Hudson's store in its early days.

TEMPTATION
I've actually read the original (unedited) Under Mr. Nolan's Bed several times and loved it! I did have a few issues with some things, so I was eager to see how Temptation differs from it and if it would change my mind about those minor issues. Well, yes it did! I think the author's decision to rewrite the story and set it in 1955 just added to the experience. My only real problem with the original was that Leah seemed too innocent for an 18 year old, but I think having it set in a time where sex wasn't a topic discussed out in the open made her naivety and innocence much more believable. There are a couple of scenes that were left out--which I think was also done in the edited version--that I missed, but as a whole, Temptation is even better and still has that amazing shock ending!

One day Erica decides to share what she's discovered in her father's bedroom with her best friend, Leah. Hidden away in his dark room are books full of nude photography and there are even some shots that Mr. Nolan had taken himself. Leah had never seen anything like it before, so of course it changes her whole viewpoint on sex. She also starts thinking about Mr. Nolan as a man rather than as just her best friend's dad. From there the girls frequently head into the dark room to view these photographs and then fool around with each other. Then one night Leah enters on her own and discovers yet another room down there and catches Mr. Nolan watching a video. Leah is transfixed by the sight and soon enough she's moved on from her best friend to her best friend's father.

Yes, Temptation has a lot of sex. It is an erotic novel after all, but there is also a love story here. I'm sure plenty of us have had crushes on a friend's parent before, but for Leah and Mr. Nolan it becomes much more than that. Of course this does cause a strain on Leah and Erica's friendship, especially since they were at one point sexually involved with each other. But love does conquer all, at least for a moment...

That ending...just woah. I knew it was coming, but it was still shocking since it was in a new context. I have no idea how the original edited version ends, but it could not be better than Temptation! Unless it was the same, obviously. Leah and Mr. Nolan have dug themselves in too deep, so I can't wait to see how they get out. Or if they just go deeper...

CONFESSION
After the shocking conclusion of Temptation, I had no idea where this story would go next. It turns out Mr. Nolan's loft isn't the only place harboring secrets. The church may have the most shocking secrets of all. At the beginning of Confession, Leah is being transferred from the nunnery she's be hiding at to The Magdalene House: a place for unwed mothers to be. If finding out that her first love may also be her father seemed bad, discovering she's pregnant by him is a fate worst than hell. But despite everything, Leah still loves him and loves her unborn baby. Meanwhile Erica and her father are heartbroken at Leah's disappearance, and Erica stumbles upon more secrets in her mother's diaries. Her inner journalist wants nothing more to bring the church's dark secrets to light, but she doesn't realize just how involved she really is.

Confession is very different from Temptation. For starters, the focus is on the actual story. There is very little sex involved, but what is included is even more shocking. I don't want to give away too much, but if you think you'll be offended by priests and nuns behaving in ways that are not wholesome in any way, stay away from Confession. Erica learns about a secret society that meets below her church and uses her amateur sleuthing skills to find out more. She definitely learns more than she bargained for. A whole of secrets involving her, her parents, Leah, and her mother are revealed. One more shocking than the next.

I didn't enjoy Confession quite as much as Temptation, but I still liked it a lot. It's dark and twisted, just how I like it. There's some seriously depraved stuff happening, and there's some heartbreak at the end. I was a little disappointed in some of the things revealed, but I think they'll be necessary to move Leah and Mr. Nolan's story forward. And hopefully get them their much deserved happy ending.

GRACE
After the twisted, wild ride that was Temptation and Confession, Grace is underwhelming. The story had gotten so insane, and then just fizzled out towards the end. Leah is out of the hospital, but she's still stuck in her nightmare. She wakes in the middle of the night to a baby crying, before realizing that her daughter isn't there. Erica is rebelling now that she knows part of the truth about her parentage, but it brings her to Clay, a very sweet young man. There's even more secrets revealed in Grace, but I knew one of them was coming. Most of them, however, seemed to come out of nowhere and failed to shock me. Perhaps I've been desensitized?

While Grace does provide the happy ending that I was hoping for, it was kind of a boring journey to get there. I did feel sad for Leah. What she's been through is horrific, but once the legal action started up, I zoned out. The story just felt...too normal? I'm not really a fan of weddings, married people problems, or babies, so I'm sure that hindered my enjoyment of this conclusion. There was still the plot involving the secret society beneath the church, but nothing much new was revealed about it other than just how depraved Father Patrick is. When a random Nazi connection was brought up, I just rolled my eyes. It suits the time of the story, but I didn't feel like it fit the story as a whole.

I absolutely loved the original Under Mr. Nolan's Bed, as well as the newly revised Temptation, but I think I could have gone without the sequels. Sure they're dark and twisted, but they didn't pull at my emotions as much as the first book. They didn't really make me consider that fine line between right and wrong like UMNB/Temptation did. I do have to say that while I enjoyed the series over all, the original is still the one I'd choose to reread. It's certainly the most taboo of them all, so I'm not sure what that says about me...

I have so many mixed feelings about this trilogy. At first timelines were hard to follow at first. Once I was able to figure out the timeframe this trilogy became a love hate. At moments I hated the author and then it was absolute love for the author. There is a severe trigger for myself that thankfully I could tell was coming so I was able to completely skip that part. This is an extremely taboo read (I mean a lot of wtf moments but thankfully they pay out in the end)!! It's actually really well written and although it was touch and go there for my feelings about it I find that I actually enjoyed this.

While the first book in this series screams Selena, the others show a different side of her. The characters are very well created and well developed. This is a wild, twisted ride of a series that is full of emotion....friendship and laughter, heartbreak and tears, humility and disgrace, but our heroes and heroines overcome it all, and grow with each new experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and brought new light how much our life and way of thinking has changed over the years.

While the first book in this series screams Selena, the others show a different side of her. The characters are very well created and well developed. This is a wild, twisted ride of a series that is full of emotion....friendship and laughter, heartbreak and tears, humility and disgrace, but our heroes and heroines overcome it all, and grow with each new experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and brought new light how much our life and way of thinking has changed over the years.

I thought I was settling down to read a titillating tale of young love and sexual awakening.... WOW! It was that and so much more! Don't waste your time buying just the first book, buy the trilogy all at once! I didn't stop reading until the end...addictive and mind blowing. A great read.

Selena Kitt captures the drama & heartbreak of these characters while still providing us with enough naughty bits to titilate.
I was completely enthralled to the very end of each book and was touched by the emotional side of the story. No, Not your average Selena Kitt - naughty story but definitely a great read that drags you through the dark recesses of the human psyche`.
Highly recommend this series.