Welcome to Temptation: A Novel (Dempsey Book 1)

Awesome! What does a rolling stone con woman and the mayor have in common - sparks in huge amounts. A brilliant story with a heroine who just wants to put down roots but has never had the opportunity. Her free spirited family, an uptight town and a movie make up for a tremendous read. I have a hard copy of this and have re-read it many times. Recommended

I have read every one of Jennifer Crusie's books, and this award-winning, best-selling author just keeps getting better with each book.
Thirty-two-year-old Sophie Dempsey and her younger sister Amy have been running a wedding-video company in Cincinnati for seven years. Their staid existence is boring Amy to tears, but is just what Sophie wants. She has a strong need to make up for the fact that her family is less than respectable. Her father and brother are both con artists, and Amy has more than a touch of that habit inside her that Sophie has worked hard to wean her from.
Sophie and Amy get an offer from Clea, a former lover of their older brother Davy, to do a documentary of the beautiful, but marginally successful actress's return to her home town, Temptation, Ohio, after twenty years away. Sophie hesitates. She doesn't trust Clea. Neither does Amy, but she snaps at the chance anyway and drags Sophie along. Amy sees this as a great opportunity to make a film that can open doors for her in Los Angeles. Not Sophie. She feels "a chill, courtesy, she was sure, of the sixth sense that had kept generations of Dempseys out of jail most of the time."
Sophie's premonitory chill proves right on target. The documentary snowballs into "vanilla porn" and the small town of Temptation is up in arms. Phineas T. Tucker, the thirty-six-year old hereditary mayor who hails from a long line of Tucker mayors of Temptation, must deal with "those movie people out at Clea's." He soon finds out that Sophie Dempsey is the biggest problem he's ever known. One he may never be able to solve. Or want to.
Welcome to Temptation is fast-paced and witty. Wonderfully, it is not just a "light" book, as most comedies are. It is actually, frequently, laugh-out-loud funny. Crusie's cast of characters is colorful, and each one is both uniquely characterized with a fascinating personal voice and a significant contribution to the ensemble-based conflicts that roll the story along. Most fun and exciting of all, and central to the story, is a simmering affair between Phin and Sophie that explodes to life from the moment they meet.
Note: Some "gentle readers" may object to certain language that appears within the erotic fantasies Phin fulfills for Sophie, and she for him. This includes the notorious "F word." This reader, however, not being particularly "gentle," found all of the love scenes both hot and hilarious.
Very, very few writers of comedy are capable of writing erotic love scenes in the midst of a hilarious romp . Crusie can. And does it exquisitely well.
Make your day. Enjoy Crusie's latest triumph!

Jennifer Crusie has a way with words, scenes, characters, & connecting with her audience. "Welcome To Temptation" starts as Sophie and Amy Dempsey drive into Temptation. Think of Mayberry but with residents on an acid trip; Ordinary things have a surreal affect.
Phin Tucker is depicted as the reasonable third-generation mayor. He befriends Sophie and Amy as they film their "documentary" on the local star that has returned to her roots, Clea. He knows something is up but can't quite put his finger on it. As a result, he keeps a close eye on Sophie. While Wes, the town's law enforcement takes on the responsibility Amy.
We are given a cast of misfits and are taken into their world. What seems like everyday tasks for the rest of us is adventurous for these people. Nothing is ever how it appears in a Jennifer Crusie story and this is no exception. Entertaining books don't always make you laugh out loud but this one made me, many times.
I recommend this book to anyone who does not mind descriptive sex scenes. It also helps if you have a cinematic imagination because this book will read like a movie or sitcom. It had just the right mix of romance, humor, and mystery to keep me glued to the pages.

Just finished this book, my first by the author, and I pretty much enjoyed it. It's a light-hearted book that plops you right in the middle of a small town where you feel as if you're sitting back watching what really goes on behind closed doors.
The town is full of nosey neighbors who have nothing better to do than to watch their neighbors and especially any new-comers, and speculate on what they're doing and how whatever that is will destroy the good morals of their town. They have a field day when Sophie Dempsey, who's from the wrong side of the tracks, meets up with Phinn Tucker, the town's mayor who's from the right side of the tracks. And worse yet, he's been seen going out to her place! And if that isn't bad enough, the townspeople are convinced that any video this new-comer and her sister are planning to film must be porn. Sparks fly, tongues wag, and somebody gets murdered.
Welcome to Temptation is a gossipy, fun read that's dotted with great sex and romance. Even though this isn't the type of book I normally read, it reads like a book you should curl up with on a lazy, sunny afternoon by the pool -- and don't forget the lemonade. I found it enjoyable and will likely purchase another of Ms. Crusie's books.

This smart, sexy, funny tale has so many characters, it should be confusing - but it's not! The author does a great job of developing each major character. You are sure to meet someone you know in Temptation - the holier-than-thou king of "family values" who peeps on sex scenes being filmed for a movie; his dumb-as-a-stump wife who refuses to accept anything in life that doesn't jive with what she wants; the "disfunctional" family of con-artists and felons that functions better than most people's families; the overprotective, control-freak mother who can't bear the reality of her son having his own life; the small-town young woman with the "I gotta get out of here" attitude; and a host of others.
This book runs the gamut of human emotions - selfishness, greed, love, fear, forgiveness, lust, hate...the sex is white-hot and the suspense is genuine. You just have no idea whodunnit until the end.
One important moral threading through "Welcome To Temptation" is to go after what you want, but don't hurt anyone innocent along the way. Fortunately, there aren't too many innocents in Temptation. Nobody's perfect - in Temptation, or anywhere else.

The Dempseys came from a long line of felons. However, Sophie Dempsey was trying to change that. To date, she was the only Dempsey not to have some sort of police record. She meant to stay on the right side of the law too! Normally Sophie and her sister, Amy, video taped weddings for a living. When ex-actress Clea Whipple asked them to help her video tape her next film they agreed. It was to be about Clea returning to her home town, Temptation, and meeting her high school sweetheart. Things went down hill from day one.
Phineas Tucker was mayor of Temptation. Wes Mazur was the police chief. From the moment the Dempsey sisters arrived their lives had been in ruins. One event leads to another until the gossip mill in the small town cause adultery, blackmail, and then murder! Everyone in town was a suspect and someone was trying to kill Sophie!
**** A story full of funny scenes that will have readers laughing out loud. Be warned, there are a lot of sex scenes though. In fact, that is most of the first half of the book. But once the body gets into the picture, the book is too good to put down! Very enjoyable! ****

Sophie Dempsey and her sister, Amy, who together tape weddings for a living come to small town Temptation, Ohio. Their assignment is taping a simple video documentary which turns into something a little more erotic. When Sophie meets sexy mayor, Phineas Tucker, he shakes her hand and utters two of my most favorite lines from this book, "Hello Sophie Dempsey. Welcome to Temptation." Well, then the games really begin.
This book is a non-stop, roller coaster riot once you throw in Sophie's con artist roots, a phallic-shaped water tower, murder, adultery, blackmail, a very abused corpse, a porn king and some really great, if not a little kinky, sex. I laughed throughout this entire book and never wanted it to end.
This was my first Jennifer Crusie read, but it certainly won't be my last. There's a good reason she has several novels on the Romance Writers of America's yearly top ten list.
One word of caution though, the language is definitely rated "R". While there's one particular four letter word used a lot more often than I usually like to read, it certainly doesn't change my opinion on how excellent this book is!

This book was entertaining, amusing, and a great escape. I enjoyed the entire Dempsey family (sisters Sophie and Amy with brother Dave) and all the kooky residents of small town Temptation, Ohio.
The story centers around Amy's task of filming an audition tape for local Temptation celebrity Clea Whipple (which, depending on your life experience, might allude to "squeezing the Charmin" or a transformation of "whipped cream" and "nipple," both apt images to the ripely sexy Clea).
Naturally, as in most Cruisie books, the simple-enough task at hand morphs exponentially into a major problem. A simple audition tape somehow becomes a porn video called (believe it or not) Hot Fleshy Thighs. Clea is busy seducing the son of the man to whom she lost her virginity. Amy the Juvenile Felon is enticing Wes the Country Cop. And Mayor Phineas Tucker (the fourth) thinks Sophie is rather intriguing... despite their disparate sides of the proverbial tracks.
Each page gets funnier, and each funnier part makes the story even more absurd... good absurd, though.
Crusie gets bonus points for her depiction of Phineas Tucker's mother, an austere and formidable woman hell-bent on keeping her son mayor while protecting "his" (really her) best interests, whether or not they'll make him happy. Crusie gets more bonus points for the character of Dillie, Tucker's daughter by his late wife (from Sophie's side of the tracks). Dillie's a full-bodied character all on her own. The kid's a kick in the pants.
However, Crusie loses ground and a star in my rating because of the confusing beginning of this book. It's almost impossible to keep all the characters straight without making a diagram, which I didn't do, but which I almost had to! It was difficult to separate the characters effectively by name, occupation, age, mate, and personality, and to remember the details about each. I got the hang of it about the quarter of the way through, which is too far into the story to impress me.
However, I think this is a great book for kicking back and having some laughs... it's brain candy, but delicious, complex, and worth it brain candy... so enjoy!

The Dempseys came from a long line of felons. However, Sophie Dempsey was trying to change that. To date, she was the only Dempsey not to have some sort of police record. She meant to stay on the right side of the law too! Normally Sophie and her sister, Amy, video taped weddings for a living. When ex-actress Clea Whipple asked them to help her video tape her next film they agreed. It was to be about Clea returning to her home town, Temptation, and meeting her high school sweetheart. Things went down hill from day one.
Phineas Tucker was mayor of Temptation. Wes Mazur was the police chief. From the moment the Dempsey sisters arrived their lives had been in ruins. One event leads to another until the gossip mill in the small town cause adultery, blackmail, and then murder! Everyone in town was a suspect and someone was trying to kill Sophie!
**** A story full of funny scenes that will have readers laughing out loud. Be warned, there are a lot of sex scenes though. In fact, that is most of the first half of the book. But once the body gets into the picture, the book is too good to put down! Very enjoyable! ****

Sophie Dempsey and her younger sister Amy arrive in small town Temptation to film the comeback movie of a local movie star. From the moment they arrive, things don't go as planned. The movie turns into soft porn, nothing works in the farmhouse where they are staying, they have an auto accident, and Sophie hits it off sexually with the mayor, someone she doesn't want to be involved with. So what else could go wrong? Plenty, but it's all delightful fun and classic Crusie style. My main complaint with this title, that while well done, at times the main characters seemed very thick-headed about their feelings and sex obsessed, which is probably how Crusie meant them to but was a frustration for me! But that's a minor point for an overall breezy read that also includes intrigue and very believable secondary characters. If you've read and enjoyed Jennifer Crusie's works, you will love this one. If you've never read a Crusie tale, this would be a good place to start! Recommended, and perfect for a summertime read.

Siblings Sophie and Amy Dempsey travel to Temptation, Ohio to film a video starring a has-been actress whom wants to return to her Hollywood glory days. Though the extended family DNA must include a gene for thievery and scams, in the case of Sophie it must have skipped a generation, as she is the most law-abiding person there is. Sophie has a premonition that Temptation will prove to be trouble. The town mayor Phin Tucker verifies her omen.

He makes her feel things that she's never felt before. In spite of his brain's better judgment, he falls into lust with the town's visitor. The pair begins a passionate affair that earn them the contempt and disapproval of the local residents. However, things become ugly when their ecstasy turns into a much deeper relationship that forces one of the town's blue blooded residents to personally take action to break them apart. That could include killing Sophie.

One thing about a Jennifer Crusie novel is that the book is filled with subtle and not so subtle types of humor. For instance, if the charming lead couple marries, her name becomes ... This offbeat jocularity found throughout the tale provides a counterpoint to the serious story line. The delightful but eccentric secondary cast amplifies the plot with their oddities that show why Ms. Crusie is considered a master of characterization. WELCOME TO TEMPTATION is filled with twists and turns that will give much pleasure to an adoring audience that will demand sequel after sequel from one of the better modern day authors of the new millenium.

Harriet Klausner

Yes, I am addicted to Crusie's books.
See publisher's blurb for clues to the plot, but the situational and conversational humor are the best part of any Crusie novel. Well, and, of course, the characters.
This is another that I started with the paperbacks until they kept wandering off, then I bought the audio.
Aasne Vigesaa has the characters and emotions down to a science, and that is great for us listeners!

This story about two sisters who enter the small Ohio town of Temptation and wreak chaos on the lives of the townspeople is full of zany humor and sexy surprises! The story focuses on Sophie, the good sister in the Dempsey family ~~ a family known to be from the "wrong side of the tracks" and Amy, her sister, who wants nothing more than to be a movie producer.
Sophie and Amy enters the town to shoot a video for one of Temptation's own who wants to be a movie star. Only the homecoming video was turning into an erotic video and the plot thickens with the townspeople erupting into an uproar. Phin Tucker, the town's mayor, and Wes, the police chief much rather play pool but instead, are drawn into the controversy surrounding Sophie and Amy.
It is a quick read and a fun one too. There are places in the story where you laugh out loud and suddenly realize that you're in a quiet waiting room where everyone's staring at you. Oops. It is a fun, fun book to read. One I highly recommend to put on that summer reading list!

Just nothing to get excited about. Slow, boring beginning with ho-hum self-absorbed characters goes to mediocre middle and dull finish. Story and characters were terribly disjointed and mainly unlikable with little humor. Hero/heroine had some inventive sex (but very little romance), since I didn't really care about them I wasn't that interested. Mystery was pretty pathetic. VERY glad when the whole thing was over.

Narrator gave the fastest speech performance I have every tried to listen to. It was like she was on a lethal dose of speed. I finally had to set my ipod on slow just to get through the thing.

Welcome to Temptation is a fun, fast read. It starts off with a BANG (sisters Sophie and Amy are cruising into small town Temptation, Ohio to make a short film when they have a fender-bender with a local socialite couple), provides plenty of BELLY-LAUGHS when we get to watch local city council meetings (our Hero, Phin, is a fourth-generation mayor and expected to keep winning elections to preserve the family name but sees the silliness in trivial town politics) and with all the flirting around the movie set, we get plenty of BADDA-BING (including more than one scorcher between Sophie and Phin). Mysteries abound: Who offed the starlet's scummy despised-by-all ex husband? Who's threatening Sophie and trying to kill her? Who attempted to frame her for the murder? Is Phin's mother a really nasty piece of work who'll end up Bad Guy #1, or is she just an overprotective mom with her own plans for his love life?

The characters totally pulled me in and the story kept me entertained. This was one of those books that really interrupted my life. I had a hard time putting it down to do anything (including sending Jennifer Crusie an email to tell her how awesome it is, which totally delayed my race to the finish, but I think is important. Surely even a successful author still loves to hear when readers enjoy her work!).

This book is a borderline KEEPER -(I'll probably send it along to very trusted friends who I know will return it, but I'll make sure to get it back. Or else.) / GET YOUR OWN COPY -A book you love so much, no way are you loaning it out. Worthy of high praise and frequent recommendations - but trust me, if you let someone borrow this one, they'll "forget" to return it. Don't miss the next title by this author.

My first impression of Jennifer Crusie's writing was that it was fun fluff. Then I amended that opinion, and decided she was a master of high comedy. Now I don't know what to call Ms. Crusie's writing other than BRILLIANT.
Welcome to Temptation is a joy from beginning to end. More laughs, more intrigue and much, much more sex than her preceding works make this novel impossible to put down.
I would like to ask her, however, what magical canine touched her life. Every book I've read has had at least one life-altering dog, a mixed breed of confused ancestry whose odd looks and keen intelligence take the heroines into adventures they'd never have imagined. Given that I, too, have a dog of dubious parentage, this just brings her books closer to my heart! I would love for Jennifer Crusie to meet my Lulu!
Read and enjoy. Then make the store.com happy and order the rest of her books!!

I read through some of the other reviews before intering this one, and I can't believe how many negitives there were to such an excellent book. I'm an avid reader of anything I can get my hands on and forget most the books I read within a months time,but Temtation is like an old friend I like to revisit now and then. I don't believe I've ever laughed that hard during a book in my life. I've read critisicm on this book for it not being realistic, well, who the hell wants reality all the time! There are times when I want a serious read and will sit down with a Nora Roberts but if your in the mood to relax and just have a good time, this is it. I have a group of friends that I exchange books with and all of us put this book in our top ten of favorites, and for us, that's saying a lot. Read it, please, and see if you can ever look at a water tower again and not smile.

Ms. Crusie is an amazing author. She develops characters that you can believe, that are humorous, and entertaining. She creates a story that is always original, maybe a little far-fetched, but written in a way that you might believe something like that could actually happen to you. Well at least for a few minutes. Sophie is one of those characters that you can feel sorry for, root for, hope for, and can even respect a little. Sophie is the perfect example of Ms. Crusie's ability to create, and convey to her readers her characters perfectly.

This is a novel that explores small towns, theirs secrets, their stereotypes, and their romance. I enjoyed reading about how Sophie dealt with all of this as well as how she handled her family which really couldn't be too much more unnerving for her. I would recommend this read to anyone.

Enjoy!

"Welcome to Temptation" takes place in Temptation, Ohio, a small town in which good family values are considered critical in leading a decent life. However, there is more going on in Temptation than meets the eye. Two sisters, Sophie and Amy, visit the town, along with a returning actress, Clea, on a video assignment. After a while, the content of the video becomes pornographic. Meanwhile, the town council has recently put a law into effect that would forbid porn in videos. Mayor Phin Tucker and a police officer, Wes, visit the house where the women are staying to check up on things. Phin and Sophie eventually fall for one another, and so do Wes and Amy. There are many other different characters in this book, and a few become involved in love triangles. Eventually, big trouble brews in Temptation. Although I liked this book, I did not like it as much as "Tell Me Lies" and "Crazy for You". Some of the content was a bit out of hand. However, it was still a good read.

Jennifer Crusie has a talent for writing about slightly bent women with certain sexual frustration in small town settings.
This novel opens with sisters Sophie and Amy Dempsey arriving in the town of Temptation to make a film together. The first thing they notice is the Temptation water tower, painted pink, and looking distinctly phallic. How foreboding!
The novel involves romance (Sophie falls for Phineas, the town's mayor and Amy falls for the hard scrabbled lawman), murder, the suspicion that the film being made is pornographic. It is laugh-out-loud funny!
I have just finished reading Crusie's most recent novel, "Faking It." It wasn't supposed to be published until late August, but the store got it to me last week. While Temptation is a joy of a novel, "Faking It" is even better. You can't go wrong cruising with Crusie.

Sophie Dempsey is a wedding videographer who has finally caught a break. She and her sister Amy are to film a has-been actress big come-back in that actress's hometown called Temptation. The mayor of Temptation is good looking enough to give straight laced Sophie heart palpitations. The mayor Phineas Ticker is not oblivious to Sophie's charms and decides to seduce her. Sophie knows that a rich boy like Phin can never be serious about the daughter of a con artist but a girl can still dream.. or can she. On top of this Sophie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and the victim of attempted murder. With the mayoral elections in the near future, can Phin afford to stay with such a notorious woman?
All in all this was a good read, however, I never felt anything for any of the characters and frankly trying to keep all the characters straight was a little difficult. This book has a cast of thousands and most of them, I felt, were under developed. For example, Sophie's sister Amy seems to play a prominent part in the story but as the book progresses she virtually dissappears. The rest of the supporting characters come across as card board cut-outs of quirky small town residents.Also, a murder takes place kinda late in the story and the investigation that ensued just seemed like an after thought, it really did not fit into the story correctly. Here they were in the middle of a seemingly terrible murder, the body has been moved (by Amy because the body was on the dock she wanted to film a scene on..Can anyone be that stupid?) and everyone is walking around like nothing is wrong. Even Sophie who seems to be the only character with a bit of sense starts acting like a moron at this point, covering up her sister's idiotic actions. It just did not seem realistic to me. So, I rate this book 3 stars because it has its moments, some funny and some a little romantic. However, to me a really good romance is one that leaves me smiling and sighing over it long after I turn the last page and this book simply did not do that for me. Recommended with reservations. :)

This is perhaps the quentisential "beach book". Actually, it's so much fun, you'll enjoy it lying in the sun on the beach or inside the house on a rainy day. Just sit back with Jennifer Crusie's wonderful cast of characters and wait for the fun to happen. It may be difficult to believe that an author can successfully blend elements of drama, comedy, mystery, romance, farce, and errotica in one book but Crusie manages it. The story of two wedding-videographer sisters who come to small-town Temptation, Ohio and find themselves embroiled in everything from politics to soft-core pornography is totally enjoyable. From the reviews I've read, everyone seems to agree with me that this book is terrific. Order your copy today and see for yourself!

"Welcome to Temptation" bring a whole new definiton to "Sex, Lies and Videotape." This hilarious, sexy and down right enjoyable new novel by Jennifer Crusie is fabulous. Main characters Sophie and Amy take a romp into small town Ohio to make a movie. Well...they get way more than they hoped for. They get a murder, a bunch of lies, Big trouble for making a porno flick, stolen money, adultry, for some.....sex on a boat dock. This book has everything in it. It's a pure riot.
Other main characters, Mayor Fin, Police Chief Wes, the girls brother Davey, Fin's mother and his enchanting daughter. She's a real riot. I adored her character. She was sweet, SMART, and O' so charming.
This book had everything a summer novel should have. It was a fast read, delightfully entertaining and down right sexy. I loved everything about it. RUSH right to that credit card and get yourself a copy! :)

Man...talk about Temptation. This book was awesome. I picked it up on a whim and I do not regret it. This was one of the best romance novels I have ever read. Mostly you wouldn't read a romance novel for plot but this book has one. Not only does it have a plot but it's a good one. Cruise is masterful at weaving an intricate story while keeping a great focus on character relationships. For anyone that reads this book...I have two words for you "discovery fantasy". I laughed out loud through the whole book. It's a must read. For those of you that prefer historical to contemporary romance...give this book a chance. You'll love it. For the rest of you...it's a must read.

A water tower that resembles a sex organ, former con artists shooting a documentary that turns into a soft porn movie, hot sex, and murder--what more could you cram into a novel? Try a terrific, sexy hero, a strong heroine, a wonderful secondary cast of characters that we've all met at some point in our lives, and a quaint little town. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie packs it all into its 341 pages. Not only is this a sharp looking book, it lives up to its appearance. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. This is a delightful romp that captivates you from beginning until the end. If you're looking for pure entertainment--read this book. One word of caution for those who want a rating system on books, it's steamy not only for the sex but the language. Frankly, Temptation wouldn't have been Temptation without both.

Jennifer Crusie has written a delightful romp, with delectable characters that can't help but make you chuckle. Sophie and her sister Amy have arrived in Temptation to make a movie about Chloe's return to her hometown. Little do we know but it verges on the edge of pornography, and the upstanding pillars of small town society won't have it.
Phin the mayor, and Wes the town sheriff, arrive to check out the scene and find they are attracted to more than the possibility of pornography and its wiles. Sophie and Phin soon hook up and the antics begin along with an unsolved murder that is presented in such a comical fashion, you can't help but laugh. This was a light fun read, and I think I will try another of Crusie's books titled FAST WOMEN.

I really, really, really liked this book, but I had a problem with the deliberate crudity. I swear I'm not a prude, but the use of the "F" word every other line was very jarring. It would have been much more effective as a dramatic tool if it had been used more sparingly. For me, it crossed the line from bawdy to crass. I can handle the concept of deliciously naughty, but this was more like a rebellious teenager trying to shock a maiden aunt--it was cute the first ten times, then it became annoying. I thought last year's CRAZY FOR YOU was a much more full-bodied book with more admirable characters. I love to buy friends and family Jennifer Crusie hardcovers for Christmas, but I was dismayed to realize that I can't give this book to most of the people I know because of the language. This was really my only complaint because I loved the setting, loved the characters, humor, and snappy dialogue.

Loved the main character Sophie - her quick wit and her snarky comebacks! However, even with her hard exterior, she was sensitive and caring on the inside. Sophie and Phin were amazing together and I loved reading their scenes together. The book has great supporting characters too (love Davy!!).

It's definitely not a book for those that are faint of heart or prudish in any way. Very, very hot sex scenes and the "F" word is used quite frequently. So if either of those turn you off, don't buy the book, you will be disappointed. Otherwise, I recommend this book to everyone. It's definitely a great escape!

It doesn't get any better than this! The Dempsey girls turn a small town upside down with their cameras, philosophies, friends, lovers and pets! Mix in plentiful amounts of head-bangingly great sex, murder, blackmail and greed and you have one of the best novels I've read in a long time. Laughing out loud at the written word is a tribute to the author and I am prostrate before Jennifer Crusie's awesome talent to write such amazing dialogue. I immediately wanted to read everything else she has ever written! Thanks for the joyride into Temptation, Jennifer!

Jennifer Crusie's books are sexy, witty, and fun. I've been a fan of hers for several years and have read all of her books. That's not exactly hard, given that she's not a prolific writer like Danielle Steele or Nora Roberts. Each new book is well worth the wait. Unfortunately, the person selected to read this book for the audio version was disappointing. She speaks far too fast, scarcely pausing for a breath between sentences, let alone between paragraphs and breaks in action. There is hardly any time for the listener to absorb and appreciate Crusie's trademark snappy dialog before the reader is rushing through the next character's moments. Crusie's writing is character-focused and requires the person reading aloud to treat each character with the time necessary for the listener to follow the character development. I've read this particular book at least 6 times and I still had trouble following the audio version. Considering this book is set in Southern Ohio, I would have expected the spoken version to be read at a moderate pace, with at least a nod to the somewhat slower pace of the southern dialect, even if southern Ohio is not considered the "deep South." Sometimes the pace was so fast I wondered if the studio technician deliberately sped up the pace of the audio. Surely it's impossible for anyone to read that fast consistently. I hope the producers go from 78 RPM to at least 45 RPM with the companion novel, "Faking It." (Am I dating myself? If you're under 35, you probably didn't get that reference! Think vinyl.)

Phin looking cool in his shades, never breaking a sweat in the heat ... until Sophie. Jen Crusie works in so many details and fun ... they make the book a blast to read. The dog who cons. The water tower ... red paint peeling, making it look like a peach, well you know. lol. Dillie, Phin's daughter ... so cute. Davey, Sophie's brother ... he's fantastic. (And I read his story and loved, it, too! Faking It!) ... Phin's frosty mom. Jen delivers on the rocking rolling laughter and shenanigans. And the steps of the con. She builds the story so well ... I've read this book so many times the cover is falling off. Same with Faking It!!

I enjoyed reading "bet me" and "manhunting." I liked J. Crusie's style of writing. She's funny. However i'm a little disappointed with this one. There were a lot of typos on the book and the supposed to be funny parts were forced. All the characters were annoying. It seemed like j. Crusie had hired someone else to write this one.

By far Jennifer Crusie is my favorite author. I read at least 4 books per week. I have collected all of her out of print books as well. She is the ONLY author that I will shell out the $$$ for a hardback bought new! She is the BEST! The only problem is that I now have to wait another year for another book. But at least she doesn't keep whipping them out like alot of popular authors. She takes her time and the end results are WELL WORTH THE WAIT!
You are guaranteed when you pick up one of her books to be in for the ride of your life. Even though there are alot of characters in this book she makes it very easy to follow. The laughs are always plentiful. My husband heard me laughing and knew nobody else was around and seen I had my nose in a book....that's what a Crusie book does to me! A big + the hot, steamy, ~~~~SIZZLING~~ sex scenes! WHEW! The language in this book wasn't offensive to me. If it is to you....my advice is to stick to a little lighter reading. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK JENNY!

First the positive: There were some funny scenes in this book. The autopsy scene was funny as was it funny to read about the police trying to find out the truth about the dead man. The water tower was funny. I also liked the whole idea of the book. Sophie and her sister are wedding photographers, daughters of a con man. Sophie is the 'mother' in the relationship having raised her sister and her brother. They go to Temptation to help a friend and make a video that shows their friend can still make movies. What begins as a short video ends up as porn, maybe, but maybe not. In the mean time temptation is passing laws that says no porn may be filmed in Temptation while Sophie and the mayor are getting to know each other.
Second the negative: The book wasn't that funny to make up for the lack of morals and sad state affairs in this book. There were no morals at all in any of the characters, there was not strength in any of the characters in this book. Sophie was in the position she was because she could not say no to her siblings. The mayor had a daughter that he had from a girlfriend who he married because she got pregnant because she thought he was rich. And so on. This book was way too slutty for my tastes. The whole book revolved around who was getting sex, how they were getting it, and who with. Husbands and wives were having affairs, the only reason for being so low is that the person they were sleeping with was famous. Mothers were trying to pay off girlfriends to leave town. And on and on.
Over all I just found the whole book depressing with a few chuckles thrown in as it's saving grace. I thought the idea of the story was great, but I believe it could have been better written.

Honest, well-meaning Sophie Dempsey is the only white sheep in her family, who are all to get all they can for themselves. Upon arriving in Temptation, Ohio, to make a film with her sister Amy, Sophie meets and falls for Phineas Tucker, the town's golden boy and mayor, who is pretty much the last person Sophie should be setting her eyes on. When Crusie is on, she is ON, and this hot and steamy story of two people who discover much more beneath the instant attraction they share, is a wonderful book - but definitely not for the shy, the sex here is hot.

After reading the many great reviews for this book, I expected to enjoy this novel. I really wanted to like this book but I was very disappointed. I love humor but I found nothing funny about a town filled with people who were obnoxious, self-centered, shallow and just plain mean. After reading 150 pages, I was ready to quit but since this was my first Jennifer Crusie novel, I decided to be completely fair with the author and finish the book. I hoped that Phin and Sophie's relationship would redeem the book but I found Phin's "I don't care" attitude annoying and Sophie's guilt complex boring. The frequent use of the "F" word didn't bother me in most instances but there were times when the author could have substituted other words ( especially when Phin was talking to his mother). Another disappointing factor were the love scenes. Most reviewers described them as hot, hot, hot. If you blinked during most of them you would have missed them. If you really want hot love scenes try Linda Howard's "After The Night" or "Heart of Fire". By the time I was near the end, I could have cared less about the outcome and skimmed the last few chapters. If you feel you must read this book, I would recommend checking it out of the library. It was not worth the price of a hardcover.

This is my all-time favorite "modern time" romance novel. I read it aloud to my daughter as we rode together from NC to Seattle. I'm old. She's young. We both love it. I ordered this copy as a gift for a friend. Humor, plot, characters, sex. Fabulous!

Honest, well-meaning Sophie Dempsey is the only white sheep in her family, who are all to get all they can for themselves. Upon arriving in Temptation, Ohio, to make a film with her sister Amy, Sophie meets and falls for Phineas Tucker, the town's golden boy and mayor, who is pretty much the last person Sophie should be setting her eyes on. When Crusie is on, she is ON, and this hot and steamy story of two people who discover much more beneath the instant attraction they share, is a wonderful book - but definitely not for the shy, the sex here is hot.

After reading the many great reviews for this book, I expected to enjoy this novel. I really wanted to like this book but I was very disappointed. I love humor but I found nothing funny about a town filled with people who were obnoxious, self-centered, shallow and just plain mean. After reading 150 pages, I was ready to quit but since this was my first Jennifer Crusie novel, I decided to be completely fair with the author and finish the book. I hoped that Phin and Sophie's relationship would redeem the book but I found Phin's "I don't care" attitude annoying and Sophie's guilt complex boring. The frequent use of the "F" word didn't bother me in most instances but there were times when the author could have substituted other words ( especially when Phin was talking to his mother). Another disappointing factor were the love scenes. Most reviewers described them as hot, hot, hot. If you blinked during most of them you would have missed them. If you really want hot love scenes try Linda Howard's "After The Night" or "Heart of Fire". By the time I was near the end, I could have cared less about the outcome and skimmed the last few chapters. If you feel you must read this book, I would recommend checking it out of the library. It was not worth the price of a hardcover.

This is my all-time favorite "modern time" romance novel. I read it aloud to my daughter as we rode together from NC to Seattle. I'm old. She's young. We both love it. I ordered this copy as a gift for a friend. Humor, plot, characters, sex. Fabulous!

"Welcome to Temptation" is hands down my favorite Jennifer Crusie novel. Her writing style is simple and I love her witty sense of humor. She does not disappoint with Sophie and Phin's story. When I read Ms. Crusie's physical description of Phin in the first chapter, I knew I was in for a fun ride!

There was several interesting, funny subplots in this novel; however, they do not overshadow the original story or take away from the romance.

Warning: This is not your typical romance novel and it can be raunchy at times. If you like your stories short and sweet, this probably isn't the book for you. I personally enjoyed this book and look forward to re-reading it!

I loved this book!
It has explicit sex scenes, however... beware if that's not your thing. The characters have sex and then fall in love, not the usual way around. If you think this will bother you, then try something else. It worked for me, though. I appreciated the tension and found the characters believable and fun.

If you are looking for an entertaining, humorous, and slightly frivolous book, give this a try!

Enjoy!

I don't read romances (is this considered one?), but found this book at a library book sale. For 50 cents, it seemed an acceptable risk.

I really liked these characters, the story, & the town and was wowed by the hottest love scenes I've ever come across. If there were more men as skillful, funny, & caring as Crusie's lovers out there, you'd see scores of happy, smiling women all over the place.

Just one plot point that didn't gel for me is what kept the book from the total 5 star rating, but it's minor.

So it's not the great American novel and won't ever be considered literature, but it's just what's needed to sit back, relax, and enjoy. A book that's pure entertainment.

I had this book for three months before reading it, then I couldn't put it down. From the minute I started reading I was captured by the saucy Dempsey sisters, Sophie and Amy. Two women who are from a lineage of cons, visiting the town of Temptation, Ohio for a few days. Their visit to Temptation ends up turning their world and that of the town's people upside down. Especially for the hot-young mayor, Phin, who finds himself entangled with Sophie in and out of the bedroom. Temptation, described by the uptight Stephen Garvey, city councilman, as a town with "family values," soon becomes a haven for murder, gossip, and vanilla porn. As the story unfolds, the reader finds that the citizens of Temptation have secrets to hide, and they will do anything to keep them hidden, even murder.

I am a huge Jennifer Crusie fan, she keeps the story moving and the reader's interest. Humor, steamy sex, action and adventure, it's all in Welcome to Temptation.

I read this book yesterday(Thurs, 12th April 2001), after having an unbelievably bad week and thinking I could do with a little romance in my life. Jennifer Crusie brought it to me with a few hundred pages and a huge number of giggles. Immediately my life was brighter and things began to look shiny again.
The tale of Sophie and Phin is fast and interesting, and beyond the inevitable conclusion of boy gets girl (or girl gets boy) it wasn't at all predictable. I enjoyed it immensely, they weren't stereotypical, they weren't one dimensional and they weren't boring. I loved them. In fact I already want to read the book again and am pretty much prepared to do so. It isn't amazingly deep and it doesn't make any unfathomable statements it's just a spectacularly good read and as long as that's all you're looking for then go for it.
Anything that can turn your week around and put it back on the happy highway of life has to be good. Welcome to Temptation takes us into a world where the sex is great, the movie quotes keep on coming and the characters are all more than huggable.
I don't think I can stress how much I'd like to thank Jennifer Crusie for making this book as good as it was meant to be. For now I think I'll settle for reading it again.

*Falling for the little town on Temptation, Ohio's mayor, Phineas Tucker, was the last thing on Sophie Dempsey's mind. That was before the outlook of Sophie and her sister's movie that they were filming began to involve more trouble than they were prepared for. At that time in Sophie's life, she was nothing but vulnerable. Caught in a web full of gossiping town's people, blackmail, adultery, murder, and seduction, Sophie decides to be rebellious for the first time in her life, and does what she feels is right for her... not what other people do. I personally admire her for that, because I think that being self-confident is an important trait to have in life. For that, Sophie would have to be my favorite character in this particular novel. Jennifer Crusie knows just how to capture the reader's attention using romantic-comedy and an "edgy-style," that will surely make it hard for you to sit the book down. I have read a couple of Crusie's other novels, and I would have to say that Welcome to Temptation is by far, one of my favorites. All in all, I'd rate this book a 5, because it's hard to part from it once you start flippin' the pages!!*

This is my favorite of the Jennifer Crusie books! I absolutely love this book! I can't even count how many times I have read this book. . and read it in just one sitting. It is very hard to put down. It's full of laughs, mystery, sexiness, hate, etc.
Throughout the whole book though, I was irritated at the sister, Amy. She was getting on my nerves! But I think any book that makes you feel like you are in the situation or make you feel for the main characters is always a great book!
I hope Jennifer Crusie continues to write fantastic books like this one! I recommend it to anyone. You won't be able to put it down!!!!!

Cruise is great. Her stories are like listening to a friend at lunch. WELCOME TO TEMPTATION is one of her best. Temptation gets a wake up call when Sophie, Amy, and Davy Dempsey hit town. Phin, the mayor, knows he's in trouble when he meets Sophie, but he still goes down without a fight. From porn movies and local theater to water towers and pillars of society this is a great read. I haven't met a Crusie book I didn't like yet.

As someone who has read (maybe too much) chick-lit, I can say that usually the plots and characters are much the same. What I like about this book is how well written and funny it is compared to it's compatriots. Jennifer Crusie takes a tired old plot-- the bad boy and the insecure girl-- and gives it new life in this book about small towns and colorful characters. Something about her writing just makes this book stand out. (...)