DON'T TEMPT ME – Sylvia Day
Georgian Series, IV
Kensington Brava (Trade Paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-7582-1763-3
April 2008
Historical Romance

Paris, France – 1757

Marguerite Piccard is the lover of the very married Marquis de Saint-Martin. Marguerite has tried to deny Saint-Martin, but after being chased relentlessly by the older, yet seductive Philippe, she can no longer refuse him. Even though their affair has ruined her reputation, all she cares about is being in her dear Philippe's arms. Saint-Martin has an enemy by the name of L'Esprit who wants to destroy him and everything he cares about. No reason is given, but L'Esprit hates Saint-Martin with a passion, and he will take the one thing from Saint-Martin that he holds above all others. And that is Marguerite. L'Esprit breaks Saint-Martin and leaves the decision in Marguerite's hands whether her lover will live or die. Marguerite does the only thing a woman in love can do, and that is to leave Philippe forever…

Paris, 1780
It has been over twenty years, but Marguerite Piccard, now de Grenier, has come from Poland back to Paris with her daughter Lynette. Lynette had a twin sister, Lysette, who died in a fire two years ago. She and her parents mourn for their loss, but perhaps in Paris they can heal. Marguerite has come with Lynette and keeps a secret from her husband for her own reason. Perhaps she can forgive herself for abandoning Philippe, the man she had always loved, even though it was to save his life. She wants Lynette to smile again and find happiness, even if that means attending a scandalous masked ball.

Lynette feels deep within her soul that Lysette is still alive. Their bond is stronger than ever. But there is no way to prove that her feeling is correct. The answers about her sister come in the form of Irishman, Simon Quinn, who accosts her at the masked ball thinking she is Lysette. Simon is a spy, and on his last mission he was involved with Lysette. Lysette has rubbed him the wrong way, and he believes she is not right in the head, especially when he watched her viciously kill a man. Now he is called again to find out why she is so very important and if she working against the British crown. Simon must use everything he has learned through the years to figure out why, all of a sudden, he is so very attracted to Lysette when he never was before. He thinks Lynette is Lysette, which is quickly squashed by Lynette herself. Simon is relieved but can't give into his desires for Lynette because of the danger. But she won't be denied, and soon she is embroiled in Simon's secret life and that of her missing sister.

We first met Simon Quinn in PASSION FOR THE GAME as a servant who now has risen above his station and has become England's most sought after spy. Simon made an impression in that book, and he definitely does the same here in DON'T TEMPT ME. I have read almost every book of Sylvia Day's, and I must say DON'T TEMPT ME is her best to date. If you like your novels steamy, exciting, and suspenseful, then you must get this book!

Day has a way of making her characters larger than life, and Simon is a prime example of that. You would assume he would be paired with the tortured Lysette Rousseau, who is a mystery unto herself. But instead, Simon is given a worthy woman in Lynette, who gives him joy deep within his soul. When these two are together, their passion and love for each other go off like fireworks. Lynette is not some simpering miss afraid to find answers. She goes after them and won't back down. I really had to admire the girl for that.

There are many colorful characters who bring so much to DON'T TEMPT ME. The nasty villain, L'Esprit, will shock you with his reasons for the evil he commits. There is Edward James as a worthy advisory for Lysette, who is a true enigma in all of this. And finally, there is Marguerite, who through her own personal sacrifice has suffered greatly, and because of that she is the true victim in this tale.

Sylvia Day continues to astound me with her writing and historical tales of romance and intrigue. DON'T TEMPT ME is one book that is so very intriguing. By an author who can do no wrong and is a master at writing the most sensually perfect love scenes and characters that will stay with you long after you finish reading, DON'T TEMPT ME is one fine historical that should not be missed.

Kate Garrabrant