Welcome to Temptation

by Jennifer Crusie

Other authorsAasne Vigesaa (Reader)

Digital audiobook, 2000

Status

Available

Call number

813

Publication

Brilliance Audio (2006), Edition: Unabridged Audiobook, Downloadable WMA/MP3 Audiofile, 10 hrs 41 mins

Description

Fiction. Romance. Humor (Fiction.) HTML: Sophie Dempsey wants to help her sister film a video and then get out of Temptation, Ohio. Mayor Phin Tucker wants to play pool with the police chief and keep things peaceful. But when Sophie and Phin meet, they both get more than they want. Gossip, blackmail, adultery, murder, vehicular abuse of a corpse, and slightly perverse but excellent sex: all hell breaks loose in Temptation as Sophie and Phin fall deeper and deeper in trouble... and in love..

User reviews

LibraryThing member FemmeNoiresque

This book put me off chick lit. Implausible events and annoying characters.

24 more

LibraryThing member Larou

Welcome to Temptation starts off with two cars colliding with each other; the characters bounce of each other, collide with others, who then again bounce, and in the end (almost) everyone lands in their appropriate pocket. In other words, the novel unfolds much like a game of billiard, and if

you’ve ever read anything by Jennifer Crusie you will not be surprised to learn that pool billiard plays a major role here, because her novels just are clever that way.

And Welcome to Temptation is one of her best – the plot zings ahead, moves along several deft bankshots and finally is pocketed elegantly. There is host of characters all of which are credible enough to remain plausible even through the occasional spin towards caricature or satire, the writing is polished and hits the spot precisely, and the story packs quite the emotional punch. In other words, this is about as good as Romance fiction gets, is both witty and emotional, funny and moving. Jennifer Crusie is often (and, I think, rightly so) mentioned as the Romance author to recommend to people who do not read Romance fiction; and the reason most frequently cited for that is along the lines of “you don’t even notice you’re reading Romance.” Which, while not completely wrong, is still somewhat off, at least the way I see it – Jennifer Crusie’s novels (even the later ones that branch off into different genres) are deeply rooted in Romance and never pretend to be otherwise; they’re simply not what most people (those not reading Romance fiction, anyway) expect Romance to be. They are neither soppy nor clichéd, they are well written in a snappy, fast-moving language, and above all they are fiercely intelligent, juggling, in the case of Welcome to Temptation, a plot involving a dozen major and minor characters, mayoral elections, gender politics, a murder case and wall painting. And pool billiard. And there’s a dog, too. It still is fluff, of course, but does not want to be anything else, and it excellent fluff that is smart and entertaining and does not presume its readers to be stupid. In other words, it is a huge lot of fun and among the most entertaining novels I have read in 2014.

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LibraryThing member magst

Pretty good. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, although I thought that Ms. Crusie had a little too many subplots/side stories. Not as good as "Tell Me Lies" or "Crazy For You" but an altogether enjoyable book.

LibraryThing member allthesedarnbooks

A+! I loved this one. The small town setting is perfect, the characters unique, the dialogue biting, and the humor witty. And the sex scenes? Yum.

LibraryThing member kikianika

I'm on a Crusie binge right now. This one had a really complex cast of characters, almost TV drama like. very enjoyable and complex. And fun. It was light on the romance while still making it the main focus of the book. I'm still not 100% over some of Crusie's wording peculiarities, but there is so

much about her writing that I admire...

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LibraryThing member MsBeautiful

A bit better to get interested over Tell Me Lies and Crazy for you, but still hard to get through

LibraryThing member jbrophy6

Sophie and Amy Dempsey come to Temptation, Ohio to make an audition tape for their old friend Clea, an aspiring actress and former porn star. Their arrival and film make the locals suspicious. They have good reason - the tape has become an erotic video. Sophie expects to leave town in a few days,

but things like gossip, small-town politics, a sexy mayor, and murder keep getting in her way. With interesting characters, snappy dialogue and exhilarating situations, Crusie's newest will make you laugh and blush at the same time.

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LibraryThing member Omrythea

Crusie at her finest. Racy and sexy with characters that make you smile. An entertaining easy read.

LibraryThing member readingrat

I unwittingly ended up reading the sequel to this, Faking It, before I read this one. Faking It was my first exposure to Jennifer Crusie's writing and I really enjoyed it. I like this one even better. Both books are chock-full of great characters, laugh out loud moments, believable dialog, and a

fast and fun plot. I also love that this author allows her characters to experience intimate encounters that aren't always earth-shattering. I'll definitely be looking for more books by this author.

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LibraryThing member rosinalippi

this is a novel that comes across like one of the grand old high-romp romantic comedies of the forties, but with inventive sex.

LibraryThing member kikilon

much about her writing that I admire...

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LibraryThing member kcordes

one of my new favorite authors. she makes you laugh out loud. definetly a different twist on romance novels. i can't wait to read another of her books.

LibraryThing member MuseofIre

Sophie Dempsey is the prototypical Crusie heroine -- organized, methodical, taking care of everyone else, trying to hold it all together but starting to unravel at the seams. I like the way Phin unravels her. More than usually tricky murder/theft/sabotage plot.

LibraryThing member seldombites

I'm not usually into romance novels, but Welcome to Temptation was a decent read. The characters were well rounded, not the standard cliches I am used to in this genre. I like the term 'Vanilla Porn' which I read for the first time in this book. I think it is a term that could probably be applied

here. This is a good book with a real storyline and I enjoyed it.

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LibraryThing member SabrinaJeffries

A bawdy, hilarious contemporary romance about a filmmaker who butts heads with the local mayor when she comes to film in Temptation. Run, don't walk, to get this one!

LibraryThing member Joybee

Great characters, lovable and hate-able. Great sex scenes. Sophie and her sister travel to small town Temptation to shoot a video audition tape for an acquaintance. They later find that their star want's to make this video 'vanilla porn'. While shooting, the sisters come across many problems. The

sexy Mayor is interested in knowing what they are doing, an so are many towns people. Many things unfold as the video shoot wraps up, ex-lovers, jealous spouses, gossipy towns people, and lots of sex. Hard to put down.

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LibraryThing member kimbee

I think I didn't enjoy it as much because I read such wonderful reviews of this book when really it's just an average book. I'm glad I read it though.

LibraryThing member debavp

I wanted to like this as I have recently received several of her books, but I just couldn't :(

LibraryThing member SunnySD

The Dempseys may be a family of con artists, but they stick together. So when younger sister Amy agrees to make a short film for an aging actress, older sister Sophie goes along to make sure things go smoothly. Little does she know her life is about to take a complicated turn - from soft porn to

murder.

Phin Tucker comes from a long political tradition - one his mother isn't going to see broken. But when Phin meets Sophie things not only heat up, the political train heads straight for more scandal than the quiet little town of Temptation, Ohio has ever dreamed of.

For a book about movie-making, there are surprisingly few scenes with either actors or filming. But once you get past the missing elements, it's a fast-paced, fluffy and fun.

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LibraryThing member kayceel

After arriving in Temptation Ohio to help her sister film a movie, Sophie Dempsey finds herself wrapped up in small town politics, house painting, soft porn, a murder investigation, and the delightful town mayor.

This was my second time reading Welcome to Temptation (this time for a book group), and

again I found it to be a fast, fun and INCREDIBLY sexy read!

Recommended.

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LibraryThing member Dawn772

This started out as typical romance between classes but soon changed with some unique twists and complex plot filled with humor and lots of surprises. A very entertaining story. Sophie and her sister go to small town Temptation to film a movie and before long encounter mayor Phin.

LibraryThing member Lauren2013

Welcome to Temptation
4.5 Stars

Invited to Temptation, Ohio to shoot a short film, Sophie Dempsey wants nothing more than to finish the job and get out of town as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, events and sexy mayor, Phin Tucker, conspire against her. Before she knows it, Sophie is embroiled in

a multitude of mayhem including blackmail. adultery and murder.

While this is a delightful small town romp with well-developed characters and an engaging storyline, it is also a product of its time (the early 2000s) in terms of the portrayal of and expectations from women in a small town.

Sophie and Phin's opposites attract romance is very appealing and they have fantastic chemistry. The only issue here is that he sometimes comes across as a preppie jerk who needs a good kick in the pants, but he does grovel quite well when necessary.

The murder and mayhem plot is reminiscent of a good British who-dun-it ala Midsomer Murders. There are numerous suspects as almost everyone in town wanted the victim dead, and the entire scenario is laigh-out-loud ridiculous.

All in all, a fun way to spend an afternoon and the book is recommended for fans of Rachel Gibson, Victoria Dahl, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

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LibraryThing member humouress

{First of 2 in Dempsey series; steam level: frequent}(2000)

I picked this up because I've seen a few positive reviews of Crusie's work around LT and this was one of the books available from my Overdrive libraries.

Two sisters, Sophie and Amy Dempsey, go to a small town called Temptation about an

hour away from Cincinnati at the request of Clea, a film starlet whom their brother used to date. She wants to restart her career (consisting of two or three minor films) by filming her 'Return to Temptation' as an audition tape, to be released by a friend of hers who produces porn films. Clea's return stirs up hormones and the town's politics so the mayor and the police chief get involved, ex-boyfriends return and a murder occurs.

I liked the book to start with; it has a light, fizzy atmosphere. But Phin, the 'hero', is checking out the legs of a girl about half his age when we first meet him and is unabashed about looking down cleavages. On the one hand he had a nice personality but on the other he had some creepy characteristics - such as the first few times he and Sophie kissed, he seemed more concerned about his shirt getting rumpled.

I wouldn't call this a romance; as soon as Sophie and Phin set eyes on each other, it's a mutual case of lust which they indulge in at any time and almost any place, even though each of them typifies the sort of people that the other has learned, from bitter experience, are dangerous. It's more about Sophie finding herself, having taken care of her two siblings all her life. There were a few moments of farce the several times that the body is discovered and moved elsewhere for someone else to discover. I thought the child (Phin's 9 year old daughter, Dillie) was neither too bratty nor too saccharine and wasn't overused as a narrative device.

“Jamie Barclay and I made up a mother test.”
“How cute of you,” Sophie said. “No.”
“It’s just four questions,” Dillie said, her cupid’s-bow mouth drooping with disappointment. “Four little questions. Please.”
Sophie sighed. Maybe if she flunked Dill’s test . . . “Shoot.”
Dillie straightened in her chair. “Okay. These are multiple choice to make it easy.”
...
Dillie sat back. “Perfect score.”
“What?”
Dillie nodded. “My dad picked the exact same answers. Even the different answer on number four.”
“You gave your father a mother test?”
“No, I gave him a father test,” Dillie said.

The dog was ... interesting; even though it reminded me of the palace dogs in the Minions film, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of him/ her. It seemed quirky that, apart from the three Demspey siblings, everyone else came from one child families. Maybe that's why it's such a small town? (ETA: hang on, my mistake; there was a fleeting mention towards the end that Rachel had two older sisters but we never met them.)

I can't say I cared deeply for any of the characters (and I even tended to forget some of the secondary ones existed until they came along again) but that could be because I was just trying to get to the end as quickly as possible, especially after Phin asked Sophie what her turn-on fantasies were and made some suggestions, one of which I found deeply disturbing and offensive. Not to mention the casual attitude to gun control:

It didn't help that his dad's .22 was gone from the locked gun cabinet. “Anybody could have taken it,” he told Wes. “The key's on the top, up where Dillie can't reach it, but we weren't trying to keep anybody else out.

On the other hand, I didn't abandon it altogether because it was still reasonably fun.

October 2021
2.5-3 stars

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LibraryThing member lydia1879

So it took me ages to find this edition! Finally.

I wanted to review this book, but I couldn't quite remember what it was called. ... which doesn't bode well for my review, because I couldn't even remember the name, but anyway!

I read this book in high school and I did enjoy it. It was really light

and fluffy. The female character was a little bit flat for me. It was quite funny, and readable - I read it all the way through, even though I didn't completely love it, or even like it. The book seemed to be missing something, though, and I couldn't put my finger on it, and I can't put my finger on it now. And from memory, the sex scenes were a bit of a non-event? The plot was non-threatening, in a way that when you read, you know whatever goes wrong, it'll be okay, so you don't have to worry.

Which is good, because you can relax while you read it, but unfortunate, because it means I don't get attached to the characters.

This book was enough to distract me from school, but forgettable enough that I had trouble remembering the name.

2.5 stars from me. c:

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LibraryThing member Aliwave12

Laugh out loud fun!

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