Tallulah Trent, a conjuring witch with dicey powers, falls for Jake Mathews, her deceased husband's partner.
For months Tee's kept her secret. Not once during Jake's visits has she conjured anything peculiar. Then he makes love to her, on a raft in the middle of the Caribbean, and chocolate cupcakes pop up everywhere. Worse, she discovers he believes she and her dead husband embezzled millions from their company.
Jake knows Tee's keeping secrets, is positive they concern the persistent aroma of chocolate which seems to follow her. But when dead bodies start popping up and they all point to Tee, he feels a strange over-protective streak erupt.
The bottom falls out of Jake's world when Homeland Security comes after him and Tee. Thrown together on the run, they discover each other sexually, but trust doesn't always follow sex, at least not at first.
Excerpt
Five months ago she’d met him, on the eve of her wedding, and Tee knew, knew the instant their eyes met. Knew she invited disaster by Tony. Knew she was damned to eternity by her lies and secrets.
For the last four, long hope-filled months Jake had visited Trinidad. A part of her she refused to acknowledge hoped and prayed he came for her. Too superstitious to say the words aloud, she yearned and fantasized, and dreamed. His earlier words haunted and tempted, but inside she froze, too scared to take the brass ring, as the Americans called it.
Have some courage Tallulah Inglefield - dream the dream.
Without allowing her brain to interfere, Tee did the impossible. She shucked off her shoes and slipped the cotton halter dress off her shoulders.
“Or you can have me,” she whispered, shrugging the fabric off her body.
Naked, standing in front of an open-mouthed Jake, under an approaching noon sun, she raised her arms over her head and dove off the end of the pier.
Salty ocean flowed across her shoulders molding cool water down her nude body. Joy wrought from mingling hysteria and frenetic hope erupted and translated energy into powerful breaststrokes. Instinct and buried memories sent her in the direction of the triangle-shaped raft anchored in the middle of the bay.
Seagulls swooped and danced, and their cries emphasized the primitive despair she interred daily. Tony’s last accusing refrain hammering away each time she neared acceptance, some semblance of serenity. “You’re a freak, nothing but a circus freak…”
Hard plastic impacted on her down stroke, Tee grasped the raft’s edge and leveraged upwards. Panting, she flopped on her back and refused to think about the implications of her invitation, refused to look in his direction, refused to contemplate the impact of his disdain. She flung an elbow over her eyes as if shutting out vision would prevent misery if he rejected her blatant offering. Her ears rang with the effort of her furious swim drowning all sound.
“I’ll have you.”
Her eyes flew open, and she jerked up onto her forearms to meet Jake’s strong, harsh charcoal gaze mere inches away from hers.
Professional Reviews
Just Erotic Romance
Witchy Women 1: T is for Temptation
by: Jianne Carlo
Publisher: Siren Publishing
review by: T.S. Peters
Jake is finally getting his chance to get what he wants. Tee has owned him body and soul since the moment he first saw her. Too bad she was already committed to his no good, lying, cheating scumbag of an ex-partner at the time. But now, thankfully he is dead and his beautiful not so grieving widow’s kisses are burning him alive. Everything should be perfect...except that millions are missing and every time he's around Tee the rose petals and chocolate cupcakes appear out of no where.
Ms. Carlo has created a perfectly blended paranormal suspense that captures and holds the reader from beginning to end. She managed to keep me on edge, guessing at what would happen next. This book is filled with magic, intrigue, and drama. That, along with its quick pace had my fingers flying through the pages. She seamlessly blends both dialog and time periods. The romantic aspect of the story isn't what you would expect to find in this type of genre. Tee leads Jake on a knuckle-biting chase that had me cheering one minute and worrying the next. The two of them make a good couple because they are so atypical. But I have to admit it was the secondary characters of Alex and Jake's mom Elaine that stole the show. Alex is Jake's best friend and apparent comic relief of the book. He is a smart, sarcastic hottie who is always getting into situations. Elaine, who probably needs some Prozac, is hilarious! She sweetly bullies her way into everyone's heart. Because of the way the sex was featured in this tale, I wouldn't really call it erotic. To me it was actually written more for the mass media market. When compared to the length, there are actually very few scenes and those are over very quickly and not very graphic. But if you are looking for a great story, with great characters that isn't just a bunch of random sex scenes loosely strung together, then this is the one to read. I truly enjoyed reading this temptation!
Whipped Cream
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009
T Is for Temptation by Jianne Carlo
T Is for Temptation by Jianne Carlo
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand, Inc.
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery, Fantasy, Time Travel
Length: Full (345 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 Cherries
Review by Lilac
Tallulah Trent, a conjuring witch with dicey powers, falls for Jake Mathews, her deceased husband's partner.
For months Tee's kept her secret. Not once during Jake's visits has she conjured anything peculiar. Then he makes love to her, on a raft in the middle of the Caribbean, and chocolate cupcakes pop up everywhere. Worse, she discovers he believes she and her dead husband embezzled millions from their company.
Jake knows Tee's keeping secrets, is positive they concern the persistent aroma of chocolate which seems to follow her. But when dead bodies start popping up and they all point to Tee, he feels a strange over-protective streak erupt.
The bottom falls out of Jake's world when Homeland Security comes after him and Tee. Thrown together on the run, they discover each other sexually, but trust doesn't always follow sex, at least not at first.
Full of the unexpected, T is for Temptation is a fun read featuring a witch with unusual powers and the man who wants her.
In the book, Jake Mathews has lusted after his business partner’s widow since the day he met her. But Tee is not quite over her bad marriage and her husband’s reaction to her abilities. She is reluctant to trust anyone and fears what Jake will do when he learns of her powers. But soon passion takes over and the two are in for some very eventful lovemaking as rose petals, cupcakes, and even gladiators seem to appear at the most inopportune times thanks to Tee’s lack of control over her conjuring abilities.
In addition to having to deal with Tee’s ability, the authorities are after the pair thanks to her unscrupulous husband is illegal activities. He has gotten the pair into a mess of trouble and Jake and Tee, along with the help of some of their friends, must figure a way out. In a twist I didn’t see coming the pair learns some interesting details about Jake’s past that turn out to be very useful as they try to solve their legal problems.
I really enjoyed the little twists in the story and the characters we meet as a result. The story is filled with strong, well-crafted characters including both the main characters as well as secondary characters such as Jake’s friend, Alex. Even the bad guys come across as believable and you are never quite sure who to trust or what will happen.
I also loved the exotic setting and the author definitely seems to have knowledge of the various locations. From Trinidad and Tobago to London to Scotland, with vivid descriptions and details the author made me feel as though I were actually there and I loved each new discovery about the settings.
While there were a couple of loose ends that I wish were tied up a bit better, overall this was a fun and cute story with a bit of suspense. It was definitely far from predictable and I never knew what was going to happen next in this complex story. The different twists and turns captured my attention and really helped to add to my enjoyment. T is for Temptation is a great read full of surprises!
A young widow joins her aunt’s house-restoration project in the wilderness, determined to take a stand for independence, but two men have different plans for her—and so does God.
