Title: Wicked: Tempt Me Not
Author: Lily Graison
Published in August 2008 by Alinar Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN 10: 1-906023-55-7
ISBN 13: 978-1-906023-55-3
Related Books: Wicked: Leather and Lace coming soon
Other Books by Lily: Destined Hearts, A Touch of Heaven
It was supposed to be a dream vacation, the chance for Holly and Roxy to relax, and spend some quality time together, something that had been missing in their friendship lately. It was planned a whole year ago, and now, as Holly looked around her, she was wondering what she was going to do by herself for the two weeks. It would have been a lot different if one of Roxy's clients didn't keep her away at the last minute. They had plans to hike, explore, and do all kinds of other things together, but now? Holly just didn't know how she was going to occupy herself in the woods, alone, not to mention that she would get very lonely. She was used to the city, and being alone there was different. There were people to watch, here there was just nature, and although that could be fascinating, it was more isolating than anything, and Holly Baker was not really into this kind of aloneness.
Country was ok, if there were at least some conveniences, like television and phone, but that was not to be on this vacation, it was supposed to be a friends together, but it can’t be true if the friends are not here, and Roxy was conspicuously absent. She really was having serious second thoughts, but it was a bit late for that now as the shuttle had gone, and she was left to explore on her own. She was not totally comfortable, but Holly decided Roxy was right, and she should make the best of the paid in full two weeks. At least she had food, enough wood, lights, and places to explore. She only hoped it would be enough to keep her occupied, but then she usually didn’t have too much of a problem there. She stowed her bag up in the loft bedroom, then decided to explore the path she found when looking out from the balcony. It led to a hot spring, and here, being alone, Holly thought what the heck, shucked her clothes, and made her way into the warm water. It was soothing, and it was well worth the trip just to feel her worries and cares soak away. Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all…
Devin Shaw had been sprung from rehab by his manager, and sent off to this forsaken wilderness to get his act together again. If it worked, maybe he could salvage his career, save his band, and get his life back to where it needed to be for his own good. The cabin was cozy, it was a beautiful setting, but still Devin was restless, miserable, and he despaired of getting any real work done. Contrary to what other thought, it had been a year since he had put himself on the straight and narrow, the rehab stint was just the latest measure to make certain he could make it on his own. The press and mainly the tabloids had a field day with the rumours and innuendo that flashed around him, the fact the band was in studio and supposedly recording didn’t stem the flow. Devin really needed to get himself back into the groove, and Curt was hoping by putting Devin here in the middle of nature, it would provide some much needed stimulation and keep out any distraction. All Devin could do was sigh, and suck it up because he knew well this could be his last chance.
Putting all instances of tabloid histrionics aside and letting the full truth be known was something the band could have done, but part of the draw for WICKED was their bad boy images, it is just that Devin, more than the others had in some sense taken the image more to heart. A disastrous marriage to what amounted to not much more than a groupie set him off on a real course of self-destruction, and that was scarier than any of the stories the tabloids had such a field day promoting. He had thought it was love, he wanted that more than anything, but the ex left him with a shattered heart, a bad case of broken confidence, and a death spiral into the bottom of a bottle that threatened everything he had built. The last year and a half had been a struggle, these last four weeks were meant to help him regroup and work, write some badly needed new material for the band, and get ready for the new album they hoped to put out and the new tour they were already looking forward to booking. He knew Curt meant well, but Devin also knew that some of his restlessness came from his celibacy. He was not one to be as promiscuous as the rags claimed, but he had been used to getting his relief regularly until…well it just didn’t bear thinking about closely…
Lily Graison started something special here, and I hope to she gets to take it to the logical end. This first book, Wicked: Tempt Me Not, is a real winner, and one filled with surprises. Holly was totally surprised to find herself in a cabin in the woods alone, but then to have an unwanted roommate thrust upon her was almost too much. She was not prepared to be here without Roxy, her best friend, but would cope if she had to, and it looked as though she had to because Roxy was a no-show. But there were lines to be drawn, and she was certainly not sure she wanted to be here with a strange man. Devin Shaw was, to say the least, astounded to meet a woman who really didn’t know who he was, nor was she impressed when she finally recognized him. It spoke volumes of how she saw herself, and he liked what he saw, too. But finding out that the cabin had been overbooked, and also discovering she didn’t like him very much was another set of shocks he was unprepared to receive. It only made him more determined to find out more about her, to see if she was for real, and to want to know her on a totally different level.
Wicked: Tempt Me Not is a fast and fun read, and it is one that allows the reader to wonder who did this, was it a set up, and what exactly is going to happen. When you try to mix oil and water, the best you can hope for is co-existence, but when the mixture separates, there is not much hope of getting it back together unless you shake it well or change the ingredients. I think Lily does a bit of both when she puts Devin and Holly together, she grounds him, he gives her excitement, they would be good together, but Holly is loath to believe someone as famous a “bed-hopper” as Devin Shaw could remember any lover, let alone one as ordinary as she, and she keeps him at arm’s length. But Devin is not as shallow as she believes, and yet when they part at the end of her vacation, she knows he will not give her a second thought. Will Holly fall into Devin’s trap, or will they truly part ways never to meet again? Is it love, or just infatuation? What the answers bring may surprise you, so head over to Alinar Publiishing and get your copy of Wicked: Tempt Me Not by Lily Graison. I know I enjoyed this book greatly, and I am looking forward to the others soon to come in the series. Next up is Wicked: Leather and Lace, and I hope it come soon! I can hardly wait.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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