THE BLURB:
Evie Taylor is a career girl with no time for men, but she has a secret passion for Michael Marsh, the unattainable world-famous singer, The Diamond Superstar. Michael has been widowed for two years and the young detective who helped close the case on his wife’s murder still haunts his dreams. He doesn’t expect to find a deadly enemy in Evie’s mother.
Teenage Greta, jealous of her adored father paying attention to Evie, makes a dangerous contact in an Internet chatroom. The Spy, a journalist hell-bent on destroying Michael, sets out to prove he has an incestuous relationship with his eldest daughter, he encourages his adult twins to sleep together, and he is responsible for appalling injuries inflicted on Greta.
Can Evie defeat the virus intent on her death, The Spy, and her mother, to win the heart of the man who’s turned her life upside-down?
MY REVIEW:
I have read all the books in Sarah Stuart’s Royal Command Series, and until I read Sweet Temptation, my favorite of the series was the first book, Dangerous Liaisons.
Michael Marsh, the Diamond Superstar has millions of fans across the globe, but he’s lonely. When his wife, Lizzie, was murdered in front of him, his world shattered. He didn’t believe he could ever love again. That is until detective Evie Taylor, walked into his office. Thirty years his junior, it is a relationship destined to failure from the start. She’s been a fan and star struck by him since she was a teenager. So, when he asks her to move into Mere House with him, she’s ecstatic, but disillusioned when she is never invited to share his bed. She falls gravely ill and lies at death’s door in the hospital for months. That is when Michael realizes he cannot live without her. A hasty marriage in the hospital puts a diamond ring on her finger, but still she is riddled with doubt. How can Michael love her when she is so near death and disgustingly thin? The many skeletons in Michael Marsh’s closet come out and with the help of Evie’s evil and jealous mother, she is convinced the marriage is only a farce and meant to take the heat off Michael when The Spy reports damaging lies about incest and physical abuse in the tabloids. Add Michael’s teenage daughter, Greta, into the mix and the plot thickens. Greta allows herself to become a victim of a sex trafficking ring when she turns to a chat room to ease her own loneliness. She is jealous of Evie and the hours Michal spends at the hospital and convinces herself that her family doesn’t love her. The author did a superb job of getting inside the mind of a typical teenager. But, the danger is real and if not for Greta’s fierce determination, she would have been another statistic.
One of the reasons I loved this story so much is that Michael Marsh redeemed himself. By that I mean, that he had to, for once in his life, think of someone other than himself. The hours he spent with no food and no sleep to sit by Evie’s bedside as she battled to live and fight incessant nightmares put him in a different light. It showed a compassionate caring side of the Diamond Superstar that we had not seen in the other books.
If you love dysfunctional family drama, suspense, and conflict, you are going to love Sweet Temptation. Sarah Stuart did an amazing job with all the characters, delving deep into their psyche. As a last word, I also have to give her kudos for the detailed way she depicted Evie’s nightmares that haunted her as she lay in a coma. Only someone who had experienced these could write about them in such vivid detail.
About The Author:
Sarah Stuart is an award-winning author whose books are based on her show business experience, her concern for animals, the challenges of her Christian faith, and her passions for history and travel.
Sarah’s hope is that readers will enjoy her novels as an escape from reality, but be left understanding that fame and fortune often comes at a high personal cost. Also, an increased perception of the threat to animals: those shot in the name of sport for trophy heads, endangered species, many poached for their fur and ivory, and tragically discarded pets.
Sarah appreciates reviews very much. Readers have already helped endangered species and discarded pets worldwide; she donates 100% of her royalties to help and reviews encourage others to buy and review for this globally worthwhile cause.
Connect with Sarah:
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