Monday, February 1, 2010

Tempt Me If You Can-Janet Chapman

Tempt Me If You Can
Janet Chapman
Pocket, Feb 23 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9781416595441

Shipping mogul Ben Sinclair receives an anonymous letter that claims he sired a son sixteen years ago. Stunned, Ben drops everything to rush to rural Medicine Gore, Maine to learn the truth whether he left Kelly Sands pregnant before she dumped him abruptly.

Arriving in Maine, Ben learns that Kelly vanished a decade ago and her younger sister Emma has raised her nephew Michael. He conceals his identity while registering as a guest at Emma's sporting camp because he fears he will not be welcomed especially with his explosive past. Michael quickly realizes his beloved aunt and his biological father are attracted to one another even as they argue, fuss, and fight. As the adults fall in love, the past explodes in the present.

The second Sinclair sibling story (see The Man Must Marry for Sam’s tale) is an engaging contemporary romance that focuses on Ben being unaware until now that he has a teenage son. Although the premise of an unknown offspring is not new (see A Corner of the Universe by Rebbie Macintyre, for instance) the cast makes for a fine tale. Fans will relish the romance between the father and the aunt, manipulated by a clever teen as the past and present collide in Maine with the impact being everyone’s future if they survive some late suspense.

Harriet Klausner

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