Review: The Temptation by Alisa Valdes

Title: The Temptation

Author: Alisa Valdes

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Publication Date: 4.24.2012

Pages: 320

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Yes (Kindred #1)

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: C

Summary (from Goodreads):

His touch was electric.
His eyes were magnetic.
His lips were a temptation....
But was he real?

After crashing her car on an empty highway, Shane is miraculously saved by Travis, a mysterious cowboy who walks out of nowhere. She is instantly attracted to him, and for the first time, she believes in “soul mates.” But Shane soon discovers that Travis is dead and that strict rules from the Underworld govern kindred spirits of different dimensions. Breaking these rules could destroy both their souls. And while Travis is almost impossible to resist, temptation proves to be the kindest enemy they encounter.

Review:

This is one of those books I wanted to love, but just fell flat for me. I could never get into it. From the beginning the story and characters felt forced. Alisa Valdes starts The Temptation out with a huge storm that I feel like I never found my way out of.

Let me also say, that I am finding I am not a huge fan of ghost stories. As in, where a ghost plays a central role. I’ve tried reading several and I can never connect with them. This book definitely slid into that category.

Shane was a weak narrator and, to me, had a very young voice. Travis, her love interest was all right, but I never felt any chemistry between them. It seemed like a quick insta-connection and those tend to leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Valdes has a great concept, but I just felt it got jumbled. Too much happened too quick and then stalled and then raced forward. It was very jerky, not fluid. I actually started skimming in later chapters to see if the end payoff was worth all the confusion and frustration. While it was a bit enlightening (hence why I’m giving this a C rating), I wasn’t moved by it. I still never felt that connection to the characters or story that would keep me invested.

I doubt I’ll pick up the rest of the series, but there are a lot of people who seemed to enjoy this story. Again, if you like ghostly tales, give it a go. Unfortunately I have found that I’m not a fan, and thus I didn’t really enjoy this one.

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