Tempting

by Susan Mallery

rated 4 Stars

Back Cover:

After three romantic flame-outs in a year and a restaurant career going nowhere, Dani Buchanan needs a fresh start. She goes looking for her biological father, but never expects to find a senator running for president. As his long-lost 'love child,' Dani could seriously derail the election— something his handsome campaign manager Alex Canfield isn't going to let happen. Dani isn't about to let Alex run her life, no matter how tempting she finds him—and Alex isn't going to allow Dani to melt his cynicism, no matter how close he has to get. The last thing either of them wants is love, especially with scandals brewing and family trouble on the way. But Dani and Alex are forced to trust each other, and when trust turns to passion, the potential for disaster is only a tabloid scandal away.

My Thoughts:

I wasn't sure how I'd like Dani's story. She lost points with me over Gary in the last book. I need my lead characters to be sympathetic characters. We met Dani a few weeks after the end of Sizzling. Her grandmonster Gloria has bequethed to her the name of her biological father. He happens to be Mark Canfield the Junior Senator from the state of Washington. He happens to have dreams of the White House. Dani tries to meet him and meets his Campaign Aid, Alex, who happens to be his adopted son. Alex will stop at nothing to protect his family and that means also protecting his father's bid for the White House.

Unfortunately for Dani and Alex sparks fly. It's unfortunate for them, because it really complicates things. Not only is he the son of a high profile politician but he has entered into an affair with that same politician's daughter. Luckily for us, they are not really related by biology, since the chemistry is soooo slamming. (Get it...biology/chemistry?)

Alex is not the only adopted child of Mark and Katherine Canfield. He is the first of 8 all of whom have some circumstances that many would think would make them unadoptable. Dani falls in love with the children even before she falls for Alex. Katherine is the ultimate politician's wife and suffers her shame (not able to bear children/husband's secret love child) in silence and always says all the right things in the right way, while wearing the right pearls. She's redeemed by the fact that she is hopelessly in love with her husband. He finally redeems himself in my eyes by making her understand that he really does love her completely.

Alex and Dani do the near miss until they finally connect. The chemistry is great and the journey is good. I like Ms. Mallery's use secondary characters. I didn't bond well with Mark or Katherine. He was cool and distant and she was insecure and a martyr. Ick! Well, he warmed up a little and she grew a pair. I'm very proud of her. I'm also proud of Dani and Alex for opening themselves up to Love!!!