Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Your heart misleads you. That's what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah. And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms.

It should be

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won't be.

Because he's Amish.
And I'm not.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

Nothing makes a book scream "Read Me" more than having an Amish character. I've been obsessed with the Amish ever since I was a teen. I've read a ton of books about them, both fiction and non-fiction. As soon as I saw that Temptation featured a forbidden romance between an Amish teen and a non-Amish teen, I knew I had to read it.

Temptation is candy. And that's important to know going in. If you're looking for a plot that has a remote chance of actually happening, this is not for you. But if you accept this is pure fantasy, it's a lot of fun.

Rose and Noah, our star-crossed lovers, were each hard to like. Yet I still did. Mostly. Rose was completely ignorant about anything Amish. I suppose many people are, but this irritated me. Plus she goes from one extreme to the other and then back again - completely unwilling to accept the merits of Amish culture to throwing herself in wholeheartedly. It's hard to get a feel on her. Noah was a nice guy, clearly struggling between the religion and culture he believes in and wanting to be with this sweet, enlightening non-Amish girl. It was frustrating seeing him pressure Rose into being the book's stereotype of an Amish girl - demure, submissive, and extremely modest, when it was her strength and directness that drew him to her in the first place.

My favorite part about this book was the description of Amish culture and life. We get to see the goings-on of a typical Amish farm as well as the communities religious and social activities. The Amish characters other than Noah start out very cardboard. By the end of the book they're not entirely three-dimensional, but there are enough layers to make them interesting.

The book is told in Noah and Rose's viewpoints. That was an excellent move on the author's part. Both Rose and Noah come off as judgmental towards the other person. If the reader only read one viewpoint, the book would feel very biased. The insight into each character's mind helps me understand each person's life and personality. Mostly I liked Noah's point of view, because it was so cool to see life through Amish eyes.

As I said, it's hard to take the plot seriously, but I still enjoyed it. You have all the perfect romance elements: good chemistry, romantic tension, lots of kissing, and forbidden love. What's not to like? Temptation is the first of several books. I will definitely pick up the other books to see what Rose and Noah are up to next.

Rating: 3 / 5