ARC Review: Temptation (Temptation #1) by Karen Ann Hopkins

 Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Series: Temptation

Pages: 383

Publisher: Harlequin

Genre: Young Adult

Amazon: Temptation

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

Temptation was kindly provided to me by Harlequin Australia and is the first book in the Temptation series by Karen Ann Hopkins.

Temptation is a contemporary romance which follows the story of sixteen year-old Rose who is grieving the loss of her mother and has moved with her father and brothers to the farming community of Meadowview and eighteen year-old Noah who is an Amish boy working and living on his family farm.

I was quite fascinated by a plot surrounding the Amish community because I admit to being completely clueless and their way of living was certainly interesting as was their belief system. I was learning along the way with Rose and although it isn’t a community for me – I’d be lost without my modern technology, I feel she accepted everything well - although I'm not sure whether for the right reason.

I liked how this story was told from both Rose and Noah’s POV’s, it gave us more of an understanding about not only how they were feeling about one another but also them realizing how different each others lives were and the sacrifices they would have to make to be together, they were raised with differing beliefs, morals and values and at times this caused a lot of strain between them but they worked through it and remained true to each other.

I enjoyed our main characters but I was not overly sold on the romance between them, I appreciated the attraction towards one another but I felt it was too ‘insta-love’ and more about Rose being someone totally out of the norm to what Noah was used to, she was fun and carefree but he also wanted to control and change her and in some ways not for the better (her lifestyle, clothing etc.) He also expected her to be Amish and live as he did but was hesitant about changing his ways for her – they seemed off balance and he could be quite condescending towards her. I also wasn’t a big fan of the decision they made towards the end, I felt it was too rushed and immature.

I did like this novel, it was different to any contemporary I have read more recently and I’m curious to see where Ms. Hopkins will take it; I enjoyed each of the characters and found even the secondary characters fascinating. The pacing and plot flowed well and we are given a few light twists to keep us guessing. Ms. Hopkins writing was entertaining and the premise unique.

Overall, Temptation was a quick and easy read that gave a new spin on the forbidden love trope and the differing cultures and belief systems of the Amish and the English (anyone not Amish); I am keen to see what will happen with the budding romance between Rose and Noah – I feel it is going to be a tough road ahead.