Tempt Me At Twilight (Hathaways #3) by Lisa Kleypas

Tempt Me At Twilight has got to be one of the biggest case of HR blue balls I have ever received reading historical romances.

It starts out very promising. I actually really, really like the first few chapters. However, at some point, it starts becoming much like Poppy's cooking specialty: hodge-podge.

"The Mysterious Harry Rutledge" sentence has become one of the staple statement in the Lisa Kleypas universe. As a reader, I have this impression in my head that the guy's entire life revolves around the hotel. While I appreciate that he was written to be a man of many talents and interests, it takes away from what has been impressed upon me after reading many books and I never really get a clear picture of the guy. Unfortunately, Harry is more of an archetype rather than as a person.

I get the back story. I appreciate all the things that made Harry as he is. However, it hardly makes an impact, except to establish the back story for Catherine Marks. Anything else, it hardly has an impact on his character. He had a great deal of self-awareness enough to understand what his past is and he's rarely impacted by it. By the end of the story, Harry hardly had any character development, except being a brother to Marks'. Finally getting everything he wants from his marriage is hardly a development, especially when the compromise had to come from his love interest.

Just like Harry, Poppy also had dedicated sentences in the other two Hathaway books - the pretty sister who only wants to get married. However, she was like the quintessential middle child. Not by the family, but by the author herself. Amelia is the eldest girl and the take-charge type, Win is the ill girl/delicate creature and Beatrix is the weird, nature-loving tree-hugger. What about Poppy? Oh, pretty, wants to marry, done and done. So much personality have been given to the other sisters that Poppy is also an archetype rather than a person. I don't really need an elaborate back story, but while some things move on for some of the siblings, she is the stunted character of the siblings. Even the lack of tease for Beatrix's story, she is more of a presence than Poppy.

They look like they're in room.
Did he even have a shirt on in the first place?

As I mentioned, the first few chapters were really interesting and had me anticipating the romance to come. However... it becomes... meh. I was highly anticipating the courtship, especially with the toe-curling statement:

"You were courted by a boy, who had to do as he was told... You should try it with a man, who needs no one's permission."

After that it all falls apart.

The promise of being courted by a man is sadly unfulfilled for me as a reader. In the end, I get the emotionally-stunted, possessive man trying to win over his wronged bride. It all seems to be just a bunch of fluff strung together to create the rest of the story.

The climax of the story makes sense. The big bad also makes sense to an extent. However, I could have appreciate it more if Harry was in another profession, not a mere hobbyist to what actually happened. He might as well be an arms manufacturer instead of a hotelier. In fact, I would have even preferred the big bad be Michael Bayning - the ultimate personification of what makes Poppy so unattainable to Harry, someone Poppy had to hold back from what Harry actually wants. With all the build-up and all of Bayning's subsequent actions, it promised a great love triangle. In the end, he is just a lame, pathetic third party who turned blegh just because he didn't get what he wanted. Poppy's whole "making the best of a bad situation" attitude just grates on me. Mostly because she was so wronged by Harry and he really didn't do much to atone, but rather was simply blessed with Poppy's forgiving nature.

If I were to recommend Tempt Me At Twilight, I would recommend it to someone who has read the read the Hathaway series and would want to complete the series. As a stand-alone series, it's an old, overused story line with the plot of how a girl gets comfortable being a trophy wife.