TWICE THE TEMPTATION

Author: Suzanne Enoch ISBN: 0061231479 8/2007 HISTORICAL/CONTEMPORARY Publisher: AVON
Time Period: 1814, present

Two unforgettable tales. One dazzling diamond! Summer 1814 ... When Evangeline Munroe inherits the exquisite but supposedly cursed Nightshade Diamond, she considers it a bit of good fortune. Then she literally runs into Connoll Addison, Marquis of Rawley, the most sought after bachelor amongst the ton. Surely her immediate attraction to the rogue is bad luck. Could the diamond be more dangerous than she ever imagined? Present ... Samantha Jellicoe thinks it's good luck that has her—a reformed cat burglar—providing security for a museum exhibit. Then she discovers the Nightshade Diamond, with an accompanying note that says the thing is cursed. Cursed indeed! How else to explain Scotland Yard breathing down her neck, the appearance of an ex-boyfriend, and her lover Rick Addison suddenly testing the boundaries of their relationship? She needs to unload the gem and soon, or she may lose her dreams forever.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

TWICE THE TEMPTATION by Suzanne Enoch is just that—two times the temptation and twice the fun!

Both stories center around a beautiful diamond that is said to be cursed. In the first story, A Diamond or Forever, is a historical in which Evangeline Munroe is given the diamond by an aunt of hers. Aunt Rachel tells her that the diamond is cursed and she should never take it out of its box. When it is nestled safely away, it seems to be good luck, but whenever it is out and about, it seems to cause havoc. Well, Gilly has no intention of not wearing the beautiful diamond that has been entrusted to her, so she sets out to prove to her aunt that the diamond is not cursed one little bit!

I cannot tell you how much I laughed while reading this story. Seeing the absolute chaos that abounds whenever the diamond is around and how wild it makes everyone, is so much great fun! There are so many times that I went back and re-read a part just because I wanted to laugh over and over at it! Connoll and Evangeline are surely doomed to a life of Bloopers reels if something does not become of that necklace! So Connoll has the idea to hide the necklace in the barn, inside a wall, and that is where the second story picks up.

Diamonds are Not a Girl's Best Friend was even better than the first story. Samantha Jellicoe, being the hard core jewelry thief that she was, is now in charge of security for her rich boyfriend's jewelry expo. Rich Addison is a tall, dark and handsome British drink-of-water, and I felt my heart flutter all over the place when he put in an appearance. Samantha is determined to prove to the world that she has gone legit, Rick is determined to give her the space to do her own thing, and they are both having the worst of luck ever since the diamond made an appearance in the back wall of what used to be the stables at Rawley Park Estate. To top it all off, the two of them are determined to "one up" one another and prove that the diamond is not cursed, by planting the dang thing on each other. The story could not have been more perfect! Samantha and Ric shine and the story is so much fun, I absolutely fell in love! Add to that the fact that Samantha and Rick are the subjects of several other of Suzanne Enoch's books, and I swear I am in total Heaven!

Kristal Gorman