Tempting Evil
3 Stars

***Minor spoilers ahead***

Unfortunately, this is not one of Brennan's better works. While the basic suspense premise and character have potential, the writing is problematic with too much telling and not enough showing. There is also an abundance of unnecessary repetition of internal musings for all of the characters, which slows the action and the pacing.

While this is supposed to be romantic suspense, it is more of a suspense thriller with minor romance elements. Joanna and Tyler's relationship is lackluster and their emotional connection feels contrived, especially as she is apparently still grieving for her late husband and son.

Although dark and gritty scenes in books and films do not usually bother me if there is a purpose to them, this book contains a couple of instances of gratuitous mayhem that add little to the narrative or characterization.

Finally, it irks me when authors provide backgrounds for villains that ostensibly mitigate their crimes. No, I do not sympathize with the obsessive murderous stalker because his mother neglected him.

Hopefully, the next installment will be better as the plot premise is very intriguing.
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Started April 07th, 2014.
Too much romance, and I now see a pattern in the endings.
One nice sex-szene, very late in the book and for my taste also just too long, and more or less plain, with a massage if you are into such things, non-kinky.
Predictable, so only 3 stars.
Nice look in the head of two killers.
Will read something different before finishing with the "Prison Break" Trilogy.
If I am right, the later books from her are better, but maybe I just read to many back2back and in too little time.
Still a recommendation, but not so much as some of the others. ( )

Good romantic suspense with lots of fast paced action. It was interesting how the plot jumped into the middle of the romance concentrating on the heroine's growth and hero's steadfastness. An escaped convict is obsessed with writer Jo and sheriff Tyler is trying to catch him.
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Tempting Evil is a romantic suspense novel and certainly lived up to the genre. Yes it is similar to others I've read, but the characters are so well written that I just love reading these books. Joanna Sutton and Tyler McBride are the main characters. Aaron Doherty and Hans Vigo are secondary characters. For me the characters couldn't get any more real. Aaron is convinced that Joanna loves him because she has written romance novels that he feels were only for him. When in reality she doesn't know he even exists. He will do anything to get her to come with him. I really liked Tyler, I'm a sucker for strong yet understanding men. Tyler stops at nothing to save Joanna, but at the same time is willing to wait until she is ready for their relationship to move to the next level. I liked Joanna, she was willing to do anything for the people she cared about.

For me Romance Novels, no matter what specific kind they are, all have an underlying point that love conquers all. If your love is true and strong you can handle anything. I love a happy ending. :) It was really hard for me to spend so much time in Aaron's head. Experiencing his convoluted sense of what is actually going on. I think that could have been one of the reasons why it took me so long to read. Allison Brennan's writing style is really clear and always enjoyable to read. I wasn't really emotional during this book. Sometimes a little frustration crept up in regards to Aaron, but he is written as a character your not supposed to like. This books is part of the Prison Break Series and I will be continuing on to the next book. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys "Cop Thrillers". ( )

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