Technology whiz Bailey Brown is one of two humans alive who knows a very important secret: that humanity has shared their planet with paranormals for millennia. When an obsessed hacker from her past threatens to expose the secret, Bailey and her Sebastiani Security colleagues must use every weapon at their disposal to stop him. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and she can’t let herself be distracted by her boss’s gorgeous brother, even if he is temptation incarnate…
Incubus sculptor Rafe Sebastiani hasn’t produced a decent nude in over a year, since he made the most selfish mistake of his life: sleeping with Bailey Brown. Now, with a deadline looming, his cranky muse has finally allowed him to express his memories of that incendiary night in clay. But when his brother asks him to pose as Bailey’s lover to provoke her dangerous ex, he jumps at the chance…to sculpt her, to protect her, and to earn the right to tempt her—and only her—for the rest of their lives…
Tamara Hogan is the award-winning author of The Underbelly Chronicles paranormal romance series. An English major by education and a software developer/process engineer by trade, she recently stopped telecommuting to Silicon Valley to teach, edit, and write full-time. Tamara loathes cold and snow, but nonetheless lives near Minneapolis with her husband and two naughty cats.
Her debut, TASTE ME, won a Daphne du Maurier Award for Mystery and Suspense, was nominated for the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award®, and won Prism Awards for Best Dark Paranormal, Best First Book, and Best of the Best.
Now, I'm coming into this series at book three. I didn't realize this until about 30% through and all the references to already established couples in the book and other people that seem to be in tense 'complicated' relationships.
Normally, this would kill my enjoyment of a paranormal romance. I mean you have a world established, you have characters and couples, and history, especially by book three! Yet, Tamara managed to keep me not just entertained by emotionally invested in all the characters in this book! The world building continued in this book so I wasn't left with a big grey area surrounding all these really well written characters!
However, Bailey was riding a really find line for me, and the author used my pet peeve in paranormal romance--the 'misunderstanding'. I mean it wasn't just the misunderstanding it was how far Bailey believed her own annoying internal dialogue. I had so many moments I was rolling my eyes at her in the book. Apparently, in Bailey's world when a normally man whoring incubus wants to spend all his time with you, and says I LOVE YOU straight to your face with no uncomfortable feet shuffling, that translates into Bailey's brain as, "Oh, this has a time limit and he will be bored in a month."
Bailey had these incredibly strong moments and then they crashed and burned under her own constant doubt. She also had crazy health issues that she would totally ignore and that double annoyed me. As a heroine, I just felt she could have been kept strong and still vunerable without annoying the crap out of the reader. I loved Rafe, he was loyal and proved it more than once, yet she still was in a perpetual state of doubt.
Aside, that one character flaw, I really did enjoy the book. It was vivid, believable, and makes me want to get the rest of the series in the future.
*I received this book from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Tempt Me. Underbelly Chronicles Book Three. Tamara Hogan. Arc supplied via Netgalley.
Well, yet again I've jumped into an existing series but luckily this story wasn't difficult to pick up. Its clear there's bits that were events from previous books that affect this one, but its easy to work out a rough idea of what happened. Its a terrific story, and I’d love to read the previous two books, its a series I’d definitely keep for re reading. Its got all the elements I love - spicy, sensual, sexy romance, paranormals, lots of action, and characters that feel real. I loved Bailey, dedicated to the people who've supported her far more than her own family, she's a workaholic and determined to protect them with her pc tech skills. There's a big threat currently facing the firm from a hacker, so she's been working almost round the clock and is in danger of burnout. Lucas – one of the firms heads, sends her for a weekend away from the problems at the family cabin. When she arrives though the delicious Rafe, another family member, is there. She'd been told he'd be away, and she's been trying to avoid him since they had an unexpected steamy encounter a year ago – he's the family playboy and she doesn't want anything to upset her current position with the family. What she doesn't know though is Rafe still wants her, hasn't been able to get her out of his head....and is currently working on a sculpture of her at the cabin. Back after the weekend there's a real threat coming to the firm again, and it seems to be coming from an obsessive ex of Bailey. Lucas asks Rafe to pose as Baileys lover to see if they can draw him out – and as the two are already very close(!) that tips them both into a full blown relationship – Bailey decides she'll enjoy it while it lasts, knowing Rafe doesn't have a reputation for staying long with one person. Rafe plans for more with her though – so he's go to work her to persuade her he's more than just his reputation. Its a really steamy read, with a fantastic story backing it up. To me that’s one of the best types of romance, I don't want a boy meets girl and they live happily ever after – I want the happy ending, but need lots of adventure and problems along the journey, and this book did all that perfectly. Loved it- I’d love to read the earlier ones, and of course any future ones. Priced at £2.63 for 272 pages, 1518kb its a real bargain if you love a solid paranormal romance with a decent story supporting it. Stars: full five of course!
The third book in the Underbelly Chronicles is paranormal story of suspense, friendships, romance, and sex demons.
Bailey is an ex-con computer genius who uses her skills to protect the secret of paranormals from humanity. Rafe is a sculptor and incubus and also happens to be the brother of Bailey’s Boss. Due to emotional issues they both fight the strong attraction they have to each other and then are further complicated when a Bailey’s past becomes the latest threat to the paranormals security.
All the characters in the book are strong, vibrant characters that draw the reader in, but these two really made an impression with me. The author conveyed their emotions and personalities so well that I could easily relate to them and the conflict happening around them.
This intriguing world keeps the reader engaged throughout the book with some surprises and appropriate dialogue. Even though this story is about computer security got the point of the events taking place without overloading the reader’s brains with confusing technological language. The plot was well written with a pace that flowed smoothly from one scene to the next and the romance was also appropriately paced throughout the book with some well written love scenes and a couple of interesting romance scenes that made my heart leap with joy for this couple.
This bewitching book kept me well entertained until the very end which concluded with a well deserved happily ever after for the heroine of this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I am in a right foul mood so I opted for this book because I knew it had a decent chance of amusing me, and amuse me it did.
Things to know. Do not read this unless you've at least read Chase Me (which, admittedly, is not as good as the first book, Taste Me). Secondly, I'm guessing Hogan got dropped from Sourcebooks as this is self-published. Despite that, I would say the quality is on par with her other books. There's some repetitiveness and I think the relationship development could have been stronger, but there were no glaring typos or other editorial mistakes jumping out at me.
Due to the lack of relationship development, the book is mainly centered on the heroine. She is a formidable computer expert, whose talents are now devoted to protecting the fact that aliens walk among us in the guise of vampires, succubi, werewolves, etc. An ex-boyfriend of hers is leading the charge into the attempts to hack in and there is a little bit of a suspense element too.
Upon reflection, this should probably be three stars, but it's been a really crappy day. The hero is hopelessly devoted, I like the techie stuff, I wasn't mentally compiling edit notes as I was reading, and I got annoyed every time I was interrupted. Hogan does great characters and world-building, and, yes, the plot could have been stronger, but I didn't kill anyone today so I'm adding a star for that. Four stars it is!
Bailey Brown is a computer genius. She has been working for Sebastiani Security for the past few years. In addition to this she has also been on probation for a computer crime that happened ten years ago. With her freedom now in her hands she can focus on her work of keeping Sebastiani Security safe from outside threats. Her boss and good friend Lex sends her on a vacation to their remote mountain cabin because he feels that she needs a break from her computer. Bailey didn’t plan on seeing Rafe at the cabin so to say she is surprised is an understatement!
Rafe is back at the cabin because he is working on the last few pieces for his show. Rafe is an artist and found himself on a tight deadline an important art show is coming up fast but he doesn’t have the pieces completed. He is not happy to find someone at the cabin with him, when he finds out its Bailey…things begin to get interesting.
While Bailey and Rafe try and figure out what’s going on with them as a couple…they now have to deal with an old acquaintances of Bailey’s…another hacker who is out to hurt her.
Rafe and Bailey together are wonderful. I found Rafe to be very sensual and while he is a sex demon that is only part of his attraction. Together with his art he is a very attractive package. It took him a while to come to grips with his attraction/love for Bailey but when he finally realized it…when he looks all the sculptures…he went full on after her. Yeah Rafe!
Bailey is an interesting mix of strength and stupidity. She is a highlight intelligent person but sometimes she made really dumb choices when it came to her health and how she treated Rafe. While I understand that her upbringing clouded a lot of her judgment there were times where she got on my nerves. I wanted to shake her so she would admit that she loved Rafe already.
While this Tempt Me is book three in the Underbelly Chronicles I did not read the previous two. So while it’s not necessary to have read them it will make things a little clearer if you do.
The problem with coming into a series at book 3 is that maybe you can pick up from context that the reason the story is set in Minnesota is because the aliens' ancestors' spaceship crash landed there, but you still don't know why the aliens all look and act Scandinavian. (Yes, Minnesota, fine. But I'm kind of past the point where I'll unquestionably accept White as the default.)
Anyway, I'm familiar enough with Minneapolis that the place setting felt real to me. And in the case of the guy walking backwards through a snowstorm, felt amusingly true to life.
I also liked that the heroine was intelligent and self-reliant. Her martyrdom tendencies were a lot less endearing, especially given how they led her to treat the hero -- and her friends -- very callously. She was educable, but it took a while.
The hero was very hunky and protective and perfect -- which I think might be why I got a little bored? Bored isn't quite the right word, but quirks and flaws make characters more interesting and he didn't really seem to have any. (I mean, the heroine didn't like that he had a lot of exes, all of whom he treated respectfully, but I think that's more her flaw than his.)
Oh, and the sex scenes weren't fade to black, but if you like things on the less graphic side, this will probably appeal on that level.
I don't know. There were overall more good things than bad, but I don't think I connected with the story enough to read more in the series.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having not read any of the other Underbelly Chronicles, I was worried that I would be at a disadvantage. Not true! If anything, this book made me want to read the other books in this series right away. The characters are interesting, the world rich and developed, and the story was more than your average paranormal romance.
We meet up with Rafe and Bailey, thrown together through some random circumstances after a one night stand a year ago. Bailey is a human working with and surrounded by "others" while Rafe is a sex demon/artist/hottie who is absolutely obsessed with Bailey. It was great watching the power shift between Bailey and Rafe throughout their romance and rekindling of their relationship. The interaction between them is really genuine and was entertaining to say the least.
The steamy scenes were nicely done, but not overly smutty. This was really more of a romance than a steamy read. The story was really engaging and I found myself tearing through the pages quickly to see what happened next. If you're looking for a paranormal romance that will suck you into the author's unique world, check this book out.
***I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review***
Tamara Hogan is amazing. She has this way of writing her characters that makes them come to life in your head. I loved Bailey and Rafe's story. I would have liked to see a bit more development in the romantic side to the story, but I really enjoyed the suspense aspect of the technical battle between Bailey and her ex. This isn't your typical Boy meets Girl and they fall in love and live happily after story. This is a very steamy paranormal romance. So if you have issues reading explicit sexual content this is not for you.
Although I jumped into the series with the 3rd book (again) I had no trouble following the story along. This can definitely be read as a standalone book, for the full effect though I recommend reading the books in order.
I really enjoyed Tempt Me and I’d love to read the previous two books. This is definitely a fun series to read over and over again. Its got all the elements I love in a paranormal romance; sensual, sexy romance, paranormal species, lots of action, and characters that feel realistic. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a fun and fast-paced read. I read it in less than 4 hours and could not put it down.
Well written and fascinating characters, however just didnt cross the I love it barrier.
However I feel as this is the third book in a series I was missing out on alot of the storyline. I recommend you read the first novel to get the full background.
I also did not like the ending I felt that not everything was resolved save for the couple who star, I assume this is because there are more instalments but I prefer a nice rounded finish.
I was confused through alot of this story but only because I didnt know half the characters introduced having not read the first two books in the series.
I liked the characters though Bailey is a fiesty human with some major stomach problems, her description of being petite is cute. I did feel their wasnt enough to her character but all up she did entertain. Rafe a hot succubus sounds interesting and I love how he is forward about his feelings towards Bailey. I loved the whole sex demon thing.
The sexy scenes were quite lacking though I found that the author was doing really well at the beginning of each sex scene then just rushed through it, giving a sense of disappointment.
All up a okay read. I probably wont be continuing on with this series though.
I really enjoyed this book. Since it is the second full novel I have read in this series it was much easier for me to follow along. And while there was more backstory in this book compared to the last, this is not a stand alone novel. I highly recommend reading the other books in the series first. Bailey is the brooding one in this book. She is a reformed hacker with serious abandonment issues, and she is the one who brings all of the road blocks to this romance. It was a great twist and it sets this book apart from the typical UF/PR book. Rafe is sexy, eager to fall in love, a dreamer, and romantic artist. While this book deals with the supernatural I liked that its issues were grounded in reality. Corporate espionage, internet privacy, and stalking. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Fair warning: This book has a lot of sizzle. And if I'm being totally honest, it's a bit more graphic than sizzle. So if that's not your thing, you've been warned. It's also got all sorts of paranormal creatures. I, for one, am a fan of the mash-up. I like that it's not just some vampire society with complicated vampire rules where vampires are real, but obviously fairies and werewolves and things are made up. Feel free to substitute any paranormal for vampires in the previous statement. But when you throw them all together and give them different abilities and make them do politics together? I'm all for it. This book is full of that. Also, the hero is an incubus, which is a new thing for me. Sexy. Great for fans of You Slay Me or How to Date a Dragon.
I wish I had read the first two books before this one, not that you need to, but just wish I had. I enjoyed Bailey and Rafe's story...action, drama, hot sex, even hotter guys. I hope Ms. Hogan continues this series and I look forward to reading them. Now to go back and read the first two books.
It's been 18 months since the last installment of the Underbelly Chronicles and I slipped back into this paranormal world like it was only yesterday. Another great story I just hope I don't have to wait too long for the next one!
Interesting world, nicely developed characters and relationship. Hot sex as you would expect with a sex demon, but it doesn't overpower the story line. I liked this a lot and would like to read more from this series.