A Touch of Temptation

Kate Dawson’s life is mapped out from cradle to grave. Her mother strategizes the best possible husband, career, connections, and friends, for her only child. On the morning of her bar exam, the last step before taking on a leadership role in her family’s prestigious law firm, Kate passes out from a sudden illness and lands in the hospital.

After several weeks recuperating at home, with evenings spent watching classic movies with her gran (Katherine), the family matriarch, Kate is ready to go crazy from her inability to run a mile without getting winded or stay awake long enough to study for the next bar exam. Despite her love of Cary Grant’s and Katherine Hepburn’s onscreen shenanigans, Kate feels lost without the finely ordered path she has followed up to this point. Gran pushes Kate out the door, insisting the woman recuperate at her mountain cabin, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It starts out a mixture of the life Kate leaves behind in the city and the solitude of a well-worn refuge.

Cue Chris, the woman Kate later (playfully) refers to as the “Lesbian Casanova”. It’s lust at first sight for Chris and confusion for Kate (as she has never felt attraction for a woman before). Chris Brent is the studly butch-next-door. She oozes a sexy combination of confidence and competence. When she’s not riding her motorcycle with her dad and friends, she is hard at work building up her small landscape architecture business. Weekends often find her mingling with lovely ladies at sex parties thrown by her friend, the sexually vibrant and insightful Georgia, in San Francisco. Chris doesn’t want any of the complications relationships may bring. Still, when she meets Kate (a serial monogamist), it’s becomes harder to insist on no-strings attached sex.

At the heart of the two women’s journey is their struggle with what they thought they wanted versus what they’re starting to realize they actually need. Sexuality plays a substantial role in the story. Kate isn’t the only character who embarks on journey of self-discovery in this arena. When the outside world seeps into their semi-secluded retreat, Kate and Chris face even more barriers. Nicole, Kate’s best friend from college, plays tag team with Kate’s mother in their attempts to derail the burgeoning romance. Support comes from at least one unexpected corner, which I found pleasantly surprising.

One of my favorite aspects of Julie Blair’s storytelling is her ability to make me feel like I’m there. The family mansion and its palatial grounds and the cozy tucked away amongst the trees, with more trees than neighbors, are distinct. The spheres in which the women live and work are clear, emphasizing the seeming chasm between the two. Even now, a few weeks after reading the final word, I can close my eyes and instantly imagine myself at the cabin, in one of the luxurious gardens, or standing in front of the painted ladies of San Francisco. I also appreciate how the author does not use the characters to insist on one type of relationship as the ideal (i.e. monogamy).

It’s fun and flirty, with a delicious mix of family secrets, double lives, and “world turned upside down” life events. I highly recommend this story for anyone who enjoys a healthy dose of sensuality and erotica with their romance *fans self vigorously*

Kate misses her bar exams after becoming ill and her gran suggests she go away to her cabin for a couple of months to recuperate and study for the next round of exams. Her mother expects her to become a hot-shot lawyer, marry a suitable man and take her place in society.

Kate begins to question these expectations, especially when she meets Chris, her lesbian next door neighbour who wakens in her a craving she never knew she had. This was an amazing story with two very likeable main characters, who were both fighting against strict rules they had set up for themselves. Kate was going to go along with her mother’s wishes and end up miserable for the rest of her life and Chris had vowed never to fall in love.

When Chris initiates Kate in the ways of lesbian love in the sexiest of ways she sees that there is no turning back. The problem is she wants a relationship and not just sex, whereas Chris has spent her whole adult life avoiding love and enjoying a very varied sex life, with parties, many partners and a bit of risk. Would either of them be able to change enough to be happy together? F

inding out the answer was very hot, delicious and truly fascinating. Julie Blair has a wonderful imagination and put it to good use in the steamy scenes between Kate and Chris. I was constantly surprised. The other characters in the story were well written too. Kate’s Gran, Katherine, was a gem and without her things could have been very different. She was the catalyst in the tale and I loved her. Kate’s mother was an awful woman - manipulative, single-minded and immensely annoying. But we always need a baddie!

In this book we had two as Nicole, Kate’s college friend was an evil, calculating bitch and a thorn in Chris’s side. The lovers had to fight against their own expectations of themselves as well as that of other people in their circles. Homophobia just under the surface was bad enough, but they were also fighting the bi-phobia of some friends. This was a beautiful love story between two people that just had to be together. Their journey together was full of tension and worry as well as some very sexy moments. A well deserved 5 Stars.

...Ms Blair's clever interpretation and articulate writing of the growing relationship between two very different women was a pleasure to read. The ending finally tipped the scales on the romantic front. An emotional and at times steamy novel well worth reading.

This was a really nice story. Kate has her life planned out, not ever really realizing that the plans aren't actually her own. Everything is going according to her mother's plans, and she goes along with things because that's how she's been trained to think. Until a life-threatening illness forces her out of her planned life. To get herself back on track, she takes her grandmother's advice to recuperate and study at her Gran's cabin outside the city.

While there, she meets Chris, a butch landscaper who knows who she is and what she wants. She doesn't want a messy relationship, so she focuses on casual sex with many different partners. This way feelings aren't involved. The two strike up an unexpected friendship based on small home improvement projects and a love of old movies. Kate decides to enlist this Lesbian Casanova to help her explore and learn about her own sexuality.

In the ensuing 'lessons', both women find that emotions aren't easy to keep from having. Now they have to fight for their relationship because Kate comes from money, and affluence, and this is not acceptable in her social circles. When Kate's mother learns of their relationship, things come to a screeching halt, and it looks like it might be over. Kate has to find the courage to stand against the pressure of the 'perfect' life, and Chris has to accept that she's worthy of someone she thinks is out of her league. I love the story line, and like that Blair has included some exploration of BDSM and power dynamics, but accurately explaining how it works and how to make it safe without too much fuss.

Reviewed by Inked Rainbow Reads

A Touch of Temptation is an excellent book of self and sexual discovery... I enjoyed most of the characters, Kate's grandmother was particularly awesome. Both main characters were likable and believable as a couple. Although this was more of an erotic romance, it was still a pleasure reading the book.

Reviewed by Amanda Wong

...I really liked the characters, and I overall enjoyed the story. Kate’s grandmother suspected she was a lesbian, before Kate suspected she was a lesbian.... I think the supporting characters were great, and I would read a book just on Georgia and be thrilled. I am ready for her book, and her upcoming trip to Italy. Seriously…. Julie Blair should start this book immediately... Overall a really nice read.

Reviewed by Amanda Wikel

"A Touch of Temptation", by Julie Blair, is a story about discovery for both Chris, a butch landscaper well-versed in sex but not in love, and for Kate, a beautiful socialite whose entire life has been mapped out for her. Kate's sudden illness derails her life plan, but it is her relationship with Chris that leads her down a road of self-discovery, and makes her reevaluate what she wants out of life and love.

I am a big fan of the characters and the story... Overall, it was a very good read.

Reviewed by Ann Freeman