3/18/2022

Versuchung Auf Gansett Island by Marie Force

I don´t share the excitement other readers have expressed about this story. For me, Temptation After Dark was an overcrowded novel with way too many side stories. It is sad but for me only an average novel that couldn´t thrill me at all.

Versuchung Auf Gansett Island*

by Marie Force
Gansett Island Series #24
Translation Lotta Fabian
Original Title Temptation After Dark
Publisher Montlake on February 22, 2022
Genre Novel
Pages 426
Format Paperback
Source Lovelybooks
Goodreads
✶✶✶

The charming Cooper James is a real dream guy. But so far, no woman has been able to win his heart. That all changes in one magical moment when he meets the gorgeous Gigi at his brother Jared's pool. From now on, Cooper knows exactly what he wants, but for that, he would have to turn his whole life upside down...Gigi Gibson is on Gansett Island to film the new season of her hit TV show. She's glamorous, sassy, and beautiful, but her heart is locked tight. Love? She does not want! But she doesn't mind a hot summer romance and Cooper's lovely kisses. Nothing at all …

Story

Cooper is a man for the moment. Have fun, yes. But marriage? No. And why should he? He is a charmer, women of all ages love and adore him. Well, not Gigi. She´s not impressed at all. Instead, she tells him crystal clear that an affair is ok. But she is no woman for love. So how can Cooper make her change her mind?

Style

From the first line, I was irritated. The author uses a rather cool tone, which I´m not used to from Marie Force. The two main characters experience a memorable date right from the first pages, from which some pretty good dialogues and other scenes develop. But the rest of the novel is too predictable, has no surprises, and is teeming with characters who fluff the book extremely with their side stories. Both in terms of the number of pages and their content. Less would definitely have been more here.

At times I felt like the focus was on everything else but Cooper and Gigi, the two protagonists. Especially since many of the couples who appeared either only had one appearance or maybe even a second or third one. But they made little sense to me. And at some point, I finally had the impression that this was about the population of an island and not about the two main characters.

Characters

Aside from the fact that there are tons of characters here, there was one that I just found brilliant. Evelyn, Gig´s quasi-grandmother. This woman is absolutely awesome. Her attitude, both physically and mentally, is just great. She provides help where it is needed, makes her counterpart think, and makes it clear in just the right amount what is important to her and where the fun ends. I would have liked to see more of her in this novel.

Conclusion

I would have loved to have liked this novel, but unfortunately, I didn´t. Either my expectations were way too high or the author simply couldn´t develop her otherwise great level, which I know from the Green Mountain Lost in Love series. This novel is not suitable as an introduction to the Gansett Island series, for those who do not yet know this series. Instead, grab the first volume and read chronologically. Too bad, just too bad.

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Lovelybooks in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Von der ersten Zeile an war ich irritiert. Die Autorin verwendet einen reichlich unterkühlten Tonfall, den ich von Marie Force absolut nicht gewohnt bin. Die beiden Hauptfiguren erleben gleich auf den ersten Seiten ein denkwürdiges Date, woraus sich einige ziemlich gut gelungene Dialoge und weitere Szenen entwickeln. Doch der Rest vom Roman ist zu vorhersehbar, weist keinerlei Überraschungen auf und wimmelt nur so von Figuren, die mit ihren Nebengeschichten, das Buch extrem aufplustern. Sowohl was die Seitenanzahl angeht als auch deren Inhalt. Weniger wäre hier eindeutig mehr gewesen.

Stellenweise hatte ich das Gefühl, dass der Fokus auf allem anderen liegt, nur nicht auf Cooper und Gigi, den beiden Protagonisten. Zumal viele der erscheinenden Paare entweder nur einen Auftritt hatten oder vielleicht sogar noch einen zweiten oder dritten. Aber die machten für mich wenig Sinn. Und irgendwann hatte ich schließlich den Eindruck, dass es hier gar um die Bevölkerung einer Insel ging und nicht um die zwei Hauptfiguren.

Charaktere

Abgesehen von der Tatsache, dass hier eine Unmenge an Figuren aufgefahren wird, gab es eine, die ich einfach nur genial fand. Evelyn, die quasi Großmutter von Gigi. Diese Frau ist der absolute Hammer. Ihre Haltung, sowohl körperlich als auch mental, ist einfach klasse. Sie gibt Hilfestellung, wo es nötig ist, bringt ihr Gegenüber zum Nachdenken und macht im genau richtigen Maß klar, was für sie wichtig ist und wo der Spaß aufhört. Von ihr hätte ich gerne noch mehr in diesem Roman gesehen.

Resultat

Ich hätte diesen Roman gerne gemocht, aber leider ist das nicht gelungen. Entweder waren meine Erwartungen viel zu hoch oder die Autorin konnte ihr für mich sonst so großartiges Niveau, das ich von der Green Mountain Lost in Love Serie her kenne, hier einfach nicht entfalten. Als Einstieg in die Gansett Island Serie für all die, die diese Serie noch nicht kennen, ist dieser Roman nicht geeignet. Greift stattdessen lieber zum ersten Band und lest chronologisch. Schade, einfach nur schade.

*This book was originally published by HTJB Inc on August 28, 2021

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of contemporary romance. She writes series as well as stand-alone novels. While her husband was in the U.S. Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland, and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island.

Follow

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest