The Temptation of Savannah O'Neill
4 Stars

Book note: This book has been reissued with the title The Sinner. Changes include a shift to first-person perspective, more explicit sex scenes, and some changes in plot and characterization. This review is for the original Harlequin Super Romance edition.

The O'Neill family has a notorious reputation in their small Louisiana town, but despite the salacious gossip and nasty teenage pranks, Savannah O'Neill is determined to live as quiet a life as possible. That is until the arrival of Matt Woods. Hired as a handyman to help the O'Neill women renovate their greenhouse, Matt has his own reasons for coming to Bonne Terre and it isn't to plant some new azaleas.

Set in a dark, mysterious, and atmospheric Southern plantation with well-developed characters, and an intriguing story arc, this book has all the ingredients for an engaging romance. Nevertheless, Matt and Savannah's relationship falls flat mainly due to the fact that she comes across as aloof and disdainful. Moreover, her reactions to Matt run hot and cold.

Matt, on the other hand, is a very appealing hero despite his secrets, and his back story is particularly heart-wrenching. It should be noted that the updated version of the book does not do Matt any justice. The changes to the story primarily focus on his actions and motivations and the end result is a superficial, one-dimensional character lacking in development.

In terms of the keeping secrets trope, O'Keefe manages to avoid its pitfalls by not dragging it out unnecessarily. The issues come to the fore early and the drama plays out well.

Overall, the original version is a satisfying read, and if the reissue proves anything, it is that sometimes "sexing up" a story does more harm than good. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

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Years ago I enjoyed Molly O'Keefe's books but somehow she disappeared off my radar. After hearing so many good things about this series I dove into this series. Well, Molly won't be off my radar from now on. I enjoyed this book so much. Great characters and so life-like. It was so easy to understand what they were feeling, why and how they were influenced by their past, and how they came to terms with it. This series book has more depth than many a single title. I recommend it wholeheartedly and look forward to reading the other books in this series.
Grade: A- ( )