Your heart misleads you. That’s what my friends and family say. 

But I love Noah.

And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other’s arms. It should be 

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won’t be.

Because he’s Amish.

And I’m not.

You can see why I just had to read this book, right? First, there’s the whole Amish connection. Second, there’s the romance between Noah and Rose, a distinctly forbidden romance at that. I love a good forbidden romance. The book had definite promise for me.

First, let me say that I did really enjoy this book. There were a few things that definitely threw me off, but as a whole, the story kept me engaged. I will definitely need to read the rest of the series. Karen Ann Hopkins did a great job of writing detailed characters that I became entirely invested in. I fell in love with Noah, even if he did come off as a bit controlling at times. I was a bit surprised with that actually. But the more I thought about that, the more I can see that his expectations as an Amish man are different. An Amish man is probably use to having some control, and that control definitely added to the romantic tension. That being said, there were times when Noah would do or say something that would completely throw me off. For instance, the first kiss was his actual first kiss of all time, but he certainly knew exactly what to do. While I LOVE a good kissing scene, it just felt a little off. Everyone knows a first kiss is a bit awkward-even if you are meant to be together and fit together like a perfect puzzle. This kiss felt too good for a first kiss of all time. Remember, he’s Amish. He hasn’t been watching television.

Which brings me to another thing that felt a bit off: some of the dialogue. At one point, Rose is in attendance at one of the Amish community’s events. One of the Amish boys (Not Noah!!) says something along the lines of, “I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of that.” I had to stop in my tracks while reading. It felt too modern for an Amish boy to say, even an Amish boy in the 21st century. So, if there is anything negative for me to say about this book, I guess it would all come back to the same thing: the dialogue from some of the Amish characters felt too modern.

But putting that aside, I did love the actual storyline. I loved Rose and Noah. I found it interesting that Rose had, what I would consider, a somewhat Amish name. I can’t help but wonder if this is foreshadowing?? I love a good conspiracy story…

Truly, TEMPTATION is a wonderful, quick read. It’s perfect for this summer, and you’ll love it. I found myself rooting for Noah and Rose and wanting to fight for them to be together. I also found myself waiting for the next secret meeting. Hopkins was great at building the tension with a caress of the thumb over a cheekbone moment. I love it when an author can do that well.

I’m looking forward to reading more of the TEMPTATION series put out by Harlequin Teen and definitely more of Rose and Noah. I give this book 3.5 books out of 5.