Miss Emily Beauregard has a problem.  The sole provider for her family of impoverished brothers and sisters, Emily knows that unless she finds some sort of employment and/or the supposed family treasure hiding in her hometown, she and her family will be in dire straits.  When she sees the employment ad in the paper for an innkeeper, Emily doesn’t hesitate to travel to Devon in order to apply. She knows that as a woman, she will have a hard row to hoe getting Jonas Tallent to agree to hire her.  Lucky for her the other applicants are not even worthy of an interview.  Jonas agrees to give Emily a trial run because if he is honest with himself he has to admit that Emily Beauregard is worth every bit of Temptation and Surrender.   

Emily’s no nonsense attitude and independent nature endeared her to me the instant I started reading Temptation and Surrender.   Jonas Tallent had to grow on me.  He was basically the epitome of an English gentleman but with very few likable attributes.  He was ‘bored’ with having to deal with his country home and that blasé attitude grated on my nerves.  His treatment of Emily was sort of a mix between a tease and a lover I would say because I never bought into his feelings for her until the end of the book. 

As for storyline and plot, Temptation and Surrender is definitely not Ms. Lauren’s best effort by any means.  Unless you are addicted and completely hooked on the Cynster family, I would encourage either skimming this novel or skipping it altogether.