Sweet Temptation: A Passionate Young Adult Paranormal Romance—Forbidden Love from the Bad-Boy's POV (The Sweet Trilogy Book 4)

I've been sighing for Kai ever since I picked up Sweet Evil, and I haven't stopped since. This book is certainly no exception (and perhaps that was a tad bit more sighing because as well all know Kai is perfect and is just absolutely amazing). Everything about this book was fantastic, and is a must read for all fans of this series. I can't even begin to thank Wendy enough for this book as it rounded out the series perfectly. This book was a bittersweet read and while it made it even harder to say goodbye, it also made it a great way to relive all of the books. I will say that I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with Kai's POV, but it was seriously one of the best things I have ever read. He had me laughing and tearing up a bit, and let me tell you, I love him even more after reading this. And trust me, you will too. I won't lie, my heart broke for him in regards to certain things, and I just wanted to give him a hug many times throughout the book. But he also was his awesome bad boy self. I loved being able to see how the entire series played out from his perspective because while it was basically the same story, it wasn't. Wendy gave us readers something that few authors do, the ENTIRE story. We see all sides of Kai, what drives him to act in the way he does, and just how much Anna helped and changed him. We get to see key moments that played a role in making Kai who he is. We get to witness the pivotal scenes where he finally breaks free of the chains holding him to his past and embraces his future. The epilogue to this book was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read, and let me just say...thank you Wendy for giving all readers the gift of this epilogue. It made me tear up, and made me utter one last sigh before I closed the book. One of my favorite things about this book though (besides the obvious of it being Kai 24/7) was the song lyrics at the beginning of every chapter. You could tell that Wendy put a lot of thought into each song for each chapter, to make it fit perfectly. The lyrics really set the tone for the chapter, and added a fun element to the story. While I am extremely sad that this series is officially over now, I could not be happier with this book and am so thankful that Wendy decided to write it! I will always sigh for Kai, and if you haven't read this yet, drop everything and read it now. Get some Kai in your life once again!! Don't miss out on this one, or you'll seriously regret it!

I call this book Kaidan is Sexy because Sweet Temptation does it no justice. It is always interesting to see the other side of stories. In the vein of Jamie McGuire's Walking Disaster, or Christine Zoldenz's Scars and Songs, Wendy Higgins has given us the guy perspective of her series. Sometimes, like in the instance of Travis Maddox, it is very hard to reconcile the guy the heroine saw and fell in love with and the dude in his own book. Travis is not charming in Walking Disaster, he's rather skeevy. I couldn't like him as he was in his own tale; although it was a perfect example of TWO accounts being told of one story. But Kaidan Rowe is relatable and easy to love in Sweet Temptation as he was to Anna. His weaknesses and darkness becomes apparent while keeping him palatable, and desirable even. I am still in love with this lust puppy after seeing the world through his eyes. Kaidan is Sexy starts out at a different point than Anna's story; it gives clear view of Kaidan's life and unhappiness. He is empty and on auto-pilot, life is happening to him and he's powerless to do anything about it because he's owned body and soul. The removal he feels from the physical act of passion makes him feel meaningless, it is his job not something he feels for his own. When he sees Anna he is confused and paranoid because the many machinations of the Dukes, his father in particularly; he is used to being tested and watched. Kaidan sees an anomaly like Anna with a fair amount of skepticism. However this innocent girl kicks starts a curiosity that fuels him like nothing before, not even music has moved him in such a way. He can't let her go, and yet he doesn't want anything to do with her. The conflict within Kaidan is expertly handled and you feel for him. You can identify with what is in his heart. As a matter of fact, I adored the fact that the struggles and realities in this were realistically framed in a way other novels with this sort of POV swap have failed. The sensibility of the characters emotions and frame of situations is on firm foundation. The structure of the story remains the same, it's not an alternate perception, it expands on the overall arc. Sweet Temptation is a compact telling of all three novels of Anna's adventure. What makes this work successfully isn't necessarily the insight into Kai's journey, but rather how well Wendy knows all of her characters. It serves the narrative that she is giving the in depth background regarding all the Nephilim friends and Dukes. It is the richness of all the interactions and her own understanding of her cast that gives clarity to the reader. Anna's view of the nephilim and Kaidan's growing up with them show the fullness of the author's background knowledge of all those characters she writes. Anna sees nothing but hope and love because of who she is. Kaidan sees things more darkly, he's grown up in the dark world of the Duke's. He's fatalistic because he has never considered anything other than what his life is. There has never been innocence in his life until Anna. Wendy is approaching those realities individually for the best storycrafting. Another item that is better understood in Sweet Temptation is the passage in time. With the separation of the series from book to book it's easy to forget that years are passing. Since Sweet Temptation is condensed telling of the three books it's easy to understand the full scope of events. I became very aware that Anna was no longer a young girl and had grown into a woman in this novel. It also helped to see Kai's view of her as she transitioned from not knowing what and who she was to the woman who sent the Dukes to hell. Is there any issue? One, and it shows my age. Through most of the book Kaidan "can't even". My sister says it all the time too and she is nineteen. I "can always" so "can't even" becomes really apparent to me. Regardless of my itchiness there the teen speak makes it a lot more identifiable to younger readers. Especially those who also "can't even". NOTE: YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO READ THE SERIES IN ORDER. Skipping ahead will not have the impact the entire telling will.

I always have trepidation when it comes to alternate POV books. They can be very hit or miss. So naturally I was worried about Sweet Temptation. I love Kai and Anna and I was excited for more, but I worried if I would be bored reliving the story. I shouldn’t have worried though because I genuinely enjoyed Kai’s perspective. I didn’t think it was possible, but I somehow came to love Kai even more after reading this one. Being able to see how he truly felt about Anna was eye opening. He fell quicker than any of us thought and everything he did was done with Anna in mind. It was incredibly swoony seeing how Kai felt first hand. I felt my heart melting. Naturally Sweet Temptation was a bit darker and sexier than the first three books. We are in Kai’s head after all. We are dealing with a son of lust and anything less would not have been believable. And not gonna lie, I ate up the darker and sexier feel. What I really liked about Sweet Temptation though was that it was a great way to relive the series without actually re-reading it. I got to relive my favorite parts all over again and it was glorious. The freckles, the cold water, a certain night at the Grand Canyon. It was all there and it was all wonderful. Oh and also, loved the audio for this one. It was like Kai was reading the story to me and I was a swoony fangirl. All in all, Sweet Temptation is a great read for fans of the series. It was so fun going back to this world and I swooned hard over Kai. Definitely a fun read.

Sweet Perfection - that is what this book is to me. I am so glad to have Kai's story finally. I loved and devoured every word of Sweet Temptation, partly because I wanted to be back in the world of Dukes and Nephilim with Anna, Kai and the others and to hear Kai's thoughts. To really appreciate this story, it's important to read Sweet Evil, Sweet Peril and Sweet Reckoning because Anna introduces the reader into this world. I could re-read this whole series over and over again and not be tired of it, re-living all the poignant moments repeatedly as if it were the first time. Definitely one of my all time favorites series ever. Kaidan Rowe - what is there not to love? Sexy drummer with a British accent who is the son of Pharzuph, the Duke of Lust. Kaidan is so different from Anna in the sense that he is not pure, innocent or optimistic. He has seen the ways of life as a trained Nephililm, one who must work in terms of sinning and is forbidden to indulge in things like love, affection, praise, happiness and a future. Anna challenges all of those beliefs because she is the game changer for everyone in this realm, not just Kaidan himself. No matter how corrupted the Nephilim lifestyle is, Anna will not turn dark and jaded and it frustrates Kaidan to no end, that she doesn't realize how dangerous the world is and how easily she can be harmed. But Anna's strength encourages Kai to be stronger, too. He never demanded that Anna change herself and vice versa, their bond is one of wholesome acceptance and lacking judgment, even with all the obstacles between them. Wendy Higgins does a brilliant job of portraying Kai's thoughts and actions, as it is HIS voice completely. Kai is hilarious, conflicted, naughty and tormented. He's a complicated character and his growth is significant. Survival was always Kaidan's first priority, but it shifts to protecting and keeping Anna alive. Watching Anna through Kai's eyes is also a new experience, how he always admired her will and belief in things that he never dared to. The epilogue through Kai's words is even better, because he finally sees in himself what Anna knew and saw all along. I loved revisiting with the whole gang - Kaidan, Anna, Kopano, Blake, Marna, Ginger, Jay, Patti, Belial and Zania. All the moments that clutched my heart the first time through Anna's perspective had the same impact again with Kai. I hate that this is the end, but each book has been amazing.

Sweet Temptation takes the three stories we're already familiar with, told from Anna's POV in Sweet Evil, Sweet Peril and Sweet Redemption, and turns them around to give us a chance to get inside Kaiden's head for a change. Sweet Temptation is not just a retelling. If you'll recall, there are a lot of times in the series - especially in the first two books - where Anna and Kai are apart. We finally find out what Kai was doing, how he was feeling and what he was thinking. And, I have to say - I was surprised. The Kai that he showed Anna and the other Nephs is not the same Kai we got to see as we took a trip inside his beautiful head. We got to hear his internal monologue the very first time he saw Anna, when he realized she was a Neph, and just couldn't believe she didn't know it. Even then, he was absolutely fascinated by her. I remember when Wendy put out the call on social media for fans' favorite scenes from the series that we would want to see flip flopped. I saw tons of responses, and even submitted my own. Most of them were requests to see the scenes you would expect - the road trip hotel room from Sweet Evil, the angel infiltration at the summit in Sweet Evil, the night of reconnection in Sweet Peril, the wedding and wedding night from Sweet Reckoning. I had requested seeing the New Years Eve party from Sweet Evil when Anna first "worked" and had to put up with watching Kai do the same. All those scenes and so many more were there. And, seeing these scenes unfold from Kai's POV was incredibly satisfying. I was especially surprised by what was going on with him during the road trip he took with Anna. He was so tortured the entire way. He wanted her so badly, and at this point, Kai was not used to denying his baser urges. Kai was gone for most of Sweet Peril while Anna and Kope started building their army of Neph. While Anna was pining for him and admiring Kope's muscles, Kaiden was doing his best to forget the woman he suspects he loves, all while avoiding his dad and trying really hard to not work. Kai was absolutely miserable. But, then, we know that Anna was also equally miserable, so it all evens out. And then in Sweet Reckoning is when all the "big" stuff happens - the wedding, the showdown, the epilogue. For some reason, it seemed like all these scenes were even bigger and more colorful when seen through Kai's eyes. I think the best part about Sweet Temptation was that it really did feel like I was reading a new book. Sometimes retellings feel like the same book just slightly repackaged. I don't think I need to tell you that Kai's head is a very different place to be than Anna's. Wendy warns you about it in the forward of the book. His head is darker, lustier, naughtier - all good things in my book. There is more language and slightly more sex, which pushes this into the upper YA category. Sweet Temptation is a big book at 475 pages, but it still went so fast. Kai was more endearing, more amazing and more... sweet... than I ever thought before.

An Open Letter to Kaidan Rowe: Dear Kai, I hope I can call you Kai…after all, you did let me in behind the scenes of your life and shared your thoughts and feelings with me through this book…so I decided that it’d be ok. If it’s not, I guess it’s too late now. Oh gosh, I’m babbling already. Anyway, I wanted to send you this letter because I feel like I need to apologize for some thoughts I’ve had about you in the past. Let’s just call them “slightly inappropriate” for now. You see, as I read the first three books, I focused a lot (A LOT) of attention on your physical attributes, your lusty thoughts, and your very swoonworthy words. I saw you as just a super sexy, incredibly hot, and devastatingly perfect book boyfriend. However, after reading your story, I now know that I didn’t spend enough time considering your side of things. I gave hardly any thought to the pain you experienced, the sadness you had to live through, and the danger you faced every day. I spent my time thinking about your romance with Anna (and what a wonderful romance it is!!) but never fully understanding what you were sacrificing. Always trying to manage your father’s demands, dealing with your “job” and the pain it brought you, keeping secrets from the Dukes and trying to decipher friend from foe means that your life is much more difficult than I gave you credit for. This book showed me your bravery, your determination and your desire to be a better person. It let me see that you have a good heart and that your love for Anna is pure and true. In other words, I now understand how difficult it was for you to pull good from tragedy, love from hate. And it makes me love you even more. I’m so glad you told me your side of the amazing adventure you’ve lived. I’m happy to have shared in your happy times as well as your heartbreaks. And so, I hope you’ll forgive the old me. I promise that I will try never (or hardly ever) to think of you as I have in the past. I feel like I know you for the hero you are now and I want to share it with everyone. Thank you for your time…say Hi to Anna for me (and ask her to check her birth certificate…I’m sure it should be spelled Ana). Anyway, I know that you and I will meet again – I love your story too much not to be lured into it time and time again. Until then, I will think of you fondly…and often… Ana P.S. I gave your book 5 starts...I wish I could give it more!!!

"I am confused. I don't enjoy being confused." This one is a companion book told from the POV of Kaidan Rowe. It's his view of the entire 3 books in the series all rolled into this one. This is a great treat for those that have already read the series. If you enjoy getting the same experience through another pair of eyes, it's definitely worth it. His brain is pretty much the opposite of our girl Anna. Her's is all Southern sweet charm and his are the British dirty grit. His thoughts are much, much more naughty. It's also fun to get to see experiences that happened when Anna was nowhere around. During quite a bit of the trilogy they were apart, so there are quite a few new scenes that were never covered in the trilogy.

MY BLOG: shoshireads.weebly.com MY REVIEW: [...] I am just going to start out by saying I'm usually not a fan of books that re-tell the entire story from another perspective, BUT, I really had a good time reading this book. The book is written in such a way that it wasn't like you were reading the same book twice. It rehashed the amazing moments between Anna and Kai (THE FEELS) but it didn't feel like a repeat of the series in Anna's POV. When I was reading the first three books, I wanted to see what Kai was feeling. I wanted to learn the thoughts behind his actions. What he was thinking all those times he pushed Anna away. At the very beginning of the book, my heart was already being tugged. Pharzuph is telling Kaidan that it is time to start his training. His thoughts immediately go to Ginger and Marna, and how they'd changed after going through what he was about to. It was hard to keep in mind that at this point in the book, Kaidan had just turned 11 and Ginger and Marna were 12. A child having to promote evil, like they did, hurts my heart. :( I LOVED how the book included a song or two that fit with each chapter. It featured a few quote from the song as well. I downloaded all of these songs on Spotify from a playlist for Sweet Temptation that someone has created. In my opinion the songs and quotes match the chapters really well. It was nice to reminisce on some of my favorite Anna and Kaidan moments, even though it gave me major feels. I actually found it kind of funny how confused Kai was when he Anna first met. Granted, at first he thought she was sent by Pharzuph to possibly kill him. But during a lot of the first part of the book, he was going back and forth between whether Anna was faking her innocent act or not. If you loved the Sweet series and are looking for more, this book is it.