Review: Temptation

Title: Temptation
Author: Douglas Kennedy
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Atria
Genre: Fiction
Source: Publisher
My rating:
Synopsis (from Goodreads): From the New York Times bestselling author of Leaving the World comes the brilliant, breathtaking story about a Hollywood screenwriter whose “overnight success” brings about his biggest downfall. Like all screenwriters in Tinsel Town, David Armitage wants to be rich and famous. Finally, after eleven years of disappointment and failure, big-time luck comes his way when one of his scripts is bought for television, making him the new toast of Hollywood as the creator of a smash hit series. Suddenly a major power player, Armitage begins to reinvent himself at breakneck speed, quitting his day job, trading in his Reagan-era Volvo for a Porsche, and leaving his wife and daughter for a sleek, young producer. Enter multibillionaire film buff Philip Fleck, who proposes an unsavory collaboration to the screenwriter. Armitage takes the bait and suddenly finds himself entering a decidedly Faustian pact—and unknowingly hopping an express ride to the lower depths of the Hollywood jungle.

My Thoughts: Douglas Kennedy takes his readers on a roller coaster ride in Temptation. It comes complete with ups, downs, twists, and surprise turns. Temptation was an easy read but I found that I never knew what to expect next and that kept me turning the pages.  The ending came as a surprise but not an unwelcome one.


As a character I found Armitage to be shallow, selfish, weak, and over the top. These are traits that are usually not good in a character but I think they work here, and he does eventually redeem himself. 


Don't let the cover fool you. This is not a book about sex. It is about control and the lack of it, fame and the cost of it, money and the effects of it.


There was one character where I felt the bad language was a bit much. I know what Kennedy was trying to do with it but I found it a bit off-putting. On the other hand, I absolutely loved the character of Alison, Armitage's agent. She also had some off colored language but it did not seem as out of place.


This was an enjoyable read and more like  3 1/2 , but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. I would suggest giving it a try yourself if it sounds at all interesting to you. Temptation was an interesting peak into Hollywood and it's players.