2 out of 4 stars
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Temptation Trials by B. Ruby is a dystopian romance set in California after World War III. Society has rebuilt itself under a totalitarian leader who has outlawed music, television, and other creative media. The most controversial law under the new regime is that all citizens who reach the age of twenty-one have to marry someone the government chooses for them. The only way out of such an arranged marriage is to enter a government-run reality television show called The Temptation Trials. Couples who claim to be in love are chosen and sent to an island where they are separated and forced to date other people. If the couple remains true to each other, then the Emperor can give his permission for them to marry.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. This book combines ideas from Delirium by Lauren Oliver and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Essentially love is thwarted by the government and then there is a government sponsored television show meant to help enforce the law. The premise of this novel has the potential to introduce these common dystopian ideas in a new way and allow readers to have a unique experience. Instead the story becomes a “penny novel,” a cheap book that regurgitates popular stories back to readers in a slightly different form. For example, if a reader enjoyed Delirium, then they could read this book and achieve a similar “feeling” despite the fact that this story has less developed plot and characters.
In terms of this story as a romance, the relationships of the two couples are not developed well enough to make readers root for them during the trials. The first few months of the couples’ relationships are left out, and neither of the couples are presented with plot-relevant challenges that test their feeling for each other. When writing erotica it is really important that the readers care about the characters and want them to exercise their love in a physical context. Otherwise the sex scenes are reduced to risqué words assembled on a page instead of the recognition of love or pleasure.
Furthermore, there are three instances where one half of a couple is introducing the other to their parents. Every meeting follows the same pattern. The parent(s) say that their child’s partner is attractive. Then after a few lines of exchanged dialogue the parents decide they like said partner. Finally they relay concern about the longevity of the relationship because of the arranged marriage law. This repetition is boring for the reader and serves no purpose beyond adding pages to a book. The point of following multiple characters is to see the same plot through a different perspective and this repeating scenario over and over and over again shows the lost potential of this story but also a certain laziness by the author.
Another example of this is when the author describes a character’s appearance by saying she looks exactly like Jessica Alba. First of all, Alba is described as a twentieth century actress and although she had some work in the last six years of that century, she is considered a twenty-first century actress. Beyond that, referencing Jessica Alba is a weak allusion to pop culture that does not add substance to the character or the plot. If the author wants a character to look like Jessica Alba, then describe her instead of relying on the reader to know what she looks like or having to look her up.
To anyone who is considering reading this novel I would say that there is better erotic fiction out there. The author needs to focus more on the struggles of society and how they develop the characters and their relationships. However, if you are looking for a book that you don’t have to pay much attention to or want to read about erotic reality television, then this book is not a bad choice.
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Temptation Trials Part I
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