Temptations, Inc.

I love Willa Okati's erotic romance with paranormal elements. And this novel is a great example of her writing skill. While this one includes the typical vampire, the story is not so typical. Ryan is a struggling medical intern. He's desperate for cash (and some action), so he signs on to the adult film company, Temptations, Inc. There he meets A Vincente, the hottest man he's ever seen. Ryan is more than ready to surrender his body, but offering up blood may be over the top! A Vincente has lived a long life of quick, emotionless affairs. He lost his true love the night he became a vampire and he never wants to suffer that again. Still, he can't help but lose his heart to the passionate, and caring Ryan. But, true love is never without show more an obstacle in a romance story. So, an enemy from A Vincente's past wants his revenge and he'll use Ryan to reach his goal. It isn't that hard to guess the villain, since there aren't that many characters, but the nature of the villain is a bit of a surprise.

The plot was a bit predictable by going the "enemy from the past" route. What long lived vampire doesn't have an enemy in the past? And naturally they'll target a vampire's new love. Where Okati gives readers a jolt is that this enemy will not be easily overcome and the two men will sufffer (literally) before they get their happily ever after. Readers should be warned, there is an extended scene of torture that could be too much for the squeamish. The sex in the story is hot, and sometimes down and dirty, and always enjoyable. Okati has given us a nice love story, with some real dangerous elements, and a lot of humor stemming from the adult film industry. The leading men are unnaturally handsome (which is fine since I don't want ordinary men in my romance), but still realistic (as much as a vampire can be). Highly recommended to erotic romance, and vampire fans. show less

This is a book which starts in a funny way and during the path turns into something more deeply and somewhat scary. It's like Willa Okati has changed her mind in writing it.

Ryan is a medicine student who has not enough money to pay his study. And so his friends Teddy, in the same situation, has an idea: accept an offer to play in hard core movie. Ryan has the body, he is a very handsome hightop bottom (a bottom with the body of a top), but he is also very unexperienced. He can count on the fingers of one hand how mny lovers he has had. And so, when the first day he meets A Vincente, the big star of Temptations, Inc. it's like a dream comes true: A Vincente is the actor he has seen in a porno which has feed his fantasies so many time, to show more have the chance to make love with him, even if in front of a camera, is like a dream. But when he finally has the opportunity to film with him, he discovers that A Vincente is not like any other man in many way...

I don't want to give up the story, but I can assure you that in the middle of it you will have a really twist. This is not, as you can imagine reading the first page, a mere story of pretty boy fucking in front of a camera.

Even if A Vincente should be the star of the book, I really find Ryan has stolen him the role. Ryan is naive but also strong, when he sees A Vincente he unconsciously hs just decided that man will be his. No matter what it will cost. No matter if A Vincente wants it. The alpha between the sheets could be A Vincente, but who has drawn him between that sheets, and lured him to stay here is Ryan.

The story is a right lenght to give you plenty to read but at the same time to be also a one session reading. I was not able to close it till the end, above all cause I have had trouble to imagine what the end would be (remember the twist of the story...) show less

So after reading "Lovers, Dreamers & Me", I really was hesitant about reading anything more from Okati. But, I told myself to be fair and explore her other works - that and the fact that I had already bought Temptations, Inc and wasn't about to let my money go to waste.
Now, did I regret reading the story? Well, let's see...

Story Setting: Present Day, America

Ryan is a twenty-seven year old, medical student, who happens to be a few months shy from starting his medical internship. He has survived the brunt of medical school, (hoorah), but now he is so broke that even food has become a luxury. Ryan is pressed for cash and the rent is due, so he decides to follow his best friend and sign up to be a porn actor for Temptations, Inc, where the show more money looks very good. Of course, the fact that he is quite bashful and never really had sex before, makes him rather unqualified for the job...but he's not about to let that stop him. Just the same, he can't help but be nervous. So when the porn God, À Vincente, approaches with his dazzling good looks and friendly attitude, Ryan is grateful for the distraction. He is even more grateful when À Vincente becomes his co-star, and more than shocked to find out that the porn God, is a honest to goodness, real vampire. Although, to be fair, it's not as if Ryan is a normal human either.

À Vincente has been a vampire for centuries. He has found his niche in the porn industry, and has no qualms about his resume.
Among his co-workers at Temptations, Inc, he is known to sleep with just about anyone and then drop them as easily and quickly as possible. À Vincente is more than okay with this reputation, as he has no interest in actually falling for anyone ever again...not even the adorable newbie Ryan, whose naivety is as refreshing as the younger man is gorgeous. But of course, things do get a bit tricky when the two do a scene together and it gets out of control. Not only does Ryan find out À Vincente's true identity, but unlike other humans it seems he is immune to the brain-tampering used to wipe memories and keep À Vincente's identity secure. This, compiled with the fact that after one moment together Ryan becomes a fixture in his mind, turns À Vincente's life upside down. And as if that's not enough to worry about, there is an evil force lurking about, one with its sight set on the vampire and his desirable human.
**

À Vincente and Ryan are 'okay' characters. As in, they are just there.
Story-wise, they are likeable enough, as both are good individuals.

Ryan, with his pretty-boy good looks, is rather insecure about how attractive he is. At least this is what is implied about twice in the story (in minute amounts).
Aside from that though, he seems to hardly have a personality...or at least he wasn't granted enough time to let it come through (although the story is hardly short).
My biggest peeve with his design is that for someone who is suppose to be this highly unexperienced virgin, it doesn't really show in his actions - I expected some kind of hesitation and uncertainty. Then it was a complete turn off when in the blink of an eye he changes from this innocent young flower, to a nymph who can barely keeps his hands off his genitals once alone.

À Vincente has more personality than Ryan (thank goodness because one completely flat character is already too much)
He's intelligent, calculating, and kind-hearted. He puts a lot of thought into his actions, no matter how inconsequential they may seem, and this makes it quite a treat whenever it is time to be in his head (as opposed to when its Ryan's turn, whose thoughts pretty much focus only on sex, sex, and sex with À Vincente).
His past is interesting and traumatic enough for him to be a brooding vamp, but he isn't. At least he doesn't wear that emotion on his sleeve.
My peeve with him rests with his name (which is hardly his fault). For the entire story he is referred to as À Vincente, which seems a bit much. Isn't it too much of a chore to refer to someone as À Vincente all the time..especially if he is your lover or best friend? It's cool to have unique names in stories, but they should be functional as well shouldn't they? It's hard to take any kind of love between the two characters serious, when Ryan has to continually use this long, and tedious name all the time.

Other characters of note are Teddy - Ryan's best friend, and Julianne - À Vincente's best friend and protector.

Teddy is interesting, but is left fully undeveloped (This is funny, but as under-developed as he is, he has far more personality than Ryan himself) and the relationship he has with his own boyfriend is HELLA confusing, as in..it is written in a rather confusing manner where the points do not connect (you will have to read to understand what I mean, its just that confusing I can't write it in a clear manner myself).

Julianne is also interesting, and is more developed than Teddy.
**

All in all, while I found this story slightly easier to read than 'Lovers, Dreamers & Me', the work was still far from impressive...just more tolerable. It is important to note that while this storyline is a bit more interesting than that of 'Lovers...' the characters are not as developed, so I think that overall 'Lovers...' is better.
I feel that 'Lovers...' has a certain depth about it, that 'Temptations, Inc' is lacking, the former comes across as more experienced writing, which may makes sense since as it was published this year, and 'Temptations...' was released in 2007.

Okati has a writing style where she tries to bring humor through with the focused thoughts of her characters. It doesn't work.
The flow of words would have also been better had she tried not to be complicated, I don't think she handles complicated very well.
Or perhaps she really wasn't trying to be complicated with the way she expressed things, but it simply came off as that due to the headachy read that comes with run-on sentences and barely focused flow.
Once again even the sex scenes failed to be impressive - although there was a blood sucking scene that was quite hot.

What I did like, was the major reveal as to who was behind the evil lurking force. Best thing about the entire story! I would recommend it only for that. show less