Welcome to Temptation is a contemporary romance novel written by Jennifer Crusie and published in 2000. The story follows Sophie Dempsey, a screenwriter working on a film in the small town of Temptation, and Phinneas "Phin" Tucker, the town's mayor. Throughout the book, the two characters solve a murder and face challenges related to Sophie's movie, which is sometimes described as a documentary and sometimes as an adult film. Sophie and Phin return as supporting characters in the sequel, Faking It, which focuses on Sophie's brother, a minor character in Welcome to Temptation.

Jennifer Crusie, who has defended the romance genre against critics, wrote the novel to examine common complaints about the genre. The book explores the differences between reality and fantasy, suggesting that accepting a fantasy can help people understand themselves better. Crusie uses scenes and events to show how the power balance between Sophie and Phin changes as their relationship develops, leading to a more equal partnership. Sophie's movie, which includes scenes from her relationship with Phin, allows the story to consider how private moments become public. By making Sophie a con artist, Crusie highlights a common theme in romance novels: the idea that two very different people who meet briefly might still find happiness together.

The book received positive reviews, with critics praising its humor, dialogue, and more daring romantic scenes. It became a New York Times bestseller and ranked second on Amazon.com's list of top contemporary romances in 2000.

Background

For her doctoral research, Jennifer Crusie decided to read 100 romance novels. She had never read books in this genre before and believed it would be hard for her to read through them. To her surprise, she found she enjoyed the stories. This led her to become a literary critic for the genre and to write romance novels herself.

During the 1980s and 1990s, many literary critics did not value the romance novel genre, often for different reasons. Janice Radway argued that the genre was harmful to women, as it made them unable to tell the difference between fantasy and real life. She believed women read these books to find emotional relief they could not get in daily life, where they often focused on caregiving and had little time for themselves. Other critics believed the genre repeated old ideas about traditional gender roles in relationships. In the late 1990s, Crusie wrote several essays to defend the romance novel genre against these criticisms.

At the same time, Crusie was building her own career as a novelist. She noticed there were few romance novels that included "strong, feminist love stories" that she enjoyed reading. She decided to write these types of stories herself. After writing several short romance novels, she began writing longer, single-title novels. Her third of these longer works, Welcome to Temptation, was published in hardcover by St. Martin's Press in March 2000. It was later reprinted in trade paperback format in September 2010.

One of the secondary characters in Welcome to Temptation, Davy Dempsey, became the main character in Crusie’s next book, Faking It. The main characters in Faking It were secondary characters in Welcome to Temptation.

Plot summary

The story starts with Sophie Dempsey and her younger sister Amy traveling to the small town of Temptation in Ohio. They have been asked by Clea Whipple, their former sister-in-law, to make a movie that will help Clea restart her acting career. Before arriving in the town, Sophie and Amy are in a small car accident with Stephen and Virginia Garvey, who are important people in Temptation and believe they are responsible for setting an example for others.

The main character of the book, Phinneas "Phin" Tucker, is also an important person in Temptation. He is the fourth mayor in his family to lead the town.

As the story continues, the characters disagree about the type of movie they should make. In the end, three different films are created. The first is a documentary called Return to Temptation, which shows Clea and the town’s reactions to her return and the movie’s production. The second film, Cherished, is an adult-themed movie featuring Clea and Rob Lutz, the son of her former lover. The third film, Hot Fleshy Thighs, is a poorly made movie with explicit adult content aimed at men.

Near the middle of the story, Clea’s husband, Zane, is killed.

Style

The novel is a contemporary romance. At first, the story seems similar to other books in this genre. The hero is wealthy and holds an important social position, and his love is expected to help a poor but honest woman from a lower class. However, the author changes this usual story. The hero does not like his position and wants to leave his social duties. The heroine does not like the hero and is trying to take away his power.

Unlike other heroes in the story, Phin is not distant or a man who refuses to marry. He is a single father and is shown as a caring father who is already used to being at home.

Themes

Welcome to Temptation is a book that supports the romance genre by showing how it can be empowering for women. The author, Crusie, uses characters, stories, and symbols to challenge the criticisms that people made about romance novels in the 1990s. Through the story, she also shares her own journey as a writer, moving from doubt about the genre to finally accepting and valuing it. The main character, Sophie, is named after a character from a book by Georgette Heyer, a well-known romance author.

At first, Sophie quotes lines from movies like Tootsie, Psycho, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. These movies often show characters who struggle with reality. This makes readers think Sophie might not always tell the truth. But as the story continues, Sophie proves she is the most realistic character. Other characters, like the Garveys, avoid fiction but are shown to be stuck in their own false beliefs. Sophie, who reads and writes fiction, is more aware of what is happening around her.

When Sophie starts a romantic relationship with Phin, she begins to explore her sexuality. Crusie connects this to the work of a scholar named Radway, who said women enjoy romance novels because society often limits their ability to freely enjoy their own desires. Phin encourages Sophie to enjoy herself without guilt or responsibility, helping her grow more confident. As their relationship develops, Sophie becomes more self-aware, showing that embracing fantasy can help women feel stronger, not weaker.

Crusie uses Sophie’s boyfriend, Brandon, to represent people who criticize romance novels. When Sophie tells Brandon she had sex with someone else, he dismisses her feelings and tries to explain her actions in a way that focuses on bigger social issues, similar to how Radway analyzed her subjects.

The book also explores the line between public and private life, much like old British novels from the 18th century. These older stories often included scenes of seduction and gossip about real people. In Welcome to Temptation, Sophie’s screenplay includes details from her private life, like her first sexual encounter with Phin, which happens outdoors where they might be seen. When the scene is filmed, someone watches them through binoculars, showing how hard it is to keep private moments truly private. Later, when the movie is stolen and shown on TV, Sophie and Phin must face the fact that their private moments are now public.

Like the old novels, Welcome to Temptation uses gossip to show how people’s private actions can affect how others see them. Sophie uses what others say about her to change how people view her. One character solves a mystery by knowing local gossip. Another character agrees to stop opposing a law in exchange for keeping her secret private.

In the late 1990s, romance novels often had heroines who were seen as "good girls," while the heroes had affairs with more sexually active women. This reflected society’s rules about women’s behavior, which Sophie experienced in high school when she was mocked for having sex. In the book, Sophie agrees to a physical relationship with Phin, who reminds her of the boy she lost her virginity to. Phin encourages her to explore her sexuality without fear. As Sophie learns more about herself, she compares their relationship to a school where Phin is the teacher. A critic named Kyra Kramer noted that because Phin is also the one Sophie is learning from, he becomes a partner rather than a leader. In one scene, Sophie takes control of their relationship, showing she has power. Later, Sophie shifts her focus to helping Phin achieve his goals, showing their relationship becomes equal.

Radway said romance novels end with marriage because society believes women’s desires should only be expressed within marriage. Crusie disagreed, arguing that marriage in romance novels is a way for characters to balance power. In Welcome to Temptation, this idea is shown through symbols like the town’s water tower. At first, the tower is described as pink and shaped like a phallic symbol. Later, it is painted red, resembling a lipstick tube, and finally changes to look like a breast, showing a shift from male to female power. Another symbol is the family slogan "More of the Same," used by Phin’s family for generations. At the end of the book, Phin decides not to be mayor, and Sophie takes on the role, showing the family’s traditions can change.

The story also shows Sophie’s relationship with Phin’s mother, Liz, who knows about their affair.

Reception

The first cover of Welcome to Temptation showed a picture of a cherry. This led Crusie’s online fans to call themselves "The Cherries." To honor this, Crusie made sure that a cherry appeared on most of her book covers. Baldus describes the cherry as a sign of connection between the author and readers, helping to build a shared sense of community through understanding the novel. Crusie also talks about the bond between readers and authors, calling it "one of the most powerful parts of the romance novel."

Romantic Times gave the book 4.5 out of 5 stars. A Publishers Weekly review called Welcome to Temptation a romantic comedy that "adds luster to the genre." The review praised Crusie’s use of humor and her ability to "skillfully mix the outrageous and the practical." At All About Romance, Jennifer Keirans warned readers that the book is not a traditional sweet romance, as it includes black humor and more daring sexual scenes. However, she called the result "sexy, intelligent, and unexpectedly moving." Both reviews highlighted the "clever and witty conversations" between the main characters, which Publishers Weekly noted "[kept] energy and sexual tension high." Romantic Times reviewer Jill M. Smith said the book’s humor and insights into human nature made it "downright irresistible." Reviewer Mandi Schreiner also praised the book’s humor and its spicy sex scenes.

The book reached the New York Times Bestseller List. Amazon.com editors named it the number 2 contemporary romance of 2000.