The Temptress Four by Gaby Triana

Best friends Fiona, Alma, Killian, and Yoli have just graduated high school. In celebration, they embark on a Caribbean cruise, and they are determined to have the time of their lives before splitting ways. But a visit to a fortune teller at a carnival forewarns danger for their trip. Alma and Killian dismiss the prediction as a trick to scare them, but Fiona and Yoli can’t help but be frightened that one of them will not come home, as foreseen by the fortune teller.

The Temptress Four is a fun story about the interwoven lives of four best friends and they struggle to find out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. It is a question many teens wonder about, as do Fiona, Alma, Killian, and Yoli on their fun cruise. The girls change and grow on the trip as they learn about themselves and what they want in life. The story was not as meaningful as it could’ve been, but the message did get across to me. The seriousness of the question is offset by the tropical setting and fun opportunities provided by the cruise, which lightened the mood of the story. I would have liked the story to be told in alternate narrations between the four friends, but it was only told from Fiona’s point-of-view. This one aspect would’ve made the novel much better, because I felt that I didn’t get to know any of the characters except Fiona.

Despite its few drawbacks, The Temptress Four was a fun read for me, and got me in the mood for summer vacation. I recommend this novel for a light, fun read, possibly as a book you take along to the beach or pool on a sunny day.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from personal collection