If you have read my reviews, you will know that I have had my issues with the past couple of Melissa Foster books I have read. I won't lie, I was on the verge of probably giving up on reading them for a while.
However, with Tempted By Love, we are back to the Melissa Foster stories that I adore.
We have met Jack "Jock" Steele in earlier books (as you know, all her series interweave) however if you have not met him before, you won't feel lost.
The problem I have had with recent MF books is that to me, there was a lot filler. The characters got their sh!t together and then cruised for a big percentage of the book.
I won't lie, I did feel that this was the way that Tempted By Love was going to go, however I was happy to say that this was not the case. Yes, Jock and Daphne do have their baggage, particularly Jock, but they did not just cruise until this became a big issue. They dealt with things in real time, no matter how difficult they were. And I liked the way things were done.
I loved seeing more of the characters we have grown to love over the years - thank you for the family tree at the beginning of the book Ms Foster, as I always feel a little lost with everyone!
There is a 3 year old scene stealer who will also steal your heart. If you don't love Hadley, then you don't have feelings, I swear!
Thank you too Ms Foster for bringing back my love of your stories.
Love a good romance? Then this story is for you. We start off with thinking 'what is wrong with him'? This is a story of healing past wounds, and finding true love. She is a strong woman but is going to put her child first. He has so much pain, can he move on and make them all happy? A wonderful romantic tale filled with emotion.
lord do not even ask me why I have not read a melissa foster book in forever, I am asking myself the same damn question. i have truly missed all that is a melissa story. she just has this way with words that sucks me right in no matter what. her writing style is different then what I am used too but I just love it so much. she never fails to give you all the oooey gooey love while still bring in the depth and raw emotion that just makes your heart weep. she makes you fall so completely and utterly in love with each set of characters she writes about. this book is no different, I loved this story so much. both daphne and jock had such heart wrenching pasts that just made you want to bawl your eyes out. the character development in this book was such a beautiful sight to see. i could read about there love forever and never get bored. i am not to read the next book in this series, I am so not ready to leave this book world yet it has captivated me.
I adored Melissa Foster's "Tempted by Love," a sweet, emotional story featuring endearing, well-developed characters and a compelling plot. Main characters Jock and Daphne had both suffered a great deal in their past relationships and deserved to find some happiness, so I found it very easy to cheer them on to their HEA. While Jock's history was tragic and I certainly empathized with his losses, I found it incredibly easy to relate to the body image issues Daphne expressed as a result of her ex-husband's verbal abuse. It was wonderful to see her overcome those and start to see herself as beautiful through Jock's eyes. Jock's relationship with Daphne's young daughter, Hadley, was another highlight of the story. Hadley was a true scene-stealer and reminded me of several toddlers I know in real life because of her insistence on doing things herself. I chuckled every time she said "I do it!" and smiled every time she called Jock "my Dock."
Daphne and Jock's romance was obviously central to the story, but Jock's efforts to reconcile with his twin brother, Archer, and find his way back to his family were also a major source of conflict. Jock had stayed away from his childhood home of Silver Island in the years since the accident in which he lost his girlfriend and newborn son so that the rest of his family wouldn't be forced to take sides between him and Archer. His relationship with Daphne and Hadley helped him finally come to terms with that trauma and realize how much he missed having his family in his life, and that it was time to confront Archer and the secrets keeping them apart.
Overall, "Tempted by Love" was an incredibly moving story, and I highly recommend it for all fans of emotional contemporary romance. I look forward to reading more about Jock's siblings in future books.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
[I received a digital arc for an honest review] Tempted by Love is the start of a new series by Melissa Foster. Like of Melissa Fosters book sit can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. However, if you have read any of the books in her Bayside Summer series than you'll recognize many of the characters in this book. Personally, I have been waiting what seems like forever for Jock and Daphne's book and it was as wonderful as I hoped. It's just a bonus that it's the start to a new series and knowing who the next book is about makes me so excited for the next one. This book universe Melissa Foster has created is forever expanding and growing and I'm here for it !
"You're a dangerous woman , Daphne Zablonski." Dangerous to my body and my heart.
Tempted by Love is the love story of single mom Daphne and writer Jack "Jock" Steele. Daphne's main priority is her adorable 3-year-old daughter Hadley. Jock has yet to move on from a traumatic loss in his past but Daphne and her daughter make him want to try. Their story is one of healing and love. Jock shows Daphne that as a single mother her body and mind as beautiful and worthy. Daphne and Hadley help Jock heal old wounds and mend the broken relationship with his family.
"He kissed her longer , deeper, more passionately than he'd ever kissed a woman, and he didn't want to stop."
Melissa delivers another romance packed full of love, family, and emotion. Jock and Daphne when they were together were just perfection together. Jock's backstory broke my heart and it was heartwarming to watch Hadley and Daphne heal his wounds. Daphne was such a bright character. She was such an amazing mother and it made me sad that she was embarrassed by her curvy figure even though she claimed she was happy with herself. I loved that Jock lifted her confidence and helped her see her own beauty. The book had so many family scenes between them from outings at the beach to trips to get ice cream that were all so heartwarming. But no worries there are steamy scenes a plenty between Jock and Daphne that will leave you blushing like our heroine Daphne easily does.
"He didn't want to imagine a day without her of Hadley in his life."
Tempted by Love was a lovely romance about family and healing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to more books in The Steeles at Silver Island series.
"Sometimes the hardest things in life lead us to the best things," I took my time with this one. It had been sitting on my Kindle for a while, but, just like with every Melissa Foster book, I needed to be in the right headspace for it. Her characters are always real. They have flaws and they've been through real life issues, which makes it hard sometimes, but I get through it because I know there's always a happily ever after at the end. This was the case with Jock and Daphne's story. They pulled me in, made me cry, but made me so happy as well.
"He was like a mysterious puzzle—a sinfully hot, funny, and flirtatious puzzle." Jock carries the book for me. He's this amazing guy, who seems detached and out of it, but only because he's been through hell. Most people don't seem to see it, but underneath the hard, uncaring exterior is a man who cares so much, who loves so much, and who is worth everything good. Jock is really swoonworthy, and most of the quotes here are his because he captured my heart.
"And there’s that blush I can’t stop thinking about." Daphne is a real woman. She has the everyday concerns of a single mom, regarding money, a job, and a roof over their heads. She was left to raise Hadley alone, since her deadbeat ex-husband didn't want a kid, and she's perfect at it. Putting her kid first means she's been alone for a while, and she doesn't think anyone would want the package deal. Or her, for that matter.
"A man would have to be blind not to see you." Jock and Daphne first met about a year ago. She noticed him, but she doesn't think he noticed her. She's mostly clueless as to the way guys see her because she doesn't see herself as interesting or beautiful. But Jock does. Daphne's kid, Hadley, is absolutely in love with 'Dock', but he doesn't seem to care about her and he flinches whenever she comes near. So Daphne's written him off as someone she can't think about, because someone who doesn't care about her daughter can never be with her.
"You make me feel things I never have. I see you and my pulse kicks up. You smile, and it lights up everything around you, including me." Jock realizes he's hurting them both, and himself, by keeping them at a distance. When he comes to apologize to Daphne, the chemistry between them and just how right they are for each other becomes obvious. Their conversations are both sweet and steamy, and could lead to so much more. But Jock knows he has to come clean about his past for Daphne to fully understand him and give him, and them, a chance.
"You have become the axis on which my world spins." Daphne not only loves him, but helps him get through his dark past and reconnect with his family. Jock loves her with everything he has, and he helps her see herself as the woman she's always been, and own her curves and who she is completely. Their moments together are hot, and very much filled with love. I loved that Jock was such a flirt and that Daphne blushed at his lines. That made them even more perfect for each other in my eyes.
I've read some of Melissa's work, so I enjoyed some of the characters I recognized from other books. The number of names is sometimes overwhelming, but it doesn't take anything away from Daphne and Jock's story. The presence of family, in all its forms, is something that defines Melissa's work and makes it even more enjoyable for me.
"I love who you are and who I am with you. I love being Dock, and I really love being us." Theirs was a hard-earned happily ever after. Their story is all about healing and acceptance – of yourself and those around you –, and knowing you're worthy of love, of family, of happiness. Of someone who loves you like you hung the moon, because for them you really did.
