Tempt Me (The Donovans 2) by Samantha Chase-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 7, 2022

He hates the holidays. She lives for them. Let the games begin.
A small town, grumpy/sunshine romance from NY Times Best Selling Author Samantha Chase

Six months ago, Liam Donovan met the world’s cheeriest, most upbeat woman at a wedding.
It was the longest two days of his life.
Now she’s his next door neighbor.
Talk about awkward.

Tessa Sullivan believes in always looking at the bright side. Unfortunately, her new neighbor is the most negative man on the planet and seems to have made it his mission to ruin her good mood on a daily basis. She loves to sing, she loves to smile, but more than anything, she loves to decorate for the holidays. The fact that this seems to bug her new neighbor is simply a perk.

After twelve years in the Marines, Liam is more than ready to come home and start the next phase of his life. He’s starting a business, reconnecting with his mildly over-bearing family, and loves the fact that he’s finally got a place of his own. If only his neighbor’s decorations would stay on her side of the property. There isn’t one thing about Tessa that tempts him…until there is. Now she’s all he can think about.

Being friends makes sense.
Becoming lovers was inevitable.
But having Tessa be his forever is more than tempting.

••••••

REVIEW: TEMPT ME is the third instalment in Samantha Chases’s contemporary adult THE DONOVANS romance series. This is former US Marine turned contractor Liam Donovan, and music teacher Tessa Sullivan’s story line. TEMPT ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Liam and Tessa) TEMPT ME follows the building romance and relationship between former US Marine turned contractor Liam Donovan, and music teacher Tessa Sullivan.Tessa Sullivan is a widow, having married her best friend prior to his death but Tessa struggles to move forward, constantly living in the past where life was easier and calm. Her new neighbor, former US Marine Liam Donovan was about to become the bane of Tessa’s existence as Liam’s grumpy attitude was harshing on Tessa’s perpetually happy outlook until their relationship turns from frenemies to lovers, a relationship that will struggle with ghosts from the past. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tessa and Liam, and the potential fall out as Tessa struggles between head and heart, and Liam feels like a third wheel in Tessa’s life.

The relationship between Tessa and Liam begins acrimoniously as Liam struggles to accept Tessa’s always positive outlook on life. Liam’s relationship with his siblings is fraught with jealousy and misunderstanding, and their issues begin to affect both his personal and professional life. Tessa has yet to realize her inability to let go may push Liam out of her life but a one on one with someone else shows Tessa that letting go doesn’t me forgetting the past. There are no $ex scenes, everything is implied.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Liam’s siblings Patrick, Rhyllie, Jamie and Arianna, Arianna’s fiance Will, and their parents Kate and Shane Donovan, and uncle Ronan. The siblings continue to have a love -hate relationship with one another, fraught with jealousy, misunderstanding and heartache but the parents attitude is a one-eighty from the first two instalments, more empathetic and compassionate towards their adult children.

TEMPT ME is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love; a story of grief and acceptance, understanding and love. The premise is entertaining and captivating; the romance is sweet and passionate; the characters are emotional, charismatic but struggling to be.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one DARE ME

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.