Tempted by Love (The Steeles at Silver Island #1) by Melissa Foster

Tempted by Love (The Steeles at Silver Island, #1) by Melissa Foster
on September 9, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Friends to Lovers
Goodreads

Years ago, bestselling author Jack “Jock” Steele lost his girlfriend and baby in a horrific accident that drove a wedge between Jock and his family, keeping him from sharing a devastating secret. An aging philanthropist saved him from the brink of despair, and for a decade Jock cared for his ailing friend who became his family. Now his friend has passed away and left him a fortune—on the condition that he publishes another book. Jock is floundering, unsure how to rebuild the life he’d walked away from, much less find his muse, have another relationship with a woman, or even think about having a family of his own. But he can’t get his sweet, sexy new friend, single-mother Daphne Zablonski out of his head, and her adorable toddler must know something he doesn’t, because she wraps her tiny fingers around his heart and won’t let go.

Daphne has been through the wringer with her ex-husband and doesn’t believe true love is in the cards for her. Friends she can handle, but letting a man see her mom bod naked? Especially someone as strikingly handsome and unbelievably sexy as Jock? No, thank you. Besides, she has a toddler to chase after and enough fictional boyfriends to fill her lonely nights. If only her book boyfriends could make her body tingle the way one look from her mysterious neighbor does.

As Jock and Daphne’s friendship turns to something too tempting to deny, their lives take an unexpected turn. Can a man who has lost everything find redemption with a woman who has everything to lose? And then there’s that secret…

*ARC provided by InkSlinger in exchange for an honest review*

Tempted by Love is the first book in a brand new series but if you have read any of Melissa Foster’s previous books, all her stories and characters interweave in some way. We get to play catch up with some of the Bayside and Remington crew and we get a brand new series that I am excited for.

Jock has had a thing for Daphne ever since he spotted her at a wedding a year ago, but her little girl, adorable as she is, absolutely terrifies him. Years ago, he lost his girlfriend and little boy in a horrible car accident and hasn’t really gotten over it. All that changes when he meets Daphne and slowly, she helps him heal. But in order to allow himself to have a relationship with Daphne and her daughter, he has to open up to her about his past.

“Have you ever met someone and wanted them to see the best version of you?”
“I guess, yeah.”
“I think that is what’s happening to me, and that someone is you.”

Little Hadley is too cute for words and absolutely loves her “Dock”, and slowly Jock falls in love with her and her beautiful mother. But to heal the wounds of the past, he will also have to reconnect with his family, and most importantly, the rift between him and his brother.

“Woman, you do me in every time you smile.”

Honestly, I think I spent the entire book with a huge grin on my face. Daphne is such a sweet character, unsure of herself because of what her ex put her thru and Jock takes his time to slowly woo her and show her how beautiful she is, inside and out. Jock has his hang ups but he is determined to get over them because of Daphne, and his interactions with Hadley are adorable and heart warming. Sweet little Hadley had everyone wrapped around her pinky. Jock treats them both like they are the most precious things in his world and it is so swoony. Seriously, my heart!!! This book is just the right amount of drama and slow burn romance without being overdrawn. It is the perfect combination of sweet, funny, hot, and utter perfection.