I requested this book, thinking it might be a fun read. It actually turned out to be a book that was very hard to put down. The story grabbed me immediately and the characters were fun, likable, and believable and the story itself was engaging, fun, and sexy.

I realized halfway through reading this that one of the main reasons this book held my interest is because the dialogue was very natural and didn't feel forced or fake. The love scenes were also fun to read!

I'd heard of this author before but I don't think I've read any of her books. That will definitely change!

This was a nice, light romance with not a lot of stakes, but with a lot of heart. I was actually surprised I shed a couple tears during one of the few emotionally heavy moments near the end of the book. I was also surprised that I genuinely liked Cassie, but understood where some of the chemistry between her and Brook felt off. If anything, my biggest complaint with the book was how Noah was depicted - he acts a little too precocious for my tastes at times, but it is more of a minor complaint.

Cassie is a single twenty something that has been cut off from her family's fortune for wanting to choosing a different career than what her parents wanted. Being broke and desperate, she accepts a job as live in nanny for the charming Wellington family. The only problem is that she is attracted to Brook Wellington, her charge's beautiful mother. Cassie has to navigate her attraction, and the realization that maybe the Wellington's might be the family she might what to spend the rest of her life with.

I loved that Cassie had a crush on Brook, but it took Brook a little longer to express her feelings. Cassie felt like a twenty something, too - a kid who resented her family for pulling the rug from under her financially. Her work ethic did make up for the fact that she sounds a little spoiled and bitter - she has good reason to be that way. Cassie carries the narrative, but I still would have liked to see what Brook's point of view would have been.

I still liked this more that most of the reviewers here, but I think it really hinges on whether or not readers like Cassie as a lead. If Cassie is the type you'd like to read about, this is definitely for you.

The subject of Temptation by all appearances should be a gateway to naughty happenings. Mega bucks businesswoman Brook Ellington dabbles in afterhours fun with her son’s very attractive nanny, Cassie Miller, who seems to effortlessly turn every woman’s eyes, including that of her boss’s. Understandably, there’s a lot of steamy scenes and longing looks but given that there’s a 14 year age gap, an employee/employer dynamic, and a well-off girl/millionaire girl rift, there’s also plenty of angst in trying to figure out if this is a romp or the real thing. There’s also the richy rich Wellingtons who aren’t too keen on one of their own getting it on with the help, even if she is a moneyed daughter of physicians.

I feel like I’m an outlier here because I like Cassie. She’s a hard working grad student who cares about the children, her family and friends, and most especially her beloved grandmother. Yes, she’s a little immature and petulant but she’s 24! I do wish we had learned a bit more about Brook because other than sex, it’s hard for me to grasp her motivation here. Overall, another good Kris Bryant ride which I enjoyed.

The book was well written. A little tropy. I felt the characters were well written and likeable, just felt like it was missing something.

I loved this book. I’m slightly disappointed that I can’t be the nanny in real life, because the apartment, the kid and the boss all sound amazing. A perfect book to dream about. The kid’s dialogue is a little advanced for a six year old, but it doesn’t detract from a great story. The build up is nicely paced and it takes a while for the leads to get together, which I like, as it doesn’t feel rushed. The sex is hot. Another bonus to the story. The secondary characters could have been more included in places, but only because I wanted the book to last longer. In reality they are all nicely judged and written well. I’ve already read other books by Ms Bryant, but I’m going to check whether I’ve missed any, as I really rate her as an author now.

Nothing amazing or new here. The writing is alright, but nothing great. The story is simple and passes the time.

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'

**'I always knew that a good writer is one who keeps what others throw out and then I realized that a good writer is also one who throws out what others keep..'

Compelling read!
With all the overwhelming and glowing interpretations that other readers have posted about this remarkably well written story, I will only add to theirs with just a brief viewpoint. Because everything that has been stated is all that I most definitely agree with.
'TEMPTATION' is both a stirringly written tale of raw attraction, tenderness, passion etc. and an engrossing steamy page-turner about falling in Love and the circle of a family unit.
I must admit that as I got deeper into the storyline and seeing that developing close relationship forming between Cassie & Noah with their playful bantering, this part did start to grow on me in part because of his adorableness and Cassie knowing what he needed as a kid.
There's so much more going on in this book but i'll let other readers words say it all.
Furthermore, I do believe that it will take a savoring and thorough reading of this quirky, charming book to really unearth all things pertaining to Cassie, Brook, Noah, all their families and lets not forget those close friends because this story will tug at readers emotions and even end up being an unforgettable read.

Temptation by Kris Bryant follows Cassie a newly broke grad student and Brook Wellington the COO of her family’s shipping business and Cassie’s new boss. Brook hires Cassie to be a nanny for her pretty perfect son Noah, offering a great salary, health benefits, and even an apartment on her estate. All of this is a god-send to Cassie who was recently cut off by her parents when she quit med school for a different post-grad degree. The only problem is is that from the beginning Cassie is a little in love with Brook who should be totally off-limits.

This book is fun, sweet, and funny. It was nice to watch as Cassie integrated into the Wellington family. The interactions between Cassie and Brook’s son Noah were heart-meltingly sweet. The development of the relationship between Cassie and Brook felt well-paced and believable. And the sex scenes were plentiful and very hot.

The book, and Cassie, repeatedly describe Brook as an ice queen, but she really didn’t come off that way to me. She just came across as a woman dedicated to her job and son and genuinely nervous about disrupting their stability with a potentially ill-advised relationship. She didn’t strike me as cruel or very cold. Maybe I'm an ice queen and that's why I couldn't see it. I think Brook is more like a light frost queen.

Both Brook and Cassie seemed like such genuinely nice people that at times I almost wished one of them would slip up more to complicate them.

This is an age-gap romance, though there was a lot of emphasis on Brook looking and acting young. Personally I like it when there is a noticeable difference that just doesn’t matter. But still, Kris Bryant did a great job at writing that age difference in the characters' behaviors. It was fun to watch Cassie’s bit-of-a-hot-mess antics early on play against Brook’s maturity.

Let me tell you, I am sick of these types of books, where the nanny and boss fall in love. But, it’s Kris Bryant, who is one of the best writers in this genre so I was going to read it and buy it regardless. And as always with Kris, she nailed it! I loved the dialogue, I loved the MC’s, and how the story flowed. I would read a follow up story on these two characters. Well done

Temptation was a fairly angst-free and sweet romance. According to some reviews, there were quite some Cassie haters, but I didn’t find her all that bad. She is young, yes (a 24 year-old is practically a puppy in my eyes) and she let her eyes roam over all the pretty women surrounding her (who wouldn’t?), but I found her actually pretty mature for her age. And she was very good with the children. Besides, she can’t help growing up in an affluent household. Being cut off from the gravy train would be a shock to every young adult.

I was more in tune with the very capable (and older) Brook, however. It would have been nice to have her pov as well, but Kris Bryant obviously wanted Cassie to tell the story and that’s fine, it didn’t really spoil the book for me.

And even when I didn’t see them as a couple at first (even Brook herself wasn’t seeing it), leave it to Bryant to give them oodles of sexual chemistry to make you a believer. So all in all, maybe this was not Bryant at her best, but it was an enjoyable read.

f/f explicit

Themes: Nana, mommy issues, the single nod, Cassie is a puppy, money, live-in nanny, Thanksgiving, ski trip, gaming, Noah is adorable.

4 Stars

* This ARC was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes in exchange for an honest review.

Cassandra "Cassie" Miller, aged 24, a college student who's a bit down on her luck;

Brooklyn "Brook" Addison Wellington, aged 38, the millionaire COO of Wellington Enterprises, a conglomerate of grocery stores and an import/export business;

Noah Wellington, Brook's six year old son.

Cassie's well-off parents wanted her to follow in their footsteps and become a doctor. She had other ideas and when she told them she didn't want to be a doctor, they cut off financial help. Finding herself living with her beloved Nana, she had to find a job.

Enter Brook Wellington, in need of a nanny for her precocious six year-old son, Noah. Noah is smart, sweet and he becomes instantly attached to Cassie.

Brook is icy, distant and keeps everyone at arm's length. How can Cassie crack that chilly barrier Brook has put up around herself?

This story has it all: It's a well-written, well-edited age gap/ice queen/slow burn story that flows, has great character and villains, obstacles and resolutions. Now I know what all the screaming has been about regarding Kris Bryant. This is my first, but certainly not my last, Kris Bryant book!

I was given an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I gave this one an extra star strictly for the sexy scenes. Holy smokes. This book is majorly steamy!

The plot is fine. It's a really fast read. There are some sweet scenes, some drama, some sadness. Overall, not bad.

The main character, Cassie, though. I was not a fan. She is supposed to be 24 or 25, but she acts like a spoiled brat. It made a relationship between her and Brook seem unbelievable. She throws tantrums and storms off multiple times. I found her really annoying. There were some other good characters, but it is hard to love a book when you don't love the protagonist.

I definitely plan to read more by Kris Bryant, but hope I enjoy the characters a bit more next time.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers, Bold Strokes Books Inc., of Temptation for affording me the opportunity to read the book and review it.

I’ve heard a lot of positives about the author’s work, but this is the first novel of hers that I have actually read. I noted that she had said this was a departure in genre from her usual offerings, and that she just wanted to write a lighter flirty romance for Temptation.

Light and flirty it certainly is. This is a well-written lesbian fiction with likeable well-defined characters and the storyline flows well. There was good rises and falls to ensure it wasn’t just a “girl falls for girl and then they get a HEA”. I thought the additional characters certainly enriched the story and added extra layers to the background and the main characters. The characters of Nana and Noah certainly added depth and were pivotal to the central theme and plot.

This novel will be pleasing for readers who love a May-December romance, and an extra bonus for those who love a rag to riches story and there were strong inclinations of an ice queen melting into a puddle or several once the romance took hold. However Bryant managed to avoid it being predictable, changing the setting, and scenes, mixing it up with different characters flitting in and out of the storyline. There were subtleties in the subtext that could be missed with a quick read. I’m not sure if this was a deliberate choice or not, but this could easily have been further developed, for example exploring the potential relationships with Trina and Natalie.

It’s not perfect and there were some niggles. The convenience of the extra perfect accommodation and all the trappings I found a bit overkill. And I couldn’t understand how someone at 38 and in such a senior role within the family business was suddenly subjected to a staged intervention on the basis of someone seeing her come out of a bedroom. And there were a lot of lesbians in the supporting characters, so much that it felt again like overkill.
Having said that, there was much to enjoy about this novel and Bryant certainly fulfilled her wish to create a light flirty novel which should have wide readership appeal. It engaged my interest from start to finish and I enjoyed the journey of Brook and Cassie. On the basis of this novel I would certainly love to read more of the author’s work.

Wow!
I think this is my favourite book by Kris Bryant ever.... definitely one of my top 5 books of all time.

Cassie is cut off from her parents financially when she drops out of medical school. She takes a live-in nanny job to help pay the bills. Brooke Wellington helps run her family business, and as much as she tries to be home with her six-year old son, her busy career makes that a challenge. Hiring a nanny seems like a perfect solution for both of them. That is, until the two women grow closer, and it becomes harder and harder to ignore the goring attraction between them.

The chemistry was incredible between Brook and Cassie. I loved every single interaction between them, not matter how small. Cassie and Noah were also just adorable together.

This book really had it all, adorable family moments, and sweet romance and crazy chemistry and of course great sex.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kris Bryant wrote an amazing book! Brook is well thought out and you can feel the turn of the story as her heart opens. Cassie Is sweet, funny and witty. They both comes from different places, but they learn to respect and care for each other. The romance is beautifully paced and the sex scenes are hot. The book is a joy to read and I loved Nana!

I really enjoyed this book. Having been a nanny and falling in love with a much older woman (my first lesbian experience), I can relate so much. I bonded with the characters so much that I cried hard tears at a poignant section. You'll know it when you read it. I really liked all of the characters, main and secondary, with Brooke being my favorite. Nana was a great addition to the storyline. I noticed a few of the items that other reviewers mentioned in the book, but none of them affected my enjoyment or appreciation of the story.
This is a slow burn romance so the ending is a bit rushed in my opinion and the epilogue is barely beyond the ending. Maybe there will be a sequel for this couple? I want to know! No book is perfect, but this book is a great read, with emotional swings that enrich it. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Temptation. All opinions are my own.

This book was really well-written. I loved the slow build of romance between Cassie and Brooke. Both were independent and strong in their own right and found such a great balance together as well.

I also loved Cassie’s relationship with Noah. He was such a a sweet kid and I could tell she genuinely enjoyed working with him.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and am rating it 4 stars!

This was a sweet and enjoyable romance. I mentioned before how I’ve been sick almost all of 2020. I’m finally 95% back to normal but when I was sick I could hardly read. Unfortunately, that means I’m pretty far behind in my ARC reading/reviewing so I had the opportunity to read many reviews about this book before I ever read it. I noticed that the early reviews started out strong, but then they turned into a bit of a mix with many people not caring for or flat out disliking the main character Cassie. I’m a big Bryant fan, she makes my top 5 favorite list of current lesfic authors, so I was really excited about this. I found out after the reviews I was tempering my expectations. But in the end I didn’t need to. While this is not my favorite book by Bryant, (I prefer her more emotional books) I absolutely enjoyed this. Bryant set out to write a fun and flirty book and I think she was absolutely successful in doing that.

The premise is about a 24 year old woman Cassie, who was recently cut off from financial help that takes a job as a live-in Nanny so she can continue going to school for her Masters. Her job is easy watching a cute little boy named Noah, but the job becomes much more complicated when she starts developing feelings for her older boss. Will her boss Brook feel the same or are they bound to be stuck in an employee/employer relationship forever?

As I mentioned above there is a lot of dislike for the characters of Cassie. I’ll be honest, characters in their early twenties are my least favorite to read about. I want characters in their 30’s and later or YA age. I don’t mean everyone (and if you are in your early 20’s reading this review I don’t mean you) but most of us are real PITA’s in our 20’s. We thought we were all grown up when we actually hardly knew anything, so not my favorite age for characters. Due to the complaints and plain dislike for Cassie, I was prepared to feel the same….but I didn’t. I feel like I read a different book than most people. I don’t get the Cassie hate at all. I mean yes, Brook is a much more interesting character. She’s more established, has more of a background history, and is a baby ice queen which I always enjoy in romances. And I think Brook would have made a more interesting choice to be in her POV, but I don’t blame Bryant for wanting to try to write in the voice of a younger character. And in the end I just could not see anything wrong with Cassie. A few people complained that single Cassie flirted with attractive, nice, and seemingly intelligent women. She’s 24 and single, why would she not flirt her ass off? Some people accused her of acting entitled because she was upset her parents were not helping her with school or living expenses anymore. If you were 24 and your parents cut you off financially out of the blue because you wanted to be a scientist, would you not be hurt? It’s not like she wanted to be a wandering minstrel player hoping to amuse the Queen, instead she’s trying for a good career. And really these are wealthy people problems that she’s allowed to have coming from that kind of family. That’s her character’s background and she doesn’t know any different. It’s just interesting to see the different opinions on a character I found basically harmless.

I only really had two baby issues that bothered me. One, I can’t believe Cassie’s parents let Nana (grandma) drive that death trap of a car. I didn’t think that was believable because even if Nana was being stubborn, you just set fire to the car in the middle of the night and get her a new one. Secondly, I just don’t like the name Brook. I need the “E”, I need Brooke. I kept calling her Brock the whole book becuase my brain refused to read it any other way. As you can see these are very important issues I had… yeah basically no real issues.

I enjoyed the romance. While the chemistry was a little more subdued than normal for a Bryant book, the heat from the sex scenes just kept building and building. The sex was used to really connect the characters and after that I believed in them as a potential couple. I do want to mention this book is more on the low angst side. With all the Cassie complaints I expected something more to happen, but no, just a little push-pull and some outside factors, but all in all very low angst.

In conclusion, this was the fun and flirty romance I was hoping for. While I don’t understand the Cassie dislike, I have mad respect for the reviewers that felt that way so there is something going on about Cassie that some people have issues with. This is an easy one for me to recommend to romance fans, just beware; I don’t know what side of the Cassie scale you might fall on.

Cassie Miller has disappointed her parents by dropping out of medical school to pursue a career she prefers so they have cut off all financial support. She’s 24 years old, broke and in need of a part time job while she goes to grad school.. A chance for free room and board and a nanny job caring for the son of Brook Wellington seems like a perfect fit. Too bad she can’t stop crushing on her new boss and her adorable kid.

Cassie is a piece of work. She’s young, has her whole life ahead of her and has a very healthy libido. She knows she shouldn’t cross that employee/employer barrier. She needs this job. That she is tempted by her young charge Noah’s teachers is not unexpected. Problem is, Brook seems to be spending more and more time with Cassie and the sparks of attraction make her feel guilty even considering dating other women.

Oh temptation, what a cruel master you are. Wikipedia defines temptation as an immediate, pleasurable urge and/or impulse that disrupts an individual's ability to wait for their long-term goals. I don’t know which is worse, Cassie risking her job with her inability to not lust after Brook or Brook clearly breaking unwritten employer/employee rules of engagement. What’s a girl in love gonna do?

I enjoyed this light-hearted romp through the emotional minefield of temptations too hard to resist. There may be an age and economic gap (although Cassie had been raised in a wealthy home so is not uncomfortable with the exclusive lifestyle the Wellingtons occupy) but it’s clear from the opening scenes that Cassie and Brook are destined to be more than a nanny and working mom. Bryant breathes life into her characters making the reader feel all the emotions they feel, conflicted, enamored and illogical though they may be. Cassie’s grandmother should have her own book she is so well drawn and her few scenes with Cassie make her as memorable as Brook’s shy son Noah.

I may have had some eye rolling moments when every adult female character Cassie meets turns out to be lesbian but that didn’t distract from my eager voyeuristic desire to see Brook and Cassie acknowledge their attraction. This read gave me all the feels. I was laughing, cringing and teary-eyed at various points in this novel and that for me makes it a winner.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

This has been a sweet, hot romance where a girl, Cassie, who has to work as a sitter to pay for her studies ends up working as a full-time nanny for a woman who has a six-year-old son. Said woman, Brook, is a total ice queen, through and through, haughty and unaprochable, or thats is what Cassie thinks. As Cassie, through the interaction with Brook's son, Noah, gradually gets into the world of this little family and build liaisons between them. Then, because of the close coexistence and some things that happen during the history, the bonds are getting closer and closer, in spite of certain problems that they all both must face.

The two women have a certain age difference, Cassie is 24 and Brook 38, although we are constantly reminded that Brook looks much younger. Cassie mentally, certainly doesn't looks older.

For me the story is well- paced and has enough interesting ingredients to make it a good romance.