Thank you to Tara Wyatt, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a slog. This was the slowest I'd read a book in a long time, and it was only partially due to life stuff. This book was not exciting, didn't incite emotion, and felt incredibly plot-less.

To start, you will like this book if you're a fan of:

- Insta-love
- Very little to no plot
- Complete focus on romance

To start, my biggest pain point was the lack of plot. The author tried, certainly, but it made absolutely no sense. Especially the plot reason for the entire, romantic climax. I also found it incredibly annoying how the first 50% of the book was the two main characters refusing to communicate. Just fucking talk! It was reminiscent of a 28 year old and 40 year old acting like they were still freshman in high school passing notes. He was convinced his life just wasn't for her... even though she's bffs with the wife of the dude in charge? It makes no sense. The reason they end up married? No sense.

I also took issue with the lack of action. The author danced around it like it was a minor thing. Towards the end of the book, there's a shooting scene. The author literally just wrote it as "I got out of the car, pumped multiple shots into each chest, then went to check on Whitney." That's it. Every "action" scene was like that. Just glossed over with no emotion, no immersion, no description.

Honestly, this book probably wasn't for me. I don't like insta-love and I don't like lack of plot. Side characters meant very little, I didn't feel any emotions during what I assumed were meant to be highly emotional. I think this book would work for those just dipping their feet in to smut, and you only care about the smut. I will say that - The smut was pretty good!

I loved it so much, it is so good and I can't wait to read the next book. It made me want to forget about my adult responsibilities. .

I absolutely LOVED this book!! From the first few pages I was sucked into Whitney and Killian's world and I remained that way until the very last page. This book was action packed, funny, sweet, spicy, and I loved every page of it. From the first chapter, I immediately felt like I was part of the story and the autor did a wonderful job developing both the characters and the world they lived in. Killian was the perfect mix of dark, sweet, protective, and possessive and Whitney was a strong, funny, independent woman whose life was enhanced by Killian's presence, which is my favorite type of dynamic in book couples. This was my first Tara Wyatt book, but it certainly won't be my last!!

Happily give the book a 4.5 rating.

I was looking for a palate cleanser and this hit the right note. It is a contemporary romance where Killian thinks he is doing the right thing of keeping distance between him and Whitney but at the same time not explaining why to her. When Whitney is in danger, he is there to save the day.

What I really liked about this story is that instead of following the typical main characters (mob boss and the love of his life), it follows people that are normally seen as side characters (bodyguard and mrs mob boss’ best friend).

I highly recommend reading the prequel to this novel - Tease Me. It builds the background of Killian and Whitney, and helps you understand more about what is going on along with how their crushes for each other started and what caused Killian to feel that he is undeserving of Whitney.

The chemistry between the characters is great and the spice is just right.

I received an arc copy of this novel through NetGalley.

I love this book and the characters. It is well paced, has good character development, and the spice is very yummy. I have found myself thinking about Killian and Whitney even a week after finishing the book and I already love the two characters who I think the next book will be about and can't wait!

3.75/5 ⭐️ 2/5 🌶️
This was an easy to read, fun intro to mafia romance. I enjoyed the fast placed plot, fun characters and mix of spice and plot. The only complaints I had was that some of the grammar had YA vibes which was unfortunate for an adult novel. There were a few ‘cringy’ moments but overall was a good read and I would recommend you give it a try if you are looking for a good mafia introduction.

I enjoyed reading this. The beauty-and-the-beast aspect of this book worked really well for me and the chemistry between them was really good. There was a lot of sexual tension, especially early on, and the dynamic between them was fun and entertaining. I liked the back and forth, the push and pull – it was well-done.

However, I personally found the pacing of the relationship – and the book – a little off. The romance felt like more of a slow burn at first before a rush into a relationship, and the build up to that didn’t feel very natural to me. The conflict at the end of the book, and the literal ending, felt a little hurried and blunt.

That aside this was a fun read – if you like darker romance then this would probably work well for you. It’s steamy and the couple had great chemistry, and I’d definitely read more from this author in the future. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Violence, kidnap, references to sex trafficking / forced prostitution, references to human trafficking, references to drugs / drug use, death of a parent, death of a sibling, stalking, organised crime, attempted rape, head injuries, on-page sex, rough sex, spanking, unprotected sex, age gap.

Killian is alone after the death of his family he feels he has no one until Lucian helps him out with a job and a way out of the mob.

Whitney is a free spirit that just so happens to fall for her best friends husband's business partner, Killian.

Killian doesn't want to bring Whitney into the dark side of his life, but he has been wanting her for 3 years. When her life is threatened, and they are forced together, they end up having to face the issues, keeping them apart. Can they get through this and end up happy or will they end up dead?

I absolutely loved Tease Me - it has all the ingredients for a captivating gritty love story with emotional depth. Unfortunately Tempt Me did not deliver on these expectations.

One of the main issues I had with Tempt Me was the emotional immaturity displayed by both Killian and Whitney. Their actions and reactions felt rather juvenile at times. For instance, when Killian expresses concern for Whitney's safety and asks her to "stay put," her need to leave her home for a non-urgent reason overrides any consideration for his worry. This portrayed a sense of childishness that hindered my ability to connect with her. This pattern repeats later on when Whitney has (what feels like) a disproportionate response to Killian's genuine concern for her safety. These instances left me frustrated particularly with Whitney's lack of emotional depth.

The transformation of the brooding, conflicted bad-boy persona of Killian once they decide to pursue a relationship was disconcerting. It seemed as if a switch had been flipped, and his earlier complexity and allure disappeared. Yes - once they are in a relationship he is still "conflicted" - but only as there is dialogue that speaks to this on the surface level . There really is not much about his actions or their interactions that support a believable and natural character progression.

The plotline of Tempt Me felt too convenient. Events and circumstances seemed to fall into place without sufficient depth or explanation. This lack of complexity made the story predictable and boring as the pages went on. I had hoped for a more intricate and thought-provoking narrative that built upon the foundations established in Tease Me, but unfortunately, it fell short.

While there were many areas that I did not like about this book, I still enjoyed it overall and it was well-written. 3.5/5

Tempt Me is dark, gritty, steamy and emotional. Killian is a broken man who’s long denied himself true happiness in the form of Whitney. He’s been pinning away for her for 3 years determined to keep her safe even if that means from him. When Whitney’s estranged father comes back into the picture, Whitney is threatened and Killian does the only thing he can do to keep her safe, he makes her his.

Holy smokes! This is a steamy and gritty story and the chemistry between Whitney and Killian can start forest fires. Whitney sees Killian, truly sees all the layers of him and lets him know he’s worthy of her love. Killian finally snapped his resolve and the floodgates opened and he poured all his pent up love and energy into being the man Whitney deserves- demons and all.

I can’t wait to see where this series is headed as this is only the beginning. If you enjoy a dark or mafia romance definitely add Tempt Me and the upcoming books in this series to your tbr.


Thank you @taradwyatt and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Definitely not a light story. Lot of push and pull between Whitney and Killian. The sex was hot. Story line was good and captivating. When Killian finally gave in seemed a little suspect, but good story nonetheless.

I want more! I could not get enough of Killian and Whitney. There was suspense, danger and the sunshine vs grumpy trope but make it spicy. I could not put this book down and devoured it in a day. I loved their chemistry and she thinks he's not interested which is very common in this day with missed signals. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I realized that there is a reason Tara Wyatt is one of favorite authors. Every book she writes has an incredible cast of characters and the plot is always moving, not too fast and not too slow either. We had already met the couple in its prequel novella and I was interested in following them even more. I love the fact that we meet characters from Tara’s other series and every series feels connected

Fantastic book! Love conquers all! For one to think that he doesn't deserve someone because of how he is, Whitney showed Kilian just how much he does deserve her and love.

Great read, action, romance, all the elements for a great romantic suspense. How a big gruff enforcer finds love among many obstacles.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. ! So im new to this author and didnt know there was a backstory but luckily it was provided … by the time i got out of the backstory i was hooked and dove straight in! I loved it all!! The sex
Was super sexy and the action was spot on to keep me interested! I stayed up late night to finish it then i was disappointed when the story ended… i want more and cannot wait for the next book!

3.75 stars

This book was so good. It had some action. Some steamy scenes. Some of the cutest scenes plus a broken Hero that was amazing 👏 but then the 85% part came, and it ruined my enjoyment for it 😒
Why ruined an almost perfect book with clichés?
Still, this was fun, and I ended up enjoying even with the things i didn't like, so give it a try! 😉

The first book in The Hell’s Kitchen series opens with Killan his back story of how he ended up in New York and what happened to his family in Boston. Working now as an enforcer he is at a club watching Olivia for Lucian here he meets Whitney who is a writer, after the night he takes her home and this begins a three-year back and forth between them. Mainly it is Killan for he thinks he is not worthy enough for her for his darkness will be too much for her. When her father who she does not know shows up he promises her to another mob family and now Killian makes his feelings known and also will protect her. This is a very good book and one that is worth the read.

This was my first book by this author. The story follows Killian, a tortured guy who doesn't believe he deserves happiness, and Whitney, a free-spirited author who avoids emotions. Their long-time crush on each other felt real, and I loved how their souls connected. The pacing was good for the story, and the ending caught my attention in a good way. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Tara Wyatt.

Wow, what a book! I enjoyed reading this. A perfect beachy, easy read for the summer. Full of angst and love. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for my honest review of the book.