Temptation by K.M. Golland Review

 Hi ForeverBookers, 

How are you all? I hope you’re well!

I’ve just finished “Temptation” by K.M. Golland, which was a reread from 10 plus years ago! I absolutely LOVED it again! 

“Temptation” is a romance novel where Alexis, a married mother of two falls for her boss, Bryce. At the beginning of “Temptation” we see Alexis go for a job interview at Clarke Enterprises, where Bryce Clarke works. He owns the complex. It’s obvious from day one of meeting Alexis that he’s fallen in love with her. Now it’s his job to prove just how much he loves her. Can he? Or does Alexis’s husband, Rick get in the way? I’ll let you read for yourself! 

I read “Temptation” for two readathons. They were: 

RR - Forward - this book is very forward facing in terms of the attraction between our main characters. There’s no hiding the lust they feel for each other. I LOVE these sorts of books though! 

Always Fully Booked Reading Challenge - Book set in Australia - we see mentions of the Sydney Opera House as well as other famous Aussie landmarks in Temptation. I’m glad I waited until summer to read this as I like reading about hot countries when it’s hot outside for myself too.

Spoilers Below…

“My hand still tingled as I gripped the basin and stared at my flushed reflection In the bathroom mirror. “Holy shit! Crap! Fucking balls!” I blinked all the blinks and shook my head. “There is absolutely nothing going on here,” I declared, glaring at myself. “Nothing.” Ha! Keep telling yourself that, Alexis. You’re thirty-five and have a pretty good idea when someone is coming on to you.

Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and exhaled. “He’s not. Don’t be ridiculous. He’s just a charmer.” Of course he is. Just look at him. He’d have women falling at his feet on a daily basis. No wonder he likes to flirt. 

I patted my cheeks with some cool water, fixed my hair, then assessed my reflection one last time. “You can do this. It’s just a little harmless chemistry. Nothing more.” 

This is at the beginning when Alexis has just met Bryce. She feels instant attraction towards him. Now, I love instalove in books! I believe it CAN happen like that! The whole book carries on like this. Alexis and Bryce don’t consummate their love until the end but the attraction is there from the start. It just intensifies as the book goes on! I actually found lots of the interactions between Alexis and Bryce really heartfelt and cute. You can tell from the very beginning who is endgame. 

Alexis is married before she meets Bryce. As a 36 year old woman, she’s not single. Her husband Rick is horrible to her, though. Not in an abusive kind of way. He just doesn’t care about her in the way she deserves. They have two children, Nate and Charli too. How does Alexis work through this? How does she navigate her feelings towards both Rick and Bryce? I’ll let you read for yourself but I think it’s obvious who the hero of the story is! 

“I think I’m in love with him.”

Tash nodded. “Are you sure?”

I nodded.

“What about Rick?” she asked, lying her hand on my arm.

I wiped a tear that had fallen onto my cheek. “Is it possible to love two people? Because that’s what it sort of feels like.”

Lil butted her cigarette. “Have you slept with him?”

“No! I haven’t, and I won’t, not behind Rick’s back.”

“But you want to?”

I blushed. “God yes!”

“I do too,” Tash nodded, and we laughed.” On a girls day, with her friends Alexis opens up to her best friend, Tash about her love triangle feelings towards both Rick and Bryce. She clearly wants to have a one night stand with Bryce but isn’t willing to wreck her marriage. That is until she learns a painful truth a little later in the book. I won’t spoil it, but it allows the plot to move forward! This happens towards the end of the story so it’s not like Alexis doesn’t try with Rick. She does, but the pull is too much with Bryce. Or is it? 

There is a threat towards Alexis and Bryce as there always is in these sorts of books, other than Rick, in the form of Gareth. Gareth is the cousin of Bryce and holds half of his company. We don’t see too much of Gareth but he’s nasty to Alexis whenever he does pop up and Bryce feels the desperate need to protect her, especially when she Gareth sexually taunts her. 

“Feisty. I can see why he likes you.” A lavacious glint lit up his dark eyes. “So tell me… are you feisty between the sheets too?” 

It’s not revealed in Temptation just what Gareth’s main objective is in taunting Alexis and Bryce and I can’t remember from before when I read the first three books so I’m excited to see what threat he poses! All I can remember is that he’s the villainous character. He also starts dating one of Alexis’s colleagues from the hotel. Why? What’s his real purpose? I’ll let you read for yourself. 

Overall, then I BLOODY LOVED rereading Temptation. It was a quick and easy read, which was great! I can’t wait to go onto Satisfaction, book 2 sometime in the not so distant future.