Title: Within Temptation (Sons of Temptation #1)
Author: Tanya Holmes
Release Date: May 12, 2014
Category: Romantic Mystery/Romantic Suspense. This is not erotica or romantica. This is a romance centered around a murder mystery.
Heat Factor: 3 out of 5 — The sexual tension is high, and the burn is slow. Sex is character-driven, rather than plot-driven.
=============Synopsis============
Love, betrayal and murder in a small town….
Twelve years after her mother’s murder, Shannon Bradford fears she may have helped convict an innocent man. Even worse, her prominent family may have had something to do with it. Desperate for answers, she seeks help from the one person least likely to give it. Her best friend and childhood crush, Trace Dawson. The man she sent to prison.
Serving hard time for murder has left Trace angry and bitter. As far as he’s concerned, digging into the past won’t replace the years he’s lost or erase the hell he’s lived. Now that he’s free, Shannon Bradford tops his list of bad memories. But he never counted on falling in love.
Set in a sleepy little town during the dead of winter, this award-winning romance novel is a tale of one woman’s quest for truth and a man’s struggle to forgive.
“MEMORIES flooded my mind, of the quiet riot he was, of the secret crush I’d had on him, and the extraordinary friendship we’d shared so many years ago. As fast as those images came, others replaced them. I was thrust back to the crime scene, back to Mother’s corpse and the shirtless eighteen-year-old roaring obscenities while Sheriff Gray and a deputy dragged him away in handcuffs.” — Within Temptation
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***NOOK, iTunes & Smashwords will be available at a later time.
About the Author
Tanya Holmes is a former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist, a recipient of the Maggie Award, the MICA Award, as well as Overall Winner of the Sandy Haddad Award and a two-time finalist and one-time winner of The Emily (Best of the Best). She’s happily married with children and loves reading, writing and a good cup of coffee—but not necessarily in that order. Her debut novel, Within Temptation is due out on May 12, 2014.
Connect with Tanya
Facebook Goodreads Twitter Website Amazon Author Page Trace Dawson on Twitter
My Thoughts
First, I want to thank Tanya Holmes and Between the Sheets Promotions for the chance to read Within Temptation. Thanks to Tanya for writing an awesome book and to the team over at Between the Sheets for getting the word out. If you don’t know the upsetting details surrounding this awesome debut, you can check it out here. Remember piracy sucks!
Now let’s get to the nitty-gritty. The mystery/suspense genre isn’t my typical grab it from the shelf and read. I’m unapologetically impatient by nature. I want all the answers now. Also, I typically horde all things paranormal, so getting me away takes effort. Most of the time. Trace made it easy to slip away from my shifters and vampires and into the world where he calls home.
I loved Trace. He’s rough around the edges, built the way I like them, and has a talent that some wouldn’t find sexy. I say: Pssh…a man that can make love to you on the dance floor can do magic between the sheets. (see what I did there?) Toss in a sucky history and wrap me in a sympathy blanket because his story had me wrapped thoroughly in the feels.
The apparent cause to his misery: Shannon. I will admit, I wasn’t a fan of hers, but it isn’t her fault. I tend to identify with men in reality as well as prefer them in fiction. However, Shannon was an intriguing character because much of the story trying to rewrite a history that centers around death and memories she’d like to say she remembers. I honestly felt sorry for her. On one hand she wants to look into her past to determine if she ruined Trace’s life on the basis of erroneous memories.
Their relationship is understandably tense. I mean, Shannon sent Trace to prison for murder. During that time, Trace’s family had to endure hell on the outside, none of which they deserved. For Trace to be able to look past all the pain and injustice his family had to endure due to the small town mentality makes him a better person than me. I can name more than a few in Temptation that he should have hung by their toenails and many of them share the Bradford name. When they finally get on the same page, Trace and Shannon make magic happen. Remember that Trace knows how to make you a limp noodle of lust on the dance floor, imagine…Yeah, just imagine what he does when things turn horizontal or vertical. Hell, it doesn’t matter, just imagine Trace minus the clothes and things get fun from there.
Overall, Within Temptation was a great read. I enjoyed the ending which (standing ovation) lacks a cliffhanger. I will not tell you how much I hate cliffhangers. Despite Holmes’ lack of a cliffhanger, she still manages to make me intrigued to read the next book in the Sons of Temptation series. I like crazy and I can’t wait to see where Cole takes us.
*Within Temptation Arc was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Rating:
May Blog Tour Giveaway — 3 Grand Prize Winners
Enter Here
Winner 1 (U.S. ONLY)
Signed copy of Within Temptation by Tanya Holmes
Within Temptation rack card
Within Temptation magnet
Within Temptation keychain
Sizzling Pages Reviews (Courtesy of Ang) Winners choice of 1 ebook @ 3.99 or less
Playing For Keeps by Jamie Denton, paperback
The Matchmaker by Jamie Denton, paperback
Flirting With Chaos by Kenya Wright, e-book
Nailed by Amie Stuart e-book
Dreaming Silas by Nina Ceves, e-book
Winner 2 (U.S. ONLY)
Signed copy of Within Temptation by Tanya Holmes
Within Temptation rack card
Within Temptation magnet
Within Temptation keychain
J.A.Dennam, e-book, Winner picks one book in her Captive Series (Truth And Humility, Between Faith And Fear, or Chrystal Mac)
Sizzling Pages Reviews (Courtesy of Ang) Winners choice of 1 ebook @ 3.99 or less
The Matchmaker, by Jamie Denton, paperback
Complicated By You by Kenya Wright e-book
Reason To Breathe, and Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan signed paperbacks, courtesy of Ellen from The Book Bellas
Catch Me by Katherine Grant, e-book
Winner 3 (Open To International Entrants)
Within Temptation by Tanya Holmes e-book
Sick Day by Morgan Parker, ebook,
A Test Of Love by Kenya Wright, ebook
Second Chances by PJ Fiala, ebook
30 Days by K. Larsen, e-book
The Blue Amaryllis bySonia De Leon, e-book,
Perfect Match by Kelly Arlia, e-book,
For Nicky by A.D. Ellis, e-book,
Forever Young by Sherry Sirna, e-book,
Kelsey’s Korner Blog, signed mixed bag of swag
The Within Temptation Blog Tour is brought to you by:
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