I liked the story of this book but I didn't feel drawn to it, I didn't feel the "I can't put it down" feeling. It could have been that I need to move on from the boss/employee love affairs, but the writing this not have the pull I was hoping for.

Holy, smokes! Tempt My Heart released Friday, and it lived up to all of the hype! Christopher and Ali are pure chemistry the dress shop scene… Need, I say more? Amazing story and writing all around.

Thank you, NetGalley for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review

Oh, this book!

First, I didn't know it was part of a series, so I read it as a stand-alone (BUT IT WORKED).
Second, I was hooked from the beginning and devoured this book in 2 days.
Third, THE SPICE! I did not expect the spice in this book, it was amazing! (Sometimes spice can be too cringy or TOO detailed but this was perfect)

I love the characters and the plot. The book is very well written. The only thing I hated was the 3rd person's POV, I feel like it disconnects a little BUT I really enjoyed this book.

"Forbidden Desires" is a captivating contemporary romance novel that explores the complexities of forbidden attraction and the power struggle between love and professional boundaries. With its enticing storyline and well-drawn characters, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Ali, a determined and ambitious woman, finds herself constantly challenged by her irresistible boss, Christopher. Their forbidden attraction creates a tension that Ali struggles to resist, knowing that crossing that line could jeopardize her career and the trust of her closest friend. When Ali's paparazzo ex threatens her with a malicious ultimatum, she is forced to navigate a dangerous path, making deals that blur the lines between personal and professional.

Church skillfully builds the tension and chemistry between Ali and Christopher, making their internal struggle palpable. The push-and-pull dynamics of their relationship create moments of intense emotion and anticipation throughout the story. Readers will find themselves rooting for Ali as she wrestles with her desires and the consequences of her choices.

The plot unfolds at a steady pace, keeping readers engaged with a mix of suspense, romance, and unexpected twists. As the deadline approaches, the stakes rise, heightening the tension and adding to the emotional rollercoaster that Ali finds herself on. The author's ability to balance the romantic elements with a gripping plot is commendable, drawing readers deeper into the story.

While "Forbidden Desires" successfully explores the themes of love, loyalty, and moral dilemmas, there were moments where the portrayal of certain characters felt slightly one-dimensional. Additionally, some aspects of the plot could have been further developed to enhance the overall depth of the story. However, these minor shortcomings do not overshadow the overall enjoyment of the book.

In conclusion, "Forbidden Desires" by Jade Church is an engaging romance novel that delves into the complexities of forbidden love and the sacrifices one must make. With its well-developed characters, palpable chemistry, and a gripping plot, this book is an enjoyable read for fans of passionate and forbidden romances. While it may have a few minor drawbacks, it remains a compelling story that will leave readers yearning for more.

Fake dating the billionaire boss, trying to catch her stalking blackmailing ex boyfriend is the format for this book. It felt rushed in places and would have been better if the writer had slowed things down, put in more of the blackmailing and suspense details. I also didn’t think the spicy scenes were so necessary to the story. Overall a quick read (especially as I skipped the sexy scenes) but not for me.

Ali finds herself contemplating resignation, when her paparazzo ex-boyfriend, Jared threatens to leak personal information on her, if she doesn’t provide photos from the most exclusive wedding of the year. Her reason for resigning is to avoid having to confront her boss, Christopher who is best friends with the groom. Ali has loved working with Christopher, who she is also attracted to.
The storyline was fast paced with plenty of dramas along the way. The chemistry between Christopher and Ali is intense, and made more so as Jared, finds ways to force Ali to act on his plan. Jared is definitely unlikeable, making Christopher easily the hero. An entertaining read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, the main reason it’s a 4 star and not a 5 for me is that it’s told in 3rd person and is only single POV. I love the characters and the lengths that Christopher would go for Alison. I loved the cameos from Rose and David and seeing Alison’s friend group! I can’t wait to read more Jade Church!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know this book has a prequel but it's okay I managed to understand the book as it is without reading the first book. So basically Tempt My Heart is about Ali, who works as a secretary for Christopher, her boss. And she got blackmailed by her ex-bf to seduce & use him so she could get a leak to an exclusive wedding of Christopher's bestfriend (David Blake and his partner, Rose). So imagine the confusion and devastation Ali faced cause she couldn't betray her boss which also has been a good friend of hers (which she also crushing hard) but she also didn't want to get blackmailed by Jared (ex bf). Hence the story went from there...

I must say I was surprised after reading this book, cause I was expecting to enjoy it but I just couldn't. Personally Jared irked me so much. I couldn't understand how someone with huge influence couldn't get himself an inside-scoop to the private wedding of David and Rose. He had to use Ali which took a lot of time spent to actually get her to do it. He could just hired a professional or something on the wedding day and boom got himself what he wants. Why bother using Ali when he could get a shortcut?

Other than that, I personally didn't buy the chemistry between Christopher and Ali. When the 'scenes' came, I cringed bcz I couldn't see the connection. Maybe it was because of the sudden attraction or it felt like an insta love to me. I need more convincing in regards of their chemistry.

But I like the writing of this author. It was pretty easy to understand and read. I actually hate writings that are hard to understand or use too much difficult words, but this book was great. It didn't confuse me or anything.

Overall, this book didn't left an impression on me, but I think other people who have different taste than me might enjoy it.

Tempt My Heart was an easy read and fast paced! It didn’t feel like the plot was dragging out and the amount of spice oh my!

"Are you sure? What if I suffocate you?" she said, hesitantly spreading her legs wider as he gazed up, hungrily.
"Then I'll die a happy man."

-Fake dating the boss
-Workplace romance
-Protective MMC (loved Christopher!)

Thank you, NetGalley and Jade Church for the ARC in exchange for providing an honest review.

I have to be honest, I haven’t read the first book in the series, but after reading this, I definitely will. I was totally hooked from the first page. The tension kept me on edge throughout the whole book. I loved how Ali and Christopher’s relationship was built and how their love unfolded. I definitely recommend this book to those who love romance books with a bit of thrill in them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

Tempt My Heart is a quick, spicy read. It is the second book in the "Living in Cincy" series, the first book is In Too Deep. Can be read as a standalone, but if you would like more background on the other characters, I would recommend reading the first book as well.
The fake dating/workplace trope was fun and entertaining, although the romance between the characters built too quickly and lacked chemistry (in my opinion). It was difficult to connect to the FMC in third person, that might have been why I struggled to get through it. Overall, it was an okay read for me.

*3.5

This book has a good premise but it got lost a little in the execution. I think it would be greatly improved if it was dual pov. Having Christians pov would slow it down a little bit and have it make a bit more sense. The two of them were cute but I wanted to see more scenes of just the two of them.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Book Review 📚

Tempt My Heart by Jade Church 4/5 ⭐

We're starting off strong - Alison has got the hots for someone who is COMPLETELY off limits, but is that stopping her? No, it absolutely is not. This is making her life as his PA very complicated. But just to make her life a bit more stressful, her ex-boyfriend is now blackmailing her! Poor woman, can't catch a break.

The story itself was very fast paced with a tonne of romance AND suspense. Throw in some flirting, some drama and some heartwarming moments - you've got a good book on your hands. It was impossible to put the book down just wanting to know what was gonna happen and wanting to skip pages to get there (don't worry I didn't do that). And to top it all off there was some extremely SPICY scenes! I live for this kind of book and I'm happy to say, I was not let down!

Characters - I'm happy to say Church definitely brought the characters to life with her writing style, that I couldn't fault a single thing about them. Alison (aka Ali) was likable from the beginning and there wasn't anything I would change. Christopher, he was a shocker, I lead to believe to acts a certain way and then BOOM change of character! But loved his dual personality, it definitely made him better in my books.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

This was a super easy, fast-paced read that is perfect for a weekend staycation! While this book is technically the second in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I have not read the first book in the series (yet), and I never felt lost or like I was missing information. I think it’s really cool that the author self-published this book, and I love that the she gives a content warning at the beginning. While this book isn’t a full-on Dark Romance, there are certainly some darker elements that some readers may choose to stay away from. If you like your books short and spicy with a touch of danger, this one’s for you!

I would like to thank NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Jade Church for a copy of this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to start by saying that I HATE 3rd person POV………..normally.

This book was good so fast. There were aspects of it that I didn’t like, the revenge porn threat but it added to the edge of my seat. I wish it would have been longer to go more into Allison’s and Christopher’s friendship but I truly did enjoy their dynamic.

I love love love workplace drama so I really enjoyed this book. The chemistry from the beginning was nice but I wish it would have given me more.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book!

Review posted on Instagram:

Alison’s paparazzi ex boyfriend threatens to release a sex tape of them if she doesn’t secure an invite to the celebrity wedding of the year and leak info. Her boss, Christopher, is attending, but getting in as his plus one is going to take a bit of work.

A fast paced romance novel with an enjoyable plot, Tempt My Heart was an easy read to continue my current romance kick.

Coming in at just under 200 pages however, I feel like it could have benefited from being longer — odd for me, normally I’m saying that a romance novel is too long (looking at all you 500+ page beasts currently sitting on my TBR)

Everything happened so quickly, and it could have done with more build up. For example, Alison and Christopher were supposedly really good friends, so I would have liked a little more time seeing that.

Also it’s a very small thing but brain kept tripping over CYPD to refer to the Cincinnati Police Department… I’m fairly sure it would just be CPD… maybe CIPD at a push, but there’s no Y in Cincinnati. I appreciate that this is an interconnected standalone and I haven’t read the other, so it could be an in joke that I’m missing, but it was a little distracting.

Overall though, I did enjoy the story, and it was a take on the PA/Boss dynamic that I’ve personally not come across before. And, it would also be a great choice if you’re in a reading slump that you’re sure could be cured by something quick and spicy, or even need to add some shorter novels to your TBR to hit that reading goal.

Trigger Warnings: revenge p*rn, stalking, arson

I’ve been on a romance kick here lately, and this book scratched my itch!

Christopher is a babe. I really enjoyed getting see both Ali and Christopher disregard the fact that he’s her boss to stroke the flames that have always ignited between them. I did like the aspect of danger that was thrown in because it really displayed Christopher’s character and how he really feels about Ali.

It was difficult for me to immerse myself in this book in the beginning, but I’m glad I powered through because I ended up loving it.

I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and Jade Church for giving me to opportunity to read and review this book!

Tempt My Heart jumped straight into the plot with so many tropes we know and love in romance books. We have fake dating, manipulative ex, touch her and die, guy fell first!

Ali and Christopher have serious chemistry from the first time they’re on page together.

Christopher is her boss. That means he’s way off limits, right? She thought so until her ex’s threats to expose a video of her unless she meets his demands throws them together in a race against time to protect herself and those she loves while trying to take him down.

True friendship, passion and love come together an a juicy mix with this story and I couldn’t get enough!

The chemistry and spice added something extra special to this already fab story.

💻 Boss/Assistant
🦋 Curvy fmc
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 Wedding (not between the mc)
❤️ ‘It’s always been you’
⚡️ Blackmailed

TW : blackmailed, mention of abuse…

When Ali’s ex-boyfriend starts to blackmail her with a sexe tape he filmed without her knowing, she doesn’t have a clue what she could do. He’s asking her something impossible : seducing her boss in order to get an invitation at a celebrity wedding. Her ex doesn’t know that she has been having a huge crush on her boss and that He couldn’t possibly want her back… Does he ?

This book has most of everything to make a great romance : two great characters, an obvious attraction, office romance, awesome group of friends, a wedding setting, a lot of drama…. And still, with all that, I didn’t think it was that good. I don’t like to criticize a book too much, but I can’t really help myself with this one. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t like it either…

Beware of spoilers : (and not too nice things unfortunately)

I didn’t like the blackmailed/linked sextape drama. At the beginning it’s supposed to be a secret, but everyone ends up knowing ? And nobody can stop it ? I am not specialized at all in that sort of thing, but usually when this situation happens, you actually keep it to yourself because you’re afraid. You don’t go telling everybody. (and let’s not talk about all the rich friends Ali has, but none of them are capable of doing anything with the police)

I also didn’t really like Christopher and Ali’s relationship… I didn’t feel any chemistry between them, and I swear, I’m a romantic, I’m usually seeing chemistry EVERYWHERE. I think I would have like Ali to really seduce him (secretly), him slowly falling in love with her while she’s lying to him, and then the big drama/revelation happening !

Twisted Hate had a similar synopsys I think, but the blackmailed sex tape was so much better and also created so much more drama !

Again, I’m really sorry about this review. I don’t like to leave bad reviews about books but I’m trying to be honest, and it was really cringey for me….

I ended up really enjoying this story! It had a thrill to it and a nice, steamy build up. I really liked the chemistry between the characters and the end was a satisfying resolution.