Tempting Tristan: Tristan Brewer (Harborside Nights #3) by Melissa Foster #Review #ex-Military

Melissa reviews Tempting Tristan: Tristan Brewer (Harborside Nights #3) by Melissa Foster Published October 19th 2016 by World Literary Press, 300 pages.

Tempting Tristan is a stand-alone M/M romance featuring two sexy, lovable alpha heroes.

TRISTAN AND ALEX

Fresh off the heels of yet another bad relationship, Tristan Brewer is taking a break from men to try to figure out where he keeps going wrong. He knows his biggest fault—he leads with his heart, not his head—and that’s never going to change. But after several introspective weeks, he’s beginning to get a handle on things. That is, until badass heartthrob Alex Wells walks into his bar…

Alex has spent eight years in the army, months in a hospital bed, and far too long hiding his sexual identity. He’s guilt-ridden, damaged, pissed off, and up for a Silver Star for the incident that nearly cost him his life—and kept him from his grandmother’s funeral. But all he wants to do is live the life he’s always dreamed of and forget his stint with the institution that allows but doesn’t necessarily accept.

The chemistry between Tristan and Alex ignites from the moment they meet, and the more time they spend together, the hotter the flames burn. But the closer they become, the more Alex’s walls go up, and when the two walk onto a military base, Tristan finds out Alex’s physical scars aren’t the ones that run the deepest.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Why I read this book: The blurb really drew me in and it said it could be read as a standalone. And the cover is so yummy!!

This was a hard book for me to get thru. Not because it was badly written or too angsty. Nope, just the opposite. It was too sappy sweet. I love a good light hearted romance as much as the next person, but this one had the cake the ice cream and the whole truck on top of it! Wow. I will admit to skimming because I just couldn’t take another look, glance, smile, smirk, hearts on fire, doves circling moment or I would scream!

This is my first book in the series and in my opinion can be read as a stand alone (as blurb states). I didn’t feel lost with other characters coming onboard. Now, I will admit that if I had more of Tristan’s back story I may have been rooting for him more than I was. His past relationships seemed to have been real jerks and selfish to boot.

As for Alex, he has some trauma (emotional, physical, psychological) that he needs to overcome. His leg is damaged and scarred from wounds received in the military saving other men. It’s a hard fact of war and he came home alive, but not ready to face it. His hang ups about allowing Tristan to see his leg, not allowing him to tell his friends or family about his leg or about being given a military award for valor, I thought strange. I get being self conscious about his leg, but seriously, with how they feel about each other (and they talked about it A LOT!) there is no reason for Alex to be worried. I just had trouble believing all of Alex’s hang-ups.

For all their sappy moments, I did like Alex and Tristan together. They were cute, over the top most of the time but a nice couple. What I am sure you are anxious to hear about is if the sex was good. It was better than good. The sex was as steamy hot and gawd almighty Wow, as they were sappy sweet. Trust me, my comparison makes sense. 😉

I’m sure if you are a fan of this series you will be a fan of Tristan and Alex’s story. If you’ve not read the series, and therefore not invested in the characters, I would say read this one when you are in the mood for something to put you into a sugar coma.

Where to buy: Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine. Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family. Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.
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