Review: Don't Tempt Me ~ Lori Foster

Don't Tempt Me
Lori Foster
Contemporary Romance
Guthrie Brothers/Book 1
Harlequin/July 26, 2016

Love comes along when it's least wanted.

Jason Guthrie has no time for entanglements—between helping out his widowed brother and teenage nephew and getting his hometown back on its feet, his days are spoken for. But his nights are another story… And when his lovely new neighbor, Honor Brown, reluctantly accepts his help in remodeling her house, Jason finds himself wishing his handyman skills could knock down the defenses she keeps building around herself.

Martial arts teacher Sullivan Dean knows real danger when he sees it—even when it takes the form of the gorgeous blonde helping her friend move in across the street. After putting his wayward past behind him to focus on teaching control to troubled kids, Sullivan has learned to avoid party girls like Lexie Perkins. But Sullivan can't seem to keep his hands off the real woman behind that flirty charm—or keep his heart from landing at her feet…

Honor Brown takes particular pleasure in making her new home all her own. She doesn't shy away from the hard work and what she doesn't know, she tries to learn. Honor is a likable heroine, if a bit closed off. She only has one close friend so when she moves into her new house, she is a little shy around her new neighbors. It seems as though Honor is the lone female on the street of ruggedly handsome bachelors. But it's Jason Guthrie who catches Honor's attention.

Jason lives next to Honor and is quick to offer to help her move in. Along with Jason is his brother Hogan and Hogan's son Colt. The three of them swiftly welcome Honor to the neighborhood. All three Guthrie males are not only easy on the eyes but genuine nice guys. I liked how Jason was protective of Honor but understands her need to improve her house by herself. Jason is a custom builder and can fix just about anything so he proves to be the perfect teacher for Honor.

There is a secondary romance of Honor's best friends Lexie and Sullivan Dean, one of those handsome bachelors. Lexie is a whirlwind who speaks her mind without apologizing. She is Honor's opposite but they are as close as sister. It turns out there is more to Lexie than meets the eye. Seeing Sullivan find out that she's more than just a party girl was a pleasure to watch. I liked how their romance unfolded and hope we see them again in the next book.

Honor and Jason try to spend time together but Honor has secrets and she's not ready to share. When Honor's secrets are revealed they bring her and Jason closer and his protectiveness is in full force. If I had any problems with the story it was the slow pacing of Honor and Jason's romance. There were points when it felt like the plot was lagging.

The sense of not only family but community is strong throughout the story. Between Honor's love for her grandfather and Lexie and Jason's support of his brother and nephew, family is shown to be the strength that gets us through the rough patches.

Don't Tempt Me is a tender romance with some lighter moments as well as a couple of somber ones. I look forward to reading Hogan's story and see how he and his son find their own happiness.

Rating: B