Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted

Four and a half stars

Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted is the first in Karen Booth’s Sterling Wives trilogy, each about one of the women who were married at some point to businessman Johnathon Sterling. When he unexpectedly dies, the three women jointly become majority shareholders in his company, and rather than simply sell their stake, the three determine to use the opportunity to make life changes and seize the day, so to speak.

Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted is about Tara Sterling, who was married, then divorced from Johnathon years ago. While she’s now in real estate, the inheritance gives her the opportunity to step back into Sterling Enterprises, where she’d always longed to have more of a role. Current CEO and long-time friend Grant Singleton is reluctant not because he doesn’t believe Tara capable, but because he’s long carried a torch for Tara, but has never acted on it, respecting his friend Johnathon’s wishes.

Karen Booth’s story is a second-chance story not only for Grant and Tara, but one of sorts for the Sterling wives. Ms Booth lets us be party to their growing friendship, as unusual as their connection may be. And Grant and Tara’s simmering attraction is all too delicious as well, once they allow it out in the open.

Ms Booth’s story is emotional and passionate, and leaves me eager for the rest of the series.

I enjoyed this Friends to Lovers romance that is set in real estate/ development business landscape. With twist of past ex-wives of Grant’s best friend who passes away and leaves his part of the company to his wife and ex-wives. It was such a fun story line to see what happens and if Tara and Grant get that HEA. It had business parts, set up for the next story, fun times, quick read, steam, and that HEA.

Overall, 3.5 stars and 3 steam

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I liked reading this story of an older woman whose ex has passed on leaving her a portion of his company. It was a well crafted story with insight to the ex and the man set to take his place. The romance was believable especially given insight to his past and present feelings. I enjoyed reading this book.

I requested a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Johnathan had 3 marriages with his last only lasting not quiet a year when he passes away due to a freak accident leaving one current wife Miranda and to ex wives Tara and Astrid. For reasons unknown to anyone but Johnathan leaves each of the ladies 17% of his business now they must work out if they want to keep their shares or sell them and Tara sees this as her chance to finally show what she can do. Tara and Grants relationships is a bit of a complex one with plenty of history, a bit of conflict as well as an insane attraction that hasn’t really ever been acted on before so between that, they tentative truce between wives and Tara’s need to show everyone she is an asset to Johnathan and Grants business has you turning the page needing to know how it is all going to work out and leaves you needing to read the next book as soon as you finish!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Some Spoilers –

This is book 1 of the Sterling wives and the story of first wive Tara, who help Johnathon build the company and he leaves each of his 3 wives 17% of the company and the remainder of his estate to present wife Miranda. Johnathon Sterling was a player and he loved playing with people’s lives, he swooped in and stole Tara when Grant was away on business, just because he was competitive with Grant, when he got bored he got rid of Tara and replaced her with Astrid, after kicking her out of the company she help build and after 3 years of marriage. He clearly only cared about himself.

I was excited to read that Grant and Tara started finding their way past the friendship only relationship they had, again due to lies Johnathon told to them, seems like he wanted to prevent them to find happiness together. The author did an amazing job highlighting and describing the emotions, interactions and feelings between Grant and Tara and their growing attraction to each other. The supporting characters and relationships between them were realistic and well done. I enjoyed this book can’t wait to read more by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This storyline had so much intrigue. Writing and developing the relationship between the three wives was well executed. Each wife brought a different relationship experience to the story. The author provides a slow- building love story, with likable and endearing characters. Great afternoon read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Sterling Wives series starts off with sizzle and temptation!
You are quickly pulled in to the story, and won’t want to stop reading to see what little intrigue can happen next. Tara receives a call from her ex-husband’s business partner, Grant that her ex was in a serious accident; that sets the stage for the series. The three wives receive equal shares in the company that was unbeknownst to each of them and Grant who is now acting CEO. Grant offers a solution to the wives, but Tara leads the wives with an alternate solution. Grant is aggravated to no ends, because Tara has been the one since before she married her ex. What can go wrong with a simple outing to party, Tara pitching the city project that Grant refused to work on and ends with a sizzling night? Come morning, comes reality and theirs crashes into them ten fold, so they bury their feelings and get back to work. When Tara has a crisis on her city project, Grant comes to the rescue in more ways then one. Will Grant truly support Tara’s project? Will Tara finally let happiness in? You have to read to find out and will love the ending!

In this story Tara is the first of many wives of the dearly departed Jonathan. He leaves all of his ex-wives and his current wife an interest in the company and the current wife gets the rest of his estate. But in this case it is his business partner Grant, who had originally been interested in Tara who gets to try again to build something with her that goes beyond business. They are a good fit for the business, will they also realize that they are a good fit for each other? Strong start to this series that is a series of tales of three wives.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is book # 1 in the “Sterling Wives” series. I really enjoyed it and I’m a big fan of Karen Booth, can’t wait for Astrid and Miranda’s stories. Pick up your copy today you will not be disappointed.

Tara is the first of three wives, Astrid wife 2 and Miranda wife 3 of ex-husband Johnathon who suddenly dies after being hit in the head by a golf ball. Johnathan leaves all three of wives 17% of his company and leaves everything else to his present wife Miranda. I would’ve thought he would’ve left a bigger percent to his 1st wife Tara since she once worked with and he all but pressured her to pursue the field of real estate to get her out of the company of she made a killing in real estate. I also thought that his best friend CEO and work partner Grant would’ve had a bigger percentage of the company.

Grant cared a lot for Tara and would’ve dated her but something came up that took him out town and when he returned Johnathan had moved right in and that was the end of Grant and Tara. As in any relationship ex-girlfriends and wives are off limits but in Grant and Tara case since Johnathan had moved on to wife number 2 he should’ve given his permission. I don’t know what Johnathan was thinking did he perhaps want the ex-wives to fight among themselves over the company.

Tara wants to work with the company that she is very familiar with and she wants to be co-CEO with Grant, even though Astrid wife #2 who is a model knows nothing about the business and was not even aware that Johnathan had remarried wants to work in the company, wife #3 Miranda doesn’t want to work for the company and is agreement with whatever Tara decides.

Grant and Tara would make for an awesome power couple, not sure what Astrid is up to be she seems to be working well in assisting Tara. Miranda seems to be in a world all alone. Can’t wait to see what the author has in store for Astrid and Miranda.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted is the first book in the Sterling Wives Trilogy.

The romance in this book was intriguing and the book is well written and easy to read.

The story revolves around the late Jonathan Sterling leaving his company in the hands of his current wife and his two ex-wives. These three women are connected through Jonathan and have to come together to run his company.

This book is about Tara, one of Jonathan’s ex-wives, and CEO of the company Grant Singleton. There is heat and tension between both as both try to gain control of the company.

I am looking forward to the other two books in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.