He’s my best friend’s older brother, off limits and incredibly tempting.I shouldn’t peek into Brendon’s sketchbook, even if the tattoo artist is as brooding and stoic as the day is long. I can’t help myself. I peel it open, run my fingers along the paper, soak up every ounce of him.His drawings are as beautiful and bold as his dark eyes and his cocky smile. Only, there, on the third page–that’s … the third page–that’s no tattoo mockup. That’s me.
Naked.
Ready.
Waiting in his bed.
There’s no denying it–those are my blue glasses, my green eyes, my flushed cheeks.
Brendon wants me.
The smoking hot, ten thousand miles out of my league bad boy wants me– a good girl vrgin with thick glasses and no game.
It’s perfect.
Only it’s not.
He’s my best friend’s older brother. He’s off limits.
But damn is he tempting.
A complete standalone
More books about the men of Inked Hearts available now.
Hooking Up
Pretend You’re Mine
Hating You, Loving You
Breaking the Rules
more coming soon*
From the author: Tempting is a smoking hot brother’s best friends romance with the perfect mix of heat, humor, and emotion. Come find out why readers say “no one writes broken bad boys like Crystal Kaswell.”
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This book is just not interesting.
The dialogue is incredibly repetitive and it reads like an insecure 14 year olds idea of love and life. It’s 400 pages of insecurities and cringy dialogue. At around the 40% mark, I just started skimming because I couldn’t stand to read yet another page of the hero’s pathetic internal dialogue about how he was worthless and the heroine deserved better than him, while the heroines internal dialogue was much of the same. This book was simply uninteresting and there just doesn’t seem to be a point to it.
Brendon & Kaylee’s Moving Story Is Tender And Patient. Broody With A Dose Of Kink, Brendon Falls For His Little Sister’s Best Friend, Whose Secret Crush Isn’t So Secret. Don’t Forget To Download The Bonus Epilogue! Sign Up For The Mailing List Then Scroll Down To The Bottom Of The Email For The Link.
Inked Hearts is a tattoo parlor in Southern California. Brendon, Ryan, Walker and Dean are like family. They are tattoo artists and the heart and soul of the shop, along with Leighton who runs the front desk. Manning, who has been an absentee owner for the past few years, has left its management to Brendon and Ryan, who somehow manage to get things done despite their lack of coordination. Together they all serve a variety of clients – to include some rather well-known celebrity types.
Fans of the Dangerous Noise series will be thrilled that there is a little crossover here! Joel Young, drummer of Dangerous Noise, makes an appearance. His story with Bella Chase is found in Dangerous Rock, book three of the series.
Kaylee Hart, now eighteen, is looking forward to beginning at UCLA in the fall. Smart and sweet with a sense of humor, she has always been a straight A student. Her best friend Emma got an early start over the summer, choosing to both work and go to college part-time. Em is interested in studying business; Kaylee, however, is uncertain about what she wants to do with her life. She loves reading and writing, but isn’t sure how to translate those into a career. Last year, when so many high school seniors were thinking about what they want to do – about their college major and future career – Kaylee was focused entirely on just staying healthy. While she had always channeled her insecurities into her achievements, things had taken a turn. Getting past the dark thoughts had taken some work. She is finally in a relatively good place, but she will always be broken. It is her secret and her shame.
Brendon Kane, twenty-six, has always been a brooding bad boy. He fell in love with ink when he got his first tattoo, and his love of art led him to a career he loves. He had been young and angry when he started his apprenticeship. A punk. He wasn’t exactly into drugs, but he also didn’t choose the best crowds to hang out with. His choices caused a lot of conflict with his mother, who thought he was a bad influence on his sister and asked him to leave. The rejection had hurt, and he never wanted to turn his back on his sister. But today Brendon is tired of playing Dad. Being the guardian of his little sister has altered the nature of their relationship. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t change things if he could. When their parents died in an accident, he and Em were fortunate enough to inherit the family beach house in Venice beach as well as some life insurance – enough to give them each a good start in life. It is ironic that Brendon now finds himself responsible for his eighteen year old punk-loving sister, full of spunk and rebellion. He finds himself questioning who he is anymore. Though he may still rock the brooding bad boy vibe, he might also have become a bit square.
When Kaylee’s parents suddenly leave their Santa Monica apartment behind to move cross country and be with her ailing grandmother in New Jersey, Kaylee’s life is upended. Her parents announce that the Kanes have agreed to allow her to live with them so she can remain in the area and attend college as planned. Kaylee is torn by her love for her grandmother and honoring her grandmother’s wishes that she not neglect school, not to mention the fact that she wasn’t even given a choice in the matter. But she had spent so much of her time in Em’s home since moving to California ten years ago that it already felt home to her, so her adjustment wouldn’t be too difficult.
Living with Em’s brother Brendon, however, would certainly be a challenge. Kaylee had crushed on him since she first saw him all those years ago. Though he had a long history of dating, and she had some dates of her own, now that she has turned eighteen she felt for the first time that he perhaps saw her as a woman. But even if he did begin to return her feelings, he didn’t know who she really was. He only saw what she let him see. As much as she wanted him, it would never work. When Brendon agrees to take in Kay, he knows he is in trouble. For months he has struggled to forget the way he suddenly began to feel around her. She is too young, and he would never come between Em and her best friend. And most importantly, Kaylee is everything innocent and sweet. She deserves someone good, and that is definitely not him. He is determined to do the right thing.
Brendon and Kaylee’s story is a real journey. Kaylee has a skeleton in her closet. Depression. She faces it bravely, but owns the struggle. Her story is very real, and her efforts may indirectly give hope to those struggling themselves with the disease. While she and Brendon have felt their connection changing in the last number of months, the move sets their love story into fast forward. Under the same roof, they are forced to face their feelings for one another. With living together, the age gap, and best friend situation, their relationship is complex. But even if they can overcome those challenges, both Brendon and Kaylee have issues of self esteem that will sabotage their happiness if not addressed. They must learn to trust one another. They must open up and become vulnerable. Their story is deep. Brendon may still be a bad boy in the end, but he is so much more. The couple eventually earns a happy for now ending. Don’t forget to download the bonus epilogue! Sign up for the mailing list then scroll down to the bottom of the email for the link.
Brendon and Kaylee’s moving story is tender and patient. Broody with a dose of kink, Brendon falls for his little sister’s best friend, whose secret crush isn’t so secret. The story is wonderfully written. The characters are real and raw. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Brendon and Kaylee. I rate this book five stars.
I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book, I’m nearly crying. I don’t know how Crystal Kaswell is able to do this to me, but I thank whatever forces brought me to that first Sinful Serenade book I read that made me fall in love with her writing. There have been a few that have struck a chord with me, but none as much as the tough subject matter of Tempting. The way that Crystal described how Kaylee feels was almost identical to what I have felt every day since I was 7. It never goes away. You fight a new battle every day. Some days it’s easy and others you struggle. Thank you, Crystal. Just thank you. If you can’t tell, I highly recommend this and every other book by Crystal Kaswell. Happy reading!
Rating 5 stars
This story was a bit on the long side, but didn’t drag in my opinion. There was a lot of emotional crap for both Brendan and Kaylee to deal with. Overall a good story. It flows pretty well, giving both sides.
A relationship between Brendon and Kaylee may have slightly been frowned upon. Although, it seemed inevitable pretty early on. Basically everyone knew about their feelings for each other. It was all the stuff in the middle that they needed to get through, and if either one actually had the nerve to do something about it. I liked the friendship they all had.
I have always wondered why it is so difficult for some people to accept a relationships between their sister or brother and their best friend. In most cases it is not the relationship that cause a problem but the fact that they needed to hide it because they fear that them being together wont be accepted. The heart wants what the heart wants and there is no point in fighting it, especially if you are both single. Brandon and Kaylee are so good for each other and the chemistry between them is off the chart. I love the story and I enjoy the other characters. I love the way the boys tease each other, they have a good friendship. The friendship between Kaylee and Emma is also beautiful and it didn’t take them long to work out there differences.a beautiful story. I absolutely enjoyed reading it.
I absolutely LOVE Kaylee and Brendon. Kaylee keeps a lot of things inside her, feeling broken, hurt, and an internal pain she hides. Brendon has the perfect brooding thing about him, his own issues. The way that they click, they are intense, the emotions grab and pull and twist. Their story flows, it is also smoking hot! It is a great story and an amazing start to what I hope is a new series about the guys at Inked Hearts!
Awesome honestly I may be twelve but i covered all types of books I highly recommend this book!
I loved this book. There is so much passion and things happening in this book and I can’t just describe it all it just so wonderful.
Brilliant
Really liked this book! Fun and sexy read!
Tempting is the first in the Inked Hearts series, but can be read as a standalone or part of the series. Brendon is Kaylee’s best friend’s brother, older by a few years and sizzling hot. Kaylee is Brendon’s little sister’s best friend, so completely off limits. For a long time, the two of them have denied their feelings about each other, but that all changes one night. Kaylee sees Brendon’s sketchpad that he uses to plan his tattoos and sees pictures of herself, naked, tied up and very much Brendon’s. Kaylee is incredibly turned on by the sketches and realizes that Brendon’s feelings aren’t so innocent. But Kaylee has a secret that she fears will drive Brendon away. Loved this steamy, forbidden romance.
Loved! Read the series backwards. This was my favorite!!
Cute and heavy on the steam!
Tempting was my second Crystal Kaswell novel, and I have to say – she really doesn’t disappoint. Brendon & Kaylee both harbor “secret” feelings for eachother. Kaylee is young, sweet, and suffers secretly from depression – the polished persona she portrays is quietly suffocating her, and she wants best friend’s brother. Brendon may look like your quintessential bad boy, but as his sister’s guardian and friend he’s loving, caring, and protective which is exactly why he won’t give into his desires for Kaylee. Kaylee takes a sneak peek into Brendon’s notebook desperate for a glimpse into his brooding mind…and what she sees convinces her to go all in and make Brendon’s heart hers.
Throughout the book, both characters fight themselves and their insecurities in order to be together. I truly enjoyed the first installment in Inked Hearts and look forward to Kaswell’s other works.
I was absolutely captivated by Kaylee and Brandon’s story. This story is about accepting who you are and embrazing what life throws your way. Its about Kaylee’s secret struggles and her devoted crush on her best friends older brother. Its about Brandon lusting over his younger sister’s best friend and his struggles to accept that he is good enough for her. Brandon is a sweet, caring, overly protective older brother who tries to keep his distance to his sisters best friend. Brandon is able to succeed for the most part until tragedy strikes and he is asked to become her guardian. Brendon struggles with carrying for his sister, keeping his desires in control and protecting them from men like him. He’s been told all his life he wasn’t good enough, but the more time they spend alone together the harder it is to stay away from Kaylee. I love the banter between all the Ink Hearts friends. I love that Kaylee is a bit broken and still goes after what she mostly wants. I admire her courage and how she tackles each hurdle. Kaylee is such a good, positive, carrying and brilliant young woman that its hard not to love her. I gotta tell you that their story did make me cry, as well as laugh. The chemistry and heat between Kaylee and Brendon is steamy hot and sooooooo….WOW! I received this ARC of this and this is my honest opinion…It’s BRILLIANTLY Tempting HOT!!
** spoiler alert ** Brendon struggles with his attraction for a woman he has always viewed as off limits. Kaylee struggles with depression and being in love with her best friends brother. One night changes everything for them. Will Brendon allow himself to take the chance with Kaylee? Will Kaylee finally realize that she has people who love her unconditionally?
Loved this book! I loved how this book touched on the struggle of depression and how it wasn’t an instant fix. I loved how strong Kaylee was despite what she was going through and she showed a lot of maturity. I didn’t blame Brendon for thinking the way he did after what he went through with his parents, but was so happy when he decided she was worth the fight! Great read and cannot wait to read more in the series!
I always love a steamy forbidden romance like Tempting but this book is that plus so much more than meets the eye. The author did a fantastic job of discussing issues that some deal with every day.
The characters were very relatable and Kaylee was one of those characters who was near to my heart. I know what it’s like to be in her shoes and feel like you have to hide your true feelings from those you love. I liked how the author didn’t shy away or try to push what all she was dealing with into the background. Brendon and his past tugged at my heart and I wanted to reach through my Kindle and hug him. I loved how though both characters were each broken in their own way they helped the other grow in ways neither were expecting.
Tempting was a engaging and emotional read that I absolutely loved. Kaylee and Brendon’s story was heartwarming and I enjoyed the dual POV and seeing things through both of their eyes. Yes, their story is a bit longer than some might like but their journey took time and I enjoyed how things gradually built up between them. Then again I love my angsty reads. The secondary characters were fantastic as well and have me eagerly looking forward to the rest of this series.
Wow, this book is so much more than it looks like!
So the book starts on familiar territory – Kaylee is in love with her best friend’s older brother, who is old enough to know his attraction to her wouldn’t be well-received. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, and a family emergency throws them together until they can’t resist temptation any longer.
But there’s so much more to this story. Kaylee has a secret that colors her entire approach to life, and she’s certain that no one – not even Brendon – would stand by her side as she deals with it. Brendon doesn’t “do” complicated, and his reasons are deeply felt and nearly insurmountable. I loved the way the author intricately drew these characters as they learned the true depth of their feelings and the strength they could find in each other. The important issues are addressed head-on without any sugar coating, adding realism and stark honesty that elevates this story above its genre.
It’s a terrific story, one you won’t want to miss. It’s longer than most due to the well-paced emotional journey of its characters, but it’s well worth the read. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
A girl that feels broken on the inside falls for her best friend’s bad boy brother. This quick synopsis doesn’t even scratch the surface into the bittersweet forbidden romance between Kayla and Brendan.
I fell in love with Brendan immediately. He has been a responsible caretaker for his sister, Emma, since their parents died. When Emma’s best friend Kayla needs a temporary place to stay while attending college, Brendan quickly takes her in. Kayla is such a heartbreaking character. She is a sweet girl that seems to be carrying major personal burdens on her shoulders. She is also trying to hide her secret crush on her best friend’s brother.
The angst and heat in this story is intense and a beautiful thing to read. This the first book I have read by Crystal Kaswell and I thoroughly enjoyed it.