Review: Tempting Tristan by Melissa Foster (Harborside Nights #3)


Note: This ARC was provided by RockStar Lit PR in exchange for an honest review.

“Who are you?” I growl. 
He kisses me again, there beside the entrance to the restaurant, as a couple comes up the stairs and brushes by us. He never breaks our connection, never flinches at the intrusion. His fisted hands relax, caressing my head as his tongue caresses my mouth, and I’m so gone, so hard, so lost in him, I can barely think. When we finally part, I don’t want to move away from this moment. I want to put him back and kiss him again. 
“I’m the guy you deserve,” he says, and as if he’s read my mind, he takes me in a torturously slow, sensual kiss.

I've been waiting for this third novel in Melissa Foster's Harborside Nights series ever since I finished reading Discovering Delilah, the second novel. While it's been more than a year between those two books, the wait has been worth because Tempting Tristan has reinforced why this series is my favorite one from the author. From the moment the cast of characters living in the seaside town of Harborside was introduced in Catching Cassidy, I had a feeling this was going to be one diverse collection of stories, and so far, I've been proven right. Here, we find Tristan Brewer taking a break from being with a man after getting his heart stomped on by his ex. However, his plans go awry when he meets Bruce Alexander Wells.

Alex Wells has been hoping to meet the man his late grandmother spoke so lovingly about, and when he finally finds himself locking eyes with him, Tristan Brewer is much more than he could have ever wished for. But even as immediately feels a connection with man he affectionately calls "T", Alex isn't sure he can promise Tristan everything he needs and wants. Alex has hidden a vital part of himself while in the military for nearly a decade, and it's been so ingrained in him that it becomes automatic for him to pretend to be straight. Then there are his scars and all the emotions swirling within him, threatening to drown the good he hopes to build with Tristan. Can he create a home in Harborside and with the man he's falling for?

While I look forward to getting to know every single member in the close-knit circle of friends in the Harborside Nights series, I confess that Tristan is one of two characters that I've been wanting to read about the most. It was clear early on that his ex was a jerk and Tristan deserved better, and that "better" comes in the form of Alex. But Alex has his own cache of issues, with things that have happened to him while in the military forcing him to be the man he is now. So, does Tristan risk his heart once again, with a man he's falling for faster and more deeply than he's ever fallen for anyone before? Tristan has always been honest and open about who he is, but he learns and has to re-learn things about himself with Alex.

I felt for Alex, who was so conflicted about being the man that he truly is and being the soldier that he's expected to be. He may have been discharged from the military due to his injuries, but his scars go far deeper than the ones that can be seen on the outside. I admit that there were times that I found myself frustrated with his behavior in certain situations with Tristan, but when he opens up about why he is the way he is and you see him desperately trying to be a better man, I couldn't help but empathize. Tempting Tristan was both a moving and an inspiring read, one that reminds you that acceptance from everyone isn't as important as self-acceptance and acceptance from those who matter most. It gets five-plus stars. ♥

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Read my reviews for the Harborside Nights series:


Catching Cassidy (book one) - five stars - My Review

Discovering Delilah (book two) - five-plus stars - My Review

Tempting Tristan (book three) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)

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Release Date: 19 October 2016

Date Read: 19 October 2016

Learn more about Melissa Foster.

Purchase Tempting Tristan on Amazon | B&N | Kobo.

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