Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: Tempting Tristan
SERIES: Harborside Nights #3
AUTHOR: Melissa Foster
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 300 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 19th, 2016
BLURB:
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.
REVIEW:
New to me author Melissa Foster can write a story. There is no question about it. It may not be my most favorite type of story but this author is excellent at her craft. I can see why she has such an intense, solid fan base.
There were things I liked about Tristan and Alex’s love affair and things that I didn’t. Unfortunately, the things I didn’t like surpassed what I did and that’s why this is getting a 3 heart review.
What I liked…the small town vibe. I liked that it was all close-knit, everyone seemed to know everyone else and there was a solid support foundation for everyone in the community. I loved the author’s depiction of Harborside; it truly made me what to go to the beach. I liked the passion these two had. They were incredibly hot together. I’m a huge fan of “can’t keep my hands off you” story lines. I also really liked how Alex’s drop kicked his way right out of the closet and took on his new, true life head on.
What I didn’t like…the biggest for me was the instalove thing. I’m usually not so turned off by instalove but for some reason this was so over the top, it was off-putting. I found myself rolling my eyes several times. I felt like the emotional side of these two was just too much too fast. It was like reading an HEA at the beginning of a story, instead of the end. I’m also 50/50 on whether this is truly a standalone. There were A LOT of characters being thrown in here and there and a lot of couples. Knowing full well this is #3 in a M/F series I’m not blaming the author even though it states this is a “standalone” I just think readers should go into this knowing that the other stories are weaved in throughout this one.
Overall, this one was just ok for me. I think anyone that is into the super ooey gooey, instalove romance would find this one enjoyable.
RATING: 
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