Book Tour for Tempting Fate by Amber Lin (Review & GIVEAWAY)

I'm honored to have Amber Lin visit again today with the third release in her Lost Girls series, Tempting Fate.  Keed reading to get a tantalizing taste of this intensely emotional read along itch my impressions of it.  For your chance to read the book that started this series off, make sure to leave a comment below!

Rose Murphy is ready to break free from her brother’s control. She’s ready to open her own ballet studio. And most of all, she’s ready to live without fear. So when she sees her brother’s lawyer, the man she’s lusted after for years, she gives in to her body’s desires.

A sexy show through her bedroom window whets both their appetites. On Drew’s next visit, he returns the striptease favor. Mutual masturbation gives way to a naughty late night phone call. She’s a breath away from everything she’s hoped for, but not everyone wants them to be together. When the relationship comes to light, their sensual peace may be shattered.

EXCERPT:

“I’m always serious when I’m negotiating. How many nights are you going to give me, Rose?”
He was mocking me, or at the very least, playing hard to get. As if I was going to bust out my day planner and pencil him in for Tuesday through Thursday. “Look, if you don’t want anything to happen, it won’t. You don’t have to pretend.”
He grinned, the tilt of his lips somehow boyish on his lined face. “So I’m pretending now. You’ve gone from shy to aggressive in the blink of an eye, but I’m the one being disingenuous?”
Point taken. I scoffed anyway. “I’m not shy.”
“I don’t think so,” he agreed in a musing tone. “But you sure do a good impression.”
“Oh, I see. You think you know me.” Just like my brother thought he had me figured out. She’s frightened. She’s fragile. Let’s cover her in plaster and set her on the mantel beside the other unfeeling artwork.
Drew shook his head slowly, his expression thoughtful. “Probably not.”
He leaned forward, closer than I was expecting until I had to restrain myself from jerking back—or latching on to him. His heat caressed my cheek, his breath brushed against my neck. We touched nowhere at all, but I felt him on every taut nerve of my skin.
“But I want to know you,” he murmured.
“Then why?” I closed my eyes, adrift in his nearness. “Why haven’t you done anything?”
“I don’t make a habit of harassing women in their homes, especially when…”
My indignation rose. “Especially when their brother is paying you enough money to keep your hands to yourself.”
His voice was softer when he said, “When I’m not sure she would welcome it.”
My retort caught in my throat. Would I have welcomed him? Not at first, certainly. He would have been just like every other man who wanted to sneak behind Philip’s back, too stupid to know what was good for him.
Maybe I had needed this, his restraint like an incubator for my burgeoning lust. Like he said, I’d gone from shy to aggressive, only it hadn’t happened in a second, it had been minutes, days, years of waiting for a moment when it would be safe to reach out.
“So you do want me,” I said, and despite my assertiveness earlier, it came out uncertain.
He regarded me for a moment, impassive.
Finally he said, “You would run from me screaming if you knew all the ways I want you.”
Shock raced down my spine, followed by a wave of pure lust. Part of me wanted just that—to know everything, to feel him everywhere until I was so wrapped up that I never suffered the chill of loneliness again. The other part of me was exactly as naive as his slightly amused expression proclaimed me to be.

BUY LINKS:   AMAZON   |   BN   |   ARe

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

The Lost Girls series continues its emotional rollercoaster ride with this latest installment featuring the sister of the enigmatic Phillip, Rose.  She had a harsh childhood of abuse from her father and later on a boyfriend that Philip saved her from but led to his overprotectiveness.  He swore to keep her safe which has led to a nun-like existance for a 26-year-old woman.  The only moments of true freedom for her are when she's dancing and the attraction she feels towards Philip's lawyer, Drew.  Her past and her obligation to her brother has held her back though.  Deciding to open a dance has bolstered her confidence and she finally goes after Drew wholeheartedly in a sensual yet naively planned out seduction.  Rose was a sweet character who just wanted to grow up.  Her brother saved her but is smothering her and keeping her from a happy future out of fear.  I applaud her strength and ached for her when a silly roadblock puts her HEA in jeopardy.

Drew is a strong and sexy man who at first loved the challenge of working on Philip's questionable deeds.  He sometimes had to work in the grey areas to see Philip succeed but has come to realize how dangerous it really is.  He's been attracted to Rose for a long time but didn't feel she was ready to have a relationship with him.  Her sensual show in front of the window has him seeing her as an adult which unleashes him to seduce her in a slow build-up of sexual tension-filled moments.  We unfortunately don't get a deep understanding of Drew in this story.  I found him admirable but not very compelling.

Who I continue to find compelling is Philip!  He's mysterious with questionable ethics but I find myself drawn to him even more as the series progresses.  We get to see another layer of him in his over-protectiveness of Rose.  His actions are out of love but they take away free will.  He's a control freak who wants to control everything and play people as chess pieces to make his life easier.  Even with these faults I'm dying for his story to be told as I find him an utterly fascinating multifaceted character!  

This story was enjoyable yet not as intense or deep as the previous installments.  Rose had a rough upbringing but not near as traumatic as the rest of the heroines in this series.  The roadblock to their HEA was casually inserted and quickly dealt with behind the scenes.  The sexual interludes were hot but not as impactful considering how quickly the protagonists came together.  Ms. Lin has created an addictive series that keeps me coming back for more....and here's hoping Philip's story is on the horizon.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Amber Lin writes sexy romance with damaged hearts and redemptive love. Her novel Giving It Up received The Romance Reviews Top Pick, a Night Owl Review Top Pick, and was called “truly extraordinary” by RT Book Reviews. The sequel, Selling Out, follows a prostitute and a cop as modern day forbidden lovers. She has an upcoming small town romance with Carina Press in November.
Amber married her high school sweetheart, birthed a kid who’s smarter than she is, and spends her nights writing down her dirty thoughts. In other words, life is good.

WEBSITE:  http://www.authoramberlin.com/
TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/#!/authoramberlin
FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/authoramberlin

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Amber will be awarding a signed paperback copy of Giving It Up, the first book in the Lost Girls series (US only) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment along with your email addy (no email=no entry).

-Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 11/18.