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Lovers and Friends #3
Tempting Meredith
Astrophysicist Meredith Burke's professional life is perfect. Her personal life is another story. Years ago, a ménage with the man she loved and his roommate left her with a broken heart and a secret. She hasn't trusted anyone since, but when she meets rugged hunting guide Charlie Connor she figures she doesn't need to. He's got "one-night stand" written all over him.
After one night with Meredith, Charlie needs more. She's intoxicating, and shockingly willing to give him total control of her body. When she agrees to spend an entire week with him at the lodge where he works, it's more than he'd hoped for. But Blaine Bridges, Charlie's best friend and boss, has his own secrets.
Blaine hasn't seen Meredith since that disastrous encounter eight years ago, but he still has feelings for her. Now she's dating his best friend, the man he wants for himself. When Meredith invites him to join in their naughty play, his pleasure is all-consuming. But will the secrets they all hold close destroy a beautiful beginning or bring these three lovers closer than they ever imagined?
90,000 words
After one night with Meredith, Charlie needs more. She's intoxicating, and shockingly willing to give him total control of her body. When she agrees to spend an entire week with him at the lodge where he works, it's more than he'd hoped for. But Blaine Bridges, Charlie's best friend and boss, has his own secrets.
Blaine hasn't seen Meredith since that disastrous encounter eight years ago, but he still has feelings for her. Now she's dating his best friend, the man he wants for himself. When Meredith invites him to join in their naughty play, his pleasure is all-consuming. But will the secrets they all hold close destroy a beautiful beginning or bring these three lovers closer than they ever imagined?
90,000 words
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 9, 2014
22 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Ann King
3 books190 followersUSA Today bestselling author Samantha Ann King was born and raised in Houston, Texas. After receiving her BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University and marrying her high school crush (notice she didn't say sweetheart), Samantha relinquished her "native Texan" status and moved to Baton Rouge. She has called Albuquerque, New Mexico home since 1985. The mother of three has volunteered in the community as an advocate for children's issues ranging from education to healthcare. In 2010, as her nest started to empty, she began writing erotic romance. Thanks to her win in Passionate Ink's Stroke of Midnight Contest, Samantha signed her first publishing contract in 2011. Her first book was nominated for RT’s 2012 Reviewers’ Choice Award.
Awards
2012 RT Reviewers' Choice Nominee, Erotic Romance
2013 OKRWA IDA - 1st Place, Erotic Novel
Passionate Ink's 2011 Stroke of Midnight Contest, Contemporary
Contact Info
Website: http://www.samanthaannking.com/
Email: samantha@samanthaannking.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaAnnKing
Twitter: @SamanthaAnnKing
Awards
2012 RT Reviewers' Choice Nominee, Erotic Romance
2013 OKRWA IDA - 1st Place, Erotic Novel
Passionate Ink's 2011 Stroke of Midnight Contest, Contemporary
Contact Info
Website: http://www.samanthaannking.com/
Email: samantha@samanthaannking.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaAnnKing
Twitter: @SamanthaAnnKing
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 31, 2014
I have to say, the sex in this book is top notch. The scenes are hot and the menage’ …oh yea its awesome, but other than that, the book is quite flat. I really didn’t care for Meredith at all. She was one dimensional, boring, doing very little for me at all. The men however, I liked. Blaine attracted me a bit more than Charlie but I liked the “good ole’ boy”.The Beginning, taking place years earlier, was actually quite good, but once we got to today, the author lost me. It just didn’t have any spark at all, other than the sex. The main character, Meredith didn’t have any personality at all. The author hits it quite well In the sex scenes and definite writes a good ménage, but she needs to work on the characters personalities a bit more. I did, however find the book well written and the grammar and spelling are good. The book does have potential but would need to be re-worked to give the characters some personality. They are just too one dimensional and NOT in your face, for my liking. I need less monotone and more BAM … .hi I’m Meredith/Blaine/Charlie etc …
June 19, 2014
This book grabbed me in the beginning....Had me.
But, as I read on... I started to loose interest. Which.... Really is a shame because this book had so much potential.
I've read a lot of m/m/m, m/m/f, m/f/m, f/f/m books. This book was a little hard for me. I wasn't really feeling Meredith.
Charlie was ok...& I loved Blaine.
There were a couple of things that just didn't work for me.
Some parts in this book were too technical. Meredith's science talk. The way she played pool in the beginning of the book rubbed me the wrong way.. The way Meredith acts like a ditzy blonde...
& the topper for me was her BIG secret... Why keep another person that has every right to know about that secret from that person!!
Ughh...
Just overall Meredith personality rubbed me the wrong way. I just wasn't really feeling her at all!! And once she revealed her secret at 87% ( way to long to reveal that secret!). I just couldn't stand her. Her reasoning for it all. Her brushing away Blaine. When he wanted to go with her.
She's a very selfish person!! Hello!!! Of course he would want to go! It's not all about you anymore!!
Even after... When Blaine just went & surprised Meredith. She still couldn't be an adult about Blaine wanting to know "the secret"!!
She made every decision! & wasn't thinking about anybody else but herself.
She has no right to tell someone else what they can & can't do or keep it from him. she should have been more sympathetic.
Ughh...
I swear... The only reason this book is not a 1 or 2 star for me is because of Blaine & Charlie. I think they should have kicked her butt out & it should have just been the guys...
Also too...
The book just didn't float easily for me. It was hard for me to get into. The parts that did flow were between Charlie & Blaine. I wanted more of just them together.
*Book provided by Carina Press via Netgalley*
-Michelle
But, as I read on... I started to loose interest. Which.... Really is a shame because this book had so much potential.
I've read a lot of m/m/m, m/m/f, m/f/m, f/f/m books. This book was a little hard for me. I wasn't really feeling Meredith.
Charlie was ok...& I loved Blaine.
There were a couple of things that just didn't work for me.
Some parts in this book were too technical. Meredith's science talk. The way she played pool in the beginning of the book rubbed me the wrong way.. The way Meredith acts like a ditzy blonde...
& the topper for me was her BIG secret... Why keep another person that has every right to know about that secret from that person!!
Ughh...
Just overall Meredith personality rubbed me the wrong way. I just wasn't really feeling her at all!! And once she revealed her secret at 87% ( way to long to reveal that secret!). I just couldn't stand her. Her reasoning for it all. Her brushing away Blaine. When he wanted to go with her.
She's a very selfish person!! Hello!!! Of course he would want to go! It's not all about you anymore!!
Even after... When Blaine just went & surprised Meredith. She still couldn't be an adult about Blaine wanting to know "the secret"!!
She made every decision! & wasn't thinking about anybody else but herself.
She has no right to tell someone else what they can & can't do or keep it from him. she should have been more sympathetic.
Ughh...
I swear... The only reason this book is not a 1 or 2 star for me is because of Blaine & Charlie. I think they should have kicked her butt out & it should have just been the guys...
Also too...
The book just didn't float easily for me. It was hard for me to get into. The parts that did flow were between Charlie & Blaine. I wanted more of just them together.
*Book provided by Carina Press via Netgalley*
-Michelle
August 15, 2014
I don't know if more books are planned for this series, but, so far, Waiting for Ty is my favorite. While I enjoyed this one, it was a bit slow to catch me and I found Meredith hard to connect with. She seemed too self absorbed and passive aggressive for my overall tastes. There were definitely things I admired about her, like her calling Charlie's "foot reading" a party trick. If she would have thrown the rules of evidence, the scientific method and Occam's Razor right out the window after a couple party tricks, that would have been a deal breaker for me - but she didn't, so that went a ways in redeeming her in my eyes.
Charlie is very observant and is good at reading people, but I didn't see any reason to believe in his "psychic" abilities. He was essentially employing cold reading techniques, though he may not be consciously doing it. Regardless, I didn't get the impression he took it all that seriously (though he may a little bit), anyway, so I can live with that. His was a very likable character - dominant, caring, hot, with a willingness to push his own boundaries.
Blaine is someone from Meredith's past. A past she is rather uncomfortable with, although she admits it wasn't Blaine that was really the problem, but her douchebag ex-boyfriend that was the problem. Trouble is, Blaine reminds her of a time in her life she has been running from for the past 8 years. Blaine has been in love with Charlie for years, but has never made a move because Charlie is straight. I also really liked Blaine.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I really liked the dynamic between the characters and the sexytimes were super yummy.
Charlie is very observant and is good at reading people, but I didn't see any reason to believe in his "psychic" abilities. He was essentially employing cold reading techniques, though he may not be consciously doing it. Regardless, I didn't get the impression he took it all that seriously (though he may a little bit), anyway, so I can live with that. His was a very likable character - dominant, caring, hot, with a willingness to push his own boundaries.
Blaine is someone from Meredith's past. A past she is rather uncomfortable with, although she admits it wasn't Blaine that was really the problem, but her douchebag ex-boyfriend that was the problem. Trouble is, Blaine reminds her of a time in her life she has been running from for the past 8 years. Blaine has been in love with Charlie for years, but has never made a move because Charlie is straight. I also really liked Blaine.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I really liked the dynamic between the characters and the sexytimes were super yummy.
June 3, 2014
2 1/2 Stars!
I am not sure what it is about this series but I just can't fall in love with these books. When I read the blurbs I am always excited to read them thinking I will love them but it just never happens. I am disappointed that this book did not live up to my expectations.
It had so much potential but seemed to fall flat. The idea of a woman having a disastrous experience with a menage while in college. Years later falling for a guy and be introduced to his best friend/boss who turns out to be one of the guys she had had that disastrous menage with, seemed intriguing to me. I am pretty sure I would have found the story a lot more enjoyable if I would've like the main female character but I really couldn't stand her.
I did like both of the men in the story, Blaine and Charlie (Blaine more so than Charlie) and in truth I could've been happy for the story to be more about the two of them falling in love and having Meredith as more of the catalyst that made it happen. When I read menage I look for that undeniable chemistry between the characters, the naturalism for all three of them to be together. they have to work better together as three than just two. I didn't feel that with Meredith, Blaine and Charlie.
As for the story outside of their relationship/ the subplot, I didn't find it interesting enough to truly pull me in. I wasn't invested in it and found myself skimming through it.
I am not sure what it is about this series but I just can't fall in love with these books. When I read the blurbs I am always excited to read them thinking I will love them but it just never happens. I am disappointed that this book did not live up to my expectations.
It had so much potential but seemed to fall flat. The idea of a woman having a disastrous experience with a menage while in college. Years later falling for a guy and be introduced to his best friend/boss who turns out to be one of the guys she had had that disastrous menage with, seemed intriguing to me. I am pretty sure I would have found the story a lot more enjoyable if I would've like the main female character but I really couldn't stand her.
I did like both of the men in the story, Blaine and Charlie (Blaine more so than Charlie) and in truth I could've been happy for the story to be more about the two of them falling in love and having Meredith as more of the catalyst that made it happen. When I read menage I look for that undeniable chemistry between the characters, the naturalism for all three of them to be together. they have to work better together as three than just two. I didn't feel that with Meredith, Blaine and Charlie.
As for the story outside of their relationship/ the subplot, I didn't find it interesting enough to truly pull me in. I wasn't invested in it and found myself skimming through it.
June 10, 2014
If you read one MMF book this year, it should be this one. TEMPTING MEREDITH packs both an erotic and emotional punch that is rare in this genre, and Ms. King does it incredibly well.
Eight years ago, Dr. Meredith Burke's college boyfriend and his roommate Blaine introduced her to the exoticness of a threesome, but the fallout left her heartbroken and carrying a heavy secret. Meredith hasn't trusted any man enough to get involved since that night, but when she meets hot firearms instructor Charlie Connor, the rugged and sexy republican makes her want to dip her toes in the water again. Unfortunately, no matter how many times Meredith tells Charlie she only wants him for his body and some down and dirty sex, he still manages to sneak under her defenses, making him a danger to her heart.
Charlie knows that Meredith is the one for him almost from the moment he sees her. Between her blonde bombshell looks, kinky proclivities and Mensa member intelligence, she's a study in contrasts that both fascinates him and turns him inside out. Stunned when she takes him up on the offer to visit him for a week at his lodge, he's nevertheless thrilled about the development...and that he'll get to introduce her to Blaine Bridges, his boss and best friend.
Oh, but Meredith and Blaine already know one another in the most delicious way possible, and to Blaine's amazement, he's just as attracted to her now as he was back in college. But it kinda sucks that the man he loves is also in love with Meredith. When Meredith realizes that Blaine once again wants the same man she does, she's got some tough decisions to make. Can the three of them come to terms with their secrets and desires and learn to trust in love?
Do not delay, pick up TEMPTING MEREDITH immediately if you're a fan of incredibly well written and emotionally poignant MMF erotic romance stories. This book is off the charts fantastic, every word methodically planned out to make this an effortless read that will stick with you for awhile. It's definitely one that I will pick up again and again with pleasure.
Meredith isn't your typical heroine. She's socially awkward, insanely intelligent and totally clinical in her inner and outer dialogue. I absolutely adored her. I could definitely see how, for someone so crazy smart and literal, the results of a kinky sexsperience resulting in a baby had to really mess with her. The sexual tension between her and Charlie is phenomenal, and his easygoing country boy charm really complemented her in all the best ways. And when he became the boss in bed, I think I fell a little in love with the rugged ginger myself.
One of the best parts of TEMPTING MEREDITH was the thoughtfulness to which Charlie approached a sexual relationship with Blaine once he knew that the other man wanted him as well as Meredith. He wasn't opposed; he just hadn't ever considered it before. He had to reevaluate who he was, if not the prototypical straight, white, monogamous man. He didn't jump in with both feet immediately, but instead took some time to think and consider and made a decision based on a longtime friendship with Blaine that allowed him to push past his nerves, giving the reader an emotional and raw erotic relationship that we can root for.
This book didn't feature a ton of scandal or drama or mystery or suspense. It didn't feature unrealistic characters who get down and dirty every five pages or relationships that went from zero to sixty upon meeting. Instead, Ms. King took her time, letting us savor the slow seduction of this trio for all the right reasons.
If I could give TEMPTING MEREDITH a twenty-star rating, I would. This is one of the best books I've read this year and I truly can't wait for more from this very talented author.
Eight years ago, Dr. Meredith Burke's college boyfriend and his roommate Blaine introduced her to the exoticness of a threesome, but the fallout left her heartbroken and carrying a heavy secret. Meredith hasn't trusted any man enough to get involved since that night, but when she meets hot firearms instructor Charlie Connor, the rugged and sexy republican makes her want to dip her toes in the water again. Unfortunately, no matter how many times Meredith tells Charlie she only wants him for his body and some down and dirty sex, he still manages to sneak under her defenses, making him a danger to her heart.
Charlie knows that Meredith is the one for him almost from the moment he sees her. Between her blonde bombshell looks, kinky proclivities and Mensa member intelligence, she's a study in contrasts that both fascinates him and turns him inside out. Stunned when she takes him up on the offer to visit him for a week at his lodge, he's nevertheless thrilled about the development...and that he'll get to introduce her to Blaine Bridges, his boss and best friend.
Oh, but Meredith and Blaine already know one another in the most delicious way possible, and to Blaine's amazement, he's just as attracted to her now as he was back in college. But it kinda sucks that the man he loves is also in love with Meredith. When Meredith realizes that Blaine once again wants the same man she does, she's got some tough decisions to make. Can the three of them come to terms with their secrets and desires and learn to trust in love?
Do not delay, pick up TEMPTING MEREDITH immediately if you're a fan of incredibly well written and emotionally poignant MMF erotic romance stories. This book is off the charts fantastic, every word methodically planned out to make this an effortless read that will stick with you for awhile. It's definitely one that I will pick up again and again with pleasure.
Meredith isn't your typical heroine. She's socially awkward, insanely intelligent and totally clinical in her inner and outer dialogue. I absolutely adored her. I could definitely see how, for someone so crazy smart and literal, the results of a kinky sexsperience resulting in a baby had to really mess with her. The sexual tension between her and Charlie is phenomenal, and his easygoing country boy charm really complemented her in all the best ways. And when he became the boss in bed, I think I fell a little in love with the rugged ginger myself.
One of the best parts of TEMPTING MEREDITH was the thoughtfulness to which Charlie approached a sexual relationship with Blaine once he knew that the other man wanted him as well as Meredith. He wasn't opposed; he just hadn't ever considered it before. He had to reevaluate who he was, if not the prototypical straight, white, monogamous man. He didn't jump in with both feet immediately, but instead took some time to think and consider and made a decision based on a longtime friendship with Blaine that allowed him to push past his nerves, giving the reader an emotional and raw erotic relationship that we can root for.
This book didn't feature a ton of scandal or drama or mystery or suspense. It didn't feature unrealistic characters who get down and dirty every five pages or relationships that went from zero to sixty upon meeting. Instead, Ms. King took her time, letting us savor the slow seduction of this trio for all the right reasons.
If I could give TEMPTING MEREDITH a twenty-star rating, I would. This is one of the best books I've read this year and I truly can't wait for more from this very talented author.
June 10, 2014
AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Once again I am blown away by this author! Another truly amazing story with a real plot, with real people, who have real problems.
The main character Meredith is a young genius who is socially awkward and is in her first relationship with a guy named Dylan. She believes they're in love and that they have a good relationship. Enter Dylan's roommate Blaine who is struggling to identify his sexuality and come to terms with his attraction to his roommate. Dylan is also attracted to Blaine but is not committed to exploring those feelings without someone as a buffer. So Dylan comes up with the brilliantly insensitive plan to use his girlfriend to help his sleep with his roommate but not sleep with him at the same time.
Needless to say everything goes according to Dylan's plan but Blaine is horrified at what Dylan has done and comforts Meredith. Seeing how Dylan ignores Meredith's emotional struggle with the menage shows just how much of a jerk he is and how he's taking out his insecurities out on everyone else.
Blaine leaves Dylan, and Dylan blames Meredith so he ends it with her. She is of course devastated and confused. This event hampers her ability to love and she throws herself into her career and her research to distract her from life.
Eight years go by and she finally meets the man who would bring her back and get her to love again: Charlie. This rough and tumble outdoorsman is highly lovable and definitely a gentleman. And the story is just beginning!
I don't want to give too much away or spoil the surprises, so just buy it already!!!
Once again I am blown away by this author! Another truly amazing story with a real plot, with real people, who have real problems.
The main character Meredith is a young genius who is socially awkward and is in her first relationship with a guy named Dylan. She believes they're in love and that they have a good relationship. Enter Dylan's roommate Blaine who is struggling to identify his sexuality and come to terms with his attraction to his roommate. Dylan is also attracted to Blaine but is not committed to exploring those feelings without someone as a buffer. So Dylan comes up with the brilliantly insensitive plan to use his girlfriend to help his sleep with his roommate but not sleep with him at the same time.
Needless to say everything goes according to Dylan's plan but Blaine is horrified at what Dylan has done and comforts Meredith. Seeing how Dylan ignores Meredith's emotional struggle with the menage shows just how much of a jerk he is and how he's taking out his insecurities out on everyone else.
Blaine leaves Dylan, and Dylan blames Meredith so he ends it with her. She is of course devastated and confused. This event hampers her ability to love and she throws herself into her career and her research to distract her from life.
Eight years go by and she finally meets the man who would bring her back and get her to love again: Charlie. This rough and tumble outdoorsman is highly lovable and definitely a gentleman. And the story is just beginning!
I don't want to give too much away or spoil the surprises, so just buy it already!!!
June 3, 2014
I thought this was a promising book with the potential to be full of drama, angst, secrets and the tearing of hearts all rolled into one.
It started well with great writing and compatible storytelling but that unfortunately did not continue to spread into the rest if the book. Whilst I did not guess the secret it was all fairly transparent, clear to see the direction the book was headed.
The Author can write a reasonable love scene, but the story did not hold up.
It started well with great writing and compatible storytelling but that unfortunately did not continue to spread into the rest if the book. Whilst I did not guess the secret it was all fairly transparent, clear to see the direction the book was headed.
The Author can write a reasonable love scene, but the story did not hold up.
December 16, 2014
My review will appear in June issue of RT Book Reviews Magazine
May 29, 2021
Ok, the sex was well-written and fun, and I enjoyed Charlie and Blaine. I also appreciate a ménage story that is a true ménage, not just two separate M/F relationships who happen to share the same bed.
But Meredith....ugh.
She’s supposed to be a genius physicist just months away from becoming a tenured professor, and she routinely adopts a “ditsy” persona? (And she does so by making herself sound Southern...bless her heart.) When she wasn’t pretending to be a dumb-ass hick, Meredith is “prickly” and emotionally stunted. I think this was supposed to come off as smart and strong, but it did not work. I hated her big secret, and it dragged on way too long—
But Meredith....ugh.
She’s supposed to be a genius physicist just months away from becoming a tenured professor, and she routinely adopts a “ditsy” persona? (And she does so by making herself sound Southern...bless her heart.) When she wasn’t pretending to be a dumb-ass hick, Meredith is “prickly” and emotionally stunted. I think this was supposed to come off as smart and strong, but it did not work. I hated her big secret, and it dragged on way too long—
December 16, 2015
4 stars.
This review also appears on Pretty Sassy Cool.
Back when all I read was fic, I shied away from poly because I kind of felt like it was cheating, even though I'm totally wrong (except for MsKathy's The Trip Home , of course, because pool-side 69 FTMFW). How can someone want and love two people equally? Because of this, I haven't read very many books that feature a ménage relationship. I'm always intrigued by them, though, and not just for obvious reasons.
The few stories with that I have read with ménages have been mostly one-time occurrences, the path that led two of the characters to their forever. I haven't read a book that really dealt with the emotional journey to discovering that being in a poly relationship is where they belonged. Tempting Meredith shed a light on this path and the characters' feelings that I hadn't considered before.
The story starts off with Meredith in college, crazy about her boyfriend, Dylan. Dylan and his roommate, Blaine, are playing video games when Dylan makes a suggestion:
She's apprehensive, but Dylan is pretty reassuring.
You know what happens next. What you might not expect is for Meredith to feel ashamed rather than empowered. Fast-forward eight years and Meredith has been through a lot. She's not interested in a romantic relationship but she can't deny the chemistry when she meets Charlie. She lets him know that she's only interested in sex, but he wants more. After a few dates and some hot no-strings hookups, Charlie invites Meredith to spend a few days with him at the ranch. She reluctantly agrees and can't believe it when she comes face to face with Blaine, who owns the ranch Charlie works at.
I don't really know what else I can say without giving everything away. What I can say is that I was totally surprised at the emotional depth of this story. When Meredith was in college, she didn't set out to be part of a polyamorous relationship, and eight years later, she's still dealing with the shame she associated with that. Charlie has never wanted to be with another guy before and learning about his own sexuality is a journey in and of itself.
The three of them discover things they never knew about themselves as well as each other, and I loved that about this story. I loved their strengths as well as their vulnerabilities. I thought the reactions they had were realistic, and the sex was smoking hot.
There were some things I didn't like. I wasn't crazy about Meredith's personality. You can't like everyone, though. I also felt like some things were really drawn out, like the play-by-play of a pool game, and there were moments that felt a little too PSA to me. The end was a little too nicely wrapped up, but you're not going to hear me complain about HEAs. Ever. :)
Tempting Meredith was so much more than I expected it to be. A hot ménage, yes (actually two). But the authenticity of the characters and the realistic feelings they had toward each other and themselves sets Tempting Meredith apart. You'll want to check this one out if you're looking for depth and emotion in addition to the sizzle.
--
For more reviews and bookish talk, visit our blog at Pretty Sassy Cool
This review also appears on Pretty Sassy Cool.
Back when all I read was fic, I shied away from poly because I kind of felt like it was cheating, even though I'm totally wrong (except for MsKathy's The Trip Home , of course, because pool-side 69 FTMFW). How can someone want and love two people equally? Because of this, I haven't read very many books that feature a ménage relationship. I'm always intrigued by them, though, and not just for obvious reasons.
The few stories with that I have read with ménages have been mostly one-time occurrences, the path that led two of the characters to their forever. I haven't read a book that really dealt with the emotional journey to discovering that being in a poly relationship is where they belonged. Tempting Meredith shed a light on this path and the characters' feelings that I hadn't considered before.
The story starts off with Meredith in college, crazy about her boyfriend, Dylan. Dylan and his roommate, Blaine, are playing video games when Dylan makes a suggestion:
"You are so fuckin' hot."
She didn't say anything, just tried to catch her breath as his hand swept across her chest above the tight pink cami. Through half-closed eyes, Blaine watched them. His lips were slightly parted, his chest rising and falling as quickly as hers.
"Know who else thinks you're hot?" Dylan asked.
She couldn't imagine. Still found it hard to believe that Dylan was into her. "Huh-uh," she said breathlessly.
"Blaine." His whisper tickled her ear.
The admission stunned her. She didn't know what to say.
Dylan chuckled. "Know what he wants for graduation?"
She's apprehensive, but Dylan is pretty reassuring.
"My best bud and my best girl? Fuckin' hot. And I'll be with you. It's not like you'll be doing it behind my back. It'll be the three of us together. Both of us inside you."
You know what happens next. What you might not expect is for Meredith to feel ashamed rather than empowered. Fast-forward eight years and Meredith has been through a lot. She's not interested in a romantic relationship but she can't deny the chemistry when she meets Charlie. She lets him know that she's only interested in sex, but he wants more. After a few dates and some hot no-strings hookups, Charlie invites Meredith to spend a few days with him at the ranch. She reluctantly agrees and can't believe it when she comes face to face with Blaine, who owns the ranch Charlie works at.
I don't really know what else I can say without giving everything away. What I can say is that I was totally surprised at the emotional depth of this story. When Meredith was in college, she didn't set out to be part of a polyamorous relationship, and eight years later, she's still dealing with the shame she associated with that. Charlie has never wanted to be with another guy before and learning about his own sexuality is a journey in and of itself.
It was a different way of perceiving himself, his sexuality. Because if he was attracted to Blaine, he wasn't straight. And if he brought Blaine into his bed, he wasn't monogamous. That was probably the scariest aspect of the ménage. While he hadn't spent a lot of time contemplating marriage and a family, when he did, he imagined one woman and a couple of kids. Nowhere in his imaginings had a man appeared. Until now.
The three of them discover things they never knew about themselves as well as each other, and I loved that about this story. I loved their strengths as well as their vulnerabilities. I thought the reactions they had were realistic, and the sex was smoking hot.
There were some things I didn't like. I wasn't crazy about Meredith's personality. You can't like everyone, though. I also felt like some things were really drawn out, like the play-by-play of a pool game, and there were moments that felt a little too PSA to me. The end was a little too nicely wrapped up, but you're not going to hear me complain about HEAs. Ever. :)
Tempting Meredith was so much more than I expected it to be. A hot ménage, yes (actually two). But the authenticity of the characters and the realistic feelings they had toward each other and themselves sets Tempting Meredith apart. You'll want to check this one out if you're looking for depth and emotion in addition to the sizzle.
--
For more reviews and bookish talk, visit our blog at Pretty Sassy Cool
November 14, 2019
I really liked the first in this series. I think some will enjoy it more than me.
May 2, 2016
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Tempting Meredith is the first book that I have ever read by Samantha Ann King, but this is actually the third book in her Lovers and Friends series. This one can be read as a standalone, although the characters are interconnected and you do get to see some of them from the previous books. After I read the blurb for this one though, I was really excited to read it. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me and wasn't what I had been expecting at all. I thought this one had a lot of promise, but was ultimately disappointed with how this book turned out.
Meredith Burke is an Astrophysicist that lives her life pretty much alone. She throws herself into her work and hardly does anything outside of her career. She was hurt years ago when she had a menage with her college boyfriend and his roommate and was dumped the next day. She never heard from either of them again, but that night has been affecting her ever since. Now years later she meets the handsome Charlie Connor when she takes a firearms course. She thinks that he is the perfect man to give her one night of pleasure. But Charlie wants more from Meredith and is determined to convince her to give them a shot. Meredith reluctantly agrees and decides to spend a week with him to see how things go. But when she meets Charlie's best friend and boss, Blaine she immediately begins to question her decision. Blaine hasn't seen Meredith since the night his roommate (Meredith's ex) and he had a menage with her, but he hasn't ever stopped feeling bad about the way things went down. He always liked her back then, and his feelings haven't changed now. But he also loves Charlie as more than a friend should. When Meredith proposes the idea of a menage, will Charlie and Blaine agree to see where things take them? Or will more than one of them be left heartbroken by the many secrets and obstacles in their way?
I liked Blaine. He was sweet and took care of Meredith as best he could the night he shared her with Dylan. I felt like he should have tried harder after though, and he definitely should have checked on her to make sure that she was okay. I felt like if he had feelings for her back then like he said he did, that he would have reacted differently even with his young age and some immaturity. I thought that he was great with Charlie and Meredith though, and he took care of them both. I like Charlie as well. He was alpha and sexy, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was a great friend and was determined and open-minded. I did feel like his transformation from being completely straight to accepting and wanting his best friend Blaine happened rather quickly. He had never before been attracted to him or any man and had never thought of being with a man sexually, but all of a sudden he just went with it and had no problems. That just didn't work for me. Meredith was a huge part of my problem with this book. She was pretty cold and unfeeling, and I felt like her character was aloof at best and completely selfish at worst. She thought about herself and her career, and didn't seem to really be able to develop feelings for others. I just didn't ever buy into any of her feelings, and was never able to warm up to her. I wish that I could have seen her develop feelings for these guys, but honestly it never felt like she did. I think that they had passion and attraction between them, but I just didn't feel like they had an emotional connection between all three of them.
I also just found this story to be somewhat boring and it didn't hold my interest. The only parts that really engaged me at all were the actual menage relationship and the passionate scenes between them. I didn't care at all what was happening outside of that and I kept wanting to skim through the rest. I expected this story to be sexy and engaging, and I also had expected to be drawn into a relationship that had a strong emotional bond as well as the physical. Part of what makes menage books so good is that you can't help but find them hot, but that you see how the relationship only works with those three. The relationships wouldn't work between just two, and it takes all of them to truly function. I didn't feel that with Tempting Meredith, and honestly Blaine and Charlie would have worked as well alone as Meredith would have worked with either of the guys. I just wanted more from this one and I felt like it didn't deliver. If you are a fan of menage books or have read the previous books in this series, you might give this one a shot. But honestly for me this one was a bit of a letdown.
**ARC Provided by Barclay Publicity**
Tempting Meredith is the first book that I have ever read by Samantha Ann King, but this is actually the third book in her Lovers and Friends series. This one can be read as a standalone, although the characters are interconnected and you do get to see some of them from the previous books. After I read the blurb for this one though, I was really excited to read it. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me and wasn't what I had been expecting at all. I thought this one had a lot of promise, but was ultimately disappointed with how this book turned out.
Meredith Burke is an Astrophysicist that lives her life pretty much alone. She throws herself into her work and hardly does anything outside of her career. She was hurt years ago when she had a menage with her college boyfriend and his roommate and was dumped the next day. She never heard from either of them again, but that night has been affecting her ever since. Now years later she meets the handsome Charlie Connor when she takes a firearms course. She thinks that he is the perfect man to give her one night of pleasure. But Charlie wants more from Meredith and is determined to convince her to give them a shot. Meredith reluctantly agrees and decides to spend a week with him to see how things go. But when she meets Charlie's best friend and boss, Blaine she immediately begins to question her decision. Blaine hasn't seen Meredith since the night his roommate (Meredith's ex) and he had a menage with her, but he hasn't ever stopped feeling bad about the way things went down. He always liked her back then, and his feelings haven't changed now. But he also loves Charlie as more than a friend should. When Meredith proposes the idea of a menage, will Charlie and Blaine agree to see where things take them? Or will more than one of them be left heartbroken by the many secrets and obstacles in their way?
I liked Blaine. He was sweet and took care of Meredith as best he could the night he shared her with Dylan. I felt like he should have tried harder after though, and he definitely should have checked on her to make sure that she was okay. I felt like if he had feelings for her back then like he said he did, that he would have reacted differently even with his young age and some immaturity. I thought that he was great with Charlie and Meredith though, and he took care of them both. I like Charlie as well. He was alpha and sexy, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was a great friend and was determined and open-minded. I did feel like his transformation from being completely straight to accepting and wanting his best friend Blaine happened rather quickly. He had never before been attracted to him or any man and had never thought of being with a man sexually, but all of a sudden he just went with it and had no problems. That just didn't work for me. Meredith was a huge part of my problem with this book. She was pretty cold and unfeeling, and I felt like her character was aloof at best and completely selfish at worst. She thought about herself and her career, and didn't seem to really be able to develop feelings for others. I just didn't ever buy into any of her feelings, and was never able to warm up to her. I wish that I could have seen her develop feelings for these guys, but honestly it never felt like she did. I think that they had passion and attraction between them, but I just didn't feel like they had an emotional connection between all three of them.
I also just found this story to be somewhat boring and it didn't hold my interest. The only parts that really engaged me at all were the actual menage relationship and the passionate scenes between them. I didn't care at all what was happening outside of that and I kept wanting to skim through the rest. I expected this story to be sexy and engaging, and I also had expected to be drawn into a relationship that had a strong emotional bond as well as the physical. Part of what makes menage books so good is that you can't help but find them hot, but that you see how the relationship only works with those three. The relationships wouldn't work between just two, and it takes all of them to truly function. I didn't feel that with Tempting Meredith, and honestly Blaine and Charlie would have worked as well alone as Meredith would have worked with either of the guys. I just wanted more from this one and I felt like it didn't deliver. If you are a fan of menage books or have read the previous books in this series, you might give this one a shot. But honestly for me this one was a bit of a letdown.
**ARC Provided by Barclay Publicity**
January 15, 2017
I liked this story. I was a bit nervous about the adoption language, but there wasn't anything that struck me as incorrect. This series has been fun.
July 25, 2014
Rating: 2.5/5
The blurb sounded so promising. Who could resist a story about a broken-hearted heroine, a secret and a blast from the past? I couldn't, but in hindsight, I probably should have. A few pages into chapter two, I began skimming past the rather bland and boring conversation and descriptions at the gun club where Meredith met Charlie. From the very beginning, Meredith sounded bored and boring or like a woman running on autopilot. There was hardly any emotion or passion behind anything she said or did. Whenever she broke down thinking about her "big secret", I didn't feel it or buy into it. As for Charlie, he always took charge of their sexual encounters. He was good at giving orders and he sounded convincing, but it was the times outside of his dominating persona that threw me. He seemed almost boyish in his behavior and dialogues, and he was often unsure of himself and his actions to move the budding relationship with Meredith forward.
I nearly stopped reading at 39% when Meredith said "She‘d been so young and so stupid, and they‘d taken advantage and left her to deal with the consequences. A life lesson. One she‘d never recover from." Perhaps it was a poor choice of words, but Dylan and Blaine didn't take advantage of her. She was a willing participant in that threesome. In the beginning she was characterized as being desperate to gain Dylan's attention and interest, and she was surprised that he'd picked her to be his girlfriend. I think, in accordance with her stupidity as she put it, she would have done anything to please him. As an adult, she should have owned that decision. What did keep me reading was my inane curiosity and the sex scenes which were well written and very hot.
The story did pick up from that point on, but in the end, I still wasn't sympathetic towards Meredith or Charlie. The way Meredith acted, I often questioned whether she was really falling for him. Blaine, on the other hand, was a more accommodating character. I never saw him as being as bad as Dylan because even with his confession of what was really behind that night, I couldn't really fault him for it. To be honest, I enjoyed the scenes between Charlie and Blaine more than any of those with Meredith in them. The ending redeemed the story, but not enough to have made this special. I haven't read any of the other books in this series and after this, I don't think I will.
**I received an ARC from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.**
June 9, 2014
*I received this book free from Barclay Publicity in exchange for an honest review*
This is the third book in Samantha Ann King’s Lovers and Friends series. There is reference to characters in the previous stories, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn’t read either of the first two books and did not feel lost, but it does make me want to go back and read the first two.
Meredith, no matter how old she is, covers her intelligence with a bubbling blonde routine in order not to scare men away. It’s the price of having any type of social life, because for some reason men don’t react well when they discover how smart she truly is. That all changes when she meets Charlie. He likes her just the way she is. And he proves that the night of their first date, during a game of pool.
Charlie agrees to Meredith’s ‘relationship’ terms, but he wants more, and he may be a lot of things, but quitter is one of them. When she agrees to stay a week with him, he’s ecstatic. That is until she arrives and meets his boss, Blaine, and the tension-filled bubbly blonde routine returns. It leaves his interest piqued, and not exactly in a good way.
Blaine and Meredith share history, one that is painful for her, and it puts space between her and Charlie. A space Charlie – and Blaine – want to fill. He would never make a move and risk his friendship with Charlie, but the desires Blaine has isn’t only for Meredith and his resistance is only so strong.
After fears are faced, confessions are made, and the strength to follow through on things they never planned has been achieved then unbreakable bonds are formed.
I really enjoyed this book. The only downside is the fact that it tends to jump forward between chapters, especially toward the end. It does wrap up all of the loose ends and when I finished I felt like the story was complete, even though I wanted to read more.
My Favorite Moment: I loved the ATV. It was the moment Meredith began coming to terms with who she was. Whether he realized it or not, it was an opening door for Charlie. And for Blaine, it was a tortured pleasure.
“She took her time with the button. She unzipped her fly even slower – tooth by tooth. He couldn’t think clearly enough to count, but there must have been a thousand.”
This is the third book in Samantha Ann King’s Lovers and Friends series. There is reference to characters in the previous stories, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn’t read either of the first two books and did not feel lost, but it does make me want to go back and read the first two.
Meredith, no matter how old she is, covers her intelligence with a bubbling blonde routine in order not to scare men away. It’s the price of having any type of social life, because for some reason men don’t react well when they discover how smart she truly is. That all changes when she meets Charlie. He likes her just the way she is. And he proves that the night of their first date, during a game of pool.
Charlie agrees to Meredith’s ‘relationship’ terms, but he wants more, and he may be a lot of things, but quitter is one of them. When she agrees to stay a week with him, he’s ecstatic. That is until she arrives and meets his boss, Blaine, and the tension-filled bubbly blonde routine returns. It leaves his interest piqued, and not exactly in a good way.
Blaine and Meredith share history, one that is painful for her, and it puts space between her and Charlie. A space Charlie – and Blaine – want to fill. He would never make a move and risk his friendship with Charlie, but the desires Blaine has isn’t only for Meredith and his resistance is only so strong.
After fears are faced, confessions are made, and the strength to follow through on things they never planned has been achieved then unbreakable bonds are formed.
I really enjoyed this book. The only downside is the fact that it tends to jump forward between chapters, especially toward the end. It does wrap up all of the loose ends and when I finished I felt like the story was complete, even though I wanted to read more.
My Favorite Moment: I loved the ATV. It was the moment Meredith began coming to terms with who she was. Whether he realized it or not, it was an opening door for Charlie. And for Blaine, it was a tortured pleasure.
“She took her time with the button. She unzipped her fly even slower – tooth by tooth. He couldn’t think clearly enough to count, but there must have been a thousand.”
August 11, 2016
Three people. Intense Passion. And one haunting secret.
I’d rate this 4.5 stars.
Tempting Meredith is an erotic contemporary M/M/F ménage romance. Meredith is an astrophysicist who after having a ménage sexual experience with her boyfriend and his roommate years ago, left with a broken heart and a terrible secret. No longer is she into relationships, but when she meets Charlie, a rugged hunting guide, she’s certain he’s after the same thing as her, a short one-night stand.
After one night though, Charlie wants more, and he soon manages to get Meredith’s agreement to join him at the lodge where he works. But Blaine, his best friend and boss who’s bisexual, is the very man from Meredith’s past she’s now on a collision course to meet again.
This story begins by showing a relationship building between Meredith and Charlie then when Blaine enters the scene, a threesome is soon proposed by Meredith. I felt a little conflicted over Charlie’s quick acceptance to the idea when he’d never had feelings for Blaine before, but thankfully he took some time to truly consider it all.
Unfortunately, I never quite connected with Meredith’s character. She kept holding herself back from Charlie and Blaine with thoughts and actions that didn’t quite compel me to want to cheer for her. Charlie and Blaine though were a delight, and together the three of them were a great trio, considerate and kind to each other.
The chemistry in this book is certainly hot, and the relationship between the three, including their individual couple relationships were given time to grow and develop in a delightful way. That made the sex scene where the three of them came together for the first time truly poignant.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks also goes to the author for a well written book with fun and interesting characters.
I’d rate this 4.5 stars.
Tempting Meredith is an erotic contemporary M/M/F ménage romance. Meredith is an astrophysicist who after having a ménage sexual experience with her boyfriend and his roommate years ago, left with a broken heart and a terrible secret. No longer is she into relationships, but when she meets Charlie, a rugged hunting guide, she’s certain he’s after the same thing as her, a short one-night stand.
After one night though, Charlie wants more, and he soon manages to get Meredith’s agreement to join him at the lodge where he works. But Blaine, his best friend and boss who’s bisexual, is the very man from Meredith’s past she’s now on a collision course to meet again.
This story begins by showing a relationship building between Meredith and Charlie then when Blaine enters the scene, a threesome is soon proposed by Meredith. I felt a little conflicted over Charlie’s quick acceptance to the idea when he’d never had feelings for Blaine before, but thankfully he took some time to truly consider it all.
Unfortunately, I never quite connected with Meredith’s character. She kept holding herself back from Charlie and Blaine with thoughts and actions that didn’t quite compel me to want to cheer for her. Charlie and Blaine though were a delight, and together the three of them were a great trio, considerate and kind to each other.
The chemistry in this book is certainly hot, and the relationship between the three, including their individual couple relationships were given time to grow and develop in a delightful way. That made the sex scene where the three of them came together for the first time truly poignant.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks also goes to the author for a well written book with fun and interesting characters.
June 18, 2014
I received this book from Barclay Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't too sure what to expect but I was drawn in from the beginning. If you want a story that is HOT!!! but also tender, will tug on your heartstrings, make you laugh out loud then you should probably give this one a go!
One thing I have to say though is that although Meredith is the main character, I actually loved it when Blaine and Charlie got together. The love scene between them simply sparked off the pages. There were two things with Meredith that bugged me slightly - one is that you only had to say the word "sex" and she appeared 'drunk on it' (author's words, not mine). Even though she gave a very good scientific explanation of why this happens, it still took something away for me. And the other thing is her ditzy act. I just don't get it. On the one hand we are told that she always dresses smartly and has her hair tied back in a severe bun to make herself look older than she is but then she puts on this act which just makes her look young again. Confused!
I can understand the other side of the story though and thought that it was written very well. It's not easy to make - and continually live with - a decision in which your head says one thing and your heart another. So the reasons given, the continual heartbreak that peaks 4 times a year, the trepidation and anticipation of making changes - all brilliantly done.
I certainly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to my friends who like M/M and Ménage stories. I'll be reading books 1 and 2 very shortly as I've just gone and one-clicked ;)
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't too sure what to expect but I was drawn in from the beginning. If you want a story that is HOT!!! but also tender, will tug on your heartstrings, make you laugh out loud then you should probably give this one a go!
One thing I have to say though is that although Meredith is the main character, I actually loved it when Blaine and Charlie got together. The love scene between them simply sparked off the pages. There were two things with Meredith that bugged me slightly - one is that you only had to say the word "sex" and she appeared 'drunk on it' (author's words, not mine). Even though she gave a very good scientific explanation of why this happens, it still took something away for me. And the other thing is her ditzy act. I just don't get it. On the one hand we are told that she always dresses smartly and has her hair tied back in a severe bun to make herself look older than she is but then she puts on this act which just makes her look young again. Confused!
I can understand the other side of the story though and thought that it was written very well. It's not easy to make - and continually live with - a decision in which your head says one thing and your heart another. So the reasons given, the continual heartbreak that peaks 4 times a year, the trepidation and anticipation of making changes - all brilliantly done.
I certainly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to my friends who like M/M and Ménage stories. I'll be reading books 1 and 2 very shortly as I've just gone and one-clicked ;)
June 19, 2014
3.5 Stars
When Meredith agrees to a menage with her boyfriend's roommate, she has no idea how much that decision turns into a life-changing event. Eight years later, she has a doctoral degree, a good job and a hesitant heart when it comes to getting emotionally involved with a man. Until she meets Charlie.
Meredith decides to give Charlie a chance at something more than just a one-night stand, but things get interesting once she meets Charlie's roommate. It's Blaine -- her old boyfriend's roommate and it brings back lots of old memories that need to be resolved.
Tempting Meredith does a nice job of taking the reader through some fairly important discussions between these three characters. Not only is Meredith trying to understand her feelings for Charlie, Blaine and Charlie are now looking at their feelings for each other. The erotic parts of Tempting Meredith were hot, but what I liked the most was the developing relationships between these three.
This is a hot menage story where relationships are just as important as what happens in the bedroom and I really liked that about this story. A quick, spicy read with enough drama to keep it interesting.
This review and others also appear on my blog at: http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2014/06/giveaway-review-tempting-meredith-by.html
When Meredith agrees to a menage with her boyfriend's roommate, she has no idea how much that decision turns into a life-changing event. Eight years later, she has a doctoral degree, a good job and a hesitant heart when it comes to getting emotionally involved with a man. Until she meets Charlie.
Meredith decides to give Charlie a chance at something more than just a one-night stand, but things get interesting once she meets Charlie's roommate. It's Blaine -- her old boyfriend's roommate and it brings back lots of old memories that need to be resolved.
Tempting Meredith does a nice job of taking the reader through some fairly important discussions between these three characters. Not only is Meredith trying to understand her feelings for Charlie, Blaine and Charlie are now looking at their feelings for each other. The erotic parts of Tempting Meredith were hot, but what I liked the most was the developing relationships between these three.
This is a hot menage story where relationships are just as important as what happens in the bedroom and I really liked that about this story. A quick, spicy read with enough drama to keep it interesting.
This review and others also appear on my blog at: http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2014/06/giveaway-review-tempting-meredith-by.html
July 9, 2014
Thanks go to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A good continuation of the Lovers and Friends series. There's not a close connection, but we do briefly revisit a couple of the characters from the first 2 books. This one follows Meredith, a brilliant astrophysics professor who has a secret, making her particularly sensitive to relationships. But she's lonely, so she does become attracted to Charlie, her firearms instructor. Luckily he is totally understanding and undemanding, so she quickly becomes involved with him, with some very hot erotic scenes. When visiting the ranch where Charlie works, she runs into Blaine, a face from her past. Despite many complications and somewhat over-discussed and overly dramatized situations, Meredith and Charlie and Blaine become a sexual and loving threesome. This book contains FM and MM sexual scenes, so it's not for everyone. Even though this is out of my usual comfort zone, the writing was done in a sensitive and loving way, which made it much more attractive. The characters, especially the men, are very appealing. Meredith is fine too, although she's a little high-strung and tends to look for problems where there aren't any. She's an odd mixture of confident professional and totally vulnerable female.
A good continuation of the Lovers and Friends series. There's not a close connection, but we do briefly revisit a couple of the characters from the first 2 books. This one follows Meredith, a brilliant astrophysics professor who has a secret, making her particularly sensitive to relationships. But she's lonely, so she does become attracted to Charlie, her firearms instructor. Luckily he is totally understanding and undemanding, so she quickly becomes involved with him, with some very hot erotic scenes. When visiting the ranch where Charlie works, she runs into Blaine, a face from her past. Despite many complications and somewhat over-discussed and overly dramatized situations, Meredith and Charlie and Blaine become a sexual and loving threesome. This book contains FM and MM sexual scenes, so it's not for everyone. Even though this is out of my usual comfort zone, the writing was done in a sensitive and loving way, which made it much more attractive. The characters, especially the men, are very appealing. Meredith is fine too, although she's a little high-strung and tends to look for problems where there aren't any. She's an odd mixture of confident professional and totally vulnerable female.
July 27, 2015
I love a good emotional story, and this one definitely fit the bill. Things are a bit complex for these three, and it starts off rather steamy and then we leap in time and find out the aftermath of that night. Meredith is justifiably skittish about relationships given her past, but that doesn't stop Charlie from going after what he wants. Once he convinces her to come stay for a week, things really take a different turn. The only thing that bothered me was that I couldn't feel any connection between Meredith and Blaine despite their shared past. I just think that too much of the story was focused on her budding relationship with Charlie and Charlie's with Blaine that that aspect was overlooked. We also never get a true mmf scene that would have solidified this relationship more in my eyes, because in all honesty I still think jealousy would be an issue in this relationship if it even survives. I really felt bad for Meredith and I cried quite a few times for all that she has had to endure, but I was glad both guys stepped up to help her through it. In my honest opinion, I think I would have liked this story more had we just focused on the relationship between her and Charlie and let Blaine just be a close friend. It felt too forced the way it was presented and what was left out.
April 2, 2015
Meredith loves her job but struggles personally with events that left her emotionally devastated 8 years earlier and it isn't until she finally lets someone in close again that she's able to deal with the initial fall out. This was on my Kindle app, it must have been cheap? I have no recollection of buying it, ha. I mostly liked it - I could sympathize with Meredith, and while I wish Charlie had made sure they talked about things before jumping in to let consent be a little more informed, I was glad to see how much he respected her and the safe word. I liked Blaine, too, and everyone balanced well. I liked that they each had their own relationships within the relationship that were equal. It just honestly sort of felt like fic - everything was smooth and it had this feeling of there being more history than was being shown? I'm not sure, it just felt like an AU of something, not sure why.(And that's not a slight - if you think I read a lot of books, you should see how much fic I read! It's a description, nothing else.)
December 17, 2015
This is the third book in the Lovers and Friends series. I like the way that Samantha King explores relationships and what’s important, love and not what anyone else thinks about it. I also like the way that she brings the characters from the previous novels into this one. I didn’t really connect with Meredith, Charlie or Blaine. I liked them all enough and I thought their story was cute, but I felt like there was something missing.
There was plenty of great steamy moments in this book, but I think what it lacked was the same kind of emotional development we got in the first two books. I did like learning about Meredith’s history though and what happened after the night that started the book. It was an interesting twist, I just wish we could have had more elements like that in the book.
Overall, the book was a decent read and I will definitely keep an eye out for future books by Samantha King.
Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review
There was plenty of great steamy moments in this book, but I think what it lacked was the same kind of emotional development we got in the first two books. I did like learning about Meredith’s history though and what happened after the night that started the book. It was an interesting twist, I just wish we could have had more elements like that in the book.
Overall, the book was a decent read and I will definitely keep an eye out for future books by Samantha King.
Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review
September 29, 2014
Tempting Meredith is the last in this series. The first book is "Sharing Hailey" and then comes the second book "Waiting for Ty". This last book ties in everybody. I really loved the first book in the series. It still remains one of my favorite in the series. The second book about Landon and his attempt to start a relationship with the love of his life Ty is equally incredible.
"Tempting Meredith" starts off when her first relationship in college leads to not only one broken heart but a pregnancy. Eight years later she's still haunted by the last night with her boyfriend and his friend Blaine, only to reluctantly fall in love with Charlie whose best friend Blaine knew. It's all too much for her to deal with. Still it's this hard hearted woman who learns to roll with the punches and deal with what could have been.
This book was a beautiful. A wounded heart can heal with the right help.
"Tempting Meredith" starts off when her first relationship in college leads to not only one broken heart but a pregnancy. Eight years later she's still haunted by the last night with her boyfriend and his friend Blaine, only to reluctantly fall in love with Charlie whose best friend Blaine knew. It's all too much for her to deal with. Still it's this hard hearted woman who learns to roll with the punches and deal with what could have been.
This book was a beautiful. A wounded heart can heal with the right help.
February 13, 2015
Ma che libro orribile!
Piatto, palloso e con un messaggio orrendo.
(SPOILER) Si comincia con una tipa genio in astrofisica che per paura di non essere accettata si finge oca. All'università ha un rapporto a tre, ma scopre che i maschi la volevano usare solo come budello per stare dentro al caldo loro due insieme. Otto anni dopo arriverebbe la seconda occasione, ma di nuovo l'amore risulta di fatto esserci solo tra i due nuovi maschi e lei è presa nel mezzo tanto per fare scena.
E ovviamente tutti felici quando lei dichiara che si è fatta sterilizzare e che i figli proprio non li vuole. Cioè, che gruppo familiare sarebbe? Due maschi più una bambola di carne che non deve neanche prendere la pillola, tutto risolto...
E questa sarebbe una protagonista con un cervello al di fuori dei soliti stereotipi?(ah, no, dimenticavo, è pure tappa di statura ma con tette extralarge, non sia mai...).
Piatto, palloso e con un messaggio orrendo.
(SPOILER) Si comincia con una tipa genio in astrofisica che per paura di non essere accettata si finge oca. All'università ha un rapporto a tre, ma scopre che i maschi la volevano usare solo come budello per stare dentro al caldo loro due insieme. Otto anni dopo arriverebbe la seconda occasione, ma di nuovo l'amore risulta di fatto esserci solo tra i due nuovi maschi e lei è presa nel mezzo tanto per fare scena.
E ovviamente tutti felici quando lei dichiara che si è fatta sterilizzare e che i figli proprio non li vuole. Cioè, che gruppo familiare sarebbe? Due maschi più una bambola di carne che non deve neanche prendere la pillola, tutto risolto...
E questa sarebbe una protagonista con un cervello al di fuori dei soliti stereotipi?(ah, no, dimenticavo, è pure tappa di statura ma con tette extralarge, non sia mai...).
August 13, 2016
Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
Okay, I have thoughts. First - it is really weird to me that Blaine and Charlie's relationship was one-sided until Meredith came up to the camp. Think about it. We get that Blaine likes Charlie, but there is never any hint that Charlie reciprocates those feelings until Meredith shows up. Then, he's all for it...like WAY all for it. The love scenes were hot, although I think I would have preferred at least one that was, how shall I put it? Concurrent instead of consecutive? Does that make sense?
I loved Cassie, but I wanted more character development for her and I wanted to see more about their relationship once they decided to go forward with it. Not just glossing over.
Okay, I have thoughts. First - it is really weird to me that Blaine and Charlie's relationship was one-sided until Meredith came up to the camp. Think about it. We get that Blaine likes Charlie, but there is never any hint that Charlie reciprocates those feelings until Meredith shows up. Then, he's all for it...like WAY all for it. The love scenes were hot, although I think I would have preferred at least one that was, how shall I put it? Concurrent instead of consecutive? Does that make sense?
I loved Cassie, but I wanted more character development for her and I wanted to see more about their relationship once they decided to go forward with it. Not just glossing over.
March 26, 2016
I loved this book. There was a potential for drama and it didn’t happen, and I really appreciated it. The story didn’t need it. It felt realistic and well paced. Each of these stories can stand alone, and ultimately end with their own time frame, but the bulk of them occur at the same time. I like that because it goes to show that while all the characters are interrelated and all, they have their own lives.
I felt really bad for Meredith at the beginning of the book, and frankly had the important bits predicted from chapter one, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment at all. I absolutely love how everything played out. I can’t get enough of this series and only want more!
Tempting Meredith is a compelling, authentic, and emotional read that left me wanting more, like always!
I felt really bad for Meredith at the beginning of the book, and frankly had the important bits predicted from chapter one, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment at all. I absolutely love how everything played out. I can’t get enough of this series and only want more!
Tempting Meredith is a compelling, authentic, and emotional read that left me wanting more, like always!
April 14, 2015
This story had a dodgy start for me. The NA feel and first sex scene made me cringe. Thankfully, the story quickly fast forwarded eight years, and from there I was captivated.
I loved watching the story unfold, kept wondering how this unusual relationship was going to work, how all the pieces of the puzzle would fit together. And fit together they did.
There was one part of the plot I kept questioning. How she managed to hide 'that' from her friends and family was one thing, but what she continued to do for a year after the fact, without being discovered was a stretch.
My analytical thoughts aside. This story flowed well, held my attention and was smoking hot.
I totally intend to check out more stories by this, no longer new to me, author.
I loved watching the story unfold, kept wondering how this unusual relationship was going to work, how all the pieces of the puzzle would fit together. And fit together they did.
There was one part of the plot I kept questioning. How she managed to hide 'that' from her friends and family was one thing, but what she continued to do for a year after the fact, without being discovered was a stretch.
My analytical thoughts aside. This story flowed well, held my attention and was smoking hot.
I totally intend to check out more stories by this, no longer new to me, author.
June 12, 2014
This was a pleasant little surprise of a menage romance for me. I genuinely enjoyed all three characters and the tension between them as they built their relationship. The pacing through the story was well-timed and kept me engaged throughout. The sex descriptions were hot. Overall the writing was solid. I didn't discover until after reading that this was book #3 in the series (so at least for this book, the order doesn't matter).
September 13, 2014
Heart wrenching, loving, difficult
This was a heart wrenching story of multiple relationships and how things come together for a loving menage relationship. Meredith finally grew up in this book and faced her life as an adult should. No more running or denial or avoidance. The characters are likable and the chemistry is hot. The story is good and the ending is good as well. This is a great series.
This was a heart wrenching story of multiple relationships and how things come together for a loving menage relationship. Meredith finally grew up in this book and faced her life as an adult should. No more running or denial or avoidance. The characters are likable and the chemistry is hot. The story is good and the ending is good as well. This is a great series.
May 20, 2014
Definitely explicit but not in a disturbing way. I found the male characters more intriguing than Meredith to be honest. I liked her but whenever she pulled her ditsy act I found myself getting extremely annoyed. However, I enjoyed this book enough to buy another book by the author so all and all it was a fun way to escape real life for a few hours.
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