Tempt Me

Tattoos and Temptation, Book 5

By: Mia Monroe

Narrated by: Kale Williams

Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

My best friend’s little brother is all grown up.

Figuring out my sexuality at nearly 40 years old has been a revelation, but dating hasn’t been any easier. After a failed engagement, I know what’s important to me, and I refuse to settle anymore.

So when my best friend asks me if I can help his little brother settle in after being away, it sounds like a pleasant distraction. I always thought Felix was a sweet kid. Only 10 years later, he’s definitely all grown up. He owns his glamorous style and larger than life personality, and I’m hooked.

But regardless of my budding interest, there is way too much at stake to even consider dating Felix.

We’ll have to keep it just friends, as long as he doesn’t tempt me...

Tempt Me is a steamy, best friend’s brother, age gap, low angst, tale featuring a sassy chocolatier who can rock a heel and lipstick, a tattoo artist ready to explore his newly accepted sexuality, and two opposites who definitely attract. It is book five in the Tattoos and Temptation series featuring hot Miami nights, Latin desserts, and guys with ink.

It can be listened to as a stand-alone, but why would you do that? Start with Marry Me and meet all the guys from T&T.

©2020 Mia Monroe (P)2022 Mia Monroe

Sweet & Steamy Romance Best Experienced in Audio

This is one of those stories meant to be experienced in audio because wowza. Narrator Kale Williams always delivers, and his French accent for Felix takes it up another notch. To say he is a skilled narrator with a delicious voice is an understatement, and his performance here is not to be missed.

Baker Felix (29) has returned home to Miami after a decade abroad, and his crush on his brother's best friend Apollo (39) is as strong as ever. Tattoo artist Apollo, meanwhile, is tentatively exploring his bisexuality and can't help but see his best friend's younger brother with new eyes. He eagerly welcomes Felix back into his life and friends circle, and it's not long before their relationship takes a romantic turn.

This angst-free story is very sweet, and packs a healthy amount of lace-clad, Kindle-melting steam. Felix is unapologetically himself, which Apollo relishes, and finds an easy acceptance in the larger friends group that he'd been lacking.

There's also a delightful mix of lovey-dovey declarations and dirty talk expertly nailed by the narrator. I had expected a bit longer of a wooing period, particularly with the surprise romantic gestures, but apparently they couldn't wait that long to seal the deal on their relationship (lol).

The large cast of secondary characters plays an important role in this story, so I'd recommend reading the previous books in this terrific series. I received this free review copy audio book by request and have left this honest review voluntarily.

Sensual Fluff

This book was basically sensual fluff and I absolutely loved it. There really was no angst which was actually nice. I loved how in both Felix and Apollo were right away. The love scenes were very steamy but this book was also pretty funny, I laughed out loud quite a few times because Felix was just so funny. Loved seeing a good little bit of Bri and Jude in this book as well. Kale Williams did a great job narrating for this series once again. Great listen!

Death by chocolate and French accents *happy sigh*

Tempt Me is a fluffy confection of a story featuring Felix, a French baker/chocolatier, and Apollo, Jude’s new office manager at Black Heart Tattoos. This fifth book in Mia Monroe’s addictive Tattoos and Temptation series is the literary equivalent of the strawberries and cream cake Felix bakes for Apollo: light, perfectly sweet, and decadent.

Kale Williams’ glorious voice brings this love story to life on the Tempt Me audiobook. He uses his honeyed tones and several different, delectable French accents for Felix, his older brother Lucien, and their mother and father, in combination with his superb narrating skills. Listening to Tempt Me is death by chocolate and French accents … What a way to go. *happy sigh*

This book is written in the language of love. Sappy? Yes. Romantic? Absolutely. Poetic? Most definitely. There’s no angst here, just a light, sweet romantic treat that warms your heart while showcasing the beauty of effusive, all-in love.

Felix is Apollo’s best friend Lucien’s younger brother. They’ve known each other since childhood, but the last time Apollo saw Felix, Felix was still a teenager. Felix has been honing his craft in Paris for the past decade, so when he returns to Miami, his time away combined with the eleven-year age gap between them (Apollo is 40, Felix is 29), results in a stunning revelation for Apollo. Felix isn’t a kid anymore. He is a beautiful, sexy, gorgeous man that checks all of Apollo’s boxes. He unexpectedly finds that Felix is the guy he wants to explore his newly discovered bisexuality with. But not as an experiment. It’s because he realizes Felix may be his “person” — the one he’s been waiting for.

Felix is absolutely adorable (although he may not appreciate me calling him that 😉). He is sweet, down-to-earth, and fully connected with his own thoughts and desires. He is the epitome of a strong, sassy man who is unapologetically himself — heels, lingerie, slinky clothes, shiny long hair, makeup, and all. Apollo is opposite in appearance but very similar in terms of his outlook on life and understanding of who he is as a person. He epitomizes an open-minded, inquisitive man who’s comfortable in his own skin and not afraid to go for what he wants, even if it’s a departure from everything he thought he was or wanted before. Apollo is the perfect counterpoint to Felix who is super-secure, generous of heart and spirit, and looking for that French swoon-worthy love that he never found in France because his heart was always holding out for Apollo.

In Tempt Me, Ms. Monroe pays homage to food as a love language with Felix as the artistic chef. But it’s not in lieu of openly and proudly expressing his feelings in words. Felix and Apollo aren’t shy about declarations of their affection, attachment and commitment to each other. This is not a story about doubting or hiding feelings.

Remember Tate and Nix in Free Me? Two men who have known each other forever became inseparable and then broke apart. Thirteen years later, they fall back on their long history and revive their deep connection as easy as breathing. Felix and Apollo are like that but without the devastating separation. They’ve known each other forever and after a ten-year separation, they create a new connection that’s better and stronger than the best friend’s brother relationship they had before.

Tempt Me is a joyful celebration of love. Kale Williams brings that joy to life. You hear his investment in the characters and in Felix and Apollo’s relationship. But perhaps more importantly, you can hear that he is having fun. You can tell he is loving giving Felix and Apollo’s love story life. That exuberance, coupled with his undeniable vocal chops, allows him to deliver an ebullient listening experience. You’ll find yourself smiling throughout and feeling all schmoopy and exceedingly happy by the end.

I truly enjoyed the Tempt Me book when I read it when it was released last year. However, the Tempt Me audiobook is a prime example of a narrator’s vocal performance creating an auditory experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. Simply put, Tempt Me is better with the audio, which is certainly saying something since the book is terrific all on its own. You cannot resist the pull of Felix’s delicious French accent, Apollo’s smooth, resonant baritone, Saint’s sexy Scottish brogue, and the warm familiarity of the voices Mr. Williams consistently delivers for all of the other Black Heart and Dulce Santo men. Throw in chocolate, french pastries, tattoos, piercings, hot guys, and hotter sex, and you’ve got a winner of a love story.

Made better with narration

I enjoyed this book when it came out, but Kale really brought this story to life. His nearly flawless French accent with Felix (at least to this American’s ears) paired with the sexy times just made this book a re-listen. Cannot wait for Gray and Mitsu’s book!

New Discoveries

Returning to Miami after spending time away, Felix is finally getting to spend time with the man he has always been crushing on.
Helping out his best friend, Apollo, can't say no to Felix when he needs a place to land.
But, Felix is all grown up now and he is shaking things up with all of his allure and lace.

As Apollo is on a path of new discoveries, Felix is just the right guy to open his eyes to all that he had been missing in life.

This was a sweet, low angst listen. With sassy, colorful characters, sexy scenes and an engaging plot.

The narration was amazing, especially the accents. once again, a fantastic job by Mr Williams.

Love this one

First time Gay. brother's best friend. so well written, this series is great. outstanding job of Narrating by Kale Williams, he really brought this one to life. Great group of guys each finding their Love and forever. well worth the credit and your time to listen.

amazing!

wow just wow! kale Williams seriously knocked it out with this one! his Felix voice is beyond fire! of course this wouldn't be possible without the beautiful words of Mia Monroe! loved this audible will listen to again when I need a feel good audible💜

Wonderful Story (Mia) Fabulous Narration (Kale)

Mia Monroe has established a beautiful series with Tattoos and Temptation. Apollo and Felix share their love story, as their adventure travels from Paris to Miami.

Tempt Me titillates the senses, as Felix brings his ‘little brother’ relationship back from 10 years in France, to surprise Apollo into seeing him through different eyes. With an age difference that each understands could block how they expect the other to feel AND the incredibly lucky ‘not’ challenge that Felix is Apollo’s best friend Lucien’s younger brother, you know each of these men are going to go through some soul searching.

As an exquisite creator of chocolate and sugar work, Felix gently enters the group of artist friends, both tattoo and cake, but is still drowning in his dream man, Apollo. Apollo has feelings he is recognizing are leading him to care deeply for Felix-much deeper than just a friend, and we feel ALL of these feels through the fabulous narration of Kale Williams.

This is a great series with great narration!

Obsessed!

This is one of my all time favorite series and I was thrilled to hear Kale Williams again, but to hear his French accent? Holy wow! I’ve heard his Scot and others but this was an amazing example of his range! Add in Mia’s stellar writing and beautiful characters and we have a 5 star listen!

Best in the Series

Best in the series so far and they have all been excellent. Narrator does a beautiful job with accents. Highly recommend!