Truth & Temptation by Riley Edgewood

Title: Truth & Temptation (Summer Love Series #3)

Author: Riley Edgewood

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: July 23, 2015

Source: ARC from Author

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She’s a liar. He knows the truth.

Teagan Walker gets around. Ask anyone—hell, ask her. She’ll own it with a smile. But beneath that smile is a girl whose parents didn’t want her. Whose grandparents raised her without affection. Whose struggle with a burning anger threatens to consume her, though she’d rather punch someone in the face than talk about it. With a new job looming, she’s determined to work her way into a better life. When she meets the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, she decides to kick it off with a bang. And she makes her move.

But he’s got moves of his own, and before the night is out, he strips her of way more than she means to reveal—without removing a single piece of clothing. That comes, too, of course. He’s gotten under skin like nobody before him, and what’s the harm in one night with a sexy stranger? Exposed or not, she never has to see him again.

Except she does.

On Monday morning, they come face-to-face. He’s the son of her new CEO—and he threatens to bring her entire world crashing down, making her face every lie she’s ever told.

There are some stories it feels like I’ve waited such a long time to read, even when in reality, it hasn’t actually been that long. That was the case with Teagan’s story in Riley Edgewood’s Truth & Temptation. And after the wait, this story totally delivered.

Teagan has a reputation. Everyone will tell you so, herself included. But just because she has a reputation and she’s not afraid to admit it doesn’t mean that she’s happy with who she is. In fact, Teagan hates how angry she gets, how big of a bitch she can be even when she doesn’t mean to. But she’s determined to do better, especially now that she’s starting a new job. Out celebrating with her friends, Teagan meets the sexiest guy she’s ever seen and decides to just go for it. But the night doesn’t go quite as planned when Teagan starts to spill all her secrets. But it’s okay, it’s not like Teagan is ever going to see him again. Until she walks in to her new job on Monday morning and comes face-to-face with her new boss. Who just happens to be the guy from a few nights earlier. And he’s ready to call her out on everything she told him.

It feels like I had been waiting for Truth & Temptation, or at least Teagan’s story, since I first met her right at the beginning of Riley Edgewood’s debut, Rock & Release. I knew that she had her own story to tell and I couldn’t wait to read it. So to say I was excited about Truth & Temptation would be a bit of an understatement. I was so freaking excited to read this book, and just like with Riley Edgewood’s previous books, it was so completely addicting. I got sucked into the story, wanting to see where the night would take Teagan and her mysterious sexy man. And once that night was over, I wanted to know everything that happened, everything that Teagan had told Alec. And of course, I wanted to see everything that would come after that. Because if nothing else, I have come to expect from pretty fantastic romance from Riley Edgewood. Needless to say that Truth & Temptation delivered on the romance front. Just like it delivered when it comes to emotional punches. Because there were plenty of those too thanks to Teagan.

I knew from the moment I met her two book ago that Teagan had a lot going on. It was clear that she was dealing with a lot of stuff, and I wanted to know what it all was, especially since it kept being alluded to by Teagan herself and by her best friend. Getting to read her story, I now know that there was so much more to Teagan than I ever thought. And so much of it hit a chord with me, because half of it I could relate to and the other half I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Tegan just deserved something good in her life, more than I can even possibly begin to explain. So Teagan completely broke my heart more than once, and so many times I just wanted to give her a hug. And cue Alec. Alec wasn’t who I expected. Kind of like Teagan, I made certain assumptions about him that turned out to be completely wrong. Alec was a good guy, plain and simple. But he was also so much more than that.  Like Teagan, he had his own set of issues he needed to deal with. And while dealing with those, he was the perfect person for Teagan. He was the person who finally showed her that she was worthy and that she wasn’t doomed to become her mother. He loved her and he wanted her and that’s really all Teagan was asking for. So Alec Chambers was pretty freaking incredible. And I may love him.  And I would also like to take this moment to lay claim to Alec Chambers. Because reasons.

Riley Edgewood’s Truth & Temptation was so much more than the story I had hoped it would be. More than being a story about romance, it was a story about finding yourself and accepting yourself for who you are, regardless of who that is or where you come from. And that’s a pretty damn important message.