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Tempted in Texas #1
Silver Seconds
He wants to steal her bakery. She steals his heart instead.
45-year-old Denise Lawson doesn't have a problem. She has several. The bakery she inherited is falling apart. Her ex-husband is being a jerk. Oh, and she just drunk-kissed a hot guy at a bar. Hello, midlife cringe.
But the even bigger problem is that the hot guy - Brett Cooper - kissed her back.
Like kissed her, kissed her.
Brett came to Barton Beach for one get Denise Lawson to sell her bakery. But so far, this little trip has not gone according to plan. He was expecting to eat scones. Maybe take a stroll on the beach.
Not fall for the hot bakery owner with sexy curves and a heart of gold.
Denise wants to pretend like their kiss never happened. But Brett is feeling tempted. Tempted to take a chance. Tempted to let down his walls. Tempted to kiss Denise again. And again. And again.
So, that's exactly what he's going to do. He just has to be careful. Because if Denise ever finds out why he came to Barton Beach -- or even worse, who he's working for -- she may never speak to him again...
Silver Seconds is a steamy second chance romance with simmering chemistry, small town feels and a guaranteed HEA.
45-year-old Denise Lawson doesn't have a problem. She has several. The bakery she inherited is falling apart. Her ex-husband is being a jerk. Oh, and she just drunk-kissed a hot guy at a bar. Hello, midlife cringe.
But the even bigger problem is that the hot guy - Brett Cooper - kissed her back.
Like kissed her, kissed her.
Brett came to Barton Beach for one get Denise Lawson to sell her bakery. But so far, this little trip has not gone according to plan. He was expecting to eat scones. Maybe take a stroll on the beach.
Not fall for the hot bakery owner with sexy curves and a heart of gold.
Denise wants to pretend like their kiss never happened. But Brett is feeling tempted. Tempted to take a chance. Tempted to let down his walls. Tempted to kiss Denise again. And again. And again.
So, that's exactly what he's going to do. He just has to be careful. Because if Denise ever finds out why he came to Barton Beach -- or even worse, who he's working for -- she may never speak to him again...
Silver Seconds is a steamy second chance romance with simmering chemistry, small town feels and a guaranteed HEA.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2023
375 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 2, 2024
Here's what I liked (spoiler alert, it is far outweighed by what I didn't like)--
* their ages. Our FMC was forty-five and our MMC was 47. They faced grown-up issues, like college funds, businesses failing, prior spouses having cheated, figuring out that you spent your whole life working toward a career goal that maybe feels hollow. So much could have been done with these.
What I didn't like
* the writing, unfortunately, didn't do it for me. The grammar was fine and there were no typos, but there was so much telling instead of showing.
* I felt like the bad actors were obvious from the moment they were introduced, which caused me to lose interest
* the lack of communication/ miscommunication. These are grown ass people! Are we really supposed to believe they wouldn't just have a conversation about one of the MANY issues happening?!
* too many plot points... How much could possibly happen to Denise? A social media onslaught of criticism, losing her business, issues with her daughter's college fund, self confidence issues after her ex husband having cheated, betrayal by a family member, Brett failing to disclose. Like ENOUGH already 🙄
It wasn't so bad that I DNFed but it was thisclose 🤷♀️
* their ages. Our FMC was forty-five and our MMC was 47. They faced grown-up issues, like college funds, businesses failing, prior spouses having cheated, figuring out that you spent your whole life working toward a career goal that maybe feels hollow. So much could have been done with these.
What I didn't like
* the writing, unfortunately, didn't do it for me. The grammar was fine and there were no typos, but there was so much telling instead of showing.
* I felt like the bad actors were obvious from the moment they were introduced, which caused me to lose interest
* the lack of communication/ miscommunication. These are grown ass people! Are we really supposed to believe they wouldn't just have a conversation about one of the MANY issues happening?!
* too many plot points... How much could possibly happen to Denise? A social media onslaught of criticism, losing her business, issues with her daughter's college fund, self confidence issues after her ex husband having cheated, betrayal by a family member, Brett failing to disclose. Like ENOUGH already 🙄
It wasn't so bad that I DNFed but it was thisclose 🤷♀️
September 15, 2023
This is book one of Tempted in Texas and the main characters are Denise Lawson (45), who has taken over her mother’s bakery, Sugar Breeze Bakery in Barton Beach, after her death a year ago, and silver fox and ruthless businessman, Brett Cooper, who has been sent by the company he works for, WestRock, to get Denise to sell to them and get a promotion for his trouble! Denise has been struggling to keep the bakery going, with one disaster after another and under tons of stress. She has finally gotten rid of her ex-husband and for her birthday, her best friends surprised her and took her out to a new bar in town, run by Bash Cooper, who turns out to be Brett’s twin brother. None of the women had been there before and just before they got there, Bash has to take an injured barkeeper to hospital. Leaving his brother to close up, just as the women walked in. When he saw Denise and heard she was the birthday girl, he made them all drinks and started talking to Denise, who had stayed by the bar. The attraction is mutual and Denise acts completely unlike her normal self and flirts with him and they end up having a kiss as he says good night. The only issue is she told him her name was Sylvia, her mother’s name! He arranges to take her out the next evening before he leaves.
The next day starts out with a few emergencies at the bakery and another day where she will have to close yet again to do repairs! Just as her manager is mopping up the mess, a man has walked into the shop, and it is only as he turns round that Denise realises it is Brett, but all dressed up in a suit and expensive watch! When her manager calls her Sylvia, the game is up, but before she can make an excuse, starlet Tinsley Simon walks in to arrange some cake testing for her wedding and it turns out she knows Brett somehow! Brett suddenly realises he can’t go ahead and let Denise know why he is really there, because he wants to be with her. If she ever finds out why he came to town in the first place and had turned up at her bakery, then any chance of happiness with her would be gone forever. Unfortunately, there is someone really nasty, who wants Denise’s bakery for themselves, believing it should belong to them. The long line of disasters she is having that make her lose business and have been costing her more than she can afford, will soon be revealed to not be what they seem!
Brett has been allowed to feed his addiction for Denise and he never wants to let her go, but his work is hours away and a long distance relationship can only go so far, when all he can think of during the week is her and how soon he will be back with her. He had once thought work was all he needed and now he has gotten exactly what he wanted, but at what cost? Each of them are keeping things secret from the other, with Denise getting herself into a mess financially to keep her mother’s life work going, and Brett having the most dangerous secret there is. Once he knows the identity of the person behind his job to get the bakery, no matter at what cost, he really should have come clean. But would Denise have even believe him? I doubt it! She may have the support of her sister and best friend, but another family member refuses to help, putting his own family first. Brett has no real family or friends and though he had enough until he met Denise and found out what he was missing. A HEA ending is finally reached, but it has to go through a long period of heartache and miscommunication, before it is achieved. The usual problem with keeping secrets is that they can explode in your face when they are revealed. You have no control over how they are received by others, especially the ones o=most important to you! A bit of a car wreck at the end, but glad they got back together and that he made the effort he did. A lovely surprise. I received an ARC copy of this book form BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
The next day starts out with a few emergencies at the bakery and another day where she will have to close yet again to do repairs! Just as her manager is mopping up the mess, a man has walked into the shop, and it is only as he turns round that Denise realises it is Brett, but all dressed up in a suit and expensive watch! When her manager calls her Sylvia, the game is up, but before she can make an excuse, starlet Tinsley Simon walks in to arrange some cake testing for her wedding and it turns out she knows Brett somehow! Brett suddenly realises he can’t go ahead and let Denise know why he is really there, because he wants to be with her. If she ever finds out why he came to town in the first place and had turned up at her bakery, then any chance of happiness with her would be gone forever. Unfortunately, there is someone really nasty, who wants Denise’s bakery for themselves, believing it should belong to them. The long line of disasters she is having that make her lose business and have been costing her more than she can afford, will soon be revealed to not be what they seem!
Brett has been allowed to feed his addiction for Denise and he never wants to let her go, but his work is hours away and a long distance relationship can only go so far, when all he can think of during the week is her and how soon he will be back with her. He had once thought work was all he needed and now he has gotten exactly what he wanted, but at what cost? Each of them are keeping things secret from the other, with Denise getting herself into a mess financially to keep her mother’s life work going, and Brett having the most dangerous secret there is. Once he knows the identity of the person behind his job to get the bakery, no matter at what cost, he really should have come clean. But would Denise have even believe him? I doubt it! She may have the support of her sister and best friend, but another family member refuses to help, putting his own family first. Brett has no real family or friends and though he had enough until he met Denise and found out what he was missing. A HEA ending is finally reached, but it has to go through a long period of heartache and miscommunication, before it is achieved. The usual problem with keeping secrets is that they can explode in your face when they are revealed. You have no control over how they are received by others, especially the ones o=most important to you! A bit of a car wreck at the end, but glad they got back together and that he made the effort he did. A lovely surprise. I received an ARC copy of this book form BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
January 3, 2024
Denise & Brett A Spicy Second Chance
Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
Denise and Brett's story is a fantastic 40+ romance. Denise is a divorced mother of 1 running the bakery she inherited upon her mother's passing and Brett is a wealthy finance guru working at an investment firm. Their chance meeting at a bar on her 43 birthday ignites a spark that we soon find smoldering into a steamy romance.
With plenty of drama and twists along the way, the two of them find not only partners in each other but discover truths about themselves as individuals in their journey.
I greatly appreciated them being a more mature couple, and appreciated the author's attention to accurate representation of what its like to be a middle aged mom, complete with a mom bod and adult responsibilities. Hearing Denise think about the changes her body has gone through, without shame or discontent was nice. I love that she is represented as confident in her own skin, rather than seeking reassurance or feeling ashamed and needing the MMC to somehow talk her into loving herself as she is. So many other books put the onus on the man having to convince their partners to love their "flaws",, but Stella Banks gives us a FMC who respects the changes her body has experienced (thank you Stella!).
Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
Denise and Brett's story is a fantastic 40+ romance. Denise is a divorced mother of 1 running the bakery she inherited upon her mother's passing and Brett is a wealthy finance guru working at an investment firm. Their chance meeting at a bar on her 43 birthday ignites a spark that we soon find smoldering into a steamy romance.
With plenty of drama and twists along the way, the two of them find not only partners in each other but discover truths about themselves as individuals in their journey.
I greatly appreciated them being a more mature couple, and appreciated the author's attention to accurate representation of what its like to be a middle aged mom, complete with a mom bod and adult responsibilities. Hearing Denise think about the changes her body has gone through, without shame or discontent was nice. I love that she is represented as confident in her own skin, rather than seeking reassurance or feeling ashamed and needing the MMC to somehow talk her into loving herself as she is. So many other books put the onus on the man having to convince their partners to love their "flaws",, but Stella Banks gives us a FMC who respects the changes her body has experienced (thank you Stella!).
August 25, 2023
Silver Seconds is part of a new series Tempted in Texas. It is a steamy, small-town, second-chance romance. Denise is a 45 year old baker restarting after a divorce. She inherited her mother's bakery about a year ago and is struggling with running a business. Brett is a 47 year old investor married to his work. When Brett is sent to try and acquire Denise's bakery, he doesn't expect to be attracted to the sexy baker. The more time he spends with her, the more he wants to help. Denise took a hit to her self-esteem after her divorce and has a hard time putting herself out there. But what happens when she realizes what Brett is after? Perhaps all is not as it seems. I loved the chemistry of these characters and seeing Denise start to be more confident in herself. We do have a bit of drama and angst but eventually get to a great HEA. I also loved the over 40 year old main characters finding love and the shout-out to Fit Mountain! Great read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 19, 2024
Sooooo Good & Swoony
Stella has done it again! This book had me swooning and not wanting to put it down. I bought this to read on vacation and found it was all I wanted to do was just read it.
Denise is in over her head. She inherited her mother’s bakery. And let me tell you, it was soooo fun to go on this journey with her. She is a great character. She wasn’t looking for love, but she definitely found it.
Brett is sent to his hometown to inquire about the local bakery, what he didn’t expect to find was the adorable baker! Brett has a lot to figure out in this book and it was fun to go on this journey with him, Denise is his shining star and what brings them together is soooo fun, so much fun drama and will have you swooning.
This is awesome. Stella writes these absolutely amazing novellas with her mountain man series so to get a full length book from her was amazing. But truthfully no matter what she writes, I love it all sooooo much!!!
Stella has done it again! This book had me swooning and not wanting to put it down. I bought this to read on vacation and found it was all I wanted to do was just read it.
Denise is in over her head. She inherited her mother’s bakery. And let me tell you, it was soooo fun to go on this journey with her. She is a great character. She wasn’t looking for love, but she definitely found it.
Brett is sent to his hometown to inquire about the local bakery, what he didn’t expect to find was the adorable baker! Brett has a lot to figure out in this book and it was fun to go on this journey with him, Denise is his shining star and what brings them together is soooo fun, so much fun drama and will have you swooning.
This is awesome. Stella writes these absolutely amazing novellas with her mountain man series so to get a full length book from her was amazing. But truthfully no matter what she writes, I love it all sooooo much!!!
August 24, 2023
MMC/FMC- Brett and Denise
POV- 1st person dual
Genre- Contemporary Romance
Heat level- they do the things and use the P word while describing the parts
Safety: No Cheating/Sharing, No OW/OM Drama, No S. Violence, No Cliffhanger.
HEA/HFN? Y
Triggers- language, explicit erotic content, corporate greed, sugar rush
Tropes- Over 40, Meet Cute, Instalove, Secrets and Lies, Sweet Tooth
What I liked- this book contains the only recorded instance where taking off pantyhose was hot, ever.
What I didn’t- I’d have liked to have seen the villain get more comeuppance. But it was a HEA without it. And a delightfully cute story overall.
Verdict- This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and this one is better. Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
POV- 1st person dual
Genre- Contemporary Romance
Heat level- they do the things and use the P word while describing the parts
Safety: No Cheating/Sharing, No OW/OM Drama, No S. Violence, No Cliffhanger.
HEA/HFN? Y
Triggers- language, explicit erotic content, corporate greed, sugar rush
Tropes- Over 40, Meet Cute, Instalove, Secrets and Lies, Sweet Tooth
What I liked- this book contains the only recorded instance where taking off pantyhose was hot, ever.
What I didn’t- I’d have liked to have seen the villain get more comeuppance. But it was a HEA without it. And a delightfully cute story overall.
Verdict- This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and this one is better. Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 7, 2025
I feel like I stayed aggravated at Brett for the majority of the book. The delay in telling her why he was in town. The secrets he kept from her. The party he didn’t invite her too. The way he was always about his job and making partner. How important it was. It was annoying. The part the author put in the book about Denise and her daughter’s college money annoyed me. I feel like it was not necessary. It was almost like ok this woman’s had a hard life that’s not enough let me make her look bad to everyone she knows. Even for just a second. It was kind of annoying. In the end I still wanted Brett and Denise to be together and I feel like bringing them together w/the bakery was cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2023
What a fantastic read! I literally could not put this one down…I read it all the way through. 🥰 Believe me, Stella Banks really knows how to spin a killer read with middle age characters. The storyline was awesome; the characters really punched you in the heart; the plot twists and turns really kept you guessing; and the drive to the HEA was nothing short of incredible! This one definitely belongs in your library, so grab a copy today! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and was totally mesmerized by it!) Be sure to have tissues ready for this one! ❤️❤️
September 10, 2023
Brett and Denise relationship was built on lies and omissions. They both meet in his brother's bar and the sparks Ingnite right from the beginning, but Denise is coming off of a divorce and just beginning to open up to the possibility of a relationship. Brett is in town to do a job and didn't know that the woman he needed to saddle up to was Denise since she gave a different name. This story had me all caught up in it and connecting with the characters that had my emotions all over the place.
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book.
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book.
August 27, 2023
I absolutely devoured this book like it was candy!!!
Stella Banks totally delivers on her first long book in what's sure to be fantastic series! Gaaah!!! I absolutely devoured this book like it was candy! It was such an awesome, sweet and sexy story. It’s witty, charming, steamy, and heartfelt, this fantastic story is the perfect reading escape to make your romantic heart smile, so make sure you don’t miss it! Happy reading everyone
Stella Banks totally delivers on her first long book in what's sure to be fantastic series! Gaaah!!! I absolutely devoured this book like it was candy! It was such an awesome, sweet and sexy story. It’s witty, charming, steamy, and heartfelt, this fantastic story is the perfect reading escape to make your romantic heart smile, so make sure you don’t miss it! Happy reading everyone
September 10, 2023
This story was one where you knew there was a car crash coming but you had to see how it would all happen and how it would turn out. I liked Brett and Denise but didn't always agree with their actions and decisions. They had good support from family and friends and a strong connection which was needed when that car crash did happened. I did have a question or two at the end but not enough for me not to like their HEA. I am voluntarily leaving this review after receiving an ARC from Hidden Gems.
December 28, 2023
A relationship that starts with a Denise’s lie and continues with a significant omission from Brett, is bound to implode.
This story about 40 somethings falling in love was full of surprises and twists, as things unravelled in true romance fashion. Plus, it was pretty darn steamy.
The eventual resolution will have you swooning and wanting your very own Brett.
This story about 40 somethings falling in love was full of surprises and twists, as things unravelled in true romance fashion. Plus, it was pretty darn steamy.
The eventual resolution will have you swooning and wanting your very own Brett.
August 23, 2023
The author has given us a heartwarming story that pulls us into the lives of Denise and Brett. The story keeps us turning the pages with connection, secrets, fears and steam.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 9, 2023
this was just ok.
The chemistry was just….meh. I dunno why it just felt like the whole thing was so underwhelming. Brett sounded incredibly attractive but there wasn’t anything captivating about this relationship for me.
The chemistry was just….meh. I dunno why it just felt like the whole thing was so underwhelming. Brett sounded incredibly attractive but there wasn’t anything captivating about this relationship for me.
August 16, 2024
Denise and Brett. She's celebrating her birthday with her sister and best friend. She owns a bakery inherited from her mom. He's an investment guy. I enjoyed this book a lot. It will go into my read again pile.
September 3, 2023
I enjoyed Brett and Denise's book. It was an entertaining, fun read. And am voluntarily leaving my review.
October 11, 2023
meh... i think for a woman in her mid-forties, she feels a little delusional at times... and the book felt kind of long-winded...
August 1, 2024
The storyline was cute but there book read as if it was never sent to an editor. The grammar was poor in much of the book and hurt my brain!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews