A Tempting Distraction: An Oxford romance and beautiful interracial love story

by Olivia Tasker

Experience a story of passion and spice between a young couple where multi-cultural dynamics, honor, family expectations, and different economic backgrounds will raise the old age question. Can love conquer all in this steamy interracial college romance?

Mina Lee

Impulsive, daring, and free-spirited, Mina Lee has every intention of living life on her own terms even if it means defying the demands set by her family that she must marry a man she doesn't love no matter how attractive and pleasant he might be. Destined to inherit billions of her family’s empire, Mina has other plans than succumbing to her parents' demands.

Bastien Thomas

Focused, ambitious, rigid, Bastien Thomas has no intention of becoming distracted and losing sight of the prize, especially the kind of distraction Mina Lee brings. Determined to become one of London’s most successful lawyers, his acceptance to the prestigious Oxford University comes with a lot of ultimatums and requirements. The ultimate being success at all costs.

She’s everything he should reject, simply because her mere presence makes him forget the reason behind his well-laid out plans. It should matter that her family has already chosen a husband for her or that they would never accept him as he is neither Asian nor of aristocratic wealth.

Yet he cannot deny the desire to have it all. The great love story as well as the successful career.

And she too cannot deny the impulse to follow her heart, even if it comes at the price of losing it all.

No matter how hard they try to resist, their forbidden, untamed desires are a temptation too great to deny. Will love cost them everything?

Content Notes:

profanity , explicit sexual content, and explicit language used throughout,

This book is set within a UK context so British English and British slang are the primary language being used,

For lovers of K dramas
Readers of spicy erotic romance
college romance

This story is not intended for sweet romance readers. It is hardcore erotica and has very strong sexual language which some persons might find offensive.

WARNING 18 and OVER ...EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT

Genres: Romance

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2024

About the author

Olivia Tasker is an author of sizzling adult contemporary romance. Her books contain diverse characters and emotional, sometimes funny but realistic and serious life scenarios with plenty of banter and lots of passion intertwined.

Besides reading and writing, Olivia loves travelling, is obsessed with music, especially Coldplay, and has multiple crushes with fictional boyfriends and or potential husbands.

Reviews

[…Welcome to My World &#x1f30e.. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing story! I loved it. Bastien and Mina’s chemistry was off the charts and I absolutely loved the intensity and love between the two of them. I loved how at times Mina let Bastien take control and other times she took control. These two had such a romantic and intense love and I absolutely loved it. Olivia has once again made a great impression on me. I’m am sold on her books. I’m definitely anticipating the next one in the series. I can’t wait to meet the little nugget! IYKYK!

I received an ARC Copy and I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Sahee Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tempting distraction focuses on two main protagonists. Bastien’s story starts when he’s 9, and on his 10th birthday, his family undergoes a drastic change that involves them moving from France to England. Years later, Bastien gets a scholarship to study at Oxford University and attends the school with his best friend, Camden. Bastien is determined to be serious about his university and have no distractions, but this is until Mina Lee comes into the picture.
 
Mina Lee, on the other hand, is the daughter of a very rich family that plans on marrying her off to a rich man to increase their wealth. For this reason, Mina is determined to live her life to the fullest and have a carefree life with casual sex and no relationship until then. When Mina first hears about Bastien from her friend Charlotte, she is immediately interested in and attracted to him. They both meet at an afterparty, where they get to know each other and have very mind-blowing sex. Bastien is determined to keep it as that and not commit to or have anything more than one night because he believes it only starts with good intentions but then ends up getting messy. How long will he hold on to that decision?
 
A very steamy and interesting novel, to say the least. The spicy scenes are so well written, and I have no criticism about the book. Potential content warnings would be the sexual content or use of profanities. I would recommend the book to lovers of romance novels with an interest in smut. 

[OMOKINIOVO OMOJEVWE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia Tasker's "A Tempting Distraction" is a spicy Love story and beautiful interracial romance that can keep the reader hooked from the first page to the last page. The book focuses mainly on two characters Bastien Thomas and Mina Lee. Bastien Thomas's story starts as a Ten-year-old living with his younger sister Camille and his mom, who works as a housekeeper for a wealthy French family in Paris, the Laurents. Bastien and Camille grew up with the Laurent kids Louis and Elise sharing strong friendship connections. Certain events happened which led to sudden changes in the lives of Bastien and his family causing them to relocate from Paris to London. Moving to London was tough but with time, Bastien was able to just, meet the vivacious Camden Smith, who is a member of the Smith family, the new family in London Bastien's mom works for.
Bastien has set out his perfect plans of being focused and committed to his academics at Oxford University after gaining admission through scholarship, not giving room for any form of distraction but little did he know that Cupid had other plans for him.
The free-spirited Mina Lee, also a student at Oxford University, comes from a wealthy Asian family with her future already planned for her. Mina who had no plans of getting serious with any boy in Oxford University, can't resist the charming Bastien Thomas.
Bastien and Mina fell for each other from the go but there were many obstacles to their relationship and overcoming these obstacles will cost them a lot.
The book was a good read with very steamy sex scenes. Sometimes, the deviation from actual dialogue, to probably tell what happened in the past or the result of a particular action in the future, got me lost a couple of times. Also, like every love story, the climax was predictable but not exaggerated, that is, making the story too complicated. I love how it ended and I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Binum Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tempting Distraction" by Olivia Tasker is a steamy romance novel that tells the story of Bastien, a young man who grows up with a single mother, and Mina Lee, a wealthy Asian heiress. Despite their different backgrounds, they engage in a forbidden romance. The book is well-written, with vivid descriptions of steamy scenes. While the character of Mina Lee could have been developed further, the book is still an enjoyable read. Recommended for fans of romance and erotica.

[JONATHAN ALEMEDE · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is most inspiring is Bastien's strength to keep going toward his aim amidst heavy pressures at school. There are some principal scenes in which themes such as sacrifice and the frailty of life were brought to the foreground. The developing relationship of Bastien and Mina epitomizes young love, the quintessence of which lies in communication and compromise. It is an enjoyable book with well-developed characters and subjects with which one identifies, rating 4 out of 5 stars.

[Giwa Fuad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tempting Distraction” by Olivia Tasker is a hot, sexy, and intense college-based interracial story that touches on the social issue of race and class differences. The story is centered around two main characters, Mina Lee and Bastien Thomas, whose forbidden desires and passionate connection raise the timeless question: is love really powerful enough to triumph over everything? 

[Ibekwe ThankGod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our lively heroine Mina Lee overcomes her family's expectations to marry a man she doesn't love in Olivia Tasker's book "A Tempting Distraction: An Oxford Romance and Beautiful Interracial Love Story". She wants a life on her own terms even if she is destined to inherit her family's fortune.

[Marlesa Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read- steamy novel

It's a captivating read that makes you eager for "what's next?"

Need a follow-up on the Bad and Mine's family life

Awaiting book 2

[Bronwyn Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read with big emotions and lots of spice!

[Riley Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclaimer, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a good story that just wasn't executed with the best writing choices. And let me say that this whole book sounded like something I would really like to read. We have two individuals who sound like they are going to have some great chemistry. Which they did, once we got them in a one-on-one scenario. The romance that sparked was certainly HOT and great moments. It just seemed like there were a lot of huh? moments in the pages that took me away from enjoying the book to its fullest.

I appreciated the backstory that we are given for Bastian and the glimpse into a few months earlier for Mina. Backstories are what make or break characters for sure. Loved that we got them both up front and not a dramatic flashback chapter in the middles somewhere pointlessly. I got to go into the story knowing more about Bas and had a better connection with him. I'm not going to get into the messy plot Bas has though. He's relationship/hatred/acceptance with his dad and the poor/rich attitude he bounces between as the story needs him gave me whiplash. I just accepted them as plot movers and went on with my day. As for Mina, we get most of her backstory info as the book progresses.

I do wish time was better defined. We get chapter one stating Bastian at age 10 and then after his chapters were done we just jump in time with no time prompt into Mina at age 18-19 at a party. There was very little context to go with to figure out when this was compared to the last two chapters we were reading. For a stretch of Mina's chapter, I thought she was 19 at the time Bas was 10. Which I'm not shaming age-gap romance at all - I've read some amazing age-gap books! I was simply confused while trying to work out "when we are". This happens a few times with us jumping time with nothing helping the reader out. We even jump scenes with little to no transitioning happening for the reader. You can get through the book without this holding you up since the skips are between bigger events for the most part. It just made me work harder for the story as it is currently.

Conversations staggered my reading hard and didn't pace out well. They were actually taking me out of the story more than the time jumping did. It didn't feel like a natural back and forth happening between anyone talking. One example is when we first meet Mina and she is at a party. She see a hot guy that she wants to hook up with and he clearly has hearts in his eyes for her. They exchange 3 lines - Mina - 1) nice party & Mina -2) wanna go someplace quite?, Lucas 1.) sure, want a drink?. Then she just blurts out to the guy, "I don't do relationships". Huh? No lead up, no internal monolog for the audience to hear what is happening in her head, just "Hey, we can do something, but it won't lead anywhere in the future". All because she can see that he was already thinking marriage and the whole kids/future.

We also just didn't get to have some of the conversations. It was almost a fade-to-black moment for any conversation that was happening. We got a glimpse of individuals chatting but never what they were discussing. And these are own Main Characters talking to each other. This really bothered me. When the 2 MCs start talking about their relationship, it is just glossed over with a "they talked for awhile/hours". There is no discussion that we see. No back and forth happening. No insight to their thoughts - or whoever it is we were supposedly looking through in that chapter. Nothing but a few of the broad highlights that are given to us in summary AFTER the whole entire conversation was completed. These are the moments that help give the readers character growth. Or at the very least, help the readers connect with the characters on a deeper level. These gloss over moments kept everyone at arms length and never let us experience their pain, love, tears, laughs.

The strongest and best writing that happens in this story are definitely the romantic moments. Turn up that spice meter everyone! Super Super good scenes. The writing was on point and we get well written moments leading into and after those smutty moments. If the author took the same time and application used in these section to the rest, we would have a very different outcome in quality. I would say that these scenes probably helped balm the larger grievances I had with the writing (time jumps, conversations, plot moments not agreeing). I can see the potential our author has in future stories. It will come in time with more writing and confidence, but it is certainly there.

[Lizzy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bastien and Mina are from different worlds. They are two driven people who had to take a pause to make room for the other. It took Nate for Bastien to realise what he needed to do.

Love isn't always easy, but it's mostly worth it.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all thank you to Booksirens for this arc copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I can admit that I 100% enjoyed reading this book. Olivia Tasker did an amazing job at writing the spicy parts of the scenes as it got me all hot and bothered 🥵.

I really liked how the author has provided each character’s POV which made it easier to follow and read. The other good thing I liked was the background story of Bastien and finding out what kind of family environment both characters were growing up in. This book definitely gave me K-Drama vibes when you know things don��t work out when a super rich and poor family is involved. Also loved the fact that it also mentions the actors Park Seo Joon and Kim Seok-Jin 🥰 I don’t think there really is any bad things about it except from the long chapters in the beginning and the end of the book but other than that I’ve really enjoyed reading it.

I think this book is only published in USA at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be any link to the book in the UK but I highly recommend this book if you want 5 star spice in your life and want K-Drama in a book. I already can’t wait for Book 2 to come out!

[Heather Silverstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and great writing.

Well paced story and good attention to detail. Interesting backstories. Loved it!! Can’t wait for the next installment. Hopefully soon.

[Lia Anshar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia Tasker's "A Tempting Distraction" is a compelling tale of love, ambition, and cultural intersection. The novel introduces readers to Bastien Thomas, whose journey from a humble life in Paris to the grand halls of Oxford University. The narrative delves into Bastien's early years in Paris, where he and his sister Camille form close bonds with the wealthy Laurent children, Louis and Elise, where their mother works as a head housekeeper. The shift to London marks a significant turning point, bringing new challenges and opportunities. Bastien's resolve to remain undistracted at Oxford is a testament to his drive, yet it is this very setting where he meets Mina Lee, a free-spirited and wealthy student from an Asian background.

Mina’s character adds a refreshing dynamic to the story. Tasker portrays her as a vibrant and independent woman, grappling with familial expectations and her desires. The instant chemistry between Bastien and Mina is real, setting the stage for a romance that is both enchanting and fraught with obstacles.

The strength of "A Tempting Distraction" lies in its exploration of the complexities of an interracial relationship. Tasker does not shy away from depicting the societal and personal challenges Bastien and Mina face, making their love story both relatable and poignant. The cultural and familial pressures they confront add depth to their characters and drive the narrative forward.

Tasker’s writing is engaging, and her portrayal of Oxford’s academic atmosphere is both realistic and evocative. The romance is beautifully interwoven with themes of identity, ambition, and the sacrifices required for love. "A Tempting Distraction" is a heartfelt and thought-provoking read, offering a nuanced look at love in the modern world.

[Joshua Ametu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tempting Distraction is a story that revolves around the lives of two main characters, Bastien and Mina. Bastien's journey starts at the age of 9, and on his 10th birthday, his family undergoes a significant change that causes them to move from France to England. Years later, Bastien secures a scholarship to study at Oxford University, and he brings along his close friend, Camden. With his sights set on becoming one of London’s most successful lawyers, Bastien is initially very focused on his studies. However, his determination faces a test when Mina Lee enters the scene. Mina is impulsive, daring, and free-spirited, she is however, from a wealthy family that Intended to marry her to a rich man for the sole purpose of increasing their wealth. In response to this, Mina has chosen to prioritize her freedom and happiness. She is focused on living a fulfilling life, having casual sex without the pressure of relationship commitment until then. Bastien and Mina Lee became attracted to each other at first sight and began a passionate sexual relationship. Facing various struggles and challenges, They soon found that beyond sex and romance was something they both did not know they desired.
I found the novel to be incredibly interesting, engaging, and well-written, particularly the steamy scenes. Overall, I have no complaints or dislikes about the book and would give it a five-star rating. It's worth noting that potential readers should be aware of the sexual content and profanity. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy romance novels with a focus on intimate relationships

[Cassie Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Tempting Distraction” by Oliver Tasker is a sizzling interracial romance novel with a five over five heat level. The story begins with Bastien as a 10-year-old boy living in Paris with his single mother and younger sister, whose young life is upended when they suddenly move to live in London. Bastien struggles to accept the unexpected move and has to say a sudden goodbye to his best friend Louis. Years later, young adult Bastien a law student at Oxford University, meets Mina, a fellow student from a very wealthy family. They are attracted to each other at first sight and begin a passionate sexual relationship. Facing hurdles and challenges, the content of their heart is tested.

I like the emotional depth and complexity of the relationship between the main characters, Bastien and Mina. The author does a good job of depicting the characters' internal struggles and it is so engaging. I could picture every page in my head because the author took the time to clearly describe things.

However, I dislike having to wait to read through each of their thought before the next response that naturally comes immediately. It felt like I was reading the book in slow motion at some point. Take for example, when Mina and Bastien had a terrible fight, the perspective of the person in that chapter was written very slowly. Naturally, arguments involve instant responses, but I had to read lines upon lines of thoughts before actual responses. It was frustrating.

Still, for any lover of hot romance, this book is the perfect read. You'll really like it.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tempting Distraction by Olivia Tasker is a book about Bastien Thomas, who grew up in the house of the Laurents, an extremely wealthy family in Paris. When he was young, his mother was sent away to London after being falsely accused of being a homewrecker. This experience scarred Bastien and made him vow never to do the same to any woman. Years later, he finally meets Mina, the nineteen-year-old daughter of a rich Asian household with her own experiences. They soon found that beyond sex and romance was something they both did not know they desired.


I liked how short and straight to the point the book was. I also liked that it seemed like something out of a Wattpad novel. It was obvious that the author did her research in the details she gave each character. I screamed in bursts of laughter and excitement when she described Camden and Bastien. This made it interesting to read.

What I disliked was the over-explicit details in the book. I could not count how many times the author used words that the average reader should not be exposed to. Also, the relationship that grew between the main characters was based on sex, which I did not like.
However, it was a good book and also had some hilarious scenes. The relationship between Bastien and the Smith brothers was honestly so beautiful.

I would recommend this book to those who can handle mature content, and who love a rich boy, rich girl romance.

[Abdul · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "A Tempting Distraction" by Olivia Tasker, Camden’s character is that of the anti-hero with poor decision-making ability and an unpleasant love life. Charlotte, on the other side, provides an insight into the affairs because she is able to express her changing feelings towards Camden. 
 
I will say that this novel will be great for young adults and adults who enjoy beautiful stories with some dosage of romance and self-discovery.
 
From the writing style perspective, the novel is easy to read, or more accurately, it’s highly organized with smooth pacing and properly structured chapters.
 
The thing that made me as a reader relate is when Camden speaks to Bastien this way: "You dated, you fucked, you fell in love just like I did. You just hide it better."

This single line of dialogue is as coarse as it can be, but at the same time it is completely truthful, which reflects the passion that the characters feel towards each other. It symbolizes love, being exposed, and the battle of showing one’s affection.
 
The choice of the cover of the novel is thought-provoking: one will first think of a modern romantic movie where two main characters are presented. The title engages the reader, and one can easily point out the name of the author; therefore, it is very attractive. 
 
I recommended this novel to readers interested in modern stories with elements of romance, humor, and passion and the dynamics of young people’s lives. For critiques, I have none.

[Eseosa Ize-Iyamu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Tempting Distraction: An Oxford Romance and Beautiful Interracial Love Story” by Olivia Tasker is an adult contemporary romance that intertwines passion and temptation, fire and ice, desires and attractions. This romance story centers around a woman, Mina Lee, who is impulsive and free-spirited and refuses to marry a man she doesn’t love, despite her family’s demands. Destined to inherit her family’s empire, she has other plans for herself. She falls for a man who is as cool as ice, focused and ambitious, and determined to become a successful lawyer at Oxford University, and there is no denying their chemistry and the burning, dark desires they both possess between them. Their love story unfolds against societal expectations, family pressures, and cultural differences. This novel explores the themes of love and lust, the complexities of interracial relationships, and the intricacies of human emotions. The author’s writing style is engaging, with realistic dialogue and banter and a skillful exploration of the thin line between love and duty. The pacing in the writing keeps readers hooked, balancing romance and tension. Readers seeking deep romance and forbidden love stories will find "A Tempting Distraction" to be an ideal read despite its predictable plot points. The romance journey is passionate and moving.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret if you have been around me for any length of time you know I enjoy a book that is straight-up smut. I am okay with no storyline or extras, however this book gave me more.

I enjoyed how the author gave me a backstory of the characters. She created characters that I could connect with and root for. Then she added the spice. the sex between these two characters is hot.

I appreciated that the author did not overload me with details about the characters but gave enough that I went I understood that character. I admit young Bastien seemed like a very cute and curious child. I really liked the adult he became.

Mina Lee was interesting to me. She was very free-spirited but yet seemed to know what she wanted. I liked that she wasn't afraid of life. She would just jump in without thinking which usually led to something good.

I personally enjoyed the story and felt the author did a wonderful job balancing the storyline with hot sex. I also felt that the writing was well done. I enjoyed this story a lot and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

All I can say is this couple steamed up the pages of this book and I want more.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[brienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was honestly a rollercoaster. It starts off with some background of the mmc and about his childhood. We don't know a lot about the fmc's childhood, but we definitely see what her family dynamic is like; there's a sense of duty as the only daughter to a very wealthy family. However, I did feel like the middle and end of the book could have been shortened a little bit. Overall, I would give this book a 3.6/5. The plot was there, but there were some iffy parts (I think the dialogue could be formatted better or some parts were just unrealistic). This book is for anyone looking for a wattpad romance type book with wealthy mcs.

(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)

[victory cyprain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia Tasker pens a love story running in parallel with the lives of two college students at Oxford University: Mina Lee and Bastien Thomas. Mina is under huge pressure from her rich parents to marry their choice of man. She falls in love with Bastien, a young man with a quite modest background. Here is a story highly replete with character insights and college life; it turns out that Mina simply revolts against her father's will. Although it does have an excessive sex drive in its content and really poor editing, it does bring about the feeling of friendship, relationships, and family clearly. I would recommend this book for young adults.

[Tracie Simister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the author’s FMC, Mina Lee, this book was Impulsive, daring, and free-spirited, or at least her parts in it were. The backstory to both characters was well written and informative yet fun and witty. It was interesting to see how Minas side of the story meshed eventually with the MMC Bastien Thomas, who was Focused, ambitious, and rigid in his life and focused on his goal.
The spicy parts of the book were well written but didn’t take over the plot so there was more story than spice which was nice. I would recommend this book for those that love spicy romances with more plot than spice.

[Victoriouslane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliver Tasker's book blends two worlds through the romance of Bastian Thomas and Mina Lee. Bastian's journey starts at age 10, moving from his homeland to England, eventually studying at Oxford. His focus on studies is disrupted by meeting Mina, leading to a passionate romance. The steamy scenes are vividly described, adding to the allure. The book also explores challenges in interracial relationships and includes other romantic subplots enriching the story. I love the intimate writing and character development, recommending it for fans of unlikely or troubled romances.

[Eunice · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this romance tale, two hearts clash in love, compelled by a magnetic force to overcome all forms of opposition to their ardent yearning for one other. The plot follows the events surrounding their multiracial, culturally unconventional love and unmistakable sexual tension. Bastien may have let go of Mina, but fate undoubtedly brings them together again, and now nothing will stop them from being together. This book is a journey of their struggles and undeniable passion.

[Margret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just reviewed "A Tempting Distraction: An Oxford romance and beautiful interracial love story" by Olivia Tasker and gave it 5 stars! Check it out: https://www.ebookfairs.com/Book/Title...

[IsrealWinsEVERYTIME · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a whirlwind romance throwing everything into the air, and don't even get me started on their intimate moments. This book is simply a gem in the romance niche and I'm glad I got to read it. I highly recommend it to readers seeking romance through all odds.

[Melissa Blackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this novel so captivating is the intense emotional connection between the main characters and how their feelings for each other stoke the flames of their romance. It’s a thoroughly steamy read.

[Desmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

just reviewed "A Tempting Distraction: An Oxford romance and beautiful interracial love story" by Olivia Tasker and gave it 5 stars! Check it out: https://www.ebookfairs.com/Book/Title...