Tempted

Grizzly River Ranch #1

by Laramie Briscoe

Some lines should never be crossed… but men like this are worth the risk.

When Aubree Weber returns to Grizzly River Ranch in South Dakota heartbroken and pride bruised, the last person she expects to fall for is Jesse Nelson. Her brother’s best friend. Her former protector. The cowboy who kissed her on her eighteenth birthday… then walked away.

Now twenty-seven and reeling from a failed relationship, Aubree can’t ignore the way Jesse watches her across the ranch. He’s no longer the safe, steady boy she once knew. And when she catches him sneaking off with his brothers, stealing cattle for their own operation, she sees just how dangerous he’s become. His threat should scare her. Instead, it lights a fire she thought had died.

With her brother Truett, the only family she has left, injured in a ranch accident, Aubree is forced to rely on Jesse. The man who once pushed her away now looks at her with raw hunger. And when he finally admits he’s tempted, she realizes she’s been playing with fire.

Loyalty runs deep on the ranch, and secrets can destroy everything. If Aubree falls for Jesse, she risks the only family she has left. But some cowboys don’t ask permission—they take what they want.

A scorching enemies-to-lovers ranch romance about forbidden attraction, found family, and the cowboy who’s always wanted the one woman he shouldn’t have. Consequences be damned.

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 23, 2025

About the author

Laramie Briscoe is the USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of over 30 books.

When she's not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on Netflix.

Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband and an adorable dog named Gus.

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Reviews

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series, and this is Aubree and Jesse’s story.
After Aubree kissed her brother’s best friend, and her protector, on her 18th birthday, and he does not respond she runs. Now she is back home heartbroken and with bruised pride, she cannot deny the feeling between them.
This is a well written easy to read, action packed story, with family, friendships, emotions, tension, heartbreak, enemies / lovers, close proximity, temptation, forbidden romance, undeniable chemistry, and love, which leads to an entertaining and compelling page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[BookD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family Loyalty and Devoted Love, Cowboys Skirting Grey Areas Make This Scrumptious!!

I really LOVED this Cowboy Romance!! I was drawn in by living life in the grey area because they’ll lose the ranch if they don’t.

Two families, two ranches, and one chosen family. Their parents were best friends and they were all really close as children, but then both sets of parents went out for the evening and never came home. They were killed in a car accident. The older boys in both families, Truett and Jesse, have been best friends since kindergarten. They do everything they can to save their ranches, working together and busting their butts and barely making ends meet. They know they’ll lose everything that was their parents, and they’ll never be able to afford to take care of their siblings, so they get involved in risky grey areas to save it all. They’re in their thirties now and still struggling to stay afloat.

This book was all-consuming for me, I fell hard for these characters and wanted to see their lives come together. They’re are fighters and don’t give up easy, and you have to admire them for that. But when Truetts sister comes home from Chicago things get even more complicated. Aubree has been through some really awful things in Chicago and needs to come home for a breather. But there’s Jesse, the boy she’s loved forever, grown into a man and the bad feelings between them are actually hurt and they’re going to have to work things out.

An absolutely addictive start to this new series by Briscoe, I am seriously dying for the next book!!

[Dana Garland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Laramie Briscoe and have read all of her books. This is a new twist to her writing and I am here for it!!! Who doesn’t love a good Western Romance!
Aubree has been through a lot…losing her job, her home, and her relationship! She decides it time to leave it behind and head home. What she doesn’t expect is to run into the person that stole her heart all those year ago. Jesse! Her brother’s best friend. Her childhood crush. The one she kissed on her 18th birthday before she turned and left Grizzly River Ranch behind.
The feels she had for him coming rushing back but is she willing to act on them? She knows he is hiding something from her. Once she learns the truth, can she look past it? Can she make a choice between saving the ranch and following her heart? Can the two exist together? Will the ranch survive? Will Aubree and Jesse find a HEA?
5/5 Highly Recommend!

[Meg Gruber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unrequited love still burns.
Aubree and Jesse are intense, passionate, complicated characters.
Jesse needs Aubree like he needs oxygen. Aubree thought she was over Jesse. Aubree returns home after leaving her job in Chicago. She comes home to figure out what to do next. But Jesse is still there, her brother’s best friend helping to run the ranch. Aubree is shocked that Jesse has missed her. She ran after she kissed him and he didn’t respond. Could she have been wrong about his feelings?
But the deputy sheriff is sniffing around when cattle rustling has increased. Is her brother and Jesse stealing and selling cattle to make sure they don’t lose their ranches? If they are, what will Aubree do; leave again?

[Heather Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempted is an amazing read!!

Tempted by Laramie is an amazing story. Aubree left town after she kissed Jesse when she was 18 and he turned her down. Now she is back and has to see Jesse and doesn’t know what to do. Jesse has waited for Aubree to come back and now that she is back and Jesse and her brother have to keep a big secret from her but will she find out before they are ready for her to know? Will they be able to overcome the dangers that they are in? Go one click this is a different story than what Laramie usually rights but I love it! She writes amazing stories that keep you hooked and this one is no different. Go one click now!!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aubree has always loved Jesse and after they kiss when she’s 18, she leaves to attend college and now years later she’s back home at Grizzly River Ranch. Although it’s awkward with them at first, Aubree and Jesse are now older and wiser and still have crazy chemistry. Jesse is hiding a secret that involves the ranch and Aubree’s brother, Truett that can effect their new romance. I thought this was a good start to a new series. I like how it takes place on a ranch and there’s crime, romance and suspense in this book. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

[Lilian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5⭐️
After many years away, Aubree is finally back home. She finally meets Jesse again, seven years after their unforgettable kiss. As they find their way back into each other’s lives, Jesse is also forced to relook how he conducts his “businesses”.

There was a solid romance plot here along with some suspenseful moments which were weaved into the story seamlessly. This was a wonderful introduction to the series and I can’t wait for the next book to be here.

[Ashley Carr, LSoR · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to start off this series!! Aubree and Jesse have a past and when she kissed him and he didn’t respond, she fled to Chicago. Now, 7 years later she is back in her hometown and come to find out Jesse has missed her. Even though their chemistry is intense, she isn’t going there again because he is her brother‘s best friend. Will they cross the line? I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly simple and straightforward story but with some charm. Aubrey's return home is under circumstances she would rather get over. But coming back to Jesse and rediscovering her desires and her passion for the older man was only the beginning. A secret kept could destroy the tentative relationship and tear asunder the life she finds on the family ranch.

[Donna McEachran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse is Aubree's brother's best friend...and the man she kissed and ran from. Now she's back with a broken heart and Jesse and Truett are in a dangerous situation. Lots of other romances bubbling away with other characters. Nice set up for the next book as well with ongoing danger for all the Nelson brothers.
I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

[Susan Murray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tempted

This was a romance with a lot of cattle rustling going on in the background.
A sheriffs deputy determined to solve the mystery of missing cattle.
All of a sudden near the end the story we switch from two couples deciding to be together but nothing else solved, to a whole new situation!
Maybe book 2?

[Anne Boddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western romance

Westerns are not normally my perfered genre, but Laramie Briscoe is one of my favorite authors, so I decided to read this. It was a fun read with great characters that make you want to pull for them, and of course ends with sometine to make you anxious for the next book in the series.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book

This book was great. Tons of suspense. Wasn’t too spicy. All the characters worked well together. Jesse and Aubree were meant to be together even though there were some obstacles.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF halfway through book.

[Jamie Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book of the New Year

I am a fan of Laramie Briscoe and have been waiting to read this one. I don’t often read Western influenced books, but this one was good.

[Tanya Demro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but it fell flat. It seemed like it was all over the place and the timelines didn’t always line up. I won’t be reading the next one.

[Siv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhh dear……this is gooooooood🥳🥳🥳🥳 I love miss L writing!!!!!!

[Cindy Fong · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series. I loved Jesse and Aubree and their dynamic. The two have been in love with each other for years but neither wanted to admit it. With Aubree back in Grizzley Peak, they both realize love is better than avoidance. I am excited for more in this series. An enjoyable read with the right amount to drama and spice.

[Rebmay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesse and Aubree’s story is an angst-ridden best friend’s sister, age-gap romance with a good dose of danger and suspense. A kiss, then Jesse’s hesitation and her tumultuous feelings had Aubree fleeing the family ranch for Chicago seven years ago. Now she is back home after her life imploded in Chicago, thanks to her lying and cheating ex. It doesn’t take long for her to clash with Jesse, the man she has crushed on for years. His anger and testy attitude boil down to one thing….though he hesitated after she kissed him, he has always had feelings for her too. His hesitancy was because of her age and his friendship with her brother. He wants to know if she plans to stay or if she’s gonna run from him again. In that moment, Aubree doesn’t have an answer for him. As their story continues, Aubree learns of the dire financial straits of the ranch and how the men have decided to change their fortune. All too soon, it becomes clear that their dangerous clandestine activities are now under scrutiny and the ranch and everyone on it could be in peril. Even with Jesse set on keeping her safe and in the dark, and Aubree set on total honesty between them, the two finally become lovers. Both are all in, but the path to a happily ever after may well be bumpier and longer than they expected.

These characters have been well crafted, with flaws, traits and feelings that are true to life and recognizable. Jesse is the loyal friend, the steadfast and ultra responsible brother and the man who has loved only one woman, his best friend’s younger sister. He has put everyone’s interests and welfare ahead of his own, but now that Aubree is back, she is his priority. He wants to keep her safe, protected and claim her for his own, despite what her brother may think. Aubree has finally grown up and is ready to do some claiming of her own. She is not afraid to love Jesse anymore, but she won’t abide being kept in the dark or lying. She will stand by her man, her brother and everyone on the ranch, and will do everything she can to protect them too. She won’t let her brother dictate who she can love either. As the danger escalates, Aubree will be by Jesse’s side, supporting the ranch and everyone it.

I am happy to recommend this fascinating book. I can’t wait to read more about Aubree, Jesse and the other characters that were introduced in this riveting book.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one in The Grizzly River Ranch series and it is Aubree and Jesse’s story and omg what a great start to a new series and definitely a must read. Aubree and Jesse have a lot of history because they have known and been in each others lives for years only for something to happen that caused Aubree to leave and go to Chicago but after she was betrayed she decided that she needed to go back home to the ranch. Aubree and Jesse still have a strong attraction and intense chemistry but because he is her brother’s best friend he tries hard to keep his distance so that things don’t become even more complicated but when they eventually give in to how they feel they are totally explosive together but with everything that is going on will they eventually get the happiness and future together that they both want and deserve in the end or will it all be taken away from them yet again, only time will tell what the outcome will be in the end. Wow I absolutely loved this book so much and I couldn’t put it down as it was so addictive and kept my attention throughout the whole book. I can’t wait to read the next book in this already amazing series.

[Jennifer Heeren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in the quality of writing in this book - first I’ve read by this author, and my impression is of a young, inexperienced author. And what’s up with chapter 24? I went back about three times to make sure I hadn’t lost my place because all the sudden it had gone back in time. Weird!?!

[Sammye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this western, second chance romance. It’s the first book in the Grizzly River Ranch series. The characters were likable and have great chemistry. The plot was very well developed. A great series beginner.

[Becca Whaley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been YEARS since I’ve read a book by this author because they’re normally not on KU…. But I use to love her books… this one just didn’t hit right … the writing was off or maybe it was me IDK…