This Bitter Sweet Temptation: A Grumpy Single Dad Age Gap Romance

by Nicole Snow

Genres: Romance

456 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2026

About the author

Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.

Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty.

Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.

Find more about Nicole here:

Website: http://nicolesnowbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesnowbo...

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nicol...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicoleSnowBooks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Snow/e/...

Reviews

[Aakanksha Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grumpy Single dad
Age Gap (15 years)
Bodyguard MMC
Artist FMC
HEA
Forced proximity

This is the last book in series. The whole series is about the Blackthorne heirs and tasks that they have to complete to get their inheritance as directed by their grandfather. This one is about Cleo and she is tied up with his childhood bodyguard, the MMC -Holden and has to figure out what to do with a rare artifact that her grandfather has left her with the help and support of Holden.

There is a lot of resistance and tension between the two. There is no insta love/lust situation. She remembers him as a grumpy asshole who used to spoil al the fun in her teenage years. He knows her to be a rebellious irresponsible spoiled brat. But as they spend time together, they get to see the other side of each other. Holden's daughter Kit is really cool and has interest in art which makes her instantly connect with Cleo.

I am not a fan of age gaps but as this was the last book of the series, I went ahead and read it. It was okay and didn't do much for me.

[Dora Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BITTERSWEET TEMPTATION is book 3 of the Blackthorn Inheritance trilogy. This story is so unbelievably sweet, infectious, fun and flirty, and an age gap romance that it is unputdownable. As usual, Nicole Snow does not disappoint. She brings out all the emotions, makes you laugh, makes you cry, and makes you fall in love with the characters in the story. This is Holden Verity and Cleopatra (Cleo) Blackthorn’s story. Cleo is the granddaughter of Leonidas (PopPop) Blackthorn, who left her three items in his Will and one includes an antique relic that is worth millions. Holden was head of security for Leonidas’ estate, and he used to keep Cleo out of trouble when she was a teenager. Growing up, teenage Cleo hated Holden because of how he protected her and wouldn’t let her do anything and saw him as a heartless robot and described him as grumpy, miserable, stoned-faced Holden Harda$$. He is single, and has a 10 year old daughter, Kit, who’s so adorable. Now, within the Will, Holden was asked to stay on as security and protect Cleo as she seeks the authenticity and maybe a buyer of the relic. Holden and Cleo hadn’t laid eyes on each other for years, but now Cleo is back and she is an adult and a woman. Not knowing what Cleo is like, let alone how she will feel about the situation of Holden protecting her—Holden is hoping Cleo will act like a mature woman because he needs the money. Will Cleo accept the provisions of the terms of the Will and allow Holden to protect her or will she contest the Will? As Cleo is forced to spend time with Holden and his daughter, she finds that she may have been wrong about Holden. Despite their differences and age, the chemistry between Holden and Cleo is undeniable and off-the-chart HOT! Find out what happens next. This story is entertaining and fervent with a dash of dreams coming true. There are several twists and turns within the story that makes it interesting. Nicole Snow satisfies hearts longing for laughter in their love stories, and a battle of wits is tremendously fun. I highly RECOMMEND this book—you won’t regret it!

[Stefanie Simeone · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting story but too long

I got up to chapter 12 and was so bored. I understood what the story was about, but the banter and recaps of how they disliked each other went on forever. I barely read some of the chapters. I was skimming them for words that would pop out that could have an impact to the story and nothing stood out. I almost DNF but enjoyed the other books so I continued.

Holden is close to 40, but the author makes it seem he is ancient by constantly talking about knee and joint pain due to his age. The man is physically fit and supposedly runs almost every day. Someone with knee issues could not exercise that much.

I couldn’t find a connection between Holden and Cleo. They never talked about anything they had in common. She is an artist but he doesn’t like art. She had more in common with his daughter and actually considered her more of a sister.

There’re was no romance. The spice scenes were blah, repetitive or either went on forever. I actually skipped a few just so I could finish the book.

It started to get interesting around chapter 25, then 2 chapters later, they were making out at the police station after almost getting murdered. The characters that were held hostage were never mentioned again, so I hope they are ok.

[Brenda Motza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 10 star read from Nicole!!

Even though Cleo was not the granddaughter, she was family, and that means everything.

Well, here goes PopPop with his crazy adventures. He throws Holden Verity, his security detail, into the lions den. Poor guy. It was Holden's job to make sure the Blackthorn "kids" didn't get into trouble when they were around. And, little Miss Nile Queen, was always testing his resolve.

Years later, Cleo is all grown up and Holden is now seeing her thru different glasses. Oh boy! But, Holden must finish his last job to get his stake in the inheritance that Mr. Blackthorn left for him. Easy job, right!

This book is a total must read. You have a priceless treasure, tension, bad guys, tension, hate, tension, understanding, tension, heated times, sexy times, and man oh man, that HEA.

[Suzanne Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drama, age gap.

What an end to a series!

This is the third instalment in this series and the author has kept the best stoyline until last! (The others are amazing also).

Cleo Blackthorn is a out to find out what treasures her grandfather has left her as part of his will. What she's not expecting is his bodyguard Holden Verity as part of the deal to keep her safe.

Summers while growing up at her grandfathers ment all the grandkids crossed paths with Holden trying to keep them out of trouble for their own good at one stage, but can Cleo past her old annoyance with him? What is past on from her Grandfather is something priceless, even more than her inheritance.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleopatra/Cleo is notified that her grandfather left her an inheritance, and Holden was her grandfather's security man. This is an age gap, inheritance romance with an interesting storyline about a woman who inherits something but comes with some stipulations that end in a love story. The writing is good. The story started a bit slowly, but once it got going, it turned out to be a great read. The Bitter Sweet Temptation is book three and a great addition to The Blackthorne Inheritance series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Alexis Salinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleo and Holden were exactly what I needed from this series. Their story pulled me in from the very first page and I was absolutely hooked. Their chemistry was undeniable. The sparks, the tension, the yearning. This book had me in my feels, and I loved every minute of it. Nicole's way with words gets me every time. These two will definitely go down as one of my favorite Nicole couples! So so good.

[Janet Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holden and Cleopatra’s relationship was fiery in and out of the bedroom or the kitchen😉. Under all of Holden’s grumpy posturing lies a caring soul. I enjoyed the dialogue between all of the characters. Kit was absolutely adorable. The plot was interesting to follow without being overly dramatic just to fabricate drama. This was my favorite book in the series. I think people would enjoy the other two books in the series. Until next time y’all happy reading.

[Monica P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Cleo and Holden's love story. The quirky characters were very interesting and entertaining. The treasure/adventure part of the story made it a real page-turner. I received an ARC and I am leaving my honest review of "This Bitter Sweet Temptation". Looking forward to the next book by Nicole!

[Denise F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this age gap/forbidden romance!

This book marks the end of the Blackthorn Trilogy and who knew it would have Holden the bodyguard as the MMC?! Loved it! There was angst and emotions and found family for Cleo. Always love the heat and heart that Nicole is so good at creating!!

[Barbara Loubey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad to read Cleo & Holden’s story and to be reminded of Pop-Pop and his great love for his family-blood or chosen.
So wish I could have read the Bonus Content, but the Amazon Kindle version link would not work.
This book was a great Rom-Com. I am not usually a fan of suspense, but this book had just enough.
Ms Snow is becoming one of my favorite authors.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the other two prior to this one

It was a decent story, but it lacked connection.

I didn't feel like the FMC & MMC had a good connection. Their age difference didn't do it for me either.

[Janice Stansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonidas definitely has the magic touch

What a ride this was! Lots of emotions all over the place, some spicy steam, a hardheaded guy (go figure!) and some intrigue and danger. Loved every minute.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance, Intrigue

I would recommend this book to anyone. I have read the other books in this series, and this one really shines. It has mystery, humor, and great sex. A real feeling of what a family means. I enjoyed each page, and was sorry to get to the last one so fast.

[Gaynor Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unearthed

A complicated past, treasure, secrets, protectors, action, adventure, little girls and obligation bring Holden and Cleoback into each others orbit! Watch the sparks fly and a family form!!

[Jenna Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ I really didn’t like this one and many times almost dnf’d. The characters were blah and the whole thing didn’t hold my attention. And some parts were just absolutely ridiculous. The story was so drawn out and I felt myself skimming lines because they were just unnecessary.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series! The angst hangs on and makes it better! The slow burn is incredible!The last of many surprises from PopPop still! The steam as only Nicole can pen it! Thank you for sharing your outstanding talents!

[KJW · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fantastic Series

Nicole Snow has again written an intriguing series. Mystery, Family, and excitement filled the pages. I could not put this book down. And not didn’t hurt that her bodyguard was so hot.
And a quick flashback mention of Enguard Security to wrap it all up.

[H.S. Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read!

Love these characters and this story! Lots of twists and turns and a most definite happily ever after! You rock, Leonidas!

[Kristen Mickins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was probably my least fav out of the series. I love Cleo but the age gap romance didn’t do much for me. Holden was an enjoyable character, albeit sticking to strict and rigorous rules. I personally am not into art so that part of the story also fell flat. I love all the stories of this family! Cute ending for the last in the series.