Tempt Me With Forever (A NOLA Heart Novel Book 4) Kindle Edition

I need that on a tee shirt.Tempt Me With Forever was the first book of Maria Luis’ that I ever read. I just finished rereading it for the third time? Maybe fourth? Every time I read it it still makes me feel the same way...even when I know what is coming.I was originally drawn to Tempt Me because, well, bad boy special unit cop moonlighting at his twin brother’s tattoo shop? Ummmm, YES PLEASE!Maria doesn’t just write a great male lead though, Lizzie is a pretty kick butt girl herself. Fun, flirty, creative, self aware. She pulls you in immediately and refuses to let you go. Like that friend you have, who gives big huge hugs and doesn’t let go until you feel better. That’s Lizzie.We first meet Lizzie as she’s being epically dumped on social media. OUCH. Lizzie has grown up in front of her camera and on her social media accounts. That’s brave and scary all at the same time. Lizzie takes stock of the situation and decides to make a few life changes. One that she announces publicly and others that she does just for her.The first order of business, is to find a bad boy, date him for 30 days and prove to the social media world that once a bad boy, always a bad boy.The second order of business is to tackle her behind the camera life and work on what makes her happy. Lizzie kicks off this new phase in her life with a tattoo. Enter Gage Harvey, special ordered bad boy.By the time Lizzie has a new tattoo, Gage has agreed to be her bad boy in name only.The platform of the plot is that all that glitters isn’t gold. While Gage and Lizzy seem to fit comfortably in the slots they’re given in the first few chapters, the reader quickly comes to realize that all is not what it seems. There are layers to both Gage and Lizzie.Gage struggles with what he believes he can have in life and what he sees as off limits. Very much a “self preservation” tactic (thank you Andrew Lincoln). Lizzie also has darker depths, but as she tells Gage (several times) she “chooses to be happy”. The book is a heart twisting path of how these two allow the other further and further into their inner selves.The reason that I fell in love with this book, and specifically Gage, is that he so very badly wants to be the hard tough uncaring shell that he presents to the world at large. Is he a bad boy southern charmer? Heck yes. Does he have a bruised heart that comes to light a little at a time? Also yes. I adored reading as Gage pulls things from Lizzie that he so desperately needs but doesn’t realize he needs them. She makes him smile, her humor is quirky and can be dark like his. She strives to see people as their best selves while Gage works on cleaning up the nastier bits of the city. Gage holds family close. He’s not overtly affectionate or playful with his twin, but he loves him dearly. There’s a deep well of worry in Gage for his twin.I loved seeing the little chinks in Gage’s armor come out through the story.As with all of Maria’s books, old friends stop in to play in the plot. As this book is the last of the NOLA and Inked on Bourbon series, Luke and Danny are featured in Gage’s story. Lizzie IS Danny’s little sister after all. Maria also managed to weave in one of her Blades wives in Lizzie’s side of the book. One thing I love about Maria’s writing is that she allows her worlds to intermingle and you see people pop in for a quick “Hi”.Maria focuses this book in the heart of New Orleans, but also heavily features towns outside of the city center and deeper into Louisiana. It’s a refreshing break and helps set the tone for Lizzie and Gage’s struggles. The city seems to bind them to the idea of themselves where as out in the country they are themselves.Fair warning - Maria ends this one with....we’ll call it a teaser. A really really really BIG teaser. Oh, don’t worry about Gage and Lizzie. They find their story end. But Owen Harvey.....that’s a WHOLE other thing. Luckily for us, the series that Owen wraps himself into is already out and available on KU. It’s the Put a Ring On It series. You’ll WANT to read them. At the end of the day, I just ❤️ the Harvey twins. Hard.Seriously, that needs to be on a tee shirt.

Tempt Me With Forever is rom-com at its finest! Once again Ms. Luis delivers side-splitting comedy (you’re gonna want to put your drink down so you don’t snort it out your nose), sweet, tender emotion (you’ll find yourself verklempt), some steamy sexy times (are those heart palpitations?), and an entertaining (and just a liiiittle zany) journey to a happily ever after.Gage’s “book cover” is a tattooed, tough, alpha, bad boy SWAT officer, and Lizzie’s is an airhead, shallow, bimbo, Internet makeup expert and beauty influencer. But Gage has a deep, damaged side that resides next to his kindness and goodness, as well as being a no secrets, no BS, straight shooter kind of guy. Lizzie has a similarly damaged side, and there’s so much more to her that she only allows her family to see. The artificial persona is wearing thin for Lizzie, and her smooth talking, gamer boyfriend’s public breakup with her on Instagram may just be the end of her Internet personality. That is, until she has a little too much wine (a lot – waay too much) and tells her millions of viewers that she plans to prove in just thirty days that bad boys can’t be redeemed. It’s a surprise when Gage agrees to her thirty-day project, but he sees beyond the YouTube smile and artful makeup to the fear and pain her eyes can’t hide. And just like that, he’s hooked. Yet still, both have been dissuaded of the “forever love” notion, so thirty days together should be no big deal.True confessions time. I’m a Maria Luis book hoarder. I read the advance copy, buy the Kindle copy and get the paperback. The thing is, her books are just that great! When you read fifty books a month like I do, a book has to be really spectacular (or epically awful) for it to stick with me. Ms. Luis’ books snuggle down deep in my heart and leave their permanent mark on my soul. Yes, they’re laugh-out-loud hilarious, but there’s also a nice dose of heat and a metric ton of heart. I fall in love with each hero, and right now, Gage owns my heart. I may have misstated that a previous book was Ms. Luis’ best work, because this one tops them all! One of the greatest delights for me as a reader is to watch a writer grow in her craft and come into her own, and Miss Maria makes my heart do cartwheels!Gage sees beyond the façade Lizzie dons when no one else does, and it made me wonder. Is he just amazingly perceptive or does he recognize her fear because it’s so familiar to him? But then it’s ironic that Gage is the one encouraging Lizzie to “own her s**t” when he’s the one who let’s fear rule him. Prepare for some brilliant groveling, dear reader, and then get comfy while you read the most heartfelt but most hilarious scene of the book. Lizzie is a hero in her own right, and she’s such a great reminder that we may not be able to control our circumstances, but we can control how we respond and how we feel about them. In spite of the adversity in her life, Lizzie makes her own choices, and she chooses happiness.On a less lighthearted note, thank you Ms. Luis. Thank you for reminding us of the difficult job first responders do every day to keep us safe. Thanks for pointing out the toll the job takes on them personally, as well as on their families, and for reminding us to appreciate their bravery, their sacrifices, and their putting their lives on the line to make our lives better.Yes, there’s some serious stuff in this book, but Ms. Luis expertly balances it with humor and comedy without detracting from the important issues and concepts. Timing is everything when it comes to life, love and comedy, and this author’s timing is impeccable throughout. If you’ve never read Ms. Luis’ work, this is a great book to acquaint yourself with her talent, so don’t hesitate to hit the 1-click. If you’re familiar with this series, never fear. Although this is the last book of the series, it’s not the last we’ll see of these characters. So be sure to grab this one, not only to fall in love with Gage and Lizzie, but to also get a hint of what’s to come.**Now, about this alleged cliffy, if you’ve read my reviews you know I HATE cliffhangers and knock off stars when I’ve not been warned in the blurb. This is a foreshadowing, not a cliffy. A relationship is referenced but we haven’t been introduced to both characters or given any details of said relationship. We’re no more left hanging out to dry than with, say, a pregnancy or wedding that are talked about without the big event taking place in the book. So rest assured, my reader friend, the angst and frustration you normally feel with cliffhangers does not exist here. Only the warm, fuzzy, happy feelings from a story well told and a forever love attained. And maybe sore abdominals from laughing. 😉

This is a standalone romance novel with a HEA. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting despite having never been to the area. Love the way the hero speaks to the heroine, seriously as well as the banter ( the latter is definitely a strength of the book) It includes some sex scenes and the use of the f-word. The use is probably within the character traits ie members of the police between themselves.The reason that I didn't give it five stars is because the transition between some chapters was a bit 'sharp' for me. I found that I didn't always know where and when the next scene was taking place or how some of the characters in the scene related to the main couple. Each time this happened it took me 'out' of the story and it would take me a few pages to re-engage again.

Lizzie Danvers hides behind her online personality 'that make-up girl' and when she jumped by her gamer boyfriend online she gets drunk and posts a challenge for herself! That challenge has her meeting Gage Harvey, a guy who is full of tattoes and grit. Misconception on both sides leads to hot chemistry and changing attitudes! This final book in the series has past characters cameoing to add both hope and comedy! Maria Luis has given us an all the feels, whose of your seat read!

I read this book in two days, yes life and sleep got in the way! Absolutely brilliant, I laughed, I cried, I felt gutted to the core and laughed some more. This author has a way of pulling you in to the world she has created and making you part of it. I have read the whole series but I think I loved this one the most and not just for the tattooed bad (soft in the middle) boy. Totally recommend this one.

I love Maria's books and she's done it again. The NOLA series is great and each book got better and better. This one has a lot of heart (and heat) and i loved the main characters as well as the inclusions of those we already know from previous books.Highly recommend. No simpering girls who need to be saved in here!

BrilliantLy written & awesome spunky romance set in romantic New Orleans. Witty main characters with more steamy scenes than a Turkish bath this is a novel well worth reading - but beware it's very hard to put down! 😉