Once Tempted: A Silver Creek Novel Mass Market Paperback – March 26, 2013

Product Description:(Release Date: March 26, 2013)Sweeping passions, family drama, and searing scandal play out at the magnificent Silver Creek Ranch as the heirs to a powerful dynasty seize their legacy of love.Oldest son Ward Knowles feels the sprawling California ranch in his blood. And now that the family business has expanded to include a popular resort, he's working harder than ever. Silver Creek is his legacy and his life, which is fine for the ruggedly sexy ladies' man and committed bachelor. Love and trust don't come easily for Ward since he lost his heart to a gold digger--until he meets a shy, unpretentious beauty whose sweet grace is about to turn his jaded heart into a hungry one.Tess Casari has found sanctuary at Silver Creek, working as an assistant to Ward's mother, Adele. Grateful for her busy new life running the ranch's spa and resort, Tess can escape the heartbreak, humiliation, and secret shame of her failed marriage. The last thing she needs is temptation--especially from a man who reminds her so much of the husband who shattered her faith in love. But passion and destiny are about to change the rules for two people who have stopped believing in the healing power of love.***********************************************************Happiness is the release of a new novel by one of my very favorite authors. Once Tempted is a beautifully solid and strong start to Laura Moore's new Silver Creek contemporary romance series. The backbone of the story has been sufficiently described by other reviewers and I've also included the product description above. I am addressing only the reasons why I enjoyed it from beginning to ending.I've been reading Laura Moore's books for a long while now. From that very first book, her meticulous and flawless attention to the details has always drawn me to the next read. I understand that there are readers who prefer that the characters and dialogue receive the full focus and not so much paid to the less exciting side of a story. Don't get me wrong, I, too, savor and agree that characters and dialogue are the foundation of any good storyline. But for me, the totality and beauty of a book lies within the colorful tapestry of words describing picturesque settings and the history behind our characters and their lifestyles. Laura is a wonderful all-around storyteller and she has such a beautiful and smooth-flowing writing style that her words awaken all five senses bringing the story to life on the pages. It's why I'm already chomping at the bit for the next book in this series. And it's also what promotes my enthusiasm and five-star review on her latest.The storyline captivates from the beginning when, in a cloud of smoke, Ward Knowles, a rugged and sexy cowboy and Tess Casari, a stiletto-wearing city girl face-off on the beautiful Silver Creek Ranch & Resort. Both have had their dreams shattered by betrayal and deceit in the past. The reserved but sassy Italian beauty from New York is looking for a safe place to land and a job, while our to-die-for hero works hard to support his legacy and remain a confirmed bachelor. There's undeniable chemistry and attraction between them. But you won't find copious amounts of "insta-love or slam-bam-thank you ma'am sex;" however readers will enjoy plenty of passion and spine-tingling romance that is hot enough to satisfy the prerequisites of any true romance lover.You don't have to be a fan of western romance to enjoy "Once Tempted." Yes, there's a gorgeous guy dressed in western wear, cowboy boots and hat included, but he's also a businessman with a college degree. This is not the Old West but life on a modern day working ranch. Strong family dynamics and carefully guarded friendships are portrayed throughout adding another delightful element and expectations for future books. The depiction of the day-to-day care for the animals and the work involved in keeping everything running smoothly and safely crackles with realism. You can almost feel the breeze and sunlight on your face as you take a trail ride across the Silver Creek land. The great imagery certainly makes one appreciate all the sights and sounds, the smells, taste, and feel of nature.Storytelling at its best - Semplicemente magnifico!!

always like her books

First of all let me start by saying that I am a fan of Laura Moore's past books, in particular the Rosewood series. I anxiously anticipated and preordered this latest book, the first in her new series.As I read the book the word that kept coming to mind was 'cliched.' I was so disappointed in the contrived plot and the forced, inconsistent behavior of the main characters. The story starts out as the main female character Tess begins to deal with the death of her estranged husband. Months prior to this Tess had married a man she hardly knew and apparently never invited her parents to the wedding. Tess is depicted as extremely family oriented. She has an autistic brother she loves who resides in a longterm care facility. Yet she first married and for weeks sits at the death bed of her husband without her parents even being a part of either of these milestone events. Does that sound like someone who comes from a close, loving family?Then after making one impulsive choice to marry a man she hardly knew-and look how that turned out-her best friend encouraged Tess to play 'pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey'-to choose a place to begin her new life, once again giving no thought to the parents and brother she supposedly loves. Does this sound like something a mature, professional woman would do? Tess has an iphone yet she couldn't even take the time to search for any job opportunities in the small town of Acacia, California before buying a junker of a car and driving clear across the country! When she stumbles on a possible job opportunity at Silver Creek Ranch in her oil-burning, smoking car Tess promptly dislikes the handsome hero Ward Knowles for shutting off the ignition. It is so contrived and immature that she blames Ward for 'breaking her car' and it serves as the most lame excuse for the conflict between the hero and heroine.The rest of the novel is riddled with such unbelievable situations. Ward and his brother are not just the most handsome, manly men, but they know their fashion, too, as they help plan a wedding. Do real men really pick out perfect wedding gowns? Ward's engaged friends were annoyingly clueless! The author wanted you to know how 'smart' the bride was by pointing out that she had her head buried in some paper/textbook about astromony, yet the bride with the doctorate degree was incapable of making a wedding related decision. Everyone was bullied by Ward's former fiancee Erika, and the part when, while on a group horseback ride, Erika's horse almost unseats her when, in that same moment deer startle it, and causes Erika to be rescued by-you guessed it-Ward, is just too predictable! I actually laughed, and not in a good way!I have read many romance novels and what I find most appealing is when the author makes you believe in the characters, in their story, and in their romance. This review may sound harsh, but I was so disappointed to not be able to believe in any of those things. This story was just a formula into which the author tossed every romance plot complication possible. The scenery descriptions were beautiful but, unfortunately, the horses of Silver Creek had more personality than their human counterparts. I will definitely read Laura Moore's next installment of this series, but I may wait and borrow it from the library!

I just finished " Once Tempted " last night...It was so very good...I Wanted to see Erika develop some 3rd world disease that wouldn't be terminal, but make her miserable...The twit!I just loved The Knowels family, Silver Creek and all the people that live there..Lets all pack and go stay at a Luxury Ranch..exhaling!!Ward..well if he wasn't taken I might consider ranch life..Tess, she is so courageous and beautiful. I loved her family too...I could smell the Marinara on her Mom's stove...This was such a yummy, romantic, story...and I always love the fact that your stories always have horses and farm animals.. and they are respected and so well loved......Nevermind the 5* this book is a 6*...Will there be a story for Quinn and Riorden ? Oh I hope so..Thanks Laura for all your books...You are brilliant...NOTE: I never divulge the story, because you should have the whole experience of reading it yourself....xo, snowhugs

I loved this book!! This is my first Laura Moore book and I loved it. The characters were believeable and the fireworks between Ward and Tess were terrific. I loved how Tess' car died just as she reached the ranch and Tess got mad at Ward for killing her car.The family aspect is heartwarming. How the family and the brothers look out for each other and their sister. As soon as I finished reading this book, I bought Once Tasted and read through that in 3 days. Again, the fireworks are amazing. I can't wait for the third installment of this series to come out already.

I thought the characters were believable and we'll developed. The description of the ranch location was very well done. It made me want to go there. I actually shed tears at the end of the book. I'll definitely read another one of Laura Moore's novels.

Excellant story! Just wish there was more than 3 books to this series.

Loved it