Tempt My Heart by Danielle Jamie

I read this book when it was first released and thought it a touching story of how wrong we are to consider that we only ever get one shot at happiness.

I read it again in order to prepare for writing this review and yet again, I am staggered by the emotion that is conveyed in the story. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is not an easy subject matter to tackle, but Danielle Jamie took it on head first and won the war with emotional servitude.

Danielle fought to bring Brittan back from the brink of her absolute despair and to find her the perfect happy ever after.

But what was most surprising in the book was the emotional sensitivity that was all wrapped up in the gorgeous Jordan Valentine.

Bad Boy rocker – nah! Don’t think so – this man had it all and in bucket loads but above everything he had a heart big enough for the pair of them and the determination to have his woman!

The story follows Brittan from her first fateful meeting on the 4^th of July with her first love, Cane at the tender age of 16, right through to Cane’s enlistment in the Military.

Cane was written with such precision that the mere words themselves didn’t really do him justice, you had to get a feel for the man and for how he felt about Brittan and the author nailed it!

His love for her flowed from the pages – it embedded itself in your fingertips and made its way to your heart. He was everything that a woman could possible hope for in a partner. Fate dealt this amazing coupe the cruellest of blows when Cane was killed in action and it would take a hard hearted soul not to feel the pain that Brittan goes through – you will need plenty of tissues at this point but the word “distraught” and Brittan could have been made for each other – her desolation is complete.

Only Cane has the power to make Brittan see that she has to move on and with a little help from beyond the grave, he gets his point across and with a reluctant vigour she sets out with the band to conquer the music industry.

Eight Years later and she has done just that but has she conquered her demons- no!  Has she managed to come to terms with Cane’s passing – not a chance. Reliant on drugs, alcohol and meaningless encounters – she completely hits  rock bottom when she almost overdoses and ends up in rehab.

With a new appreciation of life and an absolute determination to do Cane proud, she sets back out on tour with not only her band but support act Tempting Tomorrow.

And there we have it the proverbial dilemma - because her hearts nemesis has just sauntered right into her life and has no intension of ever leaving!! With Jordan Valentine now firmly ensconced in her business, Brittan’s tour just got a whole load of interesting dumped on it!!!

One dalliance is not enough for Jordan he wants more but Brittan doesn’t do seconds and has no intension of re-writing her rule book for him, no matter how drawn to him she feels – and she does feel. For the first time since Cane’s death, she feels genuine interest in Jordan and that scares her to death, she feels as if she is betraying what she had with Cane, the love they shared and that is unacceptable in her book.

Jordan plays her game until it suits him to step up his game play, but when he is the one to find Brittan following a slip back to her old ways, he puts his foot down and determines that he is the one that will be her rock, her shoulder to lean on while they are on tour – he moves not only onto her bus and slowly but gently into her heart.

 Jordan is such a sweet guy, it is obvious that is public persona is created for the media because with Brittan he is nothing but the perfect partner. He shows her repeatedly that she never needs to forget Cane, but that he would want her to be happy. He spends time talking to her about Cane and allows her freedom to have them both in her life.

He doesn’t want her to forget Cane, he just wants her to remember him.

When they are both in Chicago meeting Jordan’s family the circumstances surrounding the first time that he tells her that he loves her,were maybe not ideal but I knew then that if they could survive that together then they would be Ok.

They didn’t have it easy but what they did have was resolve – the strength between them that made sure that whatever they needed, they would find it together.

Their story while a work of fiction was not without its basis in real life. Life seldom provides us with our happy ever after right off the bat.

After all Love is not a science it deals with the most highly questionable particle – human emotion and there is yet to be a soul to walk the earth that can hold their hand up and say they honestly know what and why we chose who to love – I think love chooses us and for Brittan that means it got it right TWICE!

A highly charged, emotional tale of love won and lost and the internal pain suffered in the struggle to accepting a second chance.

Rating 4.5 out 5