Review: "Tasting Temptation" by JJ Arias

Another Delicious Sapphic Romance by one of the Best

If you have met me, follow me on social media, or have been following this here Substack for a while, you would know that I am a JJ Arias girl. Since receiving one of her books as a Christmas gift last December, I have read 10 of her novels, including her most recent Dominion trilogy. Tasting Temptation, her first since the trilogy ended, is another fantastic romance that, like so many of her other works, will leave you both titillated by the spice and deeply moved by the story. At the same time, it offers something different that will make you keep coming back for more and shows off just how talented of a writer JJ is.    

One slight word of warning: I try to keep my summaries limited to just what you would see on the back of the book or the Goodreads description, but for my review to make sense this time, I had to go a bit further than that. I try not to give too much away, but there are some things I couldn’t avoid.

Slade was once an up and coming star in the culinary world, but she’s just lost her job for telling her blowhard boss where he can shove his kitchen whites. Hearing about her firing, her friend Tina offers her the chance to work as a private chef for a group of rich women on a two-week retreat. One of those women happens to be the incredibly smart and sexy Marissa, a former lawyer turned TV personality. She, along with her friends Felicity, Ruby, and Christy, are taking the retreat to help Ruby get over her failing marriage. Slade and Marissa find themselves instantly attracted to one another despite their 12-year age gap and massive gaps in income. Despite their initial hesitancy, these two soon begin spending every opportunity together, including several sleepless and orgasm-filled nights. Near the end of the retreat, the four women, completely enamored by Slade’s culinary talents, offer to finance Slade’s restaurant idea. With a restaurant to open and investors to make happy, the pressure is on for Slade. She decides and Marissa agrees to break off their relationship so that Slade can fully focus on her restaurant. But stopping their feelings is much easier said than done.    

I really liked the story of Tasting Temptation. I enjoy a good one night to forever story because it’s fun to see how two characters with amazing sexual chemistry figure out how to translate that into relationship chemistry. Tasting Temptation, however, felt slightly different because it wasn’t just one night. It was two weeks, making it a mini-relationship to forever story instead. The story also didn’t feel like a typical JJ Arias novel even though it had so many of the features that I love in her works. In fact, it in a way felt like two JJ Arias stories in one. The first half of the book, the parts that took place during the retreat, felt much more like an age gap romance filled with irresistible tension. Slade and Marissa have an instant chemistry that leads to some very steamy scenes of passion. Then, the retreat ends, and the story shifts into more of a slow burn romance in which Slade and Marissa try to stay away from each other, but cannot help themselves. The sapphic yearning in the second half is also top notch. Slade and Marissa want each other so bad, but just can’t seem to get over themselves. It all sets up for a very satisfying ending when they finally do.     

One type of character I love to see in romance is the “Idiot in Love” (or as I like to call them, the lovable idiot). These types of characters have feelings for someone and will pine for them for massive stretches of the story, yet they won’t act on it for pretty silly yet believable reasons. Slade and Marissa are two perfect examples of this trope for me and I love them. Slade is smart, sexy, and driven, yet spends half the novel fighting her feelings for Marissa because she has convinced herself that she cannot balance Marissa and opening her own restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a valid reaction to making a massive career move, but it’s also kind of stupid. For her part, Marissa is also very intelligent, caring, and gorgeous, yet she spends half the novel cutting herself off from Slade in order to respect her wishes. Again, noble and understandable, but silly. It’s these flaws coupled with their individual strengths that made me fall in love with both of them.

I also think the supporting characters of Tasting Temptation are some of the best side characters I have read in sapphic romance. Felicity, Ruby, Cristy, and Tina are all very funny and witty in unique ways and are there to support Slade and Marissa however they need. They also really drive home how stupid Slade and Marissa are being, with all of them taking turns telling them so to their face. They even have fun with the entire predicament in ways that are truly endearing.  

Overall, Tasting Temptation is another solid and highly enjoyable story by the amazing JJ Arias. Perfect for diehards and newcomers alike, It hits all the highs and lows you want to see in a sapphic romance and offers her unique blend of spice and heart that will make you keep coming back for seconds.