Review: Riding Temptation by Jaci Burton

Ever since runaway Jessie Matthew teamed up with the gang of special ops bikers, the guys of the Wild Riders have thought of her as their kid sister--except for Diaz Delgado. Over the past few years he's been watching the budding of a ripe young woman. Jessie's glad somebody finally sees her for who she is--and she's thrilled it's Diaz. His dark good looks and killer body have tempted her since day one.

Diaz's unbrotherly urges have been hard to fight, but the last thing he'd want to do is hurt Jessie and break up the gang. And when they both go undercover to infiltrate a group of gunrunning survivalists, he knows it'll be hard to keep his distance--especially when the mission takes a risky turn. Now Diaz has no choice but to open himself up to the one woman who may be strong enough to take him on.

A dark and brooding loner who rides the open road for the U. S. government; a beautiful young and enthusiastic newcomer to the Wild Riders; an assignment that throws them together in the most intimate of ways and into a situation that it is impossible to extricate themselves without compromising the mission; once again Jaci Burton develops a plot and story line that is awash with story-telling possibilities. The unique aspect of this and all her biker novels is that they are so well-researched, keeping readings such as myself who are not really interested in the biker gang lifestyle and culture interested, even riveted with the flow of the story.

As with all Burton's offering, their is sizzle and romance aplenty, yet that aspect of the novel does not take over the story. It is very well balanced, keeping Jessie and Diaz central to the telling, while also moving through the whole issue of gangs who use their unique lifestyle to front for criminal activities. There is no doubt that the biker gang life is open, freewheeling, and dangerous. Add in the fact that each of the Wild Riders have been rescued not only from their past lives which are checkered at best, but they have also been rescued, in part, from themselves. However, they all still struggle with issues of abuse, abandonment, anger, fear of commitment, and a limited exposure to any kind of healthy relationship. Thus Jessie and Diaz can do well in the bedroom, but both are petrified of anything long term. Jessie is also at that transitional stage in her life where she is more than ready to be viewed, respected, and taken seriously as a woman as well as the skills she has been learning as a Wild Rider. This is her chance to shine.

So, contemporary romance fans, get out your literary "Harley" and be prepared to take a ride on the wild side. This book is so well-written and will catch your interest from the very first word. I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.