TOUR STOP and REVIEW Splendor by Janet Nissenson

British hotelier Ian Gregson had it all – wealth, good looks, power, and a share in his family’s worldwide, multi-billion dollar luxury hotel chain. His very name was synonymous with sophistication and elegance, and any woman he wanted could be his with just a look. But the only woman he truly desired was strictly forbidden to him for too many reasons to count.

Tessa Lockwood was young, beautiful, and lonely, despite the fact that she was a married woman. Her life had not been an easy one, and the extravagant world she caught glimpses of as an employee of the Gregson Hotel Group was far beyond anything she could ever dream of. She could no more imagine herself ensconced in that sort of luxurious lifestyle than she could attracting the attention of her handsome, debonair boss.

Ian and Tessa secretly long for each other from afar, never daring to reveal their forbidden attraction to the other, until circumstances bring them together in a very unexpected way. And from that point on, nothing will stand in Ian’s way to finally make her his.

AUTHOR’S NOTE – despite what you might be thinking at this point, there is NO cheating in this story – just an incredibly romantic hero who will make you swoon with the way in which he sweeps the heroine off her feet!

Tessa walked inside the enormous room slowly as he flicked on a lamp somewhere. Ian’s master suite was easily larger than her entire apartment, kitchen and bath included, and every bit as lavish as the rest of the house. She imagined the view from the bank of windows set against the far end of the room would be breathtaking, and she could envision herself curling up on the wide, padded window seat sipping tea and watching the sun rise. The furniture in here was all dark, polished woods and clean, simple lines, large pieces that nonetheless didn’t dwarf the room. Like the rest of the house, there was nothing the least bit fussy or overdone, and it was very obvious that this was a man’s room.

Tessa’s gaze fell to the imposing four poster bed, easily the largest of its kind she’d ever seen. It was covered in a thick duvet of a pale mocha shade, both luxurious and simple at the same time. She couldn’t resist running her hand over it lightly, the fabric soft and almost velvety to the touch.

“Do you like it, Tessa?”

She whirled to face Ian, who was standing just behind her. He’d removed his suit jacket and tie as she’d been inspecting the room, and her breath caught at the splendid sight of his white shirt stretching across the broad expanse of his chest and shoulders.

Aware that he was waiting for her reply, she nodded and then glanced away abruptly. “It’s wonderful, Ian. This is – way beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I’ve never seen so much – well, I suppose splendor is a good word for it.”

Tessa shivered in reaction as he came up behind her, pressing his body against hers and lightly running his fingertips up and down her bare arms.

“I’ve wanted you here in my house – my room – my bed for so long now, darling,” he murmured in her ear, his lips caressing the side of her throat. At the same time, his arms circled her waist, one hand splayed over her belly as he pulled her in closer. “I never imagined it would actually happen, though. Seeing you here now like this – tell me I’m not dreaming again, Tessa.”

The pleading tone of his voice startled her, for he sounded almost desperate. She was quick to reassure him.

“You aren’t dreaming. I’m really here. But I’m the one who feels like she’s in some fantastic dream world,” she confessed.

His tongue began to trace erotic little patterns around her ear before he gently nibbled on the lobe. “If you aren’t ready for this, I promise I’ll understand. I won’t ever pressure you, Tessa. So tell me – should I drive you home or will you stay here with me?”

Tessa closed her eyes as her head fell back onto his shoulder, one of his hands now stroking her hip and then up the side of her rib cage. “What – what happens if I stay?”

Ian’s voice grew huskier, and was filled with so much raw passion that she felt she might swoon. “Then I do what I’ve dreamed about doing since the first time I met you – undress you slowly, lay you out on my bed, and then taste and touch every inch of this beautiful body.” His hand slid up her abdomen to cup her breast, his thumb brushing masterfully over her erect nipple. “After that I’ll slide inside of you, all the way in, and stay there for a long time. Hours, maybe days. After all, I’ve got two years of unfulfilled fantasies to satisfy.”

“Ah, that’s so good,” she whispered roughly, as his hand squeezed her breast, his fingers plucking the nipple through the fabric of her dress. “Please, Ian.”

“Tell me first, Tessa,” he demanded. “Will you stay – or should I take you home?”

Tessa cried out as one of his hands slid down to cup her sex. “Oh, God! S-stay! I want to stay here with you.”

It has been a very long time since I’ve been as engrossed in a book as I have in this one! And now I have finished I am feeling pretty bereft! I have loved spending a few evenings this last week in the company of Ian and Tessa and their absolutely beautiful love story.

In this book we have an immensely good looking hotelier, Ian, who to be honest seems as though he has been married to his job for the best part of his life. In walks the shy and retiring but beautiful Tessa and literally turns is life upside down.

It has been a refreshing change to read a book about a male lead character who is just genuinely amazing and not tainted in any way. Ian is just a genuine, hardworking and fiercely loyal gentleman and as a book boyfriend he is just about perfect! Oh and he’s pretty experienced tin eh bedroom department too!

We also meet Tessa and out of the pair she has had an appalling start in life but still somehow managed to come through the other side intact and is such a sweet kind hearted person whom you root for from the beginning. She really wouldn’t hurt a fly and it actually broke my heart she you discover the true reality of her marriage and how she ended up with her husband!

This is just a beautiful journey of discovery for Tessa and one of the most romantic and simply heartwarming books I have read in a long time. I love the multiple voices in which Janet writes this story and the different perspectives fill out the story nicely. It is also a stand alone and although there is some reference to things that happen in an earlier book, it isn’t necessary to have read that to enjoy this truly stunning story. And can I just say that Ian will make even the coldest of hearts melt – his words and emotions at times are absolutely heart stopping! And I forgot to mention it’s pretty hot too!

The lack of angst and of anything remotely complicated in the storyline was so refreshing and I must admit that as I am writing this review I feel slightly sad that my time with Ian and Tessa is over. I have to admit that this is the first book of Janet’s that I have read and I am heading straight to one click the first book in this series just because I want more!

Loved, loved, loved the book – what more can I say! Stunning!

Five perfect romance stars from me!

Janet is a lifelong resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, and currently resides on the northern California coast with her husband Steve and Golden Retriever Max. She worked for more than two decades in the financial services industry before turning her focus to producing running events. She is a former long-distance runner, current avid yoga practitioner, is addicted to Pinterest, likes to travel and read. She has been writing for more than three decades, with her first e-book Serendipity published in December 2013. Splendor is book two of six in the Inevitable series, each book a standalone with no cliffhangers.