For a woman seeking a fresh start, it'll take a bad boy to break from the past.

Today marks the start of Dr. Carolina Rodriguez's new life:
Quit dismal job. Check.
Break up with cheating ex. Check.
Crash into hot guy's bumper in church parking lot, who just happens to be her new client! Double-check!

In her do-over, Carolina takes a job on a Texas ranch and is hired to figure out why the cattle are dying. During a case of mistaken identity, she locks horns with the ranch owner, Matthew McLemore. He's attractive for a cocky, stubborn know-it-all. And he proposes they pretend to be dating to keep her safe during her forensic investigation.

Carolina refuses to fake date her gorgeous client, until she learns she's his last chance to save his family's cattle reputation.

Matt has a ranch to run and no time to lose. As the oldest McLemore brother, he's accustomed to hard work and difficult situations. In need of Carolina's expertise, he ignores his attraction to the woman underneath the lab coat.

On horseback, working side-by-side, Matt and Carolina discover there's nowhere to run for cover. Not from their painful pasts and not from their sizzling chemistry that's hotter than the summer sun. Unable to resist, they give into temptation. Their affair is wild, raw, and intense.

But to solve the mysterious cattle illness puts their love affair in jeopardy. In the aftermath, they must face their inner demons or live with the consequences.


Tempted by Trouble is Book #1 in the best-selling Bad Boys Western Romance series, filled with memorable family and friends. This a funny, heartwarming, fake-dating romance about a city girl who finds her footing and the handsome rancher who lassos her heart.


Susan Arden is known for her storytelling ability, using fiction realism. Step into Matt and Carolina's life and learn what it's like to live on a ranch with the over-the-top, close-knit, caring McLemore clan.

Note: Previously published by Simon and Schuster. This 2nd edition contains new scenes, edited, proofed, and re-published in 2024.