2 Book Lovers Reviews

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​​​Jodi Ellen Malpas had me at the title, but the cover and synopsis were equally intriguing.  The Forbidden was an all-consuming novel that I read in record time.  While it may contain subject matter that may not appeal to every reader, I urge you to leave your morals at the door, step outside of your comfort zone, lower the barriers and let yourself experience Annie and Jack’s intense love story – you won’t be disappointed.

I’m not the type of reader who shies away from a tumultuous love story.  I want a story that is going to stir up my emotions and make me feel something.  Whether I agree with the subject matter or not, I want to be affected by what I’m reading – good or bad, uncomfortable or not, I need to feel the story.  I felt  The Forbidden.  Every word and every sentence was felt – from my pounding heart to the butterflies in my stomach to the ache that I felt right down to my toes.   As I frantically flipped the pages, I was living the story right alongside the characters.

From the first page to the final page, I was completely invested in this love story.  I couldn’t just sit down for a few minutes to read a chapter or two.  One chapter quickly turned into two, then three, then I was at the halfway mark.  Even when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about the story and the characters.   

Jodi Ellen Malpas created characters that I cared about.  She made them come alive within the pages of the book.  Their joy, pain, heartache, passion, and worries were palpable.  You can’t simply read this book, you will experience it, go along for the journey, and question everything that you may have believed.  It will push you, break your heart, fill you with hope, leave you breathless, and have you falling in love.

The old adage rings true for this book, “The heart wants what the heart wants.”  While your head may try to lead you in the “right” direction, sometimes your heart knows what it needs.  Common sense, conscience and logic be damned!

The push and pull and tension was at a high in this story, but this just added to the incredible passion that was intensifying with every interaction and touch between Annie and Jack.  Their relationship was complicated, messy, raw, and emotional. Jodi Ellen Malpas did a fantastic job of writing a story that is heartfelt, honest, and real.  

For the majority of the book, I didn’t know where the author was going to take the story.  I just gripped my Kindle, took a deep breath, and hoped for the best. 

The Forbidden is a book that I will not soon forget.  To say that I loved it would be an understatement – I adored it!

*5+ Stars