✰ Bianca ✰ Janeane ✰ 
• 8 August 2017
• standalone!
• very slightly 'connected' to ALL I AM - a This Man Spin-Off Novella
(as in, we met Annie there for the first time! But you do not have to have read it to enjoy this book! She just finds her new apartment through Drew's company!)
• standalone!
• very slightly 'connected' to ALL I AM - a This Man Spin-Off Novella
(as in, we met Annie there for the first time! But you do not have to have read it to enjoy this book! She just finds her new apartment through Drew's company!)
★★★★
4.25 Stars
4.25 Stars
Annie has
never experienced the 'spark' with a guy - the kind of instant chemistry that
steals your breath and blindsides you completely. Until a night out with
friends brings her face to face with the wickedly sexy and mysterious Jack.
It's not just a spark that ignites between them. It's an explosion. Jack
promises to consume Annie, and he fully delivers on that promise.
And Jack isn't only dangerous.
He is forbidden.
Annie is 29. She's an architect living in London.
She just found her perfect flat and is now happily working as her own boss.
She doesn't need a man in her life. She wouldn't have the time anyway.
Enter Jack.
She meets him in a bar.
And it's instant attraction. Lust. Intrigue. And so much more.
It might just be too much for Annie.
Also, Jack is kinda warning her away from him.
But the night is not over yet ...
And the complications are only beginning ....
She just found her perfect flat and is now happily working as her own boss.
She doesn't need a man in her life. She wouldn't have the time anyway.
Enter Jack.
She meets him in a bar.
And it's instant attraction. Lust. Intrigue. And so much more.
It might just be too much for Annie.
Also, Jack is kinda warning her away from him.
But the night is not over yet ...
And the complications are only beginning ....
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH ANNIE & JACK?
WILL THERE BE A HEA???
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺
I was really intrigued by the blurb and by what Jodi wrote about the book before it was released; about the hows and whys and whats. All so very mysterious and scary and forbidden!
And then I started reading and I was .... a tiny little bit disappointed. There was nothing overly exciting about anything in the first 10% of the book. Annie moves into her new place and cleans it and then she goes out with friends and meets Jack. Yes, Jack IS very interesting, but still. I was expecting more BAM!!! at the beginning. BUT, it definitely got better! Not that it was bad at the beginning, I was just expecting more excitement!
We find out about the FORBIDDEN part of the book at the 19% mark. And yup. It's kinda very forbidden. But also not impossible to overcome. But is it worth all the hassle?
We think yes! Annie just has to be convinced! ☺
And Jack is very good at doing that.
I really liked the book. It was just too ... no idea ... too unforbidden for me? I expected something so much more un-over-come-able. Some huge thing that'll never lead to a happy end for anyone.
But then it was 'just' this. And, yes, ok, it's forbidden, but it can be fixed so easily.
And they make such a huge thing out of it. As if they're all sooo deeply catholic! Ugh. I hated that a bit.
I still liked Jack and Annie. They found something with each other that many people go their whole lives without. True love. It was all so passionate between them. It could've been so beautiful and forever-ever-after-ish....but of course there's the forbidden part. ☺ But we might overcome that by the end of the book. ☺ But not before some more excitement and suspense!!!
The story was very sexy and sweet and funny and romantic and frustrating and then later on we have those very exciting and suspensy and scary moments.
Great romance.
But also a romance that might be a hard-limit for many readers. I don't care either way. People can and should do what they want - or what their hearts & heads tell them to do.
And also, an author can write whatever she wants to write. I guess this whole book is very close to her heart - so who am I to tell her she wrote something (imo) lameweirdboring?! .... ok, yes, readers pay for books you might say, but if you're scared of something taboo or forbidden, then don't go and buy a book called THE FORBIDDEN!!!☺
Another tiny little problem I had - with the writing.
Yes, I know it's a book set in London, written by an english author. BUT - oy jeez. Almost every single page had a British expression that I had never heard before in my life! I had to google some to understand what was being said! By now I understand taking the piss. I've read that in many books before. But there was sooo much more! I think a non-British editor should've gone over those expressions with JEM, and exchanged some of them into something that readers worldwide would understand!
I know all that ↑ sounds like I hated the book - I DIDN'T! I loved reading it. But like it happens sometimes with those too high expectations - you always end up disappointed a bit when it doesn't turn out the way you hoped it would. But I really LOVED the book. Even if it doesn't sound like it.☺
WILL THERE BE A HEA???
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺
I was really intrigued by the blurb and by what Jodi wrote about the book before it was released; about the hows and whys and whats. All so very mysterious and scary and forbidden!
And then I started reading and I was .... a tiny little bit disappointed. There was nothing overly exciting about anything in the first 10% of the book. Annie moves into her new place and cleans it and then she goes out with friends and meets Jack. Yes, Jack IS very interesting, but still. I was expecting more BAM!!! at the beginning. BUT, it definitely got better! Not that it was bad at the beginning, I was just expecting more excitement!
We find out about the FORBIDDEN part of the book at the 19% mark. And yup. It's kinda very forbidden. But also not impossible to overcome. But is it worth all the hassle?
We think yes! Annie just has to be convinced! ☺
And Jack is very good at doing that.
I really liked the book. It was just too ... no idea ... too unforbidden for me? I expected something so much more un-over-come-able. Some huge thing that'll never lead to a happy end for anyone.
But then it was 'just' this. And, yes, ok, it's forbidden, but it can be fixed so easily.
And they make such a huge thing out of it. As if they're all sooo deeply catholic! Ugh. I hated that a bit.
I still liked Jack and Annie. They found something with each other that many people go their whole lives without. True love. It was all so passionate between them. It could've been so beautiful and forever-ever-after-ish....but of course there's the forbidden part. ☺ But we might overcome that by the end of the book. ☺ But not before some more excitement and suspense!!!
The story was very sexy and sweet and funny and romantic and frustrating and then later on we have those very exciting and suspensy and scary moments.
Great romance.
But also a romance that might be a hard-limit for many readers. I don't care either way. People can and should do what they want - or what their hearts & heads tell them to do.
And also, an author can write whatever she wants to write. I guess this whole book is very close to her heart - so who am I to tell her she wrote something (imo) lameweirdboring?! .... ok, yes, readers pay for books you might say, but if you're scared of something taboo or forbidden, then don't go and buy a book called THE FORBIDDEN!!!☺
Another tiny little problem I had - with the writing.
Yes, I know it's a book set in London, written by an english author. BUT - oy jeez. Almost every single page had a British expression that I had never heard before in my life! I had to google some to understand what was being said! By now I understand taking the piss. I've read that in many books before. But there was sooo much more! I think a non-British editor should've gone over those expressions with JEM, and exchanged some of them into something that readers worldwide would understand!
I know all that ↑ sounds like I hated the book - I DIDN'T! I loved reading it. But like it happens sometimes with those too high expectations - you always end up disappointed a bit when it doesn't turn out the way you hoped it would. But I really LOVED the book. Even if it doesn't sound like it.☺
THE FORBIDDEN was a very exciting and sexy, but also for some readers a very taboo love story! But don't be scared now!!! Read it! ☺
I was intrigued by this book and couldn't wait to get my greedy little hands on it - I mean helloooooo it is a JEM book.
I adored Annie, love that she is smart and independent and even though she's in a dry spell, takes the bull by the horns and does something - or someone - about it!
Jack. Well, isn't he all kinds of swoonworthy - even though when things play out, I loved to hate him for a huge chunk of the book! You will find out when you read so I won't go into it and spoil it.
The Forbidden though - I guess I was expecting something a little more "forbidden"? But that is probably just me.
There are great secondary characters whom I would love to see more of in the future - though Annie's best friend - at times she irked me no end and I wanted to slap her!
I have so disagree with something Bianca has written in her review about having an American editor go through and change some phrases. Uh, NO! Authors and readers should not have to bow down and change things for US readers. They are one country, and we don't expect them to change all their sayings for the rest of the world, so why should the rest of the world change things for them? They can use Google like everyone else! Its' what makes the world a fantastic place, we are all different. OK, rant over :D
I really did enjoy The Forbidden. The story flowed, was well paced, and had me run the full gamut of emotions. I couldn't wait to turn each page to see what would happen with out lovelies next.
This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and will turn up the heat!
Can't wait to see what JEM brings us next.
• EXCERPT •
“Thank you for your help,” I say quietly, studying him, definitely detecting that he’s deep in thought. Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask. I need to get back into my apartment without engaging with him, which could prove tricky when he’s blocking the doorway and looking like he has no intention of shifting to let me in.
“Annie,” he breathes. “I’m struggling so badly.”
“I’m not doing this.” I swallow, pushing my way past him. He grabs me by the top of my arm and holds me in place. “Let me go, Jack.”
“I’ve already told you I can’t do that. Annie, I’m drowning here. I’m going out of my mind, and the more time I spend with you the fucking worse it’s getting. Listening to you, talking to you, sharing a passion with you that goes way beyond the amazing time we had in bed together.”
“You have to forget!” I yell, knowing anger is the only way forward. Be angry with him. Let it dominate me and rule me, because the alternative scares me to fucking death.
He pushes me into the hall and slams the door behind us, forcing me to back up. “No,” he says, straight and even. “No,” he repeats, moving one more step forward, except this time I don’t retreat. Because I can’t. Because he has me locked in place with those grey eyes, and now they’re back to their full glory. Sparkling, even if it’s with anger. He reaches for his shirt and starts unbuttoning it before shrugging it off and throwing it to the floor, revealing the chest that’s haunting me.
I quickly look down at the pile of material, my mind reeling. His chest. His perfect damn chest. “What are you doing?”
“I have no fucking idea.” He reaches for me and slides a hand around my neck, pulling me to him. Our chests meet, and my determination to repel him vanishes under our connection. Wrongs turn into rights. Conflict turns into craving.
“I can’t get you out of my head, Annie.” His forehead meets mine, his palm massaging away the tightness in my neck muscles, softening me up until I relax in his hold. “I want you all over again, and I can’t even find the will to worry about how much more that’ll make me want you.” He breathes down on me. “I’ve played that night on repeat. I’ve dreamed of holding you in my arms again. I’ve craved the sound of your voice, the feel of your touch, the softness of your lips on mine. I know I shouldn’t want you. But I do. Nothing has ever made me feel this insane with need. Nothing has taken up so much space in my head. I can’t fucking help it, Annie.” His grey gaze sinks into me, my heart steadying to an even thrum. His head starts to shake mildly, his splayed hand moving up to the back of my head and fisting my hair. “I don’t want to help it,” he growls. “I want you. I don’t care how wrong it is.” His clenched fist tightens, gripping my hair harshly. “I know I’ve been on your mind since I fucked you every which way in that hotel room. Stop denying it. Don’t insult me and tell me you don’t crave that amazing feeling all over again. I can see it in your eyes every damn time I look into them. You. Want. Me.”
It’s me who moves in first. All me. I lunge forward and smash my lips to his, the magnetic force winning. His words winning. Jack winning. My heart winning. I coax his mouth open with hard, hungry kisses. I’ve lost my mind to a craving too powerful to fight off. And, like Jack, I don’t care how wrong it is.
Lost.
Yet as he walks me backward until my back slams into the wall, I feel found again.
I cry out, and Jack moans. We’re clumsy and desperate. He’s pushing me up the wall with the force of his kiss, then he’s rolling away, taking me with him until it’s his back slamming into the wall. It’s the elevator all over again. The atmosphere is sizzling. I’m on fire. He scoops me up, pinning me to him, and carries me into my bedroom. I focus on him. Only him and the return of feelings that I’ve fantasized about since that unforgettable night. All the guilt is abandoning me, and I let it, unprepared to let anything stop me from taking the forbidden.
Jodi:
Unlike This Man & One Night, I didn’t really use much music in The Forbidden. But I did listen to it during the writing process, and there are a few tracks that had a place within the story for one reason or another.
Madonna – Like A Prayer
When Annie is getting ready for her girls night out, she’s dances around her bedroom in her towel with a glass of wine singing along. Because what woman doesn’t like a bit of Madonna? It’s like the perfect track to get ready to. Any everyone knows the words!
Above & Beyond – Sun & Moon
This was the track of the moment for me while I was writing The Forbidden. The lyrics ring so true for Annie’s disposition at this moment in the story, and I kept imagining her bursting through Hyde Park on a spontaneous morning run, feeling like she had a new lease of life. “We’re in heaven, you and I. When I lay with you and close my eyes, my fingers touch the sky.” Perfecto!
Moby - Go
Annie’s friend, while slightly drunk on their night out, puts herself on the dance floor and has a bit of a drunken sway. This track has always been a firm favourite of mine, the tempo intense, and it was perfect for the atmosphere in the bar when Annie and Jack first set eyes on each other.
Jean Jacques Smoothie – 2 People
This track was originally in the book, but after edit was removed. The words are perfect for the chemistry and feels that Jack and Annie had on their first encounter. There are literally 16 words in the whole track, and each one is perfect. To me, the lyrics represent the joining of two people who are just meant to be.
Two people, just meeting
Barely touching each other
Two spirits greeting
Trying to carry it further
Zedd – Clarity (Feat Foxes)
This didn’t make it into the book, but it was a huge track at the time I was writing The Forbidden and always seemed to be on the radio everytime I got in the car! I always thought how apt the words were for Annie & Jack.
“If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy
If our love's insanity why are you my clarity”
The Forbidden – Alfie Malpas
This seems a bit strange to share, but, ultimately, it deserves first place in my list in terms of ‘the feels’. This is the track for the book trailer, and it was produced by my son J He’s a bit of a whizz when it comes to music, and there have been many tracks I’ve used in past books that Alfie has brought to me because he just knows I’ll love them. He has a knack of finding immense music by artists many haven’t heard of yet. But this track he actually produced from scratch himself. I went to him with a brief. I wanted intense, almost uncomfortable. He came back with this, and though it is massively far removed from what he usually produces, he done me so proud. It is perfect for The Forbidden.
James - Top Of The World
One of my all-time favourites. There’s a scene in The Forbidden when Annie is aimlessly wandering the streets of London. It’s a moment in which she is lost and trying to silently comprehend where she is at in her life and what she is doing. Top of The World couldn’t be more fitting for her frame of mind.
Alanis Morissette – Uninvited
Another old favourite. Simple, really. “You’re not allowed. You’re uninvited.” In my mind, that’s what Annie is saying to herself all the time about Jack. She’s angry at his persistence. Tries to tell herself to steer clear. But your heart doesn’t always listen to your head.
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