Forbidden Kisses (Blushing Bay, #1)

by Annie Rains

• ASIN: B01LX31EB8
• Publish Date: 2017
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 234
• Language: English

Reviews

[Lynn]

Jack Sawyer advertises for someone to run the office of the family fishing business; Sawyer Seafood Company to free up his time to finally put into practice the business idea he and his late friend dreamed about. When his former step-sister overhears him interviewing for the office manager position and offers herself as a candidate, he's torn between helping her out and not offending his family. Against his better judgement, Jack gives the job to Grace knowing she's perfect for the job but her appointment will not be well received by his brothers and father.

Desperate times makes for desperate measures and Grace is quick to offer herself for a job vacancy she overhears in the Blushing Bay café. It isn't until she sees the interviewer that she realises it is her former step-brother. Still, she needs the job and hopes he will offer her the opportunity even though it won't be easy. Only the position isn't as difficult to handle as re-emerged feelings for her first crush and the one responsible for her first kiss.

Realistic protagonists...warts an' all! I didn't agree with some of the actions and decisions Jack and Grace made, however, that made them, flaws and all more endearing and likeable. These are characters you could be friends with in real life, their issues making them relatable. Ms Rains centred them in wonderful, homely setting which adds to the overall feel and appeal of this novel.

Second chance and forgiveness are the strong themes running through this novel. The protagonists are victims of their parent's bitter divorce which left them estranged for many years. It's heart-warming when the two families begin to forgive and forget what pulled them apart so that they can all find peace in the future.

Forbidden Kisses is a delightful, romantic foundation to what promises to be a wonderful series. I'm looking forward to catching up with the other Sawyer brothers along with Abbey and Krista in future novels. This was my first Annie Rains novel and thoroughly enjoyed the warm, community spirit of the Blushing Bay setting.

4 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of Loveswept via NetGalley***

[chymerra]

While this is kinda a stepbrother/stepsister romance, it really isn’t. It isn’t as hardcore as some of the stepbrother/stepsister romances that I have read. Also add in that Jack and Grace’s parents got divorced and they are no longer semi-related, it takes the kink right out of it. Which is fine by me because the story ended being so much more than that.

I really liked Grace. She put up with a lot of crap from her mother growing up but was still there for her when her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. To say her mother wasn’t June Cleaver was an understatement. She also took a lot of crap from her old boss, the owner of a bar and ended up quitting when she couldn’t deal with his sexual advances anymore. So that leaves her without a job. Which brings her back into Jack’s world again.

I liked Jack. He had never forgotten Grace or his attraction to her but his rage at her mother’s actions kept him from talking to her. Not to mention that Grace went out of her way to avoid them because of what her mother did. So, he was surprised when Grace overheard him giving a job interview (not know it was him) and approached him for the job. He was in a bind, didn’t like the other applicants and hired her…without his father or brothers knowing. So, it wasn’t surprising when his brothers acted very negatively to Grace being there. What surprised me was his father’s reaction and I wanted to hug him.

The other story lines of Tristan and Tammy were very sad. I thought it was great when Jack stepped up and went to bat for Tristan. He gave him a job when most people wouldn’t and he stepped in when most people didn’t (read the book to find out what the situation was). Tammy’s storyline was sad but at the same time, I wanted to smack her. She laid so much on Grace about her past regrets and making things right before she died that Grace thought the only way to heal the rift between their families would be to buy back the boat Tammy sold.

I also could totally understand where Jack was coming from with his hatred of Tammy. I mean, she did sell off all of his mother’s belongings. I did wonder, at points in the book, if he would find it in himself to forgive Tammy (read the book if you want to find out).

The sex scenes between Grace and Jack were very hot and a little naughty (remember stepbrother/stepsister). The pages did burn up when they got into bed with each other and the pages burned up even when they weren’t sleeping together.

The end of the book was pretty good. Be ready to shed a tear or two and definitely be ready for the HEA during the epilog. I love it when authors to let the readers know what is going on after the story ends. Made me smile!!

How many stars will I give Forbidden Kisses: 4

Why: Enjoyable, relatable characters, hot sex, and a great plotline. I read this book in one day, it totally captivated me. I can’t wait until book 2 comes out!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and some mild language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**