Forbidden (Wicked Woodleys, #1)

by Jess Michaels

[Amanda]

I received Forbidden for free in exchange for an honest review.

Probably closer to a 3.5.

Forbidden is considered an erotic romance, and with good reason. It definitely has a strong erotic bent, where the focus is on the physical relationship. Seriously. There's sex. And a lot of it.

That is not a complaint. Not a complaint AT ALL.

It's just, if you're looking for a typical historical romance, this is likely not the book for you. Forbidden is focused on the relationship between Jude and Audrey and while there are factors that keep them apart, they don't necessarily drive the plot forward.

One thing that erotica struggles with is the love/sex line, and Jess Michaels skirts that nicely by presenting us with two characters who have loved each other from afar for years, but haven't been able to act on them because of their positions and expectations. That made their sexual tension incredibly believable and hot.

The one issue I had with this was that a lot of motivations are told to us. Audrey is afraid of passion, etc. And while this is fine, it wasn't enough for me to connect to her character and why she acted the way she did. I didn't know enough of Audrey's family and what they'd gone through for me to understand it, and the plot thread of Claire was not really resolved. It was more than a tease than anything. I would have liked more closure on it, but I also figure that Claire's story will be woven throughout the other Wicked Woodleys stories.

If you're looking for a decent erotica with a historical romantic bent, Forbidden is a good option. I'd pick up more Jess Michaels books.