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cala_p's review
5.0
Linda Kage has really outdone herself with this story. Easily my favorite Forbidden Men book. WOW just wow.
The other books all had a theme: teacher/student, pregnancy, best friend's sister...but this one took on a new direction. It was a Romeo and Juliet retelling mixed with a second-chance romance.
Knox Parker and Felicia Brainbridge are from two different types of families. While some books follow this idea of a couple consisting of a poor boy and a rich girl, in which the girl's family doesn't approve, this book takes it one step further. These two families HATE each other. Doesn't help that one of Felicia's older brothers had a child, which he doesn't claim as his, with one of Knox's sisters. The two meet, become friends, and later fall in love. After the first time having sex, her brothers find them and drag them home where her father has him arrested. Since she was 16 and he was 18 it was considered statutory rape regardless, but her father threatened him with Felicia's life so he told the cops it was forced rape which put him in jail for even longer.
The book is sweet because while telling us the story of present times, every other chapter goes into the past leading up to Knox's arrest and showing how the two fell for each other. In the present times, it's awesome seeing the two now interact especially since every other chapter is a flashback to how they once were. The contrast is massive.
I honestly don't know what to say about this. It's a very raw book and it makes it very touching. Two opposite people, once pulled together and then torn apart is now trying to find their way back to one another while she wants everything to be fixed and he's desperate to stay away from her to keep her safe and clean.
Beautiful writing and super heart-wrenching story!
The other books all had a theme: teacher/student, pregnancy, best friend's sister...but this one took on a new direction. It was a Romeo and Juliet retelling mixed with a second-chance romance.
Knox Parker and Felicia Brainbridge are from two different types of families. While some books follow this idea of a couple consisting of a poor boy and a rich girl, in which the girl's family doesn't approve, this book takes it one step further. These two families HATE each other. Doesn't help that one of Felicia's older brothers had a child, which he doesn't claim as his, with one of Knox's sisters. The two meet, become friends, and later fall in love. After the first time having sex, her brothers find them and drag them home where her father has him arrested. Since she was 16 and he was 18 it was considered statutory rape regardless, but her father threatened him with Felicia's life so he told the cops it was forced rape which put him in jail for even longer.
The book is sweet because while telling us the story of present times, every other chapter goes into the past leading up to Knox's arrest and showing how the two fell for each other. In the present times, it's awesome seeing the two now interact especially since every other chapter is a flashback to how they once were. The contrast is massive.
I honestly don't know what to say about this. It's a very raw book and it makes it very touching. Two opposite people, once pulled together and then torn apart is now trying to find their way back to one another while she wants everything to be fixed and he's desperate to stay away from her to keep her safe and clean.
Beautiful writing and super heart-wrenching story!
milicasbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
It was almost 4 years since I read the fifth part of this series & I can't explain why I didn't continue to read it until yesterday. YOU GUYS, I FREAKING LOVE THIS SERIES!
Every single part of this series has a place in my heart!
This one is so heartbreaking, healing and pure, pure love!
Knox, babe, you're worth it! ♥♥♥
Every single part of this series has a place in my heart!
This one is so heartbreaking, healing and pure, pure love!
Knox, babe, you're worth it! ♥♥♥
camibookish's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, that was incredible!
I think this might be the best book on the series so far. It was written amazingly. I loved that the story was written between past and present and I must admit though that it kind of annoyed me at one point when I was really into the story and then the chapter ended and we had to go back to the past instead of continuing where the chapter left off, but to be honest I think that added something more to the book and the fact that the chapter that tell us the past was always related to what was happening in the chapter from the present was kind of awesome. The story itself was quite complex, I loved the characters what they went through, how they dealt with things and how they healed. At some point when I was finishing the book I might have thought things happened really quick but then I counted the chapters from the past and it was really a story that went through 6 years, so it wasn't quick at all.
I was so glad to get to know these characters, at first I was doubtful since they were new characters to the series and I was afraid we wouldn't see much of the other characters we met before, but they were there doing they're thing and being a family as always and I loved it.
I think the author outdid herself with this one, it was kind of different, it was better, no, actually it was the best and it surprise me and it seriously left very high expectations to how the next book is going to be. I really can't wait to see Asher Hart's story specially with that epilogue!
Amazing book totally recommended to you all, but please start with the beginning of the series 'Price of a Kiss' so you get to know all the other characters and the relationship between them, it's really cool.
I think this might be the best book on the series so far. It was written amazingly. I loved that the story was written between past and present and I must admit though that it kind of annoyed me at one point when I was really into the story and then the chapter ended and we had to go back to the past instead of continuing where the chapter left off, but to be honest I think that added something more to the book and the fact that the chapter that tell us the past was always related to what was happening in the chapter from the present was kind of awesome. The story itself was quite complex, I loved the characters what they went through, how they dealt with things and how they healed. At some point when I was finishing the book I might have thought things happened really quick but then I counted the chapters from the past and it was really a story that went through 6 years, so it wasn't quick at all.
I was so glad to get to know these characters, at first I was doubtful since they were new characters to the series and I was afraid we wouldn't see much of the other characters we met before, but they were there doing they're thing and being a family as always and I loved it.
I think the author outdid herself with this one, it was kind of different, it was better, no, actually it was the best and it surprise me and it seriously left very high expectations to how the next book is going to be. I really can't wait to see Asher Hart's story specially with that epilogue!
Amazing book totally recommended to you all, but please start with the beginning of the series 'Price of a Kiss' so you get to know all the other characters and the relationship between them, it's really cool.
jaimeedarling's review against another edition
5.0
Oh man. My poor shipper heart.
This book gave me some mad "frustrating k-drama like" feels.
So much anger and injustice.
But oh so WORTH IT.
Get it?
*slaps knee*
I slay myself.
But I digress.
Such a sweet 'first love' story, and I love how she kept going back and forth between past and present stories.
I mean, I hated it. But it made me read the book so fast because there were some parts when all I wanted was the past story, and some parts where all I wanted was the present story, and Linda played it perfectly.
The bumps in the plot will torture your soul, but keep going. Five star book, ya'll.
This book gave me some mad "frustrating k-drama like" feels.
So much anger and injustice.
But oh so WORTH IT.
Get it?
*slaps knee*
I slay myself.
But I digress.
Such a sweet 'first love' story, and I love how she kept going back and forth between past and present stories.
I mean, I hated it. But it made me read the book so fast because there were some parts when all I wanted was the past story, and some parts where all I wanted was the present story, and Linda played it perfectly.
The bumps in the plot will torture your soul, but keep going. Five star book, ya'll.
frenchpressbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Knox may have just won my heart…1 dirty diaper at a time. This story was so heart breaking and beautiful at once.
It felt a little like Romeo and Juliet without that Shakespearean words and death haha. City and Knox should not be in the same space with each other because of the hatred their family has for one another…( which I’m kinda annoyed that I don’t know why they hated each other ) but when these two meet the sparks can’t be denied and it was fun to see play out.
What started out as a young forbidden love did not die when they are taken from one another. We are reminded that love. Real honest and deep love does not end no matter the time past or the distance.
Linda knows how to create freaking awesome characters. It was not only well written and easy to read it was a punch to the gut and it lit a flame to your heart. Such a fantastic story. Seriously good read.
It felt a little like Romeo and Juliet without that Shakespearean words and death haha. City and Knox should not be in the same space with each other because of the hatred their family has for one another…( which I’m kinda annoyed that I don’t know why they hated each other ) but when these two meet the sparks can’t be denied and it was fun to see play out.
What started out as a young forbidden love did not die when they are taken from one another. We are reminded that love. Real honest and deep love does not end no matter the time past or the distance.
Linda knows how to create freaking awesome characters. It was not only well written and easy to read it was a punch to the gut and it lit a flame to your heart. Such a fantastic story. Seriously good read.
420blazeit's review against another edition
4.0
re-read 1/8/2024
this was one of the better tropes that kinda kage has included in this series. i mean childhood-enemies-friends-lovers, that covers just about everything. while there was more of an invisible force keeping felicity and knox apart, i still understood why knox didn't exactly want to get in a relationship with the girl whose family sent him to jail. two unnecessary plot points was *spoilers obviously* felicity's brother turning out to be gay?? and then knox's brother being the one to burn down their knox's family and their house??? like why? that was completely not needed. also were we supposed to sympathize with felicity's brother after he revealed his sexuality?? bc i did not want to know anything about that man except for if he was dead. anyway... it was mostly nice to see the gang all together, and seeing how pick is basically a mind reader at this point. im going to pretend like the witch in his book gave him magical powers bc that man can read just about everyone's mood. i was also glad to see ten being his usual self (although his character did seem reduced to a bunch of snarky read-the-room one-liners and self-inflicted black eyes.) and i was happy to see how felicity helped out colton and her closeness with gamble family.
overall this was one of the better forbidden men books <3
this was one of the better tropes that kinda kage has included in this series. i mean childhood-enemies-friends-lovers, that covers just about everything. while there was more of an invisible force keeping felicity and knox apart, i still understood why knox didn't exactly want to get in a relationship with the girl whose family sent him to jail. two unnecessary plot points was *spoilers obviously* felicity's brother turning out to be gay?? and then knox's brother being the one to burn down their knox's family and their house??? like why? that was completely not needed. also were we supposed to sympathize with felicity's brother after he revealed his sexuality?? bc i did not want to know anything about that man except for if he was dead. anyway... it was mostly nice to see the gang all together, and seeing how pick is basically a mind reader at this point. im going to pretend like the witch in his book gave him magical powers bc that man can read just about everyone's mood. i was also glad to see ten being his usual self (although his character did seem reduced to a bunch of snarky read-the-room one-liners and self-inflicted black eyes.) and i was happy to see how felicity helped out colton and her closeness with gamble family.
overall this was one of the better forbidden men books <3
yashiras_archive's review
5.0
This one broke my heart into pieces but at the same time it made my heart puke rainbows and unicorns.
I wasn't sure what to except from this one, but I enjoyed the outcome. Felicity and Knox were neighbors and they should've hated each other just by who they were, who they were related to. But they couldn't, they had an instant connection. Felicity was only 15 barely turning 16, Knox was 18. They grow this cute little friendship but eventually it turns into more. Their relationship was just the absolute cutest, they understood each other and when they were together they felt free. They weren't a Parker and a Bainbridge, they were Felicity and Knox. Certain circumstances break them apart and they don't see each other again for six years and in those six years, a lot changed.
Learning all that happened to Knox and what he finds out was heartbreaking. I just wanted to jump into the book and hug him. Seeing Felicity fight for him again was amazing, it's always great to see the female take a stand.
This book had the perfect buildup. Nothing felt rushed, except their young love, but it was such a sweet love. I couldn't help but swoon. I loved that no matter how long they were separated from each other, they couldn't get over their what they had. It was always there and it was strong.
I do have to say.. The first time they get together after six years, felt a tad soon. But other than that, I'm still a mess over this one. The feels are everywhere, emotions on high. It was a long journey but they found their way back to each other.
This series gets better each time! Cannot wait for the next one.
I wasn't sure what to except from this one, but I enjoyed the outcome. Felicity and Knox were neighbors and they should've hated each other just by who they were, who they were related to. But they couldn't, they had an instant connection. Felicity was only 15 barely turning 16, Knox was 18. They grow this cute little friendship but eventually it turns into more. Their relationship was just the absolute cutest, they understood each other and when they were together they felt free. They weren't a Parker and a Bainbridge, they were Felicity and Knox. Certain circumstances break them apart and they don't see each other again for six years and in those six years, a lot changed.
Learning all that happened to Knox and what he finds out was heartbreaking. I just wanted to jump into the book and hug him. Seeing Felicity fight for him again was amazing, it's always great to see the female take a stand.
This book had the perfect buildup. Nothing felt rushed, except their young love, but it was such a sweet love. I couldn't help but swoon. I loved that no matter how long they were separated from each other, they couldn't get over their what they had. It was always there and it was strong.
I do have to say.. The first time they get together after six years, felt a tad soon. But other than that, I'm still a mess over this one. The feels are everywhere, emotions on high. It was a long journey but they found their way back to each other.
This series gets better each time! Cannot wait for the next one.
sonja_ahrb's review
5.0
I sometimes wonder if Linda is out to make me cry... her books have touched my heart more than anything. This book was no exception.
I loved Knox and Felicity so hard. Their past was so forbidden and their future was a uphill battle, but Felicity never gave up. One of the many things I loved about her. Knox *sigh* he was so damaged and torn that you couldn't help but love him.
I was happy to get all the laughs and interaction from the characters in the previous books in this series. I could go on and on about how amazing and wonderful this story was but I will let the book speak for itself... just make sure you have plenty of tissues.
Linda you knocked another one out of the park! This Shanks for you, love! Dibs on Knox (winks)!
~ Lydia, 5 Stars
I loved Knox and Felicity so hard. Their past was so forbidden and their future was a uphill battle, but Felicity never gave up. One of the many things I loved about her. Knox *sigh* he was so damaged and torn that you couldn't help but love him.
I was happy to get all the laughs and interaction from the characters in the previous books in this series. I could go on and on about how amazing and wonderful this story was but I will let the book speak for itself... just make sure you have plenty of tissues.
Linda you knocked another one out of the park! This Shanks for you, love! Dibs on Knox (winks)!
~ Lydia, 5 Stars