The Forbidden by Jodi Ellen Malpas

My Review

       You know a book is gonna be somethin’ if it starts with a note from the author asking the readers to dive in with an open mind knowing full well that what we are about to read will likely strike a controversy.

       Well she wasn’t wrong about that.

       The Forbiddenis different from JEM’s other works because (and hopefully this doesn’t come as that big of a surprise) the leading alpha male isn’t single. He’s signed-papers-full-on-vow-exchanged married. And when our taken Jack gets caught up with a legitimately single Annie and their crazy intense chemistry, we got a look inside what it’s like from the point of view of “the other woman”.

       Now I’ve never cheated nor been cheated on (knock on wood), and I’ve had an all-consuming attraction or pull to someone like Jack and Annie, so my mind was 110% open to this forbidden relationship. However, I do understand why some could have an issue with this story if they had ever been cheated on or if someone close to them went through a horrible breakup due to infidelity.

       But, if you’re down to have your morals tested, here’s the book for you. Hell, even Annie struggled through a good chunk of the book about hers once she learned of Jack’s marriage. Jack did too, so don’t be so quick to write him off as a scumbag cheating bastard, because even though did do a scumbag bastardly thing, he truly is an all-around good guy (another rarity for Jodi). He was just stuck in a shitty marriage.

       That being said, he was still in the wrong; he shouldn’t have cheated on his wife. But in the infamous words of my mother: “It ain’t right, but I understand.”

Final Rating: 5 Salacious Stars

Steam Scale Severally Questioning My Morals

***SPOILERS BELOW***

Comments & Side Notes

§  I’m not sure what kind of morals I have now. The relationship between Jack & Annie is seriously all types of wrong solely because Jack is married, But no one, and I mean no one, can deny genuine chemistry. If that wasn’t the case, they would’ve just slept together that first night & been done with it.

§  Okay…maybe I still have some of my morals. Because look, the scene at the gallery opening when Annie thinks she overhears Stephanie & Jack in the bathroom having sex, she gets pissed (which I can understand why she is) but at the same time, she can’t be that upset because he is techinically off the market, and he does have to sleep with his wife so that she doesn’t think something’s going on on the side. It’s all logistics Annie…

§  A & J getting caught by Micky & Lizzy… I had to shut my book for 10 mins while I repeated “Ohhhh Shiiitttt” until I got over it. Plus Annie only gave Micky a key for emergencies! She touched base already saying she overslept and she’s good so there really wasn’t a reason for them to drop by anyway. Oy vey…

Quotable Highlights

“He looks like a hard fucker,” …“Do womankind a favor and get laid.”… “By him.”

       -Lizzy p. 21

       Mmmmmm…yes girl pleasedo us the favor!

“Ever experience this before?” he asks quietly. “The chemistry, the need?”

“No.”

“Me neither.”           -Jack & Annie p. 40

       Hell, me neither! Only places I feel that is from the palms of my hands when a book is in them -_-

“Leave me the hell alone and go home to your wife. It’s that simple.”

“Simple?” … “Then why the fuckdoes it hurt like hell every time I think about not seeing you again?” he yells. “Explain it to me, Annie, because I really am going fucking crazy.”

       -Annie & Jack p. 155

       Oooo yall in deep now…

“I have no fight left in me.”       -Annie p. 158

       And I have no fight left in me for yall

“My brain is officially pink,” … “For fuck’s sake.”   -Micky p. 268

       That’s what happens when your friends are 99% females Micky...lmao

“And if you break her heart, I swear I’ll kill you.”

“There’ll be no need,” … “If I hurt her, I’ll kill myself before you can get to me.”

       -Micky & Jack p. 268

       I think that’s about all the confirmation Micky & Lizzy need to know serious this is

“No matter what happens, what she does to me or herself,” he whispers in my ear, “I’m leaving her tomorrow.”-Jack p. 269

       There’s about 90 pages left of the book that says he doesn’t

                   …but to my slight surprise he does. And of course he did because he’s actually a really good guy (apart from the whole having an affair deal)