Забранено привличане

by Penelope Ward, Пенелъпи Уорд, Анета Макариева-Лесева (Translator)

Нямах идея какво ще се случи в деня, в който вляза в дома на Дакс Муди. Правех терапевтични масажи – без щастлив край, подчертавам! – по домовете и бях свикнала да работя в чужди къщи. Но този ангажимент промени живота ми.

Бързо се ориентирах, че собственикът е много богат. Не очаквах обаче да е толкова млад, толкова необвързан, толкова секси и толкова мистериозен. Толкова… всичко.

Всъщност така и не му направих масаж, защото първата ни среща се превърна в истинска поредица от комични злополучия. Бях сигурна, че след всички тези гафове няма да го видя отново. Но той повторно запази час. И пак не свърших това, за което бях дошла. Но говорихме много и да, нещо сякаш прескочи между нас.

Седмица след седмица нещата все повече се объркваха. Бях безумно привлечена към него, но той все ме отблъскваше по неясни причини. До момента, в който разбрах истината. Която бе по-шокираща от всичко, което можех да си представя.

Вече знаех защо между нас не може да се получи нищо.

Но оставах в плен на това забранено привличане.

Бях отчаяно влюбена в този мъж, когото никога не можех да имам. Оставаше само да избягам далеч.

Но един океан достатъчно далеч ли е от любовта?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Friends To Lovers, Second Chance, Slow Burn

328 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2022

About the author

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty novels.

In 2014, Penelope’s fourth book, Stepbrother Dearest, became the #1 bestselling independently published Kindle ebook of the year on Amazon.com and was credited with igniting an entirely new subgenre of romance. Her 2016 smash hit RoomHate debuted at #2 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Penelope is an Audie Award Winner and three-time Goodreads Choice Romance of the Year Nominee. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review).

Penelope’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

She can often be found chatting live with her readers in her private Facebook group, Penelope’s Peeps.

Reviews

[Penelope Ward]

★ ★SALE ENDING★ ★
Going, Going, Gone! I'm about to change the price of MOODY very soon from $3.99 to $4.99. The book will not be on sale again and will NOT be going into Kindle Unlimited. So, if you were planning to buy it, it's at the lowest price it will ever be RIGHT NOW. Have you read it?
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3K8ht53
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3px0lwv
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3wfUFL1
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3Cjzvzt
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/moody...
Nook: https://bit.ly/3Aq6twM
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3QH6NfC
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3C7pMMm
Audible Audio: https://adbl.co/3P1L3dr
Amazon Audio: https://amzn.to/3zxua4w
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3IAVvXG

[bookjunkiejane · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a terrible book. The hero was such an asshole... His excuses for stringing along the heroine and hurting her constantly were so useless and pathetic.. And to top off this horrible nonsense, the heroine was a world class doormat... She kept giving him free passes for his appalling behaviour... This author's books are becoming very horrendous these days..

[Sammie Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost DNFed this book several times. It was honestly difficult to get through, and I don't know if it's because of how it dragged, but much I really disliked both MCs at times, or the subject matter. Or even if I'm just growing out of this author's books...unsure. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on PW yet, but this book was a miss for me. Wren meets Dax Moody when he requests her services as a massage therapist. Their first meeting doesn't go as planned, and neither do the rest of them. They're both attracted to each other, but Dax is mourning his late wife and navigating raising her teenager Rafe, and Wren is making moves too....to France. So even though they click and really enjoy each other's company, Dax tells her it can never be.

It doesn't make sense until he drops his bombshell on her. Their encounter wasn't chance, and given Dax's reason that they must be apart, Wren decides to go to France for her two year contract after they have one night together that wrecks them both. Cut to 2.5 years later and Dax is in a serious relationship and Wren is back. Which tilts Dax's world on it's axis, and hers too. Blah blah blah, OW drama ensues, lots and lots of angst and tears and just a big ol' mess that made it really hard for me to sympathize with Dax...or Wren.

Here's the thing. Dax's reasoning was super immature and weak, simply because he was a martyr, and there is nothing that pisses me off more. Wren was your classic doormat, no pride whatsoever, and it was PAINFUL to be in her head and to watch her try to play it cool with Dax half the time (lots of awkward winking was involved. LOTS) and then basically throw herself at his feet the other half, making me want to shake her and say "girl, what is you DOING??" While I like the two of them together when they FINALLY got together, I didn't appreciate the journey. I wanted more of Wren finding herself in France, more of Dax and Rafe together making things work without Wren, just more meat and potatoes, not Dax being pathetic, Wren being pathetic, and bullshit with Morgan and Dylan. It just felt gratuitous and I wasn't here for it.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

Everyone knows how much I love her books, this one was another fantasti read.From the beginning I felt so connected to the heroine in so many levels and she reminds me a little bit of myself. It's a heartwarming and emotional story.

This is an age gap ,second chance story , which has a slow burn romance . The heroine is amazing and the hero Dax is moody for sure hehehe. I loved the tention between them they have great chemistry.Plus it is steamy to keep your interest.

It was an easy and fun book to read!I devour it in one sitting and it make me feel good!

 

  

WOW I LOVED IT!!!!

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moody is a standalone contemporary romance by Penelope Ward. It is told from both points of view with a heartwarming happy ending.

Tropes:
✔️ Forbidden
✔️ OMG twist
✔️ Friends to lovers
✔️ With a second chance element

Wren McCallister would love nothing more than to get a teaching position as a cello instructor. In the meantime she’s enjoying the interesting life of a traveling massage therapist getting to meet all kinds of people. Nothing could prepare her for Dax Moody though. The two develop an easy and deep connection, but nothing can come of it.

In general, I tend to dive into books without reading blurbs much less reviews because it makes the adventure more fun. This is one such book. I jumped and kept going until the very end without being able to put it down and loved every second of it.

The character development was spot on, both main and supporting. Wren and Dax are wonderful characters. She’s incredible easy going, loving and understanding. He’s protective and trying hard to do his very best, and I loved the secondary characters who were interwoven in their story.

The romance was smoldering, but also slow burn. The longing and angst created by Penelope Ward had my heart trying to get out of my chest and flat out addicted.

Moody is fun, steamy with all the feels. It’s a story about sacrifice and love. About finding what’s important in life and taking chances. And definitely one of the best reads of 2022!

★ Hero: 👤👤👤👤👤
★ Heroine: 👤👤👤👤👤
★ Plot: 📚📚📚📚📚
★ Romance: 💕💕💕💕
★ Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

★ I received an ARC from the author via Give Me Books PR. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title.
★See all my book edits on Instagram

[swedishruler B]

Penelope and Vi bonded over who can write the guy with the most tragic past.
This one his wife passed away. I guess I just over the dead ex already. Maybe something else or I guess this storyline sells

[BB · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was painful. So boring and a slow slow slow burn. The reasons for them not being together were exhausting. The time this spanned and their other relationships were a big turn off. A dead wife. A f-buddy. A girlfriend... does the OW drama never end? I just did not get this relationship at all.

Don't even get me started on the agonizingly simplistic dialogues between the MC. I can't even find the energy to explain how bad this was.

[warhawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
4.25 Stars



As a traveling massage therapist, Wren McCallister was used to meeting different types of people. But her latest client Dax Moody rattled her unlike any other, and their special connection could either be a boon or a bane on their relationship.



This was an entertaining read with a good balance of angst, humor, heart, drama and sexiness throughout the book. The storyline was interesting with a forbidden element.

“To this day you’re still the only person who’s ever asked if I’m okay.”
“Are you?”
He slowly shook his head. “No.”
My eyes widened in shock. “No?”
“No, I’m not. Not since you came back.”

I loved both Dax and Wren even though once in a while I wanted to shove him. I also loved the supporting characters closely connected to their lives. The romance was very slow burn, but I didn’t mind it in this case.

Moody is a story of sacrifice and taking chances. It would appeal to readers who enjoy a friends to lovers Romance.







For more reviews/interviews/book talk/promo visit:

[Alisonbookreviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Of course I loved this book. Romance with PW is always a great story.
Wren meets Dax Moody during a massage appointment he made.
Wren learns Dax lost his wife to a brain anurisym and also has a step son who stopped talking after his Mom died.
Wren is very taken by Dax although he's 12 years older.
Dax is also interested but for different reasons.
This is a slow burn friends to lovers romance.
I can never get enough of Penelope Ward and Vi Keelands books.
My favourite romance authors.

[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)



Wren McCallister loves her job as a traveling massage therapist, and is used to meeting strangers, but nothing prepares her for her newest appointment. Dax Moody is the owner of a successful capital investment company in Boston. He’s wealthy, guarded, broody, uptight, mysterious and drop dead gorgeous. He’s not exactly what she was expecting, and it’s one awkward moment after another. She hated she had an inappropriate attraction to a client, and was so affected by him. After a disaster of a day, she assumes she’ll never see him again, but is shocked when he contacts her. She was intrigued by him and couldn’t deny their intense connection. She’d never wanted a man this badly, but she needed to remain professional and set boundaries. They come from different worlds, but are drawn to one another. As things grow more complicated between them they both struggle with their feelings. Will they accept they aren’t meant to be, or will they decide to take a chance on love?



Moody by Penelope Ward is a captivating, sexy, standalone, slow burn, friends to lovers, forbidden romance full of emotion, passion, fabulous banter, delicious tension, explosive chemistry, and plenty of heart. These characters and their journey will hit you in all the feels! <333



***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/3CGkfwT

[Kindle Crack Book Reviews Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in such a bad place before I picked up Moody by Penelope Ward. My poor dog isn't well, and I didn't think I could concentrate on a book (even a new book from one of my all-time favorite authors). I decided to try and take my mind off things and dive into this angsty forbidden romance. Well, I'm happy to say that Moody was the best mood booster ever. There is nothing like the power of an addictive and unputdownable book.   Penelope Ward cranked up the heat factor, making Moody one of her spiciest books to date. You guys are going to fall in love with Dax and Wren. I think my Kindle is still smoldering from Dax and Wren's nuclear connection. My heart is full of the feels after devouring this book. Moody had the perfect balance of heat and heart, making this one of Penelope's most captivating books. Please go into this one blind and avoid reviews that might spoil the smart plot twists and turns. Moody is not only on my Best of 2022 list; it's one of this summer's hottest reads! 

[Anna Valsa · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dead wife,a fuck buddy,AND a girlfriend???
Too much ow drama for me...
And of course the classic doormat .🤬

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute written.
Just this.

[Auntee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooooo much angst…and it was an interesting story that kept me turning the pages, but there was one thing that was a miss for me....

But first, the good. I liked Wren as a heroine. She was a kind young woman who had been through a lot in her life and I always was rooting for her. She had plenty of chemistry with the hero, Dax, and I enjoyed reading their slow burn attraction and the whole 'will they or won't they' vibe.

And while I liked Dax, I didn't quite love him to be honest. I didn't think the reason to keep him apart from Wren was such a big deal. I expected something more tragic...or taboo. His reasoning for not committing to be with Wren made him seem like too much of a martyr in my eyes. I almost felt like he enjoyed punishing himself. So many times I wanted to say to him 'take a chance, man' or 'listen to your heart' or 'get out of your head' or 'life is too short'...jeez, he frustrated me. I thought 'what's it going to take for him to see the light and act upon his feelings'? I guess if I was fully onboard with the reason he shouldn't be with Wren I would've enjoyed this more....but I wasn't so it frustrated me..

I had high hopes for this one (and it has a beautiful cover!) and the writing was generally good, the heat and the chemistry were there, and it kept me turning the pages, but the hero was too much of a martyr for my liking.

I'm sure others may enjoy this one a bit more than me. Not a dud by any means, but not a favorite by this author.

3 1/2 stars (and a bonus 1/2 star for the cover)

[Giovana · Rating 2 out of 5]

They hook up, and Mr. Moody basically kicks her out and doesn’t call for daysss. They meet at some party and he brings another woman…after all that, Wren has the AUDACITY to say “I was looking forward to seeing you here tonight.” ARE YOU F*CKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW? No, really.. WHY???

Where are the strong woman and the self-respect?? Disappointing


2.75

[Dilek VT]

OK, I'll try not to be attracted to this book just because of its cover...



I mustn't forget the fact that I don't like guys pushing away the heroine for some stupid reason.

[Ana | SheSaidYestoBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The back and forth between the main characters became too much and it bored me in the end.

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit, I really struggled to connect with Wren and Dax through the first half of Moody. Their attraction to each other was obvious, but something was missing for me—something that just felt off. Disconnected.

But I pushed through and hit the second half of Moody, the half where Wren and Dax grew on me, grew up, and that disconnection was no longer a factor.

In actuality, I found myself truly enjoying Dax and Wren’s developing relationship. A relationship that felt more real, mature, and honest. To the point that I was really rooting for them to get it together for their happily ever after.

And they did get there. Though through a bit of a struggle, but it was so satisfying in the end. ~ Missy, 3 stars

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

He is a widower of an older woman and has her adopted son to take care. Too much angst and baggage. Why unnecessarily bring angst when you can so easily avoid it and give readers some escapism? These authors need to immediately stop their obsession with dead exes. It’s fucking tiring. Not to mention, He has a gf, a fwb and a one night stand, even after meeting the heroine. What. The. Fuck. Hell no. The heroine is a wallflower and a carpet/doormat for him, has a dubious job, so of course he has to be an asshole. Hard pass. These authors have been continually disappointing me with the past few releases. I think it’s time to remove my newsletter subscription and stop reading their novels, cuz they’re all just the same goddamn trope - dead exes. Gooodbye.

[Jo - •.★Reading Is My Bliss★.• · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wren is a massage therapist who makes house calls. That sounds way dodgier than it is! In this ‘time poor’ world, she makes it easier for her clients by going to them - whether it be at home or work. It’s a really popular service and a job she really enjoys.

When she is requested by name to make a house call to a very wealthy businessman, things do not go as expected. Dax Moody is very hesitant about being subjected to a massage but he was trying to prove to his housekeeper that he could indulge himself and relax. The only thing is the massage never happens, it seems he is more interested in talking to Wren.

Wren initially thought it strange to just be engaged in conversation rather than the massage Dax booked but she also wants him to be comfortable so is happy to take it at his pace. This happens more than once before the third time lucky house visit finally has him on the massage table and enjoying the relaxing therapy.

Having said that, the conversations between these two have been enjoyable and effortless, so much so that it is the part they most look forward to. They begin to share more about themselves, usually in the third person - which is an interesting way to get to know someone.

Dax is a widowed single father to a teenage boy who was adopted by his late wife. He wants to make sure that Rafe gets every opportunity in life that he deserves, it’s important to Dax that he honors his late wife’s wishes for him. Sometimes that means making sacrifices in his own personal life and he is about to see just how tough that can be.

‘I know you truly care about me. Quite frankly, I don’t know if anyone else in this world cares about me in the same way.’

‘I want you to try to release it. Because I don’t want it to be a barrier to your happiness.’

You see, the time Dax and Wren spend together just feels so good and so right. They connect on every level, the intense attraction they have for each other is getting harder to ignore. Wren has plans though, she wants to travel and work abroad, it’s been a dream for a long time. Dax doesn’t want to hold her back and even though it hurts he knows he needs to let go of the idea of being with her.

You might be wondering why he is prepared to sacrifice so much but there are other layers to this story that I haven’t even touched on. A couple of twists and nice dumping of angst that will keep you turning the pages late into the night :)

‘I now understand that love is pure, organic, and not something you can control. It has nothing to do with a place, or life circumstances, compatibility, or whether you think someone is right for you. Love just is.’

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4.5 ⭐'s

If you're a Penelope Ward fan, this book is for you. And that's been my problem for the last so many books is that they've become a sort of rinse and repeat. I was hopeful that she would mix things up and happily, she did.

Dax and Wren meet when he hires her as a massage therapist but he is off from the get-go so something is up. Wren is dazzled by him and foaming at the mouth like a horn dog which pushes events into even more uncomfortable territory.

Then comes the twist...I love those so much and this one is a good one, however, the "issue" Dax has compounds that. And I always hate when people just don't communicate even if it led to some good angst.

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it? It's been a minute since I've read anything by this author. I remember hard fails so this was a pure impulse read based on the hot guy on the cover. Yes, the thirst trap covers work on me 9/10!

I really enjoyed the banter and chemistry between the main couple, the build up, the yearning, the friendship but the third act break up was so very weak. Too obvious, too lazy? The resulting drama angst ruined it.

[Arini · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

what is with these duo authors fixation with the dead ex trope 😩 constant push & pull from the H while the h continuously giving him free passes... this shit got old fast. i actually had hopes when the h left to pursue her career abroad, but then she came back and also took the H back with little to no resistance. i swear the H did literally nothing to deserve her. what kind of self-respecting woman would do this? i guess, who am i to judge when i seem to have none for myself either since i keep picking up these authors books knowing full well what im getting myself into. 🤧

(read as an audiobook)

[Desi · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me gustó... si acaso 1.5 estrellas

Con esta autora me pasa que no sé que esperar, algunos libros de ella me han gustado pero otros han sido una bazofia.

Con este... ugh, la trama podría haber tenido potencial porque el argumento era interesante, pero los protagonistas fueron una porquería, y se cagaron la historia. Eran muy estúpidos e insoportables. Me desagradaron mucho

Una cosa que detesto es cuando después del "enamoramiento" entre los dos protagonistas y que estos se separan por x o y pongan que se acuestan con otras personas ¬¬

[Sedef]

Kapaktaki adam uğruna ekledim.🤤🤤

[Anne OK · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have started and stopped reading this book several times. I'm trying to clean-out the Kindle library and rid myself of so many "Unreads" -- so I held my nose and jumped in finally. Boy oh boy -- what a bad decision. This was not a book for me.

No, no, no -- just NO all the way around. I could not stand the male lead from start to finish. What a creepy sleazebag. The female lead brought some sympathy -- but for the most part was just a doormat that kept putting herself out there to be stomped on. The whole drama-rama was bizarre and unrealistic. And all the time I'm wondering what was going through the mind of the poor voiceless boy as he watched this all play out.

Another big disappointment from this author.

[Sarah/DragonflyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this one last night and it hit on all cylinders. Without spoiling, because it’s SO easy to do, I’ll say this: the sexual tension. The slow burn. The banter. The emotion. The epilogue. They all hit me like a ton of bricks and I didn’t want to get out from under the pile.

[Tan Gon · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disastrous book. The writing is atrocious I tried to read past 30% it was not possible it seems like this was written by a middle school kid.. what is happening with the writing it gets worse..

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars ⭐️

[Christine B]

Imagine being called to a house to as a traveling massage therapist and in walks in a rich, young, gogeous and mysterious man. However, upon entering you see a beautiful woman in a wedding dress photo so figured he is off limits (not that you would persue) he was your client. Setting up your table you explore the room and pick up this beautiful seashell and remembering your adopted mother who you miss immensely starting you can hear the ocean when putting your ear up to the seashell. Wanting to remember and hearing the ocean you make the mistake of picking up seashell and you are distracted never hearing Mr Moody gorgeous, rich mysterious man entering and just like that you drop seashell. To your horror you break seashell to then find out it is a Urn for Mr Moody's dead wife. So needless to say yyou are escorted off property feeling horribly. Now all you can think about is the mistake you made and how gorgeous Mr Moody is. To your surprise you get called back not just twice but three times to finally given Mr Moody the massage he actually paid for. While coming to Mr Moody home you notice he had a son and before begining the massage he always wanted to talk about personal issues. On the last massage you find that Mr Moody is just as attracted to you as you are to him, however he is a client and to boot you find out the real reason Mr Moody found you and now you can never have the one man who has your thought racing. A forbidden love story that will definitely pull on the heart strings