What do you think?
Rate this book
Forbidden Love #1
Forbidden Love
Synopsis A forbidden love. Rival families of organized crime. And one man hell bent on getting what he wants at all costs. Small town Donovan's Harbor isn't going to know what hit it! Jessica Alvarez arrives in the small town determined to stand up to her father and assert her independence. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with her father's enemy and be made a pawn in a mad man's plan to take back control of the town from organized crime. In this play on William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet theme, will Jessica bring together two warring families in order to be with the man she loves, or will she - much like her Shakespearean counterpart Juliet - succumb to the tug of war between her family, the man she loves, and the man without any qualms to taking her life as a means to an end?
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2011
131 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Grogan
3 books13 followersI grew up in Yonkers, NY with two parents who valued education and reading. We went to the library and book stores regularly.
Currently I live in Danbury, CT.I am a Literacy Coach/Specialist coaching teachers and working with students with Behavior/Emotion/Learning disabilities to improve their reading & writing skills.
I live with the love of my life who has supported my writing ventures and our kitten, Eggroll.
Currently I live in Danbury, CT.I am a Literacy Coach/Specialist coaching teachers and working with students with Behavior/Emotion/Learning disabilities to improve their reading & writing skills.
I live with the love of my life who has supported my writing ventures and our kitten, Eggroll.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 13, 2012
There's suspense and intrigue in this novel about star-crossed lovers from rival mob families. "Forbidden Love" is notable for its unique perspective, one I had never considered before reading the book. How does a life of organized crime affect the children of the mob boss, especially as they grow into young adults and begin to find their own way in the world? It's this unique perspective that turns what could have been an average romance novel into something extraordinary.
Jessica Alvarrez wants what a lot of nineteen-year-old women want, independence from overprotective parents, a life of her own, and love. These things can be hard to come by in the best of circumstances, but if your father is a notorious mob boss, the journey to adulthood becomes even more of a challenge. And when Jessica meets Jake, a handsome and mysterious member of her father's rival mob, it can only lead to fireworks, for the would-be lovers, and for their families. And if the feuding mobs aren't enough of a hurdle, the police force is always looking for ways to bring down the two biggest mob bosses in town.
I loved the story, and it would have received five stars, but for my confusion as to whether or not this is to become a series. The ending left me with a lot of unanswered questions, but the novel itself is a page-turner that's hard to put down. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
Jessica Alvarrez wants what a lot of nineteen-year-old women want, independence from overprotective parents, a life of her own, and love. These things can be hard to come by in the best of circumstances, but if your father is a notorious mob boss, the journey to adulthood becomes even more of a challenge. And when Jessica meets Jake, a handsome and mysterious member of her father's rival mob, it can only lead to fireworks, for the would-be lovers, and for their families. And if the feuding mobs aren't enough of a hurdle, the police force is always looking for ways to bring down the two biggest mob bosses in town.
I loved the story, and it would have received five stars, but for my confusion as to whether or not this is to become a series. The ending left me with a lot of unanswered questions, but the novel itself is a page-turner that's hard to put down. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
March 9, 2012
Forbidden love is not only the tale of romance, but mystery and suspense. As you’re rooting for love, you’re pulled into the mystery of who is this man using her to bring the two mob groups down – and who will survive if his plan succeeds? The story goes above ‘just a romance’ and holds many aspects of a good page-turner.
Grogan pulls off the connection between Jessica and her forbidden love well, giving you enough to feel the love between them without muddling the page with extra words. Maximum impact – minimal fluff. It brought me back to my, ahem, younger years, when passion could be as strong as a raging fire, and my stubbornness to pursue it was a force to be reckoned with.
Grogan slips you into familiar feelings we have felt before; passion, love, fear, and strength. She does this by not only creating scenes we can relate to, but characters we enjoy. She has done well at showing us characters true to real life; from the detectives trying to bring them to justice, to Jessica’s love – a man we come to root for, yet never forgetting that at the end of the day, this man is a killer for the mob. I love the conflicting emotions this novel stirs up. Yet they’re not so conflicting that it makes it jarring to read, unbelievable, or disrupting the connection with the characters. It actually makes you connect with them on a deeper level.
This is a romance at heart, but not the traditional romance where the flawless hero swoops in, with perfect hair and stunning features and saves the day. I truthfully don’t like that kind of romance. And the conflict, mystery, and suspense is the cherry on top. The plot pace and development was spot on. There were no lulls where I got bored or my mind started to wander. The pace picked up at just the right moment, and slowed down in the same manner. At no point did I feel something could have been more developed, or too much attention was paid to something that should have just been 'skimmed over'. The shifts between scenes and character perspective was smooth, I never felt yanked out of one scene and hurled into another.
The ending was well thought out, believable, fitting to the characters, and as a reader – the way I felt the story should end. There were no dangling loose ends or let downs in plot. I would gladly add Grogan to my list of authors to keep an eye on for new works. Overall this was an enjoyable read for me, touching on all my favorite genres in one book. You really can’t ask for more than that!
**Copied from my blog, http://crazyladywithapen.blogspot.com
Grogan pulls off the connection between Jessica and her forbidden love well, giving you enough to feel the love between them without muddling the page with extra words. Maximum impact – minimal fluff. It brought me back to my, ahem, younger years, when passion could be as strong as a raging fire, and my stubbornness to pursue it was a force to be reckoned with.
Grogan slips you into familiar feelings we have felt before; passion, love, fear, and strength. She does this by not only creating scenes we can relate to, but characters we enjoy. She has done well at showing us characters true to real life; from the detectives trying to bring them to justice, to Jessica’s love – a man we come to root for, yet never forgetting that at the end of the day, this man is a killer for the mob. I love the conflicting emotions this novel stirs up. Yet they’re not so conflicting that it makes it jarring to read, unbelievable, or disrupting the connection with the characters. It actually makes you connect with them on a deeper level.
This is a romance at heart, but not the traditional romance where the flawless hero swoops in, with perfect hair and stunning features and saves the day. I truthfully don’t like that kind of romance. And the conflict, mystery, and suspense is the cherry on top. The plot pace and development was spot on. There were no lulls where I got bored or my mind started to wander. The pace picked up at just the right moment, and slowed down in the same manner. At no point did I feel something could have been more developed, or too much attention was paid to something that should have just been 'skimmed over'. The shifts between scenes and character perspective was smooth, I never felt yanked out of one scene and hurled into another.
The ending was well thought out, believable, fitting to the characters, and as a reader – the way I felt the story should end. There were no dangling loose ends or let downs in plot. I would gladly add Grogan to my list of authors to keep an eye on for new works. Overall this was an enjoyable read for me, touching on all my favorite genres in one book. You really can’t ask for more than that!
**Copied from my blog, http://crazyladywithapen.blogspot.com
August 3, 2012
Forbidden Love
Jake is best friends with one of the biggest crime families in the city. He grew up with Johnny and now helps with his "business", both legal and illegal. Jessica, has just come home from college. Her and her farther do not have the greatest relationship but she is moving back to be close to him and to start a life on her own. Done with school for a time, she wants her own apartment with no more guards. Her farther wants her protected. Her farther has his own businesses, both legal and illegal. When Jessica convinces her father to let her get her own apartment, she is thrilled. She gets a job with Sara, Johnnies wife. Jake, being such good friends with Johnny and Sara comes to help Sara out and meets Jessica. The sparks fly. Johnny and Luis both hate the relationship and want it to stop. But how can you stop love? The love grows and Jessica, unknown to herself has become a target. Someone wants to bring down both mob families and are willing to use her to do it. The little town, just looks like a sleepy little town. With someone trying to bring down two crime families, will they stop them in time before someone is killed? Will Luis every accept Jake? "What if Love isn't enough?"
This was a good story for that person looking for a light mystery and a little romance. I would consider it almost a YA book. It does have one small sex scene but nothing terrible. Safe for 16 and up. Mild violence. Basically Forbidden Love is a Romeo & Juliet love story with mob families. It is a little predictable but I enjoyed the story. The action at the end will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ending surprised me. I wont give away any more than that.
Jake is best friends with one of the biggest crime families in the city. He grew up with Johnny and now helps with his "business", both legal and illegal. Jessica, has just come home from college. Her and her farther do not have the greatest relationship but she is moving back to be close to him and to start a life on her own. Done with school for a time, she wants her own apartment with no more guards. Her farther wants her protected. Her farther has his own businesses, both legal and illegal. When Jessica convinces her father to let her get her own apartment, she is thrilled. She gets a job with Sara, Johnnies wife. Jake, being such good friends with Johnny and Sara comes to help Sara out and meets Jessica. The sparks fly. Johnny and Luis both hate the relationship and want it to stop. But how can you stop love? The love grows and Jessica, unknown to herself has become a target. Someone wants to bring down both mob families and are willing to use her to do it. The little town, just looks like a sleepy little town. With someone trying to bring down two crime families, will they stop them in time before someone is killed? Will Luis every accept Jake? "What if Love isn't enough?"
This was a good story for that person looking for a light mystery and a little romance. I would consider it almost a YA book. It does have one small sex scene but nothing terrible. Safe for 16 and up. Mild violence. Basically Forbidden Love is a Romeo & Juliet love story with mob families. It is a little predictable but I enjoyed the story. The action at the end will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ending surprised me. I wont give away any more than that.
March 12, 2012
Jessica Alvarez knew her father's business was more than import/export, she just didn't know how much more. At nineteen she decided she'd had enough of being pampered and guarded all the time. She wanted to live life and enjoy the world. Her father however, was less than thrilled with the idea. First thing on her to-do list was to find a job. She answered an ad for a personal assistant. Little did she know that job would change her life so drastically and so quickly. Jake Rousseau was tops in the security field. It didn't hurt that he was handsome and ripped too. Following the orders of his boss was what Jake did. Only this time it leads to a place he never thought he'd find again. Can he make this trip and remain whole?
A Romeo and Juliet of the organized crime world best describes this book. It's extremely well written and action packed. I loved the idea of a crime bosses daughter telling him she wasn't gonna be ruled by his world and his rules any longer. There is passion, mystery and a true love story contained in this book and well worth the read. You'll be doing yourself a favor by buying this book for your collection. Michelle Grogan is a fantastic writer and storyteller.
The only thing I found a problem with was the ending. I felt it was kind of weak considering all the action, romance and passion in the story.
I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because I'm a sucker for Romeo and Juliet type stories.
A Romeo and Juliet of the organized crime world best describes this book. It's extremely well written and action packed. I loved the idea of a crime bosses daughter telling him she wasn't gonna be ruled by his world and his rules any longer. There is passion, mystery and a true love story contained in this book and well worth the read. You'll be doing yourself a favor by buying this book for your collection. Michelle Grogan is a fantastic writer and storyteller.
The only thing I found a problem with was the ending. I felt it was kind of weak considering all the action, romance and passion in the story.
I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because I'm a sucker for Romeo and Juliet type stories.
October 3, 2011
This was recomended to me by a woman I went to School with. It seems she knows the author! All that aside, the story was definately a twist on the traditional Mob story. I love any story about star-crossed lovers (even the origional)! At times, it was easy to predict, but there was enough here to keep you wondering if your assumptions are correct. Certainly worth the read.
April 23, 2012
I really liked this book until I got to the epilouge, the ending totally ruined the rest of the book for me.
June 26, 2012
Kind of cheesy but over all entertaining
June 24, 2021
Thriller
A fast paced romantic thriller. A modern day Romeo and Juliet. Well thought out characters and a great story line make for a great read.
A fast paced romantic thriller. A modern day Romeo and Juliet. Well thought out characters and a great story line make for a great read.
May 13, 2012
I could not get into the story because a slew of spelling and grammar errors kept breaking my reading concentration. Errors started on the first page of the first chapter and just kept coming line after line. When I caught myself counting errors, I knew I had problems. When the count reached 35 errors by the end of chapter three, I admitted to myself that I had to give up on the book.
The author uses ellipses generously, often in place of commas and even in conjuntion with other punctuation marks. As a writer... who loves ellipses herself... you can understand that I'm loathe to complain about them... but you get my point.
"Whipping(sic) her hands on the apron SHE wore, Luis turned to face HIS daughter as she slid onto the stool next to him." Who did what, now?
I liked the premise, and the story itself may be great, but the chances that I'll complete it as it is, are not high. I can't enjoy a book that keeps throwing me into editor mode-- not when I'm reading for fun.
I would highly recommend that the author edit and republish the Kindle version (at least that's what I read) of this story.
I see lots of good reviews for the book and I'd love to get to the story, but I can't.
The author uses ellipses generously, often in place of commas and even in conjuntion with other punctuation marks. As a writer... who loves ellipses herself... you can understand that I'm loathe to complain about them... but you get my point.
"Whipping(sic) her hands on the apron SHE wore, Luis turned to face HIS daughter as she slid onto the stool next to him." Who did what, now?
I liked the premise, and the story itself may be great, but the chances that I'll complete it as it is, are not high. I can't enjoy a book that keeps throwing me into editor mode-- not when I'm reading for fun.
I would highly recommend that the author edit and republish the Kindle version (at least that's what I read) of this story.
I see lots of good reviews for the book and I'd love to get to the story, but I can't.
November 15, 2014
This book was well written. The plot, storyline and character development were very good. If you like suspense this is the book for you.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews