Forbidden

Northern Princes #1

by Helen Kirkman

England, 716 -- a time of power and passion, corruption, courage, violence and vengeance . . .

He was for sale -- a slave forced to do the bidding of others. Dangerous . . . and fascinating, but no more than a thrall in chains.

She was a lady, a woman bent on vengeance. A woman in need of help. Not the ordinary kind of help. What she wanted to do, what she had to do, did not require commonplace skills. It required courage that took no account of either the odds or the risks. Her idea was every bit as reckless as the slave's bravery . . . and in all probability just as doomed. No matter the cost, she would never be at the mercy of anyone's will again.

They were worlds apart.

And anything between them was . . .

forbidden . . .

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Medieval, Harlequin, Medieval Romance

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

Helen Kirkman has always written stories - at home, at school, during the lunch break at her local government job, on the back of an envelope in a queue at the bank...

Her sister was the first audience for adventure stories inspired by "Ivanhoe" (knights in armour) "Robin Hood" (rogues) and Star Trek (where no man has gone before). Through each step in Helen's life - travelling, a university degree in languages, marriage, various administration jobs - the stories kept coming.

When her two sons got a little older, she decided the moment for a career change had arrived at last. The "breakthrough" came when Helen won the Clendon Award for best unpublished romance manuscript. Harlequin bought her story and she now writes colourful historical stories for their mainstream romance imprint HQN Books.

Helen’s passion for colorful history provides the perfect backdrop for the powerful emotion in her writing. All About Romance nominated her as a Desert Isle Keeper and she recently finalled in the Australian Romantic Book of the Year Award. The Historical Romance Writers website called her work both emotional and memorable, “with attention to historical detail that brings the past to life in a way only Helen Kirkman can”.

Helen’s early life was spent in England near the ancient walled city of Chester. She now lives in New Zealand and still travels (writing provides the perfect excuse!). She recently spent some time back in Britain, where she visited a Viking battle site, spent fascinated hours at the British Museum and ate too many pub lunches. She fell in love with the vibrancy of New York on the way home.

Reviews

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not get into this story, though the last few chapters were okay. 2.5 stars

[Sarah Winters · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest I picked this one up because of the pretty cover (I know, bad Sarah! Covers are not a good judge! :P) and while it was passable it wasn't great. The author seemed awkward with her words choices and sometimes used a form or tense of a word that made no sense in the structure of the sentence. The characters really didn't have a lot of umph and story was just average. Desperate girl buys hunky boy in hopes of convincing him to aid her cause. Shit hits the fan. They hook up. Yay. The book wasn't really worth the deceptively pretty cover sadly.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

For more comments and quotes - Buddy Read Forbidden

"The marks that are on me will be there all my life, not to be hidden by overlong hair, or by clothing, so that no one asks any awkward questions. They will always be there and even if they were not, even if it were possible to be rid of them it would not matter.
Because they are nothing to what is on the inside."

Written in a different tone, think languid, poetic, and atmospheric, and voice, think internal/emotional, this story felt quite unique and unlike a lot of romance books. I'm usually a fast reader but this story made me slow down and take breaks, instead of my read in one to three sittings. The tone can drag you down at times as a lot of the action takes place from our hero and heroine's internal thoughts but it ramps up the emotional aspects. The writing style won't be for everyone but if you can let the characters and setting seep into you, you'll enjoy and get lost in Rowena's struggle to survive as a woman in limited power and the thrall Wulf she buys to help her.

The author did a good job with the power dynamics, Wulf is the slave but as a man and more strength than Rowena, he has his own sense of power. Their relationship was slow burning and sparking at different turns and as most the story depends on them together, their chemistry does not disappoint. Rowena was a great heroine who acknowledges and uses what powers she has and while I liked Wulf, I would have liked his backstory to have been revealed earlier, would have filled out his character more.

You will definitely enjoy the historical aspect of the story. The author does an incredible job setting the time and place with harvest festivals mentioned, terminology, and even an inclusion of King Ines (who I think gets overshadowed by Alfred the Great too often).

There's heat, passion, and betrayal in this one. I enjoyed going to a different time and place and while the tone and slower pace may not be for everyone, if you're looking to escape the typical romance, this one would fit the bill.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voto - 3,5
.
Malefica81 - per RFS
.
Il nuovo libro di cui vi parlerò oggi è uno storico dove il “proibito” fa riferimento a parecchi argomenti. Oltre all’innegabile attrazione che scorre fra i due protagonisti, Proibito è il rapporto tra schiavo e padrone, tra una nobile e uno senza arte né parte che deve subire, ubbidire e fare una cosa per la sua padrona se vuole ottenere la libertà.

Wulf è lo schiavo che viene descritto talmente fregno che non capisco come la protagonista non gli sbavi dietro senza ritegno, un Frisio che ha già ucciso a mani nude e che solletica la curiosità di Lady Rowena, anche se lo tratta come una pezza da piedi. In un’Inghilterra medievale, per la precisione nel Wessex del 716 d.C., potere, corruzione, coraggio e anche una buona dose di pazzia, saranno gli ingredienti. Tra di loro scoppia un’attrazione fatale, un hate to love in chiave storica.

Il modo di scrivere dell’autrice è scorrevole, mai noioso in modo da tenere sempre viva l’attenzione del lettore.

Nel corso del romanzo troveremo una bimba della nostra lady che entra facilmente in sintonia con lo schiavo e Wulf che vede nella nobile una dea degli inferi ma anche una valchiria…

Alla prossima, un saluto dalla vostra Mal

[Joanna Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with WhiskeyintheJar/Kyraraker.

[Keta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by some fellow authors. I was not disappointed. I thought it would be explicitly erotic and it wasn't, but the writing is masterful. Kirkman knows how to draw the reader in with sexual tension between the hero/heroine without graphic sex scenes. Her prose sparkles and she deftly weaves the emotional toture of the characters into a love story. Highly recommended.

[Laine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save your money and time. There were the bones of a good story set in 8th century England BUT it's buried under meandering verbiage that confuses. The heroine appears to have ADD ( Attention Deficit Disorder) as she's all over the place. That includes from Chapter 1 onward pawing a slave she's considering buying for all the world like a woman prodding and sniffing a melon at the market for ripeness. Conduct silly and unbecoming for a so-called noblewoman, especially in front of the frenemy against whom she's plotting to use the slave. Once she owns the merchandise, her behavior only gets worse. Between pawings, she manages to get him injured in multiple ways with very slow first aid. It's a wonder he doesn't die of blood poisoning. If you want to read pages and pages describing the captured slave's hair (nice pic on the cover) and injuries while the h remains a relatively faceless but handsy cipher, go ahead but it's hardly worth your while.

[Louise Broadfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

i did not like this book at all. it was really boring and dragged on alot.
i hope the next two books are good.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite, but not terrible. I would've liked more of the task Rowena set forth for Wulf. I feel it was hidden until last minute, but I would've preferred to have witnessed all he did for her.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Rowena, the beautiful daughter and sister of, a now dead, noble father and brother lives for nothing, but her obsession for revenge. A revenge she intends on gaining from the King's Reeve, the one responsible for the deaths of her beloved family. Although the Reeve has his own desires when it comes to Rowena, he is very oblivious to Rowena's own desires as pertains his own person. Rowena believes she has the perfect plan to exact her revenge from the traitorous Reeve, especially when she comes across a slave at the slave market. This thrall will be much more to her than just an obedient slave. He will see her desires come to fruition. Now, if only she could ignore her struggling conscience, not to mention the passion that flares whenever she is close to her new slave.
Wulf has seen his own destiny turned on it's ear. He has fallen from the heights of heaven to the lowest levels of hell, and there is where he knows he belongs. His future, or lack of one, has been crystal clear in his mind, until the emergence of his new mistress. She stirs passions he thought long ago forgotten. More disturbing, she has made him question his own destiny. Although he may deservedly be part of the lowest wrungs of humanity, Wulf cannot cut-out the honor and integrity which had been ingrained in him since his existence. He will bargain with the cunning Lady, but only to gain the promised freedom to pursue his own revenge. While he has no doubt he is strong enough to fight the lust she inflames, it's the allure of her desire for justice which he fears he may not conquer.
A true Prince to pauper back to Prince type of story. A more wonderful story than I expected from the outset. Helen Kirkman has painted characters with true soul-stirring troubles, yet are strong enough to overcome their adversity. Characters with real weaknesses. Yet, those weaknesses only add to the realism and deepen the characters themselves. The setting of this romance is a little older than the typical medieval tale which adds some variety. A unique 4-star romance which may be an oldie, but definitely a goodie. :-)

[Bobbie Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden
Written By: Helen Kirkman
Published By: Harlequin Books, 2004, First Edition, 352 pages, mass market paperback
ISBN 978-0373836291

Forbidden is a really fantastic Historical Romance. The main characters in this story are very well written and with great humanity; I could identify with their thoughts and feelings. With a smoothly flowing story and an interesting plot, this story really satisfies. I was very pleased with the beginning; it captured my attention quickly and held it right till the end. Set in VERY early England, 716, this novel takes you back to a time when powerful families and landowners ruled absolutely; with barbaric savagery and underhanded schemes, the evil and corrupt flourished because there was no one powerful enough to stop them. When Rowena sees a heavily muscled slave for sale, she finally...


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[Debora M | Nasreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forse le aspettative erano veramente alte nei confronti di questa autrice - dato soprattutto che sembra impossibile procurarsi i libri della serie Dragon Banner - ma, una volta iniziato, mi sono resa conto che no, non fa per me.

E' interessante ed è in grado di creare dei buoni intrecci narrativi ma ha uno stile troppo confusionario, forse in realtà è semplcemente aleatorio.
Mentre si legge spesso siamo costretti a tornare indietro e rianalizzare le verie situazioni. Abbastanza fastidio a dirla tutta.

I personaggi sono interessanti ma, anche loro, sembrano delle altalene con i loro sbalzi d'umore, i balletti romantici ed i comportamenti anacronistici che, soprattutto nella persona di Rowena, non si fanno desiderare.

Peccato, peccato... Peccato. Una buona idea romance rovinata da dei personaggi non all'altezza (a parte Wulf, ovviamente).

[Martina Nix Govoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 perché mi sento buona, ma sarebbe 3 e 1/2 in realtà. Sono stata indecisa fino all'ultimo su che giudizio dare. Da un lato è straordinariamente coinvolgente, da brividi, poetico e commovente. Il problema è come viene sviluppato il racconto. L'escamotage di tenere tutte le rivelazioni per il confronto finale permette all'autrice di chiudere il libro in modo stupendo, ma per buona parte dello svolgimento ti viene da chiederti se è stato saltato un pezzo, se ti sei persa qualcosa. Continuavo a tornare indietro a controllare se avevo saltato passaggi, che invece erano volutamente posticipati come spiegazione. Insomma mi sono sentita spiazzata troppo spesso per poter essere veramente soddisfatta.

[Cristina Contilli]

"La sua vicinanza era sufficiente a trasmetterle un brivido sulla pelle. Nonostante la collera, si sentiva persa in quella forza irresistibile che l'attirava verso di lui. E se si fosse lasciata andare? Che cosa sarebbe successo?"

Lo schiavo e la nobildonna nell'Inghilterra del profondo medioevo...

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wolf and R....I don't even know what to say. She can write as an author but I hated the story. I swear I was dreading and praying for the end of the book. It was so blah.. I am sorry to say this because it hurts me to offend an author but I will not read another one of her books.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wulf & Rowena

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

slow moving at first but overall good. i dont read many books set in this time period so i enjoyed that part of it.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rowena is a wealthy widow who buys Wulf, a slave, at a market. This story takes place in the 10th century. Although I enjoyed the setting and the historical aspects, the story spent too much time focusing on Rowena's inner turmoil and hinting at Rowena and Wulf's troubled backgrounds while also having the two main characters withhold their true feelings until the very end. I actually enjoyed the last part of the book but felt it took too long to get there and then was over too quickly.