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The Sweetest Taboo
Erin Thatcher figures there's no reason she can't have a hot fling with the wrong kind of guy while she waits for Mr. Right to come along. So when she spies a magazine article about Men To Do before saying "I do," her imagination goes wild! Her sexy but reclusive neighbor is part of her fantasies every night, and now it's time to see what Sebastian is like for real....
Sebastian Gallo is a man obsessed. A bestselling author, he uses a pseudonym to ensure his privacy, never letting the real world in. But somehow Erin has consumed his thoughtsin his bed, in his showerto the point where his writing is suffering. He just can't ignore the heat that exists between them whenever they meet...but can he risk revealing his true self?
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
14 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Alison Kent
129 books643 followersI often read of or hear about authors who knew they were meant to tell stories from the time they left the crib. Me? I didn't decide what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was thirty years old - and then sold my first book at thirty-four. Still, it was obvious that I always knew I was going places.
Like so many other authors, I was a voracious reader from day one, devouring everything from Nancy Drew to My Friend Flicka, which I remember sitting hovered over the heater vent in the kitchen floor to read while my father made his coffee.
I moved on to my mother's Phyllis Whitney, Dorothy Eden, and Mary Stewart gothics before discovering my first true romances written by Lucy Walker and set in the Australian Outback. And then, at last, when I was 18 I found 'The Flame and the Flower'. (My son almost spent his life as Brandon because of that, but I spared him and named him Casey instead!)
Why write romance? Because love stories have always been a major part of the books I've loved. Father Ralph and Meggie Cleary. (I did name my daughter Megan after reading The Thorn Birds! Do you see a trend here?) The aforementioned Brandon Birmingham and Heather Simmons. Wolf Mackenzie and Mary Potter.
Even more so, it's because I love writing romance heroes. The men who sweep both heroines and readers off their feet - not to mention their authors, too!
I've spent several years happily writing action adventure romance for Kensington Brava along with hot and sexy series romances for Harlequin Blaze. Now I'm thrilled to be a launch author for Vows.
Like so many other authors, I was a voracious reader from day one, devouring everything from Nancy Drew to My Friend Flicka, which I remember sitting hovered over the heater vent in the kitchen floor to read while my father made his coffee.
I moved on to my mother's Phyllis Whitney, Dorothy Eden, and Mary Stewart gothics before discovering my first true romances written by Lucy Walker and set in the Australian Outback. And then, at last, when I was 18 I found 'The Flame and the Flower'. (My son almost spent his life as Brandon because of that, but I spared him and named him Casey instead!)
Why write romance? Because love stories have always been a major part of the books I've loved. Father Ralph and Meggie Cleary. (I did name my daughter Megan after reading The Thorn Birds! Do you see a trend here?) The aforementioned Brandon Birmingham and Heather Simmons. Wolf Mackenzie and Mary Potter.
Even more so, it's because I love writing romance heroes. The men who sweep both heroines and readers off their feet - not to mention their authors, too!
I've spent several years happily writing action adventure romance for Kensington Brava along with hot and sexy series romances for Harlequin Blaze. Now I'm thrilled to be a launch author for Vows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
March 17, 2008
Sex without consequences? No guilt or worries? No emotions? This is what Erin Thatcher wanted. Too bad someone didn't tell her to be careful she wished for.
Her neighbor, Sebastian Gallo, is a dark, deep character who hides his painful past by penning sinister stories of a fictional hero named Ryder Falco. He is not an emotional man and he does not love easily. There is something very haunting about his character and I would love to read more about him. Unfortunately, the HEA was just too rushed.
Erin was not a likable character - she was too uptight, anal, insecure. Her grandfather's wine bar was willed to her, and yet she had no real direction in her life. (I've been having issues lately with some of the horrible female characters I've been reading about. I'm sure they are meant to be written as strong and independant, but to me they are simply a pain in the ass.)
The secondary characters, Cali and Will, were much more interesting and their romance was a sweet one.
THE SWEETEST TABOO is a spicy romance - I'll give it that much. Without giving away any spoilers, half-way through the book I was ready to run out to Home Depot and start remodeling my bathroom, shower and all!
Her neighbor, Sebastian Gallo, is a dark, deep character who hides his painful past by penning sinister stories of a fictional hero named Ryder Falco. He is not an emotional man and he does not love easily. There is something very haunting about his character and I would love to read more about him. Unfortunately, the HEA was just too rushed.
Erin was not a likable character - she was too uptight, anal, insecure. Her grandfather's wine bar was willed to her, and yet she had no real direction in her life. (I've been having issues lately with some of the horrible female characters I've been reading about. I'm sure they are meant to be written as strong and independant, but to me they are simply a pain in the ass.)
The secondary characters, Cali and Will, were much more interesting and their romance was a sweet one.
THE SWEETEST TABOO is a spicy romance - I'll give it that much. Without giving away any spoilers, half-way through the book I was ready to run out to Home Depot and start remodeling my bathroom, shower and all!
March 15, 2008
This book wound up being a lot deeper than I expected it to be. In fact, I found it to be similar in style to an Anne Stuart work. The story of the main characters was just a bit dark, though there was a subplot that was a bit lighter involving another couple. I did really enjoy this and may investigate other books by this author. My only complaint is that the HEA ending was too brief for my own personal tastes.
April 25, 2011
Having long since given up on the formulaic Harlequin lines in favour of more cutting egde romance, I was brought back through a friend who urged me to give this new line a try. This first foray was more than satisfactory, the writing superb and the story was engrossing. Even her descriptions of Sebastian's GTO were excellent, making it into an almost living entity rather than a machine.
The sex, while definitely off the Richter scale for Harlequin, was still pretty vanilla. I will say, there are shades of Robin Schone in Ms. Kent's emotion-filled scenes, and that's not a bad thing. I especially liked the opening masturbatory scene with Sebastian in the shower was highly erotic and very well-written without being judgemental of his motives.
I throughly enjoyed Sebastian Gallo/Ryder Falco. He was a definite paen to the handsome, brooding heroes of gothic romance novels. The descriptions of him, his clothes, what he thought, made him very real. As a writer, I can completely sympathize with the capriciousness of the creative process. He is a man whom one has to earn the right to love him, since he doesn't love easily. He wasn't quite an alpha male because he definite had his own code of honor when it came to dealing with Erin Thatcher. I would love to read an entire book about his life, especially his time spent in behind bars.
I did NOT like of Erin Thatcher. Actually, I hated her guts! She was/is everything about a female character I simply can't stand. Anal, insecure, a trust-fund baby with no sense of direction--was she really the kind of brazen and ballsy woman to engage in a torrid affair with her sexy neighbor? Most of the book was spent in her feeling sorry for herself and not being able to decide whether owning an upscale bar in Houston was her life's work. And, talk about reinforcing the notion that women cannot tell the difference between sex and love, Erin Thatcher is the poster child.
I give this book 4 stars because of the secondary characters: Tess and Samantha (the e-mail friends with the good advice), Cali and Will. Their romance would also make a good book, though I was rather disappointed that Cali didn't stick to her guns at the end in terms of the screenplay project. At least Will came to his senses, but still.
The sex, while definitely off the Richter scale for Harlequin, was still pretty vanilla. I will say, there are shades of Robin Schone in Ms. Kent's emotion-filled scenes, and that's not a bad thing. I especially liked the opening masturbatory scene with Sebastian in the shower was highly erotic and very well-written without being judgemental of his motives.
I throughly enjoyed Sebastian Gallo/Ryder Falco. He was a definite paen to the handsome, brooding heroes of gothic romance novels. The descriptions of him, his clothes, what he thought, made him very real. As a writer, I can completely sympathize with the capriciousness of the creative process. He is a man whom one has to earn the right to love him, since he doesn't love easily. He wasn't quite an alpha male because he definite had his own code of honor when it came to dealing with Erin Thatcher. I would love to read an entire book about his life, especially his time spent in behind bars.
I did NOT like of Erin Thatcher. Actually, I hated her guts! She was/is everything about a female character I simply can't stand. Anal, insecure, a trust-fund baby with no sense of direction--was she really the kind of brazen and ballsy woman to engage in a torrid affair with her sexy neighbor? Most of the book was spent in her feeling sorry for herself and not being able to decide whether owning an upscale bar in Houston was her life's work. And, talk about reinforcing the notion that women cannot tell the difference between sex and love, Erin Thatcher is the poster child.
I give this book 4 stars because of the secondary characters: Tess and Samantha (the e-mail friends with the good advice), Cali and Will. Their romance would also make a good book, though I was rather disappointed that Cali didn't stick to her guns at the end in terms of the screenplay project. At least Will came to his senses, but still.
April 29, 2012
It was an okay short-read and very sexy. Still, there were some things I just didn't understand. In all good one-shot romances, the two main lovers have some big disagreement or something that stirs their emotions and makes them separate and then later realize their love for each other. After reading so many, I'm still not tired of it. x]
But, although it wasn't my favorite, I found the ending sweet and creative.
But, although it wasn't my favorite, I found the ending sweet and creative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2012
I love Kent's writing style - it's dense, emotional, descriptive without being cloying - and fits perfectly in this short but hot book about a reclusive author who has an affair with his downstairs neighbor. The introductory chapters were the best - the near encounters, the tension between the two characters as they pass each other along their way in life. I was disappointed in the portrayl of Erin, the female lead - I had a hard time relating to her, and frankly found her thought processes to be slightly stupid. I had a hard time believing in her ability to own and operate a classy urban bar in Houston, Texas, considering how immature she appeared to act most times. The saving grace of this story, of course, are the awesome shower scenes, and the awesome shower in which they occur. Pass the shower gel, please.
January 6, 2021
3.75 Stars for me!
Quite a bit of heat and lots of angst. The H is reclusive due to a rough childhood with no one to trust and the h is a bit neurotic but has a good support system in place. Her attitude did make her a bit unlikable but much of that was due to her own demons. The ending was a bit rushed and there were a few loose ends but I did enjoy the story.
Quite a bit of heat and lots of angst. The H is reclusive due to a rough childhood with no one to trust and the h is a bit neurotic but has a good support system in place. Her attitude did make her a bit unlikable but much of that was due to her own demons. The ending was a bit rushed and there were a few loose ends but I did enjoy the story.
December 28, 2020
I went into this book hoping for a good, steamy read. Steamy? Yes. However, there were so many things that made me cringe while reading this.
This book focuses on the relationship between Erin Thatcher and her neighbor Sabastian. However, there is also another relationship that we follow between Erin's bestfriend and her boyfriend. Both go into their relationship with the intention of sex without attachment. They consult each other about their current status in their relationship. While Erin tries to uncover the true identity of Sabastian, her friend struggles to hold on to her relationship with a guy who just lost his job.
This book should have had more sexual tension build up prior to going directly into a sex scene. Not to mention, the fact that Erin said she was in love with Sebastian after only two months of knowing him was so unrealistic. It reminds me of what a teenager would say when they experience their first boyfriend. It was just so unrealistic and I found it annoying. I also didn't care at all about the relationship that was happening between Erin's friend and her boyfriend. I didn't see the point of including it, although I know they are bestfriends who are supposed to consult each other about their love interests. I also noticed a few typical stereotypes mentioned about men and women, such as when Sebastian made a comment about his cat and how it reminded him of how woman are. The book also discussed how men usually only go after women for sex. Not all men are like that, and I don't appreciate that the author had to stereotype men or women in that way. It also makes woman sound weak and stupid. As if they are that naïve to sleep with a man and not know what to expect.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this book. I only continued reading it, because it was relatively short and I did enjoy the steamy scenes.
This book focuses on the relationship between Erin Thatcher and her neighbor Sabastian. However, there is also another relationship that we follow between Erin's bestfriend and her boyfriend. Both go into their relationship with the intention of sex without attachment. They consult each other about their current status in their relationship. While Erin tries to uncover the true identity of Sabastian, her friend struggles to hold on to her relationship with a guy who just lost his job.
This book should have had more sexual tension build up prior to going directly into a sex scene. Not to mention, the fact that Erin said she was in love with Sebastian after only two months of knowing him was so unrealistic. It reminds me of what a teenager would say when they experience their first boyfriend. It was just so unrealistic and I found it annoying. I also didn't care at all about the relationship that was happening between Erin's friend and her boyfriend. I didn't see the point of including it, although I know they are bestfriends who are supposed to consult each other about their love interests. I also noticed a few typical stereotypes mentioned about men and women, such as when Sebastian made a comment about his cat and how it reminded him of how woman are. The book also discussed how men usually only go after women for sex. Not all men are like that, and I don't appreciate that the author had to stereotype men or women in that way. It also makes woman sound weak and stupid. As if they are that naïve to sleep with a man and not know what to expect.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this book. I only continued reading it, because it was relatively short and I did enjoy the steamy scenes.
December 30, 2021
This wasn't great. It's about 2 couples, one is a girl and guy who live in the same building and look at each other alot and want to have sex. It quickly happens that they do but it doesn't feel like there's any real sexual tension there or chemistry. It followed the usual story of them having sex not admitting to it being more, then parting for a while till they got back together and admitted their love. The ending was cute but because I didn't feel any connection with them it was a little lacking.
2nd couple was her friend and her college partner on a writing assignment. Again the author wrote about them being friends but secretly in love but again I didn't really feel that with them. The way they ended up together seemed too easy and again they separated to come back together in the end. So again cute ending even though he didn't say he loved her back but the lack of chemistry took away from the story
2nd couple was her friend and her college partner on a writing assignment. Again the author wrote about them being friends but secretly in love but again I didn't really feel that with them. The way they ended up together seemed too easy and again they separated to come back together in the end. So again cute ending even though he didn't say he loved her back but the lack of chemistry took away from the story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2021
Nope not my cup of tea anymore.
I liked Sebastian well enough and the email friends erin has. but i couldnt stand kelly and her boyfriend frustratingly stupid drama and i couldn't feel for erin's plights. It was better then many bouget serie books i read in my twenties. Because the male was interesting and the sex was above standard but i can't stand the way woman are written. even when they want sex it has to be triggered by an article and 3 years of a dry spell and they need the constand conformation from online and irl friends for her actions. like where is the backbone ? And yes sex and love can perfectly separated until you have sex with someone you love how is that hard to understand ?.
I liked Sebastian well enough and the email friends erin has. but i couldnt stand kelly and her boyfriend frustratingly stupid drama and i couldn't feel for erin's plights. It was better then many bouget serie books i read in my twenties. Because the male was interesting and the sex was above standard but i can't stand the way woman are written. even when they want sex it has to be triggered by an article and 3 years of a dry spell and they need the constand conformation from online and irl friends for her actions. like where is the backbone ? And yes sex and love can perfectly separated until you have sex with someone you love how is that hard to understand ?.
March 9, 2025
This book has the potential to be so much more.
*Vague spoilers below*
I feel almost physically uncomfortable reading books where the breakup is dragged out for miserable months at a time, but this book made me discover that the opposite can be just as bad! Instead of making us experience the brutal pain of heartbreak, we jumped ahead in time straight from the fight to the resolution, like "one, two, skip a few, ninety nine, a hundred." The HEA felt so abrupt and anticlimactic, I never even fully got the chance to feel sad before everyone was happy again.
I wish this book had been longer and developed the relationships more - having two separate couples' stories in one book leaves very little time for us to get to know everyone. I almost wish it had been 2 separate books.
*Vague spoilers below*
I feel almost physically uncomfortable reading books where the breakup is dragged out for miserable months at a time, but this book made me discover that the opposite can be just as bad! Instead of making us experience the brutal pain of heartbreak, we jumped ahead in time straight from the fight to the resolution, like "one, two, skip a few, ninety nine, a hundred." The HEA felt so abrupt and anticlimactic, I never even fully got the chance to feel sad before everyone was happy again.
I wish this book had been longer and developed the relationships more - having two separate couples' stories in one book leaves very little time for us to get to know everyone. I almost wish it had been 2 separate books.
September 17, 2025
Why do most authors rush the end?
Can't they just give us a satisfying one without having to rush it!. 🤔
Sebastian was a typical Hero, with a hard and sad upbringing, but that made him who he is, worked hard to be where he is, handsome, successful and wise until he met the spoiled and confused Erin ( typical of most heroines) they did have chemistry though. But to be honest I just didn't understand much of her character, just that she was raised by someone that worked his ass to give her a better life, she was well off but with some annoying acts.
Ilked the fact that there as a second couple to the picture. Will and Cali were actually a good addition to the story.
Wasn't bad.
Can't they just give us a satisfying one without having to rush it!. 🤔
Sebastian was a typical Hero, with a hard and sad upbringing, but that made him who he is, worked hard to be where he is, handsome, successful and wise until he met the spoiled and confused Erin ( typical of most heroines) they did have chemistry though. But to be honest I just didn't understand much of her character, just that she was raised by someone that worked his ass to give her a better life, she was well off but with some annoying acts.
Ilked the fact that there as a second couple to the picture. Will and Cali were actually a good addition to the story.
Wasn't bad.
August 12, 2023
Imagine a mesmerizing realm where the boundaries between fantasy and reality blur, offering an intriguing blend of both worlds. This unique narrative creates an immersive experience, though the deliberate confusion might leave some readers intrigued, yet slightly bewildered. An enthralling journey for those who enjoy exploring the enigmatic.
October 30, 2023
This was okay, but mostly the pacing was wildly inconsistent. The ending in particular felt rushed and lacked the detail and build up that the entire rest of the book had been given.
Erin isn’t the worst but she isn’t particularly interesting either. Sebastian is dark and broody but also you sort of want to tell him to get over himself. The drama was heckin stupid at the end!
Erin isn’t the worst but she isn’t particularly interesting either. Sebastian is dark and broody but also you sort of want to tell him to get over himself. The drama was heckin stupid at the end!
March 25, 2020
This is from 2002, the only other book I’ve read from Alison Kent so far was from 2008 and I like it better. Maybe I’ll make it into this decade’s work and really love it! Gotta say, though, the cover art!!!! A really lovely face.
January 14, 2022
Okay this was really really good. It was sexy and fun and I liked the incorporation of two love stories but I really would have loved if these stories were two separate books because it would have allowed for a lot more relationship development for both couples.
November 12, 2020
HBZ #68
April 22, 2021
A decent enough story. The narrator want all that great. But nonetheless, a quick romantic read.
June 6, 2021
Hot, hot, hot and a good story to boot! I was looking for a quick and entertaining book and this description caught my attention AND exceeded my expectations.
Read
April 5, 2022DNF, after reading the rating I think I’ll skip over this one. May give it a try later.
June 21, 2022
it was a quick read with level 3.8 spice
March 6, 2023
This book has a little too much frank sex in it
August 31, 2023
This book had some great smut but the storyline was lacking in my opinion.
The ending was also super quick and felt very rushed.
The ending was also super quick and felt very rushed.
Read
September 8, 2023Gave this zero stars because I was so fucking confused the whole time.
January 16, 2024
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3 star. Confusing but hot!
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3 star. Confusing but hot!
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March 22, 2024
So short! And there are two stories happening. How can you tell two stories, and yet have so little to say? It felt like a first draft. Like the real meat of the story hadn't been added yet.
September 27, 2024
I dont get it.... I thought something else was going to happen in this book... It was OK but I dont think I would pick it up again.
October 1, 2024
A little unusual featuring two separate couples. It was just ok. The plot was not deep. Not a fan of the spicy terms for body parts.
November 23, 2024
Who doesn’t like a story when love heals you …?
June 19, 2023
I should’ve just DNFd this book it took me so long to read because it was just bad. What was so scary about Sebastian? He’s an author. Oooooo so terrifying.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews