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Forbidden Wishes #3
I Wish I Would’ve Warned You
Truth or dare?
"I dare you to stop pretending that you still want to be a virgin when you're around me…"
As much as I wanted to say those words to Emily O'Hara after the night we first met, I never did.
Instead, I dared myself to leave her alone.
But I lost that game.
I gave up trying to win.
She was the first girl who didn't run when she found out how damaged I was.
I was the first guy who could read through her sexy sarcasm with ease.
Our connection was toxic and fiery, but we had to douse the flames before getting any closer.
We realized she could never be mine, and I could never be hers.
I was days away from becoming her stepbrother.
"I dare you to stop pretending that you still want to be a virgin when you're around me…"
As much as I wanted to say those words to Emily O'Hara after the night we first met, I never did.
Instead, I dared myself to leave her alone.
But I lost that game.
I gave up trying to win.
She was the first girl who didn't run when she found out how damaged I was.
I was the first guy who could read through her sexy sarcasm with ease.
Our connection was toxic and fiery, but we had to douse the flames before getting any closer.
We realized she could never be mine, and I could never be hers.
I was days away from becoming her stepbrother.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2025
304 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Whitney G.
86 books13.6k followersWhitney G. is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author. Her books are currently published in over a dozen languages.
She lives deep in the Tennessee woods and spends most of her time drinking coffee while penning dirty-talking alpha males.
Find out more about her next project at www.whitneygbooks.com
(Be sure to sign up for "The F.L.Y. List" as that's the best way to receive new release updates. Link: eepurl.com/hbhVOf )
You can also connect with Whitney on Instagram and Facebook.
She lives deep in the Tennessee woods and spends most of her time drinking coffee while penning dirty-talking alpha males.
Find out more about her next project at www.whitneygbooks.com
(Be sure to sign up for "The F.L.Y. List" as that's the best way to receive new release updates. Link: eepurl.com/hbhVOf )
You can also connect with Whitney on Instagram and Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
July 26, 2025
This was angsty without crushing my soul and that’s exactly the sweet spot I crave. Whitney G. gave us two flawed, magnetic characters caught in a heartbreakingly complicated situation. Cole is the kind of broken but beautiful hero I love, and Emily’s sharp wit and quiet vulnerability made her unforgettable.
Their chemistry sizzled, but what really hit me was the emotional fallout from the selfish parents around them. I liked that it never got overly dramatic or melodramatic but stayed raw and believable. A compelling, emotionally intense read that’s perfect for fans of forbidden romance with heart.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
Their chemistry sizzled, but what really hit me was the emotional fallout from the selfish parents around them. I liked that it never got overly dramatic or melodramatic but stayed raw and believable. A compelling, emotionally intense read that’s perfect for fans of forbidden romance with heart.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
August 5, 2025
3.5 stars: sooooo much happens
But i needed this to be longer in order to feel satisfied 😭😭😭 especially at the end😅.
Emily (19) wants to know what it’s like to be intimate, so she is ready to lose her v and is about to, but her douche bf ruins the mood by being an a hole. She walks away (good riddance 🤬) and is about to get a ride by a questionable man, when Cole (22) saves the day 😅. He offers her a ride and he gives her his number just in case she wants to contact him 👀.
When she goes home, her mother informs her that they’re going to be moving, again 😅 (they’ve moved around a lot), but they’ll be moving to her boyfriend’s house. When they arrive, she gets introduced to her mom’s boyfriend’s son, who happens none other than Cole 👀, the one who rescued her before she made a huge mistake 😅.
Guess it’ll be difficult for them to be together now 😬
What I liked:
—the taboo element 👀. I mean. Step siblings 👀
—the banter 🤣. The comebacks and back and forth were amazing 👏🏻
—Cole’s confidence 👀. It’s sexy 😉
—the 🔥. First kiss happens at 36% followed by some finger and mouth work and then full 🔥 by 56% 👏🏻. I love that Cole has a dirty mouth, in ALLLLL says 😉
—Cole standing up to his dad 👏🏻. I can’t even imagine being a parent and doing this 😑, good job Cole for never forgetting all that you’ve been through and ignoring your feelings ❤️
— Emily developing a backbone 👏🏻. It’s hard when you do everything you can please your parent, but sometimes, it’s never gonna be enough and you need to realize that you need to move on from this 🫶🏻
—Emily helping Cole 🫶🏻
—Cole remaining celibate through all
the separations 👏🏻. It’s so rare to see this in books lol so I always applaud when we see it in books (technically, so is Emily, but still 🤣 I always love it when the hero is 🤡)
—we get epilogues ❤️❤️❤️
What I didn’t like/needed more of: SPOILERS
—inc€st? 🙄🤦🏻♀️ come on 🙄. I found myself rolling my eyes at this. They literally had just met months before, so they weren’t in each other’s lives for very long. I would never consider it this 🤷🏻♀️. It’ll be different if they grew up in each other’s lives, but they met as adult. So why would this be forbidden? 🙄😒
—the lack of development in some things especially with the ending 😐. There are so many time jumps, so i wish we had seen more. Not only that, but we don’t get some follow through with their parents after all the drama gets revealed 😒. Like, do we ever find out what happened with Cole’s dad? What about Emily’s mom? I need more here instead of the ending being so rushed 😒
—the owd 😐 (more specifically, the first scene 😑). Eventually, though, it ends up being not as bad, but I still didn’t care to see it 😅
— the time jumps 😒. We don’t ever know how much time passes between when everything explodes and the end of the book. All of a sudden, it feels like it’s been years. So why didn’t they try being together sooner? Especially after their parents separate 🤦🏻♀️. It just doesn’t make sense to me 🤷🏻♀️
—both parents needed to be better 😒
—for a v, Emily sure moves fast 😅. Ummm… as in, she acted like a pro the first time she got “down” 😬. I was flabbergasted 😅. I felt a little out of character 😅
Overall, I loved some things but wanted more ❤️
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating*/sharing
-mental health/PTSD
-DUI car accident
-OWD-the H has ow that wants him 😒. This ow ends up becoming friends with the h 😅 (luckily. We get a scene where the H basically tells her that he’s never looked at her that way, so the OW was seeing things where there’s nothing 🤷🏻♀️). There’s a ow kissing the H’s neck scene- she’s slow dancing with the H when the h is dancing with OM. This is after the MCS have met and into each other.
-OMD- the h plans to lose her v before meeting the H. After meeting the H, she dances with a different guy (who is touchy with her and takes her panties). The H steps
-dirty talk
-condoms/virgin h/not a manwhore
-separation of years/both celibate (h tried dating though)
-HEA/2 epilogues
But i needed this to be longer in order to feel satisfied 😭😭😭 especially at the end😅.
Emily (19) wants to know what it’s like to be intimate, so she is ready to lose her v and is about to, but her douche bf ruins the mood by being an a hole. She walks away (good riddance 🤬) and is about to get a ride by a questionable man, when Cole (22) saves the day 😅. He offers her a ride and he gives her his number just in case she wants to contact him 👀.
When she goes home, her mother informs her that they’re going to be moving, again 😅 (they’ve moved around a lot), but they’ll be moving to her boyfriend’s house. When they arrive, she gets introduced to her mom’s boyfriend’s son, who happens none other than Cole 👀, the one who rescued her before she made a huge mistake 😅.
Guess it’ll be difficult for them to be together now 😬
What I liked:
—the taboo element 👀. I mean. Step siblings 👀
—the banter 🤣. The comebacks and back and forth were amazing 👏🏻
—Cole’s confidence 👀. It’s sexy 😉
—the 🔥. First kiss happens at 36% followed by some finger and mouth work and then full 🔥 by 56% 👏🏻. I love that Cole has a dirty mouth, in ALLLLL says 😉
—Cole standing up to his dad 👏🏻. I can’t even imagine being a parent and doing this 😑, good job Cole for never forgetting all that you’ve been through and ignoring your feelings ❤️
— Emily developing a backbone 👏🏻. It’s hard when you do everything you can please your parent, but sometimes, it’s never gonna be enough and you need to realize that you need to move on from this 🫶🏻
—Emily helping Cole 🫶🏻
—Cole remaining celibate through all
the separations 👏🏻. It’s so rare to see this in books lol so I always applaud when we see it in books (technically, so is Emily, but still 🤣 I always love it when the hero is 🤡)
—we get epilogues ❤️❤️❤️
What I didn’t like/needed more of: SPOILERS
—inc€st? 🙄🤦🏻♀️ come on 🙄. I found myself rolling my eyes at this. They literally had just met months before, so they weren’t in each other’s lives for very long. I would never consider it this 🤷🏻♀️. It’ll be different if they grew up in each other’s lives, but they met as adult. So why would this be forbidden? 🙄😒
—the lack of development in some things especially with the ending 😐. There are so many time jumps, so i wish we had seen more. Not only that, but we don’t get some follow through with their parents after all the drama gets revealed 😒. Like, do we ever find out what happened with Cole’s dad? What about Emily’s mom? I need more here instead of the ending being so rushed 😒
—the owd 😐 (more specifically, the first scene 😑). Eventually, though, it ends up being not as bad, but I still didn’t care to see it 😅
— the time jumps 😒. We don’t ever know how much time passes between when everything explodes and the end of the book. All of a sudden, it feels like it’s been years. So why didn’t they try being together sooner? Especially after their parents separate 🤦🏻♀️. It just doesn’t make sense to me 🤷🏻♀️
—both parents needed to be better 😒
—for a v, Emily sure moves fast 😅. Ummm… as in, she acted like a pro the first time she got “down” 😬. I was flabbergasted 😅. I felt a little out of character 😅
Overall, I loved some things but wanted more ❤️
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating*/sharing
-mental health/PTSD
-DUI car accident
-OWD-the H has ow that wants him 😒. This ow ends up becoming friends with the h 😅 (luckily. We get a scene where the H basically tells her that he’s never looked at her that way, so the OW was seeing things where there’s nothing 🤷🏻♀️). There’s a ow kissing the H’s neck scene- she’s slow dancing with the H when the h is dancing with OM. This is after the MCS have met and into each other.
-OMD- the h plans to lose her v before meeting the H. After meeting the H, she dances with a different guy (who is touchy with her and takes her panties). The H steps
-dirty talk
-condoms/virgin h/not a manwhore
-separation of years/both celibate (h tried dating though)
-HEA/2 epilogues
July 30, 2025
Fun and entertaining, but the ending felt rushed and left me wishing for a clearer picture of their future together.
July 27, 2025
2.5 Stars
My biggest issue was connecting with Emily (h). Shes flighty, impulsive and I get why she’s like that. I didn’t appreciate that she’s the first to say goodbye, to move on and to find new a boyfriend. Add to that, all the time lapses, it felt as gaps in the storyline. Overall, not a great read.
My biggest issue was connecting with Emily (h). Shes flighty, impulsive and I get why she’s like that. I didn’t appreciate that she’s the first to say goodbye, to move on and to find new a boyfriend. Add to that, all the time lapses, it felt as gaps in the storyline. Overall, not a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this story - it was amusing, emotional, and heartbreaking - but the time frame seemed to move quickly without any definitive parameters that by the end of the story, I didn’t quite know how many years had passed.
"I would ruin everything in my life just to be with you."
The author packed a lot of story into a short novel. My heart went out to both Emily and Cole and the shaky, somewhat resentful relationship they had with their respective parent. Both were creative, and both felt things deeply. Cole was ready to blow the world apart, but Emily was clinging to an ideal. I wish they'd fought harder to be together, especially when their secret was revealed, but I was happy they finally got their HEA.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
"I would ruin everything in my life just to be with you."
The author packed a lot of story into a short novel. My heart went out to both Emily and Cole and the shaky, somewhat resentful relationship they had with their respective parent. Both were creative, and both felt things deeply. Cole was ready to blow the world apart, but Emily was clinging to an ideal. I wish they'd fought harder to be together, especially when their secret was revealed, but I was happy they finally got their HEA.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
July 25, 2025
Perfection
I dont think I have ever read something from this author that didnt leave me speechless. Every book sucks you in and keeps you locked until you read every last word. I am here for it! Both Cole and Emily were lost without eachother. And then lost with eachother with no way to breathe freely. I loved their story and I loved their ending.
I dont think I have ever read something from this author that didnt leave me speechless. Every book sucks you in and keeps you locked until you read every last word. I am here for it! Both Cole and Emily were lost without eachother. And then lost with eachother with no way to breathe freely. I loved their story and I loved their ending.
not-for-me
August 11, 2025Weirdly sexually aggressive virgin 🙄 just whyyyyyy???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2025
- H 22, h 19
- Step siblings
- Awful parents
- Forbidden romance
I felt like this book was kind of chaotic and all over the place, and the fast pace at the ending was so irritating. Wanted to actually see them function together other than sex and angst.
And their parents was just awful! The way they treated their kids, just brushing them off and lied.. So glad they both stoop up for them self towards the end.
Safety:
- Owd: her friend who is always around the house has a thing for the H, she tries multiple times hitting on him, but he’s never giving her the time of day.
- Owd:h catches H making out (or a girl sucking on his neck) at a party, his hand is all over the ow, but he stops when the h gets ambushed by om.
- Omd: he has en awful ex at the first chapter, nothing more
- Omd: h goes and flirts and let a man touch her and remove her panties at a party, this is when the H and h lock eyes (se right above) and H comes and drags the h away (kind of double standard since he could be with a guy, but not she?)
- h is a V, H is experienced, but didn’t get the manwhore vibes.
- H celibate during seperation, didn’t even try to date.
- h dated and also had boyfriend, didn’t sleep with him, but it made H jealous when they met. h cheats on om since she kisses H, so they break up fast.
- Step siblings
- Awful parents
- Forbidden romance
I felt like this book was kind of chaotic and all over the place, and the fast pace at the ending was so irritating. Wanted to actually see them function together other than sex and angst.
And their parents was just awful! The way they treated their kids, just brushing them off and lied.. So glad they both stoop up for them self towards the end.
Safety:
- Owd: her friend who is always around the house has a thing for the H, she tries multiple times hitting on him, but he’s never giving her the time of day.
- Owd:h catches H making out (or a girl sucking on his neck) at a party, his hand is all over the ow, but he stops when the h gets ambushed by om.
- Omd: he has en awful ex at the first chapter, nothing more
- Omd: h goes and flirts and let a man touch her and remove her panties at a party, this is when the H and h lock eyes (se right above) and H comes and drags the h away (kind of double standard since he could be with a guy, but not she?)
- h is a V, H is experienced, but didn’t get the manwhore vibes.
- H celibate during seperation, didn’t even try to date.
- h dated and also had boyfriend, didn’t sleep with him, but it made H jealous when they met. h cheats on om since she kisses H, so they break up fast.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2025
Emily and Cole are strangers that have a very interesting first encounter. They never thought they would see each other again until Emily’s mom moves them into her boyfriend’s home. His son is none other than Cole! Now living under the same roof can they keep their brewing feeling to themselves? This was a step brother to be romance with some scenes that have you saying “did they just say that!?!” lol There is also an underlying story of two young adults growing up in a world not for them and finding who they really are. Told in first person and dual POV.
July 24, 2025
Artist Cole Dawson is a damaged man, and a caring man. He has a famous, self-serving podcaster father.
"He’s beautiful. Not pretty-boy, clean-cut beautiful. No, he’s rugged and sharp—tall and broad-shouldered in a black henley and dark jeans that cling like sin. His jaw is cut from stone, dusted in stubble. A thin scar curves at the corner of his lip like it has a story, and his eyes - they’re a shade of blue I didn’t know existed. Cold. Wild. Intense."
Poet Emily O'Hara is a lonely young woman who has been dragged all over the place during her childhood by her mother who moves on every time a relationship fails.
"Her eyes are unreal. Green like old glass in sunlight—fractured, sharp around the edges. Her mouth is full and slightly chapped, her lashes thick and wet. She doesn’t look soft. She looks like something I’d want to paint in charcoal and oil—moody lighting, dripping water, tension in every line of her body."
They meet and fall in love, but without their knowledge, their parents also meet and decide to get married, making them step siblings.
"You can have it all in life, but not at the same time… It’s better to keep your expectations low, so if you never get what you want, you’ll never get hurt."
Secrets will out and I wholly sympathized with the unlucky couple whose relationship seems doomed.
This is a story of selfish and narcissistic parenting and the effect it has on the children. I finished this in one day. This is the best book from Whitney G. that I have read to date. I highly recommend it if you love angsty romances with a credible HEA.
"He’s beautiful. Not pretty-boy, clean-cut beautiful. No, he’s rugged and sharp—tall and broad-shouldered in a black henley and dark jeans that cling like sin. His jaw is cut from stone, dusted in stubble. A thin scar curves at the corner of his lip like it has a story, and his eyes - they’re a shade of blue I didn’t know existed. Cold. Wild. Intense."
Poet Emily O'Hara is a lonely young woman who has been dragged all over the place during her childhood by her mother who moves on every time a relationship fails.
"Her eyes are unreal. Green like old glass in sunlight—fractured, sharp around the edges. Her mouth is full and slightly chapped, her lashes thick and wet. She doesn’t look soft. She looks like something I’d want to paint in charcoal and oil—moody lighting, dripping water, tension in every line of her body."
They meet and fall in love, but without their knowledge, their parents also meet and decide to get married, making them step siblings.
"You can have it all in life, but not at the same time… It’s better to keep your expectations low, so if you never get what you want, you’ll never get hurt."
Secrets will out and I wholly sympathized with the unlucky couple whose relationship seems doomed.
This is a story of selfish and narcissistic parenting and the effect it has on the children. I finished this in one day. This is the best book from Whitney G. that I have read to date. I highly recommend it if you love angsty romances with a credible HEA.
July 25, 2025
Emily and Cole. . . Strangers that met and a few weeks later bump into one another but this time their parents have met!
Imagine meeting someone in the dark of night, a stranger you’ve met by chance, a stranger that saved you from making a big mistake, offers you a ride, gives you his number, but was never used until the night you meet for a second time!
The circumstances of Cole meeting Emily is now because their parents are dating! Emily’s mom has had multiple insta-loves over the last 19 years and Emily always along for the ride until the love dies out!
Cole and his dad have a strained relationship but that’s because they have a secret and is hiding a lie.
Meeting someone you may be able to fall in love with that is now becoming your step sibling is a hard pill to swallow. Behind the picture perfect life there is turmoil brewing and Emily and Cole may not be able to have a Happily Ever After!
There is so much to this story and the characters keep you turning the pages!
Loved the story and love WG’s books! I love when it release season because her stories are the best!
Imagine meeting someone in the dark of night, a stranger you’ve met by chance, a stranger that saved you from making a big mistake, offers you a ride, gives you his number, but was never used until the night you meet for a second time!
The circumstances of Cole meeting Emily is now because their parents are dating! Emily’s mom has had multiple insta-loves over the last 19 years and Emily always along for the ride until the love dies out!
Cole and his dad have a strained relationship but that’s because they have a secret and is hiding a lie.
Meeting someone you may be able to fall in love with that is now becoming your step sibling is a hard pill to swallow. Behind the picture perfect life there is turmoil brewing and Emily and Cole may not be able to have a Happily Ever After!
There is so much to this story and the characters keep you turning the pages!
Loved the story and love WG’s books! I love when it release season because her stories are the best!
July 23, 2025
Cole is our MMC, an angsty almost angry son of a famous author, that gives a ride to a girl that seems to be in a rough spot. Emily’s mother is a woman always running to new locations, worrying more about her own happiness, all while dragging Emily, the FMC and talented writer of poetry, along for the ride, living out of crappy hotels and jumping from man to man. One day Emily’s mom breaks the news that she met someone and that he wants them to move in and leave that old hotel. When Emily arrives at the gigantic house in the Hamptons, and she sees the Cole from the truck stop, that saved her that awful night.
There is a definite story behind Cole’s dad and why Cole is so angry with him, why Emily’s relationship is holding on by a thread with her mother, and I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to find out. When I tell you this story had me on a roller coaster of emotions and I was a willing rider! I never expected what came about all while these two kids had their own futures planned and had amazing personal goals! This was a truly a page-turning, suspenseful love story that I really enjoyed!
Thank you to the author for sending me this book as an ARC, this is my honest review.
There is a definite story behind Cole’s dad and why Cole is so angry with him, why Emily’s relationship is holding on by a thread with her mother, and I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to find out. When I tell you this story had me on a roller coaster of emotions and I was a willing rider! I never expected what came about all while these two kids had their own futures planned and had amazing personal goals! This was a truly a page-turning, suspenseful love story that I really enjoyed!
Thank you to the author for sending me this book as an ARC, this is my honest review.
July 25, 2025
Whitney G.’s romances never fail, and with the final book in the Forbidden Wishes Series, I Wish I Would’ve Warned You, she gives readers the forbidden stepbrother trope and a bit of an age gap. Emily is nineteen and Cole is twenty-two. I loved their meeting and Emily’s no-nonsense, brazen attitude towards Cole. Emily and her mother had the most cringe relationship. Several scenes with them were a crack-up. But that’s the thing with Whitney G.’s writing, she does throw in a touch of humor in her writing with some characters to balance out all the angst that comes through the plot.
Cole had some secrets, and his contentious relationship with his father made sense when everything came out. But that trek to get there was an angsty hill to climb, and the secrecy of he and Emily trying to be together had some heartbreaking moments. However, Whitney G.’s HEAs are always worth it, and I loved this one so much.
Cole had some secrets, and his contentious relationship with his father made sense when everything came out. But that trek to get there was an angsty hill to climb, and the secrecy of he and Emily trying to be together had some heartbreaking moments. However, Whitney G.’s HEAs are always worth it, and I loved this one so much.
August 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | I Wish I Would’ve Warned You by Whitney G.
Whitney G. delivers a raw, emotional romance with two flawed but unforgettable characters. Cole is intense and beautifully broken, while Emily’s wit and quiet vulnerability make her easy to root for. Their connection is complicated, painful, and deeply passionate.
The story never feels overdone—it’s honest, emotional, and full of quiet moments that hit hard. I loved the way it explored love, betrayal, family wounds, and the painful kind of longing that lingers for years.
It’s a short novel, but it packs a punch. This book is for anyone who loves angsty, second-chance romance with a forbidden edge and a satisfying HEA.
Whitney G. delivers a raw, emotional romance with two flawed but unforgettable characters. Cole is intense and beautifully broken, while Emily’s wit and quiet vulnerability make her easy to root for. Their connection is complicated, painful, and deeply passionate.
The story never feels overdone—it’s honest, emotional, and full of quiet moments that hit hard. I loved the way it explored love, betrayal, family wounds, and the painful kind of longing that lingers for years.
It’s a short novel, but it packs a punch. This book is for anyone who loves angsty, second-chance romance with a forbidden edge and a satisfying HEA.
August 20, 2025
Cole and Emily ❤️
This is a wow moment for me! I love Whitney G’s books and I don’t think my review will do it justice.
A stepbrother romance and so much happens in this book that it’s a nonstop page turner! It’s beautiful and it’s emotional and it’s just everything that I love about this author!
This is a wow moment for me! I love Whitney G’s books and I don’t think my review will do it justice.
A stepbrother romance and so much happens in this book that it’s a nonstop page turner! It’s beautiful and it’s emotional and it’s just everything that I love about this author!
January 20, 2026
Love love love Cole
My heart broke for both of these characters, wishing they both had the families they deserved but yet I was happy that they found their way to each other. I love Cole's and Emily's relationship, the whole two lost souls vibe but mostly the magnetism between them. Cole is by far my favourite MMC in this series, broody, with a side of trauma but the way he is even from the start with Emily... I loved him
My heart broke for both of these characters, wishing they both had the families they deserved but yet I was happy that they found their way to each other. I love Cole's and Emily's relationship, the whole two lost souls vibe but mostly the magnetism between them. Cole is by far my favourite MMC in this series, broody, with a side of trauma but the way he is even from the start with Emily... I loved him
July 31, 2025
dnf 64%
Im actually just bored with them. not interesting enough
Im actually just bored with them. not interesting enough
August 17, 2025
This book was not nearly as good as the others in the series
August 15, 2025
This had potential and then all the sudden the book was jumping months and years (or at least I think so as I was so confused). It jumped locations and then conversations didn't always flow. It reminded me of someone talking fast and not being clear as their brain was going faster than their mouth so things jumped around.
August 4, 2025
hate
Not my favorite in the series. I just didn’t connect with the main characters and their relationships the way I did with the characters in previous books. It was disappointing.
The idea of this book was a better experience for me than actually sitting down and reading it. I found myself exasperated and bored with both of the main characters. Exhausted with their plight. Their chemistry was lackluster. The forbidden portion of this story lame. It’s a 19yo and 20-something-year old. These aren’t kids that grew up together or even met due to their parents getting together. No, they met independently… and sure their parents were horrible, truly horrible people. But what was that ending?
I was initially going to be gracious and rate this story 3 stars because I read it in its entirety but, no, after sitting down to pen this review, I realized I hated this story. Which is disappointing.
Not my favorite in the series. I just didn’t connect with the main characters and their relationships the way I did with the characters in previous books. It was disappointing.
The idea of this book was a better experience for me than actually sitting down and reading it. I found myself exasperated and bored with both of the main characters. Exhausted with their plight. Their chemistry was lackluster. The forbidden portion of this story lame. It’s a 19yo and 20-something-year old. These aren’t kids that grew up together or even met due to their parents getting together. No, they met independently… and sure their parents were horrible, truly horrible people. But what was that ending?
I was initially going to be gracious and rate this story 3 stars because I read it in its entirety but, no, after sitting down to pen this review, I realized I hated this story. Which is disappointing.
August 4, 2025
At a loss for words…
This is not the Whitney G. I remember. The story’s plot is weak and characters lack depth and background. There’s so much jumping around without warning that makes the story difficult to follow. There’s a lot of potential, but the story seems rushed, which doesn’t allow for a solid foundation as there are many discrepancies throughout.
This is not the Whitney G. I remember. The story’s plot is weak and characters lack depth and background. There’s so much jumping around without warning that makes the story difficult to follow. There’s a lot of potential, but the story seems rushed, which doesn’t allow for a solid foundation as there are many discrepancies throughout.
September 3, 2025
I wrote my review as I was reading, but I’m posting this at the top because it needs attention. I have read many books from this author and really liked most of them. The premise is almost always something I love. However, at this point, I’m convinced this books was written by AI. There’s just way too much evidence supporting this. Also, I read somewhere that the double dash is *ONLY* available in AI. It can’t be duplicated on PC or phone. This book is RIDDLED, and I mean absolutely RIDDLED with the double dash. Far, far more than would even ever be thought of by a human. That being said, here’s my review:
I want to love this book. But the author makes it more than a little difficult. There’s so much that happens with no explanation whatsoever. People appear and you have no idea why. No introduction, no explanation.
The “meet cute” between the MCs is anything but cute. It’s nothing like an enemies-to-lovers deal. He’s not mean to her per se, but he comes up behind her in a gas station and pins her to the glass door of the refrigerator section and basically tells her she’s an idiot for trying to get a ride with a stranger (which she is) and then proceeds to give her a ride with a stranger…. Granted, he kinda gave her a bit of security. But it could easily been flubbed and faked, so not really. Either way, he just pushed her into a door to warn her… rude much?
The conversations are often confusing.
At one point, Emily says, “Can I ask you a question?” And then makes a statement. Never a question. And Cole never asks what her question was.
Other times there’s an answer that makes no sense.
At another point, She’s dancing with a guy and apparently he moves incredibly fast and lifts her skirt and removes her panties before she even realizes what’s happening. I don’t know about you, but no guy could possibly get my skirt up, grab my panties and then rip them (something that’s not super easy) all before I’ve even noticed his hand touched my thigh. And she’s a virgin? Yeah, no… a dude touches your thigh, you’re instantly on high alert.
There’s a scene in a restaurant. You’re made to believe the MCs are sitting across from each other. His knee brushes her thigh, which I guess is possible if he has long legs and the table is small. But then his fingers graze her thigh….. I’m not a biologist, but I believe everyone at the table would notice if he had to move in a way to brush her thigh from across the table. And let’s not forget, he’s supposedly twirling his glass with one hand and eating his burger with the other. Where’d his third hand come from????
Then, with absolutely NO EXPLANATION whatever, the next morning, she’s bringing him breakfast in his room, wearing his shirt….. mind you, they haven’t even kissed yet, so what the heck?!?
Abruptly, and with little warning, we get a spicy scene. And, dude, this is all sorts of wrong. She’s a VIRGIN…. And they’re in an alley and she ends up with him in her mouth. Let me also point out that she was standing. No mention of her getting to her knees. Also, she takes the whole act like a pro. But it’s her first time? 🤔🤔
Time goes on and they “never discuss” the event that took place, yet apparently they sleep in the same bed every night, now. They eat together and spend time doing their hobbies together. No conversations?
Then something happens and he disappears for 8 days. Never answers her texts. Zip. She goes on a retreat and while she’s there he calls her and texts, asking where she is. She ignores him and then within a couple hours he ends up in her room. How did he get a key? Who knows.
Spicy time again. Get this… he sets her on a “dresser across from the mirror” not quite sure if she has her back to the mirror or she’s facing the mirror, but it doesn’t matter because, he’s licking her nipple and “his eyes never leave hers in the mirror” I’m sorry, what? Does he have eyes in the back of his head now? Then he goes down on her and they still make eye contact IN THE MIRROR. This is some voodoo crap here.
He finishes her and takes her to bed, naked and curls up and lays beside her. This is the least self- conscious virgin in history. And he apparently has the restraint of a monk.
He leaves while she’s asleep but has to come back. Then after a while he falls asleep and when he wakes up, he goes to leave and “it’s only midnight” apparently time also doesn’t follow laws.
Later, she tells him she wants him to be her first and he says it will never happen, she asks why and he says, “You know why” then she throws out a truth or dare to him asking if he has feelings for her, he says yes then throws one back and dares her to not blame him for ruining her then he’s all over her. And he’s not gentle, even though she’s a virgin….. and she didn’t act like it hurt and she thoroughly enjoyed it if you know what I mean. Because, yeah, that’s believable….
After that, they’re screwing like rabbits all over their parents’ house and almost get caught….
Then he has a seizure. And he talks during his seizure😂😂😂🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Oh yeah, for some unknown reason, his cousin is now staying with them and so is this rando girl who was there before. She seems to think they (she and Cole) are meant to be together and it never explains why she thinks this. Or why she thinks he knows it too….
So the after the seizure, the cousin is suspicious of why Emily knew he had a seizure (it was raining outside and she said she heard him from her balcony which is beside his). Also, cousin hands her back her phone twice 🤦🏻♀️
There’s also some strange drama about the parents that makes no sense. They came home one night and said they had eloped and would have an official wedding next year. Then after the seizure, dad decides they’ll have the wedding “This summer” instead because life’s too short…..???? They’re already officially married, what does “life’s short” have to do with a flipping fake ceremony? And now, suddenly Cole and Emily can’t be together… I guess because they’ll publicly be step siblings? They’re both adults, I don’t see the problem…. 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
Oh and now…Cole has to stay in the hospital after his seizure for unknown reasons again. Then suddenly he’s home with no explanation and then bam it’s wedding day…. Not a “weeks later”, “ days later”, “months later” just “on wedding day”……
The press is there and miraculously catch the two of them making out, even though they haven’t talked to each other for who knows how long. It goes public that they are together and it’s a big scandal and the media is saying Dad agrees with incest…. Dude, it’s not freaking incest if they aren’t blood. Come on!!! 🙄🙄🙄
Months go by with no explanation of all of the changes that took place for both of them…. (Btw, I’ve said explanation so many times it’s now one of those words that doesn’t feel like a real word anymore….)
Mom and dad separated after the scandal, yet Emily and Cole didn’t get back together during all this time. Lots of crap happens and then suddenly he’s in front of her, kisses her and alls right in the world again. The end.
What the actual crap?!?
There were 2 epilogues that were crap. His proposal was so lackluster and eye rolling.
Very disappointed with this author and now I’m afraid to read anything else of hers. Oddly enough, she does seem to pop out books quite frequently….. 😔🤷🏻♀️
I want to love this book. But the author makes it more than a little difficult. There’s so much that happens with no explanation whatsoever. People appear and you have no idea why. No introduction, no explanation.
The “meet cute” between the MCs is anything but cute. It’s nothing like an enemies-to-lovers deal. He’s not mean to her per se, but he comes up behind her in a gas station and pins her to the glass door of the refrigerator section and basically tells her she’s an idiot for trying to get a ride with a stranger (which she is) and then proceeds to give her a ride with a stranger…. Granted, he kinda gave her a bit of security. But it could easily been flubbed and faked, so not really. Either way, he just pushed her into a door to warn her… rude much?
The conversations are often confusing.
At one point, Emily says, “Can I ask you a question?” And then makes a statement. Never a question. And Cole never asks what her question was.
Other times there’s an answer that makes no sense.
At another point, She’s dancing with a guy and apparently he moves incredibly fast and lifts her skirt and removes her panties before she even realizes what’s happening. I don’t know about you, but no guy could possibly get my skirt up, grab my panties and then rip them (something that’s not super easy) all before I’ve even noticed his hand touched my thigh. And she’s a virgin? Yeah, no… a dude touches your thigh, you’re instantly on high alert.
There’s a scene in a restaurant. You’re made to believe the MCs are sitting across from each other. His knee brushes her thigh, which I guess is possible if he has long legs and the table is small. But then his fingers graze her thigh….. I’m not a biologist, but I believe everyone at the table would notice if he had to move in a way to brush her thigh from across the table. And let’s not forget, he’s supposedly twirling his glass with one hand and eating his burger with the other. Where’d his third hand come from????
Then, with absolutely NO EXPLANATION whatever, the next morning, she’s bringing him breakfast in his room, wearing his shirt….. mind you, they haven’t even kissed yet, so what the heck?!?
Abruptly, and with little warning, we get a spicy scene. And, dude, this is all sorts of wrong. She’s a VIRGIN…. And they’re in an alley and she ends up with him in her mouth. Let me also point out that she was standing. No mention of her getting to her knees. Also, she takes the whole act like a pro. But it’s her first time? 🤔🤔
Time goes on and they “never discuss” the event that took place, yet apparently they sleep in the same bed every night, now. They eat together and spend time doing their hobbies together. No conversations?
Then something happens and he disappears for 8 days. Never answers her texts. Zip. She goes on a retreat and while she’s there he calls her and texts, asking where she is. She ignores him and then within a couple hours he ends up in her room. How did he get a key? Who knows.
Spicy time again. Get this… he sets her on a “dresser across from the mirror” not quite sure if she has her back to the mirror or she’s facing the mirror, but it doesn’t matter because, he’s licking her nipple and “his eyes never leave hers in the mirror” I’m sorry, what? Does he have eyes in the back of his head now? Then he goes down on her and they still make eye contact IN THE MIRROR. This is some voodoo crap here.
He finishes her and takes her to bed, naked and curls up and lays beside her. This is the least self- conscious virgin in history. And he apparently has the restraint of a monk.
He leaves while she’s asleep but has to come back. Then after a while he falls asleep and when he wakes up, he goes to leave and “it’s only midnight” apparently time also doesn’t follow laws.
Later, she tells him she wants him to be her first and he says it will never happen, she asks why and he says, “You know why” then she throws out a truth or dare to him asking if he has feelings for her, he says yes then throws one back and dares her to not blame him for ruining her then he’s all over her. And he’s not gentle, even though she’s a virgin….. and she didn’t act like it hurt and she thoroughly enjoyed it if you know what I mean. Because, yeah, that’s believable….
After that, they’re screwing like rabbits all over their parents’ house and almost get caught….
Then he has a seizure. And he talks during his seizure😂😂😂🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Oh yeah, for some unknown reason, his cousin is now staying with them and so is this rando girl who was there before. She seems to think they (she and Cole) are meant to be together and it never explains why she thinks this. Or why she thinks he knows it too….
So the after the seizure, the cousin is suspicious of why Emily knew he had a seizure (it was raining outside and she said she heard him from her balcony which is beside his). Also, cousin hands her back her phone twice 🤦🏻♀️
There’s also some strange drama about the parents that makes no sense. They came home one night and said they had eloped and would have an official wedding next year. Then after the seizure, dad decides they’ll have the wedding “This summer” instead because life’s too short…..???? They’re already officially married, what does “life’s short” have to do with a flipping fake ceremony? And now, suddenly Cole and Emily can’t be together… I guess because they’ll publicly be step siblings? They’re both adults, I don’t see the problem…. 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
Oh and now…Cole has to stay in the hospital after his seizure for unknown reasons again. Then suddenly he’s home with no explanation and then bam it’s wedding day…. Not a “weeks later”, “ days later”, “months later” just “on wedding day”……
The press is there and miraculously catch the two of them making out, even though they haven’t talked to each other for who knows how long. It goes public that they are together and it’s a big scandal and the media is saying Dad agrees with incest…. Dude, it’s not freaking incest if they aren’t blood. Come on!!! 🙄🙄🙄
Months go by with no explanation of all of the changes that took place for both of them…. (Btw, I’ve said explanation so many times it’s now one of those words that doesn’t feel like a real word anymore….)
Mom and dad separated after the scandal, yet Emily and Cole didn’t get back together during all this time. Lots of crap happens and then suddenly he’s in front of her, kisses her and alls right in the world again. The end.
What the actual crap?!?
There were 2 epilogues that were crap. His proposal was so lackluster and eye rolling.
Very disappointed with this author and now I’m afraid to read anything else of hers. Oddly enough, she does seem to pop out books quite frequently….. 😔🤷🏻♀️
August 25, 2025
A Delicious Emotional Roller-coaster 🔥
🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅻🅾🅾🅺 🅵🅾🆁🆆🅰🆁🅳 🆃🅾:
➡️ Angsty as heck
➡️ Emotional roller coaster
➡️ Burning hot tension 🥵
➡️ Forbidden vibes
➡️ V1rg1n h
➡️ Brooding H who's obsessed with her
➡️ He's an artist, she's a writer
💕🅵🅰🆅🅾🆄🆁🅸🆃🅴 🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴💕
“𝑵𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”
🅼🆈 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂:
This one gripped me right from the freaking first page. Wrong decisions and somewhere in between finding the one man who you can't ever have.
Well it doesn't start off like that, Emily is regretting her decision and somehow when she finds herself unknowingly in a situation, this brooding and handsome guy comes out of nowhere sort of to her rescue. Cole can't stop thinking about this girl whom he rescues when she didn't even realize what she was getting into.
We feel that burning tension between them right from that very first meeting and even though they part as strangers, fate definitely has other grand plans for these two.
Longing for each other, never ever did they expect to meet again but as their parents' kids and technically step-sibling to each other.
Right from the start we see that there are dark secrets between Cole and his dad as they might be cordial (barely and never Cole), I couldn't understand what might have happened.
Even though Cole comes off as rude at times and also like he doesn't give an F, I really felt that he is a good person and it's just the family dynamics and past along with recurring hurts that he's avoiding.
Emily's mother is no different and even though we see Emily as a sweet but cares about her mom kinda girl, we also feel that there's friction there too in their relationship.
Two imperfect souls can't stop wanting each other but they can never be if they want their parents to finally have that happiness.
Ahhh... My goodness... This is the kind of angst that's so good and delicious because it put me through so much as we see Cole and Emily fighting for what they have.
But the story keeps you hooked and in such a way that you're eating up everything that's happening on the pages.
The chemistry is insane between these two and Cole and Emily, the way they are with each other... Oh my... 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧... 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣. 😍
I loved how Cole was completely open about how obsessed he was for Emily and genuinely she was everything for him... Oh my goodness.... I really loved COLE, the way he's with Emily.
But I also get why Emily is the way she is and everything that we have to go through.
My goodness, towards the end I was reading so freaking fast.. Wanting to know what would happen next as we get one angsty explosion after the other.
Ahhh... This series has been freaking lit and although I'm not a very big fan of angst yet I feel when you do it like this, like you're making my heart race and making me work in that delicious way to see our leads work before they get their happy... I'm freaking here for it all.
Definitely a must read this entire series. Sizzling hot and a delicious emotional roller-coaster. Loved loved this one. ❤️❤️❤️
🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅻🅾🅾🅺 🅵🅾🆁🆆🅰🆁🅳 🆃🅾:
➡️ Angsty as heck
➡️ Emotional roller coaster
➡️ Burning hot tension 🥵
➡️ Forbidden vibes
➡️ V1rg1n h
➡️ Brooding H who's obsessed with her
➡️ He's an artist, she's a writer
💕🅵🅰🆅🅾🆄🆁🅸🆃🅴 🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴💕
“𝑵𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”
🅼🆈 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂:
This one gripped me right from the freaking first page. Wrong decisions and somewhere in between finding the one man who you can't ever have.
Well it doesn't start off like that, Emily is regretting her decision and somehow when she finds herself unknowingly in a situation, this brooding and handsome guy comes out of nowhere sort of to her rescue. Cole can't stop thinking about this girl whom he rescues when she didn't even realize what she was getting into.
We feel that burning tension between them right from that very first meeting and even though they part as strangers, fate definitely has other grand plans for these two.
Longing for each other, never ever did they expect to meet again but as their parents' kids and technically step-sibling to each other.
Right from the start we see that there are dark secrets between Cole and his dad as they might be cordial (barely and never Cole), I couldn't understand what might have happened.
Even though Cole comes off as rude at times and also like he doesn't give an F, I really felt that he is a good person and it's just the family dynamics and past along with recurring hurts that he's avoiding.
Emily's mother is no different and even though we see Emily as a sweet but cares about her mom kinda girl, we also feel that there's friction there too in their relationship.
Two imperfect souls can't stop wanting each other but they can never be if they want their parents to finally have that happiness.
Ahhh... My goodness... This is the kind of angst that's so good and delicious because it put me through so much as we see Cole and Emily fighting for what they have.
But the story keeps you hooked and in such a way that you're eating up everything that's happening on the pages.
The chemistry is insane between these two and Cole and Emily, the way they are with each other... Oh my... 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧... 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣. 😍
I loved how Cole was completely open about how obsessed he was for Emily and genuinely she was everything for him... Oh my goodness.... I really loved COLE, the way he's with Emily.
But I also get why Emily is the way she is and everything that we have to go through.
My goodness, towards the end I was reading so freaking fast.. Wanting to know what would happen next as we get one angsty explosion after the other.
Ahhh... This series has been freaking lit and although I'm not a very big fan of angst yet I feel when you do it like this, like you're making my heart race and making me work in that delicious way to see our leads work before they get their happy... I'm freaking here for it all.
Definitely a must read this entire series. Sizzling hot and a delicious emotional roller-coaster. Loved loved this one. ❤️❤️❤️
October 25, 2025
"I would ruin everything in my life just to be with you."
Let me start by saying, ignore the blurb. Except for the part about becoming her stepbrother, nothing else in the blurb is in or about the book I read.
Cole is a fantastic main character. He's like a deep well, so much more than he appears. He's the kind of man who loves hard and forever. Such a wonderful, interesting guy. His patience and loyalty blew me away. He is hands down the best part of the book and is the reason why I increased the rating from three to four stars.
I found Emily very hard to connect with. I get she was lonely, and her mother was pretty awful. You would think with such a weak, selfish mom, she would be stronger, but she wasn't really. I never could understand why she was so loyal to her. Emily was supposed to be deep and creative, maybe even a little dark, but I didn't see it. Instead, she was flighty and had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions. She gave up on her relationship with Cole way too fast, moved on pretty quickly, and even tried to deny they knew each other very well. Later, when the reason for their separation was pretty much gone, she did nothing to try and reconcile, instead sulked and engaged in pity parties. In my opinion, she didn't deserve Cole in any way.
The premise and setup were interesting, and they had a very unique meet-cute. It was actually kind of funny in a way. There was a lot that happened, especially with only 255 pages, but there were a number of issues, too. The timeline jumped all over, and I couldn't always tell how long between scenes were, which made things confusing. There were also quite a few plot points that seemed random and unnecessary. Some were either dropped, forgotten, or just never even cleared up. I wonder if parts of the story were edited out without realizing the impact it had on the rest of the story. Characters appeared and disappeared without purpose. The ending was also way too rushed and a little unsatisfying, especially after so much time was given to the rest of the story. Sadly, the epilogues didn't resolve any of it and were more of the same.
So, there we have it, a mixture of good and not so good, with a wonderful male main character and a fantastic Easter Egg that I didn't see coming. (No spoilers, read the book yourself!)
Let me start by saying, ignore the blurb. Except for the part about becoming her stepbrother, nothing else in the blurb is in or about the book I read.
Cole is a fantastic main character. He's like a deep well, so much more than he appears. He's the kind of man who loves hard and forever. Such a wonderful, interesting guy. His patience and loyalty blew me away. He is hands down the best part of the book and is the reason why I increased the rating from three to four stars.
I found Emily very hard to connect with. I get she was lonely, and her mother was pretty awful. You would think with such a weak, selfish mom, she would be stronger, but she wasn't really. I never could understand why she was so loyal to her. Emily was supposed to be deep and creative, maybe even a little dark, but I didn't see it. Instead, she was flighty and had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions. She gave up on her relationship with Cole way too fast, moved on pretty quickly, and even tried to deny they knew each other very well. Later, when the reason for their separation was pretty much gone, she did nothing to try and reconcile, instead sulked and engaged in pity parties. In my opinion, she didn't deserve Cole in any way.
The premise and setup were interesting, and they had a very unique meet-cute. It was actually kind of funny in a way. There was a lot that happened, especially with only 255 pages, but there were a number of issues, too. The timeline jumped all over, and I couldn't always tell how long between scenes were, which made things confusing. There were also quite a few plot points that seemed random and unnecessary. Some were either dropped, forgotten, or just never even cleared up. I wonder if parts of the story were edited out without realizing the impact it had on the rest of the story. Characters appeared and disappeared without purpose. The ending was also way too rushed and a little unsatisfying, especially after so much time was given to the rest of the story. Sadly, the epilogues didn't resolve any of it and were more of the same.
So, there we have it, a mixture of good and not so good, with a wonderful male main character and a fantastic Easter Egg that I didn't see coming. (No spoilers, read the book yourself!)
July 25, 2025
This is a pretty quick read and I go back and forth about it. Emily is having a bad day when she meets a guy at the store, Cole. He gives her a ride, gives her his number, and says to call him in a few days. Several weeks later, Emily and her mom are moving out of the motel. There is clearly some kind of divide between them, but we don’t what or why at this strange. But them moving to the Hamptons is too good to be true, so Emily is concerned. They are moving in with her mom’s new boyfriend, Aiden. That’s when Aiden introduces them to his son, Cole. Yep..same Cole. And if there was a divide between Emily and her mom, it’s nothing compared to the one between Cole and his dad. But again, we don’t what or why at this point. Here is where things get a bit chaotic. Duel pov, going back and forth, and not understanding why all the hostility, gets to be a but much. But moving on..so Emily moves in for the summer and Cole is there for the summer and they cannot deny the chemistry between them. As things escalate between Cole and Emily, so do the issues between mom and daughter, and son and dad. Cole and Aiden hold a secret but every time he needs to talk to Emily about it, it’s never the right time. Odd. From here, it’s hard to explain without spoilers so you have to read it.
So, overall, it’s a fast paced, fun story to read. Per the blurb, issues are put on the step siblings things but that’s a bit anticlimactic. They met each other without knowing and they are grown adults and not related by blood so..it does tie in in other ways but falls short a bit. The family issues, as well as other topics start out confusing then are rushed and incomplete later.
So, overall, it’s a fast paced, fun story to read. Per the blurb, issues are put on the step siblings things but that’s a bit anticlimactic. They met each other without knowing and they are grown adults and not related by blood so..it does tie in in other ways but falls short a bit. The family issues, as well as other topics start out confusing then are rushed and incomplete later.
July 29, 2025
As always, it's truly impossible to put the book down once you've been sucked into the world of FMC Emily and MMC Cole. What starts off as a two strangers crossing paths, and the two hoping to see each-other again, the story takes a sharp turn with the plot thickening right off the bat. STEP SIBLINGS?!
I love that the "forbidden love" keeps you hooked and the absolute distaste for both of their parents early on keeps you rooting for Emily and Cole.
This story has a way of easily pulling you into emily or coles story and sympathize with them. It's impossible to not remember the childhood the reader has also gone through and put you right back into that moment reliving it all over again with young love, angsty teenagers and parents who are often in their own little world making poor decisions that benefit themselves only leaving both Emily and Cole as an afterthought and nothing more.
Through the captivating twists and turns, we get to live in these moments and flashback to what it was like growing up for them and who they are today.
I was on the edge of my seats begging for their happy ever after, not only did we get that, we also seen two damaged and selfish parents deeply regret their decisions and apologize for all they have done (the list goes on)
I was so sad when I finished this book in one sitting, ONLY because I now have to wait for her next book in this series.
I love that the "forbidden love" keeps you hooked and the absolute distaste for both of their parents early on keeps you rooting for Emily and Cole.
This story has a way of easily pulling you into emily or coles story and sympathize with them. It's impossible to not remember the childhood the reader has also gone through and put you right back into that moment reliving it all over again with young love, angsty teenagers and parents who are often in their own little world making poor decisions that benefit themselves only leaving both Emily and Cole as an afterthought and nothing more.
Through the captivating twists and turns, we get to live in these moments and flashback to what it was like growing up for them and who they are today.
I was on the edge of my seats begging for their happy ever after, not only did we get that, we also seen two damaged and selfish parents deeply regret their decisions and apologize for all they have done (the list goes on)
I was so sad when I finished this book in one sitting, ONLY because I now have to wait for her next book in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2025
ARC provided by author in exchange for honest review.
What another great story from Whitney. I am just really enjoying everything she puts out.
Cole & Emily. Two strangers who meet at a rest stop/gas station/diner. Cole gives Emily a ride and his number but Emily doesn’t call him. Just when Cole thinks he’ll never see her again, that she was just some girl he gave a ride to, she shows up at his house with her mom. Surprise….Emily is going to be Cole’s stepsister. What are the odds of that?!
I loved Cole & Emily. They were both very talented & passionate. Emily with her writing & Cole with his painting. Cole & his dad didn’t get along so well. They had a bit of a tumultuous relationship. Emily’s mom rubbed me the wrong way. There were times I thought maybe she really cared for Emily but times I felt like she was extremely selfish. Watching everyone’s relationships play out and change was interesting because I didn’t know if Cole & his dad would ever get along or if Emily’s relationship was going to change with her mom. What was going to happen with Cole & Emily? Could this work out for them or no?! Lots of questions and lots of wondering.
This was a forbidden romance that has some mystery to it. It was also emotional and full of angst. I was so invested in this story. Entertaining from beginning to end. Another Whitney book I’d highly recommend.
What another great story from Whitney. I am just really enjoying everything she puts out.
Cole & Emily. Two strangers who meet at a rest stop/gas station/diner. Cole gives Emily a ride and his number but Emily doesn’t call him. Just when Cole thinks he’ll never see her again, that she was just some girl he gave a ride to, she shows up at his house with her mom. Surprise….Emily is going to be Cole’s stepsister. What are the odds of that?!
I loved Cole & Emily. They were both very talented & passionate. Emily with her writing & Cole with his painting. Cole & his dad didn’t get along so well. They had a bit of a tumultuous relationship. Emily’s mom rubbed me the wrong way. There were times I thought maybe she really cared for Emily but times I felt like she was extremely selfish. Watching everyone’s relationships play out and change was interesting because I didn’t know if Cole & his dad would ever get along or if Emily’s relationship was going to change with her mom. What was going to happen with Cole & Emily? Could this work out for them or no?! Lots of questions and lots of wondering.
This was a forbidden romance that has some mystery to it. It was also emotional and full of angst. I was so invested in this story. Entertaining from beginning to end. Another Whitney book I’d highly recommend.
July 26, 2025
I am OBSESSED!!
I love that the books are not long but it makes me wish they were because this author has a way with her words and she hooks you from beginning to end. The storyline is always interesting and leaves you wanting more when you're done, but sometimes there's no need for more and it's the right amount of story.
I Wish I Would've Warned You was a very interesting and good story and AGAIN, this author always has her twists and turns that are very satisfying when you reach the end. You never know what you're going to get with her and she honestly never disappoints.
This story is about a girl who meets a guy at a gas station and he saves her from pretty much getting herself in trouble, but what they don't realize is that their lives are going to end up intertwined in the worst way possible because they have feelings for each other. Since the moment they met, they were smitten with each other. Will they be able to be together or will they have to give each other up!
Totally felt this story and the characters touched me deeply because of what they were going through with their respective parent(s).
I love that the books are not long but it makes me wish they were because this author has a way with her words and she hooks you from beginning to end. The storyline is always interesting and leaves you wanting more when you're done, but sometimes there's no need for more and it's the right amount of story.
I Wish I Would've Warned You was a very interesting and good story and AGAIN, this author always has her twists and turns that are very satisfying when you reach the end. You never know what you're going to get with her and she honestly never disappoints.
This story is about a girl who meets a guy at a gas station and he saves her from pretty much getting herself in trouble, but what they don't realize is that their lives are going to end up intertwined in the worst way possible because they have feelings for each other. Since the moment they met, they were smitten with each other. Will they be able to be together or will they have to give each other up!
Totally felt this story and the characters touched me deeply because of what they were going through with their respective parent(s).
July 25, 2025
Family Feud and young love
Emily and Cole. . . Strangers that met and a few weeks later bump into one another but this time their parents have met!
Imagine meeting someone in the dark of night, a stranger you’ve met by chance, a stranger that saved you from making a big mistake, offers you a ride, gives you his number, but was never used until the night you meet for a second time!
The circumstances of Cole meeting Emily is now because their parents are dating! Emily’s mom has had multiple insta-loves over the last 19 years and Emily always along for the ride until the love dies out!
Cole and his dad have a strained relationship but that’s because they have a secret and is hiding a lie.
Meeting someone you may be able to fall in love with that is now becoming your step sibling is a hard pill to swallow. Behind the picture perfect life there is turmoil brewing and Emily and Cole may not be able to have a Happily Ever After!
There is so much to this story and the characters keep you turning the pages!
Loved the story and love WG’s books! I love when it release season because her stories are the best!
Emily and Cole. . . Strangers that met and a few weeks later bump into one another but this time their parents have met!
Imagine meeting someone in the dark of night, a stranger you’ve met by chance, a stranger that saved you from making a big mistake, offers you a ride, gives you his number, but was never used until the night you meet for a second time!
The circumstances of Cole meeting Emily is now because their parents are dating! Emily’s mom has had multiple insta-loves over the last 19 years and Emily always along for the ride until the love dies out!
Cole and his dad have a strained relationship but that’s because they have a secret and is hiding a lie.
Meeting someone you may be able to fall in love with that is now becoming your step sibling is a hard pill to swallow. Behind the picture perfect life there is turmoil brewing and Emily and Cole may not be able to have a Happily Ever After!
There is so much to this story and the characters keep you turning the pages!
Loved the story and love WG’s books! I love when it release season because her stories are the best!
August 3, 2025
From start to finish I was completely invested. I really enjoyed book 1 and book 2 wasn’t a favorite but this one was fantastic. It already had me hooked with it being a step-sibling romance but then the characters and their amazing chemistry had me invested until the very end. I also started to believe that me and Emily shared the same mother. I had the same feelings about my mom as she did about hers and the way her mom was with men is exactly how mine was when I was a teen. It was super relatable in a very sad way. Let’s talk about Cole and Emily’s chemistry. From the moment they meet you can feel it. Then once you realize who he is, you start to feel the angst and how forbidden it really is. When I tell you this man fell, he fell HARD. I love how honest he was with his feelings towards her even though she wasn’t as open with hers because of the situation. I loved everything about this book and I am so sad it’s over. Out of all the books in this standalone series I HIGHLY suggest this one.
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