What do you think?
Rate this book
The Legionnaires #2.5
Forbidden River
2018 RITA WINNER FOR BEST NOVELLA!
At the end of the earth, they’ll play a dangerous game…
French Foreign Legionnaire Cody Castillo—“Texas” to his fellow commandos—is an adrenalin-junkie. Chasing deadly thrills is his only reprieve from a bloodstained past he can’t forget. But when he finds himself caught in a mass murderer’s crosshairs in the lonely wilds of New Zealand, he finds an unexpected and intriguing ally.
Ex-air force pilot Tia Kupa has always found safety in nature, until a killer turns the wilderness into a playground. In this life-or-death game, the guarded woman who lives by the rules must rely on a risk taker with a death wish. The sexy devil-may-care legionnaire may be the wrong guy for her, but desire is just as primal as terror. Even if they outrun a predator, they can’t escape the sizzling bond neither of them saw coming.
At the end of the earth, they’ll play a dangerous game…
French Foreign Legionnaire Cody Castillo—“Texas” to his fellow commandos—is an adrenalin-junkie. Chasing deadly thrills is his only reprieve from a bloodstained past he can’t forget. But when he finds himself caught in a mass murderer’s crosshairs in the lonely wilds of New Zealand, he finds an unexpected and intriguing ally.
Ex-air force pilot Tia Kupa has always found safety in nature, until a killer turns the wilderness into a playground. In this life-or-death game, the guarded woman who lives by the rules must rely on a risk taker with a death wish. The sexy devil-may-care legionnaire may be the wrong guy for her, but desire is just as primal as terror. Even if they outrun a predator, they can’t escape the sizzling bond neither of them saw coming.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2017
28 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Brynn Kelly
9 books334 followersRITA-winner Brynn Kelly is a romantic suspense author, an award-winning journalist and copy editor, a soccer mom, and a theater nerd. She pens lighthearted romantic suspense audiobooks for Audible Originals, including YOU ONLY DIE TWICE, A MURDER TO REMEMBER, ONCE UPON A CRIME and SOME LIKE IT LETHAL, and is the author of the multiple award-winning DECEPTION ISLAND series of gritty romantic thrillers, available in ebook, print and audio. Find her on Instagram @writerbron or Facebook @brynnkellyauthor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 25, 2019
Former Air Force Pilot Tia Kupa shuttles travelers into the Outback for wilderness vacations. She's hired by Cody Castillo to take him and his kayak to a remote river for white water rafting. Tia warns him about the dangers, telling him about some campers she dropped off who were never found. She has flown several search and rescue missions, but the campers have never turned up. As they are unloading Cody's equipment from her helicopter, someone takes a shot at them. One shot quickly turns into a barrage of bullets as Tia and Cody run for cover. Someone is stalking them. Their only hope is to get down river to safety before they are captured and killed.
This novella is part of Brynn Kelly's Legionnaire's series. Each book in this series gets better and better. I'm not a big fan of novellas, but I absolutely loved this one. Our main characters are hunted by a stalker who uses dogs to track them. They must outwit the killer and brave the elements. I couldn't put this story down. I highly recommend this book and series. My rating: 5 Stars.
This novella is part of Brynn Kelly's Legionnaire's series. Each book in this series gets better and better. I'm not a big fan of novellas, but I absolutely loved this one. Our main characters are hunted by a stalker who uses dogs to track them. They must outwit the killer and brave the elements. I couldn't put this story down. I highly recommend this book and series. My rating: 5 Stars.
December 17, 2017
I discovered Brynn Kelly with the second book in her brilliant Legionnaires series, and the rerelease of that book includes this novella, featuring a different set of main characters.
Kelly has the writing style that I love in suspense stories. The dialogue feels real, the situations – though larger than life – are written in a “real” way, the characters feel real and feel like they really do exist in the present. It’s hard to explain the difference between an author like Kelly (or Cindy Gerard or Kaylea Cross) and others in the genre, but it’s huge.
This is as much a suspense story as a romance. It’s tough, and the characters go through tough things. There’s violence and action, and don’t go in expecting something else just because there’s a good-looking guy in the cover. It also packs in a lot of story for a shorter read. Somehow I was convinced of the relationship succeeding even though it happens over a short space of time.
Kelly always writes settings like she knows them inside-out and back-to-front, no matter where in the world her characters go. This is the first time she has set a story in her native New Zealand, so she had an advantage there, but her local knowledge really transforms the book.
I also enjoy her use of characters of different nationalities. The American guy feels American. The Australian guy (in book two) feels Australian etc.
I have nothing negative to say about Forbidden River. I am just glad to find another author to add to my “favourites”.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
Kelly has the writing style that I love in suspense stories. The dialogue feels real, the situations – though larger than life – are written in a “real” way, the characters feel real and feel like they really do exist in the present. It’s hard to explain the difference between an author like Kelly (or Cindy Gerard or Kaylea Cross) and others in the genre, but it’s huge.
This is as much a suspense story as a romance. It’s tough, and the characters go through tough things. There’s violence and action, and don’t go in expecting something else just because there’s a good-looking guy in the cover. It also packs in a lot of story for a shorter read. Somehow I was convinced of the relationship succeeding even though it happens over a short space of time.
Kelly always writes settings like she knows them inside-out and back-to-front, no matter where in the world her characters go. This is the first time she has set a story in her native New Zealand, so she had an advantage there, but her local knowledge really transforms the book.
I also enjoy her use of characters of different nationalities. The American guy feels American. The Australian guy (in book two) feels Australian etc.
I have nothing negative to say about Forbidden River. I am just glad to find another author to add to my “favourites”.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
August 9, 2018
Loved it! A quick, thrilling read. It introduced me to a new part of the world-remote New Zealand. But mostly I loved the realistic, non-stop thrill ride. Two brave characters face off against impossible odds (both with Mother Nature and the villain) and find a love that fits who they are. I love that Tia brings as much to the table in terms of survival as Cody does. As strong as the hero/ine were, they each needed someone equally strong in order to share their inner vulnerabilities.
I won't give it away, but the bungee jump scene at the end had one of the most profound/romantic internal thoughts I've ever read in a hero.
I can see why this won the RITA award for Best Novella.
I won't give it away, but the bungee jump scene at the end had one of the most profound/romantic internal thoughts I've ever read in a hero.
I can see why this won the RITA award for Best Novella.
March 1, 2022
The writing was good in this romance suspense. Even for a novella, events moved way too quickly and everything was insta. I would have been happier for more time spent building up the character's back stories, so we actually cared a bit more about them before the action started. It was easy for me to pick up and put down.
April 17, 2018
The first book I read from Kelly was Edge of Truth (June 1, 2017), which is Book 2 in "The Legionnaires" series. I immediately purchased Deception Island (Book 1) and now she is on my list of must read authors. Forbidden River is about one of the men in the Legion, but the story isn't about their work. Cody Castillo has a bit of a death wish after his brother died. He hides that by calling it "adrenaline rush" but really, that's what is at play here. He takes a cross-planet trip to get to one of the toughest white-water rivers in the world and he plans to travel it solo.
Jarring him from his plan, his pilot Tia comes under fire from a madman, and he hurries to help her. Tia is ex-military and can hold her own, but they make a great team. At one point, she reminds Cody that she respects his military abilities and he needs to respect hers, so he backs down and lets her do her thing. The entire novella is their escape, which is exciting, and ends with a happy-for-now trending towards happy-everafter, which is really the likeliest of endings with a novella. This is why I don't read short stories or novellas as a rule (unless it's a continuation of a known story): there are just too few pages available to really develop characters or the story. With that said, Kelly packed in as much character background and motivation as possible and I hope to hear more about them in upcoming novels. This is a really good novella and a fun, exciting read. It's perfect for when you're stuck at that soccer game or have a couple of hours to kill. I believe this stands independently so that the reader can enjoy it without having read the other books, but why would you want to do that? The other books are worth their cost and available in digital format. Download and read them all; you'll love them.
Review at www.ReadingObsession.com
Jarring him from his plan, his pilot Tia comes under fire from a madman, and he hurries to help her. Tia is ex-military and can hold her own, but they make a great team. At one point, she reminds Cody that she respects his military abilities and he needs to respect hers, so he backs down and lets her do her thing. The entire novella is their escape, which is exciting, and ends with a happy-for-now trending towards happy-everafter, which is really the likeliest of endings with a novella. This is why I don't read short stories or novellas as a rule (unless it's a continuation of a known story): there are just too few pages available to really develop characters or the story. With that said, Kelly packed in as much character background and motivation as possible and I hope to hear more about them in upcoming novels. This is a really good novella and a fun, exciting read. It's perfect for when you're stuck at that soccer game or have a couple of hours to kill. I believe this stands independently so that the reader can enjoy it without having read the other books, but why would you want to do that? The other books are worth their cost and available in digital format. Download and read them all; you'll love them.
Review at www.ReadingObsession.com
July 4, 2018
4.5 stars. This is a very well-written novella. The story was tight and compact -- good things in a novella. Forbidden River had no fat or fluff; all the necessary elements of a great novella were there: action, suspense, and, most importantly, a believable romance. It got my adrenaline going in several ways and I really liked it.
February 5, 2018
Great book. Rich in detail and story.
March 8, 2018
This was a great little quick read, an exciting story line and a great little romance. Highly recommend. Check out Brynn Kellys other books as well, they are fab!
October 8, 2018
Fast paced and gripping novella from Brynn Kelly, an amazing writer.
May 3, 2019
It was pretty good, lots of adventure and suspense.
August 11, 2020
Another heart-stopping thriller and romantic suspense story. Every page kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend this great read.
July 9, 2021
Liked this book a lot. Great story line. 🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐⭐⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟
August 4, 2024
Abridged version???
The story is an excellent plot and full of great twists ..... but I wonder if I accidentally bought an Abridged [shortened] version. Everything went very fast and I am a slow reader .... hahaha
I love Brynn Kelly books!
The story is an excellent plot and full of great twists ..... but I wonder if I accidentally bought an Abridged [shortened] version. Everything went very fast and I am a slow reader .... hahaha
I love Brynn Kelly books!
January 4, 2021
Absolutely loved. Amazing strong and smart female protagonist which is hard to come by. Brynn Kelly does an amazing job writing strong female protagonists that give the male protagonists a run for their money.
Fast paced, intriguing, exciting story.
Fast paced, intriguing, exciting story.
December 23, 2017
This was a cute little story that was an easy read. I'm glad the next book goes back to the Legionnaires in duty.
December 13, 2018
I love novellas and this one was excellently written, with great well-drawn characters.
Read
November 1, 2017Miniseries: The Legionnaires
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews