Rotten Apples: a forbidden romance

by Eve Cates

When I was too young to know what it meant, I found my soulmate in a girl I couldn’t have. Abigail Dorset. I met her for the first time when her mother married my father. She looked like Snow White and came into my filthy excuse of a live and made me want something more. I wanted her. But just like in the fairy tale, there was a wicked stepmother controlling our destiny. And she did not like me, the deviant boy she was forced to accept because my father came with baggage. And what did you do with baggage you didn’t want but couldn’t get rid of? You hid it away in the attic, away from your perfect daughter. Out of sight. Out of mind. Or so she thought. Abigail was my poison apple, and I was rotten to my core. We would fight and lie, sneak and hide. We’d hurt those around us, hurt each other. We’d even hurt ourselves. Anything to be together. The world was against us. Our family was against us. When being apart was torture, what choice did we have? We had to fight. Or we’d die trying… Rotten Apples is an epic story of love and devotion with no cliffhanger and a HEA. It was previously published as Sebastian’s Devotion

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2021

About the author

Eve Cates is a twenty-something author of contemporary romance. She loves all things naughty, demanding men and difficult situations (pass the popcorn please). Her first series, StepSister Devotion, will be told in four parts, releasing via Kindle Unlimited.

Eve has loved writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and penned a note to her imaginary friend 'Pok'. Accused of being a 'dreamer' as she grew, she's taken that notion and turned her daydreams into stories to delight and satisfy her readers.

When she isn't writing, you'll find her at home with her husband, four children, and two dogs.

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

You could say that Rotten Apples has some similarities with the Fairytale Snow White and in a slight way maybe it does but this book is a lot more complicated than that. Abigail (FMC) and Sebastian's story begins when they both meet each other for the first time as children at the wedding of Abigail's Mother - Cynthia and Sebastian's Father - Dean. Made to feel unwelcome in his new blended family Sebastian finds an unlikely friendship & later a mutual bond/love with Abigail. Except that being stepbrother and sister even though they are not blood related brings a whole host of problems as well as both their parents keeping them apart.

Coming from different worlds (Abigail's from money and Sebastian's one without any but he has his music career), an arranged marriage, a truly awful Mother & Father all get in the way of them being together throughout this book. Its a roller coaster ride of emotions from anger, love and a few tears too. My heart genuinely hurt for all that Sebastian went through so much but i was glad he had Chelsea and Renee to lean on. I cant help but think that Abigail & Sebastian wasted so much time where they could have been happy. Abigail was trying to please other people (except herself) and Sebastian was trying to keep quiet about letting out his feeling to everyone about how he loved Abigail. It was a back & forth of being together and staying apart.

Its an emotional read but when you get past all the drama & tears the ending was what makes it all worthwhile. A brilliant read

[Yesenia Rangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!!
I loved loved loved this book so much. Especially it all being in Sebastian’s POV. Most books are always in the heroine’s. The book was a bit a longer since it’s told in four parts, but didn’t really felt long. I couldn’t put it down until I was done.
I connected so much with his love and suffering for Abigail. And I was so happy when they finally got their happy ending. I just had to take away a half a star because the author made him a manwhore. I understand the need for some heroes to be manwhores and what not. But with Sebastian, after reading hundreds of pages about how much he truly loves Abigail, he becoming a manwhore during their times apart just doesn’t seem right.

[Shayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and heartbreaking

I was hooked from the first chapter.
Abi and Seb, step siblings and soulmates. Their connection is instant yet their love is doomed from the very beginning.
The journey these two have to go through and the amount of people standing in their way is intense and there where even times I actually cried (A real rarity)

But a love like theirs is worth fighting for at all costs.

Thank you Eve for the beautiful read & for making me cry 😭

[Caz · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main characters were awful, a spineless and weak couple who kept making terrible decisions. Their inability to communicate - instead relying on letters and texting! - made them easy targets for their enemies. The MFC was particularly annoying - an insipid, easily manipulated doormat who agrees to marry Mr Wrong yet gets pregnant - twice - by the MMC because she just couldn’t let him move on with his life even though she’d made choices that excluded him from her life.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word that describes the majority of this book is heartbreak. Longing is another. From their first meeting, Sebastian and Abigail are star-crossed. The back and forth drama happens over years with interference from their parents. Nearly the entire story is from Sebastian’s POV and you can feel his hurt at every turn. The story is very well written

I received a free copy of this book.

[Anji · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must

This is the second book on the subject of steps siblings that I've read, and to be honest as the previous one was naff I was sure. But liked the blurb so gave it a go. So glad I did.
Absolutely great story and really enjoyed the fact that it was written from the guys POV / story

[Trac · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was good . Lots of angst , but the problem is that the MC Sebastian was just so weak and pathetic, it really killed the romance . Everyone either tricks him, hurts him, or puts him down and never once did he put up a fight . It was just sad to see a male MC so weak and pathetic. Oh well, story was decent enough.

[Twila Leininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

I enjoyed this forbidden romance. I enjoyed the Snow White theme. The evil stepmother was wicked. Abigail and Sebastian couldn’t resist each other. Sebastian wasted a lot of time ignoring communication… If only Sebastian and Abigail ran sooner! Great all around novel.. Great plot and characters!

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Sebastien & Abi's book. Good characters. It was a drama filled read. And a new author for me. I received a free copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

[blondy Oludiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the angst

[Hailey Heck · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some small editing errors in this book.
It was kind of like Flowers in the Attic meets Snow White.