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Forbidden Hearts #3
Wenn dein Herz mich findet
Wenn der Mann, vor dem dich alle warnen, das Beste ist, das dir passieren kann ...
Evangeline Chandler weiß ein Geheimnis zu bewahren ... wie ihre jahrelange heimliche Schwärmerei für den heißen tätowierten Freund ihres Bruders. Schließlich ist sie eine Chandler, und Chandlers lassen sich nicht mit den Angestellten ein. Doch dann passiert etwas, das die Regeln ändert, und auf einmal scheint alles möglich.
Gabriel Hunter versteckt seine schmerzvolle Vergangenheit hinter einem Lächeln, aber die Gefühle, die er für plötzlich für die behütete kleine Schwester seines Freundes empfindet, kann er nicht verbergen. Doch Eve verdient eine gemeinsame Zukunft, und die kann er, der Sohn der Haushälterin, der Prinzessin der Stadt nicht bieten.
Auf einer Hochzeitsparty kommen die beiden sich näher als beabsichtigt ... und spüren, dass sie mehr verbindet als trennt.
Evangeline Chandler weiß ein Geheimnis zu bewahren ... wie ihre jahrelange heimliche Schwärmerei für den heißen tätowierten Freund ihres Bruders. Schließlich ist sie eine Chandler, und Chandlers lassen sich nicht mit den Angestellten ein. Doch dann passiert etwas, das die Regeln ändert, und auf einmal scheint alles möglich.
Gabriel Hunter versteckt seine schmerzvolle Vergangenheit hinter einem Lächeln, aber die Gefühle, die er für plötzlich für die behütete kleine Schwester seines Freundes empfindet, kann er nicht verbergen. Doch Eve verdient eine gemeinsame Zukunft, und die kann er, der Sohn der Haushälterin, der Prinzessin der Stadt nicht bieten.
Auf einer Hochzeitsparty kommen die beiden sich näher als beabsichtigt ... und spüren, dass sie mehr verbindet als trennt.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2018
193 people are currently reading
2277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 485 reviews
March 27, 2018
4 STARS
I immediately fell hard for Alisha Rai's writing when I first read Wrong to Need You. Her slow paced, character driven stories are not my usual cuppa, but they never to fail to have me glued to the pages. Her characters are unique without any of the typical OTT flare that you'd find in most romance novels these days. They don't need it. They're raw, and real, and feel like someone you know or would meet in real life. There's something just so refreshing about that, that it immediately clicked with me.
Hurts To Love You is the third and final book in the Forbidden Hearts series, and while it's a standalone with a different couple, I still highly recommend reading the rest of the series first. There's so much history with these families that may be lost on a new reader and not enjoyed as thoroughly having read the rest of the books. Evangeline is the youngest Chandler sibling and sister to Nicholas from Hate to Want You. She's the shy, soft-spoken and unassuming one. But still waters certainly run deep with her, because this a woman that harbors plenty of secrets and desires. Her biggest? Her unrequited love for Nicholas's friend, Gabriel Hunter. Gabriel is rough around the edges, tatted, and completely off limits to her. Even if he didn't make it clear to her all those years ago that he's not interested in her, she can't help how she feels.
Gabriel is a man with secrets of his own. One, are his own lustful feelings towards the beautiful Evangeline. The other is so scandalous, it can ultimately cost him everything.
Forced together for Nicholas's wedding, Gabriel and Evangeline are forced to acknowledge their secrets, their demons, and their feelings in a slow building yet deeply emotional romance that was impossible to put down.
I adored Gabe's dirty side underneath that quiet and unassuming exterior. He fights his feelings for Eve, but a man can only resist so much. And when Eve decides that she's tired of waiting for things to happen and takes matters into her own hands, there's only so much a man can take. I loved watching Eve finally find her voice and inner core of steel. She may be shy and introverted, but she's also no pushover. Her and Gabe were the perfect balance to each other.
Between the continuing family drama, the disastrous wedding that seems to have one thing go wrong after another, and their own internal struggles, there was plenty of things driving the plot forward. It wasn't full of OTT drama but it had just the right amount of angst with plenty of sizzle. I think this was my favorite book in the series. If you're looking for a romance brimming with feels and overflowing with passion, I definitely recommend you check this one out.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
Well-behaved women don’t lust after men who love to misbehave.
I immediately fell hard for Alisha Rai's writing when I first read Wrong to Need You. Her slow paced, character driven stories are not my usual cuppa, but they never to fail to have me glued to the pages. Her characters are unique without any of the typical OTT flare that you'd find in most romance novels these days. They don't need it. They're raw, and real, and feel like someone you know or would meet in real life. There's something just so refreshing about that, that it immediately clicked with me.
Hurts To Love You is the third and final book in the Forbidden Hearts series, and while it's a standalone with a different couple, I still highly recommend reading the rest of the series first. There's so much history with these families that may be lost on a new reader and not enjoyed as thoroughly having read the rest of the books. Evangeline is the youngest Chandler sibling and sister to Nicholas from Hate to Want You. She's the shy, soft-spoken and unassuming one. But still waters certainly run deep with her, because this a woman that harbors plenty of secrets and desires. Her biggest? Her unrequited love for Nicholas's friend, Gabriel Hunter. Gabriel is rough around the edges, tatted, and completely off limits to her. Even if he didn't make it clear to her all those years ago that he's not interested in her, she can't help how she feels.
Gabriel is a man with secrets of his own. One, are his own lustful feelings towards the beautiful Evangeline. The other is so scandalous, it can ultimately cost him everything.
Forced together for Nicholas's wedding, Gabriel and Evangeline are forced to acknowledge their secrets, their demons, and their feelings in a slow building yet deeply emotional romance that was impossible to put down.
I adored Gabe's dirty side underneath that quiet and unassuming exterior. He fights his feelings for Eve, but a man can only resist so much. And when Eve decides that she's tired of waiting for things to happen and takes matters into her own hands, there's only so much a man can take. I loved watching Eve finally find her voice and inner core of steel. She may be shy and introverted, but she's also no pushover. Her and Gabe were the perfect balance to each other.
Between the continuing family drama, the disastrous wedding that seems to have one thing go wrong after another, and their own internal struggles, there was plenty of things driving the plot forward. It wasn't full of OTT drama but it had just the right amount of angst with plenty of sizzle. I think this was my favorite book in the series. If you're looking for a romance brimming with feels and overflowing with passion, I definitely recommend you check this one out.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
September 28, 2021
3 stars
Hurts to Love You is the third book in Alisha Rai's 'Forbidden Hearts' series and though it can be read as a stand alone, I wish I would have read the other books in this series. As much as I enjoyed the ending of this book and certain parts, I was a little confused through part of it and I think I would have liked it more if I had known more of the background parts of the story. I liked both Eve and Gabe, but neither one of them really stood out to me. I wanted to love this one, but it was just okay for me.
Hurts to Love You is the third book in Alisha Rai's 'Forbidden Hearts' series and though it can be read as a stand alone, I wish I would have read the other books in this series. As much as I enjoyed the ending of this book and certain parts, I was a little confused through part of it and I think I would have liked it more if I had known more of the background parts of the story. I liked both Eve and Gabe, but neither one of them really stood out to me. I wanted to love this one, but it was just okay for me.
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3 stars
Narrators: Lucy Rivers and Jeremy York
Narration Rating: 3.5 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 10h 24m
March 10, 2018
3.7 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The youngest in a power family, Eve has felt more comfortable hidden away in her shell. However, when a chance to make a move on a long standing crush arises, she begins to realize that being herself and letting others see her is the only way to get what she truly wants.
Growing up the housekeeper's kid kept Gabe slightly on the outside looking in. Getting close to people has always been difficult but when he gets some alone time with Eve, the girl he's tried to stay away from because of her age, he begins to realize that she's a woman now and getting close to someone can be the best thing in the world.
Imperfections were what made a piece unique. Impossible to replicate.
Book three and the last in the Forbidden Hearts series, gives us Eve and Gabe's story. Eve is Nicholas' (Hate to Want You) younger sister and has made appearances as the bullied by her father, overprotected by her brother, standing up for her brother, and crushing on Gabe, shy girl. Here we get the full depth and breadth of her character. The author does an amazing job showing the growth Eve goes through as the story progresses. She goes from hiding her wants and desires to allowing herself to express them and making no apologies for them. Eve's personal growth kind of dominated the story for me as her character was so well thought out and written.
She was Eve. A Chandler. And he had far too many problems to get tangled up in a Chandler.
Gabe has also made appearances in the last two books, as Livvy's (Hate to Want You) boss and Jackson's (Wrong to Need You) too talkative want to be friend. He's been the genial, nice, and open guy who is big in stature with a heart of gold. Here we learn about a deeply held secret and the hidden pain this has caused him. I had a harder time connecting with Gabe as the story seemed to not have quite enough room for his character to breathe on the pages. The secret takes a while to get revealed and as a consequence, his closed off persona and constant pushing and running away from Eve was lacking context and his commitment issues began to get tiresome.
“Can I have you?” he murmured.
The basis and continuing thread of this series has been the family drama between the Chandlers and the Oka-Kanes, this book is no exception. It stole some time away from Eve and Gabe; this crosses the line into feeling more like an encompassing series wrap-up than Eve and Gabe's story more than once. From the glimpses we got from them in the series I was, personally, hoping for more of a spotlight on them. They have great chemistry but I would have liked more intimate scenes between them (a strong suite of this author) and just general more bonding interaction. Eve also does more of the heavy lifting as Gabe had a tendency to push her away; the lusting but "oh no, I can't!" rinse and repeat wore a bit thin. However, the glimpses we did get of Gabe's nice and sunny in the streets and hair pulling, dirty talking in the sheets will give you the thrills.
The hurt, pain, anger, and love this series has been full of and the amazing characters have made Alisha Rai a must read author here on out for me. She incorporates tough issues (depression, family dynamics), provides authentic joining and melding of people from all walks of life, writes brilliant women characters, and does it with such a beautiful ease, with added hot and sexy intimate scenes. Shy Eve and sweet Gabe get their happy ending, along with more Chandler and Oka-Kane revelations, heartache, and closure. Emotional ups and downs with hot sexy loving, read this series.
Here was love. Deep, unconditional love. And she deserved it.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The youngest in a power family, Eve has felt more comfortable hidden away in her shell. However, when a chance to make a move on a long standing crush arises, she begins to realize that being herself and letting others see her is the only way to get what she truly wants.
Growing up the housekeeper's kid kept Gabe slightly on the outside looking in. Getting close to people has always been difficult but when he gets some alone time with Eve, the girl he's tried to stay away from because of her age, he begins to realize that she's a woman now and getting close to someone can be the best thing in the world.
Imperfections were what made a piece unique. Impossible to replicate.
Book three and the last in the Forbidden Hearts series, gives us Eve and Gabe's story. Eve is Nicholas' (Hate to Want You) younger sister and has made appearances as the bullied by her father, overprotected by her brother, standing up for her brother, and crushing on Gabe, shy girl. Here we get the full depth and breadth of her character. The author does an amazing job showing the growth Eve goes through as the story progresses. She goes from hiding her wants and desires to allowing herself to express them and making no apologies for them. Eve's personal growth kind of dominated the story for me as her character was so well thought out and written.
She was Eve. A Chandler. And he had far too many problems to get tangled up in a Chandler.
Gabe has also made appearances in the last two books, as Livvy's (Hate to Want You) boss and Jackson's (Wrong to Need You) too talkative want to be friend. He's been the genial, nice, and open guy who is big in stature with a heart of gold. Here we learn about a deeply held secret and the hidden pain this has caused him. I had a harder time connecting with Gabe as the story seemed to not have quite enough room for his character to breathe on the pages. The secret takes a while to get revealed and as a consequence, his closed off persona and constant pushing and running away from Eve was lacking context and his commitment issues began to get tiresome.
“Can I have you?” he murmured.
The basis and continuing thread of this series has been the family drama between the Chandlers and the Oka-Kanes, this book is no exception. It stole some time away from Eve and Gabe; this crosses the line into feeling more like an encompassing series wrap-up than Eve and Gabe's story more than once. From the glimpses we got from them in the series I was, personally, hoping for more of a spotlight on them. They have great chemistry but I would have liked more intimate scenes between them (a strong suite of this author) and just general more bonding interaction. Eve also does more of the heavy lifting as Gabe had a tendency to push her away; the lusting but "oh no, I can't!" rinse and repeat wore a bit thin. However, the glimpses we did get of Gabe's nice and sunny in the streets and hair pulling, dirty talking in the sheets will give you the thrills.
The hurt, pain, anger, and love this series has been full of and the amazing characters have made Alisha Rai a must read author here on out for me. She incorporates tough issues (depression, family dynamics), provides authentic joining and melding of people from all walks of life, writes brilliant women characters, and does it with such a beautiful ease, with added hot and sexy intimate scenes. Shy Eve and sweet Gabe get their happy ending, along with more Chandler and Oka-Kane revelations, heartache, and closure. Emotional ups and downs with hot sexy loving, read this series.
Here was love. Deep, unconditional love. And she deserved it.
August 15, 2018
This was a pretty standard conclusion to this series. Everything about this book was just okay. Enjoyable, but okay.
March 13, 2018
HURTS TO LOVE YOU is a book with a four-star ending dragged down by a three-star first half.
She had the money to buy everything, but the things she wanted couldn't be bought. Sometimes she felt like she was starving, even when she was eating four-course meals.
After the first two books in the Forbidden Hearts series I expected to be just blown away by this final book but sadly Eve and Gabe took a long time to warm up to. I don't exactly know where the disconnect was but after all the intensity for the first two couples, I felt none of that this time around. Eve's journey and growth over the course of the book was totally satisfying but considering how much I liked Gabe as a peripheral character in the previous books, in his own book I.. didn't like him? Like, much at all? Ever? Or maybe it's less that I didn't like him and more that I didn't feel anything for him.
Feeling was hard. Maybe not for most people, but for her, it was like standing on a cliff, sharp wings buffeting her from every single direction. Staying steady in the face of that storm, with no one to reply on but herself -- it was terrifying.
While I wouldn't say the twist, or hook, to book three was obvious right from the get-go.. it does get easier to pick up the clues as the story goes on. And it isn't until that moment that I felt the book hit it's stride. We had confrontations, confusions, and finally a little bit of chemistry. But nowhere near enough for what I'd come to expect from Rai's books.
"He thinks I'm a child."
"Sometimes people need to be taught to see you as who you really are than what they think you are, you know? It's not easy."
That being said, I love the overall family dynamic of these books : complicated and crazy-messy though they are, I thought this was a solid wrap-up of all the loose threads. But like any family there are the less than awesome parts -- oh Nicholas you pissed me off sooo much in this book, though part of me can appreciate the fact that just because a hero gets his HEA does not mean he's suddenly perfect or done learning or growing, so, yay..? Ugh. I still teared up a bit throughout some of the exchanges though.
"Dating isn't what it used to be."
"You made a fortune off a dating app."
"I didn't say I don't take responsibility for my small role in creating this hellscape. It is what it is."
I would absolutely still recommend this series, despite the fact that this final installment didn't live up to my expectations, because books one & two are so good and there is still a lot to love in HURTS TO LOVE YOU. Rai's writing is so smart and insightful and I'm looking forward to what comes next for this author.
3.5 "joy, sadness, hurt, anger. all of those things could be powerful tools in a vindictive person's hands. better to hide them all" stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
She had the money to buy everything, but the things she wanted couldn't be bought. Sometimes she felt like she was starving, even when she was eating four-course meals.
After the first two books in the Forbidden Hearts series I expected to be just blown away by this final book but sadly Eve and Gabe took a long time to warm up to. I don't exactly know where the disconnect was but after all the intensity for the first two couples, I felt none of that this time around. Eve's journey and growth over the course of the book was totally satisfying but considering how much I liked Gabe as a peripheral character in the previous books, in his own book I.. didn't like him? Like, much at all? Ever? Or maybe it's less that I didn't like him and more that I didn't feel anything for him.
Feeling was hard. Maybe not for most people, but for her, it was like standing on a cliff, sharp wings buffeting her from every single direction. Staying steady in the face of that storm, with no one to reply on but herself -- it was terrifying.
While I wouldn't say the twist, or hook, to book three was obvious right from the get-go.. it does get easier to pick up the clues as the story goes on. And it isn't until that moment that I felt the book hit it's stride. We had confrontations, confusions, and finally a little bit of chemistry. But nowhere near enough for what I'd come to expect from Rai's books.
"He thinks I'm a child."
"Sometimes people need to be taught to see you as who you really are than what they think you are, you know? It's not easy."
That being said, I love the overall family dynamic of these books : complicated and crazy-messy though they are, I thought this was a solid wrap-up of all the loose threads. But like any family there are the less than awesome parts -- oh Nicholas you pissed me off sooo much in this book, though part of me can appreciate the fact that just because a hero gets his HEA does not mean he's suddenly perfect or done learning or growing, so, yay..? Ugh. I still teared up a bit throughout some of the exchanges though.
"Dating isn't what it used to be."
"You made a fortune off a dating app."
"I didn't say I don't take responsibility for my small role in creating this hellscape. It is what it is."
I would absolutely still recommend this series, despite the fact that this final installment didn't live up to my expectations, because books one & two are so good and there is still a lot to love in HURTS TO LOVE YOU. Rai's writing is so smart and insightful and I'm looking forward to what comes next for this author.
3.5 "joy, sadness, hurt, anger. all of those things could be powerful tools in a vindictive person's hands. better to hide them all" stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
July 28, 2018
3.5
I liked this more than I liked book 2, but not as much as I liked book 1, so I'll just settle on a 3.5 rating. I was invested in Gabe and Eve's relationship and I liked them better than I liked Sadia and Jackson; however, no one beats Livvy and Nicholas! Unfortunately, this book was a tad boring the first 75% of it and only got super good the last 25% of it. This is the last book and although I pretty much finished the series in less than a week, the characters of the series grew on me. Alisha Rai created a complex and interesting story with lovely characters.
I liked this more than I liked book 2, but not as much as I liked book 1, so I'll just settle on a 3.5 rating. I was invested in Gabe and Eve's relationship and I liked them better than I liked Sadia and Jackson; however, no one beats Livvy and Nicholas! Unfortunately, this book was a tad boring the first 75% of it and only got super good the last 25% of it. This is the last book and although I pretty much finished the series in less than a week, the characters of the series grew on me. Alisha Rai created a complex and interesting story with lovely characters.
August 23, 2018
Wow, that really pooped out there at the end didn’t it?
I’ll just go ahead and spoiler my whole review. I kind of think this book was a mess.
I’ll just go ahead and spoiler my whole review. I kind of think this book was a mess.
January 16, 2019
3.5 stars.
Each installment in the Forbidden Hearts series possesses qualities that make it worthy of 5 stars: exquisite writing, diversity in race and sexual orientation among the characters, unabashed discussions of mental health, angst that hurts so good, and delicious steam.
Yet I haven't rated any of the books higher than 3.5 stars. Ultimately, I failed to connect to the romances between the leads, and sometimes I failed to connect to the leads themselves.
If I had to choose a favorite couple, though, it would be Eve and Gabe in Hurts to Love You. This was much more than the "poor little rich girl meets son of a housekeeper" story that I expected. There is raw emotion, humor, and heat. As many other reviewers noted, Eve and Gabe sometimes take a backseat in their own story as the Chandler and Kane family secrets are revealed. But I didn't mind much because I was always intrigued by the family dynamics. I felt surprise and relief at the resolution.
Although none of the romances personally enthralled me, I'm glad that I read this unique series.
Read for SBTB January - March 2019 Quarterly Challenge: Whatever you like!
Each installment in the Forbidden Hearts series possesses qualities that make it worthy of 5 stars: exquisite writing, diversity in race and sexual orientation among the characters, unabashed discussions of mental health, angst that hurts so good, and delicious steam.
Yet I haven't rated any of the books higher than 3.5 stars. Ultimately, I failed to connect to the romances between the leads, and sometimes I failed to connect to the leads themselves.
If I had to choose a favorite couple, though, it would be Eve and Gabe in Hurts to Love You. This was much more than the "poor little rich girl meets son of a housekeeper" story that I expected. There is raw emotion, humor, and heat. As many other reviewers noted, Eve and Gabe sometimes take a backseat in their own story as the Chandler and Kane family secrets are revealed. But I didn't mind much because I was always intrigued by the family dynamics. I felt surprise and relief at the resolution.
Although none of the romances personally enthralled me, I'm glad that I read this unique series.
Read for SBTB January - March 2019 Quarterly Challenge: Whatever you like!
March 25, 2018
Steamy, HEA, the last book in the Forbidden Hearts series (I read the first but not second book of this series, somehow.... Eve, the female protagonist in this book, is the little sister of Nicholas, the male protagonist of the first. Her love interest is a tattoo artist in the same studio as Nicholas's formerly secret lover, Liv.)
There are some similar elements with this romance and some of the Scottish highland romance stories I read around Christmas time. The man is more experienced, tall, older. The woman is less experienced, shy, timid. Then they get thrown into a situation (or multiple situations) where they are alone and can't escape their environment. They are forced to confront their feelings and do. Add in family wealth, family feuds, family secrets, and a secret driver.
Thanks to the publisher for approving my request in Edelweiss. The book comes out March 27.
There are some similar elements with this romance and some of the Scottish highland romance stories I read around Christmas time. The man is more experienced, tall, older. The woman is less experienced, shy, timid. Then they get thrown into a situation (or multiple situations) where they are alone and can't escape their environment. They are forced to confront their feelings and do. Add in family wealth, family feuds, family secrets, and a secret driver.
Thanks to the publisher for approving my request in Edelweiss. The book comes out March 27.
May 14, 2018
Hurts to Love You, the final book in Alisha Rai's Forbidden Hearts series, puts the youngest Chandler and Gabe Hunter. It also ties up some story threads from the previous books in the series. It also gave readers all the answers that we've been asking ourselves about one particular event that started the Kane-Chandler fued all those years ago.
Gabe Hunter has secrets. Secrets that he has to keep because it could change everything from his standing among the Kanes and his relationships with Jackson and Livvy. And his attraction to Eve complicate things. So he tried to stay away but with Nicholas and Livvy's upcoming destination wedding coming up, his plans of staying away from Eve became even more challenging.
Eve is shy, a bit timid but not lacking in courage despite growing up emotionally abused by her father. Her long time crush on Gabe is just that: a crush. She doesn't think he feels that way for her. But Eve is tired of being held back by her past. She has plans and one of those plans involve Gabe. And her brother's upcoming wedding is the perfect opportunity for her to convince Gabe that she's not the little girl he once knew.
I felt for Evie's unrequited feelings for Gabe. I was rooting for her to get the guy. And it was so satisfying when everything finally lined up for her and for him as well. Alisha Rai took her own sweet time with these two characters but the payoff was well worth it. The romance, once it got going, was hot. Gabe was definitely hiding his growly, dirty talking, alpha self underneath his man-bun. The things he said to Eve during their sexy times will make your toes curl.
Overall, I liked how this book brought everything full circle for these two families. After all the betrayals and secrets, it's nice to see these characters win especially Gabe! His secret was quite obvious to those who have read the previous books, at least to me they are. And that's quite okay because this book isn't really about the "secret." It's more about the characters and their journey.
I received and voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by Avon Books.
Gabe Hunter has secrets. Secrets that he has to keep because it could change everything from his standing among the Kanes and his relationships with Jackson and Livvy. And his attraction to Eve complicate things. So he tried to stay away but with Nicholas and Livvy's upcoming destination wedding coming up, his plans of staying away from Eve became even more challenging.
Eve is shy, a bit timid but not lacking in courage despite growing up emotionally abused by her father. Her long time crush on Gabe is just that: a crush. She doesn't think he feels that way for her. But Eve is tired of being held back by her past. She has plans and one of those plans involve Gabe. And her brother's upcoming wedding is the perfect opportunity for her to convince Gabe that she's not the little girl he once knew.
I felt for Evie's unrequited feelings for Gabe. I was rooting for her to get the guy. And it was so satisfying when everything finally lined up for her and for him as well. Alisha Rai took her own sweet time with these two characters but the payoff was well worth it. The romance, once it got going, was hot. Gabe was definitely hiding his growly, dirty talking, alpha self underneath his man-bun. The things he said to Eve during their sexy times will make your toes curl.
Overall, I liked how this book brought everything full circle for these two families. After all the betrayals and secrets, it's nice to see these characters win especially Gabe! His secret was quite obvious to those who have read the previous books, at least to me they are. And that's quite okay because this book isn't really about the "secret." It's more about the characters and their journey.
I received and voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by Avon Books.
April 6, 2018
3.5/5
I have been completely obsessed with the Forbidden Hearts series. Is there any trope better than forbidden love? I don't think so. It's been such a consistently great series and the second book especially impressed the hell out of me. The minute I had access to Hurts to Love You, I dove into the book with my sky-high expectations. While I wouldn't say that Hurts to Love You is my favorite book in the series, it was still one heck of an entertaining installment.
I was intrigued by Eve's character from the moment we met her. She seemed like a woman who had undergone a lot despite being a rich man's daughter. In Hurts to Love You, Alisha Rai explored her character on a deeper level. Eve felt like such a real person to me, I connected very much with the multiple aspects of her personality. Her insecurities about her body image, her aspirations, and goals beyond her family's expectations made her stand out. Gabe was also a character I was entirely fascinated by from the beginning. He was quiet and shrouded in layers and layers of secrecy. There was an intensity to him that I found appealing. We figure out all his secrets in Hurts to Love You and a lot of them came as a shocker to me. Despite everything, Gabe was such a fantastic and lovable hero.
Rai has written formidable romances with this series, but I will say that something was a little bit lacking for me here. I can't exactly pinpoint what exactly it was that was missing for me, but I wasn't as attached to Gabe and Eve as a couple as I was with Jackson and Sadia and even Nicholas and Livvy. I think perhaps because these two didn't share as much history as the previous couples? Don't get me wrong, the romance was good, but it didn't wow me. I do also think that a lot of focus in this installment was on the family dynamics and less on the romance, which could explain why I wasn't completely gaga over the chemistry between Gabe and Eve. The family dynamics though? Amazing! I love reading about secrets and scandals in families and a lot was revealed here. All of the revelations will leave you absolutely breathless! It was also nice seeing all of the previous couples and their interactions with each other as well as with Gabe and Eve.
If you have yet to read the Forbidden Hearts series, I encourage you to give this series a try. It's got so many wonderful facets to it, but perhaps most importantly, it features diverse characters that you don't often get to see in romance. I'm sad that this is the end for this series, but I have my fingers crossed that Alisa Rai will return to some of the side characters in the future.
December 20, 2024
This was weird. 300 pages just to get the hero to ask the heroine out on a date in the end? Really? And the epilogue is not even about your main couple? Um...ok. I know my feelings on this are bias because I read this as a standalone so I went in not knowing the whole sordid history with the 2 feuding families that played through the previous books but even so, I felt the author didn't do a great job of explaining who is who and who has issues with who and who is related to who. I mean she tries to but it's not clear, everything comes off like a rambling mess. I still can't figure out which side of the family is Hawaiian in the Oka-Kane clan. As a new reader I felt very lost and gave up half way in trying to figure things out. There are so many side characters and dead characters to keep track of it gets confusing. Alisha Rai's writing style feels too lose and unclear for me. I had no idea Livvy and Jackson were Japanese until the freaking 70% mark for example. Stuff like this is important to me because I want a clear picture of your characters. This is a trilogy so it's not like I'm asking for a recap in a long running series. I loved the diversity of the characters but wish the writing was stronger. This honestly felt like a soap opera or a modern version of Dynasty with all the tension and stress characters were going through over a decades old feud and "curse".
This felt more like a chick lit or women's fiction than contemporary romance. Way too much time and focus was spent on the family drama and family secrets than the actual couple which made me question what was the point of the effort. Maybe if I read the 2 previous books to this I would have cared but honestly I had no interest in it and wanted more time and focus on the hero Gabe and heroine Eve. The lack of focus on Gabe and Eve made it hard to believe the couple even had chemistry much less fell in love because they barely spent any time together in this book. They have 2 sex scenes and they talk before and after that and that pretty much sums up their interaction. ILY's aren't even shared in the end, which is such a big pet peeve of mine. Everyone and their mother is getting married in this so the hero's "uh sure why not us too!" in the epilogue just felt really lazy and rushed. Gabe and Eve didn't feel fully fleshed out to me. Gabe seemed much more hung up and brooding over his paternity secret than his supposed feelings for Eve. He seemed to pine more for his half siblings and wanting to spend time with them than the heroine. 😬 Like I said a lot of odd choices were made in this book. You spend so little time writing for your hero and heroine that all you get out of it is "I like you too, go out with me" to show for it in the end. Not satisfying.
Eve honestly is the main reason I picked this book up when I read the blurb, that and I heard so much about this author. I love shy awkward heroines, they are totally my thing. But I didn't love how Rai wrote her. Eve was way too stuck in her own head and talking down to herself. The number of times she refers to herself as “weird” “creep” or “pervert” really got under my skin. She obviously has insecurity issues that reside from growing up in a controlling abusive home but her constant freaking out over her emotions and calling herself a creep and weirdo felt very immature for the lack of a better term. The "omg look at his bubbly butt" and "I'm such a creep" commentary felt like I was reading about a 15 year old dealing with her very first crush rather than a grown woman. I also hate characters in disguise tropes. I felt it was so unnecessary in here and yes it was very much creepy since the author loved to use that word so much. The heroine is a Ryde driver incognito at night for a few months just so she can pick up the hero from a bar and talk to him. I thought this was a strange way to go about spending time with him and breaking out of her "shell". I was expecting her to find other ways to take a leap and be brave, not loitering outside a bar in a hoodie waiting for the hero to come out so she can talk to him under a pseudo name and get to know him better cause he's "just so beautiful". Ick.
I wanted to enjoy this because it had elements I usually love but I hated the execution. My rating may seem harsh but I gave this a 1 star because nothing in this book felt satisfying or believable. I took this on vacation with me to finish during my down time and I had to fight the urge to skim the last 100 pages. I felt like the whole book was wasted on soap opera-like family drama and the couple from Book 1 wedding which is the "big event" in here. This felt more like Gabe and his half-siblings book rather than Gabe and Eve's so it just leaves you wanting. And I honestly didn't get what the big deal was over Gabe having feelings for Eve and how it would be a problem because of "family complications" once the truth was out, y'all aren't related, it's not Romeo and Juliet. I felt some things were made a bigger deal than they needed to be. And using the epilogue for the feuding parents to make amends was just such a waste of page time. I would have liked a better payoff and solid ending for the main couple but hey that's just me. *shrugs*
This felt more like a chick lit or women's fiction than contemporary romance. Way too much time and focus was spent on the family drama and family secrets than the actual couple which made me question what was the point of the effort. Maybe if I read the 2 previous books to this I would have cared but honestly I had no interest in it and wanted more time and focus on the hero Gabe and heroine Eve. The lack of focus on Gabe and Eve made it hard to believe the couple even had chemistry much less fell in love because they barely spent any time together in this book. They have 2 sex scenes and they talk before and after that and that pretty much sums up their interaction. ILY's aren't even shared in the end, which is such a big pet peeve of mine. Everyone and their mother is getting married in this so the hero's "uh sure why not us too!" in the epilogue just felt really lazy and rushed. Gabe and Eve didn't feel fully fleshed out to me. Gabe seemed much more hung up and brooding over his paternity secret than his supposed feelings for Eve. He seemed to pine more for his half siblings and wanting to spend time with them than the heroine. 😬 Like I said a lot of odd choices were made in this book. You spend so little time writing for your hero and heroine that all you get out of it is "I like you too, go out with me" to show for it in the end. Not satisfying.
Eve honestly is the main reason I picked this book up when I read the blurb, that and I heard so much about this author. I love shy awkward heroines, they are totally my thing. But I didn't love how Rai wrote her. Eve was way too stuck in her own head and talking down to herself. The number of times she refers to herself as “weird” “creep” or “pervert” really got under my skin. She obviously has insecurity issues that reside from growing up in a controlling abusive home but her constant freaking out over her emotions and calling herself a creep and weirdo felt very immature for the lack of a better term. The "omg look at his bubbly butt" and "I'm such a creep" commentary felt like I was reading about a 15 year old dealing with her very first crush rather than a grown woman. I also hate characters in disguise tropes. I felt it was so unnecessary in here and yes it was very much creepy since the author loved to use that word so much. The heroine is a Ryde driver incognito at night for a few months just so she can pick up the hero from a bar and talk to him. I thought this was a strange way to go about spending time with him and breaking out of her "shell". I was expecting her to find other ways to take a leap and be brave, not loitering outside a bar in a hoodie waiting for the hero to come out so she can talk to him under a pseudo name and get to know him better cause he's "just so beautiful". Ick.
I wanted to enjoy this because it had elements I usually love but I hated the execution. My rating may seem harsh but I gave this a 1 star because nothing in this book felt satisfying or believable. I took this on vacation with me to finish during my down time and I had to fight the urge to skim the last 100 pages. I felt like the whole book was wasted on soap opera-like family drama and the couple from Book 1 wedding which is the "big event" in here. This felt more like Gabe and his half-siblings book rather than Gabe and Eve's so it just leaves you wanting. And I honestly didn't get what the big deal was over Gabe having feelings for Eve and how it would be a problem because of "family complications" once the truth was out, y'all aren't related, it's not Romeo and Juliet. I felt some things were made a bigger deal than they needed to be. And using the epilogue for the feuding parents to make amends was just such a waste of page time. I would have liked a better payoff and solid ending for the main couple but hey that's just me. *shrugs*
April 2, 2018
Original review: The Romance Corner
*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
*3.5 Stars!*
Last year I picked up Hate to Want You and fell completely in love with Alisha Rai’s hot as hell romance that left me blushing for days. I then went on the read the second installment, Wrong to Need You, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Rai had slayed my feels once again. Needless to say, I was eager to dive into Eve and Gabes’s story and crossed my fingers that it would be just as good as the previous two books.
Hurts to Love You is the final installment in the Forbidden Hearts and follows our final pairing, Gabriel Hunter and Evangeline Chandler. Eve always had eyes for Gabe, though her fear of rejecting held her back from letting him know how she felt. But with her brother getting married in a few days and everyone heading up to the lake house to prepare for the ceremony, Eve decides to take a chance and let Gabe know exactly how she feels. Will her feelings be reciprocated or were her fears of rejection right all along?
It’s a bittersweet feeling when reading the final book in one of your favorite series, but I was very curious to know more about the youngest Chandler and the tattoo artist. I connected more with Eve’s character. I felt like she grew up a lot in this book and finally stood her ground when it came to making decisions about her own life. She found her voice and used it and I loved seeing her gain that confidence to take chances and make moves. Gabe is a bit more reserved in this book, mainly because he has a huge ass secret and he doesn’t want anyone to find out. The thing is, I felt like I didn’t really get to know Gabe because of his secret which sucks because he seemed like a much nicer guy in the previous books. The part of the story that didn’t work for me was the romance. I didn’t feel the connection between Eve and Gabe like I did with our previous two couple. To be honest, it felt one-sided and there was a lot of telling, mainly when it came to Gabe. We’re told that he does feel the same for Eve, but I wanted to see that on the page. There were some steamy scenes, but without that emotional connection, I didn’t really care for them.
Although the romance fell flat for me, I was still entertained by all these secrets and confessions. The mystery surrounding Robert Kane and Maria Chandler’s death is finally revealed and we get the tea on what really went down on that tragic night…and let tell y’all this tea was SCANDALOUS AS FUCK! I swear, seeing all these truths come to light was like watching a damn soap opera. This was basically me during the last 20% of the book.
I think that even though I did have somewhat of an idea of what actually went down that night, there were other pieces the puzzle that took me by surprise so it just made the reveal more shocking. The confession in the epilogue was the icing on the cake because everything ended up coming full circle and I wasn’t expecting that at all. Alisha Rai knocks it out of the park when it comes to family drama and she did a great job at wrapping up all the loose ends in this finale.
While Hurts to Love You didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I still very much enjoyed this series and I’m so going to miss all of these characters. If you love forbidden romances, then I highly recommend this series! Now I’mgoing to patiently anxiously awaiting for Rai’s next book so I can devour it like I did with this series.
*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
*3.5 Stars!*
Last year I picked up Hate to Want You and fell completely in love with Alisha Rai’s hot as hell romance that left me blushing for days. I then went on the read the second installment, Wrong to Need You, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Rai had slayed my feels once again. Needless to say, I was eager to dive into Eve and Gabes’s story and crossed my fingers that it would be just as good as the previous two books.
Hurts to Love You is the final installment in the Forbidden Hearts and follows our final pairing, Gabriel Hunter and Evangeline Chandler. Eve always had eyes for Gabe, though her fear of rejecting held her back from letting him know how she felt. But with her brother getting married in a few days and everyone heading up to the lake house to prepare for the ceremony, Eve decides to take a chance and let Gabe know exactly how she feels. Will her feelings be reciprocated or were her fears of rejection right all along?
It’s a bittersweet feeling when reading the final book in one of your favorite series, but I was very curious to know more about the youngest Chandler and the tattoo artist. I connected more with Eve’s character. I felt like she grew up a lot in this book and finally stood her ground when it came to making decisions about her own life. She found her voice and used it and I loved seeing her gain that confidence to take chances and make moves. Gabe is a bit more reserved in this book, mainly because he has a huge ass secret and he doesn’t want anyone to find out. The thing is, I felt like I didn’t really get to know Gabe because of his secret which sucks because he seemed like a much nicer guy in the previous books. The part of the story that didn’t work for me was the romance. I didn’t feel the connection between Eve and Gabe like I did with our previous two couple. To be honest, it felt one-sided and there was a lot of telling, mainly when it came to Gabe. We’re told that he does feel the same for Eve, but I wanted to see that on the page. There were some steamy scenes, but without that emotional connection, I didn’t really care for them.
Although the romance fell flat for me, I was still entertained by all these secrets and confessions. The mystery surrounding Robert Kane and Maria Chandler’s death is finally revealed and we get the tea on what really went down on that tragic night…and let tell y’all this tea was SCANDALOUS AS FUCK! I swear, seeing all these truths come to light was like watching a damn soap opera. This was basically me during the last 20% of the book.
I think that even though I did have somewhat of an idea of what actually went down that night, there were other pieces the puzzle that took me by surprise so it just made the reveal more shocking. The confession in the epilogue was the icing on the cake because everything ended up coming full circle and I wasn’t expecting that at all. Alisha Rai knocks it out of the park when it comes to family drama and she did a great job at wrapping up all the loose ends in this finale.
While Hurts to Love You didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I still very much enjoyed this series and I’m so going to miss all of these characters. If you love forbidden romances, then I highly recommend this series! Now I’m
January 26, 2018
3-3.5 stars
After reading books one and two immediately before this final conclusion, I had very excitable hopes for Eve and Gabe’s book. I think I might have got too excited because whilst this was a nice conclusion to the over-arching story of the Oka-Kanes and the Chandlers (AKA the Capulets and Montagues), it lacked the oomph I sought from Gabe and Eve as characters.
Eve has intrigued me from the beginning of book one and I have really enjoyed her character, her growth and her contentment in her physical appearance. Eve grew in terms of confidence and business in this book which was pleasing to read. I really enjoyed the interactions between her and Gabe for the first 50% but then it lost its intensity for me. I must admit, I didn’t really connect with Gabe throughout, which surprised me.
There is much time given to wrapping up this series and tying off all the lose ends which again is good but it felt less Gabe and Eve’s book and more a saga wrap-up.
This series is my first walk with Alisha Rai and I am a fully fledged fan of hers now. I highly recommend this series to all my romance buds, with books one and two being my favourites.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this title.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
After reading books one and two immediately before this final conclusion, I had very excitable hopes for Eve and Gabe’s book. I think I might have got too excited because whilst this was a nice conclusion to the over-arching story of the Oka-Kanes and the Chandlers (AKA the Capulets and Montagues), it lacked the oomph I sought from Gabe and Eve as characters.
Eve has intrigued me from the beginning of book one and I have really enjoyed her character, her growth and her contentment in her physical appearance. Eve grew in terms of confidence and business in this book which was pleasing to read. I really enjoyed the interactions between her and Gabe for the first 50% but then it lost its intensity for me. I must admit, I didn’t really connect with Gabe throughout, which surprised me.
There is much time given to wrapping up this series and tying off all the lose ends which again is good but it felt less Gabe and Eve’s book and more a saga wrap-up.
This series is my first walk with Alisha Rai and I am a fully fledged fan of hers now. I highly recommend this series to all my romance buds, with books one and two being my favourites.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this title.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
July 27, 2020
All good things must come to an end, and that includes Alisha Rai’s Forbidden Hearts series. Being completely honest, Hurts to Love You wasn’t as good as the first two. Major plot threads needed to be wrapped up, and the entire story takes place as Livvy and Nicholas’s wedding gets underway. The focus was not, in my opinion, as zeroed-in on Eve and Gabe as it could/should have been.
So, by this point, I’ve pretty much figured out that Rai has a few tropes she loves to go for. Also, the series is called Forbidden Hearts, so obviously that’s going to be at play here as it was with the previous books. In Hurts to Love You, Eve and Gabe have this whole Tortured Pasts and Secret Traumas thing going on, plus the fact that (for some reason?) any potential relationship between them is completely off limits. I think it’s the 12-year age gap, but in truth, the “forbidden” aspect of this book was a bit shaky.
Anyway.
Unbeknownst to both of them, both protagonists have huge mental-boners for each other, so when they spend a week together at a remote villa, things happen. There is sex, there is angst. Lots of both, really.
I hate to say it, but Hurts to Love You just didn’t pack the oomph of the first two. I have a feeling it’s going to prove to be rather forgettable, all told (don’t worry! I forget almost all contemporary romances I read, so this book is in good company).
It doesn’t help that the Focal Point of the story, the Climax (as it were), has nothing to do with Eve and Gabe’s budding relationship. Rather, it has everything to do with the long, drawn-out Kane/Chandler family drama that Rae’s been winding up for a while. Suddenly the book stopped being a story about two people, and started being a semi-histrionic story about a dysfunctional family and its feuds.
Listen, the reason there are not sequels to Romeo and Juliet is because the drama gets old, fast. And after three books, I was read to be done with it all. That’s not really the author’s fault or the book’s fault, but it does suck that at a critical moment in the story, Gabe and Eve had to play second-fiddle in their own romance novel. Just saying.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
So, by this point, I’ve pretty much figured out that Rai has a few tropes she loves to go for. Also, the series is called Forbidden Hearts, so obviously that’s going to be at play here as it was with the previous books. In Hurts to Love You, Eve and Gabe have this whole Tortured Pasts and Secret Traumas thing going on, plus the fact that (for some reason?) any potential relationship between them is completely off limits. I think it’s the 12-year age gap, but in truth, the “forbidden” aspect of this book was a bit shaky.
Anyway.
Unbeknownst to both of them, both protagonists have huge mental-boners for each other, so when they spend a week together at a remote villa, things happen. There is sex, there is angst. Lots of both, really.
I hate to say it, but Hurts to Love You just didn’t pack the oomph of the first two. I have a feeling it’s going to prove to be rather forgettable, all told (don’t worry! I forget almost all contemporary romances I read, so this book is in good company).
It doesn’t help that the Focal Point of the story, the Climax (as it were), has nothing to do with Eve and Gabe’s budding relationship. Rather, it has everything to do with the long, drawn-out Kane/Chandler family drama that Rae’s been winding up for a while. Suddenly the book stopped being a story about two people, and started being a semi-histrionic story about a dysfunctional family and its feuds.
Listen, the reason there are not sequels to Romeo and Juliet is because the drama gets old, fast. And after three books, I was read to be done with it all. That’s not really the author’s fault or the book’s fault, but it does suck that at a critical moment in the story, Gabe and Eve had to play second-fiddle in their own romance novel. Just saying.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
March 25, 2018
4.5 stars for this final romance in the Forbidden Hearts series! This one ties up some loose ends from the previous two stories, so I would recommend reading it last if you don't want to spoil any surprises (and there are definitely some surprises I didn't see coming!). Eve Chandler comes into her own here, learning to stand up for herself and what she wants, including starting her own business. Her romance with Gabe Hunter, tattoo shop owner and longtime family friend is a slow burn one that comes to fruition in some steamy scenes. Keeping their affair a secret is necessary at first but of course all secrets have a way of coming out. It's been an interesting and intense journey of discovery for the Kane and Chandler families and one that's been so enjoyable to read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this author. Kudos to the publisher for some excellent covers too!
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review.
December 3, 2017
ARC provided by Edelweiss and publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Well written. Good story line and excellent character development.
RTC.
Well written. Good story line and excellent character development.
RTC.
January 11, 2018
IT'S POSSIBLE I WONT EVER WRITE A PROPER COHERENT REVIEW EVER AGAIN.
BUT.
Hurts to Love You is just the perfect conclusion (though, I wouldn't mind a spin-off series about Jia). There's some twists that I didn't expected. Overall, the heart of the story is still the romance, and the complicated family love. It's my most favorite thing about this series.
BUT.
Hurts to Love You is just the perfect conclusion (though, I wouldn't mind a spin-off series about Jia). There's some twists that I didn't expected. Overall, the heart of the story is still the romance, and the complicated family love. It's my most favorite thing about this series.
March 20, 2019
4/5 Nu šitās trakās ģimenītes! Beidzot drāma ir noslēgusies. Atkarību izraisoša sērija. Visi tēli šķiet kā dzīvi cilvēki, ar savām labajām īpašībām, problēmām, vēsturi, motivāciju un komplicētajām savstarpējām attiecībām. Ja iepriekšejās grāmatās pietrūka vēl kādas valsts kultūras ietekme, lūdzu, šeit iznira arī grieķu pēcteči. Diversity overload arī citās jomās.
May 12, 2020
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
Bastante decepcionante, todos los pistos de los libros anteriores se resuelven de mala manera y te quedas con cara de boba. Podría haber resuelto todo en el libro anterior y nos habríamos ahorrado este tan ricamente.
Bastante decepcionante, todos los pistos de los libros anteriores se resuelven de mala manera y te quedas con cara de boba. Podría haber resuelto todo en el libro anterior y nos habríamos ahorrado este tan ricamente.
August 10, 2018
4.5 STARS
cUTE. CUTE. CUTE. CUTE. I LOVE ROMANCE NOVELS
cUTE. CUTE. CUTE. CUTE. I LOVE ROMANCE NOVELS
March 28, 2018
Of course I go ahead and do the smart thing... I read the last book in a trilogy first.
I mean, look, I know, it doesn't really matter. It's a romance series. But guys, I actually seriously enjoyed this, and I wish I'd been along for the ride from the very beginning. Because if I go back now, I will have to endure this book's main characters as they were before I've seen their growth, and it'll frustrate me. I suppose, on the other hand, I'll know things work out. Oh well, it'll be worth it. This is my first book by Alisha Rai, and I doubt it'll be my last. (I definitely need to read the second book about Jackson, because he is a serious introvert, like me. I liked seeing how Eve accepted his need for solitude and no small talk, and how she explained this to others without treating it like some kind of weird issue.)
Alisha ticks all the right boxes. Her characters are unique and likeable, the chemistry is there in force, everyone is a feminist, and the drama is just interesting enough without being eyeroll-worthy.
I was invested in Eve and Gabe's relationship very early on. Both had some serious parental issues that they let get in their way. I liked that they each had to deal with their own problems, and they supported each other without trying to fix things for the other person. Eve was such a smart young woman, but she lacked confidence, and she couldn't handle rejection, so she avoided putting herself out there. It was scary relatable, and the way she described her experience and her attempts to overcome this were actually inspirational for me. Gabe was similarly closed off, a loveable guy on the surface, but he kept people at arm's length because he felt like he could never really belong thanks to a big secret he protected. Together, and with the help of their friends and family, they were able to work through these things and find comfort in each other.
It wasn't just comfort. Oh no. There was clear attraction from the beginning. Eve was scared of rejection, and Gabe didn't want to make things messy, but these couldn't stop the two from falling into each other's arms thanks to some forced proximity. One thing I really liked was how Eve was able to say "penis" and "vagina" very directly. I mean, if you can't talk about penises and vaginas, should you be having sex? And somehow Gabe was able to pull off being very respectful of all women (not just Eve) while also getting quite dirty in bed, especially with his sexual "close captioning". (I love dirty talking, people.) I think the only weird thing for me was their age gap, as my last relationship was with a guy five years older than me, and that was already too much for me to handle.
They weren't the only great characters. There was a nice dynamic between them and the rest of the Chandler/Kane cast, even when things weren't gelling well. In the end, aside from one idiot, everyone supported and cared for each other, going beyond blood ties and disagreements. It was made even better by how diverse everyone was. Many of the characters were mixed race, and Gabe's adoptive family were African American. This acknowledgement of different races and cultures all getting on in one big happy "family" was so refreshing to see, and also a lot more reflective of today's world. I was particularly excited about Gabe's sister being a black woman crushing it in the tech startup world. I do love seeing my fellow techie ladies in books!
Even though there was a lot of emotional baggage and some family drama to sort out, this wasn't an angsty book. It was sexy and sweet and funny, with lots of fistpump moments. Alisha's way of writing read smoothly, and she injected humour and personality and even life advice easily into the story. Here are just a few little bits that I highlighted on my Kindle while reading.
(For the record, he was drunk at the time, and he does quickly realise that he's talking nonsense to himself.)
Let that be a lesson to all you men who try to blame your appalling behaviour on women!
Eve's mom clearly had the right idea about food. We should all make sure we dress with enough leeway for some good food and dancing!
To really top it all off, this book came complete with an adorable small child and his puppy. Kareem had such a great young personality, and I felt immediately attached to the dog, eventually named R2. Man, that dog's name... Kareem kept changing it every five seconds, and I could do nothing but mentally laugh.
This should be a 5-star book, and I think it will be for a lot of people. I honestly want to give it 5 stars because everything was written so well. For some reason, it didn't hit me quite hard enough though, and I don't know if this is because I'm feeling a bit dead inside at the moment or the book and I genuinely didn't click 100%. (It's probably the former; I am a teeny bit of a mess right now.)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review was originally posted on Love in a time of Feminism
I mean, look, I know, it doesn't really matter. It's a romance series. But guys, I actually seriously enjoyed this, and I wish I'd been along for the ride from the very beginning. Because if I go back now, I will have to endure this book's main characters as they were before I've seen their growth, and it'll frustrate me. I suppose, on the other hand, I'll know things work out. Oh well, it'll be worth it. This is my first book by Alisha Rai, and I doubt it'll be my last. (I definitely need to read the second book about Jackson, because he is a serious introvert, like me. I liked seeing how Eve accepted his need for solitude and no small talk, and how she explained this to others without treating it like some kind of weird issue.)
Alisha ticks all the right boxes. Her characters are unique and likeable, the chemistry is there in force, everyone is a feminist, and the drama is just interesting enough without being eyeroll-worthy.
I was invested in Eve and Gabe's relationship very early on. Both had some serious parental issues that they let get in their way. I liked that they each had to deal with their own problems, and they supported each other without trying to fix things for the other person. Eve was such a smart young woman, but she lacked confidence, and she couldn't handle rejection, so she avoided putting herself out there. It was scary relatable, and the way she described her experience and her attempts to overcome this were actually inspirational for me. Gabe was similarly closed off, a loveable guy on the surface, but he kept people at arm's length because he felt like he could never really belong thanks to a big secret he protected. Together, and with the help of their friends and family, they were able to work through these things and find comfort in each other.
It wasn't just comfort. Oh no. There was clear attraction from the beginning. Eve was scared of rejection, and Gabe didn't want to make things messy, but these couldn't stop the two from falling into each other's arms thanks to some forced proximity. One thing I really liked was how Eve was able to say "penis" and "vagina" very directly. I mean, if you can't talk about penises and vaginas, should you be having sex? And somehow Gabe was able to pull off being very respectful of all women (not just Eve) while also getting quite dirty in bed, especially with his sexual "close captioning". (I love dirty talking, people.) I think the only weird thing for me was their age gap, as my last relationship was with a guy five years older than me, and that was already too much for me to handle.
They weren't the only great characters. There was a nice dynamic between them and the rest of the Chandler/Kane cast, even when things weren't gelling well. In the end, aside from one idiot, everyone supported and cared for each other, going beyond blood ties and disagreements. It was made even better by how diverse everyone was. Many of the characters were mixed race, and Gabe's adoptive family were African American. This acknowledgement of different races and cultures all getting on in one big happy "family" was so refreshing to see, and also a lot more reflective of today's world. I was particularly excited about Gabe's sister being a black woman crushing it in the tech startup world. I do love seeing my fellow techie ladies in books!
Even though there was a lot of emotional baggage and some family drama to sort out, this wasn't an angsty book. It was sexy and sweet and funny, with lots of fistpump moments. Alisha's way of writing read smoothly, and she injected humour and personality and even life advice easily into the story. Here are just a few little bits that I highlighted on my Kindle while reading.
He stumbled, but before he could fall, she was at his side, her body propped up under his. "I can help you."
"I'm okay."
"No, you're not."
Yes, he was. He was a man. A manly man! He could work a grill and chop firewood.
(For the record, he was drunk at the time, and he does quickly realise that he's talking nonsense to himself.)
Lust and desire had hit him instantly, but he was a grown-ass man, and he tamped it down.
Let that be a lesson to all you men who try to blame your appalling behaviour on women!
"Do you know what your mother used to say? Leave me enough room to eat and dance."
Eve's mom clearly had the right idea about food. We should all make sure we dress with enough leeway for some good food and dancing!
To really top it all off, this book came complete with an adorable small child and his puppy. Kareem had such a great young personality, and I felt immediately attached to the dog, eventually named R2. Man, that dog's name... Kareem kept changing it every five seconds, and I could do nothing but mentally laugh.
This should be a 5-star book, and I think it will be for a lot of people. I honestly want to give it 5 stars because everything was written so well. For some reason, it didn't hit me quite hard enough though, and I don't know if this is because I'm feeling a bit dead inside at the moment or the book and I genuinely didn't click 100%. (It's probably the former; I am a teeny bit of a mess right now.)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review was originally posted on Love in a time of Feminism
March 30, 2018
This might have been my favorite of the series! Loved Eve coming out of her shell, and her dealing with a lifetime of emotional abuse by her father, it felt very real and raw. Loved Gabe opening up to her and while I rolled my eyes a little at the reveal, it worked. And they were hot together, which let's be real, never ever hurts.
Good trilogy of books!
Good trilogy of books!
March 29, 2018
Well I gobbled this up in one day, which was kind of impossible not to do, but also kind of sad because now it's over!! I loved it, obviously, which I was rightly expecting when I went to the bookstore to buy it the day after it came out. Rai's authentic characterization and grasp of emotional complexities are amazing. And somehow her steamy sex scenes are just as powerful as her wholesome family scenes and her descriptions of healing from past trauma. It's unreal to read a book that is so good at so many things! When a book can alternately turn you on and make you cry happy tears, that's a talented writer indeed. I highly recommend this series!
March 21, 2018
Rai's Forbidden Heart series has quickly become a favourite of mine, I've enjoyed getting to know the Kane and Chandler families and about their history between them. Their lives have been complex and tough, I liked how with each book I seem to be falling more for each character. I love how Rai gets beneath their tough exterior and shows that despite everything they are still vulnerable individuals, but also there's still so much that remains unknown between the families. I thought what was going on between the Chandler's and Kane's was a difficult one to get over, but then with Hurts to Love You Gabe gets thrown into the mix and things add a whole another level of complication. With everything that Eve had been through, I so wanted her to get her happy ending, she had been belittled and ignored by her dad so much, that I wanted to see her grow up and finally stand up for herself and I'm glad that spending time with Gabe helped her to do so. For me Eve and Gabe's relationship was sort of unexpected, but I liked the way in which Rai made it work, despite the age gap, the depth of their emotions was clearly apparent. Of course, I liked how prominently other characters from previous books featured in this book, it was great seeing them trying to get on as one happy family! Once again things weren't always smooth sailing, revelations from the past were once again bought to light and the long standing strain between the Chandler and Kane family was always apparent. But this aspect was the thing that made this book for me, I liked how characters had to fight hard for what they wanted. I'm actually quite sad at having to say goodbye to such a great set of characters, Rai was able to make them such a big part of my life, so thank you for that!
March 31, 2018
Be-still my heart, Rai truly ends her Forbidden Heart trilogy with a slow-burn that is satisfying and wonderful on so many levels. We finally get to see "Baby Chandler" Eve come into her own. We get Gabe's backstory. There's a wedding! There's family drama and bonding, and a happily ever after for pretty much everyone. Huzzah!
Be warned, I would definitely recommend reading this series in order. The pay-off will be so much better.
Also, I have to commend Rai, Avon, and the designers on having covers that are dead on representations of the book and the characters. LOVE them. Maybe next time a step back??? I love a good step back.
Be warned, I would definitely recommend reading this series in order. The pay-off will be so much better.
Also, I have to commend Rai, Avon, and the designers on having covers that are dead on representations of the book and the characters. LOVE them. Maybe next time a step back??? I love a good step back.
May 21, 2018
Probably my favorite in this series. There were some surprises in this one and quite emotional scenes as well, especially with Tani. That was refreshing.
January 27, 2019
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
CW: Heavy drinking, emotionally abusive parent, on page sex.
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
This series is over and I am one sad romance hoe. It shredded my heart to pieces and mended it back together more times than I could count and I loved every single minute of it. I reasonably know that this isn’t the last we’ll see of them since there will be a spin-off three book series but I WEEP, I need more now. Hurts to Love You was such an amazing bitter sweet ending to an amazing romance trilogy, and here is why:
I’ve already been over how great Alisha Rai’s writing is in both previous books’ reviews so I won’t go into more detail about that. One thing I really loved though is how heavily it relied on introspection, and not in the annoying way where characters get caught Inside their heads and we don’t see much else of the story. Here it was super well done, in a way that showed the characters tapping into their messy thoughts and tangled feelings and acting accordingly.
Hurts to Love You follows Eve, who’s Nicholas’ little sister from the first book and Gabe, his childhood best friend. And this book has some tropes I absolutely love. First we have age gap, I believe they’re a little over a decade apart. and it’s so well done, Because them growing up together can make that very merky territory to navigate, but the author made sure to specify that he was never attracted to her until they came back into each others’ lives a month from the start of the book. While the sweet fool that is Eve has always harbored a crush on him. The other trope that is present here and that I’m absolute trash for is forced proximity, they literally HAVE to spend time around each other and seeing the attraction play out is my favourite thing.
Now, Eve. I loved her and some parts of her and the way she reacts and interacts with the world resonated with me very deeply. She’s put together, appears confident but in truth is very insecure with a very flimzy self-esteem that was maintained by her abusive father all throughout her life. She’s sensitive, kind, super smart and driven and hella ambitious, which is one of my favourite combination of qualities in a heroine.
Then we have Gabe who…frustrated the heck out of me. Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but he can get so caught up inside his head sometimes that he messes up. Bad. He’s a super decent guy, also buff and super tattooed which…helps too. He has these walls built around himself, for Good Reason but then the minute Eve starts cracking them he freaks out and says and does all the wrong things which in turn makes her do and say all the wrong things and IT’S JUST A MESS!!!
Their mutual pinning was iconic and agonizing to read and I’m pretty sure I yelled more than one “JUST SAY WHAT YOU REALLY THINK” at my phone. Lucky I was in my room and no one had to witness that. One thing I really loved though is how he’s there for her no matter what’s going on between them, helping her sort through her trauma related feelings and easing her anxiety.
One common theme through the series is family, and I love how that emphasis grows with each book being at its most in this book, bringing forth family relationships both blood and found. The family “drama” thickens in Hurts to Love You and proves to be much more complicated than we’re led to believe in the first two books. And the strong bonds between the different characters are put to the test and come out of it stronger than ever. Another relationship I adored is the one between Eve and her best friend Madison, they’re so supportive for each other and that’s something I never get tired of.
The ending was super satisfying although I would’ve liked for it to go a liiiittle differently. No matter how much I loved this one, Wrong to Need You has a special spot in my heart and is still my favourite out of the bunch.
CW: Heavy drinking, emotionally abusive parent, on page sex.
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
This series is over and I am one sad romance hoe. It shredded my heart to pieces and mended it back together more times than I could count and I loved every single minute of it. I reasonably know that this isn’t the last we’ll see of them since there will be a spin-off three book series but I WEEP, I need more now. Hurts to Love You was such an amazing bitter sweet ending to an amazing romance trilogy, and here is why:
I’ve already been over how great Alisha Rai’s writing is in both previous books’ reviews so I won’t go into more detail about that. One thing I really loved though is how heavily it relied on introspection, and not in the annoying way where characters get caught Inside their heads and we don’t see much else of the story. Here it was super well done, in a way that showed the characters tapping into their messy thoughts and tangled feelings and acting accordingly.
Hurts to Love You follows Eve, who’s Nicholas’ little sister from the first book and Gabe, his childhood best friend. And this book has some tropes I absolutely love. First we have age gap, I believe they’re a little over a decade apart. and it’s so well done, Because them growing up together can make that very merky territory to navigate, but the author made sure to specify that he was never attracted to her until they came back into each others’ lives a month from the start of the book. While the sweet fool that is Eve has always harbored a crush on him. The other trope that is present here and that I’m absolute trash for is forced proximity, they literally HAVE to spend time around each other and seeing the attraction play out is my favourite thing.
Now, Eve. I loved her and some parts of her and the way she reacts and interacts with the world resonated with me very deeply. She’s put together, appears confident but in truth is very insecure with a very flimzy self-esteem that was maintained by her abusive father all throughout her life. She’s sensitive, kind, super smart and driven and hella ambitious, which is one of my favourite combination of qualities in a heroine.
Then we have Gabe who…frustrated the heck out of me. Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but he can get so caught up inside his head sometimes that he messes up. Bad. He’s a super decent guy, also buff and super tattooed which…helps too. He has these walls built around himself, for Good Reason but then the minute Eve starts cracking them he freaks out and says and does all the wrong things which in turn makes her do and say all the wrong things and IT’S JUST A MESS!!!
Their mutual pinning was iconic and agonizing to read and I’m pretty sure I yelled more than one “JUST SAY WHAT YOU REALLY THINK” at my phone. Lucky I was in my room and no one had to witness that. One thing I really loved though is how he’s there for her no matter what’s going on between them, helping her sort through her trauma related feelings and easing her anxiety.
One common theme through the series is family, and I love how that emphasis grows with each book being at its most in this book, bringing forth family relationships both blood and found. The family “drama” thickens in Hurts to Love You and proves to be much more complicated than we’re led to believe in the first two books. And the strong bonds between the different characters are put to the test and come out of it stronger than ever. Another relationship I adored is the one between Eve and her best friend Madison, they’re so supportive for each other and that’s something I never get tired of.
The ending was super satisfying although I would’ve liked for it to go a liiiittle differently. No matter how much I loved this one, Wrong to Need You has a special spot in my heart and is still my favourite out of the bunch.
March 28, 2018
Hurts to Love You is a wonderful conclusion to a fantastic series. Secrets are revealed, all loose threads tied up neatly. Eve and Gabe's romance was front and center despite the number of characters converging, especially in the end. At times funny, other times angsty, Hurts to Love You always brought out the reader's emotions. It's also, as per usual with Alisha Rai, incredibly hot and sexy. Five contented stars.
I requested and received the ARC of this book from Avon through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I requested and received the ARC of this book from Avon through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2025
Reread 2025 and all my thoughts still stand.
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This book was such a satisfying end to the trilogy and exactly what I hoped it would be. The family secrets, the entanglements, the *angst - holy moly the angst. It was delicious and complicated and heavy in this one, but never in a bad way.
I really enjoyed the slow burn and the pining of the two MCs, and I especially appreciated Eve’s journey in all of it. She was struggling so much to find herself, her voice and her equilibrium after getting away from her very abusive father and in parts also from her overprotective brother. It was deeply touching to watch her grow and do her thing and find some happiness after all the ugly she went through.
In the end this book didn’t wow me as much as I hoped it would, but that wasn’t absolutely unexpected since I was so blown away by the second book in the series. But it was a lovely read, emotionally satisfying, with a great romance and a lovely group of friends and family at its core. And it left me really looking forward to The Right Swipe.
CW: abusive biological family, childhood trauma
_____________________________
This book was such a satisfying end to the trilogy and exactly what I hoped it would be. The family secrets, the entanglements, the *angst - holy moly the angst. It was delicious and complicated and heavy in this one, but never in a bad way.
I really enjoyed the slow burn and the pining of the two MCs, and I especially appreciated Eve’s journey in all of it. She was struggling so much to find herself, her voice and her equilibrium after getting away from her very abusive father and in parts also from her overprotective brother. It was deeply touching to watch her grow and do her thing and find some happiness after all the ugly she went through.
In the end this book didn’t wow me as much as I hoped it would, but that wasn’t absolutely unexpected since I was so blown away by the second book in the series. But it was a lovely read, emotionally satisfying, with a great romance and a lovely group of friends and family at its core. And it left me really looking forward to The Right Swipe.
CW: abusive biological family, childhood trauma
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