Forbidden Spice

by K.C. Savage

JADEN
I’ve got huge plans for my life. Falling for someone is not in those plans.
College first, then making my dream of owning, and being the head chef of a restaurant in New York City a reality.
One Friday night while working, I catch sight of the most stunning woman who’s ever entered The Oasis, sitting at the bar with her friend.
Blaire shook my plans upside down and sideways from the moment we met.

BLAIRE
One night at The Oasis and my life is never going to be the same.
After my divorce, I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I have a young daughter to raise.
His inviting smile and mischievous gaze draw me in, and I can’t think straight.
He’s amazing.
So young, fit, and gorgeous.
So, in tune with me and all my wants and needs.
After we spend two magnificent weeks together, I go back to work at the university, where I’m a culinary instructor.
My heart stops when Jaden walks into my classroom.

Genres: He Falls First

190 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2024

Reviews

[Smut Cartel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blaire shook my plans upside down and sideways from the moment we met.

His inviting smile and mischievous gaze draw me in, and I can’t think straight.

This was a well written story that actually felt relatable in some parts.
An older single mum, that co-parents with her ex, and young and sexy student chef.... what a combination. Filled with spice, the story line was also a great read because everything flowed so nicely, despite their own inner turmoil of the situation.

Tropes:
- Reverse age gap
- Student/Teacher
- Forced proximity
- Secret romance
- Dual POV

[Carley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but rounding to 4

I will start off with saying that reverse age gap usually isn't my jam.. and this gap is huge.. I think what bothered me the most is the constant use of "young man" it gave me the ick. The rest of the tropes i did like, I liked the forbidden aspect and im always down for instalove. I think this book had really good bones but I think it was rushed in places that needed to be fleshed out and dragged out in places that I could care less about like when the students were cooking and we get a very detailed scene of step by step cooking. I think if we read more of the in-between moments between the MCs or maybe put more in that would have been great. I would have liked to see more of the emotional connection versus the very heavy physical connection we got. If you like reverse age gap, forbidden student/teacher, insta love and a quick read then this will be your book.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading my first ARC book this month. It will be released on May 1st.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📚 Forbidden Spice
🖊️ Kc Savage
Tropes: reverse age gap, student/teacher, secret romance, and forced proximity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4/5 ⭐️ / 3.5/5 🌶️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This faced paced love story follows Blair (an older mother) and Jayden (a young college student) who meet at a bar and instantly connect. Shortly they find themselves in a tough situation. Blair is Jayden’s culinary professor! Do they risk it see where things go, or end things and follow the rules.

Their story is steamy from the beginning and so so hot.

The dual POV was nice to see each main character’s side and the dual epilogue was a nice touch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Go check out Forbidden Spice May 1st. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited 📕

[Micaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to recieve and ARC copy of Forbidden Spice & absolutely loved the story of Jaden & Blaire!

The forbidden & taboo romance was exciting to read & I love the fact that there were 2 epilogues told from different POVs

The Dual POV throughout the book made for a quick read !

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

**ARC**

overall, i thought it was a good book. the reverse age gap trope is something i don’t read often but i liked it. jaden was almost obsessive over her once claire cut things off between them. the random jumps in time with no warning were a little confusing at times, but it wasn’t hard to follow the story. i love that they had a happy ending though!

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book very different from what I usually read enjoyable storyline good spice

[Chaotic Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden Spice is a reverse age gap, taboo/forbidden romance. This is actually the first reverse age gap I’ve read and I finished it in an afternoon.

It follows the story of Blaire a 39year old divorcee whom between caring for her young daughter is also a culinary instructor at a university.
One night while out with her best friend she meets Jaden a young barback one flirtatious encounter turns into 2 blissfully streaming 2 weeks and then the new school year starts and who just happens to be one of Miss Turners new students.

The dual POV was good seeing both Blaire and Jaden’s inner turmoil/determination was interesting. This is definitely an Insta love read, in all honesty, I felt there wasn’t much emotion connection between the mains but definitely physical connection, so if that’s your jam and your all for an older woman definitely give this book a read. All in all it was a good short afternoon read.

[Marie-Claude Carrière · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg I was hooked from page 1! I devoured this novella.

I loved the forbidden relationship, the age gap and that it's the woman that's older. 👌

****

The only part that influenced my rating to go from a 5⭐ to a 4⭐ was that it felt a bit anticlimactic towards the end, everything went a bit TOO well, I think the plot twist was maybe too soon in the book and I felt that the second year of his studies was just perfect with no issues but that said I also wanted and NEEEDED A HEA for this couple so by the end of the book I was so happy with how it was wrapped up and simply LOVED this novella!
I'd rate it more as a 4.5⭐ to be honest and 3.5 🌶️ The spice starts STRONG but then it dies a bit down because of the forbidden aspect of the relationship but the spice and the attraction is still definitely a main element to this novella.

If you like age gap, forbidden romance and a short story you definitely need to add this book to your TBR. READ IT NOW !!

[Linsey Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Spice was a great read! I would recommend it.

Blair is a single mom working as a culinary teacher when she meets a sexy barback Jaden. The sparks are instant. When classes begin and she is welcoming her students she sees him, it's Jaden from the restaurant. Is Blair willing to risk her career and continue her relationship with Jaden? Is Jaden willing to lose his dreams and college degree if he tries to convince Blair to continue the relationship? You better read to find out!

This book has a great storyline, and is well written. It is a fast read, and can be hard to put down. It did jump into the spice right away, but the book wasn't overly graphic. It was detailed with the culinary classes making it enjoyable to a broader group of readers who enjoys spicy but not extreme details. I also liked that the author wrote in a single working mom with a good coparenting relationship with her ex

[MoonLitSmut 🌙🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Forbidden Spice” by K.C. Savage is a contemporary romance novel that delves into themes of forbidden love and age-gap relationships. The story centers on Blaire, a 39-year-old divorced mother and culinary instructor, and Jaden, a young college student aspiring to become a head chef. Their chance meeting at a bar leads to a passionate connection, which becomes complicated when Jaden enrolls in Blaire’s class, introducing elements of secrecy and professional boundaries.

Main Characters:
•Blaire: A dedicated mother and university culinary instructor, navigating life post-divorce.
•Jaden: An ambitious college student with dreams of owning a New York City restaurant.

Tropes:
•Reverse Age Gap: The female protagonist is older than the male lead.
•Student/Teacher Relationship: A romantic involvement develops between an instructor and her student.
•Secret Romance: The relationship is concealed due to its forbidden nature.
•Forced Proximity: Circumstances compel the characters to interact closely, intensifying their connection.

I absolutely loved it 🖤

[Dawana · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

KC Savage gives us a great reverse age gap forbidden romance in Forbidden Spice. Jaden instantly falls for Blaire at first sight. He works at the Oasis by night and is a culinary student by day. Blaire is an older woman who gets swept up in her attraction for a younger man she meets at a restaurant. They enjoy each other for two weeks before finding out he’s her new student. Scared to lose her job and way of supporting her daughter, she ends things, but Jaden isn’t letting go.

Jaden and Blaire start with a fierce physical attraction and it quickly grows from there. They care about each other. It was sweet to hear them working out details for their future. Some of the cooking pieces were a little basic but they kept the story on point. I enjoyed it!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden Spice 🌶️
From the moment Blaire and Jaden meet there is a sense of magnetism pulling them together. After their first rendezvous, they find out they’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other, but not in the way they thought. Will this pull they have to one another be enough to keep them together or will it all fall apart?

Spice Level 🌶️🌶️🌶️

The story of Jaden and Blaire started off with a bang… literally. Hot and spicy with a touch of taboo. To me, this book read as a “feel good” romance rather than “smut”. The story of Blaire and Jaden was hot, sweet, and their love story seemed so simple. Overall, it was a quick read.

[chesirern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Spice by KC Savage is a small town fiction, age gap and erotica novel. Oh this book is spicy and I loved it. The characters were well written and relatable. They were like every day people you meet going about their business, until wham they weren’t they were fantasy people you read about. The plot was the same real life until it was something you only gossip aboutor hear about. It was steamy in all the right places but full of emotion. I just devoured the book in one sitting.
I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a spicy read. Great job KC Savage.

[Christi Elaine Camacho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember to check your trigger warning before reading. Forbidden spice, exactly what the name means. Blaire is falling for a guy she met at the bar. He is hot as sin. Jayden falls for her only for her to wind up being his professor. It's hot it's heavy the spice is spicy. Such a short read, but it's fast paced and oh so worth it.
It's a age gap romance, she is older than him going thru a divorce, and he is wanting to start his life.
This is a good read.

[Audrey Halliwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of details on cooking as both characters are chefs. He's in school to be a chef, she is his teacher. Though this is a forbidden romance, I found it relaxed in terms of drama. The two characters are mature, written appropriately for their ages.

Side note: it was nice to read an ex-wife and ex-husband coparenting nicely with no "OMG you want to date a man younger than you? I'm taking you to court for custody immediately!"

Everything felt realistic to me.

No cheating.

[Wolf (Alpha) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Once again KC Savage did an amazing job! I loved the romance and the instant attraction between the two. The age gap definitely took me by surprise at first. I got scared they would get caught a few times but I’m glad they didn’t. I loved that they were in culinary school because that’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Such an amazing happy ending and I would definitely reread.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, had me held in suspense will they get caught won't they. This is a forbidden age gap romance with plenty of spice. I enjoyed the storyline of a 39yr old Mum falling for a young Man an there journey of trying to resist each other. Good characters, with great ending.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the reverse age gap forbidden student/professor quick read. I wish some parts had more depth while others like the students cooking was condensed more. Overall the spice helped to keep me going. I would recommend for a quick read.

[Haydee Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book

I love how Jaden and Blair’s relationship. It’s very spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️ I loved how Jaden was young but know what he wanted he showed Blair age ain’t nothing but a number overall this was a very great book. Love that they got their Happily Ever After.

[Heather Sprague · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like parts of the book were rushed through with the story, but, overall, it was a great taboo romance story. It had some drama and spiciness without hitting triggers (other than age gap).

[Giulia Esteban · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Bonito y dulce. Para mi gusto un poco demasiado sexo gratuito y adjetivos repetitivos pero la historia es muy bonita.

[Heather Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This was an amazing story! It had so much spice! The characters were amazingly written! I couldn’t put it down! Wonderfully written by an incredible author!

[Brittany Kincaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the older mom gets to fall for the younger man in this book. I’ve only gotten to read age gaps where the man is older so far. Jaden is madly in love with Blaire and finds out that she is now his instructor and they cannot be together for the time he is in school. It’s intriguing to see how hard she tries to fight her feelings for him and then to see them sneaking around once she accepts her feelings for him! I loved it, the only thing I wanted was more of it. I would have loved it even more if the book was longer with more detail because I loved their story so much! The spice was perfect also!!

[Deona Landrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book really explains the whole book... Forbidden Spice is reverse age gap very taboo/Forbidden romance between student/instructor. Blair is a divorcee who just wants adventure in her relationship . She thought she found that in Jaden until she found out he was her student. She fought her feelings for him, but in the end, Jaden won. He fell, and he fell hard for her. I do feel some parts were rushed and wished for a little more detail in some part, but overall, it was amazing read. Please do check tigger warnings!!

[W Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast and fun

The book was decent, has spice, character development was not great. It was pretty much an instant love, predictable story.

[Danielle Graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the whole premise of the forbidden nature of a teacher and student relationship especially when it's a female teacher with a male student, it adds just a little bit more naughtiness to it with the idea of an older woman taking on the younger man, so I fully expected to love Forbidden Spice and it was good, but it wasn't quite perfect.
 
Blaire and Jaden first meet in the bar/restaurant that Jaden works in, it's instalust and they end up hooking up the first night and then beginning a two-week passionate tryst before Jaden walks into Blaire's classroom and realises she's his new culinary professor and that's where the book started to go wrong for me. Once Blaire realises Jaden is her student she ends things with him because she can't risk her career and then the book begins to get a little jumpy with its time frame. Two weeks, months, a year it made the story feel clunky and lose some of its charm and flow as it flitted from We can't be together to I'm jealous, I will wait, I want you, and stolen moments.
 
I enjoyed the spice, and when the couple worked together they were great but so much of their relationship was focused on their sexual chemistry and the will we be together or not without any emotional input, that I wish it had been padded out a little more with fewer jumps and more of them just being together.

[Tishana Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was immediately added to my TBR just for the blurb alone! It's my first read by KC and won't be my last.

I loved that it was a reverse age gap romance where the female character was older and their chemistry was insane from the first night together in the club. It was a fast-paced read with a really good storyline, and some steamy spice, and overall made a good read! Blaire and Jaden made for a great couple. While it wasn't a deep relationship (not connecting on an emotional level), their physical connection was a 5/5. YESSS BLAIRE GO GET YOU A YOUNG STALLION! Loved this book and can't wait to read more from KC in the future.

[Nichole Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast, easy read that sucked me in. I haven't read many reverse age gap stories, but I enjoyed this one.

The story of Blaire and Jaden was so sweet, loving, sexy. I liked the dual POV, being able to see and feel what each main character does. Feeling their attraction grow, watching their feelings develop.

At times it felt a little rushed. I would have loved a slightly longer story with certain areas fleshed out more, such as the emotional romance side of their relationship. But, I loved this story and the HEA.

[Sophie (slovenianbookworm) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried it, struggled with it, DNF-ed it.
The main problem was that everything happened so quickly, literally in the blink of an eye so the story just lost its appeal. I get insta stories and MCs falling into lust at first sight but this book starts at a bar and then the MCs are just exchanging words and doing it in the bathroom. No deeper feelings or descriptions involved so the story was rather bland and I just didn't feel the need to continue reading the book even though I'm not sure I even finished the chapter.
Shame, because the blurb and cover look so promising.

[KandieKane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an adorable quick read with a reversed age gap. Watching them fight their attraction to each other while in a professor/student forbidden situation will have you falling in love with them. Even the side characters are all awesome and relatable.

It is a large age gap and not something I would generally lean towards, but that's just personal preference not anything against the book.