What happens when all that youth fades away? What made it so great to begin with? Raquel has a reputation around town. When she’s not dominating the luxury real estate market, she’s enjoying the company of yet another young girlfriend. Because there’s nothing that sates the appetite of the neighborhood cougar like twenty-something fun. But Raquel isn’t immune to heartbreak. Her therapist believes she dates co-eds because she’s attempting to recreate the great romance of her youth. The one that ended when her ex-girlfriend left her for someone else. Now she’s met someone new. Someone who is prepared to go toe-to-toe with the resident lesbian cougar. The taste of a forbidden fruit is more sinful when you close your eyes. Lisa has had her eyes on Raquel for a mighty long time. Fresh from college, she knows where she wants to take her life right into Raquel’s bed and, maybe, down the aisle! First, she must overcome the older woman’s reservations about falling in love again. Even then, there is one big secret Lisa harbors in her young and naïve heart. A secret that would make her too forbidden to touch. Good thing Lisa doesn’t let anything get in the way of her obsession for one older woman.
Hildred Billings is a Japanese and Religious Studies graduate who has spent her entire life knowing she would write for a living someday. She has lived in Japan multiple times in multiple locations, from the heights of the Japanese alps to the hectic Tokyo suburbs, with a life in Shikoku somewhere in there too.
Currently, Hildred lives in Oregon with her partner and two cats. When she's not commandeering the corner of the neighborhood coffee shop on hours on end (it's okay, she's on a first-name basis with the baristas) she's probably parked on the couch watching Bob's Burgers or screaming at a Zelda game. (Seriously, Link, why don't you move right?)
My 8th book by Hildred Billings (& Cynthia Dane?) and again not one of my favorites but still an enjoyable read.
We first meet Raquel, a realtor in her early 40's with an appetite for women half her age. To her there's nothing like being with a younger woman who hasn't becomes cynical and jaded by life yet. She spoils them with shopping sprees & weekend getaways and they in turn make her feel younger. Plus the sex is also a major bonus! Except things don't go her way one evening when her current flavor of the week dumps her.
All is not lost however because soon enough she falls prey to Lisa, a young woman who shows up out of nowhere offering to take her mind off of being kicked to the curb. Surely 1 hot night together will be enough for Raquel, but what happens when she and Lisa cross paths again? Who is this girl that seems so devoted to snag her attention? Unfortunately Lisa knows exactly who Raquel is and things are about to become very complicated.
The thing I liked the most about this book is that it's definitely not a cookie cutter romance novel. Even though it soon becomes very obvious what exactly Lisa's secret is, the book kept me reading. Sadly this same secret is also the reason why every now and then I became a little uneasy when reading about their relationship.
Another thing I liked was that both Raquel and Lisa were not painted as being flawless. Some authors manage to make it sound like when a main character is introduced a choir of angels start singing in the background somewhere. Billings did a good job creating two very real 'looking' women. She also gets a bonus point for having a Latina as a main character without once using the word caramel. I don't know why that impresses me but it does.
Oddly enough this book to me didn't have a lot of angst because it was fairly obvious what the overall outcome would be. It also doesn't score very high on the hotness meter but that might be because I've read a truck ton of smut recently and am possibly a little desensitized.
This 3,5* book is not even close to being my favorite by the author(s) but it's also not the worst:
This is my first Hildred Billings read but it won't be my last. The title and circumstance of the book infers erotica but this story has plenty of romance and is also about coming to grips with ones own internal struggles.
The leads are Raquel, a forty-three year old woman, fairly established in her career but with no long-term partner to speak of after her heart was broken in college and Lisa, a twenty-three your old woman that's just getting started in her life. I liked both characters quite a lot because they felt realistic and Billings did a good job providing the points of view for each of them. She also jumps into the plot right away which I was happy about.
Because of the situation there were some squicky moments and that's not due to the leads being forty-three and twenty-three. It's more because Lisa holds a secret and her behavior is questionable at times. The secret is pretty easy to guess in the first chapters of the read so I'm not sure if it was meant to be a twist (I doubt it) and Billings did us the favor of confronting the issues that made me uneasy later in the book. This secret, though, also hangs over the plot so we know a dooms day is pending.
Raquel also is so hung up on her first love from twenty years ago that her ex, though not in the picture at all, practically acts as a third leading character.
What could've been a colder book ended up being warmer because Billings explored the characters and made their emotional connection real. I wouldn't say the two have stellar communication across the board or that some common tropes weren't used but, for the most part, Lisa and Raquel do communicate which makes the romance more of a refreshing read.
I was fairly satisfied by the end of the book with how the author chose to resolve things but your mileage may vary.
I like that Raquel wasn't a svelt model with a perfect body. She's a confident woman in her forties but she also has some curves and weight. Both her and Lisa have some physical imperfections and, personality-wise, have complimentary strengths and weaknesses.
Raquel is also Latina so there's some diversity in that respect.
This is another imperfect book I've read in the last week where there were some problems but the story was written strong enough to compel me to turn the pages. The plot was different and there were some good positives to put this around 3.7 stars for me, rounding up to 4.
Forbidden Fruit follows the love triangle between a woman with a secret agenda, a woman who repeats one dating pattern and the woman who got away from both of them.
Raquel Mendes likes to date women in their early twenties. She's been doing it for two decades. Her entire life revolves around her first true love who left their two year relationship to marry a man. Marian took everything with her when she sailed off into the horizon. Raquel seeks sex and nothing more from her co-ed girlfriends. Feelings equal heartbreak and Raquel isn't interested.
Lisa (no last name) wants Raquel Mendes in a way that no one else ever has before. She knows about this lesbian cougar or leopard from multiple sources and when an opportunity presents itself she turns the tables on an apex predator. They meet in one of Raquel's favourite hotel bars. Lisa already has a room rented there for the night. She approaches Raquel with an agenda of mutual flirtation and seduction. This one and done sex scene turns into something more for both women. As their relationship takes shape, Raquel begins to let go of her obsession with Marian while Lisa holds on tightly to the truth about her love for the same woman.
Forbidden Fruit has strong character development, an interesting plot and good writing. It is the flipside to the lesbian relationship Billings explored in Desperate Times. Lisa and Raquel fall squarely into the femme mystic. The age difference between them is offset by Lisa's clear headed emotional maturity and Raquel's fascination with youth. Together, they find a path toward genuine psychological healing that neither woman can find in therapy. Marian is the snake in this lesfic garden party. Her cosmic hold on the main characters is tyrannical and destructive. Raquel has been pinning for Marian for the entire time that Lisa has been alive. Their unending search for Marian brought them together, but will it also tear them apart?
An interesting psychological character study, Forbidden Fruit becomes repetitive and could benefit from more editing. In spite of its flaws, the novel tackles a captivating story. It deserves 3.5 stars and my hearty recommendation.
Although there are a few things that I would take out of the story just because in my humble opinion they were not necessary or maybe too repetitive, I found this one a very much entertaining reading. If you are into f/f may-december stories like I am, then you will probably enjoy this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I love older women and it was nice to learn some of the thoughts they may have with regards to life, dating younger women and themselves. I could read this book over and over again. Great story!
Raquel is a successful real estate agent in her 40s who consistently dates women in their 20s, most of whom are still in college. She suspects she does this because she was dumped at around age 20 by her first true love, who left her for a man. Alone in a hotel bar one night, she meets Lisa, 23 years old and beautiful, she comes on strong to Raquel. The two sleep together, and subsequently begin a relationship. But Lisa is harboring a secret, one the reader learns quite near the beginning of the book. What engages the reader is wondering when Raquel will learn the secret and what will happen.
This is a solid age gap relationship with a big twist. In many ways it reminded me of Billings' On the Rocks, which I loved. Just like that book, Forbidden Fruit gives us an interesting look inside a new relationship. That is, when it's not regaling us with repeated sex scenes and endless descriptions of Lisa's physical assets.
I wanted to give this 5 stars, but I think there are some places in the book that seemed less polished. The beginning chapter felt too throwaway, especially for a good writer like Billings. And the reconciliation chapter would have been stronger had it been written from Raquel's POV.
It took me a little while to give with Raquel so it made it difficult for me for the first 10% of the book. I think after a few things were revealed it made it a little easier to understand. This is a book about love, self-discovery at all ages, and the importance of truth and communication in relationships. There's a lot of moving parts which makes this such an interesting read. Let's not forget the undeniable chemistry between Raquel and Lisa. Their relationship begins in... rockets and waterfalls. As are all of their sexual encounters. It's a crazy journey with an unexpected ending. Happy reading!
This book kept me hooked from the first chapter til the end of the epilogue last sentence. Wow we read books on lovers breaking up and I. The future reuniting but the twist here is a freaking MUST READ!! I will not spoil this book for anyone but please do take my word for it that this book is phenomenal and worth the time to read it, know that the main character Raquel will have you feeling what she was feeling through out the story. This is the the second best book I read this year and I am going to follow this writer and definitely ENJOY more of her books. Yes get it and Enjoy it!!!!
Love can be found in the mystifying & inconceivable of packages
“Lisa was more than the one of the moment. She was the one who could possibly save Raquel from herself.” + • + • + • +
I was hesitant about reading this book but I'm glad I took the chance because 💯 I loved this story!!!!
The storyline was a uniquely different take on the typical girl-meets-girl narrative with characters that were easy to like, appreciate & relate— even with the unrealistic, soap-opera-ish plot premise.
The story about may - dec romance was true to form, until the mother came into the picture. Rachel was burned by Marion, she wasn’t aware of her having a daughter. Lisa knew about Rachel and became obsessed with her. Once you figured that out the story made sense about Rachel’s need to have younger women. The twist to the story was the romance that followed. Great story, had everything in it love, lust and drama.
The author has created a story that could be seen as incest or is it? Two people supposedly fall in love but one wants to go forward. Sound familiar? Fast forward a few dozen years and the offspring of the one that got away meets the one who wanted to go forth without telling the other. Things get complicated when the truth comes out. Enticed yet? Enjoy!
Hmmmm....age gap, young heartbreak, stalker, hookup habit, no commitments, hot discoveries, deep secrets....oh, yes, and passionate love. Forbidden Fruit has it all, not necessarily in that order, and not necessarily any foregone conclusion. This book was engaging, and while I thought I could predict where it was going, there were unexpected twists that added to its appeal. Liked it - really liked it!
Hildreth does it again. Takes what could have been a cautionary tale about possible power trips between an older and younger woman, a sad tale. Instead she gives the characters rich inner lives and ambivalences about the age disparity and personal integrity. To come full circle and see each other just as people worth loving, and not the roles they were expected to play, made the story much more positive.
It was far too easy to see where this was going. Feel sort of cheated. The ending was so flat with little imagination used which was disappointing considering the writer. Since the word “hot” was used so much in the storytelling, one would think the book itself should have been “hotter”.
Raquel has never fully recovered from losing the woman of her dreams to a man. Finally Tess enters her life and she might have a chance at happy ever after. But then a secret surfaced and there is no future. Great performance and story. Recommend. Exotic romance.
An older woman who almost exclusively dates much younger ones and such a young woman who is seeking an older woman. A match made in heaven? Not exactly, but the twists and turns of this novel are tantalizing. Whether anything like this happens IRL, I can't say, but who cares. It's an imaginative read.
If it wasn’t free I would have been mad I bought it. I got sick of reading the pity party around the different ages, the twist was not a surprise, and really the emotions were very fake feeling. . .
Wow. This storyline had many twists and turns. If you like May-December romances give it a read. Find out the secret Lisa was keeping from Raquel. Would the end result be devastating? Read to learn the answer.... Disappointment is not an option.
I recomend this book to everyone. The book has a twist on a May-December relationship with the lagoon that love comes in all forms. I could not pt this book down and i finished this book in 4 sittings.
Cute heart warming story with great characters and loads of great sex i thoroughly enjoyed read this story will definitely look out for more by this author
I loved this book. I liked how Lisa was already in love with Raquel before she seduced her the first time. I was so glad that they did end up together.
Typical Hildred Billings story, love, erotica, with a twist. The twist this time was pretty up front and easily known. More of the story was how each was dealing with own emotions.
It's a hot age difference story of 45-year-old Raquel and 23-year-old Lisa with a secret. Raquel's heart had been broken at a young age and has been dating college students ever since. Their relationships rarely last longer than a few weeks. Lisa has searched for and found her and a new era begins for Raquel. Lisa's secret will change the relationship forever.
🌈TERRIFIC🌈 I really liked the story. However there is this portion of the story that really got me riled up! It comes through after Raquel learns that secret that Lisa is withholding! Enough about that though. My review is about how any mature adult can truly indulge the notion that incest was consummated through there sexual moments of ecstasy. And to continue to torment their own mind, by repeatedly thinking about it constantly. No relation yet? So how can there be incest?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.