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Forbidden Series #2

Crushing Over My Best Friend's Older Brother

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A Fake Fiancé Romance

I’m engaged to my best friend’s older brother.
Except it’s a big fat lie.

Rich, grumpy and jaw-dropping gorgeous
I’ve known him for ages and he’s totally off-limits.

I got myself in a mess that’s left me flat broke.
He offers to help me out. But there’s a catch.
Pretend to be his fiancée until he wins custody of his secret daughter

It was supposed to be easy until his pretend kisses feel so real.
When his strong protector arms hold me, I want more

He has a dangerous secret that could hurt us both.
Our lives are at risk and I should back out now.

But he’s claimed me and has a different idea…


A steamy fake fiance, age gap, romance filled with angst and heat. Family drama and heart-felt moments. This can be read as a standalone, no cliff hangers or cheating and of course a HEA!

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2021

175 people are currently reading
78 people want to read

About the author

Tara Brent

33 books70 followers

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5 stars
118 (51%)
4 stars
63 (27%)
3 stars
32 (14%)
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11 (4%)
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3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
1,090 reviews13 followers
May 21, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Crushing Over My Best Friend's Older Brother by Tara Brent takes us to Tiff. You will remember her as the woman who created the dating app with Maya (from book 1). She also has a major crush on Maya's older brother Vince. Vince was involved as a bag man for a neighborhood criminal Harrison, along with Maya's husband Jackson. Vince used the money he earned to support his mother and three siblings after his father died. Both Vince and Jackson were able to leave that life behind and now own a successful real estate company.

Trying to win custody of his daughter Heidi, Vince asks Tiff to be his fake fiancée. He will look more reputable to the judge. Tiff is a black woman who encounters racism all over town. The one place she didn't expect was at home. Her parents are not happy about their only daughter with a white man. The amount of racism that Tiff encounters is not surprising but it is upsetting. Vince begins to realize this when he too hears of people who don't want him together with Tiff.

For a light romance book, it skimmed the top of what racism looks like. I applaud Tara Brent for bringing up such a timely but touchy subject. When Vince looks at Tiff he just sees a beautiful woman. Heidi is an example that children don't see color until they are taught to hate.

Vince's past comes back to bite him in a few ways. He is really a sympathetic character as he had a noble reason for why he chose to do illegal things. I like Vince and Tiff as a couple. They have chemistry but even more so they make the other better and happier. Crushing Over My Best Friend's Older Brother is a standalone but does have characters from book one appearing. If you are looking for a romance that works without getting to heavy, Crushing Over My Best Friend's Older Brother is the read for you.
715 reviews5 followers
May 20, 2021
Tiff sold the dating app that she and her best friend started but her cousin cheated her out of her money and now she lives at home and works as a waitress. Her best friend’s brother, Vince, did some shady things when he was younger to help support his family, but he is now clean, rich and in real estate but he has a questionable reputation. He wants to try to gain custody of his secret 5 year old daughter from her addicted mother and his lawyer suggests that his case would be better if he had a fiancé. Tiff agrees to help him but her father is against the idea because of Vince’s reputation and he doesn’t want his daughter involved with a white man. Will Tiff be able to help Vince gain custody of his daughter and will their attraction grow into a relationship?

I enjoyed this story with Tiff and Vince who had to fight the racial prejudice of her father and his troubled past to find happiness. Tiff had been scammed by her cousin and was trying to recover financially and Vince had become a successful businessman but his past still caused problems. The epilogue was a great ending for their story.
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
Profile Image for Char (1RadReader59).
3,258 reviews19 followers
November 13, 2021
I happened to start this series with Dane’s story, Vince’s younger brother. That book seemed, for me to have more couple drama and family drama. This one moved along just with a lot of issues that seemed to make me feel sad too, and to be brought in, even though for sure it is a reality. For sure the author handles it beautifully.

It just never seems like Tiff values herself enough to stand up for herself with her family, Vince or Maya. Maya and Jackson in this story, piss me off. They to me feel completely disloyal and family and friends. Not only to, Vince but to, Tiff too. Maya more or less slaps, Tiff in the face while Tiff asks, why Maya didn't tell her about, Vince.

Maya off the cuff response is hurtful. She outright says she's not family. This is news to Tiff because the last five years first it is four years as college roommates. Then nonstop of are locked pretty much inventing an app that turns them both into rich women.

They knew each other's secrets and Maya was trying to put her together with Vince for a half-second. Yet, she doesn't think his past is important, and in this instance, she is considered family. It was an amazing story in a lot of ways, but it just seemed to lag compared to Dane’s story. For me.
562 reviews
May 22, 2021
Great book

I loved Tiff and Vince's story. We met both of them in book 1, Jackson and Maya's story. Tiff and Maya had sold their dating app company, splitting the money 50/50, but shady a shady cousing took Tiffs money by selling her fake shares in a vacation property, so she ends up living back with her parents, who she has not told about the money.
Vince is trying to get full custody of his daughter, his lawyer advices him that being a Batchelor does not always look good in family court, and he asks Tiff for help....can they pull this off, as they both have real feelings, and what happens when Vinces past comes to light, or when her parents dissaprove, not just because of his criminal background, but because he is white, not black, or when his best friend accuses him of not being above board. I found Jackson to be a bit hypocritical and definitely not the best friend/brother in law considering he ran with the same people as Vince before they started their real-estate business.
Tara Brent does an amazing job with this book!!

I received an arc copy from the author and freely give my honest review
913 reviews4 followers
May 25, 2021
This is a touching, heart-felt, beautiful story of Vince's dedication to convince Tiff that he loves her & has for years. With Vince in the middle of a custody battle for his daughter, he convinces Tiff to be his fake fiancee so he can win in family court. There are so many obstacles for her as Tiff has dark skin & his is white. Being in an interracial relationship only will complicate things. Vince is a super great guy & loves her as she is. She is worthy of having a meaningful happy life with her long-time crush & with Vince by her side, he is patient & understanding of her feelings.

Kudos to Ms. Brent in writing an interracial relationship & how people of different races view a mixed couple. Prejudice is very much a part of our lives & with the young generation like Vince & Tiff, this generation is the start of changing people's minds. This story gives a person time to reflect how we can make this world a better place to get along. Well done & worth reading!

I volunteered to read this ARC & leave an honest review.
196 reviews3 followers
May 21, 2021
A tale of the difficulties there are when you fall in love with your best friends brother. The insecurity as to whether it will impact your friendship, does he feel the same? After all you are privy to inside info and you know he’s got a past! Now from his perspective, he’s got a history that he’s none too keen to share but of course he had his reasons at the time. Trouble is will it affect how she feels? The only way to find out is to read this great book by Tara Brent. It’s a standalone read but also a follow on from book one in this series. Personally i think it is interesting to see how the characters develop over the different books so I preferred having read book 1 first but you don’t have to and sometimes following your heart is not always the easiest route but maybe love can make it worth all the angst.


I received an ARC in return for an honest review. Did I enjoy it. Yes I did.
Profile Image for Anna.
1,076 reviews4 followers
May 27, 2021
Tara is bringing us Vince and Tiff’s story and it is good one. Tiffany has crushed on her best friend Maya’s brother for years. Vince has a shady past because of some of the things he did when he was younger, but now he is pretty well off and is trying to win custody of his daughter. They embark on a fake marriage to help him win custody but soon feelings take hold.
Vince and Tiff’s story will hold your interest from start to finish because it deals with several different issues. The main one is the fact that this is a biracial relationship and both characters take a lot of slack over it. How will they handle the situation? The chemistry is definitely there and the story carries lots of different emotions. Another good read from a talented author. I received an arc copy and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Shantelle.
174 reviews
May 20, 2021
When backed into a corner, do you come clean or lie? How about both? That is where Vince finds himself. After losing his sister to his best friend (if you haven't read My Forbidden Date by Tara Brent, it's a must read), he decides to ask his sister's best friend to help him out. Vince and Tiff find themselves against so much more than living a lie or telling the truth. It worked for his sis and best friend, but can cupids arrow strike twice?
This book, as well as My Forbidden Date,  is a stand-alone book. I love how Ms. Brent writes her characters, they are amazing! It's great to learn more after meeting them in the first book.

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
457 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2021
***4.5 stars***
Tara Brent did an amazing job on this book’s storyline. Enjoyed the fact that we were meeting characters from previous book, My Forbidden Date. Vince is Maya’s brother and Tiff helped Maya creat her dating app. The characters are believable and have marvelous chemistry together. This book will have you captivated from start to finish.
This story touches on racism because Vince is a white man and Tif is a black woman. The author did a great job on acknowledging the racism but not weighing down the romance of the book. The fact that it wasn’t heavy on the political aspects of racism made the story more enjoyable. Hope to read more from Tara Brent in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving an arc copy for an honest review.
Profile Image for Elisa  Castro .
2,636 reviews2 followers
August 15, 2021
believe

Crushing Over My Best Friend's Older Brother is book two in the series Forbidden by author Tara Brent. There’s a saying, “what won’t you do for family?” This sums this story up perfectly. Vince has done many
things for his family not all are what we’d as a civilized society would deem legitimate. Even though he might have stepped over the imaginary line for the benefit of his family this does not make him bad. No it makes him a man who lives for his family- man who’d you would love entirely and who would love you back the same. If he thought he deserved you. Vince’s story is of struggle, strength and heart. That’s why he falls for Tiff. She is his other half - the light to his dark.
Enjoy!!
4,145 reviews25 followers
May 20, 2021
Surprising romance
When I read the title, I was afraid that the content would be cliché, but on the contrary the story is surprising. He makes us follow the development of the relationship of Tiff and Vince, a couple who discovers, at least for Vince, the daily racism of a mixed couple, whether it is to be served at the restaurant, for family relations or for the image to obtain child custody. Added to this is the moving story of hard-to-obtain redemption, rumor and a budding relationship. It’s a great romance that still has a hot side to it.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
Profile Image for Korkoi.
7,262 reviews33 followers
May 21, 2021
Crushing Over My Best Friend's Older Brother by Tara Brent

Review Heading: The Love Of A Real Family -
Vince and Tiff’s story, is one where you need a bottle of red or white wine, a big couch and a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the closed door. Once you start reading the book, I can definitely say you will not want any interruptions. This is a beautifully written tale, which is filled with undeniable chemistry, emotional moments, family drama and true happiness, which makes the story an addictive page turner. A definite must read book.

I received an advanced copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Juliana Ignácio.
1,132 reviews4 followers
May 29, 2021
I really loved this story.
Tiff had already appeared in the first book in this series and she has a crush on Maya's brother, Vince.
Vince has a dark past, but he managed to leave that life behind and is now a successful businessman.
While Vince tries to take custody of his daughter, Heidi, he asks Tiff to be his fake fiancé and she accepts, but neither of them imagined the scale of racism they would face as a biracial couple, including Tiff's family and close people to Vince.
The chemistry between Tiff and Vince is huge, but they will also have to face threats from Vince's past.
I loved the story and the characters. I highly recommend the reading.
1,758 reviews12 followers
May 20, 2021
Fake fiance crush...
The hero wanted custody of his son but needed a fiance to demonstrate commitment to the courts. His younger sister's best friend agreed to the fake arrangement but would her heart break when they separate? Not going to detail the story but in no time at all they didn't need to fake it, it was the real deal. This was so well written, charming, witty, steamy. I especially liked the fact that her parents had to be won over because she was marrying a white man, scandalous! I received an arc & this is my honest & voluntary review.
1,807 reviews6 followers
May 27, 2021
This is brilliant read.
Tiff had always had a crush on her best friends older brother so when he asks her to be his fake fiance so he get custody of his daughter she immediately says yes.
The chemistry between them is off the charts but so many people aren't happy with their relationship.
They are a mixed race couple but when their feelings start to become real can they make it together.
So much emotion and drama in this book but it's a must read.
I would highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Profile Image for Gladys Mills.
1,963 reviews8 followers
May 28, 2021
Crushing Over my best friend's older brother. This book was interesting. It had some drama and it kept me engaged. Vince found himself in a dilemma. He needs to be married in order to see his daughter. So he sets out to find a woman to help him get custody of his child. Right after Tiffany agrees to be his fiancé a child is left on his doorstep. Vince and Tiff now have to find a way to make it work. I enjoyed this book! ***I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. * * *
359 reviews3 followers
June 16, 2021
Vince has a secret attraction to his sister’s best friend, Tiff. Vince wants custody of his daughter, Heidi, that he hasn’t seen since birth, but he needs someone steady in his life. He makes Tiff a proposition to pretend to be his fiancé. They both have things in their past that they aren’t proud of that could affect their future. Their story has emotions and drama galore, lots of chemistry, a little suspense, and a HEA.

I received a copy of this book as an ARC Reviewer and am giving my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Katie.
920 reviews4 followers
May 21, 2021
Good story. Lots of emotional ups and downs. Tiff was great - warm, hard working, soft hearted. Vince was a self-UNaware twit to begin with and, in the long run, it was good for everyone that his past comes out. I thought Jackson was a real hypocrite and certainly not a supportive friend and brother-in-law. I was glad that Vince and Tiff stayed together and worked things out rather than giving up.

I received a free Advance Review Copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Profile Image for Ann Flint.
625 reviews2 followers
June 6, 2021
Whenever Vince sees Tiff he dashes off.
Tiff is his sisters best friend.
He needs help to win custody of his secret daughter, and they agree to a fake engagement .
She has a secret. He has plenty regarding his past. They both face surprise prejudice
This is a great book.
They have so much to overcome to be together.
Loved the characters and the story.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
681 reviews
July 21, 2021
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Vince has a very colourful past that his family doesn't know about.
Tiff is best friends with Vince's sister and has always had a bit of a crush on him.
When Vince asks Tiff to pretend to be his fiance to help him get custody of his secret daughter she is hesitant but decides to help.
But his kisses soon become not so much pretend and more so real things get heated quickly.
Profile Image for Margaret.
2,652 reviews11 followers
May 23, 2021
Excellent romance. The main characters of Vince who works in real estate and Tiffany whose trying to find what she wants to do next. All the other characters in the story are fantastic as well. They run into racial issues as Tiff is black and Vince is white. I love how Tiff and Vince stand up to it.
Profile Image for Katherine Jordan.
589 reviews3 followers
May 24, 2021
This was an entertaining story to read. Things in life rarely go the way you want them to and this story proves it. I think it is rather charming that she wants her father to approve of the man she wants to marry and has him ask permission. Throw a child and grandparents in who think they know best and it makes for a rousing time. I really enjoyed the book.

504 reviews6 followers
July 12, 2021
Good book

I really enjoyed this book. This was different. Tiffany was young, how old was Vince? I love how the story flowed. Michelle parents must have been something for her not to want Heidi to stay with them. I held back a point because of Tiffany's overbearing parents. But good book.
1,307 reviews2 followers
May 27, 2021
" I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. "

Tiffany made the mistake of trusting the wrong people. Vince is trying to get his life together but his past is catching up with him. With everything falling apart can their relationship survive?
212 reviews
May 31, 2021
Ended up loving it!

For me it began as a slow burner and I wasn't sure if I'd 'get into' the story.
However after a couple of chapters I was hooked!
Well written storyline, with one or two surprises and a HEA.
My favourite kind of book!
Profile Image for Courtney.
4,298 reviews
May 18, 2022
👏👏

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from the first page until the very last. It has been a very rare occurrence that I could just pick up a book and read it in one day; but, I was captivated by these characters and their amazing love story instantaneously.
185 reviews1 follower
May 24, 2021
Amazing

What a diverse story. White boy falls in love with black girl. White man has shady past and black girl sweet and no trouble. Love it
Profile Image for Jeannette.
3,184 reviews8 followers
May 26, 2021
Ok

This was an ok book to read. It had sad and sweet moments. I liked the characters and their chemistry
Profile Image for Tracy Fritts.
1,478 reviews37 followers
May 27, 2021
Good read!!

I enjoyed Tiff and Vince story. It was well written. A page turner and key my interest. It has a good storyline.
1,440 reviews5 followers
May 28, 2021
Crushing Over My Best Friend's Older Brother

Another good story about believable and likable characters. I have enjoyed reading this story and I look forward to reading more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews

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