Forbidden Stranger

Troping Series #4

by Alexa Riley

Noel is Tropings’ resident bookworm and can tell you exactly what romances you’ll love most. One day while she’s working at the library a mysterious stranger comes in, and it might just be her very own Happily Ever After.

Gabriel is in Troping to find the daughter his stepmother gave up for adoption. Noel doesn’t know he’s her stepbrother, but there’s an even bigger problem: for weeks he’s been pretending to be her book club bestie, and now that he’s fallen in love it’s time to come clean.

Warning: What do a librarian, a stranger, and a town full of Christmas cheer have in common? It’s the perfect holiday treat to cozy up with! Find out if these two can share secrets and still meet under the mistletoe.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Holiday, Novella, Adult, Smut

96 pages, ebook

First published January 2, 2023

About the author

Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.

They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!

Feel free to follow us each on twitter @smut_sasshole & @SassNSmut

Reviews

[Celia {Semi Hiatus} · Rating 3 out of 5]

•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 3,3 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |•

We're back to Troping, this time is Noel's story.
She's the librarian of the town, and she's also adopted.
Gabriel is Kate's husband son, Kate is the biologic Noel's mother.
She asks Gabriel to help her discover her long-lost daughter.



Gabriel Snow found Noel, and he connects with her through the books, Noel thinks he is a she, so she trusts in Gabriel with her personal taste and thoughts.
Gabriel leaves New York and goes to Troping, he has to meet Noel personally.



When they meet, there's an insta chemistry, and we know how it goes.
We can see all the couples in this one, as we say goodbye to Troping inhabitants, and theirs happy ending.

[Fanny ♡ (fanny_priceyre) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado pero sí no fuera una historia de romance sería perturbador.🙂

[Kimmylongtime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo flipping adorable 🥰!! I loved, loved this entire series 🥰

[effin surrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My least favourite from the series. Story was short and everything was rushed.

[CrazyGal609 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fate was watching over Noel for sure ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🎄Short, sweet, and Christmassy🎄
The love in Grabriels family, Noels family, and her friends plus townspeople is just soooo warm & wonderful!! Had a few happy tears too 🥺🤧🥰
⭐️⭐️Tinsel is my most favorite kooky character EVER!! A 2 word cameo from Clause was perfect, and I think Gabriel just made a BFF with Jack 😆 💋Noel’s tropes are definitely delicious💋
❓Wondering why the Writers made a point of NOT revealing Noel’s (adopted) parents name… little bizarre 🧐🤔

💙💙💙💙💙 I’m loving the covers too!
I’m trying to find this series in paperback 💋💋💋💋💋
(If anyone knows were to find in paperback drop a line in the comments please😉)

[Astraycat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A quick read with little misunderstanding.

[Lyndsay TC · Rating 4 out of 5]

An instant love story Alexa Riley is known for with the sappiest storyline, insta-love, and happily ever afters all around. Gabriel and Noel were fun to watch as Noel actually made Gabriel work for forgiveness after she found out his secret. Short and sweet story.

[Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was cute. It didn’t have any real angst and there was only one timy misunderstanding that gave the story a little bump to get over. But it was fast and fun and had some steam, so it was perfect for a quick lunch read to get my romance fix!

Safe. Celibate hero, no details on his past. Heroine is a virgin, belongs only to her hero. No others (very minor OM drama that heroine isn’t in), no cheating or sharing or abuse. HEA with epilogue only a few months out.

[Sara]

R all have round ass die happy?
really thes novel share with me love the book.
esey to read that i dont know if i have ma night or morning
but still smill and giggle
luck me to love read book and share it with friends.
still i dont love chat like hiroine but i love how she sassy

[Melanie Milburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriel comes to Trope to find his stepmother’s child, the one she was forced to give up years ago. What his parents don’t know is that he’s found her and he has more on his agenda.
Noel is the local librarian who is an expert on finding the perfect romance book for her patrons. She’s hoping to find her own happily ever after and shares her hopes with her online friend Snow.
What happens when these two meet? Combustion!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok, but I don't think I'll read it again. This was on track to having a higher rating, but after a certain point, the romance just evaporated. I liked both MCs a lot, the story had great momentum, there was some decent spice, and the background of their cute hometown was still present. But then came the pivotal moment when Gabriel revealed who he was, and the writing quickly crumbled for me. I will say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised that Gabriel was being upfront so soon and that his moment of truth didn't get delayed by outside influences, which is extremely rare since miscommunication is king in romance.

Anyway, this book helped me realize how much I hate grand gestures, even if Gabriel's gestures were pretty nice. (He carved their initials on a bookshelf and he had a playground/gazebo built outside the library.) This book gets a somewhat-pass due to the sweet nature of his gifts, but grand gestures usually disappoint me on principle because they come across as more of a work-around to excuse someone's behavior. And regardless of the gifts, I guess because he decided to do a grand gesture in the first place sucked all the romance out for me. I was really into this couple, but once that moment hit, they lost their shine.

It's still not a bad book; this is just me feeling disappointed after such a great lead-up and having it deflate unexpectedly.

[Alba M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabriel está a punto de hacerle un favor a su madrastra, pero quizá ese favor es un poco más egoísta de lo que cree. Noel es la hija que dió ella en adopción y cuando se acercó a ella solo para investigarla las cosas cambiaron rápidamente; pero cambiaron todavía más cuando se ven en persona. Puede que llegase a Troping con unas intenciones pero no se va a ir de allí, y la pequeña pelirroja puede estar segura de que sus libros de romance se van a hacer realidad.

Cuanto me gusta leer estos libros, apenas tienen drama y me dan las cosas que más me gustan romance y salseo del bueno 😏 JAJAJAJA. Son perfectos para pasar el rato!

[Aya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was really sweet but…I can let go of the fact that Gabriel is Noel’s step brother. It’s not mentioned, nor is it portrayed as something wrong in the book…but it just feels illegal😭
Gabriel also lied to her; he literally pretended to be her IBF (calling himself Snow) and then she just forgave him. Actually, that’s okay, he did say “My home is where you are” so, we’re gonna ignore the red flags.

[-ˏˋ D ˊˎ- · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The first time I saw your picture, you took my breath away, but when we stood here in this spot, you took my soul.
You’ve had it with you since then and you will forevermore.”
-Gabriel Snow, from Forbidden Stranger by Alexa Riley

[Megan ~The Never Ending Book Basket · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, sweet, and spicy! Another small town and very fun holiday read from Alexa Riley!! These stories were so sweet and I loved them!

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5✯

°Virgin heroine (20) /non virgin hero
°Switching POVs
°No OW drama
°Unwanted attention from OM
°Short separation
°No cheating or scenes with OP
°Epilogue: 1 month later they're married
---Bonus epilogue: 10 years later married with at least 3 kids

[Zero (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot going on in the story, but it was all so rushed that it was ruined for me.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

s h e l v e s :
alpha
cameos (Jack & Tinsel mostly)
grumpy x sunshine
he falls first
instalove
men in suits
ott
possessive
stepbrother
virgin
wife her up
you’ve got mail

e n d e a r m e n t s :
♥︎ my little doll

k i n k s :
against the wall
breast play
breeding
desperation
dick on clit
dirty talk
dry humping
no condom
praise
pussy humping
pussy petting
tss
💦

e n d i n g :
HEA

🔥

“That’s my good girl.”

Her moan is high-pitched as I graze the skin of her collarbone with my teeth and grind my throbbing cock into her.

“Gabriel.” She sounds like she’s out of breath, but her hands cling to me as she tries to touch me everywhere all at once.

“Say it again. I want to hear you scream it while I suck on your pretty tits.”

“Holy shit.” She sounds shocked and scandalized, but I feel her lower half rock against me like she wants more.

I push her sweater up and then yank the cups of her bra down roughly to expose her full silky breasts. I can’t see the exact shade of her nipples with so little light, and it makes me mad. I want to see all of her laid out on full display, but that’s going to have to wait. Right now, I need my mouth on her more than I need my next breath.

“Gabriel!” she cries out loudly as I suck on one nipple and then move to the other.

My body is shaking with lust as I fall to my knees but keep her pinned in place on the ground. “Get this skirt out of my way.” My hands dig into her ass as she starts to gather up the material that’s bunched around her thighs.

“I’m trying.” Her hands fumble with the fabric, and I’m getting impatient.

“If I don’t get your pussy on my face in the next second, I’m going to fucking die.”

♥︎

“Fine. I’ll do it myself,” he snaps before he yanks my panties down my legs. “Keep that skirt up.”

I step out of my panties, unable to speak as Gabriel stuffs them into his pocket. Then he’s grabbing my ankle and making me spread my thighs wider to expose my sex for his hungry lust-filled gaze. The air is cool against my wet skin because I’m drenched in need. If Gabriel wasn’t so greedy to get my panties down, I might be embarrassed.

His eyes travel slowly up my body to lock with mine, and I jerk when one of his thick fingers slides through the folds of my sex. He presses down on my clit, making me moan, but he doesn’t move it, and the pressure grows tenfold.

He leans in and blows against my sex, causing me to whimper.

“Please,” I beg and push my hips forward, needing him to move his finger. I’m the one that’s going to freaking die here. “I’ll keep my skirt up. I promise,” I rush to add when he lets his warm breath tickle against the folds of my sex.

“Good girl.” He removes his finger from my clit, and I whine.

“No!” I protest, but it’s short-lived as his mouth covers my clit and he begins sucking on it. “Oh god,” I groan when a finger is thrust inside of me and his tongue flicks my clit back and forth. It’s too much because I was already on edge, and to my embarrassment, I go off. As the orgasm takes over, I cry out his name, and the pleasure explodes through my body in a tidal wave.

“That was only to take the edge off since you begged so sweetly and did as you were told.” My hips buck at his words, and I wonder what the heck this man has done to my body.

♥︎

I whimper and jerk when Gabriel kisses my clit and lazily slides his finger out of me.

♥︎

Gabriel rocks against me, and I gasp when I see what he’s doing. He’s on his knees between my thighs, jacking himself off, and it’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen in my life. His expression is pained with need, and it’s also a bit intimidating. Gabriel isn’t a small man, and his cock looks massive even in his own big hand as he strokes himself faster.

 “Don’t,” he orders when I start to sit up, wanting to touch him. I fall back down, doing as I’m told.

“Good girl,” he praises, and it makes my body hum.

He drops down over me, holding himself up with one arm to capture my nipple in his mouth. Gabriel keeps on stroking himself as his giant body jerks on top of mine. His groans and grunts fill the room, and I hear him softly whisper my name.

“Noel.” He lets go of my nipple, and I feel his warm release spill onto me.

He pushes up, going back to his knees, and more cum shoots from his cock to land between my thighs and onto my sex. I bite my lip, my body throbbing for more already.

His cock is still just as hard as before as he releases it and then brings his hand to my stomach.

“My little doll,” he breathes out.

He runs his fingers through his cum and then smears it over my clit. I moan as he works me up again, and this time, he’s relentless. There is no teasing as he uses his cum to make me go off again.

♥︎

His hard cock presses into my stomach, and he shakes his head. “No.” He nips my bottom lip when I try to lift my hip and rub my bare sex against him.

“Please?” He lifts his head, and I audibly hear him swallow.

“Fuck.”

♥︎

I lick my lip when I see his cock and the tip is wet with precum. Gabriel’s hungry gaze eats me up as he strokes himself a few times.

♥︎

He uses his knees to spread my thighs wider before settling in between my legs. “Fuck you’re soaked,” he grits out, his cock slipping through my folds. My body has been craving him for days.

♥︎

When I sink my teeth into his bottom lip, his hips buck forward, and his cock thrusts all the way in. A sharp pain shoots through me, but it’s gone as quickly as it was there.

Gabriel gasps, and I get lost in watching his control dissolve.

“Fuck me,” Gabriel grits out before groaning my name. Warmth blooms deep inside of me, and I feel his cock jerk. He keeps me pinned under him as it pumps, but he doesn’t move.

“Oh god,” I gasp. “Did you just…ah…”

“Yeah.” He pulls out and thrusts back in. “Couldn’t stop it.”

“Oh god,” I moan as I feel the weight of his release in me.

“You drive me insane.” He starts to move faster as he holds me to the bed.

“That’s so hot,” I breathe, wrapping my legs around him.

“You like that, dollface? That you get me so worked up?” His neck strains as he thrusts over and over, and I lift my hips to meet him.

I’m so full and needy as I squeeze around him. I love being filled and connected in a way that is achy and primal.

“Yes,” I moan when he takes me deeper and his teeth find my neck.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispers when he looks at me, and our eyes lock.

“Gabriel. I’m so close,” I beg as I squeeze around him. “Please.”

♥︎

“Are you happy?” she asks as I use my knee to push her legs open so that my bare cock can rub at her entrance.

“Mmm-hmm,” I grunt when I feel her wet desire coat the tip. “I’ll be happier once you’re on my dick.”

“Always with the dirty talk,” she says and then moans when I begin to sink into her.

“You love it.”

“Yes.” She closes her eyes and rocks her hips to take more of me.

[Evelyn alfonzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mini historia
Noel y Gabriel
Hermanastros no conocidos en un pueblo pequeño
*******"*******
Segunda lectura
Noel es una chica de Troping sabe que ha sido adoptada y adora a sus padres es una bibliotecaria y le encanta su trabajo.
Gabriel tiene un propósito encontrar a la hija de su madrastra, que la dio en adopción hace muchos años.

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seriously with the starting word vomit? "I don’t think they could have hidden the fact that I was adopted, not with my wild red hair, green eyes, and all my curves." BLEH. Private jet? BLEH. The library and book stuff was cute. Also, the carved heart in the bookshelves was cute. Also, talking about Christmas theme commitment, I started making a list of all the names: Snow? Tinsel? Noel? Carol? Joy? FROSTIE???

Funny notes:
- “Business…” The woman at the front desk takes a moment to look at my hand and see there’s no wedding ring on my finger.“Or pleasure?” “Privacy,” I clip and pass her my credit card.Her bright mood dims a little as she completes the transaction and hands me the key to my room.

Parts I liked:
- That’s one of my favorite parts of being a librarian—when I read a book and know exactly who will love it and then get to share it with them.
- What neither of them knows is that I’ve found her daughter. (SOME PLOT I GUESS?)

Minimal smut (sad face):
- “Fuck, I need you,” I say as I spin her around and pin her back to the door.When I lift her off the ground, her legs automatically go around my waist, and I hum in approval.“That’s my good girl.”
- “If you’re trying to get me to spank that tempting ass of yours, it’s not going to work.”He leans in and blows against my sex, causing me to whimper.“I’m in charge, dollface.It’s not a punishment if you enjoy it.”
- “This one's for me. Be patient,”
- “Careful, dollface.I’ll return the favor.”His hand comes down on my ass, making me gasp.The sensation shoots straight between my legs, and I bite my lip so that I don’t moan.How far are we from the hotel?“See, I knew you’d enjoy being spanked.”He smacks my ass again.“Stop wiggling or I’ll take you against the wall,” he grits out, and I know he’s barely hanging on to control.

[Alejandra :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amigos yo realmente soy muy fan de los libros cortos de Alexa-Riley
son tan faciles y cortos de leer que me sacan de cualquier bloqueo lector. Este libro es el tercero de
una saga. En este libro nos encontramos con Noel una mujer que es la bibliotecaria del pueblo y siempre
acierta a la hora de recomendar libros. Pero esta mujer fué dada en adopción cuando era una bebe
por lo tanto su vida social es reducida, un día hace una gran amistad con una persona (que hasta el
final sabemos quien es)por la web, por otro lado tenemos a Gabriel un prestigioso abogado de la
Ciudad de New York, amigos, Gabriel es nuestro amigo misterioso de la web y cuando mi
querido Noel se entera = c, Resulta que la madrastra de Gabriel estaba buscando a su hija
y Gabriel dá con ella(Noe), pero lo cierto es que en estos libros todo se soluciona con la magía del
amor jaja.

[Natasha Parris · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK ROCKED, Noel is A sweet librararion form the small town of Troping. she is the resident bookworm and can tell you exactly what romances book you’ll love most. One day while she’s working at the library trying to let Mark down a mysterious stranger comes in, and it might just be the man of her dreams.

Gabriel is from New York and is on his way to Troping to find the daughter his stepmother gave up for adoption. He has been pretending to be snow her online book club best friend unbeknown to Noel; he has fallen in love with her he has to come clean about ever thing . will Noel forgive him or will she walk away?

Read it to find out I Did and I love it.

[Jamile Moreyra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐
Okey, como dije en los anteriores libros, no me gusta el insta love, por que lo veo demasiado rápido, a mi me gusta más el drama, la tensión y todo eso, no que al instante que se conocen ya se dicen te amo, odio eso, pero bueno, no odie leer este libro, aunque me hubiera gustado que halla más drama, más contexto, pero no estuvo mal, se podría decir que el libro que menos me gusto de la saga, por que por lo menos en los anteriores ya se conocían hace un tiempo, ellos el primer día que se vieron ya se estaban besando y dándose placer. Todo fue demasiado rápido, no lo disfrute como hubiera querido.

[Suelen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estranho Proibido

Eu gosto muito de histórias em que a mocinha é bibliotecária e essa aqui foi muito boa. A Noel é aquele tipo de pessoa que eu adoraria ter no meu círculo de amizade. Gabriel nem teve chance de resistir, se apaixonou por ela desde a primeira vez que trocaram mensagens. Só que ele estava escondendo um segredo dos grandes, que tinha o poder de mudar toda a vida dela, e era só uma questão de tempo até que toda a verdade viesse à tona. Ah, eu amei demais cada capítulo desse livro. Já entrou na minha lista de favoritos. Super-Hiper-Ultra-Mega-Power recomendado!

[Kaarla Amaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Namamessss hasta el momento mi fav te lo juroo.
No podía darle mas porque la verdad es una historia muy cortita pero me ha gustado un montón.
Creo que ha sido la que mas trama a tenido y aunque es insta love me ha gustado. Por trama me refiero a que ellos dos ya se conocían y aunque la minita no sabia, a mi me ayudó muchisimo que ya se conocieran.
Estuvo linda y a ver que nos depara en la ultima novela que se viene cociendo desde el inicio de esta serie.

[LiLu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is set in the town of Troping, and is in the ‘Troping Through The Snow’ collection. It was sweet, but also had a wee bit of heart hurt. Loved all the descriptions. Didn’t care for him getting waaay to close to her and her heart, before telling her the truth about why he was there. However, he made up for it in a grand fashion. Another sizzling romance. Loved their epilogue!

[Jamie Martz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, annoying and nosy Tinsel. Ruing the freaking moment... Damn! I'm so angry with this unnecessary Tinsel moment of interruption in every single story.
Who is this kind of nosy justifying that with: I'm the sheriff? So angry read her interventions. Noel was a little bit nervous for Tinsel than her own parents or so...

[camila · Rating 2 out of 5]

insta-love con problemas de comunicación, hermanastros y ciudad pequeña, la fórmula perfecta para el caos.

idk, no sé exactamente como describir este libro pero si sólo buscas un libro pequeño para el rato está bastante bien.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Forbidden Stranger" is the story of Noel and Gabriel.

Sweet tale of tender romance between a bookworm librarian, and her secret admirer who is also her stepbrother/ secret best friend/ future lover.

Insta love with a rushed ending.

Safe
3/5