Everything Forbidden (Albright Sisters, #1) in Ask Jess Michaels

May 17, 2010 Kathleen rated it it was amazing

I read this book a while back and LOVED t. Just wanting to add it to my read book's. ...more

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Oct 16, 2013 multitaskingmomma rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, erotica, hea, historical-romance

Original Blogspot: http://headouttheoven.blogspot.com/20...

This particular novel read like the usual Barbara Cartland plot: worldly older rake meets young chit out of schoolroom and unexpectedly falls hopelessly in love. The difference is the addition of the super steamy erotic scenes that lead to the said helpless-in-love hero.

I don't say that as a bad thing since I have an almost complete paperback library of Barbara Cartland and still go back to it from time to time if there's nothing I find Original Blogspot: http://headouttheoven.blogspot.com/20...

This particular novel read like the usual Barbara Cartland plot: worldly older rake meets young chit out of schoolroom and unexpectedly falls hopelessly in love. The difference is the addition of the super steamy erotic scenes that lead to the said helpless-in-love hero.

I don't say that as a bad thing since I have an almost complete paperback library of Barbara Cartland and still go back to it from time to time if there's nothing I find good out there to read. She's the staff of life for my historical romance love affair.

Jess Michaels however has managed to take the usual plot and make a beautiful story out of it simply with her characters. Miranda is unusual all by herself. Ms Cartland would have the young heroine in the same straits but with a nanny or butler managing everything while she suffers through it. Miranda took the reins herself, tackling insurmountable problems (and an insufferable mother) in a manner most modern heroines would find hard to emulate. She must go it alone, with even the sisters who should be supporting her all deserting her in the end.

Ethan is also the quintessential handsome rake who causes women's underwear to drop when he strolls by. There is no doubt he takes advantage of that BUT he shows a distinct emptiness in his actions. He's not just a one-dimensional character who only thinks with his smaller head but actually has a heart - even if he does act like a cad toward Miranda throughout most of the book.

While I do think that the story ends rather abruptly, I understand that it's a hook that makes you go for the next installment. I just wish that Ethan didn't have to be so dramatic about it. That's the only part that I found hard to accept since he was bred with that stiff upper lip. Maybe a kidnapping to Gretna Green would have been more in character? Just saying.

All in all, I loved this book. It's hot enough in places to warrant a cold shower but none of the erotica were just dropped in to increase the word count. They were part and parcel of the whole story and helped with the character development and flow. Nicely done!

Contributed by: Ramona ...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Aму rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, bdsm, historical

'Everything Forbidden' soothed my historical loving soul. ❤
Both characters are written well - believable and admirable in their own ways. Their chemistry is hot and the sex scenes..S-t-e-a-m-y. Not sure why this would qualify as erotica except for one scene involving a piece of jewelry. *Drools*

It is the standard straight-up historical romance with a few dark twists (for instance, Ethan has a special room devoted to his trysts). But he's also faithful to her throughout the course of the book an ...more

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