Hurts to Love You
by Alisha Rai
Series: Forbidden Hearts #3
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: March 27, 2018
Being bad never felt so good, in the third novel in Alisha Rai’s sexy Forbidden Hearts series!
Well-behaved women don’t lust after men who love to misbehave.
Heiress Evangeline Chandler knows how to keep a secret . . . like her life-long crush on the tattooed hottie who just happens to be her big brother’s friend. She’s a Chandler, after all, and Chandlers don’t hook up with the help. Then again, they also don’t disobey their fathers and quit their respectable jobs, so good-girl rules may no longer apply.
Gabriel Hunter hides the pain of his past behind a smile, but he can’t hide his sudden attraction to his friend’s sheltered little sister. Eve is far too sweet to accept anything less than forever and there’s no chance of a future between the son of a housekeeper and the town’s resident princess.
When a wedding party forces Eve and Gabe into tight quarters, keeping their hands off each other will be as hard as keeping their clothes on. The need that draws them together is stronger than the forces that should shove them apart . . . but their sparks may not survive the explosion when long-buried secrets are finally unearthed.
Amazon | Avon Romance | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks
Excerpt:
“No one knows .”
His tone was bleak, the words tripping over each other.
“No one will,” she whispered, though that wasn’t her place to promise. “I’ll keep it a secret.” His laugh was a harsh bark. “What am I supposed to do? Just trust you?”
Yes.” The adrenaline in her blood spiked, and she leaned in closer, driven to comfort and consume him. “I’m very good at secrets.”
He shook his head. “You don’t— ”
She had no idea what he was going to say, because she settled her lips over his. It was a ridiculous urge, born of panic and desperation and a deep-seated drive to calm him. Their lips fit together perfectly, and she moved them over his, tasting the faint hint of mint in his mouth.
Finally. Finally. Now she knew what kissing would feel like.
Like perfection.
He froze for a second, but then a growl came from deep in his chest. He tightened his hold on her, crushed her close, and kissed her back.
Review:
If you’ve read the other books in this series, all of the plot threads are tied up at the end of this one–and some of the reveals are pretty huge. If you haven’t read the other books, these secrets won’t have as much of an impact as they will for those who have been wondering for two books what reallyhappened the night Robert Kane and Maria Chandler died, but even if you’re starting here Eve and Gabe’s story packs one heck of a wallop. If you’re not acquainted with the other series characters already, you’ll still enjoy the roles they play here–the relationships in this series are amazing. (Confession time–I still need to read book one, Hate to Want You , but even so this book really got to me. I have the audio version–it’s on the list…)
Though on the surface the romantic conflicts here appear to be their age differences (twelve years), their social status (wealthy heiress vs tattoo artist), and the dreaded “brother’s best friend”–each of which could have been “the” issue keeping them apart–instead the real one is actually a secret that Gabe has been keeping for years from almost everyone he knows. The fact that he doesn’t reveal his deepest self to anyone outside of his sister and parents has contributed to his not seeing himself as the kind of guy who’s “good” at relationships–which obviously means that starting something with “Baby Chandler” is definitely out.
But when Eve figures out what he’s been hiding? Watch. Out.
Mixed in with the heavy drama and heady chemistry, though, is some really fun stuff. Kareem’s puppy with the ever-changing name, “ButtGate” (OMG–LOL), and lines like this: “You’re a dirty talker. Like sex closed-captioning” had me grinning like a loon just a page or two away from a much more series part of the story. And Nico and Livvy’s wedding vows will make you sigh even if you haven’t read their book yet. (I know, I KNOW. I WILL!)
Oh, this series! So sad to see it end, but really looking forward to seeing what Ms. Rai has in store for us next…
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
About Alisha Rai:
Alisha Rai pens award-winning sexy contemporary romances and is the first author to have an indie-published book appear on The Washington Post’s annual Best Books list. She spends most of her time dreaming up sexy heroes and heroines, traveling, and tweeting. To find out more about her books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit www.alisharai.com
Author Links:
Tour Wide Giveaway!
To celebrate the release of HURTS TO LOVE YOU, we’re giving away a paperback copy of HATE TO WANT YOU by Alisha Rai!
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open to US shipping addresses only. Five winners will each receive a paperback copy of Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance. Giveaway ends 4/9/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Avon Romance will send the winning copies out to the winner directly. Limit one entry per reader and mailing address. Duplicates will be deleted. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
