Simply Forbidden by Kate Pearce

If you have read a Kate Pearce book before, you would know that her books tend to have a lot of erotic scenes. This book was slightly different from the rest... but it still has the same structure and plot. The hero of this story, Gabriel Swanfield, is a rather complicated and tortured man with a lot of secrets while the heroine is also complicated due to her reputation and adventurous soul. The chemistry between the two starts out with a bang but because of Gabriel's intention to never wed a wife, it makes things a little bit difficult for Lisette. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this book much better than the previous ones. 4 out of 5 stars from me!

The Characters:
We'll start out with Gabriel, The Earl of Swanfield. Like I've said before, his past is rather complicated, which literally makes him a tortured hero. A brief summary of what exactly happened is that while he was in the military, he ended up in a prison camp and eventually escaped from there. I find it rather unique that when he first meets Lisette, he falls hard for her without even realizing it. He thinks that it's all lust but unfortunately, we all know that he's falling in love. But even if their interactions with one another are explosive, things aren't what they always seem. Gabriel has a dark and sexual nature that he doesn't want anyone to know about, especially Lisette. While reading this book, I never realized the harm that the actions his father had left behind for Gabriel- which essentially causes a few misconceptions later on between him and Lisette.

Lisette Delornay-Ross is actually the daughter of Philip Ross and Madame Helene Delornay, the owner of the House of Pleasure. Remember Simply Shameless? Unlike other ladies of the ton, Lisette is rather... different. Even though Gabriel believes that she is a respectable lady, the things hidden from her outer-appearance may shock him. But even so, her character is vibrant, kindness, intelligence, and also very vulnerable as well. I feel in love with her character and situation with Gabriel because she always believed that she was second best. Not everything is perfect, especially love. Both Lisette and Gabriel have the same issue, regarding being vulnerable and alone, which is why they are a perfect match for one another!

The Romance:
There were many heart-wrenching moments because even if Lisette may seemed like she's sexually experience, she is also still very young and childish in some ways. She falls in love with Gabriel but it is a very sad fact that he has not realized it until the end. The chemistry between these two was amazingly hot and I enjoyed it very much. Gabriel never intended to get a wife or child... but when he meets Lisette, everything changes. He wants her. And he wants her bad. It was almost as if he couldn't live without her-- something along those lines was what he said in the book. They had many misconceptions about one another later on in the book and it was sad to see Gabriel trying to change his marriage into a socially accepted one. Lisette never wanted that "perfect" marriage that Gabriel seems to think that she wants. All she wanted was to be married to him and only him. Thankfully, everything worked out in the end and he finally realizes that he has loved her all along.

Rating: ★★★★☆