The covers for Annie Rains' books always make me feel like I'm going to read a hallmark-esq story, but Forbidden Kisses, the story about step-siblings falling in love, feels too risqué for hallmark. That being said, the story of Jack and Grace is tastefully done and when Rains is done it doesn't feel that taboo. Rains has great dialogue between her characters and writes a cozy and desirable small town setting. I wish I could rent a kayak from Jack and explore North Carolina from the water. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a slightly scandalous second chance romance. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet romance and I like the writing style. Plus, I like the setup for this story; ex-step-siblings that had some romantic feelings for each other in the past getting a second change at a romantic connection in the present. I also like the bit of enemies to lovers scenario. Grace's mom did Jack's family wrong years ago, so there's been contention between Grace and the Sawyer family ever since. Grace ends up needing a job to support her ill mother, so she has to work for the Sawyer family. Grace and Jack begin to grow closer as they work together. I liked Grace's independence, but she does do some annoying things; she's too pushy at times. Jack's a nice guy, and I appreciate that he wants to help Grace. They do have some good chemistry too. Overall, I enjoyed this cute romance.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Grace Donner need a job quick to support her and her Parkinson's disease mother. She never thought she would need a new job. When she was sitting at the cafe, searching for her job, she overheard an interview. She thought she could do the job so she approached the man who was interviewing. She didn't know who he was until he called her name.
Jack Sawyer never thought he would run into Grace again. They were almost family 15 years ago until his father divorced her mother. They were really close even more while they were family. Now Grace is all grown up and looks better than he remembers. And now she was applying for position his aunt just vacated.
Grace didn't want to work for Jack or any of his family. It brings back too many memories but beggars can't be choosers. She wasn't sure if Jack would hire her after everything they went through.
Now Grace is working for his family's seafood business and facing Sawyer's family again. Sparks are flying between Jack and Grace from the are start and they wanted to see where it goes..
Both lives will be better if their families can handle each other but it is easier than said. Jack's family can't stand Tammy (Grace's mother) and can't forgive her for all the things she has done and Grace doesn't want to pick between her mother and Jack. It creates more problems and it will break them apart.

It was different take on a second chance romance. It is about forgiving each other and family coming together. I do really love all her friends and Jack's brothers. I can't wait to read the next one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Loveswept for ARC in exchange for honest review.

FORBIDDEN KISSES - Annie Rains

#1 in the Blushing Bay romance series

FAMILY CONFLICT - 3 stars

Plot - 3.5 stars - Grace is trying to start over in a small town, the same small town where her mother went over the top with her shopping addition. So Grace is having trouble finding work, especially after being fired from her previous job on trumped-up charges. Jack is in need of an office manager for his family's business, but his hiring Grace is totally against the family's desires after they were hurt by her mother's previous actions. Not to mention the fact that Grace and Jack have had the hots for each other since they were teenagers.

Writing - 3 stars - Rains captured my attention right from the first page. I find her writing to be soothing and sweet. It's not particularly erotic by today's standards, but I like the worlds she builds and her characters make sense.

Characters - 2.5 stars - This is where the story faltered for me. I just can't like Jack. He's got a victim complex that he's been carrying for years--since he was a kid and his mother died. Then his friend died. Now he can't keep a relationship going with Grace. Woe is me. Although the first 2 issues were not his fault, of course, his relationship with Grace is a problem simply because he won't forgive, or even forget, what Grace's mother did. And so Grace is caught in the middle, and Jack can't seem to let go of his "trauma." Just not hero material to me. Now Grace has her own problems in my mind. She is such a "good girl" that she is going ahead and trying to solve the family conflict all by herself. She hasn't checked with anyone to even know if there's still a problem between the families, she's just charging forward with her plan. I can certainly understand Jack's hurt at finding out her motivations. Really, folks. All this could have been avoided by TALKING TO EACH OTHER! Why all the secrecy? Grace and Jack are sleeping together, for Pete's sake, why is there still such a lack of trust? Very frustrating, and this definitely took away a lot from this book for me.

Title - 3 stars - Since Grace and Jack were once step-brother and sister, their romantic attraction was frowned upon. Now that they're all grown up, they still feel the same way, but their family differences are getting in the way. So I guess the title makes sense, although really, the only ones with the problem are Jack and Grace themselves.

Cover - 4 stars - Lovely cover. A nice soft blue to draw the eye. And the embracing couple on a warm beach is sweet and provokes a warm feeling.

Overview - 3 stars - I just had to deduct stars because of the frustration caused by unreasonable and untrusting main characters. Both Jack and Grace had issues to deal with, they just couldn't get past them, so their romance pretty much stalled. Grace had a little more gumption than Jack, in my opinion, but both needed to trust and care a little more in order to make a go of this supposed-lost-love relationship. Meh, it's not that I hated the book, but I couldn't warm up to the main characters. On the other hand, I really liked secondary characters of Sam and Abby (exes), Noah and Krista (potentials), Pete and Tammy (the parents).

Rice has pulled it off again this time its the first book in the Blushing Bay Series. Forbidden Kisses let me escape into the fantastic world she created. I connected so well with the characters and felt their emotions. Can't wait for book two of this series!

I received an ARC via Net galley and giving an honest review .
First of all, I was intrigued right from the beginning. Grace and Jack used to be step siblings, along with his 2 brothers, (so we know we'll get to read about them too) but that all ended disastrously. Yes, I was hooked by this time, and couldn't put it down.
This was a feel good, 2nd chance romance that I adored. Not to say it was an easy journey by any means, because there was a lot to get over, but when an author can bring me to tears, make me spitting mad at one of the characters, hold my breath or get me laughing out loud, that's what I love.
As the events unfolded, I found myself in that small seaside town, or out on the water with them all the way

I received this from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This was the first book I've read by Annie Rains and I loved it. I couldn't put it down. It was a sweet romance, sort of a second chance, friends/step family to lovers. I enjoyed reading about Jack and Grace's history, the interactions with all the family members and the current romance. I highly recommend this wonderful romance.

Some people might quibble with the origin of the second chance romance between Grace and Jack- ex-step siblings- but Rains has handled this well and made me root for the two of them to deal with all their issues and find love. This is a terrific start to a new series. Liked the setting (Blushing Bay is a wonderful name) and enjoyed all the characters- am curious which people we will see again! Thanks to net galley for the ARC. This is a quick (it's short) light read with a happy ending, which is just the best way to end a day!

Forbidden Kisses is the first book in the Blushing Bay series written by author Annie Rains. Story is a little slow. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Loveswept for the advance copy.

I couldn’t finish this book, I like the author’s writing and have enjoyed many of their books before but this one wasn’t one I could get into. I will try again when the author’s next book is released as I am a fan of theirs.

I loved this story of Jack & Grace. From the first page I knew I would enjoy reading about these characters. They used to be step siblings-when his dad was married to her Mom-years ago.

Jack is still running the family seafood business and needs a new office manager. Grace is back, looking for a job & taking care of her mother who is sick. The divorce between Jack's Dad & Grace's Mom was messy & Grace hadn't seen Jack or his 2 brothers since. It was such a nice read, flowed well & makes me want to go back to Blushing Bay & see what's going on with the other characters.

During this book we see Grace reconnect with Jack, his brother, his Dad & her friends from Blushing Bay.

Jack Sawyer and Grace Donner had been step-siblings 15 years ago when Jack's father and Grace's mother were married. They had been blissfully happy as siblings for five years until Grace's mother stole from the family and she lost her family. She had been in love with Jack since she was 15 but nothing could ever come of that because of their family's history. They had shared one really amazing kiss when Grace was 15 but that is all they would ever have.

Then one day Grace overheard a man at the nearby cafe table interviewing for an office manager for his family's business and, in desperation, she turned around and asked that she be considered for the job before she realized who the man was. It just so happened that it was Jack Sawyer. When she was offered the job, she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders, just as another settled in. How could she work with Jack and not let her feelings show? Would he feel the same way about her?

I liked this story a lot. The sex scenes could have been left out but they were not as descriptive as some. I don't appreciate all the details.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Annie Rains is an author who literally takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, and it's no different with Forbidden Kisses, that being said, by the time I reached the end, I was a blubbering mess! The authors writing had just switched me up and took on a magical boat ride!

The relationship between Jack and Grace was just magical, if not strained by all the bad feeling over Grace's mother, which quite frankly is understandable. And by the time Jack and Tammy were yelling at each other, over Grace's hospital bed, I was ready to knock their heads together! But I have to say, I'm desperate to find out if Noah and Sam will find their happy ever after too!

The writing and plot line for this book, was enchanting and refreshing, I don't think I have ever read a book where, ex step-siblings fall in love, or the "wicked step-mother" was truly repentant! It was such an unusual spin, but I throughly enjoyed it.

I give Forbidden Kisses 5 stars!

I loved this book so much! Jack and Grace's story is the reason I read romance. The chemistry between them was amazing and their romance was so sweet. Perfection!

I enjoyed this very much. It had a lot of parts falling together and it moved along well. A nice afternoon story to read.

Didn't connect with this one so it was a DNF. :(

I really enjoyed this book! Jack and Grace have a history...her mother was married to his father when she was a teenager. That marriage ended very badly because of choices Grace's mother made and Grace ended up losing the only family she had ever known....and Jack, the boy that she loved. Grace has spent years trying to avoid the Sawyer family and she is now desperate for a job so that she can continue to care for her ill mother. Grace finds herself the office manager of the Sawyer’s successful seafood business, thanks to Jack. Jack is just a genuine, compassionate man and I really loved him. Grace and Jack both showed their ability to forgive and to learn to trust again. The theme of forgiveness and second chances applied not only to Jack and Grace, but to their families as well. This book is one in which you can feel the connection between the characters and the depth of their emotions. This was a good story and I highly recommend it.

Jack is a fisherman who along with his two brothers and their father take care of their business to provide fresh fish to their clients. However, after losing his best friend Chris when he fell overboard, he thinks it is time to open the construction business they have been talking about for a while.
Grace has been part of the Sawyer family for a while until her mother messed up and everything ended up in a painful divorce for everybody. She missed them all a lot, especially Jack. She has always loved him since the first time she saw him when she was ten years old. Now life put then on the same path again.
It is a well-written and well-developed book. The characters are lovely and not just Jack and Grace but all of them. I like how Jack takes care of people in need and even when he thinks he hates someone, he still helps that person. I like Grace’s strength and how she sticks to her mother no matter how bad she messed up things. The story makes me smile, laugh, and cry.
It is always a pleasure to read Annie Rains books. I’m looking forward to getting the next book in this series.
I was given a gifted copy by NetGalley.

Forbidden Kisses is a sweet second chance romance. Grace and Jack were once steps when his dad & her mom were married briefly when they were younger. Both of them had been attracted to each other, and it lead to a kiss, but nothing else ever happened. Now it's years later and Grace is unemployed thanks to her sleazy ex boss and in desperate need of employment to help care for her mom, who has Parkinson's Disease. She's at a cafe job hunting online and hears someone being interviewed and decides she's going to be the next person being interviewed on the off chance it'll land her a job. Imagine her surprise when she turns around and the man conducting the interview is her former stepbrother, Jack.

It sounds like landing the job would be a slam dunk, right? But it's not, because Grace and her mother did not part ways amicably with Jack's family. Her mother did some horrible things to Jack's family, and his family hasn't forgiven her mom (or her, by extension) ever since her mom's deplorable actions. But, as fate would have it, Jack desperately needs an office manager and he's willing to forgive Grace, now if only the rest of his family will get on board. As they work together, they fall back into their old feelings for each other, and their former stepsibling relationship takes a turn into a romance. And it's sweet, but there are things under the surface that work against them. One being that Jack still does not like Grace's mother, Tammy. Of course he doesn't! What her mother had done to Jack's family was ridiculous and unforgivable. Yes, she's sorry (but not very), and yes, Jack needs to get along with her if he wants to date her daughter, but Grace expecting Jack to love her mother is a bit of a reach. And Grace isn't nice about it, either. In fact, Grace's character isn't very nice. She's independent and strong, but not that pleasant. I'm surprised Jack loved her, actually. If she had been a more likable character, I definitely would have rated this 4 stars rather than 3, because everyone else is likable (aside from Tammy) and the theme of second chances and forgiveness in a small town is a great idea.

There isn't a lot of steam in Forbidden Kisses, but I wasn't expecting much. The tension is nice, though, and enough to keep their romance hopping along. The pacing is a bit slow, but it's not too bad. For a sweet story, I couldn't honestly expect it to be high energy with a lot going on. This is apparently part of a series, and it interested me enough to take a look at the next ones coming about Jack's brothers. They're an interesting family, so the rest of the series should be good.