Forbidden is the third book in the Deep Connection series by Sierra Kincade and if you haven’t yet read the first two books, you need to go do that now. I love all the books in this series but I think Forbidden might be my favorite…

This book focuses on Elaina and Garett. Both have issues and due to things in their past but this is why these two work so well together. They are quickly drawn to each other and eventually get past the walls they have put up to protect themselves.

Elaina is the youngest Talent (Cole and Marsella are introduced in the prior books) and she has been her father’s right hand in running their businesses and has found herself in a bind with one of her father’s more dangerous partners. With her father in jail and Lynch believing Elaina has turned on him, she is officially on the run and doing whatever she can to not only stay out of sight but also avoid bringing the danger to her brother and sister’s doors. Unfortunately, things don’t necessarily go as planned and she finds herself injured and in Ambrose, Ohio.

Garett is one of those characters that snuck up on me. I have known him since book one, but he never really stood out for me. Until now. When he ends up finding Elaina, he immediately takes her home to not only help her, but to protect the people he cares about. As they spend time with each other it is clear that they both have kept some secrets and it was as if they had resigned themselves to a life slightly disconnected from others to protect themselves and those around them but once they start to open up to each other, their relationship changes.

I loved the chemistry between these two characters. Garett is patient and while he asks things of Elaina, he doesn’t push her too hard and I think that is why Elaina eventually comes around. Once these two do finally come together…Yowza! Kinkade writes some great sexy times between these two but there are some swoony bits that I loved too.

Kincade did a fantastic job to developing these characters out and then integrating their stories into those of the characters from the other books in the series. Not only were we able to see more of Marsella, Jake, Cole and Kenzie but we got to see them interacting with each other and Garett and Elaina. It really did tie the entire story together (because they didn’t just vanish) as well as give me more of these characters that I enjoy. I loved getting to experience the dynamic between the Talent siblings.

At the heart of this story, the Talents are still mixed up with Lynch and I thought Kincade did a great job of bringing the group back into the mix with the bad guys and ultimately wrapping up the story. I don’t want to say a lot about what specifically happens but I admit I was a bit on edge wondering what was going to happen and how everything was going to get resolved.

Sierra Kincade is an auto-buy author for me and if you enjoy your romance with a great plot and characters you will love, you should definitely put her on your list too. I am looking forward to whatever Kincade writes next and can’t wait to find out what it is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

Forbidden is the third book in the Deep Connection series by Sierra Kincade and if you haven’t yet read the first two books, you need to go do that now. I love all the books in this series but I think Forbidden might be my favorite…

This book focuses on Elaina and Garett. Both have issues and due to things in their past but this is why these two work so well together. They are quickly drawn to each other and eventually get past the walls they have put up to protect themselves.

Elaina is the youngest Talent (Cole and Marsella are introduced in the prior books) and she has been her father’s right hand in running their businesses and has found herself in a bind with one of her father’s more dangerous partners. With her father in jail and Lynch believing Elaina has turned on him, she is officially on the run and doing whatever she can to not only stay out of sight but also avoid bringing the danger to her brother and sister’s doors. Unfortunately, things don’t necessarily go as planned and she finds herself injured and in Ambrose, Ohio.

Garett is one of those characters that snuck up on me. I have known him since book one, but he never really stood out for me. Until now. When he ends up finding Elaina, he immediately takes her home to not only help her, but to protect the people he cares about. As they spend time with each other it is clear that they both have kept some secrets and it was as if they had resigned themselves to a life slightly disconnected from others to protect themselves and those around them but once they start to open up to each other, their relationship changes.

I loved the chemistry between these two characters. Garett is patient and while he asks things of Elaina, he doesn’t push her too hard and I think that is why Elaina eventually comes around. Once these two do finally come together…Yowza! Kinkade writes some great sexy times between these two but there are some swoony bits that I loved too.

Kincade did a fantastic job to developing these characters out and then integrating their stories into those of the characters from the other books in the series. Not only were we able to see more of Marsella, Jake, Cole and Kenzie but we got to see them interacting with each other and Garett and Elaina. It really did tie the entire story together (because they didn’t just vanish) as well as give me more of these characters that I enjoy. I loved getting to experience the dynamic between the Talent siblings.

At the heart of this story, the Talents are still mixed up with Lynch and I thought Kincade did a great job of bringing the group back into the mix with the bad guys and ultimately wrapping up the story. I don’t want to say a lot about what specifically happens but I admit I was a bit on edge wondering what was going to happen and how everything was going to get resolved.
Sierra Kincade is an auto-buy author for me and if you enjoy your romance with a great plot and characters you will love, you should definitely put her on your list too. I am looking forward to whatever Kincade writes next and can’t wait to find out what it is.

I will post to Amazon on the 14th when it is released.

My Disclaimer:
I was provided an ARC of this book. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review

What it's about...
Everyone has secrets, but the Talent family maybe more so that others. Mom died to support Dad's position with the Vegas mob. Then Elaina took over running Dad's club and running the drugs for the mob.

Now Elaina's running for her life. She trusted the wrong person and now the mob's after her and any family members of hers they can find.

Garrett isn't sure if he can trust Elaina. But she's in rough shape and there's something about her that gets to him. He has to be very careful though because he knows too many of her family secrets to be careless.

Technical Tidbits...
The ARC I was sent had no cover. So after I read the book, I went looking for the cover. The cover is appealing for a contemporary romance and goes well with the two previous books. However, it has nothing to do with this book.

The storyline is good. I haven't read the two previous books, but it was really easy to pick up the overarching storyline in this book.

The characters were well developed. The author didn't go into the ones from the first two books, but the two main characters in this book were well done. Some of it was done from getting into their heads and some from their conversations.

The pace was pretty fast. They did have to take time out for sex.

The tension built to a screaming pitch!

And this is where you STOP if you don't want to see any SPOILERS...

The good, the bad, and the ugly...and how much it lit up my life... ✰✰✰✰⭒

Let's start with the cover, shall we? That's what attracts me to a book, to begin with. You're looking along the shelf and it catches your eye. The cover has to catch your eye. This one certainly catches the eye all right, but it has nothing to do with this story. Unless we are supposed to imagine this is what Elaina looks like when she is at her club. I don't think so. In the book, Elaina has a mop of curls. They drive her crazy and Garrett loves them! Of course. Her sister has provided some clothes for her from the closest Wal-Mart, so she's wearing "granny panties", denim shorts, t-shirts, and no make-up.

This is a woman who hasn't felt a thing with a man for years. She's a stripper and a topless dancer and she owns the club. In Vegas. She's had to be hard. She's buried her feelings so deep she hasn't seen them in years. But "granny panties" or not, with Garrett, she starts to feel like a woman again. She starts to feel desire and to understand the difference between love and power (lust). She starts to open up to him and allows herself to be vulnerable.

Garrett has PTSD from his tours in Afghanistan, from things he was forced to do while he was there serving as a medic. Elaina really gets to him. They talk and she helps him open up, release some of the pain, talk some of it out. He finds he can laugh again with her. She makes him feel again, maybe love again.

I got to care about these people through the course of the story, to want them to stop hurting and to overcome their problems. Sierra Kincade really writes good characters and draws you in with the emotions she gives those characters.

Suggest you read the first two books first, but the third book is good all by itself!

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Forbidden by Sierra Kincade
Book Three of the Deep Connection series
Publisher: Intermix
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

The author of Forsaken and Forbidden returns with a new Deep Connection novel—a tantalizing story about a woman desperate to hide the truth…

Elaina Talent is the black sheep of the family, closer to her criminal father than either of her siblings. It goes without saying that she’ll take over the Talent family’s many lucrative businesses—legal and illegal—now that her father is incarcerated. But when events come to a head with an Irish drug dealer based in Las Vegas, Elaina is forced to flee, wounded and with a dangerous secret to keep safe.

Garett Sharp fell hard and fast for Marsella Talent. The ex-army medic is still licking his wounds over Marsella’s rejection when her sister, Elaina, shows up in need of help in Ambrose, Ohio. Out of loyalty to Marsi, Garett nurses Elaina back to health, but remains suspicious of her intent. However, the more time they spend together, the less he can deny the sparks igniting between them. But exploring the passion they feel may lead to an explosion neither can handle.

What I Liked:

This is the first book I've read by Sierra Kincade (though I've read several of her YA books - written under a different name). I actually had been reading her YA books for years and hadn't known that she wrote adult romance. Being the adult romance fan that I am, I knew I had to try something be her. I got a digital galley invite of this book from the publisher and decided that that was a sign. I'm a little early in posting my review, but I couldn't not share my excitement for this book!

This is the third book in the Deep Connection series. First we were introduced to Jake and Marsella, and then Cole and Kenzie. This third book follows Garett and Elaina. Elaina is Marsella and Cole's sister, and Garett is Kenzie's brother. Years ago, Garett nursed Marsella backed to health after she got into a car accident - and he was rejected by her. Years later, Elaina stumbles into Garett's care. She is running from something, and Garett isn't going to stand by and watch her suffer. He helps her get better, but he can't not be a little suspicious. After so long, she has run to her family - but why? Is she bringing trouble with her? And what is she and Garett going to do about their growing feelings for each other?

I wasn't sure about this book at first, because of the fact that Garett had been in love with Marsella. But this isn't an issue in this book. Marsella is happily in love with Jake, as is obvious by book one (Forsaken). Garett is waaaaaaay over Marsella and honestly that whole thing is barely mentioned (and for the better). It comes up in the story, but not as a "big thing". Garett has no residual feelings for Marsella, and Marsella was never interested in him in the first place.

On paper, Elaina seems like someone who would be difficult to like. She took over her father's business in dealing drugs. She herself did drugs, she's a stripper, and she's a rat - she is an informant for the cops, while she also deals with the drug dealers and other kingpins. Elaina is tired of it all, and doesn't want that lifestyle. But she doesn't want to bring danger to her family. When she is badly hurt and suffering from a gunshot wound, she has nowhere else to turn. But she runs into Garett Sharp before she can find her sister.

Garett knew who Elaina was as soon as he saw her, but even before he recognized her, he was ready to help her. Garett is a very good guy, always willing to help others, without questioning anything. He is an act-now-ask-questions-later kind of guy. He's selfless and thoughtful and introspective. And yet, he has a lot of intensity and passion simmering beneath the surface. I adored Garett, because he's so darn nice, but also protective and loyal. Elaina is suspicious of his intentions at first, because to her, there is no way a guy is that nice, especially to her.

The romance is super hot! After Elaina starts to heal, things start to heat up between these two. I love the dynamic between them. Garett is kind and patient, and Elaina... Elaina needs that patience from him. She may have been a stripper but she never let men touch her, because of some things in her past. Having Garett touch her is a little scary at first, but then it's so good for her. She needs him physically and emotionally, just as he needs her in the same ways. This book was incredibly hot, with so many fiery scenes that lit up the pages. These two have great chemistry!

Garett has his own demons to confront, with his past as a medic in the military. Having gone to Afghanistan four times, and having seen terrible things as a medic, Garett suffers from PTSD. He needs that connection with Elaina and he never knew it.

Elaina's situation with Frank Lynch (one of the bed guys involved in her father's business) and the cops is handled in the last quarter of the book. The first three quarters deal more with Garett and Elaina's relationship. And then it is time for Elaina to make a decision.

I really enjoyed this book! It is sexy, sweet, and action-packed, and it is just as good as I expected it to be. Also a bonus - there is very little drama in this book. Sometimes adult romance novels are filled with drama (especially towards the climax), but that wasn't the case with this book. This book was a pleasure to read!

What I Did Not Like:

I can't think of anything specific that I didn't like!

Would I Recommend It:

Fans of this series will not be disappointed! This book was an excellent romance novel, with sexy, sexy times, a sweet yet intense hero, a fierce and determined heroine, and a lot of family bonding/family themes. Family is so important in this book, as is emotional healing. There is a lot going in this book, and it is put together really nicely. Any fan of hot adult contemporary romance would enjoy this book!

Rating:

4 stars. I almost regret not starting from the beginning! But I loved Garett and Elaina's story. They are lovely together - quiet and intense + prickly and defensive. I want my own Garett!