Member Reviews
A sex goddess, a human, a desire to feel and a desire to have the one thing they shouldn't.
When they jeopardize everything for three days of bliss, lives will change. Who will survive the discovery and who will uncover secrets?
A steamy paranormal romance of forbidden desire, forced proximity and opposites attract.
While part of a series, this can be read as a standalone.
This one didn't really connect with me which is a shame because everything about hits my "interest button".
The disconnect may also not be the story, it may have been where my brain was at, at the time. I wouldn't be above giving this story another go later on.
3.5
The plot was so packed into the ending the beginning half felt a little unbalanced. I loved the relationship here between Niva and Graven. I just wanted to see them communicate a little more.
This is the fourth of the Planet of Desire series.
This story explores freedom of bodily autonomy, opening oneself up to healing and love, loyalty to ones people, ones self and ones partner. Of course the healing power of love and how love for ones partner expands your heart to those around you as well.
Niva’s ruling council is frightened that if she loves a human she will abandon her people. The law of the land is the freedom to love but they want to put strictures on her, their current embodiment of the power of love. Their lack of understanding about relationships outside their norms is creating a form of bigotry.
Graven has never felt love or nurturing, only torture and clinical, merciless experimentation as the bioengineered offspring of a sociopath. He has only been a tool and a subject. He shut down his emotions so tightly out of self preservation that his aura is gray. He longs for connection but cannot feel touch and is afraid to unlock his emotions or reveal his identity. He is fascinated by Niva.
Niva believes her powers can heal this mysterious, massive man with the sickly aura. Her council forbids it but she is also fascinated with Graven so decides to sneak him along on her weekend retreat. Then follows lots of imaginative sex, some healing, some budding love and risk of Niva’s imprisonment and perhaps death.
I enjoyed the love story although it feels accelerated. I enjoy the ongoing intrigue of the rebels escape from the villainous Captain and the Ten Systems government. I like the diverse characters, the innocent sexuality of the planet’s inhabitants and love Niva’s voluptuousness. She reminds me of a pagan fertility goddess. I also love how the people’s emotions show in colors on their bodies and they can see human emotions as colors in their bodies too. It isn’t Great Literature but it was a good evening’s read.
I’ll read future stories by Robin Lovett.
I haven't read erotica in a long time and I’m not into science fiction either. It has all the explicit sex scenes that you'd expect from this genre. If that's not your thing, best not read this one. I rather enjoy a good, steamy read instead of this one to be honest.
This was really out of my comfort zone with aliens.
This was wildly fun and sexy and exactly what I want when I'm looking for a bananaspants book. Sex planet but also feelings! Definitely will be looking out for the next book asap.
This book is 90% smut and starts on page one, so be prepared for some spice. While it did entertain me, I did get tired of the constant smut and skimmed through the last 30% of the book as a result.
(You don't need to read the rest of the series to understand what's going on in this one)
This was the first Robin Lovett book I read and wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. I found it easy to enter the mindset of an alien race and understand their customs. I found the storyline to be entertaining and interesting and will definitely go back to Robin's back catalogue. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Graven finds himself on the run, a fugitive human on a foreign planet. Niva is the sex goddess healer that he finds himself unable to stop obsessing over. When Niva eventually regards him, she discovers he needs her more than anyone she has ever encountered.
Forbidden Desire by Robin Lovett is what you would expect based on the plot summary. So ask yourself what do you want from this story. Some sexy time, under the guise of a healer and her patient? Yes? Okay. But it doesn't get a lot deeper than that. Niva and Graven experience a pretty superficial relationship, but it is very steamy.
That being said, there are elements of Forbidden Desire that advance it beyond mind-numbing erotica. The author makes an effort to weave a story into Niva's healing sessions, and I did find it intriguing. Graven's torturous past, Niva's fear of her council's reaction to a forbidden human it was all enough to keep me engaged in their stories.
Forbidden Desire by Robin Lovett is one of the better erotica's I have run across. I finished it, which for me and this type of book means a lot, but some of it I only skimmed. Take that as you will.
This was overall a fun time! Alien smut is usually going to be ridiculous and crazy, but that's why I enjoy it. I really appreciated that the heroine was the alien in this case, because I have only read alien smut where the heroine is human. Yes, the romance was very "instalove", but given how ridiculous the world/plot already is, I gave it a pass.
I did have a couple of issues, which is why I couldn't give this more than 3 stars. I wasn't a fan of how Graven's disability was portrayed, and I also didn't love the monogamy vs. polyamory aspect of this book. I feel weird about the whole "humans are instinctively monogamous" thing. I also feel weird about the way that some of the characters are able to separate sex and love, but when it comes to the One True Love, sex and love are inherently intertwined and cannot be separated. And in this case, it also means upheaval for Niva’s work and culture. So there’s a definite statement here about what True Love means, and it’s a very narrow monogamous one.
I am not an expert on disabilities, and Graven does have an extreme condition that does not exist in current reality, as far as I know. However, the narrative that true love can physically fix a person erases people who do live with a disability and who are able to find love and acceptance just as they are.
**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**
I first heard of Robin Lovett's Planet of Desire series while listening to the Fated Mates podcast. Nothing Sarah MacLean or Jen Prokop could have thought to say about this series could have possibly prepared me for how absolutely bananas it is...in the best way possible.
A planet that fills its inhabitants with an unquenchable lust? How could this go wrong? In the hands of a lesser author, this could have been a complete cluster-you-know-what of problematic plot points, dubious consent, and just a terrible no-good, very bad time for all parties involved. In Lovett's hands? This is a love letter to enthusiastic consent and recognizing the joys that intimacy, however one defines it, can be.
The heroine of this book is Niva, chosen by destiny to be a sex goddess...no, really. She is a healer who does her best work, shall we say, in the throes. She has been given license to bed any and everyone who comes to her for aid, with one caveat - no humans - unless she wants to meet her demise.
Enter Graven, whose sadistic father experimented on and tortured him to the point that he can no longer perceive pain...or pleasure. Niva is drawn to the massive yet gentle giant and yearns to fix what he believes is beyond repair.
As these two secret themselves away to explore their tentative bond, will they be able to conquer Graven's emotional and physical blocks before the consequences of their illicit affair catch up to them?
Niva is a hot, plus-sized sex goddess with a heart of gold and I thought that her inability to resist helping Graven was both adorable and potentially problematic -- themes explored within the book. Graven's contention with his family of origin and learning to feel both physically *and* emotionally won me over. It's totally doesn't hurt that this book was scorching hot erotica featuring a gruff and grizzled virgin hero...Niva showing him the ropes will have you taking a cold shower!
All in all, I loved both Niva and Graven and am dedicated to reading as many books in this series as Lovett is willing to publish!
This was such a fun story!
Niva & Graven... their differences meshed so well..
Interesting story line...
Great World building...
***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.***
If you've read my earlier reviews of this series (Book 1, Book 2, Book 3), you know that they are absolutely bananas erotic romance and I love them. I'm not reading much ERom at all these days, so for me to be continuing this series says something.
Here are the bananas: sex goddess with a magic vagina (she also has essentially 3 clits and "claws" inside that grip when she comes), she's got a magical gift that allows her to make anyone orgasm with a touch, her love interest was genetically engineered to be super-swole but also unable to sense touch and his emotions are locked up. She fixes him with sex in what is an absolutely delightful twist on the Magic Penis trope. Star-crossed lovers! He's in hiding! She's not allowed to fall in love! All of this happens over the course of four days and it's absolutely ridiculous but *shrug* I am more than happy to roll with it. There's a ton of creative sex furniture and I had fun trying to figure out what it was shaped like. Anyway, please buy and read it so Robin Lovett will write like 15 more. (I've purchased them after reading for this exact reason.)
Content Warnings: violence, parental abuse, kidnapping and torture (briefly), discussion of possibly being forced to have sex with anyone who needs magic sex healing
Suzanne received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! You'll need a cold shower after this sexy hot book. Who wouldn't like a story about an alien sex goddess and a bio-engineered human male virgin created for battle? I became a fan of science fiction romances a few years ago and now I can't get enough of them. I really enjoy finding out the protagonists' extraordinary differences and how they deal with their attraction. This one is that and more considering you may learn a few things from the sex doctor. ;)
Niva's compassionate and caring nature and Graven's lack of social skills is a great combination to watch. Graven is so sweet and gentle with Niva while Niva is dominant and confident in what she wants. There is a great deal of sex in the book, but there is an actual intriguing and fast-paced plot filled with danger that keeps the reader captivated and willing to see how the lovers work it all out.
Overall, I loved this imaginative and sensual novel so much, I have purchased the rest of the series. Though the sex may be uncomfortable for some, this novel also touches on themes such as family, loyalty, and having a say over your own body. If you enjoy, erotica romance with a plot, give this fun book a try.
Thank you to Ms. Lovett for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
I read this ARC in exchanged for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine
Loved this. It was tremendous. Great characters and loved the story
I read this in 1 sitting - it was soooo good.
I was drawn to this book by the cover. It isn't everyday that you will find romance novel that will depict it's plus-size heroine on the cover (though situations are improving). Unfortunately, I discovered within the first couple of pages I was in the middle of a series that I was very unfamiliar with. Most of the times with serialized romances, if you start in the midst of the series you can quickly pick up where you are and what has happened before you entered the story. Because there is so much world building that takes place in this series, starting with the fourth book in the series made for a lot of confusion. Which I think affected my enjoyment of this book. For those who have been with this series since the beginning, I think you will enjoy. However, this book was not for me.
I received a free e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have been struggling the last while to find a good hot romance, but Forbidden Desire definitely provided it.
Niva is a Fellamena alien race's neighborhood sex goddess who has the power to cure any ailments through sex. She loves the sexy times and can go all day. When she sees Graven watching her she knows he needs her help. His aura is black and gray and he seems so lonely.
Graven has a terrible secret. He's the son of the evil scientist that has tortured and murdered hundreds of alien species across the galaxy. He also made Graven what he is. A super-soldier with no ability to feel touch. He's been alone a very long time and after having escaped his father, he expects to be alone forever. But he loves watching Niva work and craves her like nothing he's ever experienced. The issue is Niva is bound by the laws of her people and she isn't allowed to be with humans. When she goes against her people's wishes to try and cure him, she forms a connection that could lead her to her death.
I loved this book. It was so good. Beginning to end. I loved Graven and how strong yet fragile he was. I loved how Niva was the stronger one and how she supported and wanted to help Graven even at the expense of herself. I seriously loved both characters.
The plot of Forbidden Desire was super unique. I liked that it wasn't all about sex and I got to learn about the unique alien culture surrounding the characters. This was a seriously fun read. From beginning to end I greatly enjoyed this story.
I binge read the first three books in this series to get to Forbidden Desire and it was totally worth it. This was a beautiful book that focused on the development of Niva and Graven. Niva has recently come into her power as Sex Goddess for her planet. While Graven is a bio-engineered solider without the ability to feel touch. This is an initial desire between them but it grows into a bond when they sneak off together for Niva to try to use her goddess powers to fix Graven. This book is sexy, kinky, steamy, and yet has moments of sweetness between the sex. Niva learns to speak up for herself and to make her Sex Goddess position her own. Graven learns how to care for someone else and to break free of the shackles of his terrible father. This was an excellent book and I really enjoyed it!
Lots of steam teaching Graven what he’s missed!
Envision a non-monogamist society where sex is just another function of the body like breathing and there is a being whose specialty is sex therapy. Now envision a human man who has never known love or felt sexual release because he has been genetically modified to feel nothing. What happens when these two recognize something in each other? But what if there is no way they can be together because he is human and she is Fellamana.
This is the story of a clear-glass world where love pervades everything but it has strict rules that cannot be altered. One such rule is that humans cannot be allowed to take advantage of the sex doctors powers. Graven cannot feel anything because of his modifications by his own father! BBW Niva’s whole being is one of teaching others how to love and feel love. Can she help him overcome his inabilities? Graven is in lust with Niva. Can he give her up? He’s in hiding. Will he be found out? What then? So much happens in this well-written paranormal romance. Love the ending when it all comes together. This is one of several stories which take place in this world but are all standalone. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Entangled/NetGalley and I give it 4.5 stars.
This book was the sinfully sexy part of my reading week and I think I needed it just as much as the super sweet love story.
This is book four in an enjoyable erotic science fiction romance series. No closed doors here, be prepared for A LOT of sex. And invisible sex couches, oral benches, sex games, etc… The lovely Niva takes center stage and she is now the Fellamena’s sex goddess. She loves her job and is drawn to the distant Graven and wants to heal him, even though her ruling council is basically like “no humans or we will throw you in jail.”. Hmmmm.
Graven is the son of a bad guy who has been experimented on and is now some sort of super soldier who has no touch sensation. BUT, Niva has magic orgasms and after stealing him away on a three day retreat, she knows she can fix her virgin lover.
Be prepared for a beautiful sex goddess with sex magic who will do anything to fix her super soldier, virgin lover who is all about his lady’s pleasure. Also, did I mention invisible sex couches? Fun, fast read if you are looking for something super steamy.
Final grade- B-